Bible Survey - 1, 2 Timothy, Titus

Okay, we are at 1st and 2nd Timothy here and Titus. So those three. We have some dates that are given here. 1st Timothy 63 through 66 AD and 2nd Timothy about 67 AD. AD and then Titus 63 through 66. I'm inclined personally to believe the earlier of those dates. I don't have it. I'm inclined to believe the earlier of those dates. So the 63, closer to the 63, if not the 63 AD dates.

These are often referred to as the pastoral epistles. But Timothy and Titus were not really serving in the role of pastors. So I think that's a distinction I would make. While they're called the pastoral epistles, reality is that these guys were more apostolic delegates. That is, they were operating under the instruction and direction of Paul.

And imagine receiving a letter from the Apostle Paul included in the New Testament canon. Here is a letter that is inspired by God. The Apostle Paul wrote to the Corinthians in 1 Corinthians 4. He said, you must reckon, same word and same verb form as in Romans 6.11, you must reckon or consider that we are stewards of the mysteries of God. And mysteries are not things that are mysterious and mystical, but things that previously weren't revealed, but are now revealed. So we are stewards of revelation that is just now being given to you. So here's the Apostle Paul writing to these two apostolic delegates, Timothy and Titus, and we have those letters. Timothy's father was a Greek and his mother was a Jewish believer.

Acts 16.1 brings that out. Apparently, as a result of the Apostle Paul's first missionary journey, which he did with Barnabas, Timothy had become a believer either directly as a result of that ministry or indirectly. He had, you know, gotten the gospel and become a believer.

Now, one of the things that's kind of amazing, Timothy is a fellow that we have more information about than we have for most of the apostles. It's really kind of interesting. The last listing of the Apostles is Acts chapter 1. And a number of those Apostles, we have no further record in Scripture of what they did or where they went or anything else. We do have some record outside of Scripture of all the Apostles. But for most of them, we know more about Timothy than we know about most of the Apostles, at least from Scripture itself.

Now Titus, on the other hand, while Timothy is half Jewish, his father was a Greek and apparently didn't care to have him circumcised. So that's one of the things that Paul did before he took him on ministry. He says, if you're going to have ministry among Jews, we need to have you circumcised. So that was one of the things that they did. But Titus, on the other hand, was a Gentile, just flat out a Gentile. So while Paul would have Timothy circumcised in order that he would have ministry among the Jews, with Titus he refused to have him circumcised.

That's a really interesting distinction there. Titus also seems to have been one that is kind of like the special forces. Paul sent him into impossible situations. And one of them is revealed there in Titus chapter 1. I'm sending you in to appoint elders in a culture that is completely corrupt.

Okay, so we have a graphical outline of 1 and 2 Timothy on page 1 here. There are six chapters in 1 Timothy, 4 and 2 Timothy, and a fair amount of 1 Timothy is dealing with situations in the church. Here are the criteria for appointing elders. And then here's the criteria for appointing deacons and selecting deacons. And then even instructions about church discipline and who are you going to support and things of that sort. When you get to Second Timothy, now what's the difference between First and Second Timothy? What is the noticeable difference? One digit. One digit? Yes. Well, there's certainly that, yes. That's very noticeable. Good of you to observe that.

What else? What is the first of Paul's letters? Do you have that? What is the first letter that Paul wrote that we have? Galatians is probably the earliest letter. The last is 2 Timothy. Paul is actually recognizing in 2 Timothy that he's about done. I fought the good fight. I'm about to be poured out like a drink offering, is the way he puts it. And so that's a distinction between the two letters to 1st and 2nd Timothy. 1st Timothy, Paul's not writing like, you know, I'm about at the end. 2nd Timothy, he is. 2nd Timothy, he is.

Let's look at the graphical outline on page 2 for Titus. Titus is a brief letter, only three chapters long. But it's intense. And it starts off being intense. Now, if you look right below that, we have a heading that says, Focus on Doctrine, Teaching and Instruction. Between 1st and 2nd Timothy and Titus, you have about 50 times, in those three fairly brief letters by comparison, you have about 50 times mention of doctrine and teaching and instruction. It's just emphatic.

Now, what's very interesting is, have you ever run into Christians that say doctrine just doesn't matter, and we can't tell any difference, or you ought to stay away from it? Ever run into that? Now, Nancy's nodding her head because we've run into that. Christians who say, well, you can't really tell what the Bible actually says. A professor at Colorado Christian University said to his students, anyone that tells you that they know what the Bible says is teaching heresy.

Yeah. The reality is, Here are these three letters, all three of them brief, but between them, 1st and 2nd Timothy and Titus, 50 times talking about doctrine and teaching and instruction, including in each one of them talking about making distinction between true and false teaching. Here are some examples, 1st Timothy 4, 1-6, but the Spirit explicitly says that in later times, Some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons, by means of the hypocrisy of liars, seared in their own conscience with a branding iron. That's rather intense. Men who forbid marriage and advocate abstaining from foods which God has created to be gratefully shared in by those who believe and know the truth. Now, doctrines of demons. That's intense, isn't it? Doctrines of demons. What are doctrines of demons?

Abstaining from marriage and forbidding certain foods. Isn't that interesting? And you will have Christian groups who will teach that, to say Christian with quotes, who will teach that even now. What is required of priests and nuns in the Roman Catholic Church? They had stained for marriage, right?

And I don't know about you, but at least when we were kids, it was well known that you don't eat meat and such things on Friday. You stick to fish. So you have it right within one group, both of those teachings. Doctrines of Demons. By the way, since demons have doctrines, does that not make doctrine matter? It certainly does. Where is the doctrine coming from makes a big difference.

Verse 4, For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with gratitude, for it is sanctified by means of the word of God and prayer. In pointing out these things to the brethren, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, constantly nourished on the words of the faith and of the sound doctrine which you have been following. Both with Timothy and with Titus, that word sound is used. And the Greek word behind that is the word where we get our word hygiene, having to do with health. So you could bring it across as sound, meaning healthy doctrine.

2 Timothy 2.15 Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth.

That word accurately handling, it was used in the secular world in two particular ways. In the King James it says rightly dividing. It was used in tent making. It was a term used in tent making where they would have patterns for the pieces of material that they were cutting and it would be cutting carefully along the pattern lines so that you don't have, when you sew it together, you don't have gaps and you don't have flaps. So rightly dividing was carefully cutting along the pattern lines so that when you put it together, it goes together right. There was another way in which that word was used, and that was of the Roman engineers who laid out the road, to lay out the road correctly so that when you go and cut or fill, that things go smoothly.

So the word was used in those two ways, both of which Paul and Timothy would have seen together. Imagine here's Paul making tents and talking to Timothy, and he says, hey, give me that piece over there, and cutting carefully along the pattern lines, and the two of them walking together on Roman roads. Both of those kind of secular connections would make good sense to Timothy. So Paul chose that word.

So be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed. Accurately handling. This accurately handling, that's the cutting along the pattern line and laying out the road. Accurately handling the word of truth. It does matter what conclusions we come to about scripture. And there is such a thing as correct doctrine, and there is such a thing as incorrect doctrine. Here's Titus 1, 10-14, for there are many rebellious men, empty talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision, who must be silent because they are upsetting whole families, teaching things they should not teach for the sake of sordid gain. One of themselves, that is a Cretan, a prophet of their own, Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons.

That's pretty intense, right? It was known if you wanted to pull a con job in the Roman Empire, it was known throughout the empire, if you want to pull a con job, hire a Cretan. It was admired in the Cretan culture. It was admired that someone would, you know, befriend somebody and then stab them in the back. That was looked upon as really cool.

Can you imagine Titus going into that kind of a culture and picking elders? These had to be men who were radically transformed, because the culture is not going to produce the qualifications of an elder. It was phenomenal. for Titus to be sent in in this situation.

And Paul doesn't soften the words. He just lays it right out there. I'm sending you in to appoint elders in a culture where these people are liars, evil beasts, and lazy gluttons. The culture does not produce the quality that you're going to need in elders.

And you've got to discern that with each man. This testimony is true. For this reason, reprove them severely so that they may be sound. Here's that same word, sound, where we get our word hygiene from that same Greek word. Sound in the faith. And let's talk about the faith. The faith, and we'll look at that in a minute.

The Faith is a term that starts in Acts 6 and goes on into the book of Revelation, used numerous times and included in these letters. The Faith is the teachings and doctrines of the Apostles that the Apostles conveyed, and it's a specific set of teachings. And the Apostles spent a lot of time, a lot of ink, focusing on this is the faith and this is not. Often making distinctions between what is the faith and what isn't the faith.

So doctrine does matter. And notice, reprove them severely so that they may be sound in the faith. Not paying attention to Jewish myths and commandments of men who turn away from the truth. The faith, the truth. Very specific, yeah. Going back to this, be diligent to present yourself. Pardon? Going back to be diligent to present yourself.

Yes, 2 Timothy 2.15. When does this presenting occur? Is this like the throne judgment or when you're praying to God? It sounds like it's an act of presenting yourself. Yes, yeah. Imagine you are you're being diligent now to present yourself later.

There is an accountability before the Lord, and God is not up there saying, boy, I just can't wait until I get my hands on Vernon, and boy, I'm going to scorch him, but good. The question is, what can I reward you for? And one of the rewards is for sound doctrine. One of the rewards in the New Testament is for sound doctrine. There is a presenting, presenting ourselves before the Lord. What's interesting is we live here on earth for a time, but we will be rewarded for eternity based on what happens in time. And so, is it wood hands double that just gets burned away? Or is it gold, silver, and precious stones that last?

That's the analogy that the Apostle Paul uses in 1 Corinthians 3, verses 10-15. So, yeah, there is a presenting. And even Even in Ephesians, that you brought up I think earlier, here's Ephesians at the outset. Holy and blameless is used early, I think in Ephesians 1-4, and then again in chapter 5. And it's a presenting. There's a presenting.

So yeah, there will be a presenting before the Lord. and a judgment, not for condemnation, but for evaluation for rewards. How can I reward you? And that reward is something that the Lord is motivated to give us. He wants to reward us to the maximum. Revelation, the last chapter, says, Behold, I am coming, quickly, and that That's tachos, which implies not necessarily soon, but he's coming imminently, and my reward is with me.

Now, Titus 2.1 is the last one, but as for you, speak the things which are fitting for sound doctrine. Again, the same word he keeps using with them. Back to the last part.

Timothy, I think it's interesting, Paul being a Pharisee, would certainly have first-hand information about Jewish myths, and adding to the law, and hypocrisy, and all this other stuff. And it shows what a dramatic 180 degree turn you made. You see, the Jewish myths have substantially misled the Jews for centuries. You know, one of them, here's one just real quickly, is that Abraham will stand at the gate of hell and make sure that no Jew ever goes in.

Alright? But what's the problem with that? Is that real? If you have a Jewish heritage, you're not going to hell? You missed the gospel, right? You miss the gospel if you believe that myth. So that's just one of the Jewish myths. So yeah, it's a heaven or hell difference whether you believe the Jewish myths or not, or any other myths for that matter. I've heard people say, oh, the Bible is just full of myths. There's warning about myths. No, the Bible is not full of myths. There's warning about myths, and that's just one of them. There are others. Let's take a look at the top of page 3.

Both 1 Timothy and Titus have advice, counsel from Paul, with regards to older men, younger men, older women, and younger women. So with Timothy, He talks to Timothy about, or writes to Timothy about, here's how you relate to the various genders and ages. He says, do not sharply rebuke an older man, but rather appeal to him as a father, to the younger men as brothers, the older women as mothers, and the younger women as sisters in all purity. So he gives advice on here's how to relate to the different genders and ages. And he uses a family context as a point of comparison. Now with Titus, he takes a different approach, although he talks about the same groups. He talks not about, here's how you relate to them, but here's how you exhort them and encourage them. And so he writes to Titus 2-6, Older men are to be temperate, dignified, sensible, sound in faith, in love, in perseverance.

That's that word sound again, right? Older women likewise are to be reverent in their behavior, not malicious gossips or enslaved to much wine. And by the way, those points were commonly used of older women in the comedies that would be portrayed in the theaters. That older women would be regularly portrayed as being malicious gossips and enslaved to wine. That was like the punchline.

Teaching what is good so that they may encourage the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, and to be sensible, pure workers at home. Kind, being subject to their husbands so that the word of God will not be dishonored. Likewise, urge the young men to be sensible. And of course, what was the situation in the culture, young men were not encouraged to be sensible. So you have those similar but also different points of advice regarding older and younger men, older women, and younger women. Now, the other thing that's a pattern throughout all three books is a trustworthy statement. So to 1 Timothy, here's a trustworthy statement. Deserving full acceptance that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am foremost of all. What does he mean by trustworthy statement? What does that convey?

You can believe it. You can believe this. We use the word principle. Principle is either the way things work or a fundamental truth or both. And one of the things he says here, this is a fundamental truth. That's what this trustworthy statement is. You can count on this. You can believe it. You can act on it. This is definitely a truth that you can live by.

And so he continues on, 1 Timothy 3.1, it is a trustworthy statement, if a man aspires to the office of overseer, it is a fine work he desires to do. And that's the beginning of the qualifications for elders. And by the way, what's interesting in there, if any man aspires to the office of overseer, it is a fine work he desires to do.

So there are two words that are not the same, but two words talking about the elder's desire to be an elder. So should someone reluctantly be an elder? No. No. As a matter of fact, that second word means that the elder pants after it. A strong desire to shepherd. A strong desire to shepherd. OK, let's take a look at the next one. Is a trustworthy statement deserving of full acceptance?

For it is for this that we labor and strive, because we have fixed our hope on the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of believers. Now, does that mean everybody gets saved? No. The Savior of all men, how could we make that statement? Why is Christ the Savior of all men? And by the way, that doesn't just mean males. But how can Christ be the Savior of all men, but not everybody gets saved?

Yes. In other words, He died so that everyone is savable. He died and was buried and rose again so that everyone is savable. So the sins are paid for, only those who believe receive and take advantage of that payment. So he is presented as the savior of all men, but it only applies to those who believe. Here's a fun one. It is a trustworthy statement For if we died with Him, we will also live with Him. If we endure, we will also reign with Him. If we deny Him, He also will deny us. If we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself." Now, does this statement here say that you're going to lose your salvation? Is that what that means?

Well, the one on 12 there, if we endure, we will also reign with Him. It kind of raises the question. It means that he is divine and holy and he cannot lie whereas man in their condition can lie. Yeah, in their condition. Now notice he says we, so he is including himself and Timothy. Now there is a little hidden secret here What kind of if are these?

Because there is a distinction in the Greek that we don't see in the English. This is the one if and it's assumed to be true. So if we died with Him, and we did, we will also live with Him. And if we endure, and we will, we will also reign with Him. If we deny Him, and we will at times, He will deny us. Deny us what? Positionally or conditionally? In other words, if we deny Him, He will deny us in fellowship, but not in relationship.

So, key thing. Alright, the last one, Titus 3, is a trustworthy statement. So here is a principle that is also the way things work. The way things work. Alright, let's take a look at page 4. This goes to the qualifications of elders. The three passages that talk about qualifications of elders are 1 Timothy 3, 1-7, and the passage immediately following gives qualifications for deacons, Titus 1, 5-9, and 1 Peter 5, 1-4.

And the way I've done this on this list is use Titus 1, 5-9 as kind of the core of that, and then when 1 Timothy 3, 1-7 and 1 Peter 5, 1-4 have something new to add to the Titus passage, then I've listed that. So these otherwise, 1 Timothy 3 and 1 Peter 5, would otherwise be longer. Now notice, 1 Peter 5, 1-4 says, willingly, not under compulsion. One of the things we mentioned in 1 Timothy 3, 1-7, but have not included it here.

One of the things that we mentioned earlier is the elder has a desire to be an elder. So you don't go pushing somebody into it. And so 1 Peter underscores that willingly, not under compulsion. So he puts it in another way. So definitely an elder should not be pushed into that role. They should definitely be desiring, willing, and not under compulsion.

So as you go through the list, here's one of the other things. that these character qualifications are put in the present tense. So is it possible that before someone was a believer that they were quite different from these? Yeah, could very well be. Before they were a believer, they may have been very different from the qualifications they have now. Like Paul. Here's Paul in 1 Timothy chapter 1. He says, I was this and this and this.

And he basically gives the greatest possible offense against the Jews was blasphemy. And he says, I'm a blasphemer. The greatest offense against the church was that he wanted them dead. He said in acts as he was testifying, he says, whenever I had the chance, I voted for death. I made sure that the Christian believers were killed if I could possibly do so. And then he gives the greatest offense against the Greek mind, and that's hubris. That's his third. So he says, I was guilty of the worst offense against the Jews, the worst offense against the Church, and the worst offense against the Gentile Greeks. I'm guilty of it.

But God was merciful and has put me into service. So yes, it is quite possible that someone previously in their past was a very different person. And pretty much that's what Titus is going to have to do as he appoints elders. Because the Cretans, as a culture, were just horrid. Terrible. Where backstabbing, making a friend of someone and then coming and stabbing them in the back was admired. So everyone that Titus is going to appoint is a person who has been radically transformed. radically transformed.

Now, here's at the end of the list, I'd like us to take a look at 15, 16, and 17. Holding fast the word. This is in Titus 1, 5 through 9. Holding fast the word, able to teach sound doctrine, able to refute objections. So this is having what we call discernment. Discernment. What is true and what is false? And knowing the distinction there. That's the qualification for an elder.

And it's not their history. Their history may be quite other. But now, right now, what are they continuing to do now? So that's the question. 1 Timothy 5, 17-22 also gives insights into the support, discipline, and care to be taken in appointing elders. I recently had someone ask, well, is it right that we support pastors and teachers and things like that? And this is one of the pastors that would say yes. Now, that isn't to support the prosperity doctrine. We've got prosperity doctrine teachers that make huge amounts of money. Massive amounts of money. Joel Osteen just bought a house that's ten and a half million dollars. I think it's a little much.

And the other distinction that we made here, 2 Timothy is different. Since 2 Timothy reflects Paul's sense that his life and ministry are close to the end, it conveys Paul's assessment of his own ministry. In 1 Timothy, he starts off saying, I did this and this and this and it was terrible, but God's merciful. Now he's saying, I've carried on my ministry, And I'm close to the end, so let's look at 2 Timothy 4, 6-8. For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come.

I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith, and in the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing. So it's real interesting where in 1 Timothy he starts off with this pretty intense assessment of, you know, I was these horrible things. But now he's looking at it and saying, you know, from the time I became a believer, that's what God is going to look at and judge. From the time I became a believer, that's what God is going to look at and judge. If Paul had not fought the good fight, since he became a believer, if Paul had not done that, if he had not been loving his appearing, would that mean that he wouldn't be saved?

No. Those things, those things determine reward. They don't determine salvation. Salvation is by one thing. What is it? It's by faith. By faith in what? By faith in Christ, and to be specific, 1 Corinthians 15, verses 3 and 4. Believing in Christ's death, burial, and resurrection. That's the content of the gospel, to be believed.

And it's that simple. So if someone believes that, They're safe, eternally. And what he's talking about here is reward. And that's exactly what he says. In the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award me on that day. Not only me, but also to all who have loved his appearing.

There is an eternal reward for looking forward to that one moment when He comes for us all. Isn't that something? You get to be rewarded eternally for that one instant when He comes for us. All you gotta do is look forward to it. That's it. And God says, I'll reward you forever for looking for that moment. Isn't that astounding? That's amazingly gracious. That's amazingly gracious.

Did Paul always look forward to Christ's appearing? No. No. As a matter of fact, before he became a believer, anybody who looked forward to Christ's appearing, what did he do? He voted for death. But he's not even talking about that now. The reward is for the time someone is a believer. The reward is for the time someone is a believer. Some people don't have much time. Realizing that he's not a church saint, the thief on the cross. He never got baptized. He never went into a church door. And who knows, he might not have gone into a synagogue door either. He might never have gone to the temple, but Jesus says to him, today you'll be with me in paradise.

Grace is like that. Grace is like that. Okay, further thoughts, questions, comments, wonderings? I can't find it, but he was, I think, somewhere, since River calls on the name of the Lord to let me disappoint him, which is a little different from knowing Christ crucified very good. It's just simply calling on the name of the Lord. I'd like to be on the cross. One of the things that will find is that there are places where things are abbreviated, but it doesn't necessarily deny the content of the gospel. Here's an example.

Acts 16.31, I think it is. Here's the Apostle Paul. He's been in the jail at Philippi. And here's the jailer. What must I do to be saved? Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved.

With that, some have taught, well, all you've got to do is believe in Christ, that's it. But as you look at what is the content of the gospel to be believed, Paul will elsewhere lay that out. So you'll find places where the gospel is abbreviated, and the rest of the content is there by implication, not by direct statement in every situation. Calling upon the name of the Lord means calling upon all of who He is and what He has done. So it isn't just saying, Lord I believe, but rather it's looking at who He is and what He has done, and that points to the content of the gospel. Other thoughts, questions, wonderings, ponderings? I think one of the things that's amazing as I look at this is the grace and mercy of God is impressive as you look at these three books. Here's the Apostle Paul starting off saying, I was the worst of the worst. I offended everybody. I was offensive to everyone. And in that, God had mercy and put me into service. By the time you get to this last part of 2 Timothy, Paul's last book that we have, he's not focusing on what he did before he was a believer at all.

He's saying, I have fought the good fight, and I will be rewarded. I know it. Isn't that something? What he had done before was horrid, and he knew it. But he wasn't focusing on that. Towards the end he says, I fought the good fight. God is immensely merciful and gracious.

Yeah. Do you think Timothy could have written Hebrews? Probably not because in the last chapter it says Timothy is being released. Right? So it speaks of Timothy as somebody else. And of course we don't know because Hebrews doesn't say who wrote it. My best guess is that it's Barnabas. Barnabas was a Levite and so all the temple sacrifices and all that would have made good sense to him. And so I think he would be a good candidate. He would be quite familiar with that. We know that on his first missionary journey he traveled with Paul on ship. Since he's actually a native of Cyprus and owned land there, it means that he constantly was on ships. And so when he writes, when the author of Hebrews writes throughout the book, there is repeated reference to shipping terms, nautical terms. repeatedly, so that would qualify him well.

And there's a few lines of evidence that point to Hebrews being written to Jewish believers in or around Ephesus. There's a particular version of the Greek Old Testament that Hebrews quotes from. It's also quoted from in Ephesians. That particular version of the Greek Old Testament is quoted in Ephesians, in Hebrews, and in Revelation. And what was the first of the seven churches? To Ephesus. So multiple evidences that Ephesus, or somewhere around that area, was the target for Hebrews.

Okay, either the second buzzer's gone off or I'm getting tinnitus. So, anyway, let's pray. Okay? Lord, we thank you for your word. We thank you for these very special letters that were written to Timothy and to Titus. And we thank you also for Paul's honesty in these things. And the special things you've chosen to have revealed and disclosed for our benefit. And so we give you thanks. We pray in Jesus' name. Amen.