1 Timothy 1

1. Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the Royal Decree of God our Savior, and Jesus who is our confidence.

The original wording here is the Royal Commandment of God.  These words are used when a king has made a decree and sent someone out from the kingdom to represent him.

The Romans called Caesar their savior.  Paul loved to remind people who our real Savior is.

2. Grace mercy and peace to you from God the Father and Jesus our Lord.

These are the kind of words, we would expect when Almighty God sends a messenger from His kingdom into our world.

3. In this letter, I am repeating the advice I gave you just before I went to Macedonia, and asked you to stay at Ephesus.  I wanted you to do this so that you could teach certain men to stop teaching strange doctrines.

The church of Ephesus was ten years old at this time. At the time of this letter Paul had been recently released from prison in Rome.  He was busy visiting all the churches and could not be everywhere at once.  He trusted Timothy to lead the church in Ephesus until he returned.

False teaching will spread like an infection. 2 Timothy 2:17

4. And to stay away from old Jewish stories and tracing of ancestors.

Jewish teachers added stories to the Old Testament books.  Their stories come from their imaginations.

5. Our goal in the ministry is to show people the kind of love that comes from a clean heart and a clear conscience and the kind of faith that is real.

We often forget that the main thing God wanted to show through Jesus and that He wants to show to the world through us: is love.

A lawyer one day asked Jesus, "What is the greatest commandment?" Jesus replied, “You must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind. ...and to love your neighbor as yourself.” Matthew 22:37,39

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Some people have forgotten these things and have lost themselves in wasted words. They want to be teachers of the law even though they have no idea what they are saying about the things that they pretend to be so sure about.

There are always men who want to be looked up to as leaders of the church.  They want everyone to think like they do. Paul said that this would happen.

I know that after I leave Ephesus, wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and come from among your own selves, speaking twisted things, to draw away people to follow them. Acts 20:29-30

8. We know that the law is good if you understand what its purpose was.

The law was our schoolmaster, pointing us to Christ.  Galatians 3:24

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We also know that a good man does not need a law, but is for the man who does not have character or self-control. It is for the man who is wicked who has no conscience or respect for others.  The law is pointed at the kind of people who attack their own parents and kill each other.  It is against those who are immoral and are who are sexually twisted, and against kidnappers and liars and all of those who are against solid teaching.

A person who has made up his mind to do what is right, does not need a law to tell him to do it.

For the rulers do not strike fear in people who are doing right, but in those who are doing wrong. Romans 13:3

11. They are against the healthy teaching of the glorious Gospel that God has trusted me to bring.

We build what we believe on the words of Jesus. 1  Timothy 6:3

12. I am deeply grateful to Jesus who has given me the strength to work in His service, because He considered me as someone He could trust with this assignment.

God will not call you until He equips you first. God is not looking for someone who has special skills.  He is looking for someone who is surrendered.

To the one we are the savour of death unto death; and to the other the savour of life unto life. And who is sufficient for these things? 2 Corinthians 2:16

Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God. 2 Corinthians 3:5

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Even though I spoke against His name and insulted and persecuted Him. He had mercy on me because He knew that I did not know what I was doing. Our Lord poured out His grace on me and gave me faith and love for Jesus Himself.

Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” Luke 23:34

Paul's teacher Gamaliel said that Paul was disrespectful and extremely proud. If you if you share your past testimony do not glorify the things you did.

Paul is saying, "Timothy, if God could use a person like me, He can use you!”
15. Here is a saying that can be trusted and everyone should agree with: “Jesus came into the world to rescue sinners." And I was the worst of them all.

For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. John 3:17

Jesus never pointed his finger and accused people, He only gave invitations.

Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Matthew 11:28

If people think that Jesus is against them they will not want to be around Him. Many times we see someone trapped in sin and say, “That guy is a real mess.  He is evil.”

What we should be saying is, "I feel so bad for that guy.  He is caught in a trap that the devil set for him.  I could have been caught in the same trap.  God have mercy on that guy and set him free, in Jesus name!"

Paul's trustworthy sayings: 1 Timothy 3:1, 1 Timothy 4:9, 2  Timothy 2:11, Titus 3:8

16. For this very reason, God was specifically merciful to me to demonstrate how patient Christ is towards the worst of men and to show an example to those who would later believe in Him for eternal life.

People are watching, and they begin to think that if it works for us then it can work for them. Many times men will say, "I was watching someone else trapped in the same way that I was.  I needed to know for sure if there was a way out."

17. So, to the King of all the ages immortal, invisible the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever.  Amen!

Sometimes we are so full of what God has done for us that we stop and just praise Him in the middle of our day.

18. Timothy, my son, I give you this assignment.  It goes along with the prophecies that were made about you when you were sent out to fight a spiritual war for what is right.

Martin Luther said that he could not understand what prophecy Paul was talking about here.  We have lost the true spirit of prophecy, which is very rare nowadays.  The book of Joel says that those days are returning (Joel 2:28).  We need to understand how to use the gifts properly as listed in 1 Corinthians chapters 12 and 14.

While they were ministering to the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” Acts 13:2

And coming to us, he took Paul’s belt and bound his own feet and hands, and said, “This is what the Holy Spirit says: ‘In this way the Jews at Jerusalem will bind the man who owns this belt and deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles.’” Acts 21:11

Because of the wrong use of some gifts, the modern church most often does not practice or allow these gifts to be used publicly.

These same churches however, may have a meeting to try to solve a problem and if someone comes up with the perfect solution they will say, "That is a great idea.  Let us do that!"

The problem is when people want to be looked up to when they use their gift in the church.

Do not neglect the gift you have, which was given you by prophecy when the council of elders laid their hands on you. 1 Timothy 4:14

19. Keep on trusting the Lord and keep on having a clear conscience.  Some have put away these simple weapons and have made a shipwreck of their faith.

It is impossible to share the Gospel clearly without a clear conscience. Having a clear conscience means going back to everyone that you have done wrong and asking their forgiveness or making restitution.  When you do this you will feel a fresh anointing of the Holy Spirit.

Some people think they what they are doing is not a problem because they do not feel guilty. When they are in the presence of Christ, or in the presence of a Christian who is filled with Christ, they suddenly see their life for what it is. Paul felt this this way in God's prescence (Acts 9:5).

Having a clear conscience is not just going to a church that has correct doctrine but being free from anyone being able to condemn you for things you have done against them.

If you are offering a gift at the altar, and while you are there, you remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there at the altar and go and make things right with your brother, and then come and offer your gift. Matthew 5:23-24

20. Hymenaeus and Alexander are two of them who have done this and I have given them over to Satan to teach them not to speak against God.

God has put a fence around His people to protect them.  Paul may have been saying that he asked God to remove this fence so that these men could see what life is like when the enemy can destroy them.

Have You not made a hedge about him and his house and all that he has, on every side? Job 1:10

I have decided to deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of his flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. 1 Corinthians 5:5

Their talk will spread like infection. Among them are Hymenaeus and Philetus, men who have gone astray from the truth saying that the resurrection has already taken place, and they destroy the faith of some. 2 Timothy 2:17 – 18