Encouragement to use your gift to the full (Paul and Timothy) Wednesday 31st July 2024

I am planning to do a series of studies in Paul's first letter to Timothy. Today, I want to provide a brief introduction to this letter from Paul, the apostle, to a younger man by the name of Timothy. Many of Paul's letters were written to churches such as his two letters to the church at Corinth or his letter to the church at Colossae. But Paul did write letters to individuals such as Philemon, Titus and Timothy. Some critics have challenged the authorship of the letters to Timothy and Titus, known as the pastoral epistles, because there is a difference in style from his other letters. I am not going into this debate and will continue to accept that Paul was the writer of these two letters to Timothy.

We are only going to be focussing on one chapter of Paul's first letter to Timothy but it may be helpful to spend some time thinking about Timothy and why Paul was writing to him. Although there are some gaps, we can find out some information about him from the book of Acts as well as Paul's letters (including the two letters to Timothy). We know that he was of mixed parentage in that his father was a Greek (a Gentile) but his mother was a Jewess. We know very little about his father and it has been surmised that he may have died by the time Timothy comes on to the pages of the New Testament. His early life was greatly influenced by his godly mother and godly grandmother.

3 I thank God whom I serve, as did my ancestors, with a clear conscience, as I remember you constantly in my prayers night and day. 4 As I remember your tears, I long to see you, that I may be filled with joy. 5 I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, dwells in you as well. 6 For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands, 7 for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control. [2 Timothy 1:3-7 ESV]

Timothy seems have been a bit lacking in confidence. He was naturally reticent and timid. And yet, Paul had a great affection for him. It is likely that Paul was personally involved in Timothy coming to faith in Jesus the Messiah, building on the solid foundations of his mother's and his grandmother's influence. But that was not the only reason for the strong bond between the older and the younger man. Paul recognised some admirable features which would make him a great assistant to Paul. I believe it was his loyalty which convinced Paul that he was a man to be trusted. This was especially necessary in the context of when Paul first encountered Timothy. On Paul's first missionary journey Paul had been accompanied by a servant of the Lord named Barnabas and by John Mark who was his nephew. But John Mark (the author of the second Gospel) decided to quit and go back home to Jerusalem. So Paul needed someone he could rely on. And Timothy came with a good reputation and Paul was impressed with his character.

It is remarkable that a man who is naturally a bit timid came to serve the Lord so faithfully. I wanted to produce a list of what Timothy did for the Lord but I cannot call it a CV (Curriculum Vitae). Perhaps I should point out that some of these statements are better verified than others. Where I have added an asterisk *, this is to denote that this may be just conjecture on the part of scholars.

Timothy was a constant companion to Paul in his missionary journeys.

• Timothy travelled with Paul and Silas and possibly Luke to Philippi so he witnessed personally the events described in Acts 16 - the conversion of Lydia and the incident with the slave girl . He was not put in prison at that stage - only Paul and Silas. He had a good reputation at Philippi as can be seen from the commendation in Paul's letter to the Philippians. But you know Timothy's proven worth, how as a son with a father he has served with me in the gospel. [Philippians 2:22 ESV] It is possible that Timothy remained at Philippi while Paul and Silas moved on to Thessalonica as there is no mention of Timothy at that city.

• Timothy is present at Berea when there was such opposition to Paul's ministry that he had to be persuaded to leave by sea but Timothy and Silas remained at Berea. However, when Paul had reached Athens, he sent for both Timothy and Silas to join him. (Acts 17: 10-15)
  

• Timothy is sent to Thessalonica from Athens to meet the need of the believers there who were having a hard time. Paul describes Timothy as 'our brother and co-worker in the gospel of Christ' [1 Thessalonians 3:2 ESV] His task was to comfort and teach the Thessalonian believers.
  

• He spent some time with Paul at Corinth from where Paul wrote his two letters to the Thessalonians and Timothy's name appears in the greeting of both epistles (1 Thessalonians 1:1 and 2 Thessalonians 1:1).
  

• There is a gap in our records, but we encounter Timothy again and he is at Ephesus and he is sent on a mission to Macedonia while Paul stays on in Asia Minor. (Acts 19:21-22). He might not have been present in Ephesus when Demetrius, the silver smith stirred up a riot.
  

• He seems to have been sent to Corinth as mentioned in 1 Corinthians 16:10. The letter to the Romans was written when the apostle Paul was in Corinth and, as Timothy is mentioned in the closing chapter, sending greetings to those friends who probably had a connection with Corinth but have now moved to Rome.

• Timothy is mentioned in Acts 20 along with others who went ahead of Paul on his journey to Philippi and met him at Troas (Acts 20:1-6).

• He seems to have been with Paul when he wrote his letters to the Philippians, the Colossians and Philemon (Philippians 1:1; 2:19; Colossians 1:1; Philemon verse 1).

• Timothy was particularly associated with the church at Ephesus. If we read the beginning of Paul's letter to Timothy, we get an indication that Paul had asked Timothy to stay on at Ephesus while he journeyed to Macedonia. Some have suggested that he was the 'bishop' of the church at Ephesus - and might have been the 'angel' of the church at Ephesus to whom the message of Revelation2:1-7 was addressed. * The opening verses of Paul's letter to Timothy are also useful for giving us an idea of why Paul was writing this letter. There are false teachers in the church there who are teaching a different doctrine from the teaching of Paul. And Timothy is left there to deal with this heresy. As I urged you when I was going to Macedonia, remain at Ephesus so that you may charge certain persons not to teach any different doctrine, 4 nor to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies, which promote speculations rather than the stewardship[a] from God that is by faith. 5 The aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. 6 Certain persons, by swerving from these, have wandered away into vain discussion, 7 desiring to be teachers of the law, without understanding either what they are saying or the things about which they make confident assertions. [1 Timothy 1:3-7 ESV]
  

• This must have been challenging for him, especially as he is inclined to be reticent and rather timid. He would have to deal with strong-willed men who were probably older than him. They did not regard Paul highly and would not have any time for this young whippersnapper who was his delegate. So Paul has to encourage him to be confident - not in himself - but in the message from the Lord. Paul was very eager to encourage this young man to assert himself on behalf of the Word of God and the testimony of the Lord.

• 11 Command and teach these things. 12 Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity. 13 Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching. 14 Do not neglect the gift you have, which was given you by prophecy when the council of elders laid their hands on you. 15 Practice these things, immerse yourself in them,[c] so that all may see your progress. 16 Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers. [1 Timothy 4:11-16 ESV]
  

• Timothy must have spent some time in prison for his faith as there is a reference to his release. (Hebrews 13:23)

• Some have suggested that Timothy was present with Paul when he was executed. *

Timothy might have died a martyrs death. *

I have a personal interest in Timothy. I was very shy and lacking in confidence even after graduating at university. I am so grateful for the encouragement I was given in my late teens and early twenties at Bethany Hall, Stevenston to engage in preaching and Bible teaching. I have become more confident as I grew older but I still suffer from imposter syndrome. So it is great to see how this young man was given the strength to serve the Lord faithfully and to stand for God and for the truth when it was being attacked. God can uses Moses who had a speech impediment to deliver a speech to the most arrogant ruler of his day. God can use Timothy to stand for truth in a church which is being saturated with false teaching. But Timothy had an older man who cared deeply about him and prayed for him. There is a lesson for older men and women from the example of Paul's care and concern for Timothy.

We are going to concentrate on only one chapter of Paul's first letter to Timothy - the last chapter. Here are some of the major lessons we will focus on - I found these headings in a PowerPoint I had made up some years ago. You can see that I was into alliteration.