14. First And Second Timothy, Titus

   

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14. FIRST AND SECOND TIMOTHY, TITUS

I. OUTLINE

1 TIMOTHY

1. Salutation. 1:1,2.

2. The Charged. 1:3-7.

3. Christians and Law. 1:8-11.

4. Paul, the Preacher. 1:12-17.

5. Timothy. 1:18-20.

6. Christian Faith. 2:1-7.

7. Rules of Worship. 2:8-15.

8. Bishops. 3:1-7.

9. Deacons. 3:8-13.

10. Christian Mystery. 3:14-16.

11. False Teachers. 4:1-5.

12. Minister as Example. 4:6-16.

13. Conduct of Minister. 5:1,2.

14. Widows. 5:3-16.

15. Elders. 5:17-25.

16. Slaves. 6:1,2.

17. Doctrine and Contentment. 6:2-10.

18. Obedient Christian. 6:11-16.

19. True Riches. 6:17-19.

20. Conclusion. 6:20,21.

2 TIMOTHY

21. Salutation. 1:1,2.

22. Timothy the Minister. 1:3-14.

23. Personal Appeal. 1:15-18.

24. The Christian Soldier. 2:1-13.

25. Keeping the Faith. 2:14-19.

26. Good Doctrine. 2:20-26.

27. Warning against Heresy. 3:1-9.

28. Paul's Devotion. 3:10-13.

29. The Scriptures. 3:14-17.

30. The Ministry. 4:1-5.

31. Paul as Minister. 4:6-18.

32. Conclusion. 4:19-22.

TITUS

33. Salutation. 1:1-4.

34. Elders and Bishops. 1:5-8.

35. Sound Doctrine. 1:9-16.

36. Duties of Ministers. 2:1-10.

37. Working and Waiting. 2:11-15.

38. Christian Conduct. 3:1-7.

39. Faith and Works. 3:8-11.

40. Conclusion. 3:12-15.

II. TIMOTHY AHD TITUS

1. Timothy, son of a Greek father and Jewish mother, was probably converted under Paul at Lystra.

2. Timothy carried out many missions to the churches for Paul. He joined Paul at Rome, then went to Ephesus.

3. We know but little of the gentile Titus. Later he became Bishop of Crete.

4. Timothy was Paul's "beloved child." 2 Tim. 1:2.

III. BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

1. These letters present a picture of a highly complex ecclesiastical church organization.

2. They are concerned with the work of church officials and all orders of church administrators.

3. Apostles and prophets have been succeeded by bishops and archbishops.

4. Worship must be regulated. Heresy must be resisted. Discipline must be maintained.

5. Worship must be supervised-ministers regulated and supported.

6. These letters deal with "proud, arrogant, and abusive men," "deceitful spirits and doctrine of demons," "imposters and deceivers."

7. Theology is recognized-"workmen...rightly dividing the word of truth."

8. The purpose of preaching is practical-not speculative.

9. Ministers are to be "good soldiers of Jesus Christ." Says Paul; "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith." 4:7.

10. Activities of women in the church are greatly restricted.

11. Eighteen characteristics of the false teacher. 2 Tim. 3:2-5.

12. The epistles denounce the "craving for controversy and for disputes about words," "Godless chatter."

13. The church is contending with two types of heresy:

A. Jewish doctrines.

B. Hellenic heresy.

14. These epistles are combating:

A. Jewish teaching-"the circumcision party."

B. Magic-Eastern charms and hypnotism.

C. Asceticism-Essene errors.

D. Hellenism and Gnostic teachings.

E. Harcion and his heresy.

F. Docetism-rejection of the second advent.

IV. LANGUAGE AND STYLE

1. These epistles use hundreds of words not found in Paul's other letters; 175 not found in all of the New Testament.

2. The word "doctrine" occurs 15 times in these pastorals-6 times in all the rest of the New Testament.

3. The vocabulary of these epistles is more like that of the early Christian writers than Paul.

4. There are some passages in these letters that are undoubtedly Pauline- but on the whole the language is foreign to Paul.

5. There is much non-Pauline theology and church organization in these epistles.

6. Paul was a "mystic"-the author of the pastorals is an "ecclesiastic."

7. These pastorals are decidedly more. Jewish than Paul's writings.

8. Attitude towards marriage, wine, and society is largely Jewish.

9. Paul's free "spirit" leadership has become a ritual of "laying on of hands."

10. Paul's "faith" in these pastorals becomes the "creed."

11. These are the only books of the New Testament addressed to individuals- ministers.

12. These letters sound like those of Ignatius and Polycarp written from A.D. 110 to 117.

V. PLACE AND DATE

1. These letters have been dated all the way from A.D. 61 to 180, but were probably written between 110 and 140.

2. The unknown author of these epistles has Paul write from prison, and does his best to make it appear that Paul really wrote these letters to Timothy and Titus.

3. It seems likely that these three epistles were based on fragments of messages to Timothy and Titus, but fifty years later were rewritten by an admirer and follower of Paul.

VI. SELECTED TEXTS

1 TIMOTHY

1. Sound doctrine. "That you may charge certain persons not to teach any different doctrine, nor to occupy themselves with myths and endless genealogies which promote speculations rather than the divine training that is in faith." 1:3,4.

2. To save sinners. "The saying is sure...that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners." 1:15.

3. Universal salvation. "Who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth." 2:4.

4. Christ as mediator. "There is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all." 2:5,6.

5. Restrictions on women. "I permit no woman to teach or to have authority over men; she is to keep silent." 2:12.

6. Family discipline. "For if a man does not know how to manage his own household, how can he care for God's church." 3:5.

7. Qualification for deacons. "Deacons likewise must be serious, not double-tongued, not addicted to much wine, not greedy for gain; they mist hold the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience." 3:8,9.

8. The falling away. "In the latter times some will depart from the faith by giving heed to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons." 4:1.

9. Plea for maturity. "Have nothing to do with godless and silly myths. Train yourselves in godliness." 4:7.

10. Youthful rights. "Let no one despise your youth, but set the believers an example in speech and conduct, in love, in faith, in purity." 4:12.

11. Attend to your gift. "Do not neglect the gift you have." 4:14.

12. Family obligations. "If any one does not provide for his relatives, and especially for his own family, he has disowned the faith and is worse than an unbeliever." 5:8.

13. Female deportment. "They learn to be idlers, gadding about from house to house, and not only idlers but gossips and busybodies, saying what they should not." 5:13.

14. Advice to young widows. "So I would have younger widows marry, bear children, rule their households, and give the enemy no occasion to revile us." 5:14.

15. About wine. "No longer drink only water, but use a little wine for the sake of your stomach and your frequent ailments." 5:23.

16. Religious contentment. "There is great gain In godliness with contentment; for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world; but if we have food and clothing, with these we shall be content." 6:6-8.

17. Love of money. "For the love of money is the root of all evils." 6:10.

2 TIMOTHY

18. Spiritual endowment. "God did not give us a spirit of timidity but a spirit of power and love and self-control," 1:7.

19. Life and immortality. "And now has manifested through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel." 1:10.

20. Dedication. "No soldier on service gets entangled in civilian pursuits, since his aim is to satisfy the one who enlisted him." 2:4.

21. Skilled workmen. "Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth." 2:15.

22. High aims. "Shun youthful passions and aim at righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call upon the Lord from a pure heart. Have nothing to do with stupid, senseless controversies; you know that they breed quarrels," 2:22, 23.

23. The last days. "In the last days there will come times of stress. For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, inhuman, implacable, slanderers, profligates, fierce, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, holding the form of religion but denying the power of it. Avoid such people," 3:1-5.

24. Persecution. "All who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted." 3:12.

25. Inspiration of scripture. "All scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work." 3:16, 17.

26. False teachers. "For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate fbr themselves teachers to suit their own likings, md will turn away from listening to the truth and wander into myths." 4:3,4.

27. The final reward. "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith." 4:7.

TITUS

28. Qualifications for elders. "Men who are blameless, married only once, whose children are believers and not open to the charge of being profligate or insubordinate." 1:6.

29. Spiritual purity. "To the pure all things are pure, but to the corrupt and unbelieving nothing is pure; their very minds and consciences are corrupted." 1:15.

30. The Christian life. "Bid the older men be temperate, serious, sensible, sound in faith, in love, and in steadfastness. Bid the older women likewise to be reverent in behavior, not to be slanderers or slaves to drink; they are to teach what is good, and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, to be sensible, chaste, domestic, kind, and submissive to their husbands, that the word of God may not be discredited." 2:2-5.

31. The civil life. "To speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward all men." 3:2.

32. The reward. "So that we might be justified by his grace and become heirs in hope of eternal life." 3:7.