Qualifications for Leaders and Sound Doctrine

False Teachers

Paul began his letter to Timothy with a warning against false teachers. He reminded Timothy that he left him behind to keep people from teaching false doctrines concentrating on mythology or endless genealogies that caused confusion. The purpose was to teach love from a pure heart, a good conscience, and sincere faith. Some people wandered away from this into meaningless talk. They desired to teach the law but did not understand what they were teaching.

Paul explained that the law was good for those who used it correctly. The law was given to the lawless and sinners. It was for people that hit their parents, murderers, the sexually immoral, homosexuals, enslavers, liars, and perjurers.

Saving Sinners

Paul thanked Jesus for entrusting him with the gospel even though he was a blasphemer and had persecuted Christians. Paul had done these things before he had received mercy from Christ. Jesus had come to save sinners, and Paul was a sinner. Jesus made Paul an example of His patience and how those who believe in Him will be saved from their sins and live eternally. Paul encouraged Timothy to fight the good fight and keep his faith. Some people in the church had lost their faith and been given to Satan so they would learn not to blaspheme. (This meant that Paul had stayed away from these people so that God could handle them. They would be inflicted with something from Satan so that they would be prompted to seek God again and be redeemed.)

Prayer

Paul urged that all manner of prayers be made for everyone. These included supplication (a prayer asking for help), intercession (a prayer for other people), and thanksgiving (a prayer of praise). Paul recommended that believers pray for kings and others in positions of power so that the people could live in peace and in a godly, dignified way. He noted that this was good and pleasing to God. God desired that all people be saved and learn the truth. Jesus, who sacrificed Himself for everyone, was the only mediator between God and man. Paul stated that this was why he had been made a preacher, apostle, and teacher to the Gentiles. Paul wanted everyone to pray.

Women's Role in the Early Church

Paul indicated that women should wear respectable, proper clothing. Women should also learn quietly and be obedient, and they were not permitted to rule over men or teach in the church at that time and in that culture.

Overseers and Deacons

Paul discussed a position common in the early church: overseer. An overseer was to be above reproach, a husband of one wife, serious-minded, able to control himself, respected by others, friendly, able to teach, sober, peaceable, not argumentative, and not greedy. An overseer must be able to manage his household well and could not be a recent convert to Christianity.

Paul also mentioned the role of the deacon in the early church. A deacon was to be dignified, truthful, able to resist addictions, and not out for personal gain. He was to be a husband of one wife and must believe in the gospel. A deacon must be faithful in everything and should not speak to one person in one way and to another person in another way. He must be able to manage his home and children. His wife needed to reflect similar qualities.

Those Who Depart from the Faith

The Holy Spirit had cautioned that some people would depart from the faith at later times. They would devote themselves to lying spirits and demons. They would listen to liars that forbid marriage and the consumption of certain foods.

Christ's Servants

Paul instructed Timothy to tell the church what his letter covered. The church members were to have nothing to do with silly myths but were to seek godliness instead. Training the body was good, but training in godliness was good in every way in this life and in the life to come. Paul emphasized that believers work because they have hope in God. Paul told Timothy not to let anyone give him difficulties because of his young age. Timothy was to set an example in how he acted, talked, and showed love. He was not to neglect his gifts and was to keep at what he was doing because this would save him and those who listened to him.

The Church

Paul gave Timothy a list of directions for the church and conducting church business. He commented that Timothy should treat older men with respect and not forcefully correct them. Younger men should be treated like brothers. Older women should be treated like mothers, and younger women should be treated like sisters.

The church should take care of widows. Children and grandchildren should assume the caregiver role first. If a widow did not have anyone remaining to care for her, then the church should help her. Those that did not take care of their family members were worse than unbelievers. Widows needed to be at least sixty years old in order to be considered for care by the church. Younger women may wish to receive help, but they may also be considering remarriage, so they should not be cared for as widows. A widow being assisted should have a reputation for doing good works and helping others. Families should care for their own widows and thereby give the church a greater ability to care for those widows without family support.

Elders who ruled well should be honored greatly, especially teachers and preachers. If an elder was charged with doing wrong, this information could only be accepted based on the word of at least two witnesses. Sinners who kept sinning should be disciplined in front of the whole congregation.

Paul charged Timothy with keeping all of the things he had written to Timothy about. He warned Timothy not to take part in others' sins. (In what appears to be a side note, Paul let Timothy know that it was allowable for him to have a little wine to help with his stomach and other ailments.)

Servants should honor their masters to maintain the good name of Christianity. If a servant had a master who was a believer, then the servant should be respectful because the relationship was not one of just master and servant but rather brother and brother.

Paul commanded Timothy to ensure that these things were done in the church. Paul then entered into a cautionary tale about those that would teach false doctrine. These people were full of conceit and did not understand anything. The church was to be wary of those who would use it for financial gain. Some loved controversy and sought to use the church as a platform for causing problems. Believers were to remember that they could not take anything out of this world and should be happy to have food and clothing.

Timothy was to continue fighting the good fight of faith. He was to pursue what was right as well as godliness, faithfulness, love, steadfastness, and gentleness. He was to grab hold of eternal life. He was also to tell the rich not to be arrogant but to do good works in order to store up treasures in heaven.

Titus

Paul wrote to his friend Titus, who was a preacher in the area of Crete. In this letter, Paul addressed the issue of church elders. Paul had left Titus in Crete to help finish setting up the church there and appointing elders in each of the town churches. He gave Titus the same qualifications for this position and the overseer position that he had given Timothy.

Paul cautioned Titus about the circumcision party that demanded that Gentiles be circumcised in order to be Christians, which was a false doctrine. Paul had heard that the people of Crete were known for being liars and were lazy and all-around evil. Paul ordered Titus to discipline them firmly and not let them fall prey to Jewish myths and commands from false teachers.

Paul admonished Titus to teach sound doctrine. He gave examples of how believers should behave. They should be models of good works. If their speech and ministry were proper, then opponents could say nothing bad about them. They should be ready to do good works at any time that an opportunity arose.

Summary

Paul warned Timothy against false teachers in the church and encouraged that prayer of all kinds be made to God. Paul laid out the role of women in the early church and established standards for overseers and deacons in the church. Paul pointed out that training the body was good, but training the spirit was better. He also talked about how different age groups and genders should be treated in the church, and how believers were not to alienate people. Guidelines were established for how the church was to care for widows. Paul also wrote to Titus and gave him many of the same instructions he had given to Timothy. He told Titus to beware of the circumcision party. Paul closed his letter by telling Titus that believers must be ready to do good works any time an opportunity to do them came up.

Application and Reflection

Application

Paul taught Timothy about supporting widows. He laid out some guidelines for this mission. Guidelines are important for any work the church plans to take on.

Reflection

Paul wrote that training the body was good, but training in godliness would benefit a person in both this life and the one to come. How much time do you spend on physical training? How much time do you spend on training to do God's work?