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Volume 69,
Issue 1
Search the Scriptures A Brief Overview of I Timothy Rev. Lubbers is a minister emeritus in the Protestant Reformed Churches. My plan is to publish two "study helps" for each of the six chapters of I Timothy. After consulting with Prof. Engelsma, Editor-in-Chief, I saw the fitness of writing a short "Overview" before writing the study helps.We must keep in mind that these study helps must be brief, yet comprehensive of the main thrust of the letter. Furthermore, we must bear in mind that this letter is, in the deepest sense, issued by the risen Christ from His throne at, God's right hand. It is no human letter, but it is an official letter from the highest office in the churches. It is from Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ. He was appointed to be a Kerux (minister), apostle, and teacher of Gentiles who were once outside "the commonwealth of Israel, strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world... "(Eph. 2:12-22). We shall attempt to write two lessons for each of the six chapters. May the Lord grant us wisdom and insight into this timeless letter of Paul. It should become abundantly clear that it is the foolish and ungodly folly of unbelievers to prattle about the Bible as if it has lost its relevancy for the "enlightened" twentieth century church world. Let us, first of all, take note of Chapter 1. In this chapter there are two matters which are dealt with. The first is the error of some men, Hymenaeus and Alexander being in the forefront. The error is that of certain "law-preachers." These avow that we must not have the preaching of Christ crucified, dead and buried, and risen the third day from the dead. We must preach the law to sinners, they say, apart from sovereign grace! Paul rightly calls this preaching of law as a way to salvation without grace a wholly "other doctrine." In this teaching of law is horrible ignorance of the "end of the commandment." The true end of the new commandment in Christ is "love out of a pure heart, a good conscience, and unfeigned faith." In a different connection Paul teaches that "Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one who believes, the Jew first and also the Greek" (Rom. 10:4). The second matter is that there is a great word of truth in all the Scriptures worthy to be accepted. It is that Jesus Christ came into this world to save sinners. Paul is truly the great example that real sinners are saved as vessels of mercy. Paul is a chosen vessel. Jesus Christ was revealed in him. He is the great picture of the truth that, where sin abounded, grace abounds still more. Paul revels in this grace. He boasts on the good conscience in Christ by faith (see I Tim. 1:11-17). Only where there is such a love out of a pure heart is the reassurance that one will see God, according to the gospel of the glory of the most blessed God. Hence, the doxological praise, "Now unto the Ring eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honor and glory for ever and ever, Amen." Let all those who deny this blessed gospel be Anathema! Paul has delivered such over to Satan that they may learn not to blaspheme the gospel of elective love and mercy! They were men who did not sin ignorantly in unbelief, as had Paul. Even when he persecuted the church he had a good conscience. But he received mercy! We now turn our attention to Chapter 21-20. Here the Holy Spirit teaches us what the will of God is toward all men, Jew and Gentile. It is to save "all men" and to have them corn... to the saving knowledge of gospel-truth. In Chapter 2 we see the church militant in the great task of which Jesus spoke to the disciples on the mount of Olives: ". . .and ye shall be witnesses unto me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth." Not every believer is such an official witness of Jesus. But the believing church, men and women and children, must incessantly be praying. They must, according to the will of God, be busy in supplication and prayers, intercessions and giving of thanks (I Tim. 2:4). God will have one church, which the Son of God gathers, defends, and preserves out of the whole human race by His Word and Spirit. There is one Triune God, one Mediator of God and man, Jesus Christ. Only in such a savior can and will God unify all the nations. These nations are not composed of every man, woman, and child, but they are the one church of which Christ is the Head. Now there is one church in the new dispensation. All are to be a mighty army of prayer warriors. In I Timothy 2:4 there seems to be solid biblical ground for the erroneous Arminian teaching that Christ's death on the cross is the expiation of the sins of every man, woman, and child in all the world. But does the Holy Spirit teach such rank universalism? We will need to read this Scripture and others carefully! It will serve us well to compare Scripture with Scripture. Just an example: compare John 17:9, 24-26 with I John 2:2, 3. Contradiction? Does I Timothy 2:6 compared with Matthew 7:21 shed a clear light on the difference between "all" and "everyone"? God is not the author of confusion. He has a "law" according to which the services in the New Testament must be regulated (I Cor. 14:34, 35). But does not Galatians 3:25-29 truly equalize men and women in the church of the living God? Is the theology of feminism really constructed upon solid ground? Let us read and study all the Scriptures, both the Old Testament and the New Testament. We must be of a noble bent of mind, as were they of the Berean church (Acts 17:11). Let us now turn to Chapter 3. We notice just a few salient points. In the first place we notice that Paul plans to return to the Ephesian environs, as soon as this will be possible and feasible. He asserts that what he now writes could not wait until such an eventual necessary visit. In the second place, the conduct of the entire congregation must befit the very house of God, yea, the sanctified church of the living God. The Bible is very instructive concerning God's house. .Here is the very holy 'place, the very house in which God makes His abode. Here men should dwell in full assurance of faith. Here we dwell with God, and God with us. It is the place which belongs to Immanuel, God with us. Amen! Here the Chief Shepherd has His appointed under shepherds. It is interesting to read in I Peter 2:25 that Jesus, who died to save His people from their sins, is called both the Shepherd and the Bishop of the sheep of His flock. Here we are dealing with the mystery of godliness that is great. It is God, the incarnate Son, who is this great Shepherd and Bishop. He has ordained that there be also underling bishops. Blessed are all they who long for fulfilling such a holy task, being constrained by the love of Christ (I Tim. 3:1). The high calling of undershepherds requires that they be men who have been tried. They must be such who hold the mystery of faith in a pure conscience! Did not Jesus say to Peter: if you love me keep, feed, and shepherd my flock? Chapter 4:1ff. lifts the veil on a prophetic word. Paul speaks of what the Spirit says expressly in the Scripture concerning the latter times. Here we hear the keynote of Old Testament prophecies. .It is such as we hear from the lips of the dying Jacob on his bed as he scans the ages (Gen. 49:1ff.). Perhaps you have noticed that Paul mentions the rising of "some" who will deny the truth of Genesis 1:4, 10, 13, 18, 21, 25, and the climactic approval of the good creature by God in Genesis 1:31. They destroy the very foundation of all the articles of our undoubted Christian faith. These are the very emissaries of the abyss of hell. These have lost every working of a good conscience. Not one God in Christ, the one Mediator, do they teach, but pagan, Satanic dualism. Paul also underscores that all the ministers, elders, and deacons must be "good ministers." In this field our professors must be able men, who can lay the enemy low. There is need for all ministers to make a great endeavor to be workmen who rightly divide the Word. It is a constant and holy polemic in which the Word of the Cross shuts the mouth of all who oppose the teaching of the full counsel of God. When we turn to I Timothy 5, we learn some very important details of how the church of the living God must care for the flock of God, both young and old. Each must be shepherded according to his place and station in life. This is a very spiritually delicate task. All ministers must tremble lest they off end one of these little ones. There is a singular need of elders. The churches must give double honor to such, particularly to those who labor in the Word and in the doctrine. Such rightly divide the Word. The term "word" refers to the teaching of the full counsel of God; the doctrines are all the structural truths of the Christian faith that were revealed in the Old Testament as well as in the New Testament. Twice Paul quotes from Deuteronomy 25:4: "Thou shalt not muzzle the ox when he treadeth out the corn." (Read I Cor. 9:9-11 and I Tim. 5:18.) This should not be read as if it could also mean: do not withhold the benefits of the harvest from the fatted ox. Here it refers to the words of the Lord Jesus, "for the workman is worthy of his hire (Matt. 10:10). Yes, the harvest is truly plenteous, but the laborers are few. Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that He will send forth laborers into His harvest. The Holy Spirit does not overlook the sad fact that even officebearers still are beset with faults. Think of the faults of a Peter as recorded in Galatians 2:11-15. The last chapter is very climactic. It deals with the spiritual attitude of all Christians toward the world's goods. Even Timothy receives a needed admonition to live up to the great directive: that "godliness with contentment is great gain." Sometimes we ministers do not really have the courage to preach on this with a good conscience. Shame on us! Only when we pursue with single hearts do we flee these worldly goals. We don't have sermons which we can preach with the good conscience. But when ministers before God flee all love for money, and follow after righteousness, they set a worthy example of laying hold on eternal life. Thus do they really fight the good fight of faith, and lay hold on eternal life. Such preaching has holy glow in the hope of glory. But here we walk the footsteps of Him who was made poor for our sakes, that we might be rich. Think of it, says Paul, how the Ring of kings and the Lord of lords stood before Pontius Pilate and made the good confession that His kingdom is not of this world. There He stood in shame and reproach. He had brought nothing into this world and He of all men carried nothing out of this world. That was His "time" of nothingness. But now this Christ will have a different time (kairois). Presently He shall show who it is that is the blessed and only potentate, the King of kings, the Lord of lords, who only has immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto, whom no man has seen, nor can see: to whom be honor and power everlasting. Amen. What glorious doxological heights Paul is led to express repeatedly. May we study this grand pastoral letter with the burning hearts of those who have the Scriptures interpreted! Let us not be spiritual and intellectual dullards. Let us press on to perfection. |
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