Pastoral letters 1

We begin a new study this week. Over the next several weeks we will be looking at the Pastoral letters verse by verse. Given the name you may think that these letters of Paul are just for pastors. Nothing could be farther from the truth. We learn many things from these letters. the letters to timothy and Titus. Paul in his final years was passing down crucial information to the next generation of believers. It is our duty to pass these things down as well.

First timothy was written by Paul from Macedonia to Timothy in Ephesus in between His two Roman imprisonments. Paul had left Timothy to pastor this church as they dealt with many problems including the rise of false teachers

Paul had left Timothy to pastor this church as they dealt with many problems including the rise of false teachers

Paul urges Timothy to confront false teachers and to teach sound doctrine

Paul’s first charge: fight the good fight

1 Timothy 1:18–20 NKJV

This charge I commit to you, son Timothy, according to the prophecies previously made concerning you, that by them you may wage the good warfare, having faith and a good conscience, which some having rejected, concerning the faith have suffered shipwreck, of whom are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I delivered to Satan that they may learn not to blaspheme.

1 Timothy 1:18–19 NKJV

This charge I commit to you, son Timothy, according to the prophecies previously made concerning you, that by them you may wage the good warfare, having faith and a good conscience, which some having rejected, concerning the faith have suffered shipwreck,

1tim1.

The Greek word for warfare is streatia which we get our word strategy from.

We must hold fast to sound doctrine and fight for it with a gracious strategy

1 Peter 3:15 ESV

but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect,

Worship is to be orderly and led by qualified men

Paul’s second charge: Conduct yourself in the House of God

1 Timothy 3:14–15 NKJV

These things I write to you, though I hope to come to you shortly; but if I am delayed, I write so that you may know how you ought to conduct yourself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.

1 Timothy 4:12–16 NKJV

Let no one despise your youth, but be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity. Till I come, give attention to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine. Do not neglect the gift that is in you, which was given to you by prophecy with the laying on of the hands of the eldership. Meditate on these things; give yourself entirely to them, that your progress may be evident to all. Take heed to yourself and to the doctrine. Continue in them, for in doing this you will save both yourself and those who hear you.

1tim4.12

We should always stir up the word of God that is in us

False teachers abound but we are given the word of God to protect us and show us how to be teachers of the truth.

Paul’s third charge: don’t neglect the gift

1 Timothy 4:12–16 NKJV

Let no one despise your youth, but be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity. Till I come, give attention to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine. Do not neglect the gift that is in you, which was given to you by prophecy with the laying on of the hands of the eldership. Meditate on these things; give yourself entirely to them, that your progress may be evident to all. Take heed to yourself and to the doctrine. Continue in them, for in doing this you will save both yourself and those who hear you.

We should always stir up the word of God that is in us

We are exhorted to to be Godly, content, and humble

Paul’s forth charge: Guard what has been commited

1 Timothy 6:20–21 NKJV

O Timothy! Guard what was committed to your trust, avoiding the profane and idle babblings and contradictions of what is falsely called knowledge—by professing it some have strayed concerning the faith. Grace be with you. Amen.

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Second timothy is probably the most heartfelt letter Paul ever wrote. It is also the last. Paul was imprisoned in Rome awaiting his trial and execution. In this letter we see Paul’s final plea to stay true to the word

No matter what we go through we should never be ashamed of the gospel

2 Timothy 1:8 NKJV

Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me His prisoner, but share with me in the sufferings for the gospel according to the power of God,

2tim1:8-

Things will get much worse

2 Timothy 3:1–6 NKJV

But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away! For of this sort are those who creep into households and make captives of gullible women loaded down with sins, led away by various lusts,

2tim3.1-6

prepare for the worst while holding tightly to Christ

2 Timothy 3:14–15 NKJV

But you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them, and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.

2tim3.14-15

Paul’s letter to Titus is a very practical teaching on how people should conduct themselves as Christians as well as How leaders should live and work. Titus was a companion of Paul and trusted associate. He was sent to Crete to help the churches their get things in order.

We must make sure that our leaders are good godly men.

Titus 1:5–6 NKJV

For this reason I left you in Crete, that you should set in order the things that are lacking, and appoint elders in every city as I commanded you—if a man is blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children not accused of dissipation or insubordination.

We all have a job to do in the church and should conduct ourselves accordingly

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Titus 2:1–6 NKJV

But as for you, speak the things which are proper for sound doctrine: that the older men be sober, reverent, temperate, sound in faith, in love, in patience; the older women likewise, that they be reverent in behavior, not slanderers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things—that they admonish the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, to be discreet, chaste, homemakers, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be blasphemed. Likewise, exhort the young men to be sober-minded,

Pastoral letters 1

First Timothy

Instruction Concerning Doctrine

Instruction Concerning Worship

Instruction Concerning False Teachers

Instruction Concerning motives

Second Timothy

Preserver in Present Testing

Preserver in Future Testing

Titus

Appoint Elders

Set things in order