1 Timothy 3

1 Timothy 3:1-13

B1 God’s Undershepherds, His leaders

C1 Jesus is Supreme in the church: Ephesians 1:22-23 WEL He has put everything under his feet and given him to be the head of everything in the church, 23 Which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything of everything.

C2 Jesus is supreme teacher and leader: Matthew 23:8-12 WEL But you are not to be addressed as Rabbi, because one is your Teacher, the Messiah, and you are all brothers. 9 "Do not address anyone as your "Father" on this earth, because one is your Father, who is in heaven. 10 "Also do not be addressed as "Teachers", because one is your Teacher, the Messiah. 11 "Instead he who is greatest among you will be your servant. 12 "And whoever will exalt himself will be humbled, but he who will be humble will be exalted.

C3 Jesus’s rules/commands are supreme: John 14:15 WEL If you love me, obey my commandments.

C4 Jesus appoints the offices: Ephesians 4:11-12 WEL He gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, 12 For the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ.

C5 Jesus has plurality of elders in every church:

D1 Acts 14:23 WEL After they had chosen elders in every church and after praying with fasting, they committed them to the Lord on whom they had believed.

D2 Acts 20:17 WEL At Miletus he sent to Ephesus and called for the elders of the church.

B2 Pastors, Deacons, and Deaconesses

C1 Qualifications

D1 A true believer (this is different than just a believer, for some might be able to say or teach the correct doctrine but their life is not matching the New Testament)

D2 The list is further things beyond salvation. I count 18 in the list. Another person may count differently.

E1 First grouping is character traits. These are desire, blameless, vigilant, self-controlled, good behavior, not quarrelsome, not greedy, gentle, not contentious, not covetous

E2 Second is marital status. He is to be a one woman man. He does not HAVE to be married, though.

E3 Third is  abilities. He is to be hospitable, able to teach, and a good manager at home.

E4 Fourth is addictions. He is not to be addicted to wine. He is also not to be addicted to porn, gambling, drugs, sports, work, etc. It is the addiction that is evil.

E5 Fifth is length of time he has been a Christian.

E6 Sixth is standing in society. He has to have a good reputation in society, with Christians, non-Christians, government, education, etc.

D3 Even though many might have these qualifications, if the calling of God is present, the person will show pastor like desire and actions.

C2 Responsibilities

D1 Preach the Gospel: 1 Corinthians 1:17 WEL For Christ didn't send me to baptize but to preach the Gospel, not with wisdom in words lest the cross of Christ be ineffective.

D2 Read, exhort, and teach. The teaching would be teaching the Bible, doctrine, and how to live Christian life : 1 Timothy 4:13 WEL Until I come apply yourself to reading [of Scripture], exhortation, and to teaching.

D3 Teach the doctrines of the faith: 1 Timothy 4:6 WEL If you remind the brethren of these things you will be a good servant of Jesus Christ, nourished in the words of faith and good teaching to which you have carefully followed.

D4 Assist in the congregation’s direction in Christian life and outreach: 1 Peter 5:2 WEL Feed the flock of God, which is among you. Take the oversight voluntarily, not by being forced, not for money's sake but with a willing heart.

D5 Be examples. We have to live the same life we teach others to do: 1 Peter 5:3 WEL Do not lord it over God's heritage, but be examples to the flock.

D6 Practice shepherd leadership. This is seen in the example and life of the Lord Jesus Christ. There are many who say they provide this, but by their life, words, and actions are controlling. The controlling pastor is most likely a false convert to Christianity (Read 3 John about Diotrephes). 1 Peter 5:3 WEL Do not lord it over God's heritage, but be examples to the flock.

D7 Teach other qualified men: Acts 14:23 WEL After they had chosen elders in every church and after praying with fasting, they committed them to the Lord on whom they had believed.

D8 They need to use discernment: 2 John 1:10 WEL If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not take him into your house, nor greet him.

C3 The qualifications for deacons and deaconesses are similar.

D1 Character traits are respectable, not deceitful, not addicted to substances, and not greedy for money.

D2 Spiritual traits are known and fully believe the doctrines of the Christian faith in such a way to be consistent in their words and lifestyle.

D3 Also, they need to be tested (examined, evaluated) as to their spiritual traits.

D4 A blessing from God for faithful service is boldness (to live and preach the Gospel) and respect from others (reputation).

D5 The example is Stephen in Acts 6-7.

1 Timothy 3:14-16

B3 Reasons for church conduct

C1 We learn from this that our fellow Christians are family members with us. We are together as family in God’s family.

C2 We are not together for a similar purpose, reason, or goal, but we are together as a family.

C3 The church is to be the light in this world in thoughts, desires, words, and deeds. We are to honor God by obeying His rules in the New Testament.

C4 Our religion is a mystery to the unsaved.

C5 The Lord Jesus was revealed in the flesh. He is the God/man. Many translations foul this Scripture. Wilbur Pickering PhD states in his Bible notes: Instead of 'God', 1% of the Greek manuscripts read 'who', and most modern versions follow this 1%. But 'who' is nonsensical (in the context), so most of them take evasive action: NEB and NASB have "he who"; Phillips has "the one"; NRSV, Jerusalem, TEV and NIV render "he". Berkley actually has "who"! In the Greek Text the relative pronoun has no antecedent, so it is a grammatical 'impossibility', besides being a stupidity—what is so mysterious about someone being manifested in flesh? All human beings have bodies. The pronoun can be accounted for as an easy transcriptional error, a simple copying mistake, so why not stay with the 98.5%? "God was manifested in flesh"—now there you have a mystery!

B4 Applications

C1 There are to be pastors, deacons, and deaconesses.

C2 There are requirements in order to be one. Being a great business person or leader in society counts for nothing in God’s church.

C3 We must be consistent in our thoughts, desires, words, and deeds.

C4 We are a family. We are to love and live as a family, The house we live in is God’s house. This is not referring to communal living.

1 Timoty 2

1 Timothy 2:1-7

B1 Encourage prayer

C1 1 For everyone

D1 Petitions

E1 A petition, supplication, is a request to an authority.

E2 Proverbs 30:7-8 NIV - Two things I ask of you, LORD; do not refuse me before I die: Keep falsehood and lies far from me; give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread.

D2 Prayers

E1 Prayers is a more formal, respectful talking with God.

E2 Luke 6:12 NIV - One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God.

E3 1 Timothy 5:5 NIV - The widow who is really in need and left all alone puts her hope in God and continues night and day to pray and to ask God for help.

D3 Requests

E1 The word has the idea of coming together to converse.

E2 It is used in our passage and also 1 Timothy 4:5 NIV - because it is consecrated by the word of God and prayer.

D4 Thanksgivings

E1 According to the old Webster’s Dictionary, it means an acknowledgment expressive of a sense of favor or kindness received;

E2 1 Timothy 4:4 NIV - For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving.

D5 We ARE to pray. Prayer is not hard. It is talking with God. It is worship and fellowship.

C2 2 For leaders

D1 One of the many reasons we pray to God concerning our political leaders is so we (all) can live in peace and safety.

D2 For Christians must live a Christian life. This is sometimes hard, because the government is against Christians.

D3 Regardless, we must always pray for our leaders whether we like them or not.

D4 (Jeremiah 29:7 MKJV And seek the peace of the city where I have caused you to be exiled, and pray to the LORD for it. For in its peace you shall have peace.

D5 2 Kings 8:3 NIV - At the end of the seven years she came back from the land of the Philistines and went to appeal to the king for her house and land.

C3 3-7 For everyone to be saved

D1 The text clearly says all. Don’t let anyone fool you out of the plain, normal sense. Compare:

E1 2 Peter 3:9 NIV - The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.

E2 (Isaiah 53:6 MKJV All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned, each one to his own way; and the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.

E3 2 Corinthians 5:14 NIV - For Christ's love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died.

D2 All whether poor, rich, or in between. All whether employed in medical, legal, government, agriculture, retired, unemployed, education, etc. All means all.

D3 Either people are saved by Jesus Christ and Him alone or they are not.

D4 He is the only mediator.

D5 Works are worthless. Philippians 3:7-8 NIV - But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ.

1 Timothy 2:8-15

B2 Encourage members

C1 8 Men

D1 What does God want the Christian man to do?

D2 God wants men to pray, not fight and argue.

D3 God wants men to pray, not doubt.

C2 9-15 Women

D1 What does God want from Christian women?

D2 God wants Christian women to dress modestly, not seductively.

D3 Instead of investing in expensive clothes, etc., God wants women to invest in doing good, doing good not for salvation but to honor God.

E1 2 Peter 1:5-8 NIV - For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

E2 There are spiritual works like preaching the Gospel, encouraging other believers, praying for others, etc.

E3 There are practical works, too, like teaching, giving, helping a neighbor, visiting widows, etc.

D4 About teaching (I’ve spoken about this in another article, so to summarize):

E1 Men teach, woman teach, parents teach, pastors teach. We teach each other.

E2 Thus, a dictator, someone with supreme authority who is not to be questioned but obeyed.

E3 That TYPE of woman must not teach.

D5 Saved in childbirth. Please see this video Why Women Must Learn in Quietness and Submission Xenophon of Ephesus and 1 Timothy 2 (Gary Hoag). There is also a book Women in Ephesus.

Applications:

B1 Pray

B2 Pray for leaders and everyone else but especially for our Christian brothers and sisters.

B3 God wants all to be saved.

B4 Jesus is the ransom paid for all humans.

B5 Men are to pray and not argue and fight.

B6 Women are not to dress seductively.

B7 A dictator type woman must not teach.

Parable of the 10 Virgins

Matthew 25:1-13 NKJV - Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. "Now five of them were wise, and five were foolish. "Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them, "but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. "But while the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept. "And at midnight a cry was heard: 'Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him!' "Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps. "And the foolish said to the wise, 'Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.' "But the wise answered, saying, 'No, lest there should not be enough for us and you; but go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.' "And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut. "Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, 'Lord, Lord, open to us!' "But he answered and said, 'Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you.' "Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming. 

The Jews are the virgins. 

Both groups revered the Torah. 

Both groups stated they love Yahweh. 

Both groups thought they were blameless. Paul stated, before he believed, that he was Philippians 3:6 NKJV - ...concerning zeal, persecuting the church; concerning the righteousness which is in the law, blameless. [Emphasis is mine] 

One group believed. 

One group did not believe. 

One group was wise. 

One group was foolish. 

Finally, the day arrived. It was the threshold.  

Those who believed God entered the city. 

Those who did not believe God did not enter. 

Those who did not believe realized too late. 

The Scribes and Pharisees of Jesus’s day for the most part did not believe. 

They died. They realized they had made the wrong decision, regarding that Jesus, Yeshua, was Messiah. Now it was too late. 

Hebrews 9:27 NKJV - And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment. 

Matthew 24:44 NKJV - Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect. 

Matthew 25:13 NKJV - Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming. 

Hebrews 3:16-4:2 NIV - Who were they who heard and rebelled? Were they not all those Moses led out of Egypt? And with whom was he angry for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies perished in the wilderness? And to whom did God swear that they would never enter his rest if not to those who disobeyed? So we see that they were not able to enter, because of their unbelief. Therefore, since the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us be careful that none of you be found to have fallen short of it. For we also have had the good news proclaimed to us, just as they did; but the message they heard was of no value to them, because they did not share the faith of those who obeyed. 

2 Corinthians 6:1-2 NLT - As God's partners, we beg you not to accept this marvelous gift of God's kindness and then ignore it. For God says, "At just the right time, I heard you. On the day of salvation, I helped you. Indeed, the "right time" is now. Today is the day of salvation.

1 Timothy 1

1 Timothy 1:1-2

Greetings

• Paul identifies himself as Apostle writing to Timothy.
• Timothy is identified as my true son in the faith.
• Paul had preached the Gospel to Timothy.
• Timothy had been prepared from birth by his grandmother and mother.
• We can learn that grandparents and parents can have a great influence in the spiritual life of a child by reading and teaching the Scriptures.
• We can learn, too, that by memorizing Scripture as a child will be used later by the Holy Spirit to open their mind and heart to the Gospel.

1 Timothy 1:3-11

Oppose false teachers

• There are always false teachers.
• We must always be aware of the fact that there are false teachers.
• Often false teachers appear to be the holiest people in the congregation.
• If we have studied, know, and believe the truth, we will spot them much more quickly.
• It is important and a responsibility of the pastor to know what people believe and are teaching.
• False teachers will
  • Teach something false. Sometimes it is very subtle, so we must clarify at times. They may even change the common definition to what they want it to mean.
  • Teach things that are speculation to be an important doctrine/s.
  • Teach the Law (Torah) without even understanding what it really means and/or how it applies to the Christian. Compare the controversy in Acts 15:1-35.
• This false teaching has an effect on the people leading to discussions, debates, disagreements, etc. so in effect diverting the people from what is important to what is not important.
• Paul teaches that the Law is useful for convicting a person of their sins by showing God’s holy standard of thoughts, desires, words, and deeds.

1 Timothy 1:12-17

Paul’s Testimony and Thankfulness

• Now, Paul rehearses his conversion. Paul considered himself to be blameless according to the Law’s standards (at least outwardly). See Philippians 3:6.
• Paul mentions some of his sins
  • Blasphemer
  • Persecutor
  • Insolent
• Despite his sins, Paul thanks God for His great mercy in giving him understanding of the Gospel and the Gospel itself, which is of Jesus Christ.
• He feels that he is one of the worst of sinners and God’s love showed its greatness towards him.
• We notice the greatness of God’s patience.
• Paul, then, praises God for
  • Being King (King of the universe for sure)
  • Being eternal, immortal, invisible, God who alone is wise
• Because of all these things, God is worthy of the highest honors and praise.

1 Timothy 1:18- 20

Stand true

• Paul reminds Timothy of the prophecies given when he was ordained.
• One of Timothy’s ministries is to wage warfare. This
  • Is not physical as in using the sword.
  • Is spiritual by thinking, living, preaching as a Christian
• Keeping faith is being faithful to what he has been taught by Paul and others.
• A blunted conscious is possible by ignoring or diminishing these teachings.
• Paul mentions 2 teachers who have sinned against God—Hymenaeus and Alexander. These 2
  • Blasphemed God
    • Taking His name in vain
    • Lying about His character and His character traits
    • Teaching lies, which are things not found in the teaching of Jesus Christ or His apostles.

Applications

• Teach our children
• Remember what we are taught
• Be aware that there are false teachers. Some may not reveal themselves until after they have taught truth and have the trust of the congregation.
• We need to study the truth first then do apologetics.
• God will hold teachers responsible if they teach error.
• God wants people saved. So we need to preach and live the Gospel.
• Be thankful for God’s love and mercy. We are not to take those things for granted.
• It is OK to name names.