1 Timothy 1:1-11 Living According to God's Plan

1 Timothy 1:1-11 Living According to God’s Plan

One of the most destructive myths about marriage assumes that the glow of a lifelong relationship is but a brief prelude to what must become a comparatively dull and lackluster routine. If this premise is accepted, it easily becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy, attested by ever so many “normal” marriages.

The same assumption has a way of taking its toll on careers as well. I think of doctors who began medical school with a passionate commitment to become helpers and healers, but years later go about their rounds as a necessary routine to support their desired lifestyle. I think of pastors who knelt for their ordination with tears of gratitude and breathless wonder with God’s gracious call, but four churches later have merely settled for ecclesiastical games and accruing pension credits. How sad!

The first chapter of this letter, written after three decades of apostolic ministry, strikes the deathblow to the “honeymoon-is-over” approach to life or career. If one knows one’s calling, one’s gospel, one’s self, and one’s mission, all of life and ministry can be lived with love, joy, and peace. [1]

…if we live according to God’s plan.

KNOW YOUR CALLING

Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the command of God our Savior and of Christ Jesus our hope:

(1 Timothy 1:1, HCSB)

To Timothy, my true son in the faith. Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.

(1 Timothy 1:2, HCSB)

God’s grace teaches us to have mercy and be at peace. Paul is writing this letter to a younger man, one he calls a true son. Paul wrote about grace and peace in his greetings in earlier letters. He has since learned that God gives grace, mercy, and peace.

Our calling is to spread the Gospel. Based on the Commission in Matthew 28, every Christians needs to share the Gospel and make disciples. I say make reproducing disciples. Disciples who make disciples who make disciples. Paul, who was a disciple was fulfilling the command of Christ to Timothy. As Paul “true son in the faith,” Paul was making new disciples. Timothy would take what he learned and apply it to new disciples as well. So our calling as Christians is reproduction. Mentoring people to come to Christ and follow and obey Him. As we do this, we grow God’s family.

…by living according to God’s plan.

KNOW YOUR GOSPEL

As I urged you when I went to Macedonia, remain in Ephesus so that you may instruct certain people not to teach different doctrine

(1 Timothy 1:3, HCSB)

Paul told Timothy to stay in Ephesus. Ephesus was starting to spiral down. We would see that these different doctrines would diminish the church by the time of John’s letter to that church in Revelation.

or to pay attention to myths and endless genealogies. These promote empty speculations rather than God’s plan, which operates by faith.

(1 Timothy 1:4, HCSB)

Paul encourages Timothy to teach about God’s plan. He explained that in his letter to Ephesians in Ephesians 1.

Now the goal of our instruction is love that comes from a pure heart, a good conscience, and a sincere faith.

(1 Timothy 1:5, HCSB)

Do you remember when you had to build things? There was a blueprint or a set of instructions about how to build something. Especially at Christmastime, we get these toys that a person needs to look at and follow the instructions in order for the toys to work. The same is true with God’s plan. If you and I are going to live by God’s plan, then we need to follow His instructions. Paul lists three (3) results from following the instructions to God’s plan:

Three results from following the instructions to God’s plan:

Pure Love                     Body                         Relational

Good Conscience        Mind                        Moral

Sincere Faith               Spirit                        Spiritual

Paul says the goal behind his command to correct the false teachers is “love from a pure heart and a good conscience and a faith without hypocrisy.” These three virtues reflect cardinal virtues for Jews, Greeks, and Christians. [2]

Some have deviated from these and turned aside to fruitless discussion.

(1 Timothy 1:6, HCSB)

They want to be teachers of the law, although they don’t understand what they are saying or what they are insisting on.

(1 Timothy 1:7, HCSB)

These teachers were discussing the law. However, these teachers of the law were devolving into fruitless discussion. These Jewish teachers misunderstood the law and the purpose of it. The law pointed to Jesus. It was good because it pointed out sin.

But we know that the law is good, provided one uses it legitimately.

(1 Timothy 1:8, HCSB)

The law is good when it helps us recognize that we have sinned. When it points out our sin and shows us our need for a Savior, the law does it job.

In 1 Timothy 1:9-10, Paul uses the Ten Commandments as a guide to apply to his present context:

The Vice List in 1 Timothy 1:9–10 compared to the Ten Commandments

We know that the law is not meant for a righteous person, but for the lawless and rebellious, for the ungodly and sinful, for the unholy and irreverent, for those who kill their fathers and mothers, for murderers,

(1 Timothy 1:9, HCSB)

for the sexually immoral and homosexuals, for kidnappers, liars, perjurers, and for whatever else is contrary to the sound teaching

(1 Timothy 1:10, HCSB)

based on the glorious gospel of the blessed God, which was entrusted to me.

(1 Timothy 1:11, HCSB)

The Law is based on the Gospel. The Law cannot save. Only the Gospel can save you. The Law points to the need of the Gospel. That is why the law is based on the Gospel. God’s plan was the use the Law to point everyone their need of the Gospel. The Law says: “I try to come up to God. The Gospel says: “God will come down to me.”

The lawful use of the Law is to expose, restrain, and convict the lawless. The Law cannot save lost sinners (Galatians 2:21; 3:21–29); it can only reveal their need for a Saviour. When a sinner believes on Jesus Christ, he is freed from the curse of the Law (Galatians 3:10–14); and the righteous demands of the Law are met by the indwelling Holy Spirit as a believer yields to God (Romans 8:1–4).

The church today doesn’t face the same sort of theological challenges as in the first century, but 1 Timothy 1:5 provides a model for loving Christian relationships. Timothy was commanded to correct the false teaching on Paul’s behalf, but both were motivated by love, not personal power, prestige, or pride. It would be easy to see Paul and Timothy getting defensive about a challenge to their teaching or authority, but instead, they are exhibiting genuine love for their spiritual family (compare Proverbs 3:11–12). As followers of Christ, we are to be sure that all of our relationships, both inside and outside of the Church, are characterized by love flowing from a pure heart, a clear conscience, and genuine faith. [3]

1. Gary W. Demarest, The Preacher’s Commentary Volume 32 (1, 2 Thessalonians, 1, 2 Timothy, Titus), (Nashville, Tennessee: Thomas Nelson, 1984), 153-154. Accessed on January 1, 2015 at 7:56 PM.

2. Dounglas Mangum, and E. Tod Twist, “Kardia, Syneidēsis, Pistis, Heart, Conscience, Faith.” Lexham Bible Guide: 1 Timothy, Douglas Mangum and Derek R, Brown, editors, (Bellingham, Washington: Lexham Press, 2013) Accessed on January 1, 2015 at 8:02 PM.

3. Douglas Mangum and E. Tod Twist, Lexham Bible Guide: 1 Timothy, “Application.” January 9, 2015 at 8:10 PM.