take hold

Posted on May 21, 2022 by Jefferson Vann

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take hold

1 Timothy 6:11-16 (JDV)

1 Timothy 6:11 But you, human of God, flee from these things, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, care, endurance, and gentleness.

1 Timothy 6:12 Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the permanent life to which you were invited1 and about which you have made a good declaration2 in the presence of many attestors.

1 Timothy 6:13 In the presence of God, who gives life to all, and of Christ Jesus, who gave a good declaration before Pontius Pilate, I direct you

1 Timothy 6:14 to keep this command without fault or failure until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ.

1 Timothy 6:15 God will bring this about in his own season. He is the blessed and only Sovereign, the kings King, and the lord’s Lord,

1 Timothy 6:16 who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no human has seen or can see, to him be honor and permanent power. Amen.

take hold

The point of mentioning God’s exclusive immortality (vs. 16) in this epistle is to show that the only thing of real value in this life is the promise that we, too, might someday share that attribute.  Presently, God is invisible, immortal, and dwells in unapproachable light.  But those who are being saved have his promise that someday we, too may share in his immortality.  Since that is the case, the last thing believers would want to do is get sidetracked by false teachings, and miss out on the only thing of eternal value this life offers – hope of the next life.

1καλέω.

2 ὁμολογέω = declaration. 1 Timothy 6:12-13.

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contentment or controversy

Posted on May 20, 2022 by Jefferson Vann

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contentment or controversy

1 Timothy 6:3-10 (JDV)

1 Timothy 6:3 If anyone teaches differently and does not agree with the wholesome words of our Lord Jesus Christ and with the teaching that promotes godliness,

1 Timothy 6:4 he is conceited and understands nothing, but has an unhealthy interest in disputes and arguments over words. From these come envy, quarreling, slander, evil suspicions,

1 Timothy 6:5 and constant disagreement among humans whose minds are depraved and deprived of the truth, who imagine that godliness is a way to material gain.

1 Timothy 6:6 But godliness with contentment is great gain.

1 Timothy 6:7 You see, we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out.

1 Timothy 6:8 If we have food and clothing, we will be content with these.

1 Timothy 6:9 But those who want to be rich fall into temptation, into a trap, and many foolish and harmful desires, which plunge humans into ruin and destruction.

1 Timothy 6:10 For the affection for money is a root, producing all kinds of evil things, and by craving it, some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.

contentment or controversy

What Paul had just instructed Timothy is that he should teach Christian slaves not to revolt against their masters, but to respect them, love them as brothers and serve them well. By contrast, there must have been some in the congregations who were teaching Christian slaves to ignore or disrespect their masters. This was discrediting the name of God and Christian teaching (6:1).

We need to be suspicious anytime controversy emerges in our ranks. We should be careful not to be the cause of such controversy. How can we avoid this kind of activity, particularly since there are areas of legitimate disagreement among believers, and the need to deal with heresies and false teachings?

  1. This particular teaching was causing ungodly discontentment.
  2. It was motivated by personal greed.
  3. It distracted believers from the pursuit of personal godliness.

Before weighing in on any controversy of dispute, we should ask ourselves is this causing actual harm, or is it merely a disagreement. We should also ask whether a teaching actually contradicts the teaching of Jesus on the subject.

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obeying our masters

Posted on May 19, 2022 by Jefferson Vann

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obeying our masters

1 Timothy 6:1-2 (JDV)

1 Timothy 6:1 All who are under the yoke as slaves should regard their own masters as worthy of all respect, so that God’s name and his teaching will not be maligned.

1 Timothy 6:2 Let those who have believing masters not be disrespectful to them because they are brothers, but serve them even better, since those who benefit from their service are believers and dearly cared for. Teach and encourage these things.

obeying our masters

Paul the missionary is giving instructions to Timothy — the missionary — about how he should deal with the reality of slavery in the congregations he supervises. Paul had told the Galatians that in Christ “there is neither slave nor free” (Galatians 3:28). That suggests that Paul does not endorse the culture of slavery. But neither does he advocate revolution against that culture. Instead, he instructs Timothy to teach the slaves in the Ephesian congregations to respect and serve their masters.

Paul is passing on a command that Jesus gave the church. He commanded us to care for one another. By caring for their masters/employers, the slaves had an opportunity to obey and serve their greater master.

LORD, thank you for those you have called us to serve. Help us to care for them in obedience to your command.

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supervising well

Posted on May 18, 2022 by Jefferson Vann

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supervising well

1 Timothy 5:17-25

1 Timothy 5:17 The elders who are effective leaders are to be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who work hard at preaching and teaching.

1 Timothy 5:18 You see, the Scripture says: Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain, and the worker is worthy of his wages.

1 Timothy 5:19 Don’t accept an accusation against an elder unless it is supported by two or three attestors.1

1 Timothy 5:20 Publicly rebuke those who are failing,2 so that the rest will be afraid.

1 Timothy 5:21 I solemnly charge you before God and Christ Jesus and the elect angels to observe these things without prejudice, doing nothing out of favoritism.

1 Timothy 5:22 Don’t be too quick to appoint anyone as an elder, and don’t share in the failures3 of others. Keep yourself pure.

1 Timothy 5:23 Don’t continue drinking only water, but use a little wine because of your stomach and your frequent illnesses.

1 Timothy 5:24 Some human failures are obvious, preceding them to judgment, but those of others surface later.

1 Timothy 5:25 Likewise, good achievements are obvious, and those that are not obvious cannot stay hidden for long.

supervising well

The common misconception about Timothy is that he was the “pastor” in Ephesus, and that he was charged to develop leaders for his congregation. I say that is a misconception because in Ephesus there were clearly many congregations and many leaders had already emerged — as is clear from this passage.

Timothy was a missionary, placed in Ephesus by Paul, and his role included the task of developing new leaders for those congregations, and supervising their work.

For Timothy to supervise well, he had to honor those leaders who work hard at preaching and teaching, and to sometimes publicly rebuke those who are failing — missing the mark.

The congregations were still under the apostolic leadership of Paul, and Timothy had been left with instructions to develop and appoint new leaders as needed. He had to do so without showing either prejudice or favoritism.

LORD, give us the wisdom to supervise well.

1 μάρτυς = attestor. 1 Timothy 5:19; 6:12.

2 ἁμαρτάνω = fail.

3 ἁμαρτία = failure. 1 Timothy 5:22, 24.

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weeding out the wrong widows

Posted on May 17, 2022 by Jefferson Vann

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weeding out the wrong widows

1 Timothy 5:9-16

1 Timothy 5:9 No widow is to be enrolled on the list for support unless she is at least sixty years old, has been the wife of one husband,

1 Timothy 5:10 and is well known for good achievements – that is, if she has brought up children, shown hospitality, washed the devotees’1 feet, helped the afflicted, and devoted herself to every good work.

1 Timothy 5:11 But refuse to enroll younger widows, because when they are drawn away from Christ by desire, they want to marry

1 Timothy 5:12 and will receive condemnation because they have renounced their original pledge.

1 Timothy 5:13 At the same time, they also are discipled in being idle, going from house to house; they are not only idle, but are also gossips and busybodies, saying things they shouldn’t say.

1 Timothy 5:14 That is why I plan for younger women to marry, have children, manage their households, and give the adversary no opportunity to accuse us.

1 Timothy 5:15 You see, some have already turned away to follow Satan.

1 Timothy 5:16 If any believing woman has widows in her family, let her help them. Let the congregation not be burdened, so that it can help real widows.

weeding out the wrong widows

Some widows who had no livelihood or families to support them were tasked with a support and prayer ministry.  Paul instructs Timothy on who qualifies for that ministry and who does not (5:3-16).

People management is some of the messy work of missions, but it is very important.  In non-profit organizations, personnel decisions are crucial.  Volunteers may surface for a variety of reasons – not all of them legitimate.  Managing the mission requires insight into motives, and an awareness of potential problems.  Those tasked with mission or ministry management must also be careful that their own motives are pure, so that the LORD himself is not dishonored.

LORD, help us to make right decisions about the people who minister among us.  May we honor them and be careful not to dishonor you.

1ἅγιος

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unfair fighting

Posted on May 16, 2022 by Jefferson Vann

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unfair fighting

1 Timothy 5:1-8

1 Timothy 5:1 Don’t lash out1 at an older man, but seek his help like a father, younger men like brothers,

1 Timothy 5:2 older women like mothers, and the younger women like sisters with all purity.

1 Timothy 5:3 Support widows who are really widows.

1 Timothy 5:4 But if any widow has children or grandchildren, let them be discipled in practicing godliness toward their own family first and to repay their parents, because this pleases God.

1 Timothy 5:5 The real widow who is left all alone has put her hope in God and continues night and day in her petitions and prayers;

1 Timothy 5:6 but she who is self-indulgent is dead even while she is still living.

1 Timothy 5:7 Direct them about these things also, so that they will be blameless.

1 Timothy 5:8 But if anyone does not provide for his own, especially for his own household members, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.

unfair fighting

Paul had instructed his protégé Timothy to keep on fighting the good fight of faith. But some in the congregations Timothy was supervising would be tempted to fight unfairly — to take advantage of others in their weakness. Paul urges Timothy to stay away from that temptation.

The elderly are to be treated with respect. Women are to be dealt with in all purity. Those widows who want to be supported by the church must be true widows. Family members should take care of their own, and not saddle the church with a responsibility which is theirs.

The world is watching. We should fight fairly.

LORD, keep us from seeking victory at the price of our own integrity.

1 ἐπιπλήσσω = lash out.

bbjv - 1

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true godliness

Posted on May 15, 2022 by Jefferson Vann

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true godliness

1 Timothy 4:6-16 (JDV)

1 Timothy 4:6 If you point these things out to the brothers and sisters, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, nourished by the words of the faith and the good teaching that you have followed.

1 Timothy 4:7 But have nothing to do with pointless and silly myths. Rather, train yourself in godliness

1 Timothy 4:8 because the training of the body has limited benefit, but godliness is beneficial in every way, since it holds promise for the present life and also for the life which is about to come.

1 Timothy 4:9 This saying is reliable and deserves full acceptance.

1 Timothy 4:10 For this reason we labor and strive, because we have put our hope in the living God, who is the Savior of all humans, especially of those who believe.

1 Timothy 4:11 Direct and teach these things.

1 Timothy 4:12 Don’t let anyone despise your youth, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in care, in faith, and in purity.

1 Timothy 4:13 Until I come, give your attention to public reading, exhortation, and teaching.

1 Timothy 4:14 Don’t neglect the gift that is in you; it was given to you through prophecy, with the laying on of hands by the council of elders.

1 Timothy 4:15 Practice these things; be committed to them, so that your progress may be evident to all.

1 Timothy 4:16 Pay close attention to yourself and what you have been taught; persevere in these things, because in doing this you will rescue both yourself and your hearers.

true godliness

Paul had warned Timothy that false teachers would infiltrate the church and teach people to pursue godliness the wrong way — through self-discipline and abstaining from good things like food and marriage.

There is a true godliness, and it does take training, but it is not based on self-discipline. It focuses on keeping faith in God’s word, hope in God’s promised deliverance, and practice of the Spiritual Gifts he has given us.

True godliness does not consist in making oneself better. It trusts in the one who said he is making all things new.

LORD, help us to live truly godly lives so that others will come to know you — the only source of godliness.

bbjv - 1

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false godliness

Posted on May 14, 2022 by Jefferson Vann

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false godliness

1 Timothy 4:1-5 (JDV)

1 Timothy 4:1 Now the Breath explicitly says that in later seasons some will withdraw from the faith, paying attention to deceitful breaths and the teachings of demons,

1 Timothy 4:2 through the hypocrisy of liars whose consciences are seared

1 Timothy 4:3 preventing marriage and demanding abstinence from foods that God created to be received with gratitude by those who believe and know the truth.

1 Timothy 4:4 You see, anything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving,

1 Timothy 4:5 since it is made sacred by the word of God and by prayer.

false godliness

Paul predicted that within the visible church there would emerge false teachers, and that they would be recognized by their emphasis on false godliness. This is the type of godliness that focuses on the externals, but never leads people to new hearts. These false teachers will teach that to be truly godly, you must forsake normal life — abstain from foods and marriage.

False godliness seeks to be different by following human disciplines in order to make oneself better. True godliness pursues something else.

LORD, help us to escape the temptation to pursue self-made godliness.

bbjv - 1

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supernatural godliness

Posted on May 13, 2022 by Jefferson Vann

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supernatural godliness

1 Timothy 3:14-16 (JDV)

1 Timothy 3:14 I am writing these things to you, hoping to come to you in a short time.

1 Timothy 3:15 But if I should be delayed, I have written so that you will know how people ought to conduct themselves in God’s household, which is the congregation of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth.

1 Timothy 3:16 And most certainly, the mystery of godliness is great: He was manifested in the flesh, vindicated by the Breath,1 seen by angels, preached among the nations, believed on in the world, taken up in glory.

supernatural godliness

A mystery is a person or event that can only be explained with reference to the supernatural. Jesus is such a mystery. His congregation is God’s household — God’s family on earth. We have been tasked with declaring that mystery to the nations.

Our conduct is how we win an audience with the nations in order to fulfill that mission. We must display godliness in our natural lives in order to draw attention to his supernatural display of godliness.

LORD, give us the courage to conduct ourselves with dignity so that the world knows that what we say about you is true.

1 πνεῦμα = breath. 1 Timothy 3:16; 4:1.

bbjv - 1

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three schools for deacons

Posted on May 12, 2022 by Jefferson Vann

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three schools for deacons

1 Timothy 3:8-13 (JDV)

1 Timothy 3:8 Deacons, likewise, should be worthy of respect, not insincere, not drinking a lot of wine, not greedy for money,

1 Timothy 3:9 holding the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience.

1 Timothy 3:10 They must also be evaluated1 first; if they prove blameless, then they can serve as deacons.

1 Timothy 3:11 Wives, too, must be worthy of respect, not slanderers, self-controlled, faithful in everything.

1 Timothy 3:12 Deacons are to be husbands of one wife, managing their children and their own households competently.

1 Timothy 3:13 For those who have served well as deacons acquire a good standing for themselves and great boldness in the faith that is in Christ Jesus.

three schools for deacons

It is clear from this set of qualifications that Paul set the standards high for congregational leadership. But absent from this list is any sort of academic qualification. Timothy was establishing new congregations and there would not have been time to send people to school, even if there were Bible colleges and seminaries to send them to.

Yet, there were three schools every deacon had to have passed through.

One school that every deacon had to do well at was the school of family life. Our relationships and proven leadership at home are a major source of our leader evaluation.

Another school that plays a key role in church leader evaluation is the school of personal discipline. People who cannot control what they eat and drink will prove to lack discipline in other areas as well.

A third school that deacons will have need of a passing grade in is the school of faith in the gospel. They must not only hold the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience, they must also be able to proclaim that mystery with great boldness.

1δοκιμάζω = evaluate.

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