Sermon Tone Analysis

1 Timothy Part 4 – 1:3-6 – Remain and Aim

2 Independent Clauses – Remain and Aim

REMAIN

‌1:3

Serving a Local Church

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At a time of First Frontier Expansion

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as Important as Frontier Mission work

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The apostle’s words suggest that there was some reluctance on Timothy’s part to remain at Ephesus, which was one of the most important of the Asiatic churches, both strategically and culturally.

His somewhat timid nature may well have shrunk from so onerous a task.

(so that the church may REMAIN)

‌Connected to the “Old” Truth

Nothing New to be taught – the word Paul uses here (heterodidaskaleo) doesn’t exactly mean false, though it is, it means different

suggests that there was already in existence a recognized standard of Christian doctrine (see Introduction, pp.

47ff.).

These words give a timely warning to our modern age against the quest for novelties in Christian teaching.

For Paul to write this word implies that there were doctrinal norms in place already in the mid-first century

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Jude 3

Beloved, although I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints.

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Galatians 1:8–9

But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed.

As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed.

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​AIM

‌1:4-7

Love that issues from a Pure heart, a Good Conscience, and a Sincere Faith àGenuine Christian Love

At Genuine Christian Love

We know that love is the Central Ethic of the Cosmos

The communal love in the Trinity overflowing into Creation

The Father’s love for the Son in his giving him a bride

The Son’s love for the Father and Bride in coming to rescue us and sanctify us

The Spirit’s love for the Father and Son in his work to enact in the hearts of His people this great love story

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Love is the cause of your salvation (John 3:16), it is also the result of your salvation.

In large part, making you more like Jesus, which God is doing every moment, is simply making you more loving.‌

If I said you only had one word to describe your relationship to God and from God, the best word would be love.

If I similarly asked for one word to describe how you are to treat others as a Christian . . .

​ You have a magnifying glass and hold it up before the sun until you focus the rays on a piece of dry wood and set it on fire.

Now, while you see the wood burning to ashes, will you tell me what it is that burns?

Does the heat of the sun burn the wood or does the wood burn?

The heat that you feel while the wood is burning, is it due to the sun or to the wood?

Of course at first the fire is purely and simply the flame of the sun, but afterwards the wood itself begins to burn; the sun burns the wood and then the wood itself burns.

Even so the love of God comes into our heart, and then our heart loves too, and in both cases “love is from God” (1 John 4:7).

No man is a Christian unless he himself loves God with his own heart, but yet our love to God is nothing more or less than the reflection of God’s love to us: so that it comes to the same thing

Romans 13:8–10

Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law.

For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet,” and any other commandment, are summed up in this word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.‌

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Galatians 5:6

For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love.

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Galatians 5:14

For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

1 Corinthians 13:1

If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.

Napolean was said to have uttered in St. Helena after his empire fell, “Alexander, Caesar, Charlemagne and I myself have founded great empires; but upon what did these creations of our genius depend?

Upon force.

Jesus alone founded His empire upon love, and to this very day millions will die for Him.”

So will it last.

When all that kings and princes can do with statecraft, and with power, shall have dissolved like frost in the sun, Christ’s kingdom must stand because it is based upon the law of love.

His person is the incarnation of love, his teachings are the doctrines of love, his precepts are the rule of love, his Spirit is the creator of love, his whole religion is saturated with love, and because of this his kingdom cannot be moved.

‌Love does not mean accepting all teachings (modern world) – the reason Paul gives first for leaving Timothy there is to combat false teachings

Combat false teachings not in spite of love, but because of it, FOR it.

Those teachings are not producing love.

Christian Truth produces love.

By Choosing “Stewardship” over “Speculation”

Using these words that are used here

or

Christ-Likeness over Controversy

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‌Speculations - word also can be defined as Controversies

Both meanings likely in view

1:6 – turning from Genuine Christian Love as the goal, have wandered away into vain discussion, meaningless fruitless discussion

1:4 - ESV

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‌ Greece -speculation considered almost an end in itself, a good in itself

Maybe its this or this or this?

Who could know who could know?

– How we are made right with God, how we are saved, about things God has spoken clearly about.

Who could know?

Paul says, ME!

I know!

WE know, God has made it clear in Jesus, no need for speculating.

No need for something New.

God has given ample knowledge of this redemption in Scripture and in history; it does not require intuitive divination or mystical imagination to discern.

They were giving themselves to all of these controversies which had little to do with the aim of the church – create genuine Christian love.

These speculations and controversies were doing nothing to accomplish that aim.

Which he calls here the “stewardship of God that is by faith”

The word stewardship here is an interesting word, it carries connotation of the Household theme we have seen already, the way that God orders his house.

Speculations/Controversies keep us from

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“Advancing God’s work” - NIV

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“Which cause disputes rather than godly edification” - NKJV

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“Which don’t help people live a life of faith in God” - NLT

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By losing their Christian bearings they drifted into trackless waste, for life without this triad of virtues not only lacks love, but produces no more than meaningless chatter/vain discussions/speculation/ focusing on controversies as opposed to the story of Redemption.

If you ever remember a time in church where you heard more about why we are right and other churches are wrong than you did about redemption, then you know what this can be like‌

A November 2014 Gallup poll found that 17 percent of Americans named Ebola as America’s “most urgent health problem.”

That is a larger percentage than those who named health problems like obesity, cancer, diabetes, heart disease, or substance abuse.

By the end of 2014, two people had died in the United States from Ebola compared to the millions killed by the others.

It is so easy to stress out over things that are less important

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Vain Discussion

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1 Timothy 4:7

Have nothing to do with irreverent, silly myths.

Rather train yourself for godliness;

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Titus 3:9

But avoid foolish controversies, genealogies, dissensions, and quarrels about the law, for they are unprofitable and worthless.

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1 Timothy 6:4

he is puffed up with conceit and understands nothing.

He has an unhealthy craving for controversy and for quarrels about words, which produce envy, dissension, slander, evil suspicions,