This is adapted from a session I taught at a conference in South Asia recently to a group of pastors and Bible college students.
We are wrapping up the letter today with a final word to the pastor, to the church leader, to the potential church-planter, to the person in ministry, to the believer, to Timothy.
I am not Timothy, you are not Timothy, our churches are not where this church was, but we can learn from what Paul wrote to Timothy. So this says what it says and means what it means, there is one interpretation, yet many applications.
Why do I need to be like this?
Why do I need to live like this?
Why do I need to live humbly as the leader, as a believer?
Let all who are under a yoke as bondservants regard their own masters as worthy of all honor, so that the name of God and the teaching may not be reviled. 2 Those who have believing masters must not be disrespectful on the ground that they are brothers; rather they must serve all the better since those who benefit by their good service are believers and beloved.
Teach and urge these things.
The church is the place where we leave our worldly status at the door, who the world says we are at the door. Why? So that the name of God and the teaching may not be reviled.
In Bahrain, we have lots of military people -senior generals and enlisted men who fellowship and worship together.
As the leader, as the church planter, as the believer, you need to model this.
Who did Jesus talk and interact with? Everyone.
Leaders. Slaves. Priests. Sinners.
The church itself was a place where slavery was destroyed. It was not uncommon for a master and a slave to go to church together. This teaching was especially important in the ancient world, where slaves might be treated very differently from master to master, and where there was sometimes intense racism and hatred between slaves and masters.
This cannot be present in the church, in our churches.
These verses, and these first few chapters, this is the kind of life we are to live, to model. Then, in vv.3-10, things NOT to do…
3 If anyone teaches a different doctrine and does not agree with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the teaching that accords with godliness, 4 he is puffed up with conceit and understands nothing. He has an unhealthy craving for controversy and for quarrels about words, which produce envy, dissension, slander, evil suspicions, 5 and constant friction among people who are depraved in mind and deprived of the truth, imagining that godliness is a means of gain. 6 But godliness with contentment is great gain, 7 for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. 8 But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content. 9 But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.
Do you know the worst thing? Notice with me the end of v.5…
…imagining that godliness is a means of gain.
While not ignoring the blessings of following Jesus Christ, we must proclaim the need to follow Jesus because He is God, and we owe Him everything as our Creator. What is right before God, and what glorifies Him, is more important than whatever benefit we may gain (Enduring Word).
We need to be Christians who are more concerned with what glorifies God than with what benefits me.
The main point for the minister seems to be in vv.11-16.
The life you live is just as important as the doctrine you teach.
11 But as for you, O man of God, flee these things. Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness. 12 Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.
13 I charge you in the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who in his testimony before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, 14 to keep the commandment unstained and free from reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15 which he will display at the proper time—he who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords, 16 who alone has immortality, who dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see. To him be honor and eternal dominion. Amen.
Timothy, as a man of God, was to do the opposite—to flee from all this, flee these things…
The same is true for you as a man of God, a woman of God, but as for you, O man of God, flee these things. Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness. 12 Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.
Is that you?
Maybe the characteristics sound familiar…
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. 24 And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires
Galatians 5
Back to Timothy…
12 Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.
Charles Spurgeon said that it is the same as God feeding the birds;
He provides the seeds,
But does not throw them into the nest.
It is the same with us;
The faithfulness of Jesus is there,
The doctrine, the teaching of and about Jesus is there,
The life of Jesus is there,
Fight for it.
Take hold of it.
Will you fight for it?
Will you teach it?
Will you live it?
Have you taken hold of it with two hands?
Paul then gives Timothy a charge, an instruction.
13 I charge you in the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who in his testimony before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, 14 to keep the commandment unstained and free from reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15 which he will display at the proper time—he who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords, 16 who alone has immortality, who dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see. To him be honor and eternal dominion. Amen.
So, in the presence of God, and of Christ Jesus,
Live this life.
Keep it unstained.
Be consistent.
The life you live is just as important as the words you use to teach.
Being questioned by Pilate in Matthew 27, Jesus said only a few words, but His life spoke so many words.
If you say lots of things about Jesus, but do not live like He is real to you, you are doing more bad than good.
That is not unstained.
That is not above reproach, as we read of in chapter 3.
So Paul wrote about slaves and masters, about the poor, and now about the rich…
17 As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. 18 They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, 19 thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life.
20 O Timothy, guard the deposit entrusted to you. Avoid the irreverent babble and contradictions of what is falsely called “knowledge,” 21 for by professing it some have swerved from the faith.
Grace be with you.
I once read that being a believer and being blessed with financial prosperity is only for the purpose of being generous and ready to share. It’s not for you. God gives it to you, but as Christ did not count equality with God something to be grasped, but added humanity to His Deity and came to live among us for our benefit, material riches are given to us for others.
As Paul wrote, 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 will be content.
We are taking hold of the eternal life on offer to us through our faith in the faithfulness of Jesus
Even if we feel we are not good enough, He is, and through faith in Him, we are counted righteous in the eyes of God.
Why do I need to be like this? Why do I need to live like this? Why do I need to model this teaching and teach this teaching?
Because, to your people, your church, your family, you are the hands and feet of Jesus.
Why do I need to live like this?
…to show Jesus to your people.
…to introduce your people to Jesus…
…with everything that you say…
…and everything that you do…
The life you live is just as important as the doctrine you teach.
One last thing…
Maybe you feel like you can’t do this, I can’t do this, I am not strong enough…Remember Zechariah 4.6,
…not by might, not by power, but by my Spirit…
Think about this – Jonah – do you know story?
