1 Timothy 1:1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the commandment of God our Saviour, and Lord Jesus Christ, which is our hope; 2 Unto Timothy, my own son in the faith: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord. 3 As I besought thee to abide still at Ephesus, when I went into Macedonia, that thou mightest charge some that they teach no other doctrine, 4 Neither give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which minister questions, rather than godly edifying which is in faith: so do. 5 Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned: 6 From which some having swerved have turned aside unto vain jangling; 7 Desiring to be teachers of the law; understanding neither what they say, nor whereof they affirm. 8 But we know that the law is good, if a man use it lawfully; 9 Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, 10 For whoremongers, for them that defile themselves with mankind, for menstealers, for liars, for perjured persons, and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine; 11 According to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, which was committed to my trust.

I feel that I need to set a foundation for the studies to come in this book.

1. Primarily written to pastors

There are two other books in the N.T. like that- those being 2 Timothy and Titus. Pastors need instruction from those who are wise in the Lord.

2. It deals with the conditions that should prevail in a church.

So many churches are not anywhere near what they ought to be.

Being right must start with the leadership of the church.

3. It was written by Paul to the pastor of the church of Ephesus, whose name was Timothy. Timothys’ name means -"Honoring God.

4. It was written about 62-63 A.D. It must have been between his first and second imprisonments. We will not go into all the details of the whys concerning the pinpointing of the date.

5. In about 64 A.D. Nero burned Rome. The Christians were blamed for the ordeal and then Christianity was banned as a legal religion and to try to evangelize others brought about the penalty of death.

6. Paul was arrested around the month of July in 64 A.D. and condemned to death.

7. In Paul’s second imprisonment he wrote 2 Timothy.

8. Facts about Timothy you should know:

****Name mentioned 24 times in the Bible.

****He was from Lystra and was saved on Paul’s 1st missionary journey.

****His mother was Eunice and grandmother was Lois. They were godly Jewish women, but his father was a pagan Greek.

****Was ordained by Paul and the presbytery (Acts 16:3).

****Went with Paul on his third missionary trip (Acts 19,20)

****Becomes Paul’s close companion while he was in prison.

****Timothy was also imprisoned later (Heb.13:23).

****He ministered in at least five N.T. churches:

Thessalonica, Corinth, Phillippi, Berea and Ephesus.

****Some think he was not a healthy individual, but one thing

for sure is—he was a man of God.

The Book of Timothy has much to say about the Savior, about Paul’s relationship to the church before and after his conversion, about church officers, and also about individuals in the church such as—rich members, elders, widows, and servants.

A. Of Hope (v.1)
A hope is not wishful thinking. It has a sense of surety not a sense of mere supposition.

Hope is not just something Jesus gives, He is called "our hope."

It is because of Him that we can look forward into the unknown future with a confident expectation that He will make everything turn out just right.

Hope is always seen looking for the second coming of Christ.

To be a N.T. apostle in the strictest sense, one must have seen the Lord Jesus Christ. We know the twelve did, but what about the Apostle Paul? You will not find him in the upper room, but Jesus did appear to him on the Damascus Road. Paul was blinded for a period of several days due to the brightness of the glory that he saw. Paul does qualify in the strictest sense to be an apostle.

Even the church has marching orders from heaven and are sent out by God, but it would not be proper terminology to call us the apostles of Christ in the strictness sense, for we serve Jesus by faith. We have not seen him as did the twelve and Paul.

He calls Timothy his "son in the faith." As I have already said, it is suggested in several passages of Scripture that Timothy came to the Lord under Paul’s ministry (Acts 14:19,20; Acts 16:1,2).

Paul may have seen Timothy saved during or right after one of the times he fearlessly proclaimed the Word of God. Paul may have been able to kneel down on the ground with young Timothy and saw him come to God. Why else would he called him his "son in the faith?"

Timothy was not only Paul’s "son in the faith"—I believe Paul was his mentor, so he could also be called Timothy’s father in the ministry. This epistle before us is a "fatherly" note to a young preacher.

I hope someday to have many to adopt as  "sons in the ministry."

B. With Spiritual Benefits (v.2)

Three dominant ideas are found in grace.

***Beauty, winsomeness, sweetness—it has reference to a lovely and winsome thing. The English word that might best express that aspect is "charm."

***Has the idea of generosity— It is something that is unearned and undeserved. It is the opposite of what a "debt" is. I am "out of debt" as far as my sins goes.

***It has the idea of universality—It is for both the Jew and the Gentile. All need and can receive the grace of God.

Someone has expressed "grace" as that which can be seen in the smile of a Heavenly King looking down upon His people in favor.

As it is expressed in the O.T., it can bee seen as "kindness."

The New Testament expression of that word is "loving-kindness."

Mercy is God’s active intervention to help us. It is the coming down of Divine Majesty to help the helpless.

It is only by the mercy of God that we have a hope that lives or a "lively hope."

(3). Peace-

That word was a Jewish form of greeting–"Shalom."

Peace is not the absence of trouble but a sense of well being in the midst of and in spite of our troubles.

Paul encouraged Timothy not to leave Ephesus (v.3). A man must be where God wants him to be–whether the waters are calm or whether they are stormed. I had rather be in a storm in the will of God, than to have calm outside of the perfect will of God for my life.

I appreciate those time my own pastor encouraged me to stay in that first pastorate. I resigned almost every Sunday at that church in the last couple of years I was there. Never in my most far-reaching imagination, did I know that people could act like they do under the church roof. There are those who have rather fight than they had worship.

No church ever becomes strong who has "kangaroo" preachers in the pulpit. I mean the kind of preacher that is always "leaping around" trying to jump in another pasture.

B. To Stand-

"Charge some that they teach no other doctrine" (v.3). There were some who were teaching false doctrine in the church.

One thing they misunderstood was the law. Some wanted to use the observance and co-operation with the Law as a means of obtaining righteousness and keeping it. WE ARE NOT SAVED BY LAW KEEPING, BUT BY OUR FAITH IN CHRIST JESUS OUR LORD AND SAVIOR (Acts 16:31).

Stand against anything that seeks to water down and tries to add to the grace of God. I am saved by grace, kept by grace, and will be on the sunny banks of sweet deliverance one day by grace.

I guess you wonder what the pre-requisite for edification is?

Note the order–God’s order is never out of order.

Folks today want exhortation with the absence of reproof and rebuke.

Note:
What kind of child would you be today if you did not have parents who rebuked you when you were wrong?

What kind of church would this be if there had not been rebuke from this pulpit in years gone by? I can answer that question—"Nothing."

What are they rebuked and reproved about?

1. Rebuked Concerning Fables

Fables are idle tales. I am told that the ancient world loved to imagine and speak "big tales" as to how cities began and how families began. Some told tales of gods coming down and starting a city or some god marrying a mortal woman and starting a new race.

We are not positively sure what these fables were but we do know they were empty of any spiritual value and only led to speculations, questions and arguments.

Human speculations take you down blind tunnels that will only hinder one from seeing God’s truth.

From the word "fable" we get out word "myth" and thus the practice of "mythology."

It is the carrying of rumors, bearing stories that are not true. If the talebearers would shut-up and the saints would pray-up, we could see revival in the church.

There is nothing wrong with tracing your genealogical records and find out who your ancestors were. God is not condemning that kind of thing. It is interesting to find our who your great-great grandparents were, where they lived and what they did to make a living.

I believe this could refer to the idea that the church is merely a continuation of Judaism. The church is a entirely separate entity from that of Judaism. God deals with men in the "dispensations."

Those are various periods of time where God deals with mankind in a particular way during that time period.

It also could refer to the Gnosticism that was creeping into the church. It taught there were emanations that came from a divine center. The original one created another being under him, and he another, and that one another—on and on the list could go. They sought to fit Jesus in as a "created being", not realizing that He is the Creator.

False teachings do not build you up in the faith.

I am not building on fables or genealogical records, I am building my life and this church on something sure, the complete and unerring book of the Eternal God given to His people.

Note:

So many things do not matter. I heard two brethren once arguing over how many angels could sit on the head of a pin. What does in matter how many can? There are better ways to expend your brain and mental energies.

THESE THINGS MENTIONED DO NOT TEND TO EDIFY AND BUILD UP GOD’S PEOPLE.

What is vain jangling?

If you are not careful someone will jangle you and then tangle you in their little religious flattery and piousness.

Watch out for those with their "flowery" words. The Bible calls those kinds of people "flatterers."

Some folks will butter you up, pat you on the back, and act like they are your best friend, and their real intention is to gain your favor that they might try to use you one day in the future to go their way.

Nothing is wrong with a genuine compliment, but there is a difference between that and flattery. Ask God to give you wisdom to discern between the two.

IV. A Rebuke of Ignorance

That is what verse seven describes. People who think they are smart who in all reality are in ignorance.

There is nothing evil about the law. It is good if a person follows what it says.

It is not made for the man who is righteous and lives right.

Many today are like a horse that has never been broken. They want no one to impose restraints upon them in the church, in the home, or at the school.

Lawlessness is a sign of the last days. We are there.

Law reveals our sin.

It is so ignorant for one to remain in sin.

1. Destructing power

2. Deceiving power

3. Damning power (calluses the heart and hinders belief)

Destitute of reverence toward God and His church.

Where is folks favorite place to throw out beer cans? The church yard.

"Profane" has the idea of "a thresh-hold or being trodding under foot." Speaks of one who makes himself susceptible to evil influences.

D. Murders

Violation of the seventh commandment.

Slave traders---Kidnappers

Let’s make sure we take the proper rebuke and reproof that we might be edified and built up in the Lord.