1 Timothy 1.2b-4-Paul's Greeting And Request That Timothy Confront Pastors In Ephesus Not Fulfilling Their Responsibilities
Wenstrom Bible Ministries
Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom
Sunday January 23, 2011
1 Timothy: 1 Timothy 1:2b-4-Paul’s Greeting And Request That Timothy Confront Pastors In Ephesus Not Fulfilling Their Responsibilities
Lesson # 12
Please turn in your Bibles to 1 Timothy 1:1.
This morning we will study 1 Timothy 1:2-4, which records Paul’s greeting and his request that Timothy confront pastors in Ephesus who were not fulfilling their responsibilities.
1 Timothy 1:1, “Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus according to the commandment of God our Savior, and of Christ Jesus, who is our hope, 2 to Timothy, my true child in the faith: Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.” (NASU)
The noun charis, “grace” refers to the Holy Spirit speaking through the communication of the Word of God to the believer’s human spirit or new Christ nature regarding the will of the Father.
The Spirit of God speaking through the communication of the Word of God to the believer’s human spirit regarding the will of the Father is the means by which grace is received by the believer.
The greeting is more than just that, but rather it is in fact, a Spirit inspired desire that the Ephesians and Timothy would respond to Paul’s Spirit inspired teaching in this epistle regarding the will of the Father for them.
The apostle Paul under the ministry of God the Holy Spirit is appealing to Timothy and the Ephesian believers to respond to his doctrinal teaching in this epistle, which originates from the Lord Jesus Christ.
The noun eleos, “mercy” depicts a heartfelt response by Paul who has something to give to Timothy, who has a need, namely Spirit inspired instruction as to handle the situation in Ephesus.
The noun means “compassion” in the sense that Paul’s Spirit inspired instruction in this epistle is a reflection of God the Father and God the Son’s concern for Timothy who is in serious need with respect to the situation in Ephesus who are being exposed to false teaching.
The noun eirene, “peace” refers to the peace of God that is produced by the Spirit in and among believers.
The Spirit does this when believers obey the commands and prohibitions that He guides Paul in issuing them in this epistle and specifically, if they obey his teaching concerning false teachers.
“From God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord” indicates that grace, compassion and peace originate not only from God the Father but also from the Lord Jesus Christ.
Grace and peace originated from not only the Father but the Lord Jesus as well since all blessings flow to the believer because of the merits of Jesus Christ and His Finished Work on the Cross as well as the believer’s eternal union with Christ.
In 1 Timothy 1:3, Paul reveals that when leaving Macedonia, he urged Timothy to stay on in Ephesus to command certain Ephesian believers to not teach false doctrines.
1 Timothy 1:1, “Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus according to the commandment of God our Savior, and of Christ Jesus, who is our hope, 2 to Timothy, my true child in the faith: Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord. 3 As I urged you upon my departure for Macedonia, remain on at Ephesus so that you may instruct certain men not to teach strange doctrines.” (NASU)
“As I urged you upon my departure for Macedonia, remain on at Ephesus” is a causal clause that presents the basis for Timothy commanding certain Ephesian believers to stop teaching false doctrines.
“So that you may instruct certain men not to teach strange doctrines” indicates that Paul’s purpose for urgently requesting that Timothy stay on in Ephesus was so that he could command certain Ephesian believers not to teach false doctrine.
The purpose is further described in verse 4 indicating that Paul wanted these Ephesian believers who taught false doctrines to also not occupy themselves with myths and useless genealogies.
“You may instruct” is the second person singular aorist active subjunctive form of the verb parangello (παραγγέλλω) (pah-dahn-yellow), which means “to command, order.”
It implies clearly that Paul has delegated authority to Timothy to rebuke and hold these false teachers accountable since this word indicates that the false teachers in Ephesus are under Paul’s apostolic authority and are thus Christians.
“Certain men” refers to unidentified Christian pastor-teachers who taught false doctrines in fulfillment of Paul’s prophesy recorded in Acts 20:28.
“Not to teach strange doctrines” is a prohibition denying any idea of these Christian pastors in Ephesus teaching heretical doctrines.
1 Timothy 1:4, “nor to pay attention to myths and endless genealogies, which give rise to mere speculation rather than furthering the administration of God which is by faith.” (NASU)
“Nor to pay attention to myths” indicates that Paul does not want certain unidentified pastors in Ephesus to at any time occupy their minds with myths and “and endless genealogies” means that these genealogies were useless.
Though it is true that the Old Testament genealogies were important with respect to the claims of Jesus of Nazareth as the promised Jewish Messiah and taught the sovereignty of God over the human race, they did not help these pastors fulfill their responsibilities of administrating the household of God.
“Which give rise to mere speculation” means that occupation with Jewish myths and useless genealogies only causes pointless arguments.
“The administration of God” is composed of the accusative feminine singular form of the noun oikonomia (οἰκονομία) (ee-koe-no-mee-ah), “the administration” and the genitive masculine singular form of the noun theos (θεός) (thay-oce), “of God.”
The noun oikonomia means “administration of a household” and refers to these unidentified individuals in Ephesus fulfilling their stewardship as pastor-teachers.
Specifically, it refers to “the administration” of God’s household, which is the church.
The context clearly indicates this, since Paul is contrasting what these pastor-teachers were doing in Ephesus with what they should have been doing.
They were occupied with studying and teaching false doctrine and with myths and useless genealogies rather than fulfilling their responsibilities as pastor-teachers.
Therefore, the word could not possibly mean “plan” or “purpose” referring to the Father’s plan to provide eternal salvation for all mankind through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ and is proclaimed through the gospel.
The word speaks of the “spiritual authority” or “spiritual responsibility” of these pastors in Ephesus that has been entrusted to them by the Lord Jesus Christ.
So Paul is attempting to remind these pastors to full their responsibilities as pastor-teachers.
They were not faithful in fulfilling their responsibilities as pastor-teachers by being occupied with Jewish myths and useless genealogies, which by their nature produce only pointless arguments.
The pastor-teacher has four responsibilities that are the means by which he tends and shepherds the flock of God: (1) Study (2 Tim. 2:15) (2) Teach (1 Tim. 4:13) (3) Pray (Acts 6:1-4) (4) Set an Example (Phlp. 3:17; 2 Thess. 3:7, 9; 1 Tim. 4:12; Titus 2:7; 1 Pet. 5:3).
“Which is by faith” indicates that these unidentified pastors in Ephesus will administrate God’s household by being faithful to their responsibilities to do so.
