1 Timothy 1:1-2

I. Author

Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus according to the commandment of God our Savior

Paul -

-Well known.

-A man who was once a destroyer of God’s CHurch

-He met Christ and it completely transformed his life.

-From Church Destroyer to Church Builder.

Once Know as Saul, it is often said he changed his name to Paul

-Not true

-There was a custom of having dual names

-A Hebrew Name and a Roman Name

-Saul is his Hebrew name

-Paul is his roman name.

-Most believe that Paul was given the Roman Name Paul from birth.

-Paul means little

-This probably indicates that he was small from birth.

-A 2nd century writter describe Paul this way, “

“a man small of stature, with a bald head and crooked legs, in a good state of body, with eyebrows meeting and nose somewhat hooked, full of friendliness; for now he appeared like a man, and now he had the face of an angel”

This might give us lttle incite into why some of in Corinth said this of Paul

2 Corinthians 10:10 ESV

For they say, “His letters are weighty and strong, but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech of no account.”

BUT ISNT THIS JUST LIKE GOD?

-To use a man so unimpressive to advance the Kingdom of God in such a way that gives God and enormous amount of Glory.

Notice he identifies himself as an apostle

Apostle - “one who is sent”

-could be translated ambassitor

-Apostles are sent for a mission.

-There is a sence inwhich we are all apostles…all sent with a mission

-but this refers to a 1st century office in the early chuch “Apostle”

-This office was held by the 12

-With Matthias replacing Judas

-And God added Paul into the mix.

-This are men who were eyewitnesses to the resurected Lord and who were commissed at the very hand of Christ.

-THIS IS WHAT THE TEXT SAYS That Paul is “an apostle of Christ Jesus”

-Not the word order there. “CHrist Jesus”

-Paul is the only one that uses that Word order

-He also uses “Jesus Christ” in that order, but “Christ Jesus” is unique to Paul

-Some of put forth the reason for that order change with Paul is that the other apostles knew Jesus the man before then later beleived him to be the Christ

Paul first met the resurrected Lord first!

-Another unique phrase from paul is the prase “God our Savior”

-Liberal theologians have been floating this concept for a while that the God of the OT is just full of wrath and jealously…

-It is true that God has righteous indignation in the OT and he is a jealous God…that is not all he is...

-The concept of God as Savior did not begin in the NT...

Psalm 18:46 ESV

The Lord lives, and blessed be my rock, and exalted be the God of my salvation—

Psalm 25:5 ESV

Lead me in your truth and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; for you I wait all the day long.

Micah 7:7 ESV

But as for me, I will look to the Lord; I will wait for the God of my salvation; my God will hear me.

Mic

Habakkuk 3:18 ESV

yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will take joy in the God of my salvation.

The coming of our Savior JEsus Chist is a the work of the Father...

-He accomplishes his will to save his people though his Son Jesus, who the text says IS OUR HOPE

Recipient and Context

vs 2 “To Timothy, my true child in the faith”

Timothy- a disciple of Paul’s and a colaborer in the Gospel.

-The text calls him a spiritual son

-Paul spent a lot of time with Timothy…discipling him and mention him.

-By the time of this letter, Timothy and Paul would have had about a 15 year relationship.

Timothy, is a young pastor.

-Pastoring in Ephesus

-He had all the typical issues of pastoring coupled with the fact that he was a young man and likly showed signs of timitdity

-iWritten in the early 60s

And paul uses a somewhat familiary greeting, but it is a rich greeting.

Gracy, Mercy, and Peace....all essential for us in our walk with Christ.

Grace -

-Grace is often defined as unmerited favor

-it is when we recieve what we dont deserve...

“God’s favor toward the unworthy”

“God’s benevolence on the undeserving.”

In His grace, God is willing to forgive us and bless us abundantly, in spite of the fact that we don’t deserve to be treated so well or dealt with so generously.

Mercy

-So if gace is recieving what you dont deserve

-Mercy is not reiceving what you do deserve.

-Mercy is what spares us form the wrath of God.

-We all righ tnow, deserve death.

-God not punishing us as our sins deserve,

-Mercy is deliverance from judgment

Mercy and Grace are both closely related.

-They have both been given to us in salvation

But look at this list last part of the greeting.

“PEACE FROM GOD THE FATHER AND CHRIST JESUS OUR LORD”

DO you want to knwo what grace and mercy accoplishes in the spirit of the one that is saved....peacE.

Philippians 4:7 ESV

And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

YOu and I needs God’s grace, mercy and Peace just like young timothy.

-These things are not just for getting saved....these things sustain the saved..

-The help us…endure…the come from God…and we need him disperatly.

Philippines 4:7