Paul leaves his final advice to Timothy, who is the young pastor at the church of Ephesus. He has used this letter primarily as a guideline for Timothy to conduct the church with decency and godliness. In the first and fourth chapters, Paul warned Timothy about the false teachers who would try to enter the church and destroy the members with their cunningness. In chapter 2, Paul wrote concerning the importance of prayer as well as the role of men/women in the church. Chapter 3 is dedicated to revealing the qualifications of a pastor and a deacon. The fifth chapter addressed matters of respect toward the widows, elders, and slaves. Finally, Paul spent the first part of chapter 6 discussing the dangers of loving money and its’ ability to destroy our faith. Keeping all these instructions in mind, Paul writes to Timothy, “O man of God, flee these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness” (6:11). Paul’s advice is clear – stay away from the world’s philosophy in order to follow after godliness. Paul continues to instruct Timothy, “Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses” (6:12). Being a Christian brings us into direct conflict with the enemy – Satan and his evil system of values. Timothy must have courage to stand against these forces of evil and live as a light in a dark world. He was not to be characterized by the same attitudes and actions as the world – he was to be different until the return of the Lord Jesus Christ (6:14-16)! Then, returning to the theme of money Paul commands those who are rich “not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God…do good, that they be rich in good works, willing to share, storing up for themselves a good foundation” (6:17-19). In summary of all that Paul had said, Timothy was to guard the truth and avoid any form of false teachings, which ultimately leads to a sinful lifestyle (6:20-21). If you are a young adult, you should especially take Paul’s advice to Timothy to heart because the church needs people to stand for the truth and not compromise. It is easy to be like everyone else…it is easy to act like everyone else; however, God calls His followers to live with integrity, with character, and with passion. Be distinct from the lost world around you and do not let them tell you how to live. Let us be reminded of what Paul wrote to Timothy concerning his young leadership: “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…for in doing this you will save both yourself and those who hear you” (1 Timothy 4:12, 16b).

Dear God, make me a leader with character and integrity that others may be drawn to You by the way I live my life!

Paul changes the subject again and warns against false teachers who do not “consent to wholesome words…of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which accords with godliness” (6:3). At the heart of these false teachers was the disregard for the authority of Scripture and its’ resulting godly lifestyle. They were also “proud…obsessed with disputes and arguments over words, from which come envy, strife, reviling, evil suspicions, useless wranglings…who suppose that godliness is a means of gain” (6:4-5). Paul claims that the false teachers are only using people for a way to get money. With this in mind, he provides some important instruction about a person’s view of money. He writes “godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world and it is certain we can carry nothing out” (6:6-7). A Christian should be satisfied with what he has and recognize that money is only temporary (we cannot take money with us when we die). Instead of wanting more, a follower of Jesus Christ should be content with the basic needs of life because those who strive to be rich place themselves in a precarious situation (6:8-9). A lust for more money is said to bring “temptation and a snare, and into many harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition.” There is nothing wrong with having money, but “the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil….” (6:10a) An obsession with money can lead to a life of sin and destructive behavior. Paul mentions that by the love of money “some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows” (6:10b). Christians should never get caught up in thinking that if they had a little more money, they would be happy. Money does not bring happiness; in fact, Paul says it can bring “many sorrows.” As a follower of Christ, do not allow money to become your obsession. Be satisfied with what you have even if it is a little. When you entered the world you did not own one thing and when you leave, you will leave with nothing. Life is not a quest for more things, but a journey of being content with what you already possess.

Dear God, I need Your help in having the right view of money. May I not love money or be obsessed with acquiring it, but rather help me to be satisfied with what I already own.

The Ephesian believers also received some instruction from Paul concerning the way they treated their place of employment. From every indication in these verses, it seems that the Christians were not taking their jobs seriously and presenting a negative work ethic amongst the community. Paul writes “let as many bondservants as are under the yoke [submissive role in a job] count their own masters worthy of all honor” (6:1a). Being a bondservant can be closely associated with our modern-day employer/employee relationship and Paul commanded employees to treat their bosses with respect. Why did Paul want the Christians at Ephesus to work hard? “So that the name of God and His doctrine may not be blasphemed” (6:1b). The way we work is a direct reflection on our Christian character. Regardless of the type of job, every follower of Christ should have an outstanding reputation in the workplace. In a day where everyone complains about working, be positive and work hard at your job. Paul goes on to give specific guidelines to those whose employers are also Christians: “let them not despise them because they are brethren, but rather serve them because those who are benefited are believers and beloved” (6:2). A Christian who works for another Christian may dislike the authority over them, but Paul commands that they be submissive. Take some time right now to examine your attitude in the workplace. Are you a source of division and strife? Does your boss constantly reprimand you for a lack of work ethic? Do you slack off when you employer is not around? Do you complain to other employees about your job? Do you take personal offence to constructive criticism? Do you get involved in being judgmental of persons in authority? Work hard because your attitude at your job is reflection of your Christian character.

Dear God, help me to work hard today recognizing that ultimately it is You I am aiming to please.

Paul has already written that Timothy (and the congregation) should give honor to older men as well as widows who have sought to live a godly life (5:1-16), but now he gives instructions about honoring the elders (pastors) of the congregation. Paul writes “let the elders who rule well be counted worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in the word and doctrine” (5:17). When read in conjunction with verse 18, we can carefully surmise that Paul is referring to money. 1 Timothy 5:18 reads “For the Scripture says, ‘You shall not muzzle an ox while it treads out the grain’ and ‘the laborer is worthy of his wages.’” For those pastors who faithfully carry out the ministry and labor in the word, Paul commands that they be paid well. Quoting from Deuteronomy 25:4, he uses an illustration of an ox who is treading out grain. Since this ox is doing a lot of work, it should not be muzzled from eating. The illustration is clear – a pastor who works hard should be compensated accordingly. Paul was not saying that a pastor should become rich, but that he should not be forced to struggle acquiring the basic necessities of life. It also becomes obvious that the church at Ephesus needed direction on how to handle accusations toward a pastor. Paul’s instruction is clear: “Do not receive an accusation against an elder except from two or three witnesses” (5:19). There may have been people falsely accusing pastors simply because they did not like them, but Paul commands that any accusation must be at the mouth of 2-3 people. For those pastors found guilty of sin, Paul instructs that they should be “rebuke[d] in the presence of all, that the rest may also fear…observe these things without prejudice, doing nothing with partiality” (5:20-21a). Then in reference to ordaining a man to preach the gospel, Paul warned Timothy not to participate quickly but rather examine the character first (5:22). Paul then writes “no longer drink only water, but use a little wine for your stomach’s sake and your frequent infirmities” (5:23). Some people view this verse as a license to drink wine, but I think that it is a total misunderstanding of the passage. I believe this verse communicates two things about Timothy: he had stomach problems (probably from unsanitary water conditions) and he had refused to drink wine because of his position as a leader. In Timothy’s quest to keep his character pure, he was willing to suffer health problems for the sake of integrity. Timothy never wanted anyone to question his character. Using this verse as proof for drinking wine is a complete dismissal of the truth being taught. Timothy had purposely given up his Christian liberty in order to be held in the highest standard. Paul was making provision for Timothy to drink wine instead of polluted water for the sake of his health. Paul’s letter to Timothy was a challenge for him to remain pure and have integrity. If you are a leader, put all of these things into practice knowing that people look to you for an example to be followed. Never abuse your freedom at the expense of your integrity.

Dear God, help me to closely follow the instructions You have given to the church. May I count my pastor as worthy, pray for his strength in temptation, and fight for his integrity. But provide the strength for me to follow Your ways and have a high standard of leadership.

In writing to Timothy, Paul now turns his attention to the proper treatment of members in the church. He makes a brief statement mentioning that young men should give respect and reverence to older men (5:1-2). Specifically, Paul was referencing a situation when an older man was sinning and must be confronted by those who are younger. Instead of arrogantly approaching the sinning older man, the younger men should address him with love and kindness. After making this brief statement to the younger men, Paul uses the great majority of his words in chapter 5 discussing proper treatment of women who have lost their husbands (widows). Paul states the obvious reminding his readers to honor widows (5:3), but gives further instructions on the differences between older and younger widows. In verse 4, Paul gives a command to the family of a widow to take care of her so the church is not burdened with the situation. Children and grandchildren have the first responsibility to care for a widowed woman. However, if a woman is widowed and left with no family to care for her, let her be dependent on God for help continuing to live a godly life and the church will take care of her needs (5:5-7). Restating what he has already said, Paul again challenges children and grandchildren to care for a widowed woman, declaring that anyone who refuses to do so is worse than an unbeliever (5:8). Paul then defines older widows as those who are over the age of sixty and have lived a godly life – these women are to be given the proper respect. Younger widows, who almost always desire to marry again, should “marry, bear children, manage the house, and give no opportunity to the adversary to speak reproachfully” (5:14). Apparently some of the younger widows were causing problems in the church (5:12-13) and Paul wanted the church to only take care of those who were seeking a godly life (5:16).

Dear God, help me to properly take care of those who are widowed. Give me compassion and generosity toward them.

Much advice had been written by the hand of Paul to Timothy about the structure and functions of the church. His words, thus far, included warning and guidance in how the church was to operate if it was going to effectively minister to people. Now, Paul turns his full attention to Timothy and gives him, what I believe, to be the most important instruction regarding his conduct in the ministry. Paul writes to the young pastor Timothy “let no one despise your youth” (4:12a). The society to which Timothy was ministering highly regarded the age of a person as evidence of maturity and a determination of respect. Since Timothy was young, many in the community probably did not give him the respect he deserved; after all, Timothy had been working directly with Paul from the time he was a teenager and had gained a wealth of experience. With this in mind, Paul did not want Timothy to be fearful because of his age nor did he want those who were under his leadership to look down on him. What could Timothy do to assure that people did not use his age against him? Timothy was to make sure his character was outstanding in these areas: in word (the way he talked), in conduct (the way he acted), in love (the way he served), in spirit (the way he was perceived), in faith (the way he was faithful), and in purity (the way he avoided immorality). In addition to these character issues, Paul wrote that Timothy must also “give attention to reading [the Scriptures], to exhortation [application of the Scriptures], to doctrine [teaching the Scriptures]” (4:13). Along with having godly character, Timothy should remember that God had given him the gift of leadership and preaching/teaching, which was also confirmed in him by the apostles (4:14). Keeping all these in mind, Timothy was to give himself “entirely to them, that your [his] progress may be evident to all” (4:15). Timothy was to give high priority to upholding the teachings of Scripture and support them through a holy life. Following these things would give indisputable evidence of his salvation (4:16). If you are a young leader, don’t allow your youth to stop you from following God’s will. Give yourself over to having character and a passion for doing what is good.

Dear God, help the youth of this world rise up and live the truth of Jesus Christ.

Paul has already spent some time warning Timothy about the false teaching which always has the potential to enter a church if proper safeguards are not put in place (1 Timothy 1:3-11). In these verses, Paul gets very specific as to what these teachers are propagating. Paul refers to their teaching as a “depart[ing] from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits, and doctrines of devils, speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron.” From his strong language, the reader can conclude that Paul is warning Timothy about dangers of false teaching and ultimately the force behind it (Satan). In verses 3-5 the erroneous doctrine is revealed: “forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from foods which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth.” It seems that legalism (system of salvation by works) had infiltrated the church at Ephesus and manifested itself in the forms of a person remaining single and following certain dietary laws. Without adherence to these laws, a person could not be saved. Paul had already made it very clear that salvation only comes through faith in Jesus Christ alone without works; however, these teachers were attempting to add certain traditions to the free gift of salvation. Paul makes the argument that since God created marriage and food, He meant for them to be enjoyed, but the false teachers were setting up their own rules (4:4-5). Rather than creating his own doctrine, Paul encouraged Timothy to instruct the church in the truths of Scripture (4:6) and reject all forms of false doctrine (4:7). Instead of getting caught up in all these false teachings, a believer should focus on godliness (living according to God’s standards) and look forward to the hope given through Jesus Christ (4:8-11).

Dear God, guard me from any false teaching which contradict the truth of Scripture. Help me to rather focus on living a life according to Your holy standards.

After detailing the qualifications for a pastor, Paul then writes Timothy regarding the qualifications of a deacon, one who serves under the leadership of the church. These people were responsible to do whatever was necessary to assist the leadership in making the church an effective place of ministry. Some of the qualifications given to the deacons are identical to the qualifications of a pastor, but we’ll explore each one. 1 Timothy 3:8-9 reveals that deacons are to be reverent (take important matters seriously), not double-tongued (hypocritical in speech), not given to much wine, not greedy for money (handle money properly), and they must hold the mystery of the faith with a pure conscience (remain true to Scripture). There must be a consistent examination of the character of deacons, as called for in verse10, and each time they must be found blameless. Paul then turns to the wives (can also be translated women) to give them advice. There are two views on who is being referred to as the wives. One view says they are the wives of the deacons and the other view says Paul is addressing the character of women deacons. Whichever view you take, the qualifications are the same. The women must be be reverent (serious-minded), not slanderers (gossipers), temperate (watchful, alert to danger), and faithful in all things (dependable). Like the pastor, a deacon must be a one-woman man (husband of one wife) and rule their children and their own houses well (3:12). “For those who have served well as deacons obtain for themselves a good standing and great boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus” (3:13). Referring to the first three chapters thus far, Paul lets Timothy know he has written these things so the people know how to conduct themselves in church. Obviously there were some major problems in their behavior and Paul wanted Timothy to direct the congregation in the right way. Let Paul’s letter to Timothy also serve as a reminder to the modern day church as to how a church should function, remembering that it is God’s church (3:15-16).

Dear God, may the church function by the instructions you have set forth in the writings of Paul.

Keep in mind Paul is writing to Timothy in order to instruct him about matters within the church and of utmost importance is the character of the leaders. Paul wanted to make sure that those who were leading the church were qualified and setting a high standard in the way they conducted their everyday life. He writes that “if a mans desires the position of a bishop [pastor], he desires a good work” (3:1); however, there are some standards by which this man must live his life. Beginning in verse 2 Paul lists sixteen qualifications for a man to become a pastor. First, this man must be blameless meaning that his life must be free from controversy and outright sin. Paul also mentions that he must be the husband of one wife implying that he must be committed to only one woman. Next, Paul writes that one who desires the office of a pastor must be temperate (watchful), sober-minded (disciplined in thinking), and of good behavior (self-controlled). Along with these characteristics, Paul also mentions that a pastor must be hospitable (loves others), able to teach (handles God’s word with care), not given to wine, not violent, and not greedy for money. Paul continues to instruct Timothy that a pastor must be gentle (gracious), not quarrelsome (doesn’t look for a fight), and not covetous. Paul spends many words on the next qualification – a pastor must rule his own house well, having his children in submission with all reverence. As a follow up to this qualification, Paul makes the statement/asks the question that if a man does not know how to rule his own house, how will he take care of the church of God? A man who seeks the office of a pastor must have his house in order. He also must not be a novice, which would put him in danger of pride – a pastor must be a spiritually mature Christian. Lastly, he must have a good testimony among those who are outside. Even though those who are unbelievers may not agree with his belief system, he must be a respectable man in the community. If you are considering being a pastor, make sure your life lines up with these qualifications. Again, Paul is not saying that a man who desires to be a pastor must be perfect, but he must be in constant pursuit of a holy life before God and others.

Dear God, help me to live up to the qualifications of a pastor and may those who come behind me be found faithful in a holy life.

Paul has been writing to Timothy, his son in the faith, to challenge him in some areas at the church of Ephesus. False teachers had entered the church trying to deceive believers into accepting another gospel…a gospel of works. After warning Timothy of the dangers, Paul began advising him about some issues within the church which were causing them to lose effectiveness. The first characteristic lacking in the church was their failure to pray for the lost (1 Timothy 2:1-7). The second issue plaguing the church was a lack of understanding about the roles of men and women in the church as well as improper behavior in worship services. It seems that the wealthy women of the church were flaunting their riches by wearing expensive clothing and dressing in a manner which had caused much distraction in the church (2:9b). In the first century women would adorn themselves with “gold or pearls or costly clothing” to draw attention to their wealth. This cultural practice had made it’s way into the church and resulted in division between the rich and the poor women. Paul wrote to the women to “adorn themselves in modest apparel, with propriety [humility] and moderation [self-control].” (2:9a) Church is supposed to be about giving our full attention to God and no one should be distracting others from worshipping Him. In addition to dressing improperly, the women of the church were seeking high leadership roles in the church. Paul clearly outlines the role of women in the church – “let a woman learn in silence with all submission and I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man, but to be in silence.” (2:11-12) God has given the role of teaching in the church to the man and women should never try to take this God-given authority from him. Paul then illustrates this concept by going back to Adam and Eve. God gave Adam authority over Eve. His responsibility was to protect and her responsibility was to remain under his authority. Eve chose to go out from under the authority of Adam and was deceived by Satan. Adam, even though he was not deceived, took of the forbidden fruit and sinned. All of this happened when man and woman left the roles God had intended. Paul was warning Timothy about man and woman failing to recognize their roles in the church and the possible chaos which could take place. Paul then makes clear the great responsibility of women – “Nevertheless she will be saved in childbearing if they continue in faith, love, and holiness, with self-control.” Women have the unique role of shaping the lives of their children. Having a closer bond with their mother, children are greatly influenced by her. When a mom raises her children to follow after godliness, she is changing the course of history. Paul challenged mothers to spend their time learning at church and then passing on spiritual truth to their children. When men and women understand their roles, God has the freedom to accomplish His will in the church.

Dear God, help men and women to be satisfied in the unique roles You have given them. May the men teach with passion and may the women raise their children to be passionate followers of You.