Overview of the Book of 1 Timothy

The overview of the week for this Sunday is the book of 1 Timothy. Along with the books of 2

Timothy and Titus, these make up what are known as the pastoral epistles.

Paul is the author and he writes to his young protege in the faith sometime around 64

AD. And the theme of this letter is church order. The key verse being chapter 3 verse 15 where Paul says,

I write so that you may know how you ought to conduct yourself in the house of God, which is the church of the living

God, the pillar and ground of the truth. So as the

Christian church began to grow and develop, several questions arose along with new challenges.

So the apostles as leaders in the church had to give guidance to the local pastors, Timothy being one of them.

Paul tells Timothy in chapter 1 verse 3, make sure that they teach no other doctrine.

So you can't just teach and preach whatever you want. A pastor must teach the doctrine passed down by the

Apostles. Today we would simply put it this way, that a pastor must preach the Bible.

In chapter 2, Paul speaks about the church is to be led by male pastors, not female pastors.

Paul tells Timothy in verse 12, I do not permit a woman to teach nor to have authority over a man, but to be in silence.

Some today will claim that this was just cultural. However, Paul does not appeal to the culture, rather he appeals to God's creative order in that Adam was formed first and then

Eve. So the Apostles taught male headship, a doctrine that is under attack in our modern day.

In chapter 3, Paul gives the qualifications for the two offices in a local church, that of pastor and deacon or bishop and deacon, along with clear statements in chapter 3 about the deity of Jesus Christ that God was manifested in the flesh.

In chapter 4, Paul warns of the falling away that will happen in the latter days, and he gives

Timothy in this chapter a lot of good advice on how to deal with people. And he says, make sure that no one looks down upon you because you are young.

But then in chapter 5, Paul is careful to tell Timothy about the importance of honoring elders and widows.

And then in chapter 6, Paul warns Timothy to flee from temptations, especially the temptation of money, since money is a root of all kinds of evil.

So a Christian should learn to be content. I'll close with what Paul says in verses 13 through 15 of chapter 6, where he says,

I urge you in the sight of God who gives life to all things and before Christ Jesus who witnessed the good confession before Pontius Pilate, that you keep this commandment without spot, blameless, until our

Lord Jesus Christ appearing, which he will manifest in his own time, he who is the blessed and only potentate, the