Verse 1. “Paul, an
apostle of Christ Jesus according to the commandment of God
our Savior, and of Christ Jesus, who is our hope,”
A “disciple” is a pupil, a learner,
like a student in school. An “apostle”
is a “sent one,” much like an ambassador is sent by the king
of one nation to another country as the representative of
his native land. First we are called to become disciples and
then, at the time of God’s choosing, He will deem that we
are sufficiently equipped and then we will subsequently be
sent out to serve our Lord. Paul, the author of this Book
called First Timothy, was an “apostle,”
sent by God as an ambassador from Paul’s true home in the
Kingdom of God, to the people of this world, especially to
non-Jews, to Gentiles. This Book was in the form of a letter
by Paul to a younger man, a pastor named Timothy, who he
called, “my true son in the faith,” in Verse 2. Paul had led
Timothy to Christ and he cared for the younger man as he
would delight in his own son.
Paul was sent by “Christ Jesus according to the commandment of God our Savior…”
It’s important for us, if we act for God, that we be led BY
Him. When He calls someone to His service, He not only sends
them, but He also empowers, instructs and strengthens them
for His work. That’s why Jesus was able to say, “My yoke is easy and My burden is light” because the
hardest part of the work is done by Him (Matthew 11:30). And
“Christ Jesus” is our true “hope.” This is much more than, “I hope…”
such-and-such a thing will happen. In the original language,
the word “hope” is the
CONFIDENT expectation about someone or something, that it
actually IS who or what we expect it or them to be. True “hope” is the gift of God in Christ, placed inside
the person who has placed their trust in the Lord.
Verse 2. “To
Timothy, my true child in the faith: Grace, mercy and peace
from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.”
As He was preparing for death,
preparing His followers for what was to come, Jesus gave
them (and us today) a very clear command. He said, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another,
as I have loved you, that you also love one another”
(John 13:34). And then He continued, “By
this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have
love for one another” (John 13:35). That’s the kind
of love Paul had for Timothy. Pure, innocent and holy, but
with a depth of concern and care which is exactly what Jesus
was teaching His disciples about.
Paul had led Timothy to the Lord,
which is what he meant by the statement, “my true child in the faith.” The words “my true child” also meant that he had observed that
Timothy was true to the Lord. And when you think about it,
to extend “grace, mercy and peace”
to someone is to give them something wonderful. “Grace” is the unmerited favor of God. “Mercy” is to be really CARED for during suffering -
others will act on their behalf. “Peace”
means to have harmonious relationships with people and with
God. And this is Paul’s prayer for his “child,” that he would receive all these blessings
which are actually from “God the
Father and Christ Jesus our Lord,” even when they
seem to come merely from people.
Verse 3. “As I urged
you upon my departure for Macedonia, remain on at Ephesus so
that you may instruct certain men not to teach strange
doctrines,”
Paul wrote this first known letter
to the younger pastor, Timothy from Macedonia, in 62-63 AD.
The Apostle Paul had left the younger man behind in Ephesus
in Asia, when he was led by the Lord to cross the Aegean Sea
and minister in Macedonia, where he would meet Dr. Luke, who
was to be his physician and companion for many years. The
direct purpose in writing was to encourage the younger
pastor, Timothy, to appoint elders, fight false teachings,
and properly supervise the church. Timothy was encouraged in
this letter to pastor the flock at Ephesus.
Paul was reasonably concerned about
“strange doctrines” that were
being taught by some purported followers of Christ Jesus in
the area of Ephesus. Timothy was charged by Paul to directly
confront such men, telling them “not
to teach” such things; to STOP such men. It’s
amazing, when you think about it, that so many conflicting
doctrines have been presented in and through the branches of
the visible church, and they have often created so many
problems; so much strife. Paul would tell Timothy in Verse 5
that “the goal of our instruction is
love from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere
faith.” It’s so simple and yet so many have insisted
on making everything unnecessarily complicated, spending
their lives in “fruitless discussion”
(Verse 6), which tends to actually push people AWAY from the
church, away from the Lord.
Verse 4. “nor to pay
attention to myths and endless genealogies, which give rise
to mere speculation rather than furthering the
administration of God which is by faith.”
The word for “myth”
in this verse is a Greek word that means to keep something
secret, to close ones eyes to the truth; to create a
fictional story, a “myth” that
is told in its place. Timothy was in the predominantly Greek
city of Ephesus at the moment, as seen in Verse 3, a culture
devoted to heroes, where mythological stories gradually were
attached to Olympic Games winners, military conquerors and
other notable people. These stories wove themselves into
fabrications surrounding the birth and “genealogies” of heroes, until ordinary people became
like “gods” in the minds of the people who heard and read
about them.
Other groups were also fascinated by
“genealogies,” including the
Jews of Paul’s time, who considered it essential to be
descended from the patriarchs of Israel. Many of them joined
one church or another, became leaders and went on the road
as evangelists. Some were good men, but others became
“Gnostics” who were more interested in knowledge than in
having simple “faith” in the
Lord. Knowledge can be good, but faith is better. We don’t
know everything; actually far from it, but God does know
everything and He saves those who trust in Him.
Verse 5. “But the
goal of our instruction is love from a pure heart and a good
conscience and a sincere faith.”
What is life all about? What does
God want from us? What is so IMPORTANT that everything else
in life is secondary to its accomplishment? The key is found
in Verse 4, where Paul urged the younger man Timothy to not
only have faith in the Lord on a personal basis, but also to
encourage others to do the same. We will be CHANGED for the
good when we truly place our faith in God, through the Lord
Jesus Christ. He enters right into our hearts and we will
LIKE the work He does in us. One important change is that
instead of seeing everything filtered merely through our own
experiences and limitations, we will begin to gain God’s
perspective on the people around us.
The needs of others will gradually
become as important to you as your own, for God brings His
very nature into the persons who give their hearts and lives
to Him. The word “instruction”
is actually, “to pass on an announcement.” God revealed much
to Paul, who in turn instructed those around him, and those
words have come down through the centuries to you and me.
God intends we will have agape (selfless) "love" for people, acting toward others out of pure
and clean motives. Doing these things, your conscience will
become clear as you discover the forgiveness given in Christ
Jesus, and your faith in the Lord will grow.
Father, lead us in truth and in
love. Impart to us the "pure heart" and "sincere
faith" that Paul spoke about. We give ourselves to
You. In Jesus Name. Amen.
Audio Bible
Study - 1 Tim.
1:6-10
Verse 6. “For some men, straying from
these things, have turned aside to fruitless discussion,”
We saw in Verse 5 what God wants from us all, which is:
“love from a pure heart and a good conscience and a
sincere faith.” But “some,” as it says here,
actually many in the world, are “straying” from the good things
of God. That process is accelerating in our generation. In some translations
we find they have “swerved” from
the truth, or “wandered away” from the way life
should be. Actually, the word for “straying” in the
original Greek language of the time was to miss the mark, to fail to aim at what
is important in life. All you have to do is read the newspaper or turn on
the news to see the truth of this verse.
Those in the group described as “some
men” in this verse, are also described in Verse 3 as those “certain men (who) teach strange
doctrines.” In this verse, we see the words of such people described as “fruitless discussion,” a phrase that is found in other
translations as “vain” words. In the Greek, it is
“to turn or twist aside, to turn away.” It was also a medical phrase of the time
and it meant “to be dislocated.” There is, as there always has been much “fruitless discussion” in theology, which strangely occurs in many
seminaries and some pulpits. Instead of teaching young people to have faith in the Lord, fault is
found with Scripture, which is often brushed aside as “myth.” But God knows His
Word is true. It is essential that simple “love from a pure heart and a good
conscience and a sincere faith” should be the goal for us all.
Verse 7. “wanting to be teachers of the
Law, even though they do not understand either what they are saying or the
matters about which they make confident assertions.”
At the time Paul the Apostle wrote these words to the
younger man, Timothy, most of the religious leaders in Israel, whether, Priest,
Pharisee, Sadducee, Scribe, or as they tended to be called, the Doctors of the
Law, had missed the point. As the Holy Spirit through Paul revealed in another
place, “by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified
in (God’s) sight, for by the law is the knowledge
of sin” (Romans 3:20). And he continued, a man or a woman “is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law”
(Romans 3:28). But there were a number of these “teachers
of the Law” traveling around the edges of the Mediterranean Sea, not unlike the journeys of Paul, but they presented a message opposite to the freedom
given us in the Gospel of Christ.
And that’s true today. There are many who make their
living from the Bible, writing books, giving lectures, presenting seminars,
teaching classes or whatever; giving forth the idea that we can somehow be made
right with God through our own efforts in keeping some kind of doctrinal law.
Noble as these works may seem, as “confident” and
assertive as these teachers may appear to be, the truth remains that “by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified.” It
is the Lord Himself who has done the work, and we “are
justified by faith” in Him alone. We really have nothing to give, except
what we “hear” from God’s Holy Spirit, whether directly or through the written
Word. Our prayer must be, “Let our teaching be in You, O Lord, and not something
from ourselves.”
Verse 8. “But we know that the Law is
good, if one uses it lawfully,”
To “know” in this verse
translates as to KNOW from OBSERVATION. We know because God has shown it to us.
Continuing Paul’s thought from the previous verse, “the
law is good” and it has a good purpose in our lives. It is suitable to
our needs and useful if we are to grow in Christ, for there is much in us that
calls out to be changed. The written law, as expressed in God’s Word, has
the power to bring us to our knees in repentance before the Throne of God. And note that the
law is even more personal than just reading it – “the law
(is) written in (our) hearts…
(stimulating our) conscience… (our)
thoughts accusing or else excusing (us)” (Romans
2:15). Even those who deny to themselves that they have a “conscience,” have the Law of God stamped on their very
soul.
To use God’s Law “lawfully”
as it says in this verse is to respond as Paul did in Romans Chapter 7. He loved
the Law, but in attempting to keep it he found, “I would
not have known sin except through the law." He stumbled over the tenth
commandment, “You shall not covet” (to want what other
people have - Romans 7:7). He
resolved to change, but he could not, crying out, “The
good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I
practice” (Romans 7:19). In using the Law “lawfully,”
as in this verse, he was drawn to call out, “O wretched
man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?” (Romans
7:24). And the answer for him, as it is for you and me is to live our lives “through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 7:25). Jesus has
paid the price for our sinful nature, and through Him, we become free.
Verse 9. “realizing the fact that law is
not made for a righteous person, but for those who are lawless and rebellious,
for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for those who kill
their fathers or mothers, for murderers”
“Realizing,” as in this
translation, or “knowing” as in others, was used in
the Greek language to describe knowledge that is grasped by the mind. In other
words, these facts of the law that Paul is discussing should be obvious to
everyone, whether we know the Lord or not. “Righteous”
denotes justice without prejudice or partiality. The truly “righteous” person will be a fair person and the law of
God was not designed for such people. “Lawless” in
this place means unholy; lacking inner purity. “Rebellious”
in this verse is disobedience; refusing to respond to the needs and hopes of
others, the very nature of selfishness.
The “ungodly” here in Verse 9,
are those who defy the Person, the very nature of God. “Sinners”
are those who “miss the mark” by failing to live up to standards known to all.
“Unholy” means just what you would expect, but it
also contains the extra element of – profane. The word listed in English as “profane” in this verse is the opposite of sacred,
referring to contemptuous behavior toward the name of God. “Those who kill their fathers or mothers” are in shameful
violation of the law, including not honoring their parents in violation of the Fifth
and Sixth Commandments. “Murderers” are men-killers who hate
others to the extent of plotting to kill them. The same word in the Greek is used in 1
John 3:15, where it says, “No murderer has eternal life.”
Verse 10. “and immoral men and
homosexuals and kidnappers and liars and perjurers, and whatever else is
contrary to sound teaching,”
This man who had been Saul the Pharisee had been
wondrously shocked and changed by the love of God in Christ Jesus. He was
changed into
Paul the Apostle of God to the Gentiles. He now realized what the Law of God was
all about. Formerly he had insisted on outward compliance to that Law, even
murdering and imprisoning others who disagreed with him. Now he saw that the Law
“is not made for a righteous person, but for those who are
lawless and rebellious” (Verse 9) and he is giving us a glimpse here of
ways we might identify “lawless” people.
One example of lawlessness, which began in Verse 9, is
what Paul called “Immoral men.” In the original
Greek language of this letter to Timothy, it meant fornication, which is sexual
intercourse
outside of marriage. “Homosexuals” means just what
it says, a word that can be translated, “an abuser of self with mankind”
(Strong’s Greek Dictionary). “Kidnappers” is
literally “men-stealers,” a word used for slave traders in the ancient Greek
world. “Liars” are those who deceive by lies, and “perjurers” give false testimony in a court of law. Note
that Paul does not close the list with the examples given in Verses 9 and 10.
The sad reality is that all of us know right from wrong, but wrongdoers usually
choose to deny the truth about their thoughts and actions; opting to live a lie
rather than trust in the Lord and be healed.
Dear Lord, help us look to the good Law of God and
see our need. Forgive us and heal us from our sins. Let our teaching
be in You, O Lord, and not something from ourselves. We trust in You.
In Jesus Name. Amen.
Audio Bible Study - 1 Timothy
1:11-15
Verse 11. “according to the glorious
gospel of the blessed God, with which I have been entrusted.”
In the preceding two verses, Paul, the writer of this
letter to Timothy, has given us a brief description of what “lawless and rebellious” behavior is all about. In a list
of such actions he included the profane, disobedient, murderers, the immoral,
homosexuals, kidnappers, liars and perjurers. He then concluded, “and whatever else is contrary to sound teaching” (Verses
9-10). Each of us can add to that list because down deep inside, everyone knows what
behavior is good and what is not. Note, by the way, that all of the activities on this
list are about choices – people can choose to do such things or not, and the
ability to not act in such a manner is done through the power, will and love of God.
Receiving the “gospel”
changes our lives. The “gospel” is the “good news” that
we can be forgiven through Christ Jesus, the One who became our Substitute and
died in our place. Suddenly and/or gradually, we find ourselves
drawn out of the thoughts and behavior seen in the two preceding verses; for
such things are not “according to the glorious gospel of
the blessed God” that we are to serve. When frustration draws you to profanity,
when your willfulness leads you into disobedience; when you are so angry you
could murder someone; when you have thoughts of immorality and then feel you must lie
to protect yourself, look to the Lord. Do it “according to the
glorious gospel of the blessed God, with which those who trust in Him have been
entrusted.” Take your thoughts and actions to Him. You'll find
forgiveness and He will make you clean inside and out (1 John 1:9).
Verse 12. “I thank Christ Jesus our
Lord, who has strengthened me, because He considered me faithful, putting me
into service,”
What is called “the Lord’s Prayer,” begins with “Hallowed be Thy name” (Matthew 5:9), and that is the
attitude, the response to the Lord that should fill our lives – gratitude and
praise. Paul suffered a lot in life, as Timothy, the young man who would receive
this letter, well knew. Yet the gift of teaching that marked and filled Paul’s
life, brought him into conflict with the false “teachers
of the Law” seen in verse 7 and created problems for him from Roman
authorities. But he said, “I thank Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Praise and thanksgiving had become his first and deepest response to –
everything.
And what was he thankful for, most of all? As we will
see in the next verse, Paul did not deserve to be in “service”
to his Lord, and yet God used him. He knew that this was the work of God, not done in
his own strength, for as he said, it was the “Lord who has
strengthened me.” It was the Lord who put “me into
service.” God “considered (him)
faithful.” It was not that he somehow understood
everything perfectly or got it right in everything he did, but that he was “faithful.” God called him “into
service” and Paul was “faithful” to that
call. Do we have to be perfect in what God calls us to do? There is truth in
that, for just as Paul
did, we should honor the perfect will, the call of God in our lives. But if we do well,
it is God who has done it. He has “strengthened” us
and if we do any perfect thing, it is God who brings it to pass.
Verse 13. “even though I was formerly a
blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent aggressor. Yet I was shown mercy
because I acted ignorantly in unbelief;”
During the years that Paul was known as Saul the
Pharisee, he dedicated himself to the destruction of the people
later known as “Christians,” who at that time were called followers of “the Way” (Acts 9:2). We catch a glimpse of Saul in Acts
7:58, where the men who stoned Stephen the Christian deacon, “laid down their (outer) clothes”
at Saul’s feet. He was the leader at the murder of the good man, Stephen, one of the
first seven Christian deacons of the Early Church.
Saul was described as “breathing
threats and murder against the disciples” and his intention was to go to
“Damascus” to “bring
(Christians) bound to Jerusalem” (Acts 9:1-2). He
did not understand what he really was doing, for he thought he was serving God.
In reality he was “a blasphemer (against God)
and a “persecutor and a violent aggressor” of God’s
people. Paul later understood the grace, the unmerited favor of God better than any of
us because this man had done terrible, despicable acts, and “yet (he) was shown mercy.”
As it says here, he “acted ignorantly in unbelief.”
He learned that the work of Christ is greater than anything done in
obedience to some kind of mere "law" and what Jesus has done will wipe
out any and every sin.
Verse 14. “and the grace of our Lord was
more than abundant, with the faith and love which are found in Christ Jesus.”
The original word in this verse for “grace”
in the Greek of the time meant “that which causes pleasure, delight or causes
favorable regard” (W. E. Vine). It also was used for “beauty or gracefulness.”
The word was considered to be the opposite of debt and it was the free gift of
God. It costs us nothing, but it was costly to the Son of God. The word “abundant” here was really “super-abundant,” and it
originally meant a “throwing beyond.” Paul had been “a
blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent aggressor” (Verse 13), but the
grace of God in Christ Jesus was a “throwing beyond” any failure, any sin he
committed or
sin we might commit. That’s a good reason to trust in the Lord and that’s why we
should forgive others. If God has made them clean, we should accept His work in
them.
Two elements are clearly involved in “faith” as it is revealed in Scripture: 1) We discover
that we KNOW the Lord is true. Something deeper than merely wanting to believe
is revealed in faith, and 2) We are enabled to personally surrender to Him and
Scripture will facilitate that process. Romans Chapter 10
contains an excellent discussion on faith: It is revealed, “Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God”
(Romans 10:17). It says about Christ, “He who believes in
Him will not be put to shame” (Romans 10:11). Faith is something of God
planted into the depths of our being. As Hebrews 12:2 says, “Jesus Christ is the Author and Finisher of our faith."
And all of this is done in the deep, rich (agape) “love”
of God “in Christ Jesus.” We who are undeserving
can safely have our “faith” in Him.
Verse 15. “It is a trustworthy
statement, deserving full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to
save sinners, among whom I am foremost of all.”
In Scripture we can clearly see that God is holy, just
and true. We find that He is willing and able to judge sinners, individually and
also judges nations that have gone astray. But we can miss the point if the judgment of
God is all we are willing to see in relation to Him. People are complex and as we get to
know them, we discover there is more to them than we first thought.
That’s true of God as well, for He is infinitely more complex and wonderful
than anyone really understands. Historically, men and women have made up “gods,” often fashioning
them into little statues and pretending they are something, but they’re not. God
sees right into us, understanding that we are like little children, pretending things are true
when they aren’t.
He sees what we often do not see. The human race
consists of individuals who are so hopelessly marred by sin that many choose to pretend
God does not exist because they are ashamed. That’s why “Christ
Jesus came into the world” – “to save sinners”
like you and me. As Jesus Himself said, “God did not send
His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him
might be saved” (John 3:17). Saul the Pharisee became Paul the Apostle
because even though he was “foremost” among “sinners,” he was willing to be changed when he was
confronted by the Lord, as it is shown in Acts Chapter 9. The words in this
letter to Timothy confront us all. We are all “foremost”
as “sinners” because “ALL
have sinned and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). Will you
trust in the Lord?
Lord, it's true. You see right in us and
through us. We have sinned and come short of the glory of God.
Forgive us, save us and heal us from the sin that fills our lives. We
trust in You now. Thank You, Lord. In Jesus Name. Amen.
Bible Study - 1 Timothy
1:16-20
Verse 16. “Yet for this reason I found
mercy, so that in me as the foremost, Jesus Christ might demonstrate His perfect
patience as an example for those who would believe in Him for eternal life.”
Everything in life happens for a good purpose because God
makes it so. Paul would
later write, “we know that all things work together for
good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose”
(Romans 8:28). Continuing the commentary on Verse 15, people have said, “I can’t believe in a God who would
forgive…” and then they recite some terrible wrong that in their own eyes could
never be forgiven or forgotten. But we are all sinners and we should actually praise God, for He is full of
"mercy."
Paul, also known as Saul, initially did great harm to the Early Church, but the
Lord forgave him. Scripture says, “I desire mercy and not sacrifice” (Hosea 6:6), words
quoted by Jesus, who also said, “I did not come to call
the righteous, but sinners to repentance” (Matthew 9:13).
The great truth about the “righteous”
is that “there is none righteous, no not one”
(Romans 3:10) and there is great purpose in bringing someone like Saul also
known as Paul to the Lord. “For God so loved the WORLD…”
(Jesus said in John 3:16), and that word “world”
includes everyone who has ever lived. There is nothing you have ever done that
is greater than the “mercy,” the "perfect patience" of God. He loves us all
and “is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any
should perish, but that ALL should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9). In
“His perfect patience,” He waits for each one, “as an example” of the changed lives of those who “believe in Him for eternal life.” He is waiting for just
the right time, for each one of us who will trust in Him.
Verse 17. “Now to the King eternal,
immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.”
A form of the word “eternal”
in this verse was also used as “everlasting” in
many translations of places like John 3:16, and in that verse the Lord said about those who
have “everlasting” or “eternal”
life, “they shall never perish.” The “King” we worship, always was, is, and always
will be, as the Lord intimated to Moses when He said to him from the bush that
burned but was not consumed, “I am who I am”
(Exodus 3:14 & context). “Immortal” here is from the
Greek word, “thanatos,” which meant “death,” but here it is “athanasia,” the
opposite of death, and it literally meant “deathlessness.” Our "King" is "immortal" and He shares "eternal"
life with us.
“Invisible” is actually
“unseen” – He is there, but we do not see Him, which is troubling for some, but note the
words of Jesus: “Blessed are those who have not seen and
yet have believed” (John 20:29). And our “King”
is “the only God.” The “Schema” of Israel, recited on the Sabbath, is
Deuteronomy 6:4 –“The Lord our God, the Lord is one.”
“God” is the Hebrew “Elohim,” which is plural,
actually “Gods.” “One” is “Echad,” which translates
as “One that is a Plurality with parts,” as one egg has a yolk, white and shell.
Our God is “the only God,” who is the Father, Son
and Holy Spirit. Considering that He is wonderful, we reasonably give Him “honor
and glory forever and ever,” just as Paul did.
Verse 18. “This command I entrust to
you, Timothy, my son, in accordance with the prophecies previously made
concerning you, that by them you fight the good fight,”
The King James Bible is the better translation for this
verse, because it accurately translates the word “fight”
as “warfare.” Yes, our walk with the Lord is like a
“fight” in which the enemy attacks and we defend,
though sometimes we are led to attack and it’s the enemy who defends. This is
more like “warfare,” however, because in every
major conflict there are soldiers who carry out orders, but there is also a
General who tells the soldiers what to do. We are those soldiers and our King,
our General, is directing us through “faith and a good
conscience,” as prompted by the Holy Spirit, and through the written Word
of God, which is like a book of maps that keep us from “shipwreck,”
as we will see in Verse 19.
Timothy was a young pastor, “gifted” by God, and called
into His service. There were “prophecies previously made
concerning” him, which are not specified in this place. Mention of this
is also made in 1 Timothy 4:14 and 2 Timothy 1:6, where the younger man was
encouraged to "use the gift God had given him through the laying on of (Paul’s)
hands.” Note that we are all to receive “gifts” from God to be used in His
service. It’s much like a soldier in the field. First they are trained to become
soldiers and then they receive specialized training. Some of them are given
rifles, some receive radio equipment and others medical kits. It is the same
with those who have faith in the Lord. We are gifted as God chooses, and then
we are to “fight the good fight” as He directs.
Verse 19. “keeping faith and a good
conscience, which some have rejected and suffered shipwreck in regard to their
faith.”
“Faith” in the Lord
includes the idea that we will look to Him for leadership and understanding. We
don’t know what is best, but He does know, and also we can’t do what needs
to be done, but He can do it in and through us. He will show us what to pray, what to say,
and what should be done next. How we should live will be revealed to us through
our “conscience,” by which we understand the will
of God. Through "faith" we are made alive to a realization of what is morally
good or bad, and we will be drawn to the good through the Holy Spirit of God who
is in those who have faith in God through Jesus Christ.
As Paul states in this verse, “some
have rejected” faith in the Lord and a God-given conscience, made active
for those in humanity, whether saved or not. This happens through the Holy Spirit, who
leads us away from sin and toward the healing touch of God. But some, many
actually, “have rejected and suffered shipwreck in regard
to their faith.” It’s like we are sailing ships at sea. We should be
looking at navigation guides like the compass and maps to show us the way, but
instead we go in a direction of our own choosing, which leads us to crash on the
rocks of life. Paul will go on in the next verse to name two men of his own time
who were leading others to “shipwreck.”
Verse 20. “Among these are Hymenaeus and
Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan, so that they will be taught not to
blaspheme.”
Are we to “love one another”
as Jesus commanded in John 13:34? Oh yes, definitely we are to love one another
with sincere hearts. Jesus continued, “By this all will
know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John
13:35). But do we blindly accept others who claim to be “Christians,” but teach
a message that is contrary to the love of God which is in Christ Jesus? The
answer in these words written first to Timothy and now to us, is: No.” This
verse is a continuation of Verse 7, referring to those who are “wanting to be teachers of the Law, even though they do not
understand either what they are saying or the matters about which they make
confident assertions.”
In other words, these men, “Hymenaeus
and Alexander,” were going to places like Ephesus, Corinth, Rome,
Antioch, and Thessalonica, presenting themselves as “teachers
of the Law,” but leading converts to Christ astray. In order to “love one another” effectively, we must to some extent look for
wolves among the sheep and be willing to intervene, to warn the sheep that they
are in danger. And Paul does exactly that. He provided the names of two men, “Hymenaeus and Alexander,” men he prayerfully had “handed over to Satan, so that they (would)
be taught not to blaspheme.” He did not consign
them to the fires of hell or anything like that. He prayed that God would
intervene with whatever it took to bring these two men to the truth, so that
others might be protected, and so that they might be saved from their own
error-filled teachings.
Father, enable us to love, but also open our eyes to the
truth. Fill us with the Holy Spirit and with the good words that come from
God. Give us faith in the Lord and a good conscience. In Jesus Name.
Amen.
