LETTERS TO TIMOTHY & TITUS.....OVERVIEW
These letters were written by Paul, probably during an unspecified release from house arrest between the first and second hearing before Caesar (see 2 Timothy 4v16). The dates are assumed to be A.D.64-66 at a crucial time for Christianity, just prior to the beginnings of persecution by successive Roman emperors, which was to continue for over 200 years as we now know. Paul left Timothy at Ephesus while he went to Macedonia, and it seems from the letter to Titus, he took in Crete as well. Perhaps his time of freedom was short and he wanted to fit in as much as possible. Certainly by the time he wrote 2nd Timothy, he knew his fate (2 Timothy 4v6), and a life of accomplished service came to an end. However we have the legacy in the form of these writings, and we now consider the message for all of us today.
The overall context of these letters is that of departure from the faith. This, within just one generation of pristine conditions in the Church. It is clear from the language of the epistles that things are on the slide with the clear message they will only get worse. They have been named “the pastoral epistles”, when in actual fact they should be called “departure epistles” in which the apostle is applying the brake to the slide. There is also the indication that the problem is progressive even in the short term. Note the repetition of some in the first epistle: a sevenfold departure from the faith is revealed.
• Chapter 1v3 “...charge some that they teach no other doctrine.”
• Chapter 1v6 “...from which some having swerved have turned aside unto vain jangling.”
• Chapter 1v19 “..holding faith and a good conscience which some having put away concerning the faith have made shipwreck.”
• Chapter 4v1 “....in the latter times some shall depart from the faith....”
• Chapter 5v15 “...some have already turned aside after Satan.”
• Chapter 6v10 “For the love of money is the root of all evil, which, while some coveted after, have erred from the faith...”
• Chapter 6v20-21 “...science falsely so called, which some professing, have erred concerning the faith.”
Each of these can stand a deeper study, which we will do in the exposition. Again, writing to Titus he says in chapter 1v10 “For there are many unruly and vain talkers and deceivers, specially they of the circumcision, whose mouths must be stopped.....”, so the some has become many; and again in 2nd Timothy, the departure intensifies when he says in chapter 1v15 “This thou knowest that all they which are in Asia be turned away from me” and in chapter4v16 “At my first answer no man stood with me, but all forsook me....”. The pattern is clear....some/many/all...in the context of departure from the faith. Sensing the need for corrective teaching, Paul sends Timothy to deal with doctrinal issues in Ephesus, and Titus to sort out disorders in the churches in Crete. Paul seeks to counter these errors in a number of ways throughout the letters, and these are designed to establish our faith today.
He establishes the thought of “the truth” and “the faith”. The “truth” occurs 12 times as follows; 1st Timothy 2v4; 3v15; 4v3; 6v5. 2nd Timothy 2v15; 2v18; 2v25; 3v7; 3v8; 4v4. Titus 1v1; 1v14. The “faith” occurs 14 times as follows; 1st Timothy 1v2; 1v19; 3v9; 4v1; 5v8; 6v10; 6v21. 2nd Timothy 3v8; 4v8. Titus 1v1; 1v4; 1v13; 2v2; 3v15. The truth refers to the revealed body of teaching about God; the faith refers to the believers common acceptance of it. The one does not exist without the other, they compliment each other, what God reveals we believe. Deviations from that casts doubt on God’s word and is a hindrance to God’s work which is the salvation of men and women. Thus Paul establishes the unchangeable truth of God and the common faith of all believers as something to be held in trust.
He promotes the practice of “sound doctrine” and “good works”. These phrases occur throughout the letters and give us the basic principles of Christianity. Again these are complimentary to each other since sound doctrine should result in good works and good works are only good if they are in line with the doctrine. The word used for “good” or “sound” is a word which means wholesome or health giving. All other words are seen to be poisonous, cancerous (see 2nd Timothy 2v17), dangerous to the people of God. The idea of wholesome words is found as follows:1st Timothy 4v6; 1st Timothy 6v3; 2nd Timothy 1v13; 2nd Timothy 4v3; Titus 1v9; Titus 2v1; Titus 2v2; Titus 2v8. The phrase “good works” occurs in 1st Timothy 2v10; 1st Timothy 5v10; 1st Timothy 5v25; 1st Timothy 6v18; 2nd Timothy 2v21; 2nd Timothy 3v17; Titus 2v7; Titus 2v14; Titus 2v1; Titus 3v8 and Titus 3v14. Not only healthy words, but exemplary works, not one without the other, but both working in harmony. This principle is found throughout scripture. We are not to become bags of wind with no practical outcome and our good works are to reflect not our own ideas but the truth of God.
The gospel has, at it’s heart, the glory of God. There are many aspects of the gospel, in connection with the need of humanity, but the highest view of it is that it proclaims the glory of God, and this is the particular focus Paul has in these letters. In the context of doctrinal decay and practical ineffectiveness, Paul establishes that all such aberrations tarnish the glory of God, which the gospel is intended to uphold. He refers to it as “...the gospel of the glory of the blessed God....” (1st Timothy 1v11) We, mostly think of it in terms of our own need, says Paul, we should think of it in terms of the character of God. In the gospel we are saved, and God is glorified; in the gospel we are saved, and God is blessed. Thus we have presented the gospel from God’s standpoint and any deviation from what is the standard of His glory is therefore unacceptable. The gospel is the greatest, and highest expression of God. It is the ultimate display of His glory. In the gospel He is the blessed God, that is, He is content, He is fulfilled because all His attributes are revealed and He can now share His glory with mankind. The creation revealed the glory of His power, the gospel reveals the glory of His grace, which He has brought within the reach of every man. This priceless truth, says Paul, has been “committed to my trust”, and my whole devotion to God is in question, if, I, or anyone associated with it, diminish it in any way. Paul, not only wants to serve his own generation but pass it on to Timothy and others who are, in turn, to transmit it to following generations and so we see this idea of committal throughout the letters. Consider the statements expressing this glory in the epistles: because of the gospel “Now unto the King, eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God be honour and glory forever and ever Amen” 1st Timothy 1v17; “God was manifest in flesh, justified in Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the nations, believed on in the world, received up in glory.” 1st Timothy 3v16; “..which in His times shall shew who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings and Lord of lords...............to whom be honour and power everlasting. Amen.” 1st Timothy 6vv15-16; “who hath abolished death and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel 2nd Timothy 1v10; “...the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory..” 2ND Timothy 2v10; “...the Lord Jesus Christ who shall judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom...” 2nd Timothy 4v1; “..in hope of eternal life which God that cannot lie promised before the world began, but hath in due time manifested His word through preaching which is committed to me by the commandment of God our Saviour.” Titus 1v2; “For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men...” Titus 2v11; “...that being justified by His grace we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.” Titus 3v7. All of these statements serve to elevate the gospel far beyond human need and bring it into the hallowed realm of His glory.
The repetition of the key message, that of godliness Springing from the “glory” aspect of the gospel is the fact that we are saved not just to escape punishment but to develop and live godly lives. Godliness is the reproduction of God in a human life and in the gospel, which is the display of His glory, He is changing sinful humanity into His likeness. Paul develops this theme in the letters as his antidote to departure and the power for Christian living in a pagan culture. The references are as follows; 1st Timothy 2v2; 1st Timothy 2v10; 1st Timothy 3v16; 1st Timothy 4v7-8; 1st Timothy 6v3; 1st Timothy 6v5; 1st Timothy 6v11; 2nd Timothy 3v12; Titus 1v1; Titus 2v12. By the repeated use of this word Paul is impressing on his readers the need for personal godliness (Godlikeness). In Romans 8v29 Paul taught that the aim of predestination was “to be conformed to the image of His Son;” that is that the aim of the gospel was much more than saving us from sins and punishment, it was to make us like Himself. This is the great aim of the gospel, the destiny and lifestyle to which we are headed and it is the desire of God that we begin to develop it now. In 2nd Timothy 3v5 he refers to “a form of godliness but denying the power thereof.” This is what happens when professing believers depart from the Lord, leaving only an outward appearance of godliness without the reality. The development of true godliness is thus the main teaching of the epistles to Timothy & Titus, which godliness was perfectly demonstrated in Christ in what is described as “the mystery of godliness”, the full revelation of God in a human being, such a manifestation of God as had never been seen before.
These letters were written by Paul, probably during an unspecified release from house arrest between the first and second hearing before Caesar (see 2 Timothy 4v16). The dates are assumed to be A.D.64-66 at a crucial time for Christianity, just prior to the beginnings of persecution by successive Roman emperors, which was to continue for over 200 years as we now know. Paul left Timothy at Ephesus while he went to Macedonia, and it seems from the letter to Titus, he took in Crete as well. Perhaps his time of freedom was short and he wanted to fit in as much as possible. Certainly by the time he wrote 2nd Timothy, he knew his fate (2 Timothy 4v6), and a life of accomplished service came to an end. However we have the legacy in the form of these writings, and we now consider the message for all of us today.
The overall context of these letters is that of departure from the faith. This, within just one generation of pristine conditions in the Church. It is clear from the language of the epistles that things are on the slide with the clear message they will only get worse. They have been named “the pastoral epistles”, when in actual fact they should be called “departure epistles” in which the apostle is applying the brake to the slide. There is also the indication that the problem is progressive even in the short term. Note the repetition of some in the first epistle: a sevenfold departure from the faith is revealed.
• Chapter 1v3 “...charge some that they teach no other doctrine.”
• Chapter 1v6 “...from which some having swerved have turned aside unto vain jangling.”
• Chapter 1v19 “..holding faith and a good conscience which some having put away concerning the faith have made shipwreck.”
• Chapter 4v1 “....in the latter times some shall depart from the faith....”
• Chapter 5v15 “...some have already turned aside after Satan.”
• Chapter 6v10 “For the love of money is the root of all evil, which, while some coveted after, have erred from the faith...”
• Chapter 6v20-21 “...science falsely so called, which some professing, have erred concerning the faith.”
Each of these can stand a deeper study, which we will do in the exposition. Again, writing to Titus he says in chapter 1v10 “For there are many unruly and vain talkers and deceivers, specially they of the circumcision, whose mouths must be stopped.....”, so the some has become many; and again in 2nd Timothy, the departure intensifies when he says in chapter 1v15 “This thou knowest that all they which are in Asia be turned away from me” and in chapter4v16 “At my first answer no man stood with me, but all forsook me....”. The pattern is clear....some/many/all...in the context of departure from the faith. Sensing the need for corrective teaching, Paul sends Timothy to deal with doctrinal issues in Ephesus, and Titus to sort out disorders in the churches in Crete. Paul seeks to counter these errors in a number of ways throughout the letters, and these are designed to establish our faith today.
He establishes the thought of “the truth” and “the faith”. The “truth” occurs 12 times as follows; 1st Timothy 2v4; 3v15; 4v3; 6v5. 2nd Timothy 2v15; 2v18; 2v25; 3v7; 3v8; 4v4. Titus 1v1; 1v14. The “faith” occurs 14 times as follows; 1st Timothy 1v2; 1v19; 3v9; 4v1; 5v8; 6v10; 6v21. 2nd Timothy 3v8; 4v8. Titus 1v1; 1v4; 1v13; 2v2; 3v15. The truth refers to the revealed body of teaching about God; the faith refers to the believers common acceptance of it. The one does not exist without the other, they compliment each other, what God reveals we believe. Deviations from that casts doubt on God’s word and is a hindrance to God’s work which is the salvation of men and women. Thus Paul establishes the unchangeable truth of God and the common faith of all believers as something to be held in trust.
He promotes the practice of “sound doctrine” and “good works”. These phrases occur throughout the letters and give us the basic principles of Christianity. Again these are complimentary to each other since sound doctrine should result in good works and good works are only good if they are in line with the doctrine. The word used for “good” or “sound” is a word which means wholesome or health giving. All other words are seen to be poisonous, cancerous (see 2nd Timothy 2v17), dangerous to the people of God. The idea of wholesome words is found as follows:1st Timothy 4v6; 1st Timothy 6v3; 2nd Timothy 1v13; 2nd Timothy 4v3; Titus 1v9; Titus 2v1; Titus 2v2; Titus 2v8. The phrase “good works” occurs in 1st Timothy 2v10; 1st Timothy 5v10; 1st Timothy 5v25; 1st Timothy 6v18; 2nd Timothy 2v21; 2nd Timothy 3v17; Titus 2v7; Titus 2v14; Titus 2v1; Titus 3v8 and Titus 3v14. Not only healthy words, but exemplary works, not one without the other, but both working in harmony. This principle is found throughout scripture. We are not to become bags of wind with no practical outcome and our good works are to reflect not our own ideas but the truth of God.
The gospel has, at it’s heart, the glory of God. There are many aspects of the gospel, in connection with the need of humanity, but the highest view of it is that it proclaims the glory of God, and this is the particular focus Paul has in these letters. In the context of doctrinal decay and practical ineffectiveness, Paul establishes that all such aberrations tarnish the glory of God, which the gospel is intended to uphold. He refers to it as “...the gospel of the glory of the blessed God....” (1st Timothy 1v11) We, mostly think of it in terms of our own need, says Paul, we should think of it in terms of the character of God. In the gospel we are saved, and God is glorified; in the gospel we are saved, and God is blessed. Thus we have presented the gospel from God’s standpoint and any deviation from what is the standard of His glory is therefore unacceptable. The gospel is the greatest, and highest expression of God. It is the ultimate display of His glory. In the gospel He is the blessed God, that is, He is content, He is fulfilled because all His attributes are revealed and He can now share His glory with mankind. The creation revealed the glory of His power, the gospel reveals the glory of His grace, which He has brought within the reach of every man. This priceless truth, says Paul, has been “committed to my trust”, and my whole devotion to God is in question, if, I, or anyone associated with it, diminish it in any way. Paul, not only wants to serve his own generation but pass it on to Timothy and others who are, in turn, to transmit it to following generations and so we see this idea of committal throughout the letters. Consider the statements expressing this glory in the epistles: because of the gospel “Now unto the King, eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God be honour and glory forever and ever Amen” 1st Timothy 1v17; “God was manifest in flesh, justified in Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the nations, believed on in the world, received up in glory.” 1st Timothy 3v16; “..which in His times shall shew who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings and Lord of lords...............to whom be honour and power everlasting. Amen.” 1st Timothy 6vv15-16; “who hath abolished death and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel 2nd Timothy 1v10; “...the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory..” 2ND Timothy 2v10; “...the Lord Jesus Christ who shall judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom...” 2nd Timothy 4v1; “..in hope of eternal life which God that cannot lie promised before the world began, but hath in due time manifested His word through preaching which is committed to me by the commandment of God our Saviour.” Titus 1v2; “For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men...” Titus 2v11; “...that being justified by His grace we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.” Titus 3v7. All of these statements serve to elevate the gospel far beyond human need and bring it into the hallowed realm of His glory.
The repetition of the key message, that of godliness Springing from the “glory” aspect of the gospel is the fact that we are saved not just to escape punishment but to develop and live godly lives. Godliness is the reproduction of God in a human life and in the gospel, which is the display of His glory, He is changing sinful humanity into His likeness. Paul develops this theme in the letters as his antidote to departure and the power for Christian living in a pagan culture. The references are as follows; 1st Timothy 2v2; 1st Timothy 2v10; 1st Timothy 3v16; 1st Timothy 4v7-8; 1st Timothy 6v3; 1st Timothy 6v5; 1st Timothy 6v11; 2nd Timothy 3v12; Titus 1v1; Titus 2v12. By the repeated use of this word Paul is impressing on his readers the need for personal godliness (Godlikeness). In Romans 8v29 Paul taught that the aim of predestination was “to be conformed to the image of His Son;” that is that the aim of the gospel was much more than saving us from sins and punishment, it was to make us like Himself. This is the great aim of the gospel, the destiny and lifestyle to which we are headed and it is the desire of God that we begin to develop it now. In 2nd Timothy 3v5 he refers to “a form of godliness but denying the power thereof.” This is what happens when professing believers depart from the Lord, leaving only an outward appearance of godliness without the reality. The development of true godliness is thus the main teaching of the epistles to Timothy & Titus, which godliness was perfectly demonstrated in Christ in what is described as “the mystery of godliness”, the full revelation of God in a human being, such a manifestation of God as had never been seen before.
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