1 Timothy, Part 2: Pursue What Matters

We read the second half of 1 Timothy and trace Paul’s charge to protect the gospel, form resilient leaders, care for real needs, and pursue godliness with contentment. We challenge each other to pair up, practice the word, and guard what God has entrusted.

• the church as pillar and support of truth
• training for godliness and visible progress
• modeling speech, conduct, love, faithfulness, purity
• public Scripture reading, exhortation, teaching
• wise care for widows and family responsibility
• honoring and correcting elders with integrity
• rejecting controversy, greed, and false knowledge
• pursuing righteousness, endurance, and gentleness
• commands to the rich toward generosity and good deeds
• guarding the entrusted gospel together

Download your Echo guide at outloudbible.com/resources. Find a friend, work through it for seven days, and send us your feedback at outloudbible.com

Chapters

• 0:22 Setting the Stage in Ephesus
• 1:16 The Call to Contend Together
• 2:45 Reading 1 Timothy 3:14–4:5
• 6:35 Train for Godliness, Lead by Example
• 7:29 Care for Widows and Honor Elders
• 10:43 Sound Teaching vs. Greed and Controversy
• 12:45 Charge to the Rich and Final Doxology
• 13:53 Protect the Trust and Avoid Empty Talk
• 14:41 Personal Charge: Steward What God Entrusted

Transcript

SPEAKER_00: 0:11

Welcome back to the Out Loud Bible Project Podcast. This is Mike. Together we're reading through the letter to Timothy, Paul's first of two letters that we have, to this young leader that he's establishing in this region of Ephesus and leading the churches there, addressing different issues, different uh situations that have come up for Timothy. Paul trying to enforce uh uh a mentality and a spiritual legacy in Timothy. Last episode, Paul tried to demonstrate by his life's example of what kind of work God does through someone who is fully submitted and fully humble to Christ's sanctifying process, as well as giving him some instructions for, hey, you're gonna establish other leaders among the local bodies here. Here's what they need to look like elders and deacons, they need to have these qualities so that we can avoid the false teaching problem that's cropping up all over the region. And that's Paul's probably primary concern here in this letter. Today, he's gonna talk more about some specific issues. There's some specific groups of people who need specific instructions, as well as giving Timothy a sense of here's some of the duties that you will have as a leader that uh by the Spirit of God you're going to be empowered to do, but you need to carry this out so that you can be a faithful follower of Christ and fight this good fight. Paul uses that terminology of a fight. This is supposed to be a struggle. Not because God's calling you to just, you know, have a miserable life, but because it's hard. Following Christ and more so leading others to follow Christ is hard. And it requires perseverance. It requires staying in the fight, not giving up. And so Paul, toward the end of his life, is trying to pass on some of these values and these mentalities through Timothy as well. Paul's letter to Timothy here reminds us that we are not supposed to fight alone. And that's why our echo discipleship guides are intended to be one-on-one. Someone like Paul working with someone like Timothy. Now you don't have to be a veteran or a newbie to benefit from these, but if you go to outloudbible.com, we have an echo discipleship guide. It takes seven days. Each day focuses on another key verse from 1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, or Titus in this case. We've combined all of these letters into one study. And uh it's intended to work with someone. There's a couple discussion questions there, and then some action steps, which are my favorite part of the discipleship guides, honestly. A great opportunity to take a step to not just hear what the Bible says. I'm glad you're here listening, but more importantly, we got to do what the Bible says. And so these echo guides offer some steps that you can just pick one and just take one that's a little bit out of your comfort zone. And so no matter where you are, no matter how familiar you are with the Bible, no matter how far along the road you are, there's always a place to step out of the comfort zone. And I hope this guide will help you work together to find steps that are right for you and really take steps together in fighting this good fight. So if if Paul and Timothy's relationship can teach us anything, it's that we need to contend together. Let's pour into each other, encourage each other in this fight, in this race that we're that we are in. Again, you can download your echo guide for Timothy and Titus uh right from the website. You can go to outloudbible.com, the resources tab, or if you want to add slash resources, it'll take you right there. You can download your guide. It's free, and uh and find a find a friend, find someone that you can work through it together. You could do it over text if you're not in person, that's fine, or yeah, print it out and show up at the coffee shop together. Whatever you want to do, find someone, and I guarantee uh the Bible is going to turn from just something to listen to to something that actually affects and impacts our life and impacts the lives of those around us. I'm excited to hear how it goes for you. Let me know. Just send a message through the website outloudbible.com. I'd love to hear your feedback and and how the word of God has taken effect in your life. We're gonna continue today with the second half of the letter to 1 Timothy. That's hard to say. We're gonna we're gonna read 1 Timothy starting in chapter 3, verse 14, and continue on to the end of the letter today. This is the New English translation. I hope to come to you soon, but I'm writing these instructions to you in case I'm delayed to let you know how people ought to conduct themselves in the household of God, because it's the Church of the Living God, the support and bulwark of the truth. And we all agree our religion contains amazing revelation. He was revealed in the flesh, vindicated by the Spirit, seen by angels, proclaimed among Gentiles, believed on in the world, taken up in glory. Now the Spirit explicitly says that in the later times, some will desert the faith and occupy themselves with deceiving spirits and demonic teachings, influenced by the hypocrisy of liars whose consciences are seared. They will prohibit marriage and require abstinence from foods that God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. For every creation of God is good, and no food is to be rejected if it's received with thanksgiving, for it's sanctified by God's word and by prayer. By pointing out such things to the brothers and sisters, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, having nourished yourself on the words of the faith and of the good teaching that you followed. But reject those myths fit only for the godless and gullible, and train yourself for godliness. For physical exercise has some value, but godliness is valuable in every way. It holds promise for the present life and for the life to come. This saying is trustworthy and deserves full acceptance. In fact, this is why we work hard and struggle because we've set our hope on the living God who is the savior of all people, especially of believers. Command and teach these things. Let no one look down on you because you're young, but set an example for the believers in your speech, conduct, love, faithfulness, and purity. Until I come, give attention to the public reading of Scripture. That's my favorite part. To exhortation, to teaching. Do not neglect the spiritual gift you have given to you and confirmed by prophetic words when the elders laid hands on you. Take pains with these things, be absorbed in them so that everyone will see your progress. Be conscientious about how you live and what you teach. Persevere in this, because by doing so, you will save both yourself and those who listen to you. Do not address an older man harshly, but appeal to him as a father. And speak to younger men as brothers, older women as mothers, and younger women as sisters with complete purity. Honor widows who are truly in need, but if a widow has children or grandchildren, they should first learn to fulfill their duty toward their own household and so repay their parents what is owed them, for this is what pleases God. But the widow who is truly in need and completely on her own has set her hope on God and continues in her pleas and prayers night and day. But the one who lives for pleasure is dead even while she lives. Reinforce these commands so that they will be beyond reproach. But if someone doesn't provide for his own, especially his own family, he's denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever. No widow should be put on the list unless she is at least sixty years old, was the wife of one husband, and has a reputation for good works, as one who has raised children, practiced hospitality, washed the feet of the saints, helped those in distress, as one who has exhibited all kinds of good works. But do not accept younger widows on a list because their passions may lead them away from Christ, and they'll desire to marry, and so incur judgment for breaking their former pledge. And besides that, going around from house to house, they learn to be lazy, and they're not only lazy, but also gossips and busybodies talking about things they should not. So, I want younger women to marry, raise children, and manage a household in order to give the adversary no opportunity to vilify us. For some have already wandered away to follow Satan. And if a believing woman has widows in her family, let her help them. The church shouldn't be burdened so that it may help the widows who are truly in need. Elders who provide effective leadership must be counted worthy of double honor, especially those who work hard in speaking and teaching. For the scripture says do not muzzle an ox while it's treading out the grain, and the worker deserves his pay. Don't accept an accusation against an elder unless it can be confirmed by two or three witnesses. Those guilty of sin must be rebuked before all as a warning to the rest. Before God and Christ Jesus and the elect angels, I solemnly charge you to carry out these commands without prejudice or favoritism of any kind. Do not lay hands on anyone hastily and so identify with the sins of others. Keep yourself pure. Stop drinking just water, but use a little wine for your digestion and your frequent illnesses. The sins of some people are obvious, going before them into judgment, but for others, they show up later. Similarly, good works are also obvious, and the ones that are not cannot remain hidden. Those who are under the yoke as slaves must regard their own masters as deserving of full respect. This will prevent the name of God and Christian teaching from being discredited. But those who have believing masters must not show them less respect because they're brothers, instead, they are to serve all the more because those who benefit from their service are believers and dearly loved. Teach them and exhort them about these things. If someone spreads false teachings and does not agree with sound words, that is, those of the Lord Jesus Christ, and with the teaching that accords with godliness, he's conceited. And understands nothing, but has an unhealthy interest in controversies and verbal disputes. This gives rise to envy, dissension, slanders, evil suspicions, and constant bickering by people corrupted in their minds and deprived of the truth, who suppose that godliness is a way of making a profit. Now, godliness combined with contentment brings great profit. For we've brought nothing into this world, and so we can't take a single thing out either. But if we have food and shelter, we'll be satisfied with that. Those who long to be rich, however, stumble into temptation and a trap and many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is the root of all evils, and some people, in reaching for it, have strayed from the faith and stabbed themselves with many pains. But you, as a person dedicated to God, keep away from all that. Instead, pursue righteousness, godliness, faithfulness, love, endurance, and gentleness. Compete well for the faith and lay hold of that eternal life you were called for and made your good confession for in the presence of many witnesses. I charge you before God, who gives life to all things, and Christ Jesus, who made his good confession before Pontius Pilate, to obey this command without fault or failure until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, whose appearing, the blessed and only sovereign, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, will reveal at the right time. He alone possesses immortality and lives in unapproachable light, whom no human has ever seen or is able to see. To him be honor and eternal power. Amen. Command those who are rich in this world's goods not to be haughty or to set their hope on riches, which are uncertain, but on God who richly provides us with all things for our enjoyment. Tell them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, to be generous givers, sharing with others, and in this way they'll save up a treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the future, and so lay hold of what is truly life. Oh, Timothy. Protect what has been entrusted to you. Avoid the profane chatter and absurdities of so-called knowledge. By professing it, some have strayed from the faith. Grace be with you all. Can we leave ourselves with that same charge? Fill in the blank. Oh, if not Timothy. Maybe your name's Timothy. That's convenient. Maybe not. But protect what has been entrusted to you. What has been entrusted to you? The gospel? What has been entrusted to you? Truth. What's been entrusted to you? God's work in your life that's to be used as a testimony, as an example to others. Protect what has been entrusted to you. How do we do that? Well, for starters, avoid the profane chatter and absurdities of the so-called knowledge that's floating out in the world on TikToks and on Instagram reels and just these teachings that come up trying to show us something new, trying to progress away from what has been already established, which is not really progression at all. It's digression into the same old lies that Satan's been trying to perpetuate for generations. Protect what has been entrusted to you. Paul labels it all throughout these letters to Timothy and Titus. This is a trustworthy saying. This is a trustworthy saying. This demands full acceptance. Hang on to the truth of God's word. God has entrusted you with it. Doesn't that sound wild? Why would God entrust anything to us? Doesn't He know how likely I am to mess it up? Apparently so, but apparently it's worth it because this is His plan to build the kingdom. You've been entrusted with this. So the question is how will you steward it? That's the thinking out loud thought for the day.