2 Timothy 2:19 Double inscription

2 Timothy 2:19 Nevertheless, God’s solid foundation stands firm, sealed with this inscription: ‘The Lord knows those who are his,’ and, ‘Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness.’

Despite the attempts of false teachers to undermine and destroy God's Temple, Timothy is to remember that God’s solid foundation stands firm. The foundation, Paul says, is inscribed with a two part inscription. The two phrases he then gives remind us of Philippians 2:12b, 13 and other such verses that wonderfully balance the sovereignty of God and the responsibility of man. Here it is God's sovereignty that comes first - The Lord knows those who are his. God knows and loves those who are his, his elect. This is true. At the same time, it is equally so that Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness. Here the stress is on human responsibility, the responsibility to run from evil if you profess to be a Christian. There is no conflict here. Those who the Lord knows and acknowledges as his own are those who confess is name and flee from wickedness of any sort. Anyone who professes to know the Lord and yet does not flee from wickedness has reason to question whether he is known to the Lord in the way he thinks he is. He is in danger of hearing the Lord say one day those terrible words, Away from me, I never knew you.

1 Timothy 5:22 Caution, purity

1 Timothy 5:22 Do not be hasty in the laying on of hands, and do not share in the sins of others. Keep yourself pure.

This verse contains two or three exhortations for Timothy. First, he is not to be hasty in the laying on of hands. Paul has spoken about the qualifications for elders and the churches clearly need elders but there is to be no undue haste in this. In 5:20 he mentions reproving elders and so he may now be talking about restoration. Although in 4:14 Paul refers to laying on of hands in connection with ordination it may be that laying on of hands was used to receive members and so the point applies to new members not new church officers. Whichever is the case, caution is recommended. Do not be too quick to act. Do not share in the sins of others may be a reason for this caution or it may be a more general point. The last exhortation is of similar character Keep yourself pure or keep on keeping yourself pure as it is. The moment we begin to talk about weighing up others we need also to see the need to weigh ourselves up and avoid all impurity.

1 Timothy 5:7 Avoiding blameworthiness

1 Timothy 5:7 Give the people these instructions, so that no one may be open to blame.

In the midst of what he to say about widows in the church and how this is all to be arranged Paul says to Timothy that he must Give the people these instructions. This is so that no one may be open to blame. The closer context is that of younger widows who start off wanting to be on the list of widows as an act of devotion to God but soon start living for pleasure and so do themselves no good and the church no good. Paul is not simply telling Timothy this but he wants all the congregation to be wise to the dangers in this and similar situations. What pastors find in the Bible they should share with the people. This will save the people from being open to blame.

1 Timothy 4:3 Yes religion

1 Timothy 4:3 They forbid people to marry and order them to abstain from certain foods, which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and who know the truth.

In this verse we have examples of the rules of the hypocritical liars that Paul is warning will arise. One example is that They forbid people to marry. The most obvious example of that is the rule in Romanism that forbids priests to marry. It is sometimes found in other contexts too and is typical of false religion. The other example is the way such people order others to abstain from certain foods. Obvious examples might be Hindu vegetarianism, Jewish and Muslim avoidance of pork, Romanist rules about meat and fish, the Mormon veto on tea and coffee. This is again typical of false religion. The true believer knows the truth and does not forbid marriage to anyone suitably qualified and places no ban on any food or drink in and of itself believing that all such things were created by God to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and who know the truth. False religion may have a patina of sense with its rules about marriage and food but they fail to see that God the Creator gave us all sorts of good things to enjoy. Such religions are 'no' religions whereas the gospel proclaims a 'yes' message in every way. It is good for Christians to give thanks before they eat, as Jesus did, in acknowledgement of these facts.

1 Timothy 3:11 The Women

1 Timothy 3:11 In the same way, the women are to be worthy of respect, not malicious talkers but temperate and trustworthy in everything.

Who are these women? Are they the deacons wives? Given that not all deacons would necessarily be married it may be that what Paul is thinking about a group of women in the church who carried out various diaconal roles. Every church has them. Because the Bible uses the word women to describe them they have never gained the more distinctive recognition that deacons and elders have in most churches. Paul requires four things of these women - that they be worthy of respect, not malicious talkers but temperate and trustworthy in everything. In brief compass he covers the bases, referring to their standing, their use of the tongue, their self control and their trustworthiness. Such characteristics are vital in women who serve the churches. These women will often be wives of the deacons but will often include single women. Whether a church wants to formalise this and call them deaconesses or lady workers is a matter for debate. The important thing is that women who play an important role in the life of the church are of the calibre prescribed here.

1 Timothy 3:7 With outsiders

1 Timothy 3:7 He must also have a good reputation with outsiders, so that he will not fall into disgrace and into the devil’s trap.

One further qualification for elders here is that such people must have a good reputation with outsiders. It is not enough that the man has a good reputation within the church, some thought must be given to his reputation with outsiders. Generally speaking outsiders can be a little harsher in their judgements and whereas certain eccentricities and faults may be overlooked in the faith community, others will be less understanding and sympathetic. Given that a minister needs to seek to reach outsiders as well as insiders this is an important consideration. If we fail to give it full weight then we are increasingly the likelihood of such a person falling into disgrace and the devil's trap. When the world sees who has been made a minister, if they know him to be a big head, a philanderer, a greedy man or an incompetent then they will soon scoff, not only at him but at the gospel itself. This is the very thing that the devil aims at. He wants to discredit all Christians but ministers especially as it undermines the whole faith.

1 Timothy 2:15 Through childbearing

1 Timothy 2:15 But women will be saved through childbearing – if they continue in faith, love and holiness with propriety.

This verse is clearly positive about women and about childbearing but it is difficult to be entirely sure about what Paul is saying and there are different understandings. Perhaps the best way to understand it is that the way for women to live the Christian life (when he says women will be saved through childbearing he must mean as they engage in childbearing not by means of childbearing) is not in pastoral ministry but in childbearing, that is by being, more specifically, mothers and, more generally, women who work at home or engage in other less public tasks. There will be no great preachers except those that are born of women and (in most cases) they will be brought up in the things of the Lord by their mothers. Monica the mother of Augustine, Susanna Wesley and John Newton's mother Mary are obvious examples, as is Timothy's own mother. Of course, this is no simple key to success. Women, like all of us, must continue or remain in faith, love and holiness with propriety (or self control) if they are truly to be saved.

1 Timothy 2:7 Appointed purpose

1 Timothy 2:7 And for this purpose I was appointed a herald and an apostle – I am telling the truth, I am not lying – and a true and faithful teacher of the Gentiles.

Paul here calls himself a herald and an apostle ... and a true and faithful teacher of the Gentiles. He has been appointed to this role he says, presumably by God. His And for this purpose must refer back to the previous verse, which speaks about bearing witness to the coming of Christ. So Paul's focus is the coming of Christ. This is what he heralds or proclaims. This is what he was sent out (made an apostle) to do. He teaches this message and he does it in truth and in faith, truly and faithfully (he could be saying that truth and faith are what he teaches). With this statement he is telling the truth, he is not lying. This is a solemn statement. Paul never lost sight of his central goal and those who succeed him as ministers must not either. We are appointed by God to proclaim the message and get it out, teaching truthfully and faithfully all sorts of people. We must not forget that appointment.

2 Timothy 1:13 Pattern following

2 Timothy 1:13 What you heard from me, keep as the pattern of sound teaching, with faith and love in Christ Jesus.

Here again there is an emphasis on orthodoxy. (See for example 1 Timothy 6:3). What Timothy has heard from Paul he must keep as the pattern of sound teaching. No sooner is orthodoxy established than the danger of dead orthodoxy also raises its head but Paul is clear - the keeping of the pattern of sound teaching, by Timothy must be done always with faith and love in Christ Jesus. All of us, especially ministers, need then to keep the pattern of sound teaching and to do so with faith and love in Christ Jesus. The former means construction some sort of systematic theology from God's Word and then constantly exposing it to Scripture. The latter also demands exposure to the Word but with an eagerness to live out what we find in God's Word so that our faith in God and our love to him are constantly growing. Gill suggests that this verse alludes to artists, who first make outlines. Having made a rough draught they then lay on their colours. The original lines are the rule and pattern for the whole work. What Paul has in mind is what has often been called the rule of faith.

2 Timothy 1:8 Not Ashamed

2 Timothy 1:8 So do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord or of me his prisoner. Rather, join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God.

Paul makes several references to suffering in the pastoral letters and here he comes back to the subject once again. He himself is in prison but he does not want Timothy to be ashamed of him (as Onesiphorus was not) or of the testimony about our Lord that has led to him suffering in this way. Perhaps he has the saying in Mark 8:38 in mind (If anyone is ashamed of me ... see also 2 Timothy 2:12). Rather, he says he wants Timothy to join with me in suffering for the gospel .... (see 2 Timothy 2:3 for the only other instance of this wording in the New Testament). Paul is very demanding then, as is the gospel itself. However, it is by the power of God that Paul is doing what he does and that is how he expects Timothy to proceed to. Most ministers do not end up in prison even for the testimony about our Lord but there must be a willingness to join in the suffering for the gospel that so many have known down the ages. This is possible for us by the power of God. 

Titus 1:6, 7 Elders Negatives

Titus 1:6, 7 An elder must be blameless, faithful to his wife, a man whose children believe and are not open to the charge of being wild and disobedient.  Since an overseer manages God’s household, he must be blameless – not overbearing, not quick-tempered, not given to drunkenness, not violent, not pursuing dishonest gain.

Here are the requirements for elders or overseers. The heading says that An elder must be blameless. This is repeated in verse 7. It means that with regard to family life he must be  faithful to his wife and a man whose children believe (better are trustworthy) and are not open to the charge of being wild and disobedient.  Verse 7 gives five negatives and verse 8 six positives which we can look at again. The negatives are not overbearing, not quick-tempered, not given to drunkenness, not violent, not pursuing dishonest gain. People who are overbearing or who lose their tempers easily or get drunk or are violent or just looking to make money can never be effective elders. Rather, a receptive attitude, calmness, soberness, gentleness and a lack of interest in money are the sorts of qualities that will go a long way to enabling a man to be a blessing.

1 Timothy 1:12 Give thanks

1 Timothy 1:12 I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me trustworthy, appointing me to his service.

Here in 1 Timothy, the Apostle Paul gives thanks to Christ Jesus our Lord. He is thankful that there on the Damascus road so many years before Christ had called him to serve as an apostle. He is thankful both for the strength Christ has given him to do the work and for the implied trust in being placed in such a position. This is especially so in light of the fact that he (13) was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man. No doubt Paul could remember how very weak he felt when he was carried into Damascus blind and struck down. God had give him the strength, however, to recover and to be baptised and to begin preaching Christ and to be the energetic apostle to the Gentiles that he became. How greatly honoured he was to have been given such privileges. Any man who is given the strength to preach God's Word and who is entrusted with the gospel is under an obligation to always be thankful for such great privileges. It is surely not going too far to say that every man called to the ministry and exercising it should take time at least once every day to thank God for the task to which he has been called and for the strength to do it.