5th Week January 2012 Adult Sunday School Lesson

We are now going to cover 1st and 2nd Timothy in the Adult Sunday School Class. Paul gives what is probably the best and most comprehensive advice to the Church about how pastors, deacons, and even families should conduct themselves. Timothy appears to be a young man full of the Holy Ghost given great authority over the flocks in his field.

We also have what is almost Paul's last will and testament in 2nd Timothy. I hope we all enjoy reading and covering the many wonderful things found in these two letters.

1 Timothy chapter 1

Paul says that he is an apostle by commandment of Jesus Christ. Just as there is no salvation with first a calling or knocking of the heart, there is also no preaching without a calling or 'commandment' from Jesus Christ. We cannot wake up one day and decide we are going to preach for God. There was first be an invitation from Jesus Christ. The apostle never misses a chance to state that it is only through Christ we have a hope eternal of everlasting life in Heaven.
From the very beginning we understand the great and deep love Paul has for Timothy, calling him his 'son' in the faith. We later understand because of the seriousness of the 2nd letter to Timothy, that Paul not only enjoyed the company of Timothy, and respected his labor for the Lord, but he was also a teacher and mentor to him as well as a friend in Christ.

The young church at Ephesus needed to be started and led in the right direction. Where are any of us without a strong foundation? Fables, stories, genealogies, all of these things seemed to bewitch some at the church of Ephesus so the instruction is clear for Timothy to avoid these things and to have others avoid them as well. To talk about such things causes new problems, and doesn't provide any answers but endless discussion with no purpose.

'Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned' Here is the instruction for a church built on a solid foundation. Not 'vain jangling'.
As he continues, we see that Paul says something that is commonly heard today, that is that laws for those that won't govern themselves. Laws are not made for the person, or family that does the morally right actions everyday. Laws are to judge those that are wicked and sin. So if some in the church at Ephesus want to be scholars of the law, they must them be judged by the law and not by the Gospel of Christ.

Notice that Paul gives the glory to God for making him an apostle to the Gentiles even though he worked against God through his ignorance. Despite all of this God had mercy and made him 'chiefest' of the apostles.
He clearly states the purpose that Christ came to earth, the mercy that was involved, and the glory and power and only Light of Heaven that is Jesus.

As the chapter ends, Timothy is encouraged to do all that he can to 'war a good warfare' for the cause of Christ. Some in the world point to this to show the failure and violence of religion, but we know that is a spiritual war we fight.
Ephesians 6:12
For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.