Dennis Tuuri

# CLEANED TRANSCRIPT

the book of First Timothy. We usually read for the standing of God’s word, reminding ourselves that we stand for the reading of God’s word. We read for the standing, stand for the reading, reminding ourselves we’re the army of God and we hear the word of our king. We stand in attention waiting to hear his word to go out into the world in obedience to that word.

This text is long, but I do want to read the entire epistle.

That’s because this book is addressed not simply to Timothy, but I believe also to the churches of which he had charge. It was made to be read to such. And so we’ll read it here. I’ll leave you seated then and seated in the rest of our Savior. The king’s word is spoken to you, but you see you are seated at leisure because the king’s work is finished. You have your mind attentive hopefully though, and hopefully the seated during this long reading will keep your mind attentive to the word of God through Paul, to Timothy, to the churches that he pastored and then also to us.

And I would have you notice as we read through this epistle that the unity that we just sang of and recited responsibly from God’s word—some of us have thoughts about it, yeah, it’s a great thing when it happens and boy, it’s not always happening in the context of the church in America today. It didn’t always happen back then either, as we’ll read in this epistle.

Notice as we read through this a couple of things. First, the emphasis on doctrine, and secondly, the emphasis upon charges and commandments called to Timothy and Timothy to others. So First Timothy, the entire book. And let us begin with prayer.

Father, we thank you for this book and we pray, Lord God, you would help us to understand it. May your Spirit illuminate our understanding and prepare us to rejoice in the truths that are found in it and to walk in obedience to it. We ask in the name of our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, for the sake of his kingdom, not ours. Amen.

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Okay. First Timothy. Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the commandment of God our Savior and the Lord Jesus Christ, which is our hope.

Unto Timothy, mine own son in the faith: grace, mercy, and peace from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord.

As I besought thee to abide still at Ephesus when I went into Macedonia, that thou mightest charge some that they teach no other doctrine, neither give heed to fables and endless genealogies which minister questions rather than godly edifying, which is in faith. So do. Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned. From which some, having swerved, have turned aside into vain jangling, desiring to be teachers of the law, understanding neither what they say, nor whereof they affirm.

But we know that the law is good, if a man use it lawfully, knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly, and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, for whoremongers, for them that defile themselves with mankind, for man-stealers, for liars, for perjured persons, and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine, according to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, which was committed to my trust.

And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry, who was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious. But I obtained mercy because I did it ignorantly and unbelief. And the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.

This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief. Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy that in me first Jesus Christ might show forth all longsuffering for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting.

Now unto the eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.

This charge I commit unto thee, son Timothy, according to the prophecies which went before on thee, that thou by them mightest war a good warfare, holding faith and a good conscience, which some having put away concerning faith, have made shipwreck, of which is Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have delivered unto Satan, that they may learn not to blaspheme.

I exhort therefore, that first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings, and for all that are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who will have all men to be saved, and to come into the knowledge of the truth.

For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself a ransom for all to be testified in due time. Whereunto I am ordained a preacher and an apostle. I speak the truth in Christ and lie not, a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and veracity.

I will therefore that men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting. In like manner also that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety, not with braided hair or gold or pearls or costly array, but which becometh women professing godliness with good works.

Let the women learn in silence with all subjection. But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence. For Adam was first formed, then Adam was not deceived. But the woman being deceived was in the transgression. Notwithstanding, she shall be saved in childbearing if they continue in faith and charity and holiness with sobriety.

This is a true saying. If a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work. A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behavior, given to hospitality, and apt to teach. Not given to wine, no striker, not greedy, a filthy lucre, but patient, not a brawler, not covetous, one that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity.

For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God? Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride, he fall into the condemnation of the devil. Moreover, he must have a good report of them which are without, lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.

Likewise must the deacons be grave, not double-tongued, not given to much wine, not greedy of filthy lucre, holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience. And let these also first be proved, then let them use the office of a deacon, being found blameless. Even so must their wives be grave, not slanderers, sober, faithful in all things.

Let the deacons be the husband of one wife, ruling their children in their own house as well. For they that have used the office of a deacon well, purchase to themselves a good degree, and great boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus.

These things write I unto thee, hoping to come unto thee shortly. But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.

Without controversy, great is the mystery of godliness. God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.

Now the spirit speaketh expressly that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils, speaking lies and hypocrisy, having their conscience seared with a hot iron, forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth.

For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused if it be received with thanksgiving. For it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer.

If thou put the brethren in remembrance of these things, thou shalt be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine, whereunto thou hast attained. But refuse profane and old wives’ fables, and exercise thyself rather unto godliness.

For bodily exercise profiteth little, but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come. This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation. For therefore we both labor and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of those that believe.

These things command and teach. Let no man despise thy youth. But be thou an example of the believers in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity, till I come. Give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine. Neglect not the gift that is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy, with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery. Meditate upon these things. Give thyself wholly to them, that thy profiting may appear to all.

Take heed unto thyself and unto the doctrine. Continue in them. For in doing this thou shalt both save thyself and them that hear thee.

Rebuke not an elder, but entreat him as a father, and the younger men as brethren, the elder women as mothers, the younger as sisters with all purity.

Honor widows that are widows indeed. But if any widow have children or nephews, let them learn first to show piety at home and to requite their parents, for that is good and acceptable before God. Now she that is a widow indeed and desolate trusteth in God and continueth in supplications and prayers night and day.

But she that liveth in pleasure is dead while she liveth. And these things give in charge that they may be blameless. But if any provide not for his own, and especially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel.

Let not a widow be taken under the number under three score years old, having been the wife of one man well reported of for good works. If she have brought up children, if she have lodged strangers, if she have washed the saints’ feet, if she have relieved the afflicted, if she have diligently followed every good work.

But the younger widows refuse, for when they have begun to wax wanton against Christ, they will marry, having damnation, because they have cast off their first faith. And withal they learn to be idle, wandering about from house to house, and not only idle, but tattlers also, and busybodies, speaking things which they ought not.

I will therefore that the younger women marry, bear children, guide the house, give none occasion to the adversary to speak reproachfully. For some are already turned aside after Satan.

If any man or woman that believeth have widows, let them relieve them, and let not the church be charged, that it may relieve them that are widows indeed.

Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honor, especially they who labor in the word and doctrine. For the scripture saith, thou shalt not muzzle the ox that treadeth out the corn, and the laborer is worthy of his hire.

Against an elder, receive not an accusation, but before two or three witnesses. Then that sin, rebuke before all, that others also may fear. I charge thee before God and the Lord Jesus Christ and the elect angels, that thou observe these things without preferring one before another, doing nothing by partiality.

Lay hands suddenly on no man, neither be partaker of other men’s sins. Keep thyself pure. Drink no longer water, but use a little wine for thy stomach’s sake, and thine often infirmities.

Some men’s sins are open beforehand, going before to judgment, and some men they follow after. Likewise also the good works of some are manifest beforehand, and they that are otherwise cannot be hid.

Let as many servants as are under the yoke count their own masters worthy of all honor, that the name of God and his doctrine be not blasphemed. And they that have believing masters, let them not despise them, because they are brethren, but rather do them service, because they are faithful and beloved, partakers of the benefit.

These things teach and exhort. If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness, he is proud, knowing nothing, but doting about questions and strifes of words, whereof cometh envy, strife, railings, evil surmisings, perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness.

From such, withdraw thyself. But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain that we can carry nothing out. And having food and raiment, let us be therewith content.

But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is the root of all evil which while some coveted after they have erred from the faith and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.

But thou, O man of God, flee these things and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness. Fight the good fight of faith. Lay hold on eternal life whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.

I give thee charge in the sight of God, who quickeneth all things, and before Christ Jesus, who before Pontius Pilate witnessed a good confession, that thou keep this commandment without spot, unrebuked until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, which in his times he shall show, who is the blessed and only potentate, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto, whom no man hath seen, nor can see, to whom be honor and power everlasting. Amen.

Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not high-minded, nor trust on uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy, that they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate, laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come that they may lay hold on eternal life.

O Timothy, keep that which is committed to thy trust, avoiding profane and vain babblings and oppositions of science falsely so-called which some professing have erred concerning the faith. Grace be with thee. Amen.

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Let us pray.

Father, help us to understand these words. I pray also that for those parents who desire their children to be taught in Sabbath schools, you would be with those teachers of the word. We thank you that you teach us all through your word. May we hear your word taught now and may it reform our lives and cause us to continue our praise and worship of you. In Christ’s name we ask it. Amen.

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All right. I think it’s important, you know, as we’ve been talking about in our study of the book of Revelation, to look at the big picture to understand the little stuff. We read a lot of verses just now and many of them are very familiar to you, but maybe they’re not familiar in the context of the entire book of First Timothy.

This is a good place to go after our conclusion of our talks in Acts. Acts talks about the bringing together of the two elements of the church, the God-fearers and the Jews, and then the inclusion of complete pagans through faith in Christ. It talks about the word of Christ being preached out across the whole world and that ends up in the establishment of churches.

So now we have an epistle by Paul written many believe after his release from Rome to Timothy. We don’t know exactly the date of the writing, but that seems to be when this was written. And so this is really a followup on what Paul continued to do after we left him at the end of chapter 28 in the book of Acts.

And what he did was give instructions to Timothy in this case relative to the household of God.

We have at the middle of this epistle in chapter 3, verses 14 through 15, Paul says, “These things write I unto thee,” so he’s talking about the epistle that he’s writing here to Timothy, one of the pastoral epistles to a pastor. “I’m writing these things hoping to come unto thee shortly but if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.”

So Paul continues his work that we left off in Acts by instructing Timothy how he ought to behave in the house of God.

This epistle, as I mentioned earlier, I think was meant to be read to the churches. There’s information contained about Paul’s apostleship. If it’s just for Timothy, who needs to know that? Timothy knew those things. I think Timothy would have shared these contents in a church service similar to ours and would have talked about them just like we’re going to talk about them for a few minutes.

And the central thing going on here is description of how we ought to behave in the house of God in the church. And so kind of the overarching theme for whatever many talks we give on First Timothy here will be how to behave in the house of God.

And I think it is quite important in the context of this to recognize that what God gives Timothy is not as much an organizational structure. It’s not a Constitution. What it is, it’s a description of men in the house of God.

Man, if you look at how this epistle starts, it starts in a very unusual way. I think, at least when I was reading through this, you ask, “What is this epistle about?” Well, we know it’s about how to abide in the house of God. We know there’s instructions in it relative to prayer and selection of officers and how to take care of widows. But look at what Paul says here is the first commandment. The first thing he tells Timothy as he writes this epistle in verse 3.

He says, “Well, I’m writing to Timothy.” This is Paul writing to Timothy. And the first thing he says right out of the chute: “As I besought thee to abide still at Ephesus when I went to Macedonia, that thou mightest charge some that they teach no other doctrine, neither give heed to fables and endless genealogies which minister questions rather than godly edifying which is in faith.”

So do. And later on, in chapter, let’s see verse 18. Go on down to verse 18. “This charge I commit unto thee, son Timothy, according to the prophecies which went before thee, that by them thou mightest war a good warfare.” What charge? The charge he just has repeated to him from what he had left him in Ephesus to begin with.

So Paul’s first application in terms of behavior in the house of God. He says, “I left you in Ephesus at that church for a reason, for a very specific reason. And I’m reminding you now that the same thing I told you then, I’m telling you now. And this is a charge I’ve committed to you. And it’s going to occupy a lot of what I’m going to write to you about.”

And I think all that the epistle is put in the context of this initial charge by Paul to Timothy.

And what does the charge have to do with? It has to do with men. It has to do with, you know, what I would call elder wannabes. You know, we were watching the presidential stuff this last week and some of the news commentators, these were presidential wannabes, you know. Well, I think in a way we could look at these men that Timothy is supposed to shut down in terms of their heretical doctrine, their vain janglings, their endless genealogies. These are elder wannabes.

And I think that in the context of this local church, you’ve got men asserting themselves forward into positions of leadership, but they’re not the right men. These men have a superiority complex, as Hendrickson says in his commentary. And it almost seems like Timothy has an inferiority complex.

I mean, obviously throughout this epistle, Paul’s saying, “What I told you to do, do. I charge you to do this. I charge you before God and the Lord Jesus Christ that you do these things. You got to do these things. You got to do them. Got to do them. Got to do them.” Timothy appears to be in need of bolstering up by Paul.

See, so it’s very important to understand what Paul is doing here is stiffening up the man of God’s selection in terms of the oversight of this church, and he’s stiffening him up for this particular task of guiding and developing leadership in the context of that church. Okay?

And specifically throughout this epistle from beginning to end, there are all these references to these guys who are messing up and who are off the wall. And we begin in verse 4 that these guys are teaching other doctrine. We know that in verse 3 they’re giving heed to fables and endless genealogies which minister questions rather than godly edifying.

He’s talking about how to behave yourself in the household of God. And he’s saying that what you want leaders for in the context of the church, elders and deacons, officers, is to build people up, to edify them into a holy edifice of Christ. Okay?

So that house of God is composed of those living stones, and the men—either the men that worm their way into leadership who shouldn’t, or the men that should be encouraged to leadership and who may be somewhat reticent—those men, their job is godly edifying of people.

And what’s going on in Ephesus is that the Judaizers—and I won’t explain that now, we’ll get that later as we get through this book—but these vain janglings, these endless genealogies, the Jews were famous for that and still are to this day. All these extrapolations upon extrapolations from the scriptures, and often to vain speculations that go on and on and on and on.

And so I think the Judaizers in the context of this church were speaking empty words. They were like those guys at Athens who just like to hear some new thing and like to come up with some new thing and they’re just yakking away, and they have the view that they’re superior because of all this esoteric knowledge that they have.

And Paul is telling Timothy, charge those guys not to speak that way. Shut them down. And in the context of the whole book, then, I think that is a very important thing to see—that Paul writes this epistle to bolster Timothy to help him to combat these men who have some sort of superiority complex, these elder wannabes.

Let me look through this with you just briefly as we consider this chapter one.

Very first thing off the bat, he gives this commandment to Timothy, this charge. He then talks about these wannabes in verse 5 and following: “The end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned, from which some, having swerved aside, have turned into vain jangling, desiring to be teachers of the law, understanding neither what they say nor whereof they affirm. But we know the law is good if it is used lawfully.”

What’s he talking about here? He’s saying that these guys want to be teachers of the law, but they don’t know the law. Okay? And he’s not saying the law is bad. And in fact, this whole section here about the law. When Paul goes on to say this, he says, “Knowing this, the law was…” He talks about a specific application of the law, the restraining of evil in man. The law is made for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane.

And then notice: “For murderers of fathers, murderers of mothers, for manslayers, for whoremongers, for them that defile themselves with mankind, for man-stealers.” Okay, so we’re going from murder, adultery, theft, liars, perjurers—false witness. He’s going through the Decalogue. That’s what he’s doing. He’s repeating the contents of the Decalogue.

And then he says that “if there be any other thing which is contrary to sound doctrine,” all opposition to the law of God is contrary to sound doctrine. That’s what he’s saying here. The law works in the law. The law doesn’t hurt doctrine. These guys say they want to be teachers of the law, but they’re not using the law lawfully. They don’t know the law whereof they speak.

If they did know the law, they’d know that the law builds sound doctrine, not esoteric vain janglings, and the law is in accord with gospel principles.

He goes on to say in verse 11: “According to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, which was committed to my trust.”

So it’s very important, you see, here that what he’s saying is that these elder wannabes have departed from the law of God and they’ve taken these extrapolations from the law, these man-made additions and esoteric thoughts about the law and placed that in place of the law. The way the Jews have built the Mishna, the Talmud, and the Gomorrah, the interpretations of the law—that becomes now the subject of their knowledge.

But Paul is bringing Timothy and true elders in the church of Jesus Christ back to the law, which he says is in conformity to the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ and sound doctrine. That’s what he’s saying there in chapter one. It’s important.

See, these guys don’t do this. Notice also that what he does next is he goes into talking about himself. Then he says, well, God’s made me a minister. He has put me into the ministry. And then in verse 13: “I was a blasphemer and persecutor and injurious, but I obtained mercy because I did it ignorantly and unbelief. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ is abundant with faith and love, which is in Christ Jesus. This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief. And then he says, I was an example so that Jesus Christ might show longsuffering for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him.”

What Paul now does is he’s still talking about these elder wannabes. And another great error they made—they made an error of departing from the law. And the second big thing he’s addressing here in the context of the law is their pride.

He’s saying, “Look at me. I’m an example of a true elder, an apostle in the church of Jesus Christ. And I will tell you that I am the chief of sinners. And I’ll tell you that I did terrible things.” See, he’s not proud and built up. He’s built up in a view of the greatness of God. And these elder wannabes are proud and puffed up with their so-called knowledge.

See, he’s warning Timothy about such men. And Paul can’t help—as we shouldn’t be able to help—as we contemplate, as you think about what God saved you out of, and as you think about the sins he continues to apply the blood of Christ to in your life, the end result of that thinking of the great grace of God ministered to us should cause our hearts, as it did with Paul’s heart in verse 17, to usher up praise and thanksgiving to God.

“Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.”

He ushers up in this great praise to God on the contemplation of God’s grace and mercy shown to him.

He goes back then—so he’s talked about these elder wannabes, the law, humility required—and he goes back: “This charge I commit to thee, this charge to tell these guys to knock it off.” And he reminds Timothy that this charge is in relation to the prophecies which came upon you. He tells them to hold faith and a good conscience, which some have put away. These guys have put away faith and conscience. They put away right doctrine, and as a result of that, they’re not doing that and they don’t have right practice.

So I think some of the practical things as the book unfurls—about taking care of widows, control of one’s household, how your wives shouldn’t be adorned, shouldn’t look upon their adornment as being costly clothes, but rather good works—I think these elder wannabes had families that were messed up. Had wives that were proud in their wealth and riches. And these elders are probably proud in their riches. Where Paul repeatedly goes to that theme toward the end of the book: “Contentment with godliness is great gain. These guys think that gain is godliness, but it isn’t. He said gain’s a good thing. Use it in the right way. But don’t think that somehow it merits you with right standing before God.”

And so he continues this attack upon these elder wannabes, these men with a superiority complex. And throughout these epistles, throughout the whole scriptures, this idea of doctrine and practice always go together. So these men have moved away from both.

And he goes on then to speak in chapter 2 to talk about the conducting of worship in the church. And again, I would take from this that these guys are messed up in this too. They don’t understand how worship be conducted. They don’t understand the nature of one’s prayers for all men. So Paul goes through that.

And then he goes on in chapter 2 to talk about the women, as I mentioned already, and talks about instruction relative to the women and whether they should not be instructors in the context of the church. And then he goes to the qualification for elders.

Now, so these qualifications for elders occur in a context. The context is these problems with these men that Paul is addressing Timothy primarily about. So these are important for us, these qualifications, but don’t think they’re the end of the story. These qualifications are all about character qualities, for the most part. Okay?

And that’s because these elder wannabes that Paul is addressing had none of it. They were the exact opposite of these things. They were puffed up. They weren’t tempered. They weren’t vigilant. They weren’t sober. They didn’t rule their households well. They had all kinds of other things—academic qualifications perhaps, ABCs behind their name, resumes—but they didn’t have the character.

So it’s important that what Paul here against Timothy is he’s saying, “Don’t use these guys. These are the sort of guys you want to put in positions of leadership to lead in that prayer and the worship of the church.”

And so really, in the same context, he talks then about elders and deacons and the wives of deacons, etc. Then he goes back. In verse 4 of chapter 4: “Now the spirit speaketh expressly that men shall depart from the faith, seducing spirits, doctrines of devils, speaking lies and hypocrisy, forbidding to marriage.”

Apparently, the development of these false doctrines in the context of the early church would lead to the development of a false view of spirituality—that spirituality is removed in terms of the body, that the body is evil, spirit is good. And so marriage is bad. You don’t really want to do it unless you have to. Foods aren’t good. You want to abstain from those things because really the physical world is kind of evil and the spiritual world is kind of good.

And so that’s more development of these. So he’s addressing these same guys over and over and over in this epistle.

And then he tells Timothy to put the brethren in remembrance of the good things, how to be a good steward of the faith. And then in verse 7: “Refuse profane and wise fables, exercise thyself into godliness.” Then in verse 11: “These things command and teach.”

See, he’s continuing to exhort Timothy to build them up.

Well, I won’t go through the rest of even the end of the whole epistle. He goes back to this idea. You think he’s ended. He says, in verse 22 of chapter 5: “Lay hands suddenly on no man. Avoid ordaining these guys who may look good.” And he says, “Some men’s sins are open beforehand, going before to judgment, and some follow after.” So be careful who you ordain.

And then he goes on in verse 25 talking about the good works.

And then chapter 6, he talks about some of these interpersonal relationship items. But then at the end, at the conclusion of the chapter, you think I think he’s over. But once again, he goes back, beginning in verse 17: “Charge them rich in this world, that they be not high-minded.”

And then verse 20: “Keep that which is committed to thy trust, avoiding profane and vain babblings and oppositions of science falsely so-called, which some professing have erred concerning the faith. Grace be with thee. Amen.”

End of story. He ends where he began with this charge relative of these elder wannabes. Okay. That’s an overview of the book and we’ll talk more about it in weeks to come.

But what I want to say today in summation then is I want to make some very simple points that I think are obvious from a cursory reading of this epistle.

First of all is the importance of the local church. Paul is telling Timothy how to behave himself in the house of God. Your family is not referred to in Scripture as the house of God. The state, your Salem, is not referred to as the house of God. Okay? Your business is not referred to as the house of God. The church is. The church is the dwelling place of God. Okay? And it’s the pillar and ground of the truth. The church is where we receive instruction in the word, where we praise God, and it forms the pattern for all of our lives.

So first: the importance of the local church.

And secondly, that local church has a divinely instituted government in it. He says there are two officers: elders and deacons. And those are the only officers he lists. He uses the term bishop or overseer and elder relative to that first office, but it’s the same office. And the second office is that of deacons. There’s a divinely appointed government. We’re not free to select whatever we want in terms of the government of the church.

Now, what that divinely appointed government looks like may be a matter of some contention among men. But the fact that there is a divinely appointed government is set forth for us in this epistle to Timothy. So the government of the church is quite important to get it right as much as we can. And First Timothy tells us much about that.

Third: that those divinely appointed governors in the context of the church have real authority. Timothy is part of that governmental structure and he’s reminded over and over and over to assert his authority to these men, to these elder wannabes. Elders and deacons have real authority in the context of the very important place of the church of Jesus Christ and their role in the divinely appointed government.

Fourth: there are two offices, as I’ve said, in that divinely appointed government. We have Scripture that teaches us about it. It has real authority and it consists of two offices.

And the fifth point that’s obvious from this is that there are qualifications for that office. And let me give you a list of five qualifications for office here.

First of all, by implication from this text—but the very clear teaching, particularly of chapter one—we see that the first qualification that Paul really cranks on, maybe not the first but a very important qualification he cranks on, is humility. Humility. These men are proud, knowing nothing. Paul was humble through an understanding of his sinfulness and his being saved by grace. You see?

So first of all, when you’re considering church officers, you must consider men who are humble before God and not proud and stiff-necked. Very important to see that.

Secondly, I think it is a requirement of office that can be gleaned from chapter one that the officers of the church must understand, and particularly the teaching ministry of the elders, must rightly use the law of God.

Now, some use 1 Timothy 1 to talk about how the law is no good. It’s just made for the unrighteous and we’re saved and that’s that. But that’s not the point at all. The whole point of 1 Timothy 1 is the law is in accordance with sound doctrine, which is in accordance with the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is a package deal.

And in order to be an elder, the thing that disqualifies these elder wannabes was an improper use of the law. To deny the law of God and to not use the law at all is as much a denial, is as much a disqualifying point for one’s consideration for office, as an improper use of it—to leave the law aside by looking to man-made extrapolations and additions. You understand what I’m saying?

We’re familiar with the Pharisaical error of going way out there away from the law by making additions to it and contemplations and esoteric considerations of it. But it’s just as much an improper use of God’s law to do away with it totally. Okay?

So to be qualified as an officer in the church of Jesus Christ, one must know how to rightly use the law of God.

Humility. Then a right use of the law of God. And I would add a third qualification: an ability to exercise authority. Timothy is an example to us of a man who had some difficulty in this area, but who Paul continued to bolster, and who then applied his authority.

So if Paul is continuing to talk to Timothy and encourage him in the proper use of that authority, a third qualification must be that officers have an ability to exercise proper authority in the context of the church.

The fourth qualification would be the actual list we have in 1 Timothy 3. You see, I’ve put some other things in here that are certainly implied from the text. And then we want to look at the exact qualification list found in 1 Timothy 3.

And we’ll spend more time on that in the weeks to come. I’ve left sheets on the table on the outside as you go to the right, listing the qualifications for office that we’ve developed a number of years ago at Reformation Covenant Church. It would be very good for you to look those things over. If you don’t have them at home, please pick up a copy. There are actual qualifications, and remember though that those qualifications are in the context of this other stuff that Paul is talking about.

And so the fifth qualification I’m going to list: First is humility. Second is a proper use of the law. Third is an ability to exercise authority in the context of the church. See that clearly from the requirement of leading your household well, etc. The fourth thing is the actual list of qualifications in 1 Timothy 3, relative to the elders and deacons. And the final qualification: the special qualifications of each individual office.

Now, Paul doesn’t write about those in here. He assumes that Timothy knows what elders are and what deacons are. And an elder is going to have to judge. He must be able to discern. He must have a knowledge of the word of God that is appropriate for his ability to judge. And he must have the ability to exposit the word. He must have the ability to interface with people, to teach them—not just in a group through sermons, but also individually, one-on-one, as Paul instructed the elders at Ephesus.

So there are special qualifications for that particular office of elder that is distinct from the office of deacons.

Deacons are there as servants. They’re there, according to Acts 6, to take management responsibilities away from the elders so that they can continue to apply themselves to the study of God’s word and prayer. That’s what Acts 6 says.

Now, the particular management task required there was the administration of the table to widows and benevolences. So we don’t want to leave that behind. We want to stress that the deacons certainly have a responsibility to administer benevolences.

But the larger context is the management responsibilities of the deacons to assist the elders. In Numbers 11, the officers, the 70 officers of the Old Testament, were first put into office to assist Moses in the administration of food—quail—to a complaining congregation. And in Acts 6, the deacons are chosen to assist the elders in the administration of food to a complaining congregation and a mixed multitude on both sides.

So we see in the Old Testament and the New Testament that the deacons are there to assist in the administrative tasks of the church. They’re also there to help with benevolences. A third thing they’re there to do is to assist the elders by making known to the people the instruction of the word of God.

The officers in the Old Testament, the priests, would instruct the people in the law of God, and the officers would go through—for instance, the army that was gathered—and make application of that law the priests had taught them. Okay? “If you got a wife, go on back home. You’re not going to fight today. You got a field, go back home. It hasn’t grown up yet. Okay? If you’re scared, we don’t need you. Go home.” You see? The priests weren’t doing that. The management responsibility relative to those instructions were given to the officers in the Old Testament.

And that’s the deacon correlary to the deacons in the context of the New Testament church.

So the deacons are there as a separate office. And so to be qualified in these roles, you have to be qualified with the particular qualifications for your office.

Now, all this has a tremendous application to us at RCC. We’re having a head of household meeting this Friday in which we’re going to consider the addition of further officers to Reformation Covenant Church. In this particular first phase, we’ll be considering deacons. Maybe another three, four, five months we’ll have elders to consider.

But it’s very important that you understand these qualifications, you understand what I’ve talked about in terms of humility, proper use of the law, an ability to exercise authority in the context of the congregation, the specific qualifications that are listed in 1 Timothy 3, an exposition of which is found on the table outside in the sanctuary here, and then finding the particular qualifications for elders.

If you look at the constitution of Reformation Covenant Church, deacons, rather—deacons have basically three functions. You can think of it this way: Benevolences is certainly one, and we need the development of benevolences at Reformation Covenant Church. We’ve done some things, but it’s much like our mission emphasis. It is a growing, maturing thing that is still very immature at this point in time, and we need a further development in that area. But that’s one area.

A second area, as I mentioned, is the management of the church, and that can be divided into two areas. The first is management of people—helping people to be encouraged in the tasks they’re given to do in the context of the church, encouraging people to take upon themselves responsibilities relative to the household of God and their place in it. Management of people. And then the third way to look at this is the management of the physical facilities.

The elders are not supposed to be distracted from the work of studying the word of God and prayer, the conducting of worship, as well as personal prayer for the congregation, through taking care of the physical plant or through the day-by-day or week-by-week management responsibilities relative to the people, or through the primary management tasks of administering benevolences. They assist in developing truths from the word of God relative to benevolences, relative to the proper management of people, and relative to the proper consecration of the physical assets of the church. They assist in producing instruction about that.

But deacons are the ones who manage those three particular areas under the elders’ oversight.

So we’re going to look at adding some deacons. We’re looking at changing the job descriptions. We got one guy now doing all three of those things. And so now we’re talking about adding fellas and giving up those job responsibilities, trying to match the particular job descriptions that I’ve just laid out for you—those three areas: benevolences, people, and property—to the men that are going to be filling that as the congregation sees the call to office as deacons.

So it’s quite important that we’re beginning First Timothy here in relationship to this head of household meeting. First Timothy is about how to behave yourself in the house of God. And First Timothy is primarily geared at a proper selection of officers who will conduct then the affairs of the house of God in accordance with the plain teaching of God’s word. And Paul reiterates those instructions to Timothy.

The selection of officers is of utmost importance and the utmost important work of manning and developing and building up the household of God in the context of the institutional church. That’s a task that we’re going to put our hands to this Friday night.

If you’re a covenanted member of this church, you have covenanted yourself to participate in the government of this church. I strongly encourage you to be there Friday evening. I strongly encourage you to meditate upon the truths of God’s word found in 1 Timothy. And I strongly encourage you to consider particularly the list of qualifications found in 1 Timothy 3. And then the specific qualifications.