Pt. 1: USING SCRIPTURE AS GOD INTENDED
1st Timothy 1:1-11 [NASB 1995]
1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus according to the commandment of God our Savior, and of Christ Jesus, who is our hope.
- This is a declaration of his truest identity: SENT for Christ, by Christ, of Christ
- He didn’t appoint Himself
- HE RECOGNIZES WHO GOD MADE HIM TO BE
- He is committed to obedience [He does as God commands]
- Paul’s theology: God and Christ are known to be ONE
2 To Timothy, my true child in the faith: Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.
- What does Paul mean His ‘True’ child in the faith? [Sonship in that culture]
- He has seen the reality of Timothy’s faith from His actions
- Paul knows Timothy HAS received: Grace / Mercy / Peace… FROM GOD!
- This is why Paul is entrusting so much responsibility to Timothy [PROVEN]
- Paul trusts what He tells Timothy to do for himself & others, will be enacted
3 As I urged you upon my departure for Macedonia, remain on at Ephesus so that you may instruct certain men not to teach strange doctrines, 4 nor to pay attention to myths and endless genealogies, which give rise to mere speculation rather than furthering the administration of God which is by faith.
- Keep on doing what I asked you to do:
- Stay @ Ephesus
- Teach Certain Men… we assume they know who they are talking about
- Non biblical stuff [tradition]
- Jewish people put a lot of weight on genealogies
- These things do not help people grow in Christ! [What does?]
5 But the goal of our instruction is love from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.
- THE goal of Christian Discipleship: LOVE
- Real Love, God patterned Love
- Pure Heart / Good Conscience / Sincere Faith
- Only God can make this happen!
- The goal of ‘Their’ instruction is the same for Midtown Church
6 For some men, straying from these things, have turned aside to fruitless discussion, 7 wanting to be teachers of the Law, even though they do not understand either what they are saying or the matters about which they make confident assertions.
- Why does Timothy need to teach these men? They are creating bad culture!
- They want to interpret the Torah without understanding ‘The Author’
- Their pride is driving them… [they want to be teachers] not a desire from God
- What they are doing is ‘Fruitless’…God’s people are called to bear fruit [Jn. 15]
8 But we know that the Law is good, if one uses it lawfully, [the way God meant it to be used] 9 realizing the fact that law is not made for a righteous person, but for those who are lawless and rebellious, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane…
- The Law [Torah] is good when used as God intended…
- The Scripture is not the problem…people misusing it are [Gun Control]
- The key to using The Law as God intended: Not for those God makes righteous
- It is to expose the rebellious, those who mock their creator, openly against God
- Broad labels of people…so let’s look at the specific behaviors of such people
The law is a schoolmaster teaching us to recognize our need for Christ. Once we surrender to Christ, we do no require that particular tutoring any longer.
Therefore the Law has become our tutor to lead us to Christ, so that we may be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor. ~ Galatians 3:24-25
THE LAW WAS MADE:
…for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers 10 and for immoral men [fornicators] and for homosexuals and for kidnappers and for liars and for perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound teaching, 11 according to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, with which I have been entrusted.
- These are ‘Lifestyles’, not giving in to temptation at times
- Dishonoring and neglect
- Now we are talking about murder = killing for your reasons
- Sex between a man and a woman outside of marriage
- Sex between people of the same gender
- Human traffickers / slave-masters
- Scammers /con artists
- Corruptors of legal systems
SUMMARY / APPLICATION
Paul’s entire life purpose and identity flowed from His Faith In Christ.
~ Should every Christian live this way or just Paul? How about You?
Timothy, at a young age, duplicated Paul’s commitment to Christ.
~ Should every Christian respond to discipleship this way?
Timothy was charged with creating and enforcing standards for Biblical Discipleship.
~ How important is it for a Body of Christ to teach the right things?
Timothy was to demonstrate the God intended use of Torah In Light of Christ
~ How well do you understand the whole message of the Old & New Testaments?
Who is under the Law???