REASONS FOR WRITING. 1st Timothy 1:1-2 There are certain principles we learn from the scriptures that are essential for passing truth from one generation to the next. Waiting until we are older and near death to share these truths deprives younger people of the chance to apply and practice what we know to be true. Meanwhile, we can help them and, if needed, correct practices and teachings before serious mistakes are accepted as right.
The oral transmission of truth begins early in life, and in ancient times, it was repeated so often that it was understood and repeated word for word while people were still quite young. Now, in a dynamic and rapidly changing society, most truths are passed on in written form. Care must be taken to ensure that individual bias does not replace divine truth, which comes to us through the inspiration of God. Even writing today has shifted toward "text messages" that often lack the grammar and punctuation necessary to maintain a clear message.
Paul recognized the importance of preparing younger men to continue the Lord's work after he, the last of the apostles, went home to heaven. Therefore, he not only recorded doctrinal truth through the authority and power of the Holy Spirit, but also provided invaluable personal instruction for Timothy and Titus in the pastoral epistles. By sending them to different places to pass on what he taught, he helped them make his teachings personally meaningful. He provided instruction and then gave both men suitable settings to practice the truths he had orally shared. Furthermore, he wrote down those same truths so they could revisit them and ensure that the work they were involved in was being carried out as our Lord intended.
It is a great blessing when older people dedicate themselves to instructing and guiding those who follow and reach out to the next generation or two. We may not realize at the time that we model our values and show our children and grandchildren what is important to us without being aware of it. Our spiritual children observe certain impressions and actions that we have and imitate them. Phrases we use when we preach and pray, along with our hand gestures, facial expressions, and body language, are often picked up and practiced by those who come after us.
Timothy learned "unfeigned faith" from his mother and grandmother. He learned from Paul the natural care for the Lord's people that Paul had demonstrated. Daily, as he listened to Paul's preaching and teaching, Timothy learned how to communicate truth in understandable ways and apply those truths to meet the local needs. Timothy and Titus were not "pastors" in the sense of being designated and paid by a local congregation of believers for "services rendered." Still, they were given "good work" to fulfill in the assemblies where they ministered as they traveled from place to place.
Men who lived in each area and were part of that local fellowship learned from them the responsibilities they had as those who were "raised up" by the Holy Spirit to take leadership among God's people. Paul had given Timothy and Titus authority to do apostolic work. Titus appointed elders in the assemblies in Crete. Timothy instructed those who were already elders in Ephesus. Paul would have been confident and probably comforted by these two men's genuine desire to strengthen the believers in those assemblies during the evil days that were upon them. They would also be able to protect and defend them from false teachers seeking to come among them and turn them away from apostolic teaching.
Willing learners soon gain the experience needed to establish credibility among the gathered saints' companies. Fellow workers are very important, and younger men raised up by God bless the people of God as the older workers are called home to heaven. Spirituality and devotion give weight to those who carry on the work that older men have built up. Moses had Joshua. Our Lord Jesus Christ had "the twelve," and Paul had those he could trust to be faithful to the word of God and the people of God. Every succeeding generation needs willing and capable leaders to guide the saints because the truth of God is deeply rooted in their hearts.
Timothy's role was to preserve the doctrines of the Christian faith by teaching "sound doctrine" so that men of sound mind and sound words would pass on that sound doctrine with sound speech, ensuring they remain firm in the faith. This is what "the man of God" was supposed to do to guarantee the continuation of God's work. He was to teach sound doctrine and serve as a living example of how those who embrace "sound doctrine" should live. Some false teachers had already appeared, and others would come, whom Satan would use to divert God's people from the "faith that is in Christ Jesus." Such individuals often teach one thing and live another.
We must understand and practice sound doctrine before we can effectively teach and defend it. It is our duty to hold onto God's truths and avoid any teachings that could undermine or belittle any of the doctrines of the faith. Today, some of these core doctrines are being attacked and challenged, including the verbal inspiration of the scriptures. Some claim the Bible contains the truth but is open to personal interpretation, twisting the words to fit their preconceived ideas. The doctrine of the Trinity is complex and not easily grasped by finite human minds, so some reject it when they cannot easily explain it within their frame of reference. The deity, humanity, and eternal Sonship of our Lord Jesus Christ are rejected by those who see Him only as a good man with good teachings.
The presence of the Holy Spirit in every believer is denied, even by some evangelical groups. The literal, physical resurrection of Christ is also rejected by those who cannot imagine life after death. Salvation by grace alone, through repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, has been challenged and refused almost since the beginning of the church by those who believe in a "works"-based salvation earned through good living and good intentions. The reality of hell and the lake of fire, associated with the doctrine of eternal punishment, is denied by many Christian denominations. The resurrection of both the righteous and the unrighteous, the imminent return of the Lord for the church, and many other fundamental doctrines are now being rejected, just as some doctrines were rejected in the early church.
Doctrine is a profound teaching that governs moral conduct in life [De.32:1-4]. It is also conveyed through precepts, spoken instruction, and examples, as seen in Proverbs 4:1-4. In 1st Timothy 4:11-16, doctrine is taught through public presentation of the truth during gatherings. He was to teach nothing but God's truth because that yields lasting results. In Titus 1:9-2:1, doctrine involves instruction in biblical truth through public speaking and illustrations. When sound doctrine is taught, this ministry fosters love from a pure heart—that is, God's kind of love—which we can practice with the Holy Spirit's power. Additionally, sound doctrinal teaching helps develop a clear conscience, free from unconfessed sin.
When practiced intentionally, mistakes are corrected, and those who follow sound doctrine seek to please our Lord in everything they do. It also cultivates "unfeigned faith," which is genuine faith without hypocrisy. Such faith is our own, not just copying that of others. We learn from others but make that faith our own.
Biblical Christianity faces challenges and attacks from many directions today. Not all come from outside the church. Some among us follow the same pattern of undermining practices that have existed since the church's early days and were even present when Timothy was sent to Ephesus by Paul. The instructions given by Paul are first directed to Timothy to practice himself and then to pass on to the saints at Ephesus. From them, it is passed on to us for "our learning and admonition."
Unless truth is personal, convicting, and solid in the heart of someone who ministers to the Lord's people, it will produce little change and commitment needed to uphold our assembly testimony. "God my Savior," "godliness," "sound," and "man of God" are repeated more in these epistles than anywhere else in scripture because these truths must be mine before I am able or qualified to pass on to others what they truly mean.
God has a plan and a way to be fulfilled through His work by each man He chooses to speak for Him to others. Whether he is a farmer, fisherman, teacher, or preacher, God's plan is there for each person to accept and carry out as a charge from the Lord. Our calling comes from Him so that He can fill every life willingly lived completely for Him. At first, it may seem like we are making a choice, but its true source is His command—the still, small voice the Holy Spirit guides without much loud noise.
Not everyone who is commanded is called in the same way, but the Lord knows each of His children by name, their heart’s desires, and their abilities and availability. He commands each person He calls to fill a specific role in life and to claim it as a divine charge given to them. The apostles, those who literally saw the risen Lord, were commissioned at the beginning of this church age to preach the Gospel and to serve as the foundation of the church. The prophets were also there at the beginning. Then evangelists were sent out to win souls for Christ. Pastors and teachers were appointed to teach new believers the truth of God's word.
Everyone who knows God and has been commanded to go into His harvest field has work to do for their blessed Lord. Their unique command is their gift to the world. Without the saints willing to follow their Master's commands, this world would be shrouded in darkness. Every woman and man called and obedient to the Savior’s command must step out to the people in every land so they can hear the life-giving message of the Gospel.
The Lord Jesus Christ, who lived here and died for our sins on the cross, expects His command to be obeyed when we trust Him. Acting on the command is essential. The command to fulfill His commission is not a suggestion but comes from God our Savior, who redeemed us with His precious blood. His call alone is enough to influence our behavior, and doing His command is what we’ve been saved for. As our Lord Jesus Christ, He has full authority to expect that each command He gives is acted on promptly. Each faithful servant will consider it our greatest privilege and be glad to give Him all the glory for anything accomplished for Him.