Where I live, the only buildings you see with more frequency than churches are drug stores. There are drug stores everywhere in southwest Virginia. That means that the good people of southwest Virginia are either the sickest, least spiritual people in America or the healthiest, most spiritual people in America. When you drive into the community in which my church is located, by the time you get to my church you have passed two hospitals (each with their own pharmacy), three large pharmacies, one small pharmacy, and some 16 churches; all these drug stores and churches serving less than 5,000 people. Beyond my church are even more churches!
As far as all those drug stores go, to be honest, they all look the same to me. They all peddle the same drugs and sundries for about the same price. I’m not sure why we have so many drug stores because the competition is pretty much nil. The situation with all those churches is a bit different, however. Each church does things slightly different. Some sing hymns that sound like dirges, others sing the same peppy chorus over and over and over again. Some have song leaders and worship leaders, some have small bands and some sing only the psalms with no musical instruments. Some churches have their members standing up, then sitting down, then standing up several times during the service; others have their members sitting down throughout the service while people dance around the front of the church waving flags and such. Some of these churches are pastored by men, others by women, and others are run by a committee. In some of these churches, the pastor wears a suit, and in others he wears a robe and a clerical collar. Sometimes the sermon is short, in other churches it goes on forever. Have you ever wondered why there has to be so many churches? Does a small town of under 5,000 people really need all those churches? What church is the right church? What church is doing it God’s way?
Brief introduction to the Pastoral Epistles
Mind-numbing questions to be sure, but very important ones to discover the answers to. As with 95% of life’s questions, the answers are found in God’s Word; specifically in what we call the Pastoral Epistles. 1 Timothy, Titus, and 2 Timothy are known as “the Pastoral Epistles,” and were probably written in that order. They are very similar in content, written by an elderly Paul to two young pastors, Timothy and Titus. The fact that the content of the letters is so similar suggests, to me at least, that all pastors face similar challenges. So, if we want to assess our churches to see if they measure up to the only standard that really matters—God’s standard—then the Pastorals is where we need to start.
As was stated, Paul wrote these letters very late in his life and career. Most scholars suggest the first two Pastorals were written shortly after Paul was released from his Roman imprisonment, sometime around 61 or 62 AD. Tradition tells us that Paul was again imprisoned in Rome and martyred on or near to 68 AD, and that he wrote 2 Timothy very near to the end of his life. So we can be fairly certain that Paul’s letters to these young pastors were written throughout the 60’s.
Brief introduction to 1 and 2 Timothy
Paul’s first letter to young Timothy was written from Macedonia and his second letter was, in all probability, written from Rome, from a prison cell, very shortly before the apostle’s death.
The Pastoral Epistles are a veritable treasure trove of information on how to pastor a church. Every young pastor (and those of us who used to be young!) should regularly read and study these short letters. Every seminary student should pour over Paul’s letters to his young colleagues. But these letters are not just for the professional minister; anybody who loves the Church of Jesus Christ should know what Paul taught concerning the purpose of the Church and the responsibilities of those called to shepherd the hearts of a congregation.
In short, according to Paul’s theology, the main purposes of the Pastor of a church are to defend and teach sound doctrine and to maintain sound discipline within his church. Specifically, in regards to Timothy, we read this in 1 Timothy 1:3—
As I urged you when I went into Macedonia, stay there in Ephesus so that you may command certain men not to teach false doctrines any longer.
Throughout 1 Timothy, Paul deals with other problems a Pastor may encounter and gives Timothy the benefit of his experience in offering priceless advice to the young Pastor.
2 Timothy is a different kind of letter all together, for it is intensely personal. Paul knew his days were numbered and that his execution loomed just ahead. His friends had either deserted him or had gone on in their work for the Lord; he was lonely and he was cold. Nobody can read 2 Timothy without a tear in their eye as they read verses like these—
9Do your best to come to me quickly, 10for Demas, because he loved this world, has deserted me and has gone to Thessalonica. Crescens has gone to Galatia, and Titus to Dalmatia. 11Only Luke is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, because he is helpful to me in my ministry. 12I sent Tychicus to Ephesus. 13When you come, bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas, and my scrolls, especially the parchments. (2 Timothy 9—13)
Here was Paul, once a fiery preacher of the Gospel, asking for his favorite cloak. No doubt he was cold. Perhaps that coat had been a gift from one of the churches he started. Maybe he didn’t want to be publicly executed wearing the old, tattered clothes he had with him. And he wanted his scrolls. What do you suppose those scrolls contained? Like any preacher, Paul probably loved scrolls, or books. In his last days, he wanted is books nearby. Maybe they were things he had written, things other scholars of the early church had written, or maybe some of the scrolls belonged to Luke, containing research he would later incorporate in his gospel and his historical record of the founding of the Church. Maybe Paul just wanted to pass along those treasured books to the people who meant the most to him at this time in his life; Timothy and Mark.
The Salutation,1 Timothy 1:1—2
1Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the command of God our Savior and of Christ Jesus our hope, 2To Timothy my true son in the faith: Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.
The first few verses of every Greek letter written during the first century began much like Paul began his first letter to Timothy. The sender identifies himself—Paul—and mentions those to whom the letter is addressed—Timothy. Even though this particular letter was a written exchange between two very close and dear friends, Paul maintained a formal and dignified tone. John Wesley once remarked,
Familiarity is to be set aside where the things of God are concerned.
Paul’s authority, verse 1
In all but four of his letters (Philippians, 1 and 2 Thessalonians, Philemon), Paul refers to himself as an “apostle.” Timothy was close to Paul, close enough for Paul to refer to him as his own “son,” yet Timothy needed to know this letter was not merely a communication from one friend to another, filled with timely, fatherly advice. This letter floats above the purely human level; for even though Paul was a friend, he was first and foremost an apostle of Jesus Christ.
The word “apostle” comes from the Greek apostolos, which means literally, “one sent on a mission.” This was the title Jesus gave to His original twelve disciples (Luke 6:13). Matthias assumed the title of “apostle” after the death of Judas Iscariot (Acts 1:23—26), and the first two missionaries, Paul and Barnabas, were also called “apostles.” While the Apostle Paul was never considered to be one of “the Twelve,” he did consider his apostleship as authoritative as theirs for the risen Christ had appeared to him, called him, and commissioned him into service. Paul was endowed in special measure with the Holy Spirit and both signs and wonders accompanied his work.
The word carries with it great weight and significance, for an “apostle” in the deepest, fullest sense was an apostle for life, wherever he went. He was literally clothed with the authority of the One who sent him, and that authority covered both doctrine and practice. Furthermore, Paul was not an apostle by choice; he was marked out and called by “the command of God.” What a marvelous way to view the call of God. Here was Paul, raised and groomed to become a Rabbi in the strictest sense, suddenly thrown for a loop, his life turned upside down and almost without warning the reason for his life completely changed. The presence of Jesus Christ in one’s life does that; He changes everything; He sets the course of your life and gives you a new purpose and power to fulfill that purpose. In fact, there was nothing more important in Paul’s life than fulfilling his calling, as seen in what he wrote to the Corinthians—
Woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel!” (1 Corinthians 9:16, KJV)
Paul refers to God as “our Savior.” That is an unusual way to refer to God. We would expect Paul to write something like, “Jesus Christ, our Savior.” Why refer to God in such a manner? It is seen only in the Pastorals, nowhere else in the New Testament is God described as “our Savior.” We cannot possibly know what was in Paul’s mind when he used the phrase “God our Savior,” but certainly it is the work of God that saves us! God is the Prime Mover, calling all sinners to Himself. But perhaps Paul is demonstrating the obvious and dynamic partnership of the three Persons in the Trinity in the work of man’s redemption; the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, all at work in perfect harmony and unity in saving human beings.
Paul goes on to describe Jesus Christ as “our hope.” Elsewhere in Scripture, Jesus is referred to as “our peace” and “our life.” But here He is presented as “our hope.” Jesus Christ is the ground and the object of our confidence in both our future salvation and present salvation. We will be saved from an eternity of separation from God and glory, and we are being saved from a life of purposelessness because He gives our lives purpose and meaning.
Taken together, “God our savior and Christ our hope” beautifully point back to a wonderful redeeming work and look forward to the fulfillment of many glorious promises.
So then, the authority with which Paul wrote this letter came from a Source greater than himself.
Timothy, the young preacher, verse 2
The letter is addressed to a man named “Timothy.” The first mention of this person is in Acts 16:1, an account of Paul’s second visit to Derbe and Lystra during his second missionary journey. Timothy was the son of a Greek father and a Jewish mother. In all likelihood, Timothy’s mother, Eunice, and his grandmother, Lois, found Christ as Savior during Paul’s first visit to the area. It was during this first visit that the Apostle was the victim of terrible persecution, and he was cared for by Lois. It is not unreasonable to think that while he was recuperating in the home of Lois that a very young Timothy came to know Paul and Paul introduced the young man to Jesus Christ.
We know that Paul thought very highly of Timothy. Consider how he referred to him elsewhere—
My son, whom I love, who is faithful in the Lord. (1 Corinthians 4:17)
Timothy has proved himself, because as a son with his father he has served with me in the work of the gospel. (Philippians 2:22)
Timothy must have been a remarkable man. It is unfortunate we don’t know more about him, but what we do know is impressive. He was converted some time around 47 AD and had matured so well as a Christian that barely two years passed when he was being trained by Paul as his apprentice. He eventually became one of Paul’s most trusted associates in the work of the Lord.
I have no one else like him, who takes a genuine interest in your welfare. (Philippians 2:20)
Timothy serves as a powerful example and challenge to every young Christian to follow in their relationship with Christ and their life of devotion and commitment. The name, “Timothy” is actually made up to two Greek words which describe the man’s character perfectly: his name means, “that which is dear to God.” And he who was dear to God was also extremely dear to God’s servant, Paul.
Finally, Paul adds the traditional greeting. In all ten of his other letters, Paul uses his standard two-fold greeting: “grace and peace.” Here, though, as in 2 Timothy, he adds the word “mercy.” Why did Paul change his usual greeting when he wrote to Timothy? John Wesley’s comments are helpful,
St. Paul adds “mercy,” the most tender grace towards those who stand in need of it.
Certainly Timothy’s health was not the greatest (5:23) and so he was definitely in need of special mercy from God. But even more than that, Timothy was engaged in the greatest work a human being can be involved in: caring for God’s people. Anybody doing that needs mercy from the Lord. Those who open themselves up to be used of the Lord in such a manner encounter difficulties and situations where God’s mercy and help are the only solutions.
“Grace” is one of Paul’s favorite words; he used it almost a hundred times in his letters. It comes from a Greek word that means, among other things, “gracefulness” and “graciousness.” As Paul used it though, it always referred to “God’s favor,” which He freely bestows on all who believe in Him and love Him.
“Peace” is something every human wants but can never seem to find. We spend large amounts of money looking for it, we go to war to preserve it, we take drugs to induce it, and we always seem to just miss it. In a world filled with war, uncertainty, and hate, this word is like a beacon. In Christ, we can all have peace of mind and peace of heart.
It is so sad that the one thing lacking in a person’s life is the one thing they want the most and but they can never possess apart from a living relationship with Jesus Christ. When grace and mercy are present in a person’s life, peace naturally follows. Without the presence of Jesus Christ, a person has no grace and no mercy, and therefore no peace. That which was destroyed by sin is restored, made whole, and found only in God’s grace. When a person experiences this restoration and wholeness, only then can they know true and lasting peace.
In the midst of a tumultuous ministry during tumultuous times, tangible peace belonged Timothy. I hope you have this peace, as well. If you don’t, it can be yours for the asking. All you need is a relationship with Jesus Christ. If you know Jesus but don’t have this peace, reach out to Him in faith, ask Him for more grace and mercy, and devote yourself to a deeper walk with Him.
