Introduction to 1 Timothy

Timothy was one of Paul’s most trusted disciples.  He was a young man who traveled with Paul extensively and faithfully completed the tasks assigned to him.  He was trustworthy so Paul entrusted him with many responsibilities during times where Paul was not able to do what needed to be done.  After Paul was imprisoned in Rome the first time, he went and visited several of the churches he had planted including Ephesus.  When Paul left Ephesus to go visit the churches in Macedonia he left Timothy there to set the church in order and deal with several problems that were going on there.  Paul writes this letter to Timothy in order to help him know what to do as he deals with a variety of issues in the church.  Paul’s letters help us to understand how churches should be run as well as the roles that we need to play in the church.

HOW TO ORGANIZE A CHURCH: The most important aspect of organizing a church is the truth.  As Paul tells Timothy how to go about organizing the church it is significant that he starts out by warning him about false doctrines and then reminds him of his own true doctrine.  Paul challenges Timothy to valiantly defend the doctrines of our faith in the face of false teachers.  Satan is constantly attacking the doctrine of the church.  He would like nothing more than to see the followers of Christ believing false doctrine.  When we organize a church it is vital that we start with a solid doctrinal statement that clearly defines and defends exactly what we believe.  False doctrine is the greatest threat to the church and the advance of the Gospel.  Satan does not really care what men believe as long as they don’t believe the truth.  There is only one truth while there are millions of lies.  Refuting false teaching and establishing true doctrine is vital to the organization of a church.  The second most important aspect of organizing a church is establishing godly and biblical leadership.  Churches rise and fall because of leadership.  This is a task that must be accompanied by prayer as we seek God’s guidance in the establishment of leaders. Paul makes it clear that women are important members of the church and should function as prayer warriors who modestly come before the Lord in prayer; but that they are not to exercise authority over the men in the church.  There is perfect doctrine but there are no perfect leaders.  The church is led by imperfect men who are supposed to come together and faithfully serve in a way that the make up for that which is lacking between them.  Paul gives clear and sobering qualifications that all church leaders must attain.  The qualifications of leaders range from the leader’s family life, character, gifts and abilities to his reputation within the community.  The church has a vital job to accomplish and desperately needs godly men who desire to live their lives for the purpose of accomplishing that mission.

HOW TO OPERATE A CHURCH: Paul also has some clear instructions for Timothy on how to go about operating a church.  If the number one threat is false teachers than the number one priority in operating a church must be to refute their teachings and faithfully proclaim and model the truth.  Paul describes what false teachers look like and how true teachers should be in contrast to these very destructive men.  The church has many responsibilities to fulfill as it deals with a variety of people with a variety of needs.  There is a difference between how we deal with false teachers and men who are simply struggling with sin.  All of us have a constant battle with sin and one of the most important tasks of the church is to help its members be effective in fighting that battle.  There are also many needy people who are in the church.  As believes we are called to help those who are unable to help themselves.  Widows who do not have families that are able to care for them are to be of special concern to the church.  God is a Father to the fatherless and is a Husband to the husbandless through the ministry of the church.  God has leaders who are to oversee this work and these men are also to be cared for in a special way.  They should be financially supported by the church but also defended by the church.  As leaders they are constantly under attack and the church should defend and protect their leaders from false accusations.  However, when a leader does fall into persistent sin he also faces a more severe standard of discipline because of the importance of his position.  Sinning leaders are to be publicly rebuked in order to make sure that the fear of the Lord abides on all who lead.  Another vital area to the organization of a church is the way that its members deal with money.  The love of money comes natural to sinful men and it is a trip that leads many people astray.  God calls us to a life of contentment and generous contribution so that we can enjoy the current life as well as reap rich rewards in the life to come.