instructions for godliness: A study in 1 timothy

We are beginning a new sermon series through the book of 1 Timothy. The first thing to know is that this book is actually a letter (or epistle) written by the apostle Paul. In this first pastoral epistle to Timothy, Paul aims to help boost Timothy in his ministry. We know Paul, of course. He was the great persecutor of the church (Acts 9:4), and the one who held the coats of the men who executed Stephen by throwing rocks at him until he was bludgeoned to death (Acts 7:58, 22:20).

But he was also a man changed by a personal encounter with the Lord of the universe, Jesus of Nazareth. Famously on the road to Damascus, where he would hope to pursue more Christians to persecute, Paul was knocked down by a blinding light and heard Jesus speak to him. From that moment he obeyed the Lord and after some time became the great apostle who wrote the majority of the New Testament. He writes to Timothy near the end of his ministry, a seasoned veteran and missionary whose purpose was to bring the gospel of Jesus Christ to the non-Jewish world. As he states here in this letter, he is “an apostle of Christ Jesus by command of God our Savior and of Christ Jesus our hope” (1:1).

Timothy receives this letter as we do today, from the Holy Spirit through the apostle Paul. He is young (1 Tim 4:12), he has some sort of gastro-intestinal dis-order (1 Tim 5:23) which may have led to some form of frailty, both of which, like Paul and his poor public speaking (1 Cor 1:17; 2 Cor 11:6), impacted the expectations people had for a ministry leader. Surely a strong, charismatic, and skilled rhetorician would be the ideal candidate for overseeing transregional church planting. Yet we are reminded that God does not choose like man chooses (Deut 7:7; Judg 6:15; 1 Cor 1:27-29). And praise God, for likewise he chooses us not based on our merits, but by his will.

This letter to Timothy is both personal and public. It is personal as a letter from father to son, yet it is public like a regimental officer giving orders to a favored company commander. Therefore, while addressed to Timothy with the laying on him the authority of his office, it was expected to be read by the church at Ephesus (1 Tim 6:21) and thus obeyed by all in addition to Timothy. As such, Paul’s primary purpose is to equip Timothy to fight false doctrine taught by false teachers (1:3-4).

John Stott offers six key purposes or components of this first letter to Timothy (Stott, 1 Timothy 20-21):

• Church doctrine and how to preserve it from false teaching

• How to conduct public worship, including roles for men and women • Pastorate and eligibility requirements

• Local leadership and young leaders

• Social responsibilities to widows, elders, and slaves

• The churchs’ attitude to material possessions

Therefore, as we read and study through 1 Timothy, we do so with a posture of humility that the Lord may instruct us in his Word. As Paul is writing to Timothy, he is also writing to you and the church. Join us on Sundays for this series. Truly this book contains instructions for godliness.