Incarnation; Timothy's Ministry

The first chapter of John’s gospel
elaborates on the 

incarnation of Jesus Christ 
more than
any other passage in the Bible.


John wanted his readers to know that

Jesus was the absolute revelation of God in human form:

“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us,
and

we beheld His glory,

the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,

full of grace and truth”

​(John 1:14, NKJV).



“The Word”

is the Logos, Jesus Christ Himself.

He became “flesh,” meaning the divine Son of God became human,
like us
(Romans 8:3; Philippians 2:7; 1 Timothy 3:16; 1 John 4:2; 2 John 7).

God revealed Himself to the people of the world through His Son, Jesus.

Christ showed us God’s glory.

"We have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s

one and only Son,”

The author of Hebrews further illuminates:

"The Son radiates God’s own glory and expresses the

very character of God”

(Hebrews 1:3, NLT).

The statement that “we beheld His glory”

links Jesus to the Old Testament

wilderness tabernacle.

At this earthly tent of meeting, Yahweh’s divine presence and glory dwelled and visibly manifested among the people of Israel. They saw His glory in the fire, pillar of smoke, and cloud (Exodus 40:34). In the New Testament, God’s glorious presence was made visible in the living Word, who was clothed in flesh and “tabernacled” among us in the person of Jesus Christ. John 1:14 actually uses a form of the Greek word for “tabernacle” to describe Jesus’ taking on human flesh.

Jesus revealed His glory for the first time publicly
at the 
wedding in Cana, and, as a result, “his disciples believed in him”
(John 2:11, NLT).

Mathew and Luke recorded the scene of
Christ’s transfiguration when Peter, James, and John beheld a
glimpse of His unveiled glory

(Matthew 17:2; Luke 9:32).

Peter testified firsthand to the transfiguration:

"For we were not making up clever stories when we told you about the powerful coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. We saw his majestic splendor with our own eyes when he received honor and glory from God the Father. The voice from the majestic glory of God said to him, ‘This is my dearly loved Son, who brings me great joy"

(2 Peter 1:16–17, NLT).

When John said, “We beheld His glory,” he was giving

eyewitness testimony to the incarnation--

that God Himself had come to earth embodied in the Son:

We proclaim to you the one who existed from the beginning,

whom we have heard and seen.

We saw him with our own eyes and touched him with our own hands.

He is the Word of life
(1 John 1:1, NLT).

Not only John, but all the disciples had seen Jesus and beheld His glory with their own eyes. These apostles could all testify that the Father had sent Jesus to be the Savior of the world
(1 John 4:14).

Other teachers were likely spreading false ideas about Jesus
and contradicting

the truth of the incarnation.
But the teachings of John and the other disciples were trustworthy
because these men had

firsthand experience
hearing, seeing, and touching Jesus

(John 19:35).

The miracles of Jesus revealed God’s glory

(John 11:4, 40).

The word for “glory” in John 1:14 means “a state of high honor.”

Those who witnessed Christ’s miracles--
those who
​beheld His glory--saw and understood
that God
was worthy of the highest honor and praise

(John 4:53; 9:38; 20:29)

The suffering and death of Jesus also revealed God’s glory

(John 17:1, 5; Romans 8:18).

James 1:2-3  
Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.”
The Lord instructs us to view our trials as pure joy; which is totally opposite
from the human mindset

Everything Jesus did brought praise and honor to God
so that

all who beheld His glory and believed in Him received

His gift of salvation

(John 12:16; 13:31–32; 20:30–31; Philippians 2:9–11; Ephesians 1:12).

Paul taught that Satan blinds the eyes of unbelievers so they cannot behold God’s glory or understand the message of salvation in Jesus Christ.
They “are unable
​to see the glorious light of the Good News. They don’t understand this message about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God”

(2 Corinthians 4:4, NLT).

But praise God,
who through Jesus Christ our Lord lets
His light shine in our hearts so we can
“know the glory of God that is
seen in the face of Jesus Christ”

(2 Corinthians 4:6, NLT).
​
Second Timothy is likely the final letter that the apostle Paul wrote. It is written to Timothy, who was his “son in the faith” (1 Timothy 1:2) and personal envoy. Paul would send Timothy to churches to help take care of problems when Paul was unable to go there himself.
In 2 Timothy 4:2, Paul writes,
“Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction.”

In his final epistle, Paul tells Timothy how to build up the church where he is ministering, and he gives instructions that apply to all pastors and ultimately to all believers. In chapter 4, Paul begins to conclude his letter and gives Timothy his instructions “in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom” (verse 1)—in other words, this is really important.

The one thing of supreme importance that Paul
wants to impress upon
Timothy is his duty to “preach the word”
​and to “be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction”
(verse 2).

This preaching of the Word is necessary because
“the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine.
Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a
great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.
They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths”
verses 3–4

People normally tend to be comfortable with falsehood,
and Timothy must combat this tendency by being

ready at all times to preach the truth,
that is,
to preach the Word of God.

The Word spoken of here is the Bible—biblical truth.
This is to be the content of preaching.
Pastors have a
biblical mandate to preach-the written Word of God.

Some might ask how this can apply to the everyday Christian who does not have the opportunity to preach in a church service.
The answer comes from a proper understanding of the word translated “preach.”

The word translated “preach” is the Greek word keyroxon, which simply means

"publish or proclaim openly.”

When Paul tells Timothy to preach the Word, the idea of a formal setting
behind a pulpit or in a church service is not present. Nor does it connote a certain
style of speech—“preaching” vs. “teaching” vs. “normal conversation.”
In the context of 2 Timothy,
any presentation of the truth of God’s Word is “preaching.”
Therefore, any Christian can and should do this.

Preaching or proclaiming the Word can happen in an informal conversation over coffee or in a formal counseling session. Parents can proclaim the Word to their children around the dinner table, in the backyard, or on a vacation to the beach. The Word can be proclaimed on TV, radio, and the internet (e.g., Got Questions). The Word can be proclaimed by books, magazine articles, and email. The Word can be proclaimed through Facebook posts and Tweets. The Word can be proclaimed through music and the visual arts. The Word can be proclaimed by a get well card to a sick friend. The Word can be proclaimed by a public billboard or in a private telephone conversation. The Word can be proclaimed by men, women, and children of every age and station in life. And, yes, the Word can and should be proclaimed when the church gathers together for corporate worship (whether the pastor “preaches” from behind a pulpit or sits on a stool and “just talks” to the congregation).

All of us are responsible to preach, that is, to communicate God’s Word to others in whatever situation we find ourselves in with whatever tools of communication we can muster.


To “preach the Word”

in 2 Timothy 4:2 

simply means to communicate the truth of God’s Word.

The verse goes on to tell us that we should be ready to do this when it is convenient and when it is not (“in season and out of season” or, as the NLT has it, “whether the time is favorable or not”). Perhaps one of the most convenient times is when faithful church members have gathered to hear their pastor “preach.” Perhaps one of the most inconvenient times is when a group of co-workers are gathered around the water cooler.

Even when it is inconvenient,
we must proclaim the Word
with “great patience and careful instruction,”
even when the situation calls for rebuke.

There is a popular saying among many Christians that is often (probably incorrectly) attributed to St. Francis of Assisi: “Preach the gospel at all times. If necessary, use words.” Christians often take this to mean that they can live God’s truth before others and never actually explain it, and that this will be sufficient to fulfill God’s command to “preach the gospel.” 

Second Timothy 4:2 contradicts this understanding. Of course, our lives should never detract from God’s Word and our message. Indeed, the Christian is called to live in such a way as to make the gospel attractive (Titus 2:10).

But, ultimately, if the Word of God is to be proclaimed,
we must use words.

​Timothy had incredible advantages. He was taught the Word of God by his mother and grandmother (2 Timothy 1:5), and he was discipled by Paul and served with Paul in ministry for years. Timothy knew the Word of God and was well-equipped.

Even still, Paul tells Timothy that
he
needed to be diligent in the study of the Word
and in rightly dividing the Word of truth.
Without that
continuing diligence in the Word, Timothy would
not be able to stand firm,
and he would not be
able to maintain sound teaching.

Paul warned Timothy to pay attention to himself and to his teaching
(1 Timothy 4:16).
Because all Scripture is God-breathed and is profitable for
teaching, reproof, correction, and training in righteousness, it is
exactly what we need in order
to be equipped for every good work God intends for us

(2 Timothy 3:16–17).

Paul encourages Timothy to be diligent to present himself
as a workman
approved by God who would not need to be ashamed because
he was rightly dividing or
accurately handling the Word of truth

(2 Timothy 2:15).

First, Paul’s instruction
makes it clear that the study of the Bible 

is work.

It takes effort. It takes diligence.
We
need to be committed to doing that work if we desire to
be
equipped for what God intends us to do in life.

Second, Paul helps us to focus on the idea that this work in the Word
is not
about the approval of other people.

Rather, it is God

who is assessing how we handle His Word, and

so we are studying His Word for Him.

Also, we understand that, if we are diligent, we will not need
to be ashamed because we will have been faithful with the
remarkable stewardship of His Word.

Sometimes we may take for granted that we have His completed Word—the Bible.

We may be unaware of how many people suffered and died to provide us
the freedom and opportunity to
own our own Bibles and read them in our own language.

How sad would it be if we took this—one of the very greatest of freedoms--
and were not diligent to make the most of it?

Paul’s final comment in 2 Timothy 2:15 is helpful because
it tells us
what success looks like in the study of the Word: to be “rightly dividing” the Word of truth 
The Greek word translated
as “rightly dividing” is orthotomounta--ortho means “right or proper,”
and tomounta means “to cut.”

Literally, success in handling the Word is to cut it properly or correctly.

This is farming imagery, as a farmer who is plowing a field would
seek to cut straight furrows in order to

plant rows of seed.

When plowing, a farmer would look at a point on the other side of the field and focus on that point to ensure the line cut in the dirt was straight.

This is what the good student of the Word is doing, as well:
remaining focused on the goal or outcome and being diligent to
handle the Word of God properly.

To rightly divide the Word of truth is to “cut it straight.”
​
Ultimately, in studying the Word, we are trying to understand what the Author
has said and not
allow our own opinions or views to cloud the meaning of what He has written.

When we are diligent to “cut straight”—to rightly divide the Word of truth--
we can understand what He has communicated in His Word and be well-equipped
for what

He would have us to do and how He would have us to think.

Several times in his instruction to Timothy, Paul introduces content
as “a trustworthy statement” (1 Timothy 1:15; 3:1; 4:9; 2 Timothy 2:11).

The “trustworthy” designation highlights what follows
as an important and reliable principle.

Shortly after such an introduction, Paul remarks
that
God cannot deny Himself

(2 Timothy 2:13).

In 2 Timothy 2:11 Paul introduces what reads like a poetic verse from a hymn that includes four couplets. The words may have already been familiar to Timothy, or Paul may have been simply providing new content. Literally rendered, the passage reads like this:

“Since together we died, also together we will live;
since
we are enduring, also together we will reign;
if we
will deny, He will also deny us;
if we
are not faithful,

He remains faithful, for to deny Himself He cannot”

2 Timothy 2:11–13

In the first couplet (2 Timothy 2:11), Paul acknowledges that, because we have died together with Christ (as in Colossians 2:20 and 3:3), we will live together with Him.

We will enjoy life everlasting with Christ.

Paul states this as fact (using the first class condition in the Greek)—this is not merely an “if” but a “since.” It is a fact that we have died together (Paul uses the aorist tense,
denoting the action is completed), and it is a certainty that
in the future we will live together with Christ.

Next, Paul encourages believers that, since we are enduring (also assumed as fact, using the first class conditional), then we will reign together with Him and each other (2 Timothy 2:12a).

As John explained it in Revelation, believers overcome
through
Christ who has Himself overcome

(compare Revelation 2:7, 11; 3:5; 21:7, etc., with Revelation 5:5).
This is an encouragement for believers to persevere—and, assuming their endurance, reminding that there is a future of reward and meaningful activity in store.

The third couplet (2 Timothy 2:12b) changes the tense of the (protasis) action from present (as was used on the first two couplets) to future, rendering the first part of the couplet,
“if we deny in the future.” If there is such a denial, then He will also deny us.

Jesus used similar terminology when He explained that, if people denied Him before men,
He would deny them before the Father
(Matthew 10:33).

It is important to note that
Jesus was talking to His twelve disciples
(Matthew 10:5; 11:1).

He explains that the Spirit would be speaking through them
(Matthew 10:20),

and He warns them of the
need to be faithful in confessing Him before men and not denying Him—He is challenging them to be faithful messengers for Him.

There was reward for confessing Him before men (Matthew 10:32)
and consequences for denying Him before men (Matthew 10:33).

In 2 Timothy 2, Paul is
challenging Timothy to endure and fulfill his ministry,
which included
doing the work of a good-news proclaimer, or evangelist
(2 Timothy 4:5).

Paul challenges Timothy with the importance of confessing and not denying Jesus.

When Paul says that Jesus will deny us, he is not talking about loss of salvation or change in positional standing before God. Much like Jesus warned His twelve disciples, Paul reminds Timothy that there are consequences to unfaithfulness in ministry.

Paul had explained earlier in this context the importance of engaging like a good soldier, an athlete competing according to the rules, and a hard-working farmer (2 Timothy 2:3–6).

Paul had elsewhere explained that
he was working hard to be faithful so he would not be disqualified from ministry
(1 Corinthians 9:23–27).

​He refers to faithfulness in practice, not loss of salvation—as he
explains after the fourth couplet in 2 Timothy 2:13:
God “cannot deny Himself”

To ensure that people rightly understood the rewards and consequences of faithfulness
in the Christian life, Paul told the Corinthians that the works of all believers would one day be assessed at Christ’s judgment seat. If those works stand the test, the believer will be rewarded
(1 Corinthians 3:14).
If the works are burned up, then the believer will lose out on the reward, but he would not lose salvation (1 Corinthians 3:15). Paul’s warning to Timothy that Jesus would deny those who deny Him has nothing to do with their position in Christ, as we see in the fourth couplet: “If we are unfaithful, he remains faithful, for he cannot deny who he is” (2 Timothy 2:13, NLT).

Even if we are unfaithful, or lacking faith, faithful He remains, for God cannot deny Himself. Once a person is in Christ (by belief in Him), God remains faithful to that person--
He keeps His word.
The one who believes has eternal life from the moment of faith (e.g., John 6:47; Romans 8:29–31). Nothing can separate a child of God from the love of God (Romans 8:38–39),

because He is faithful to keep His promise.

God cannot deny Himself.

If He were to break His promise to those who have believed in Him, that would be a denial of Himself and His righteous character. To those who fear that God is standing over them waiting to cast them out if they deny Him or if they fail to have enough belief or if they are unfaithful in their ministries, Paul says that God always remains faithful. His faithfulness is a matter of His own character—God cannot deny Himself (2 Timothy 2:13).

Scripture doesn’t ever manipulate us to action based on the potential loss of our
position in Christ.
Instead, we are exhorted to act because God is faithful and the promises
He makes are certain.

In his second letter to Timothy, Paul warned Timothy
about the false teachers that he would encounter and tells him
to continue in the things he has learned because he knows the character
of those he learned them from,
namely Paul himself and his mother and grandmother
(2 Timothy 3:14–15).

The truths Timothy was taught from infancy--truths about sin and our need for a Savior--were able to make him “wise for salvation” (2 Timothy 3:15). As parents, we are to prepare our children to distinguish truth from error. And as believers,

we are to stand firm in the truth we have learned,
not being surprised or swayed by opposition and false teachers. 

Paul also told Timothy, to "do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth" (2 Timothy 2:15). This advice is crucial for all Christians. "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work" (2 Timothy 3:16–17).
Paul counseled Timothy, his "dear son" (2 Timothy 1:2),
from a heart of love,
wanting Timothy to stand firm in his own faith and to lead the other believers well.
Timothy certainly seems to have been faithful; we should follow his example.

About a week after Jesus plainly told His disciples that
He would suffer, be killed, and be raised to life
(Luke 9:22),

He took Peter, James, and John up a mountain to pray. While praying, His personal appearance was changed into a glorified form, and His clothing became dazzling white. Moses and Elijah appeared and talked with Jesus about His death that would soon take place. Peter, not knowing what he was saying and being very fearful, offered to put up three shelters for them. This is undoubtedly a reference to the booths that were used to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles, when the Israelites dwelt in booths for 7 days (Lev. 23:34–42). Peter was expressing a wish to stay in that place. When a cloud enveloped them, a voice said, “This is My Son, whom I have chosen, whom I love; listen to Him!” The cloud lifted, Moses and Elijah had disappeared, and Jesus was alone with His disciples who were still very much afraid. Jesus warned them not to tell anyone what they had seen until after His resurrection. The three accounts of this event are found in Matthew 17:1-8, Mark 9:2-8, and Luke 9:28-36.

Undoubtedly, the purpose of the transfiguration of Christ into at least a part of His heavenly glory was so that the “inner circle” of

His disciples could gain a greater understanding of who Jesus was.

Christ underwent a dramatic change in appearance in order that the disciples could behold Him in His glory. The disciples, who had only known Him in His human body, now had a greater realization of the deity of Christ, though they could not fully comprehend it.
That gave them the reassurance they needed after hearing
the shocking news of His coming death.

Symbolically, the appearance of Moses and Elijah represented the Law and the Prophets.
But God’s voice from heaven – “Listen to Him!” - clearly showed that the Law and the Prophets must give way to Jesus. The One who is the new and living way is replacing the old – He is the fulfillment of the Law and the countless prophecies in the Old Testament. Also, in His glorified form they saw a preview of His coming glorification and enthronement as King of kings and Lord of lords.

The disciples never forgot what happened that day on the mountain and no doubt this was intended. John wrote in his gospel,
"We have seen His glory, the glory of the one and only” (John 1:14).
Peter also wrote of it,
"We did not follow cleverly invented stories when we told you about the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of His majesty. For He received honor and glory from God the Father when the voice came to Him from the Majestic Glory, saying, ‘This is my Son, whom I love; with Him I am well pleased.’ We ourselves heard this voice that came from heaven when we were with Him on the sacred mountain” (2 Peter 1:16-18).
Those who witnessed the transfiguration bore witness to it to the other disciples and to countless millions down through the centuries.

Second Peter 1:20 says,
"Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by
the prophet’s own interpretation of things.”
Actually, 2 Peter 1:20 emphasizes the source of Old Testament prophecies,
not who has the right to interpret the Bible today.

Peter was not writing about how we should read or interpret God’s Word; he was writing about how God gave us His Word in the first place.
In order to persuade his readers to pay attention to the gospel, Peter affirmed that his words were God’s words—just as much as the Old Testament prophecies were.

Peter’s meaning in verse 20 is further explained by the context: “We did not follow cleverly devised stories . . . but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. . . . We ourselves heard this voice that came from heaven. . . . We also have the prophetic message as something completely reliable. . . .

No prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation
of things.
For prophecy never had its origin in the human will”

(2 Peter 1:16–21).

Notice that Peter’s main point is not 
how to read and understand God’s messages.

Instead, he explains the authoritative origin and source of those prophecies.

It was God Himself who communicated them
through His chosen spokesmen.

The prophets (and Peter)

did not write thoughts that they cooked up out of their own minds,
but they passed on truth that came directly from God.
As Peter puts it,
they “spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit”

verse 21

Peter’s intent was to urge his readers to take his message about Jesus seriously,
as he says in verse 19,

"You [therefore] will do well to pay attention to [God’s message through me],
as to a light shining in a dark place.”

Peter’s account of Jesus was straight from God.

Since the Bible’s

words express God’s thoughts, not man’s,
it is
important that we respect them enough to study
them and grasp
what He wants us to understand as we are interpreting Scripture.

The Mount of Transfiguration is the mountain upon which Jesus was transfigured
(Matthew 17, Mark 9, Luke 9).
The actual location of the mountain is unknown.

In Matthew 16, Jesus tells the disciples that He will be killed and raised to life (verse 21). Peter rebukes Him: “Never, Lord!” he says. “This shall never happen to you!” (verse 22). Jesus has to rebuke Peter and goes on to explain that whoever will be
His disciple must “take up his cross,”

that is, be willing to die also. In the final ;verse of chapter 16,
Jesus makes a rather enigmatic statement: “Truly I tell you, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom” (see also Luke 9:27).

In the next event recorded in Matthew and Luke, Jesus takes Peter, James, and John with Him up to a “high mountain.” This unnamed mountain is what we call the
Mount of Transfiguration
today, because of what takes place next: “There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light.
Just then there appeared before them Moses and Elijah, talking with Jesus”
(Matthew 17:2–3).

The transfiguration of Jesus on the mountain is significant, for it gave

those three disciples a glimpse of the glory that Jesus had before the Incarnation

and that He would have again.
Perhaps it was also the fulfillment of Jesus’ prophecy
that
​some of the disciples would see Him coming in the kingdom before they died
(Matthew 16:28).

What happened on the Mount of Transfiguration has parallels to what happened on Sinai. Moses went up to a mountain to meet the Lord and came back with his face shining (Exodus 34). In the New Testament, Jesus goes up a mountain and meets with Moses; however, a voice from heaven makes it clear that Jesus is the primary character, not Moses: “While he was still speaking, a bright cloud covered them, and a voice from the cloud said, ‘This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!’ When the disciples heard this, they fell facedown to the ground, terrified. But Jesus came and touched them. ‘Get up,’ he said. ‘Don’t be afraid.’ When they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus” (Matthew 17:5–8). Just as the meeting on Sinai between Moses and the Lord signified a new era in God’s dealing with His people, so this meeting between the Lord and Moses signifies a new era in redemption history.

The “high mountain” that we call the Mount of Transfiguration is never clearly identified in Scripture. Both Mount Tabor and Mount Hermon have been identified as the Mount of Transfiguration by various traditions. Mount Tabor is a little less than 2,000 feet, but it stands alone in the area. The earliest tradition identifies Mount Tabor as the Mount of Transfiguration, and it is the location of the Church of the Transfiguration, which is built on the ruins of fourth-century church. Mount Hermon is a much higher mountain, almost 10,000 feet, and it is closer to Caesarea Philippi where the previous events in Matthew 16 took place. For these reasons, some scholars feel that Mount Hermon is a more likely candidate to be the Mount of Transfiguration.

In the final analysis, we simply do not know what mountain is the Mount of Transfiguration. It could be Tabor or Hermon or another mountain that no one has suggested. The fact that the transfiguration happened on a mountain is an important point in the recapitulation of Moses’ meeting on Mount Sinai. However, the importance of the transfiguration is not bound to what mountain it occurred on.

Years later, Peter refers to this event: “For we did not follow cleverly devised fables when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of His majesty. For He received honor and glory from God the Father when the voice from the Majestic Glory came to Him, saying, ‘This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.’ And we ourselves heard this voice from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain” (2 Peter 1:16–18).

Unfortunately, there are too many “cleverly devised fables” that try to identify specific locations in the Holy Land, such as the site of the Mount of Transfiguration,
while losing sight of the more important issues.
​

 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God,
and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning” (John 1:1–2).
These words and the concepts they express form the foundation for John’s entire gospel,
which was written to prove that Jesus Christ is God’s incarnate Son.
 John declares that Jesus, like His heavenly Father, has always existed since the beginning of time. Jesus was with God in the beginning because
He is God, and He always has been.
The relationship between God and Jesus is eternal and intimately personal.
The works of Christ are the works of God. The words of Jesus are the words of His Heavenly Father.
Because they are one, Jesus reveals the heart and mind of God to us (John 14:9–10).
. He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power” (Hebrews 1:2–3, ESV).

Jesus, who is the Word, was with God in every sense of the word. Not only is Christ the image of the invisible God (2 Corinthians 4:4; Colossians 1:15), but He and the Father are one nature and essence (John 10:30). Jesus prayed for His followers to share in this same inseparable, face-to-face union: “I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one—as you are in me, Father, and I am in you. And may they be in us so that the world will believe you sent me. I have given them the glory you gave me, so they may be one as we are one” (John 17:21–22, NLT).

English readers may have to dig under the surface to understand the apostle’s statement that “the Word was with God” expresses the deity of Jesus Christ and His inseparable oneness with God the Father. But in John’s first epistle, his meaning couldn’t be more evident: “And we know that the Son of God has come, and he has given us understanding so that we can know the true God. And now we live in fellowship with the true God because we live in fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ. He is the only true God, and he is eternal life” (1 John 5:20, NLT).

The answer to this question is found by first understanding the reason why John wrote his gospel. We find his purpose clearly stated in John 20:30-31. “Many other signs therefore Jesus also performed in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these have been written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name.”

Once we understand that John’s purpose was to introduce the readers of his gospel to Jesus Christ, establishing Who Jesus is (God in the flesh) and what He did, all with the sole aim of leading them to embrace the saving work of Christ in faith, we will be better able to understand why John introduces Jesus as “The Word” in John 1:1.
John is amplifying and applying a concept with which his audience was familiar and using that to introduce his readers to the true Logos of God in Jesus Christ, the Living Word of God, fully God and yet fully man, who came to reveal God to man and redeem all who believe in Him from their sin.
​
​

​Author: The Book of 1 Timothy was written by the apostle Paul
​ (1 Timothy 1:1).

Date of Writing: The Book of 1 Timothy was written in A.D. 62-66.

Purpose of Writing: Paul wrote to Timothy to encourage him in his responsibility for overseeing the work of the Ephesian church and possibly the other churches in the province of Asia (1 Timothy 1:3). This letter lays the foundation for ordaining elders (1 Timothy 3:1-7), and provides guidance for ordaining people into offices of the church (1 Timothy 3:8-13). In essence, 1 Timothy is a leadership manual for church organization and administration.

Key Verses: 

1 Timothy 2:5, "For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus."

1 Timothy 2:12, "I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man; she must be silent."

1 Timothy 3:1-3, "Here is a trustworthy saying: If anyone sets his heart on being an overseer, he desires a noble task. Now the overseer must be above reproach, the husband of but one wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money."

1 Timothy 4:9-10, "This is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance (and for this we labor and strive), that we have put our hope in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, and especially of those who believe."

1 Timothy 6:12, "Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses."

Brief Summary: This is the first letter Paul wrote to Timothy, a young pastor who had been a help to Paul in his work. Timothy was a Greek. His mother was a Jewess and his father was Greek. Paul was more than just a mentor and leader to Timothy, he was like a father to him, and Timothy was like a son to Paul (1 Timothy 1:2). Paul begins the letter by urging Timothy to be on guard for false teachers and false doctrine. However, much of the letter deals with pastoral conduct. Paul instructs Timothy in worship (chapter 2) and developing mature leaders for the church (chapter 3). Most of the letter deals with pastoral conduct, warnings about false teachers, and the church’s responsibility toward single members, widows, elders, and slaves. All throughout the letter, Paul encourages Timothy to stand firm, to persevere, and to remain true to his calling.

Connections: An interesting link to the Old Testament in the book of 1 Timothy is Paul’s citation of the basis for considering church elders to be worthy of “double honor,” and deserving of respect when it comes to being accused of wrongdoing (1 Timothy 5:17-19). Deuteronomy 24:15; 25:4; and Leviticus 19:13 all speak of the necessity to pay a worker what he has earned and to do it in a timely manner. Part of the Mosaic Law demanded that two or three witnesses were necessary to bring an accusation against a man (Deuteronomy 19:15). The Jewish Christians in the churches Timothy pastored would have been well aware of these Old Testament connections.

Practical Application: Jesus Christ is presented by Paul as the mediator between God and man (1 Timothy 2:5), the Savior to all who believe in Him. He is Lord of the church, and Timothy serves Him by pastoring His church. Thus, we find the main application of Paul’s first letter to his “son in the faith.” Paul instructs Timothy on matters of church doctrine, church leadership, and church administration. We can use those same instructions in governing our local assembly today. Likewise, the work and ministry of a pastor, the qualifications for an elder, and the qualifications of a deacon are just as important and pertinent today as they were in Timothy’s day. Paul’s first letter to Timothy amounts to an instruction book on leading, administrating, and pastoring the local church. The instructions in this letter apply to any leader or prospective leader of Christ’s church and are equally relevant today as they were in Paul’s day. For those not called into leadership roles in their church, the book is still practical. Every follower must contend for the faith and avoid false teaching. Every follower must stand firm and persevere.





Fighting for the Faith

Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ, by the commandment of God our Savior and the Lord Jesus Christ, our hope.

a. Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ: Paul, in his self-description, emphasized his credentials (apostle) and his authority (by the commandment of God). He did this both as a personal encouragement to Timothy and so the letter could be used as a letter of reference before the Ephesian Christians.nIt seems that 1 Timothy was written by the Apostle Paul to Timothy sometime after his release from Roman imprisonment as described at the end of the Book of Acts and was written from Macedonia (1 Timothy 1:3).

ii. Apparently, after his release (hoped for in Philemon 1:22 and Philippians 1:25-26 and 2:24), Paul returned to the city of Ephesus. There he discovered that during his absence Ephesus had become a storm center of false teaching. This was a sad fulfillment of the prediction he made to the Ephesian elders in Acts 20:29-30.

iii. Paul probably dealt with the false teachers personally, but soon found it necessary to leave for Macedonia. He then left Timothy in charge of affairs at Ephesus, as his own personal representative. He knew that Timothy had a difficult job to carry out, so he hoped that this letter would both equip and encourage him in the task.

iv. “The use of this official title is an indication that the Pastoral Epistles were not merely private letters, but were intended to be read to the Churches committed to the charge of Timothy.” (White)

b. Our Savior: At that very time, the title Savior was used to honor the Roman Emperor. People called, and were forced to call, Caesar Nero “savior.” Paul made the identity of the real Savior clear: God, in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ.

i. White on by the commandment of God: “Here it is to be noted that the command proceeds equally from God and Christ Jesus. This language could hardly have been used if St. Paul conceived of Christ Jesus as a creature.”
2. (2) The identity of the recipient, Timothy.To Timothy, a true son in the faith: Grace, mercy, and peace from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord.

a. To Timothy: The Book of Acts tells us that Timothy came from Lystra, a city in the province of Galatia (Acts 16:1-3). He was the son of a Greek father (Acts 16:2) and a Jewish mother named Eunice (2 Timothy 1:5). His mother and grandmother taught him the Scriptures from the time of Timothy’s youth (2 Timothy 1:5; 3:15).

b. A true son in the faith: Paul could consider Timothy a true son in the faithbecause he probably led him and his mother to faith in Jesus on Paul’s first missionary journey (Acts 14:8-20 and 16:1). This also expressed Paul’s confidence in Timothy’s integrity and faithfulness to the truth.

c. Grace, mercy, and peace: This is a familiar greeting Paul used in his letters to congregations. Here, he also applied it to an individual. God grants His grace, mercy, and peace not only to churches, but also to the individuals who make up the churches.

i. Yet there is a difference. When Paul wrote to churches, he commonly only greeted them with grace and peace. To both Timothy (also in 2 Timothy 1:2) and Titus (Titus 1:4) he added mercy to the greeting.

ii. “Not only grace and peace, as to others. When we pray for ministers, we must be more than ordinarily earnest for them with God. These three are joined together only in the Epistles of Timothy and Titus.” (Trapp)

B. Paul urges Timothy to remain in Ephesus.1. (3-4) Stay in Ephesus and stay with the Scriptures.As I urged you when I went into Macedonia—remain in Ephesus that you may charge some that they teach no other doctrine, nor give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which cause disputes rather than godly edification which is in faith.

a. Remain in Ephesus: Though Timothy had a difficult task Paul wanted him to remain in Ephesus and continue the work. Before Paul left for Macedonia, he urged Timothy to remain, even though the work was difficult.

i. Paul told Timothy to remain in Ephesus because it seemed that Timothy wanted to give up and run away. Most everyone in ministry deals with this at some time; for a few it is a constant affliction. There was probably both external pressure and internal pressure for him to leave.

ii. We can think of many reasons why Timothy might not want to remain in Ephesus:

· He might have missed Paul and wanted to be with his mentor.
· He might have been intimidated by following Paul’s ministry.
· He seems to have been somewhat timid or reserved by nature and was perhaps intimidated by the challenge.

· He might have been discouraged by the normal difficulties of ministry.
· He might have questioned his own calling.
· He might have been frustrated by the distracting and competing doctrines swirling around the Christians in Ephesus.

iii. Despite all these reasons, there is no doubt that God – and the Apostle Paul – wanted Timothy to remain in Ephesus, and in the rest of 1 Timothy 1, Paul gave Timothy at least six reasons why he should stay there and finish the ministry God gave him to do.

· Because they need the truth (1 Timothy 1:3-7).
· Because you minister in a hard place (1 Timothy 1:8-11).
· Because God uses unworthy people (1 Timothy 1:12-16).
· Because you serve a great God (1 Timothy 1:17).
· Because you are in a battle and cannot surrender (1 Timothy 1:18).
· Because not everyone else does (1 Timothy 1:19-20).

iv. God will allow us to be in difficult situations. We must set our minds to meet the challenge, or we will surely give up. Many years ago a famous Arctic explorer put this ad in a London newspaper: “Men wanted for hazardous journey, small wages, bitter cold, long months of complete darkness, constant danger, safe return doubtful. Honor and recognition in case of success.” Thousands of men responded to the appeal because they were willing to embrace a difficult job when called to do so by a great leader.

b. That you may charge some that they teach no other doctrine: Paul left Timothy with an important job to do, making it all the more important that he remain in Ephesus. The job was to make sure that correct doctrine was taught in Ephesus.

i. No other doctrine: Paul left the Ephesian Christians with a particular set of teachings (which he had received from Jesus and the Old Testament). He was concerned that Timothy did everything he could to make sure the Ephesians continue in that doctrine. This was the first reason why it was important that Timothy remain in Ephesus.

ii. Paul did this because doctrine is important to God and should be important to His people. Today, what one believes – that is, their doctrine – is remarkably unimportant to most people. This spirit of the modern age has also heavily influenced modern Christians. We live in a day where Pilate’s question What is truth? (John 18:38) is answered, “Whatever it means to you.” Yet truth is important to God and should be to His people.

c. That you may charge some: Paul’s concern was not primarily that Timothy himself would begin to teach wrong doctrine. His concern was that Timothy would allow others to spread these other doctrines. Timothy had to stand firm against difficult people and charge some that they teach no other doctrine. No wonder Timothy felt like leaving Ephesus.

i. In the ancient Greek, charge is a military word. It means “To give strict orders from a commanding officer” (Wiersbe). Timothy wasn’t to present the option of correct doctrine to these some in Ephesus. He was to command it like a military officer.

d. Nor give heed to fables and endless genealogies: It seems that the great danger of these teachings (fables and endless genealogies) was that they were silly distractions. Timothy had to remain in Ephesus so that he could command others to ignore these speculative and silly distractions.

i. It wasn’t that there was an elaborate anti-Jesus theology rising in Ephesus. It was more that they tended to get carried away by emphasizing the wrong things. Paul wanted to prevent the corruption that came when people gave authority to fables and endless genealogies instead of true doctrine. Silly distractions were also dangerous, because they took the place of godly edification which is in faith.

ii. Perhaps the endless genealogies had to do with Gnostic-type theories of “emanations” from God. Perhaps they were connected with Jewish-type legalism that sought righteousness by virtue of one’s ancestry. Or perhaps he had in mind doctrinal systems based on mystic readings of Old Testament genealogies.

iii. Ancient Jewish writings have been discovered which dig into the most complex genealogies, connecting them with wild speculations about spiritual mysteries. A consuming interest in these kinds of things will crowd out godly edification which is in faith.

e. Cause disputes rather than godly edification: The eventual fruit of these man-made diversions is evident. Though they may be popular and fascinating in the short term, in the long run they don’t strengthen God’s people in faith.

i. “Discourses that turn to no profit; a great many words and little sense; and that sense not worth the pains of hearing.” (Clarke)

2. (5-7) The purpose of the commandment. Now the purpose of the commandment is love from a pure heart, from a good conscience, and from sincere faith, from which some, having strayed, have turned aside to idle talk, desiring to be teachers of the law, understanding neither what they say nor the things which they affirm.

a. The purpose of the commandment: The purpose of the law is found in its inward work upon the heart, not in mere outward observance. Without this understanding, it is easy to become shallow legalists who are only concerned with outward performance and appearance.

b. Love from a pure heart: This suggests the idea that the problem in Ephesus was along Jewish-type legalistic lines. They misunderstood the commandment and the law.

i. If spending time in God’s word does not produce love from a pure heart, a good conscience, or sincere faith in us, something is wrong. Legalism may make us twist God’s word, so that instead of showing love we are harsh and judgmental; instead of having a good conscience we always feel condemned knowing we don’t measure up; and instead of sincere faith we practically trust in our own ability to please God.

c. Idle talk: This probably has in mind vain speculations about the Scriptures, which may have had analytical and entertainment value but were never meant to be our spiritual diet.

i. In the King James Version, idle talk is translated vain jangling – the idea is of meaningless babble.
d. Understanding neither what they say nor the things which they affirm: The problem people in Ephesus did not even understand the implications of their own teaching.

3. (8-11) Paul’s condemnation of legalists is not a condemnation of the law itself. 
But we know that the law is good if one uses it lawfully, knowing this: that the law is not made for a righteous person, but for the lawless and insubordinate, for the ungodly and for sinners, for the unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, for fornicators, for sodomites, for kidnappers, for liars, for perjurers, and if there is any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine, according to the glorious gospel of the blessed God which was committed to my trust.

a. But we know that the law is good if one uses it lawfully: The purpose of the law is to show us our sin, not to lead us to righteousness (as in Galatians 3:24-25). It wasn’t made for the righteous person (who walks by faith according to Galatians 3:11) but for the lawless and insubordinate, to show them their sin.

i. The idea isn’t that the law has nothing to say to the righteous person, but that it especially speaks to the ungodly. On the phrase, The law is not made for a righteous person, Clarke observed that the word for made “Refers to the custom of writing laws on boards, and hanging them up in public places within reach of every man, that they might be read by all; thus all would see against whom the law lay.”

b. For the lawless and insubordinate, for the ungodly and for sinners: In Paul’s mind sound doctrine and right conduct are vitally connected. The sinful actionsdescribed in verses 9 and 10 are contrary to sound doctrine.

i. Many people will condemn anyone with standards — especially higher standards — as being a legalist. Having standards and keeping them does not make us legalists and obedience doesn’t make us legalists. We are legalists when we think what we do is what makes us right before God.

c. If there is any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine: The implication is that in Ephesus, the church existed in a culture marked by these sins listed in verses 9 and 10 and those teaching false doctrine in some way allowed or promoted this sinful lifestyle.

i. If there is any other thing: “For the apostle took no delight to mention more of this cursed crew; but leaves them to the law to handle and hamper them, as unruly beasts, dogs, lions, leopards, are chained and caged up that they may not do mischief” (Clarke).

ii. The apparently sinful environment of Ephesus shows us another reason why it was important for Timothy to remain in Ephesus. He should remain there because it was a difficult place to serve God and further the kingdom. He had to break up the fallow ground there, instead of running to an easier place to plow.

d. According to the glorious gospel of the blessed God: Though the law cannot bring righteousness, the glorious gospel of the blessed God can — a gospel that, in the words of Paul, was committed to his trust. He sensed his responsibility to preserve and guard the gospel, and to pass it on to Timothy and others.

C. Paul’s personal experience of the gospel.1. (12-14) Why was Paul entrusted with the gospel? 
And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord who has enabled me, because He counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry, although I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an insolent man; but I obtained mercy because I did it ignorantly in unbelief. And the grace of our Lord was exceedingly abundant, with faith and love which are in Christ Jesus.

a. I thank Christ Jesus our Lord who has enabled me: Paul was entrusted with the gospel because Jesus enabled Paul, and Paul thanked Jesus for that enabling. Paul was enabled for this ministry because he was counted… faithful for the ministry. Faithfulness made Paul ready to be used by God.
i. We often see our Christian service as a matter of volunteering. Yet as Christians, in regard to Jesus and His church, we are not volunteers. We are slaves. We are duty bound servants of Jesus, and faithfulness is expected of such servants.

ii. He counted me faithful: You don’t have to be smart to be faithful; you don’t have to be talented or gifted. Faithfulness is something very down-to-earth, and each of us can be faithful in the place God has placed us.
iii. Many people wait to be faithful. We tell ourselves, “I’ll be faithful when I’m in such and such a position.” That is foolish. We should be faithful right where we are at — our faithfulness is shown in the small things.

b. Putting me into the ministry: Ministry simply means “service.” In the original language of the New Testament, there is nothing high or spiritual about the word. It just means to work hard and serve. Yet for this former blasphemer and persecutor of God’s people, this was a great honor.

i. “After Paul was saved, he became a foremost saint. The Lord did not allot him a second-class place in the church. He had been the leading sinner, but his Lord did not, therefore, say, ‘I save you, but I shall always remember your wickedness to your disadvantage.’ Not so: he counted him faithful, putting him into the ministry and into the apostleship, so that he was not a whit behind the very chief of the apostles. Brother, there is no reason why, if you have gone very far in sin, you should not go equally far in usefulness.” (Spurgeon)

c. Although I was formerly: Paul’s past did not disqualify him from serving God. God’s mercy and grace were enough to cover his past and enable him to serve God. We should never feel that our past makes us unable to be used by God.

i. With these words, Paul gave Timothy another reason to remain in Ephesus. It is likely that one reason Timothy wanted to leave Ephesus and his ministry there because he felt unworthy or incapable of the work. These words from Paul assured Timothy, “If there is anyone unworthy of disqualified, it should be me. Yet God found a way to use me, and He will use you also as you remain in Ephesus.”

d. Because I did it ignorantly in unbelief: Ignorance and unbelief never excuseour sin, but they do invite God’s mercy, because sin in ignorance and unbeliefmakes one less guilty than the believer who sins knowingly.
e. The grace of our Lord was exceedingly abundant: It was not Paul’s ignorance that saved him; it was the exceeding abundant grace of God (God’s unmerited favor).

2. (15) Paul summarizes his personal experience of the gospel. This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief.

a. This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance: This unusual phrase introduces a statement of special importance. Paul used this phrase 5 times – all in the Pastoral Epistles.

b. Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners: Jesus came to save sinners, not those living under the illusion of their own righteousness. As Jesus taught, it is the sick who need a physician (Mark 2:17).

i. Since Jesus came into the world to save sinners, this is the first necessary qualification for being a child of God – being a sinner. Sinners are not disqualified from coming to God, because Jesus came to save them.
ii. We also see the great danger in taking the terms sin and sinner out of our vocabulary. Many preachers deliberately do this today, because they don’t want to offend anyone from the pulpit. But if Jesus came to save sinners, shouldn’t we identify who those sinners are? How else will they come to salvation?

iii. “Even those who recognize that Christ’s work is to save admit that it is more difficult to believe that this salvation belongs to sinners. Our mind is always prone to dwell on our own worthiness and, as soon as our unworthiness becomes apparent, our confidence fails. Thus the more a man feels the burden of his sins, he ought with greater courage to betake himself to Christ, relying on what is here taught, that He came to bring salvation not to the righteous but to sinners.” (Calvin)

b. Of whom I am chief: Paul’s claim to be the chief of sinners was not an expression of a strange false humility. He genuinely felt his sins made him more accountable before God than others.

i. Aren’t we all equally sinners? No; “All men are truly sinners, but all men are not equally sinners. They are all in the mire; but they have not all sunk to an equal depth in it” (Spurgeon).

ii. Paul felt – rightly so – that his sins were worse because he was responsible for the death, imprisonment, and suffering of Christians, whom he persecuted before his life was changed by Jesus (Acts 8:3; 9:1-2, 1 Corinthians 15:9, Galatians 1:13, Philippians 3:6).

iii. In Acts 26:11, Paul explained to Agrippa what might have been his worst sin: And I punished them often in every synagogue and compelled them to blaspheme; and being exceedingly enraged against them, I persecuted them even to foreign cities. He compelled others to blaspheme Jesus. “This, indeed, was a very horrible part of Saul’s sinfulness. To destroy their bodies was bad enough, but to destroy their souls too-to compel them to blaspheme, to speak evil of that name which they confessed to be their joy and their hope, surely that was the worst form that even persecution could assume. He forced them under torture to abjure the Christ whom their hearts loved. As it were he was not content to kill them, but he must damn them too” (Spurgeon).

iv. There are worse kinds of sin; sins that harm God’s people are especially bad in God’s eyes. We must soberly consider if we are guilty, now or in the past, of harming God’s people. “[God] remembers jests and scoffs leveled at his little ones, and he bids those who indulge in them to take heed. You had better offend a king than one of the Lord’s little ones” (Spurgeon).

v. “Despair’s head is cut off and stuck on a pole by the salvation of ‘the chief of sinners.’ No man can now say that he is too great a sinner to be saved, because the chief of sinners was saved eighteen hundred years ago. If the ringleader, the chief of the gang, has been washed in the precious blood, and is now in heaven, why not I? Why not you?” (Spurgeon)

3. (16) Paul saved as a pattern of mercy to others. However, for this reason I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might show all longsuffering, as a pattern to those who are going to believe on Him for everlasting life.
a. However, for this reason I obtained mercy: A man as bad as Paul has obtained mercy. This means that the door is open to others who are not as bad sinners as Paul was.

i. White expresses the idea of Paul: “Christ’s longsuffering will never undergo a more severe test than it did in my case, so that no sinner need ever despair. Let us glorify God therefore.”

b. As a pattern to those who are going to believe on Him: This explains another reason why God loves to save sinners. They become a pattern to those who are going to believe on Him. God wants others to see what He can do by working in us.

i. This truth – the doctrine – that changed Paul’s life was the truth he commanded Timothy to guard earlier in the chapter.

ii. As a pattern: Paul, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, understood that his life, conversion, and service to God was in some way a pattern to other believers.

4. (17) Paul’s praise to the God who saved him.Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.

a. Now to the King eternal: Paul could not think of how bad he was, and how great the salvation of God was, and how great the love of God was, without simply breaking into spontaneous praise.

b. The King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise: This outburst of praise shows that Paul both knew God and that he loved God.
i. He knew God to be the King eternal, ruling and reigning in complete power and glory.

ii. He knew God to be immortal, existing before anything else existed, and being the Creator of all things.

iii. He knew God to be invisible, not completely knowable by us; we can’t completely figure out God, or know all His secrets.

iv. He knew God alone is wise, that He is God – and we are not. We think our plans and insights are so important, but only God really knows and understands all things.

c. Be honor and glory forever and ever: Knowing all this about God, Paul couldn’t stop praising Him. If we ever have trouble worshipping God, it is because we don’t know Him very well.

i. This description of God gave Timothy still another reason to remain in Ephesus. He could and should stay there when he considered the greatness of the God who he served. This great God was worthy of Timothy’s sacrifice and could empower his service in Ephesus.

D. Paul’s charge to Timothy: carry on the fight.1. (18) The charge to fight the good fight.This charge I commit to you, son Timothy, according to the prophecies previously made concerning you, that by them you may wage the good warfare.

a. This charge I commit to you: Again, the Greek word for charge (parangelia) is the same as in 1 Timothy 1:3; it is a military word, referring to an order from a commanding officer.

i. At the same time the words son Timothy express a note of fatherly love. Paul was serious, but full of love. “There is a peculiar affectionate earnestness in this use of the personal name, here and in the conclusion of the letter” (White).

b. According to the prophecies: Paul wanted Timothy to consider what the Holy Spirit had said to him through others in the past, and receive the courage to remain in Ephesus from those.

i. Apparently, God had spoken to Timothy through others through the gift of prophecy and the words were an encouragement for Timothy to stay strong in the difficulty right in front of him. It may have been a description of Timothy’s future ministry; it may have been a warning against being timid in his work for God. Whatever it was, God wanted Timothy to draw strength from it in his present difficulty.

ii. So, the prophecies Timothy had received before might have been predictive of his future ministry, or may have not been. He who prophesies speaks edification and exhortation and comfort to men (1 Corinthians 14:3). It may or may not be presented as an announcement of the future.

iii. We shouldn’t think it strange that God would speak to us through others in a prophetic manner; but we must take care to test all prophesy (1 Corinthians 14:29) according to both the Word of God and the witness of the Holy Spirit in others.

iv. We must also be on guard against the extravagant prophecy; the one that declares that this person or that is going to have “the most powerful ministry the world has seen” or such. These prophecies are extremely manipulative, because they are awkward to speak against.

v. Today, in some circles, it isn’t unusual to hear someone being declared as greater than Paul, Peter, Moses, or Elijah; declarations like “You will be a prophet like unto Daniel and receive an anointing ten times greater than any of your associates” are obviously extravagant and manipulative (because few will speak against it). These are rarely from God.

vi. Tom Stipe, in the foreword to Counterfeit Revival, wrote powerfully about this phenomenon, having been a leader in such circles before seeing the wrong in it all:

After only a couple of years, the prophets seemed to be speaking to just about everyone on just about everything. Hundreds of… members received the ‘gift’ of prophecy and began plying their trade among both leaders and parishioners. People began carrying around little notebooks filled with predictions that had been delivered to them by the prophets and seers. They flocked to the prophecy conferences that had begun to spring up everywhere. The notebook crowd would rush forward in hopes of being selected to receive more prophecies to add to their prophetic diaries…

Not long after ‘prophecy du jour’ became the primary source of direction, a trail of devastated believers began to line up outside our pastoral counseling offices. Young people promised teen success and stardom through prophecy were left picking up the pieces of their shattered hopes because God had apparently gone back on His promises. Leaders were deluged by angry church members who had received prophecies about the great ministries they would have but had been frustrated by local church leaders who failed to recognize and ‘facilitate’ their ‘new anointing.’

After a steady diet of the prophetic, some people were rapidly becoming biblically illiterate, choosing a ‘dial-a-prophet’ style of Christian living rather than studying God’s Word. Many were left to continually live from one prophetic ‘fix’ to the next, their hope always in danger of failing because God’s voice was so specific in pronouncement, yet so elusive in fulfillment. Possessing a prophet’s phone number was like having a storehouse of treasured guidance. Little clutched notebooks replaced Bibles as the preferred reading material during church services.

c. That by them you may wage the good warfare: The focus is not the prophetic word Timothy heard in the past. The focus is on battle right in front of him now, where he must wage the good warfare – that is, “fight the good fight” (KJV).

i. Timothy had a job in front of him, and it was going to be a battle. It wasn’t going to be easy, or comfortable, or carefree. He had to approach the job Paul left him to do in Ephesus as a soldier approaches battle.

ii. This gave Timothy still another reason to remain in Ephesus. He should sense a responsibility to stay when he felt like leaving because he was like a soldier in a battle, who could not desert his post.

2. (19) Tools for the warfare: faith and a good conscience.Having faith and a good conscience, which some having rejected, concerning the faith have suffered shipwreck.

a. Faith and a good conscience: These are essential when battling for the Lord. They protect against the spiritual attacks of doubt and condemnation.
i. Timothy had to have the faith that God was in control, and would guide him as Timothy continued to seek him.

ii. He had to have a good conscience, because his enemies would be attacking him, and if Timothy had not conducted himself rightly, they would have good reason to attack. A good conscience isn’t just a conscience that approves us, but one that approves us because we’ve been doing what is right – it is connected with good conduct.

b. Which some having rejected: Some have rejected these weapons; specifically, Paul speaks of rejecting the faith; those who reject what Jesus and the apostles taught are headed for ruin (shipwreck).

i. Which some having rejected: “Having thrust away; as a fool-hardy soldier might his shield and his breastplate or a made sailor pilot, helm, and compass” (Clarke).

ii. “We are not justified in interpreting suffered shipwreck as though it meant that they were lost beyond hope of recovery. St. Paul himself had suffered shipwreck at least four times (2 Corinthians 11:25) when he wrote this epistle. He had on each occasion lost everything except himself.” (White)
3. (20) Two people that rejected the tools for warfare. Of whom are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I delivered to Satan that they may learn not to blaspheme.

a. Of whom are Hymenaeus and Alexander: We know nothing of Hymenaeus and Alexander other than what Paul said of them here. Paul apparently disciplined them for their disobedience to God in heresy, in conduct, or in both.

i. We see that Paul was not afraid to point out opponents of the truth by name, as he said to do in Romans 16:17. This was not a contradiction of Jesus’ command not to judge (Matthew 7:1-5) “While Christians are not to judge one another’s motives or ministries, we are certainly expected to be honest about each other’s conduct” (Wiersbe).

b. Whom I delivered to Satan: From other New Testament passages we can surmise that he did this by putting them outside the church, into the world, which is the devil’s domain. The punishment was a removal of protection, not an infliction of evil.

i. The Lord protects us from many attacks from Satan (Job 1:10; Luke 22:31-32), and much of this protection comes to us in what we receive as we gather together as Christians.

ii. In this, Paul gave Timothy one more reason to remain in Ephesus. He should do it because not everyone else does. We can’t simply act as if every Christian does what God wants them to and stays faithful to the gospel. The fact that some do not remain faithful to the end should give us more incentive to not give up.