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.

Titus 3:6 Generously outpoured

Titus 3:6 whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Saviour

Titus 3:5 refers to the Holy Spirit and his work of renewing the believer. In the verse following Paul speaks of the Spirit and develops the idea of his being poured out on believers and not just poured out but richly or generously poured out. The reference is no doubt to the initial outpouring at Pentecost and to the way he is poured out at the beginning of the Christian life on each individual believer when he is baptised by the Spirit or born anew. It reminds us of Jesus' statement in John 4:14 that the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life. We must not miss that through Jesus Christ our Saviour either which further links what Paul says and what John reports. It is because of Christ and all he has done as our Saviour that the Spirit has been poured out. In John 7:38, 39 which refers again to rivers of living water flowing from within. John clarifies - By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. He clearly links the atonement and what followed with the pouring out of the Spirit when he says Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified. The moment a minister forgets about the work of the Spirit he is finished.

1 Timothy 5:24, 25 Knowns, Unknowns

1 Timothy 5:24, 25 The sins of some are obvious, reaching the place of judgment ahead of them; the sins of others trail behind them.  In the same way, good deeds are obvious, and even those that are not obvious cannot remain hidden for ever.

These verses stand alone rather, although the context is the solemn charge to keep these instructions without partiality. There is also the reference to not ordaining elders too quickly, these instructions being most pertinent to that question. The point itself is clear enough. We make assessments about people on the basis of what we know about them. When we make such judgements it is important to remember that The sins of some are obvious, reaching the place of judgment ahead of them; the sins of others trail behind them. The bank robber and the idolater are obvious sinners while the embezzler and the hypocrite are more difficult to detect at first. Further, some men's good deeds are not so obvious either. The anonymous donor and the prayer warrior are doing good with no-one knowing while everyone can admire the stretcher bearer or the eloquent preacher. We cannot know all there is to know at this stage but to bear in mind our ignorance is an excellent thing to do in all sorts of contexts, including making men elders and choosing Sunday School teachers for that matter.

1 Timothy 5:16 Prioritising need

1 Timothy 5:16 If any woman who is a believer has widows in her care, she should continue to help them and not let the church be burdened with them, so that the church can help those widows who are really in need.

This is a re-iteration of the sometimes abused principle that charity begins at home. The principle is established earlier in the chapter in verses 3-8 (Give proper recognition to those widows who are really in need. But if a widow has children or grandchildren, these should learn first of all to put their religion into practice by caring for their own family and so repaying their parents and grandparents, for this is pleasing to God. ... Anyone who does not provide for their relatives, and especially for their own household, has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.) Paul was quite happy for the church to provide for those in need but not where there were family members who were Christians who could do the job just as well if not better. The order is for the widows to look after themselves, if they could and remarry then rely on other family members if necessary with the church as a last resort. Today the state seeks to playa role in all this too. Such instructions are never intended to be applied in some wooden way so that the church says "we have no responsibility now,  the family is taking care of it" there will always be a mix. The point for pastors and churches is to see that they have some responsibility but not sole responsibility.