Category: 1 Timothy - Wittenberg Door Campus Ministry

1 Timothy 6:11-16 - Lectionary for Timothy, Pastor and Confessor

1/25/2021

1/25/21
Many churches throughout the world use a Bible reading schedule called a "lectionary." It's just a fancy word meaning "selected readings." Posts like this reflect on the readings for an upcoming Sunday or other Church holiday, as found in the historic one-year lectionary.

In 1 Timothy 6:15 Paul the apostle charges his disciple, Timothy, to keep his testimony by a high standard. He is to emulate Jesus, "who in his testimony before Pontius Pilate made the good confession" (ESV). Of course, we say, this is obvious. Jesus being God would certainly make the right confession. There's no doubt about it.

Yet I think this points us to a deeper and less intuitive matter. Jesus always told the truth. It goes without saying, yet it needed to be said. Every earthly leader will be tempted, at least at times, to mislead others. And they all fall prey to that temptation, though the best among them don't obey their temptation very often.

The Christian faith, counter to all other world religions, has no place in the deity for falsehood. All the pagan religions, all the folk religions, Gnosticism, and any other non-Christian systems of life and practice have some role for a trickster, a liar, a charlatan, a god or other teacher who misleads people by misrepresenting the truthy. It is only absent in Christianity.

Jesus is the truth. He tells the truth. What he does is truth. Timothy is exhorted to pursue that standard. It isn't because Paul does so well. It's because Jesus does it perfectly.

The truth is often uncomfortable. It's inconvenient. It doesn't cooperate with our hopes and desires. But it's truth. We need to hold to that truth, making the good confession, regardless of the circumstances. God is true. As Christians reflect God's truth, we must be people of truth ourselves. This is the exhortation of Paul to Timothy. It is God's exhortation to all his people.

If this brief meditation was helpful to you, I hope you will check out the other materials on our website at www.WittenbergCoMo.com and consider supporting us.

1 Timothy 1:12-17 - Lectionary for Trinity 3

6/24/2020

6/24/20
Many churches throughout the world use a Bible reading schedule called a "lectionary." It's just a fancy word meaning "selected readings." Posts like this reflect on the readings for an upcoming Sunday or other Church holiday, as found in the historic one-year lectionary.

The forgiveness which Christians experience in Christ is completely different from anything we find anywhere else. The apostle Paul describes it for us in 1 Timothy 1:12-17. What is the judgment of Jesus about Paul? He has called Paul “faithful.” He is of use in service to God, as a faithful servant. This is not of Paul’s doing. In the past, Paul was shown to be unfaithful, a blasphemer, persecutor, and an opponent of God. This was all forgiven in Jesus’ grace.

When Paul was forgiven, he was also changed. He received mercy and forgiveness, but his life was not the same as it was before. The patience of Jesus was now on display in Paul.

If we compare the forgiveness and grace of God shown toward Paul to the kind of treatment given by humans to humans, we easily see tremendous differences. On one level, people will speak of forgiveness and use it as an excuse for a lack of life change. They will say they have been forgiven, or deserve to be forgiven, and therefore they make no attempt to do anything differently. True, God is able to forgive any sort of sin. His grace is abundant, more so than ours. But at the same time, when God’s Word has condemned a course of action, his forgiveness is not to be used as an excuse for continuing flagrantly in that action, be it adultery, murder, theft, or covetousness. God’s forgiveness is a strong motivator for life change. Human concepts of forgiveness may not understand the strength of God’s commands or the gravity of sin.

Another way God’s forgiveness differs from human forgiveness is that, to be quite blunt, humans almost never grant forgiveness that is underserved. For that matter, humans almost never grant even deserved forgiveness. When popular culture observes a sin or perceived sin (however they define sin) in the past, they will call the alleged sinner to account. Retribution must be exacted, and the offender remains an offender forever. There is no restoration. If you, or the people group you belong to, have been declared guilty of some offense, you are condemned to suffer. That’s where it seems to end.

God’s great mercy not only forgave Paul of his sin and shame, it restored him and placed him in a position of service and even honor. God in Christ does the very same thing for every Christian. By God’s grace, through faith, we are declared to be good and faithful servants who are pleasing to God and free from our past sins. This is to God’s glory and to our benefit.

If this brief meditation was helpful to you, I hope you will check out the other materials on our website at www.WittenbergCoMo.com and consider supporting us.

1 Timothy 3:1-13 - Lectionary for Pentecost 16C, Proper 21C

9/25/2019

9/25/19
Many churches throughout the world use a Bible reading schedule called a "lectionary." It's just a fancy word meaning "selected readings." Posts like this reflect on the readings for an upcoming Sunday or other Church holiday, as found in the three-year lectionary.

Our Epistle lesson this week is able to strike fear into countless men of God. Here we find the apostle Paul’s list of qualifications first for the people the New Testament calls alternatively a bishop, an overseer, or an elder, commonly interpreted today to indicate any sort of pastor; then second for those called deacons. Christians, of course, consider the Scripture not only to be the words of the human authors but also the divinely inspired word of God. So we find here God’s qualifications for some of the people who will serve Him.

On one level, we could probably agree these are positive descriptions for any godly man, with the possible exception of the fact that both the elder and the deacon seem expected to be married and some men do not marry. Some people have also made a point about the description of the elder governing his children, implying that a person who is childless cannot serve God as an elder. This is a matter for discussion and debate, but not here and now. Suffice it to say that the characteristics described fit in with being a mature and godly person. There’s an air of dignity, honesty, self control, responsibility to family and community, and humility.

What makes the elders and deacons around the world tremble is the fact that God’s Word holds them to account to live this way. They serve as an example for others, a burden which can be daunting. On many occasions, when in a gathering I am feeling tired, impatient, and ready to tell everyone else in the world to get lost and leave me alone, someone will caution others along the lines of, “There’s a pastor here, you’d better behave.” They may even do things that would be provoking, since they know the elder or deacon is a very patient and kind person. What about the times I don’t want to manage my household well? What about the times when, no matter what I do, some portion of the “outsiders” will not “think well” of me?

The work of an elder or a deacon is a noble one. It comes with many responsibilities, but allows the elder or deacon to have a hand in forming godly character in others. It’s a good thing, not to be despised. May the Lord work to raise up many more leaders who can shepherd His flock.

If this brief meditation was helpful to you, I hope you will check out the other materials on our website at www.WittenbergCoMo.com and consider supporting us.

1 Timothy 2:1-15 - Lectionary for Pentecost 15C, Proper 20C

9/18/2019

9/18/19
Many churches throughout the world use a Bible reading schedule called a "lectionary." It's just a fancy word meaning "selected readings." Posts like this reflect on the readings for an upcoming Sunday or other Church holiday, as found in the three-year lectionary.

We live in a culture of outrage. This came home to me when a friend on social media, one I actually know in real life, made a non-self-conscious comment about something not being his “outrage of the day.” The apostle Paul has a good bit to say about this attitude in our Epistle this week, from 1 Timothy 2:1-15. How is the Christian to deal with these admittedly tough siguations, when it may appear that society, culture, and politics all head in a negative direction?

Rather than screaming, shouting, and breaking things, Paul urges prayer and thanksgiving. Yes, even for those who might thank us not to pray. Even for those political leaders who scorn God, His Word, and His kingdom. Especially for them. The practice is nothing new. In my church tradition, virtually every Sunday the prayers of the church include our governmental officials, including those who make, administer, and enforce laws. This is a challenge. I will candidly admit to having very sharp disagreements with my elected officials dating back for more than a quarter of a century, and even before that. How do we deal with it? We pray that our officials will have the wisdom from the sovereign, wise, and good God to do what is best. We pray that where they fail they will be confronted by the God who rules consciences, and that they will find repentance, forgiveness, and change. We pray for their good health and that of their families, because they are engaged in very difficult and stressful work. We pray that when they have done what is good they will rest well with a clear conscience.

Paul gives us a particular outcome we can hope for when praying for our leaders. We pray “that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way” (v. 2, ESV). Is this our prayer or what we hope to receive as a side effect? I think it is a side effect. When our leaders do well, we all do well.

Ready to pray?

If this brief meditation was helpful to you, I hope you will check out the other materials on our website at www.WittenbergCoMo.com and consider supporting us.

1 Timothy 1:5-17 - Lectionary for Pentecost 14C, Proper 19C

9/11/2019

9/11/19
Many churches throughout the world use a Bible reading schedule called a "lectionary." It's just a fancy word meaning "selected readings." Posts like this reflect on the readings for an upcoming Sunday or other Church holiday, as found in the three-year lectionary.

Our Epistle reading for this week, found in 1 Timothy 1:5-17, speaks to the purpose of God’s Law. It is there for the lawless (v. 9). Who are these lawless people? Paul gives a list of several types of lawbreaking, and the fact is that most of us would say we don’t fit into those categories, at least not normally.

Before we breathe too big a sigh of relief, we should notice Paul’s self-assessment, in verse 15. He considers himself to be among the sinners, and those of the worst kind. We would normally want to disagree. After all, this is Paul, God’s apostle, the man who dedicated his life to spreading the Gospel! He’s one of the good guys!

We have to look not only at our history but also at our internal attitudes to sort this out. We want to make our own laws (v. 9), ignore some of God’s lawful character, we find ourselves curious about and even delighting in that which disrespects God. We become angry with others and wish ill even on our family. We wish to use other people and even the truth itself for our own selfish purposes (v. 10). While we don’t often act on these attitudes we have them, and they condemn us before God. Paul is condemned by God’s law, and it condemns us as well.

What hope do we have? Only this. In verse 15 we read that Jesus came to save sinners. In verse 16, Jesus delights in showing his patience and mercy to those who believe in Him. This is a hope that will not perish or diminish. It burns brighter day by day, casting off the shadows of our sin, skulking in the corner, trying to hide from God’s law.

If this brief meditation was helpful to you, I hope you will check out the other materials on our website at www.WittenbergCoMo.com and consider supporting us.

1 Timothy 3:1-13 - Lectionary for Pentecost 19 C

9/21/2016

9/21/16
Many churches throughout the world use a Bible reading schedule called a "lectionary." It's just a fancy word meaning "selected readings." Posts like this reflect on the readings for an upcoming Sunday or other Church holiday, as found in the three-year lectionary.

This week’s Epistle reading from 1 Timothy 3:1-13 speaks about the biblical qualifications of elders and deacons. The term used for “elder” (ἐπισκοπής) is also often translated “bishop.” Literally, it means “overseer.” This is the person who would watch over the work of the Church, making sure all is well. The term for “deacon” (διάκονος) indicates someone who would serve others.

Notice that all the character qualities listed for these people are qualities which we would really expect to see in just about any godly man in a congregation. The statement which makes me suggest “man” is that he is the “husband of one wife.” While there is some debate about the role of females as elders or deacons, we’ll leave that for another time and place. Are the qualities (except for being a husband of one wife) generally those of a mature believer in Christ? They certainly are. The elders and deacons are simply mature, responsible people who take their identity in Christ seriously.

The New Testament uses terms for “elder,” “overseer,” and “pastor” interchangeably. Somehow in many circles elders have come to be elected by a popular vote for a particular term of office. Some church congregations specify a number of people who will be elders. In doing so, this distances the elder from the biblical pattern, which indicates someone who would be responsible before God to lead Christ’s people well, especially feeding them in Word and Sacrament. I’d love to see us return to a view which says the office of elder is critically important and that the person who desires it is doing 1) a good thing and 2) will knock himself out to accomplish the tasks.

Is the deacon a second-class leader? Not at all, but the deacon is not an elder. The deacon is not charged with teaching God’s people. This is not an inferior office in any way. It is simply a different role within the body.

Lord, raise up elders and deacons within your Church. Use them powerfully so that your kingdom may come and your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

If this brief meditation was helpful to you, I hope you will check out the other materials on our website at www.WittenbergCoMo.com and consider supporting us.

1 Timothy 2:1-15 - Lectionary for Pentecost 18C

9/14/2016

Many churches throughout the world use a Bible reading schedule called a "lectionary." It's just a fancy word meaning "selected readings." Posts like this reflect on the readings for an upcoming Sunday or other Church holiday, as found in the three-year lectionary.

Our Epistle reading for this week, 1 Timothy 2:1-15, discusses the prayer life of the Christian and the general demeanor and attitude which Paul considers appropriate for Christians. Let’s look at the first portion of the passage. It calls for prayer for all sorts of leaders, in order that we may have a “quiet” life. Just as we pray for our friends and neighbors, we are also to pray for kings and other leaders. They all need prayer. In this world, Paul observes quite rightly, there is not one person who does not need God’s wisdom and grace. While the challenges and temptations faced by different sorts of people will be different, all people face trouble.

Paul doesn’t really tell Timothy what kind of prayers to pray for rulers. He just tells him to pray. However, immediately after the command, we have some hints about the content of the prayers. The outcome of the prayers is that we can live a quiet and peaceful life. Maybe we pray that our leaders will have the wisdom to keep us out of war and turmoil. Paul also moves on to talk about Jesus as the mediator between God and man. Jesus’ desire is that all should be saved. This, again, points to the desired content of our prayers.

What about the situation in which the leaders are evil? Paul was certainly familiar with that situation. He was executed in prison by imperial command. The truth of his political climate did not change Paul’s resolve that God’s people should pray for their leaders. Just as Jesus cares about Nero, he cares about the leaders of our modern societies.

So let’s pray! All levels of our society, from the unemployed and homeless to the CEO to the political leader, require prayer.

If this brief meditation was helpful to you, I hope you will check out the other materials on our website at www.WittenbergCoMo.com and consider supporting us.

1 Timothy 1:12-17 - Lectionary for Pentecost 17 C

9/7/2016

Many churches throughout the world use a Bible reading schedule called a "lectionary." It's just a fancy word meaning "selected readings." Posts like this reflect on the readings for an upcoming Sunday or other Church holiday, as found in the three-year lectionary.

This week’s reading from 1 Timothy 1:12-17 sees the apostle Paul reminding Timothy, a younger pastor, of the extent of God’s forgiveness. The Bible often speaks about how serious our sin is. Our failure to fulfill God’s will, our neglect of God’s Word, our rejection of God’s people, all our failure is clear to us. However, we often try to ignore one simple fact. The Bible says that all sin is worthy of death (Ezekiel 18:20, Romans 6:23, etc.). How are we going to deal with this?

First, we should be moved to sorrow. Our sin is grievous. It is not acceptable in God’s sight for his people to be engaged in sin. There should be no question about that. Any awareness of our sin should rightly remind us of the curse of God against sin.

Second, we should realize the depth of Jesus’ forgiveness. This is the subject of our passage in 1 Timothy. The apostle Paul, before his conversion, was actively involved in hindering, discouraging, and even killing God’s people. Furthermore, he was doing this all in the name of God, thinking that the Christians were a fringe group who had wrongly identified the Messiah and needed to be silenced. Paul was guilty as guilty can be. However, he was confronted by Jesus, who showed him forgiveness, acceptance, and patience in all things.

The Bible depicts Jesus as willingly intervening to take sin away from sinners (v. 15). When we are confronted by our sin and shame, let us, like Paul, look to Jesus, the savior of sinners.

If this brief meditation was helpful to you, I hope you will check out the other materials on our website at www.WittenbergCoMo.com and consider supporting us.