1 Timothy, Chapter 1
© Copy right 2002 Darroll Evans, all rights
reserved
It is always been interesting to me when Paul
begins a letter to a fellow believer or Church by declaring that he is an
Apostle of Christ Jesus.
However, we must remember that during his
lifetime Paul was not universally accepted as an Apostle.
Paul became an Apostle when the commandment
of God went out.
In the same manner, you are a child of God
because of a commandment of God.
The word that makes us children of God is
based in Christ Jesus.
He is our hope.
This letter was written to Timothy.
Timothy, Titus (Titus 1:4), and Onesimus
(Philemon 1:10) are mentioned in the Bible as Paul’s sons-in-the-Spirit.
Most of Paul’s letters begin with a greeting
of grace and peace.
As a sign of their special relation, the
letters to Timothy and Titus add "mercy" to the greeting.
Grace, mercy and peace do not come from Paul.
Instead, they emanate directly from God the
Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.
To call anyone "father," reflects a
father/son relationship.
To say that all are children of God denies
the relationship that Christ established with His death and resurrection.
Christ was explicit!
John
8:44 Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your
father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the
truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of
his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.
Paul was explicit!
Eph
2:2 Wherein in time past ye walked
according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of
the air, the spirit that now worketh in the
children of disobedience:
God is the creator of all, but not the
relational Father of all!
To call Christ Jesus "Lord" is a
proclamation of His ownership of mankind. Regardless of our proclamation, He is
our Lord!
By Jesus’ death on the cross, he purchased
all of us.
The title "Lord" denotes ownership.
1 Timothy 1:3-4
3 As I besought thee to abide still at Ephesus, when I went into Macedonia,
that thou mightest charge some that they teach no other doctrine,
4 Neither give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which minister
questions, rather than godly edifying which is in faith: so do.
Paul begins by recalling that when he (Paul)
went to
He told Timothy to stay and live in
Timothy was to "abide" in
During that period, grace was not universally
accepted.
It was Timothy’s duty to instruct others concerning
grace, and not to allow false doctrines to go unchallenged.
Timothy was also to instruct others not to
"give heed" to myths and the numerous family trees.
Such nonsensical speculation only promotes
dissension.
1 Timothy 1:5-7
5 Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a
good conscience, and of faith unfeigned:
6 From which some having swerved have turned aside unto vain jangling;
7 Desiring to be teachers of the law; understanding neither what they say,
nor whereof they affirm.
In comparison with things that separate us,
Christians are to think on and do those things that uplift.
Philippians 4:8 Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever
things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever
things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue
and if there is anything praiseworthy-- meditate on these things. (NKJV)
Those things come from love, a pure heart,
and a good conscience.
We are to demonstrate sincere faith.
As in Paul’s day, many today have turned to
"vain jangling" (babbling).
Many try to impress others with incomplete or
false knowledge.
As in Paul’s day, many today desire to be
Teachers of the Word without either the understanding or the calling.
Being a Teacher is not something we work to
achieve.
It is something that is opened to us by
almighty God!
Most of the best Teachers did not start out
to be Teachers.
Then Paul says something that goes again what
most teach.
He tells Timothy that "the Law is
good."
Then he qualifies the use of the Law, "if
a man use it lawfully."
Notice that Paul is not qualifying his
thoughts concerning the Law.
However, he is addressing the use of the Law.
Notice that Paul told Timothy that "the
Law is not made for a righteous man."
The righteous are led the Spirit of God.
Rom
8:14 For as many as are led by the
Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.
The spirit separates us from the death that
the false use of the Law imposes on all that do not use the Law wisely.
The Law was given when man rebelled against
God.
It was provided for the "lawless,
disobedient, ungodly sinners, unholy and profane, murderers of fathers and
mothers, manslayers, whoremongers, those that defile themselves with mankind
(homosexuality), menstealers, liars, perjurers, and any other thing that is
contrary to sound doctrine."
That is quite a list.
The gospel teaches that we (Christians) were
that way.
God does not turn away those that sincerely
come to Him.
Paul thanks Christ Jesus, who empowered Him
for service.
Those of us that are of the faith should also
thank God for the same reason.
Christ Jesus made us worthy for service to
the Father.
Paul was an ex-blasphemer, an ex-persecutor,
an ex-injurious person.
The emphasis is on "ex."
God showed him mercy at the time he was all
of those vile things.
You and I did not change and then accept
Christ.
Christ accepted us and then changed us!
Phil
1:6 Being confident of this very
thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the
day of Jesus Christ:
Phil
2:13 For it is God which worketh in
you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.
If God the Spirit is not residing in you, He
is not working in you to do His good pleasure!
1 Timothy 1:14 And the grace of our Lord
was exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.
This is a statement of fact.
As we have faith in and love for Christ
Jesus, the grace of God becomes superabundant.
Then, Paul offers another
"faithful" saying.
It is one that (due to personal experience)
all Christians should easily understand.
Paul writes, "Christ Jesus came into the
world to save sinners!"
Then he adds, "of whom I am chief."
Because of God’s grace demonstrated in Christ
Jesus, Paul received mercy.
That was done to show God’s loving patience.
Paul became a pattern. If God would do it for
the foremost sinner, He would do it for any of us.
Through Christ Jesus, everlasting life has
been made available to all.
Outside of Christ Jesus everlasting life is
not available.
John 14:6 Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and
the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me"(NKJV).
Verse seventeen is a benediction.
The English words "for ever and
ever" would be better translated as "the ages of ages.
“For ever” does not refer to eternity.
"For ever and ever" (Gr. eis tous
aioonas toon aioonoon-eiV
tous aiwnaV twn aiwnwn) should be translated "for/to/into the ages of
the ages."
It is not translated correctly due to
tradition, and fear of the truth.
If the incorrect "eternity"
translation is used for aion, this passage and others would be translated
"for the eternities of the eternities."
That would highlight the misconceptions that
infect most translations.
To my knowledge, the Concordant Literal and
J. P. Green’s Interlinear are the only
translations that follow the Greek text.
The Concordant uses "eon" instead
of "age," and that translation is accurate.
In most popular translations, aion and its
variations are almost always mistranslated.
Paul entrusted Timothy with the fulfilling of
the prophecies spoken over him, and to "war a good warfare" with
those prophecies.
How was Timothy to do that?
He did it by continuing in the faith.
Holding to or keeping the faith is the way to
do all things in Christ.
Rejecting faith in Christ Jesus always leads
to "shipwreck."
Hymenaeus and Alexander were among those that
suffered such a fate.
Paul turned them over to Satan.
But notice the reason he took such a drastic
action.
It was not so they would burn in hell forever
and ever—amen.
He did it so that they "may learn not to
blaspheme."