Dennis Tuuri

To that end, may we be equipped. One of the pictures that is useful to remember about the church of the Lord Jesus Christ and its corporate worship is that we come forward to an armory to be equipped to press on with doctrine, with deeds of love and mercy, proclaiming the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ in what we do and what we say as we go forth into this week. To that end, let us attend to God’s word.

Today will be my concluding sermon on First Timothy, and I’m going to read the entire book. I think that’s how we began the series, so that’s how we’ll conclude it. We will stand for the reading of God’s command word. If you’re infirm today, however, or somewhat weak, you may keep seated. It’s a long reading—six chapters. But if you can, please stand for the reading of God’s command word. If you can’t stand physically, stand in your mind.

First Timothy. Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ, by the commandment of God our Savior and Lord Jesus Christ, which is our hope, unto Timothy, my 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 unto 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 of mankind, for men 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 in 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 King 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 wage a good warfare, holding faith and a good conscience, which some having put away concerning faith, have made shipwreck, of whom 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 verity. 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 woman 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 Eve. And 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 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 husbands of one wife, ruling their children in their own houses 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 carry 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, and without controversy.

Great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the spirit, seen by angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory. Now the spirit speaketh expressly that in the latter time shall some 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 a 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, and 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, and continue in them. For in doing this thou shalt both save thyself and them that hear thee. Rebuke not an elder, but treat 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 unto the number under threescore years old, having been the wife of one man, well reported of for her 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 hath 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 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 reward. Against an elder receive not an accusation, but before two or three witnesses. Them 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 of the doctrine which is according to godliness, he is proud, knowing nothing, but doting about questions and strife 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 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 draw men into 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, unrebukable 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 highminded, nor trust in 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.

Let us pray. Father, we thank you for this epistle that was written to Timothy and undoubtedly read in the context of a worship service much like this one nearly two thousand years ago. Father, we thank you that we stand in that stream of history of your called people from the very earliest moments of creation, Lord God, down to this period of time. You have had a people called to yourself to sing forth your praise.

Lord God, illumine this text for understanding. May your Holy Spirit do its work and write this word upon our hearts and our minds. And may we, Father, conform ourselves under the messages found therein. And more than that, may we, Father, carry this with us and may we communicate this to other faithful men and women who will communicate it to others. We ask this in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and for the sake of his kingdom. Amen.

Okay, I’m going to stretch you today. I think I mentioned a couple weeks ago when I was up at CFCC’s family camp that Lonnie Arnold said that when we come to worship, we want to exert all the strength that we have. We want to really engage ourselves in the worship of God. This is the most important thing. You know that there are times in your family’s life, in your vocation, when you’ve got a really tough situation. You’ve got to really attend to it well. You’ve got to think clearly. You’ve got to muster your strength. Well, that’s what the worship of God should be to us. That’s why we’re created to sing forth his praise and to worship him. So we want to do that here, and I want to encourage you to do that here in the context of this sermon because it’s a little difficult. What I’m trying to do is sum up all of this epistle today as we conclude it.

And I want to do this in a couple of different ways. First, however, I wanted to remind us what we talked about last week because we didn’t quite get to these last couple of verses. We did speak about the charge to the rich that Timothy was to engage, and there were two things they weren’t supposed to do. They weren’t supposed to be highminded, and they were also not to trust in uncertain riches.

And then he says to trust in the living God. And then he says to communicate, to share what you have with others. Solomon in Ecclesiastes says he saw a terrible thing in the context of the world in which he lived. Ecclesiastes 5:13 says, “There is a sore evil which I have seen under the sun, namely riches kept for the owners thereof to their hurt.” To their hurt. Well, you know, it’s interesting how I can begin the most difficult part of this now because what we have here in this charge to the rich in verses 17 and following is: first, he says don’t be highminded; then he says don’t trust in uncertain riches; then he says trust in the living God; and then he says communicate, give away your goods to the poor—not all of them, but share what you have with the poor. And not just what you have materially, but share your personage with the poor and with the other members of the church of Jesus Christ. To give of yourself is what he essentially says when he says to communicate. Be quick and willing.

This is a key part. This is the stretchy part. A chiasm is a structure that goes—instead of going AB, the parallelism we’re so used to seeing in the Psalms, responsive readings, right? We do those AB. Well, this is a chiasm where it goes ABA. He says don’t be highminded or aloof. Don’t trust in riches. Trust in God. Communicate. You see? It starts with don’t be highminded, and that’s where we might think the focus is.

But the focus really is on trusting in God and not in riches. And if they get that center part right, then it flows out to the outside part of that chiasm. Then they won’t be aloof and hold themselves away from the body of Christ, but they’ll contribute to the body, to the needs of the church, both to the poor, and they’ll also communicate who they are in terms of friendship and fellowship. Okay? So it’s a chiastic structure.

Now the word chiastic—key chi is how you spell chiasm. C-H-I-A-S-M. And chiastic means there’s a chiasm involved. A chiasm is based on chi, or key, which is simply an English translation of a Greek word. The Greek letter chi looks like an X. Okay. So if you take half of that X off, you see this inverted structure: A-B-A. See? It’s half of an X. And that’s why it’s called a chiasm. It refers to the Greek letter chi and it looks like half of an X. That’s why it’s called that.

And a chiasm is important to understand the centrality of meaning. If there is really a literary device used—and we’re not just making it up, but if God gives us a chiasm—he does it for one reason: to show us the central truth that’ll drive the rest of the things. Okay? The central truth to the rich is that they’re tempted. They’re given riches by God, and they’re tempted to trust those riches. It’s a hard thing for them not to do. Pray for the rich if you know any, because it’s really tough on them.

And the correction is to trust in the living God, who freely gives all things, who richly gives us of his grace. See, and that’s the center. And the chiasm structure points that out to us, and it shows that the way to get rich people to communicate both goods and services and themselves is to really get them to trust in the living God. You see, if all we do with our kids is talk about the external actions and never get to what their heart is doing and what they’re trusting, we’re never going to get them really operating correctly. They may have a form of godliness, but they won’t have the center of it, which is to trust in the living God. They’ll be good moralists. We’ll make good, moral, upstanding people, but they’ll be hollow shells when it comes to true righteousness. And they won’t know the Savior, not having trusted in him. Okay, so that’s one thing that we talked about relative to the rich. It’s an introduction to this chiastic structure I give you for all of First Timothy.

Now, so the rich obviously—Paul tells them give, and not just give but also give of themselves. And I use the illustration to nail this down in our minds from Pilgrim’s Progress of Mr. Brisk and Mercy. And it’s a good illustration to hold in mind. We’re supposed to be like Mercy, the woman who was using all her free time to do works that she might clothe the poor. And Mr. Brisk, who keeps too close to the world, we read in Pilgrim’s Progress—he sees her and says, “Oh, this is going to be a great wife. She’s energetic and she must be making a lot of money doing this.” And he says, “Well, how much do you make doing this kind of work?” Oh, she says, “I do this work to give away things to the poor.” And he loses interest.

And not only does he lose interest, he carries an ill report of Mercy on with him because anybody who demonstrates that kind of concern for the poor is somebody he doesn’t want to be attached to, because he’s interested in himself. He’s really tied to the world, is the way the text wants us to see it. I bring it up for one other point I didn’t make last week. Mercy, as she’s talking to Prudence and getting an understanding of Mr. Brisk, she says, “Well, you know, if that’s the way he is, I don’t want anything to do with the guy, you know, because I do not want to clog on my soul.” She says, “Okay, I don’t want to clog up my soul.” Mercy was careful about her relationships. She didn’t want relationships that clogged up her soul, clogged up the good works. So it’s important to manifest these good works, and it’s important that in our relationships you do that as well.

And of course Prudence tells her, don’t worry about it—he’s not going to have any interest in you. And sure enough he doesn’t. So the rich are to give things away, give of themselves the way Mercy does, to do good works, to contribute to the poor, and then also—more importantly, even than that—is to communicate. The final phrase used there is to fellowship and not to be aloof. Not simply just give things to the poor, but to give of yourself, to enter into community.

Remember, this is talking about the house of God. And community is what’s going on here. Fellowship, a common sharing in Christ of possessions and people, who we are with each other. And so those people who are tended to be aloof are called to communicate and not stand aloof. And this is given to us on the basis of grace.

The correction and attitude for the rich is trust in God, who freely gives these things to us to enjoy. So there’s, you know, asceticism is not right. We want to enjoy the good things that God gives us. There’s nothing wrong with that. You know, here at the end, he says to Timothy, don’t be diverted through these Gnostics, these guys of science falsely so-called. The word science there is the word gnosis. And while it may not be a reference to Gnosticism yet, there were shortly in the context of the early church people that thought that knowledge, head knowledge, was the key to understanding everything and the key to salvation. It’s wrong.

It’s a hard change that God effects in his people. Secret knowledge is what the Gnostics were into. And they were into a division between the material and the spiritual. It was spiritual secret knowledge they wanted. And the Gnostics would do one of two things. They’d either engage themselves totally in the world in an attempt to knock off the desires of their flesh. You know, they would do every wicked thing you might imagine and they’d eat all kinds of rich food. They’d live great lives, so to speak, in the context of taking in pleasures. That’d be one way to do it.

Or the other Gnostics, they’d go over here and say, “No, we want nothing to do with the body. We will fast. We will only eat plain bread. We’ll only drink water. We will not ever get married. We will not have, you know, any desire for women.” And then they would command people to abstain from foods and not to marry, as we read in this text. It’s what the false teachers would do.

And so in this context of the rich, it’s very important that I say that it’s wrong to get riches and spend them on yourselves. It’s to your own hurt. But it’s also wrong to think that riches are bad, you know, that they’re inherently evil. And Paul warns against both those things in this text.

To Timothy he says, “God has given us these things to enjoy.” Ultimately, the enjoyment of them, though, is of course an appreciation of what the Lord Jesus Christ has given to us. And I wanted to read a quote here from Spurgeon’s daily devotions, quoting on this verse about the God who gives us richly all things to enjoy. Spurgeon said this: “Our Lord Jesus is evergiving and does not for a solitary instant withdraw his hand.” Evergiving. Never for one instant does God withdraw his hand from us.

As long as there is a vessel of grace not yet full to the brim, the oil shall not be spared. God will continue to pour it out. He is a sun ever shining. He is manna always falling round the camp. He is a rock in the desert, ever sending out streams of life from his smitten side, the Lord Jesus. The rain of his grace is always dropping. The river of his bounty is ever flowing. And the wellspring of his love is constantly overflowing. As the King can never die, so his grace can never fail. Daily we pluck his fruit, and daily his branches bend down to our hand with a fresh store of mercy.

There are seven feast days in his week, and as many as are the days, so many are the banquets in his years. Who has ever returned from his door unblasted? Who has ever risen from his table unsatisfied or from his bosom un-paradised without an appreciation of paradise that is to be found in relationship with God through Christ? His mercies are new every morning and fresh every evening. Who can know the number of his benefits? Or recount the list of the bounties?

Every sand which drops from the glass of time is but the tardy follower of a myriad of mercies. The wings of our hours are covered with the silver of his kindness and with the yellow gold of his affection. The hourglass of time bears from the mountains of eternity the golden sands of his favor. The countless stars are but as the standardbearers of a more innumerable host of blessings that he pours upon us. Who can count the dust of the benefits which he bestows on Jacob? Or tell the number of the fourth part of his mercies toward Israel?

How shall my soul extol him who daily loads us with benefits and who crowns us with loving kindness? Oh that my praise would be as ceaseless as his bounty. Oh miserable tongue, how canst thou be silent? Wake up, I pray thee, lest I call thee no more my glory but my shame. Awake, sultry and harp. I myself will awake right early. A meditation on God who gives us richly all things to enjoy, and upon the Lord Jesus Christ, who richly every moment of our day pours out his mercy, his grace. The tokens of his love are shed upon us. They’re shed upon us in the physical realities of life: the sunshine, the rain, the food, the air we breathe. These are the blessings and mercy of God unto us who deserve nothing, nothing in ourselves except the tortures of eternal damnation because of the sin of our covenant head, Adam, and because of our own personal sin as well.

Oh, I repent. I confess the sin this last week of being unhappy, not content, complaining about, you know, this or that other thing. The riches, you know—I was at the emergency room. I had planned a little story. I was at the emergency room Friday night late with Flynn A. Victor went with me. And by the way, I know I’m kind of digressing here, but I wanted to say that in terms of last week’s sermon and this week’s reminder of the need to communicate your riches to the poor: I do not say that by way of chastisement to this church. I praise God for the grace and mercy when every time in this church we’ve had a need on the part of some family for material wealth from you, this congregation, though not a rich congregation, has poured out blessings upon people. And I praise God that’s a manifestation of his spirit.

And I praise God that Victor, for instance, poured of his time Friday night at the emergency room with Flynn A., trying to help him get better. We were there all together from the time he picked me up to when we got home—eight hours at the emergency room Friday night. That’s the way it works.

Well, I’m sitting in the emergency room, waiting for the doctor to come back, and I’m sitting there and thinking, and I did pretty good for most of it, then I started to get like, oh poor me, you know, and oh, you know, I don’t see my family much today or tomorrow, and oh, you know, poor me. And oh, you know, if God would just cheer me up somehow. I had a little bit—if I had at least, you know, if I could provide at least some financial support for my kids that I don’t have now, that would be nice. Why doesn’t God at least give me those things? I say this to my shame, congregation of the Lord.

Just then a woman goes by, and she notices my Bible sitting on top. I’m sitting in a chair, been there for an hour and a half, two hours, and she notices my Bible and does a double take, comes back in and says, “Can I get anything for you?” And she taps on the Bible. “Can I help you out?” I said, “No, I’m okay.” And she said, “Can I get you a glass of water?” And I said, “No, I’m okay.” You know, and she said, “Okay, well, my name’s Kristen and I’m a volunteer here and I just wanted to let you know you wanted to help if you want some water or something.” And she walked away.

Right? And I thought, see, there it is. It’s the mercy of God poured out. It’s not as if the mercy isn’t poured out if she doesn’t come in and say that. God in his providence sends us things like that. Sends us wives, husbands, kids to remind us of his grace. Sent a woman whose name is based upon Christ here in my case to stop by, affirm that she believes in the scriptures by tapping on them and offering me a drink of cold water in the name of our Savior essentially.

Okay. God’s grace. Well, that’s to encourage us that Christ is rich in grace. He is continually pouring out his grace and his love to us, the congregation of the Lord. We have the wonderful opportunity to be like that woman Kristen or to be like Victor and go and help, you know, a brother even though it takes all night to do it, and to say a kind word to people, to offer a cup of water or a kind word in the name of the Savior.

This congregation did that for me last Sunday. You know, it’s been tough in some ways. And the congregation pours out its love and concern for me, and I so much appreciate that. It’s so encouraging. And may we do that more and more. May we be pictures of that richness of the Lord Jesus Christ pouring his blessings upon us.

Well, that’s what God calls us to do. And he calls us to do that by trusting in him, to communicate who we are with each other on the basis of the greatness of the mercy that Christ daily pours out, moment by moment, upon us in richness.

But the text doesn’t end there. It goes on to give a final command to Timothy to guard what has been entrusted to him and not to be diverted by vain babblings of men or the opposition of science so-called. What he’s saying here is that it isn’t really knowledge unless it’s the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ in relationship to a thing.

Now hopefully most people here understand that when we homeschool—maybe you got into homeschooling because you didn’t want your kids with drugs or violence or sex at the local public school. But the biggest reason to homeschool is to point our children—that knowledge, head knowledge without a reference to the God of the scriptures, is not knowledge at all. It is science so-called, falsely named. It is a pseudonym. It is not correct. It is not knowledge if it doesn’t have its roots in the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ. And I’m talking math, science, typing. No matter what it is, everything we do should have reference back to the Lord Jesus Christ and his word.