1 Timothy Lesson #12

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RETURN TO SYLLABUS
1TIMOTHY 4:1-16
LESSON #12
THE ROLE OF THE WORD OF GOD IN THE LIFE OF THE CHURCH

MEMORY VERSE: 1TIMOTHY 4:13

• IN CHAPTER 4 PAUL CHANGES THE SUBJECT. CHAPTER 3 ENDS BY TELLING US WHAT IS SOUND DOCTRINE. IN CHAPTER 4 HE WARNS OF THE COMING APOSTASY.
• SOUND DOCTRINE (READ 1TIM 3:16)
• JESUS CHRIST IS GOD MANIFEST IN THE FLESH
• JESUS CHRIST WAS RESURRECTED FROM THE DEAD.
• THE ANGELS ARE WITNESSES TO WHO IS JESUS CHRIST.
• THE NEW BIRTH EXPERIENCE CHANGES THE LIVES OF THOSE WHO BELIEVE IN JESUS CHRIST AND RECEIVE HIM BY FAITH.
• JESUS CHRIST IS OUR HIGH PRIEST SEATED AT THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD IN HEAVEN.
• READ 1TIM 4:1-6
• IT IS THIS WARNING OF APOSTASY OF WHICH ALL CHURCHES SHOULD BE AWARE.
• “IN THE LATTER TIMES” (1) = THIS IS THE TIME PERIOD FROM THE END OF THE DAYS OF THE APOSTLES UNTIL THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST.
• BY THE TIME JOHN WAS THE ONLY REMAINING APOSTLE STILL LIVING, THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH WAS ALREADY BEGINNING TO FALL INTO APOSTASY. THAT IS WHY JOHN WROTE MANY OF THE THINGS HE SAID IN SECOND AND THIRD JOHN. JUDE ALSO WARNS OF APOSTASY AND DEVOTES HIS WHOLE BOOK TO THE SUBJECT. PETER WARNED OF THE COMING APOSTASY IN HIS BOOKS. THESE MEN OF STRONG FAITH ALREADY SAW THE COMING DANGER.
• WHAT IS APOSTASY?
• THE DEFINITION OF APOSTASY IS = TO DEPART FROM THE FAITH; TO FALL AWAY FROM THE ESTABLISHED TRUTH.
• WHAT CAUSES SOME PEOPLE TO DEPART FROM THE FAITH?
• SEDUCING SPIRITS (1)
• WHAT ARE SEDUCING SPIRITS?
• THESE ARE EVIL SPIRITS THAT WORK THE WORK OF SATAN. THE WORD “SEDUCING” MEANS = WANDERING AND DECEIVING. (1PET 5:8)
• DOCTRINES OF DEVILS (1)
• THESE ARE SATANIC DOCTRINES THAT DECEIVE PEOPLE INTO THINKING IT IS THE TRUTH. (2COR 11:14)
• THIS PROBABLY RELATES SPECIFICALLY TO THE DEVELOPING CULT GROUP OF GNOSTICISM DURING THE DAYS OF THE APOSTLES.
• CHARACTERISTICS OF THOSE WHO FALL AWAY FROM THE FAITH:
• THEY SPEAK HYPOCRITICAL LIES. (2)
• THEY HAVE SEARED THEIR CONSCIENCE. (2)
• THESE 2 CHARACTERISTICS TELL US THAT THEY KNOW THE TRUTH BUT THEY PURPOSELY PROFESS AND TEACH A LIE. THIS HAPPENS WHEN A PERSON CONTINUALLY AND PERSISTENTLY REJECT GOD AND DENY THE TRUTH. THEY SEAR THEIR CONSCIENCE.
• THE STRANGE TEACHINGS OF APOSTASY IN PAUL’S DAY: (3)
• FORBIDDING TO MARRY
• THE ESSENES WERE A GROUP THAT BROKE AWAY FROM JUDAISM AND LIVED IN THE HILLS AROUND THE DEAD SEA. THEY WERE THE ONES WHO KEPT THE “DEAD SEA SCROLLS” THAT WERE FOUND IN CLAY JARS IN CAVES. THE ESSENES FORBADE PEOPLE IN THEIR CULT GROUP TO MARRY.
• THE COMMAND TO ABSTAIN FROM EATING MEAT
• VEGETARIAN CULT GROUPS.
• PAUL’S TEACHING IN CONTRAST TO LEGALISTIC CULT GROUPS (4-5)
• GOD HAS GIVEN US FREEDOM IN JESUS CHRIST.
• WE SHOULD, THEREFORE, BE THANKFUL TO GOD FOR THE BLESSINGS HE GIVES.
• WHY HAS PAUL DISCUSSED THESE THINGS CONCERNING APOSTASY THAT SEEM TO HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH ORDER IN THE CHURCH?
• NOTICE THAT THE CONTEXT OF THIS SECTION OF 1TIMOTHY IS AFTER THE REQUIREMENTS FOR ELDERS AND DEACONS.. THEREFORE, THE WARNING OF COMING APOSTASY WITHIN THE CHURCH IS GIVEN TO THOSE IN LEADERSHIP.

• PRINCIPLE #32

IT IS THE RESPONSIBLITY OF ALL ELDERS AND DEACONS TO WATCH FOR APOSTASY IN THE CHURCH

• WHY IS THIS A RESPONSIBILITY FOR ALL ELDERS AND ALL DEACONS AND NOT JUST THE PASTOR?
• YOU WILL RECALL THAT ELDERS AND DEACONS SHOULD BE CHOSEN FOR THEIR SPIRITUAL MATURITY AND BECAUSE THEY HAVE AN APTITUDE TO TEACH. IN OTHER WORDS, THEY KNOW THE TRUTH OF THE WORD OF GOD AND ARE BETTER ABLE TO RECOGNIZE THE FALSE.
• REMEMBER THAT ELDERS ARE SPIRITUAL OVERSEERS OF THE BODY OF CHRIST. THEY MUST HAVE SPIRITUAL DISCERNMENT TO DETERMINE TRUTH FROM ERROR.
• PAUL SAYS THAT A GOOD MINISTER WILL MAKE SURE THAT THE CHURCH IS NOURISHED WITH FAITH AND GOOD DOCTRINE.
• (6) THERE ARE 22 REFERENCES TO TEACHING OR DOCTRINE IN THIS BOOK.

• READ 1TIM 4:7-13
• PAUL TELLS TIMOTHY TO AVOID:
• “OLD WIVES’ FABLES” (7)
• THERE IS ONE THING THAT HAPPENS TO CHRISTIANITY WHEN IT IS SPREAD TO OTHER CULTURES AND OTHER LANGUAGE GROUPS. IT TENDS TO TAKE ON SOME OF THE CHARACTERISTICS INTO WHICH IT IS ADOPTED. IT IS EASIER TO SEE THIS PHENOMENON IN A CULTURE NOT OUR OWN THAN IT IS IN OUR OWN CULTURE.
• FOR EXAMPLE: WHEN CHRISTIANITY WAS ADOPTED INTO MANY AREAS OF SOUTH AMERICA, THE INDIGENOUS NATIVES BECAME CHRISTIANS, BUT THEY CONTINUED TO PRACTICE THEIR OLD PAGAN RITUALS, HOLIDAYS, AND TRADITIONS. THEY ADAPTED CHRISTIANITY TO THEIR OLD PAGAN WAYS WITH WHICH THEY WERE COMFORTABLE. OR WE COULD SAY THAT THEY COMPROMISED CHRISTIANITY WITH THE WORLD SYSTEM IN WHICH THEY LIVED.
• PAUL IS REFERING TO THIS PHENOMENON OF CULTURAL ADAPTATION. THE PEOPLE OF EPHESUS HAD A PAGAN GREEK CULTURE. PAUL TELLS TIMOTHY TO BE AWARE OF THIS PRACTICE. CHRISTIANS MUST NOT TEACH CULTURAL “FABLES” AS THOUGH THEY WERE DOCTRINE FROM THE WORD OF GOD.
• WHEN A PERSON TURNS TO CHRIST, HE IS NEW CREATURE. OLD THINGS ARE PASSED AWAY. (2COR 5:17) THAT MEANS WE MUST GIVE UP OUR OLD BELIEFS AND REPLACE THEM WITH THE WORD OF GOD.
• READ ROM 12:2
• THE BELIEVER MUST NOT BE CONFORMED TO THE WORLD SYSTEM OR CULTURE IN WHICH HE WAS RAISED, BUT HE MUST BE TRANSFORMED. PAUL TELLS US HOW WE ARE TO BECOME TRANSFORMED. IT IS BY THE RENEWING OF OUR MINDS.
• WE RENEW OUR MINDS BY READING AND STUDYING THE WORD OF GOD.
• WE SUBMERGE OURSELVES IN THE WORD OF GOD AS THOUGH WE ARE A SPONGE AND THE WORD IS THE WATER. GRADUALLY THE OLD BELIEFS ARE WASHED OUT OF US AND REPLACED BY THE TRUTH OF THE WORD OF GOD.
• “BODILY EXERCISE PROFITETH LITTLE” (8)
• PAUL IS NOT SAYING THAT PHYSICAL EXERCISE IS NOT IMPORTANT.
• THIS IS ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF CULTURAL CONTAMINATION. IN THE CITY OF EPHESUS, THERE WAS A COLISEUM WHERE OLYMPIC GAMES WERE HELD. THE HUMAN BODY WAS ELEVATED TO A GOD-LIKE STATUS. PAUL IS SAYING THAT IT WOULD BE BETTER TO EXERCISE YOURSELF IN GODLINESS RATHER THAN TO MAKE A GOD OF THE PERFECTLY FORMED HUMAN BODY.
• PAUL SAYS THIS FACT IS A SPIRITUAL TRUTH: (9) WHAT YOU DO FOR YOUR PHYSICAL BODY ENDS WHEN THIS BODY DIES, BUT WHAT YOU DO FOR YOUR SOUL AND SPIRIT WILL LAST FOR ETERNITY.

• PRINCIPLE #33

ELDERS AND DEACONS MUST STAND FOR TRUTH IN THE WORD OF GOD RATHER THAN FOR WHAT IS CULTURALLY POPULAR IN SOCIETY

• WHAT DOES PAUL TELL US IS THE ANSWER TO THIS POTENTIAL PROBLEM OF APOSTASY?
• PROPER PRIORITIES IN THE CHURCH: (11-14)
• CHURCHES AS WELL AS INDIVIDUAL CHRISTIANS SHOULD HAVE PROPER PROPRITIES IN LIFE. BASED ON 1TIM 4, THESE SHOULD INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING:
• AN ENCOURAGEMENT TO GODLINESS
• AN ACTIVE INTEREST IN THE WORD OF GOD
• WHOLESOME CONVERSATION
• LOVE FOR OTHERS AND FOR GOD
• GUIDANCE BY THE HOLY SPIRIT
• AN ACTIVE FAITH
• A PURE LIFESTYLE
• READING THE WORD OF GOD
• THE WORD OF GOD SHOULD BE READ OUT LOUD IN THE CHURCH.
• WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT?
• THERE IS SOMETHING POWERFUL ABOUT THE SPOKEN WORD OF GOD. IT IS AS THOUGH THE HOLY SPIRIT TAKES THOSE SPOKEN WORDS AND CARRIES THEM TO THE HUMAN HEART.
• READ HEB 4:12
• “THE WHOLE COUNSEL OF GOD” (ACTS 20:27) NEEDS TO BE READ AND TAUGHT IN THE CHURCH. CULTS AND FALSE DOCTRINE USUALLY OCCUR WHEN THERE IS AN
• OVER- EMPHASIS ON ONE DOCTRINE OR SCRIPTURE. THAT IS WHY OUR LESSONS ALWAYS ALTERNATE BETWEEN OLD AND NEW TESTAMENT BOOKS. THERE NEEDS TO BE A BALANCE OF TEACHING.
• EXHORTATION
• EXHORTATION INCLUDES AN ENCOURAGEMENT TO DO BETTER AND A CORRECTION FOR THAT WHICH IS WRONG.
• SOUND DOCTRINE
• PAUL HAS MENTIONED SOUND DOCTRINE NUMEROUS TIMES IN THIS BOOK. THEREFORE, IT MUST BE EXTREMELY IMPORTANT.
• BECAUSE PAUL MENTIONS IT SO OFTEN, A CHURCH SHOULD MAKE SOUND DOCTRINE A MAJOR PRIORITY.

• PRINCIPLE #34

ELDERS AND DEACONS SHOULD SET CHURCH PRIORITIES TO INCLUDE: GODLINESS, READING THE WORD OF GOD, EXHORTATION, AND SOUND DOCTRINE

• NOTICE IN VERSE 12 THAT PAUL TELLS TIMOTHY NOT TO LET ANYONE DESPISE HIS YOUTH (A PERSON UNDER 40 YRS. OLD). TIMOTHY WAS A YOUNG MAN BUT SPIRITUALLY MATURE ENOUGH TO BE AN ELDER OF THE CHURCH. IT IS SPIRITUAL MATURITY THAT IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN PHYSICAL AGE.

• READ 1TIM 4:14-16
• GIFTS TO THE BODY OF CHRIST: (14-16)
• JESUS CHRIST HAS GIVEN THE CHURCH GIFTS TO EQUIP BELIEVERS.
• READ EPH 4:10-12
• APOSTLES
• PROPHETS
• EVANGELISTS
• PASTORS
• TEACHERS
• TIMOTHY WAS A PASTOR WHO WAS SENT BY JESUS CHRIST TO THE CHURCH IN EPHESUS.
• THE LAYING ON OF HANDS FOR MINISTRY:
• THE LAYING ON OF HANDS DOES NOT TRANSFER ANY GIFT TO A PERSON. INSTEAD IT IS A PUBLIC RECOGNITION OF WHAT GOD HAS ALREADY DONE IN THE PERSON.
• GOD CALLED TIMOTHY TO BE A PASTOR.
• GOD CONFIRMED THAT CALL BY A PROPHECY.
• THE CHURCH ELDERS LAID HANDS ON TIMOTHY AS AN EXPRESSION OF BECOMING PARTNERS IN HIS MINISTRY.

• PRINCIPLE #35

ELDERS AND DEACONS SHOULD DEVELOP AND USE THEIR SPIRITUAL GIFTS FOR THE GOOD OF OTHER BELIEVERS IN THE LOCAL CHURCH

• HOW DO YOU DEVELOP AND USE YOUR SPIRITUAL GIFTS?
• DISCOVER WHAT ARE YOUR GIFTS BY MEDITATING ON THESE THINGS IN THE WORD OF GOD.
• 1COR 12:4-7
• SPIRITUAL GIFTS ARE DIVIDED INTO 3 AREAS:
• ADMINISTRATIONS
• GIFTS
• OPERATIONS

• WHAT ARE “ADMINISTRATIONS”?
• THESE ARE POSITIONAL GIFTS OF MINISTRY GIVEN BY JESUS CHRIST TO THE LOCAL BODY OF CHRIST. THESE ARE THE ONES MENTIONED IN EPH 4:11 (APOSTLES, PROPHETS, EVANGELISTS, PASTORS, TEACHERS)
• WHAT ARE “GIFTS”?
• THESE ARE SUPERNATURAL ABILITIES GIVEN BY THE HOLY SPIRIT AT SPECIFIC TIME FOR A SPECIFIC PURPOSE IN 1COR 12:8-10 (WORD OF WISDOM, WORD OF KNOWLEDGE, FAITH, GIFTS OF HEALING, WORKING OF MIRACLES, PROPHECY, DISCERNING OF SPIRITS, DIVERSE TONGUES, INTERPRETATION OF TONGUES)
• WHAT ARE “OPERATIONS”?
• THESE ARE MOTIVATIONAL GIFTS TO ALL PEOPLE (BELIEVERS AND NON-BELIEVERS) GIVEN BY GOD, THE FATHER, IN ROM 12:6-8 (PROPHECY, TEACHING, EXHORTATION, SERVING, GIVING, FACILITATING, MERCY)
• ONCE YOU DISCOVER YOUR GIFTS, DEDICATE YOUR TIME AND ENERGY TO PERFECTING THEM.
• AS YOU ARE PERSISTENT IN DOING THESE THINGS, OTHER BELIEVERS WILL RECOGNIZE THEM IN YOU. THEN YOU WILL BE GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO USE THEM MORE AND MORE.
• THE RESULTS OF YOUR MINISTRY WILL CAUSE OTHERS TO BE SAVED.

HOMEWORK

1TIMOTHY 5:1-18

THIS IS A SELF-STUDY. PLEASE DO NOT SEND HOMEWORK ANSWERS TO THE TEACHER FORCORRECTION.

• APPLICATION OF 1TIM 4
• WHAT WILL YOU DO SPECIFIALLY TO BETTER PREPARE YOURSELF FOR LEADERSHIP?

• PREPARATION FOR 1TIM 5:1-18
• READ 1TIM 5:1-18
• PAUL DISCUSSES DIFFERENT TYPES OF WIDOWS. WHAT DISTINCTIONS DOES HE MAKE TO DETERMINE A CHURCH’S RESPONSIBILITY TO THESE PEOPLE?

• ACCORDING TO VERSE 18, WHAT IS A CHURCH’S RESPONSIBILITY TO THE PASTOR?

• MEMORY VERSE: 1TIMOTHY 5:17