“In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” (Genesis 1:1 ESV)
From the starting point of Genesis 1:1, the Scriptures articulate a wealth of additional information and revelation concerning God.
God is spirit (John 4:24; 2Co 3:17). He is declared to be light (Isaiah 60:1-19; James 1:17; 1 John 1:5), love (1John 4:7-11,16), invisible (Job 23:8,9; John 1:18; 5:37; Colossians 1:15; 1Timothy 1:17), unsearchable (Job 11:7; 37:23; Psalm 145:3; Isaiah 40:28; Romans 11:33), incorruptible (Romans 1:23), eternal (Deuteronomy 33:27; Psalm 90:2; Revelation 4:8-10) and immortal (1Timothy 1:17; 6:16).
God is omnipotent (Genesis 17:1; Exodus 6:1-3), omniscient (Psalm 139:1-6; Proverbs 5:21), omnipresent (Psalm 139:7; Jeremiah 23:23) and immutable (Psalm 102:26-27; James 1:17). He is the only-wise God (Romans 16:27; 1Timothy 1:17), who is glorious (Exodus 15:11; Psalm 145:5), and the Most High (Psalm 83:18; Acts 7:48).
God is perfect (Matthew 5:48), Holy (Psalm 99:9; Isaiah 5:16; 6:1-7), just (Deuteronomy 32:4; Isaiah 45:21), true (Jeremiah 10:10; John 17:3) and upright (Psalm 25:8; 92:15). He is also righteous (Ezra 9:15; Psalm 145:17) good (Psalm 25:8; 119:68), great (2 Chronicles 2:5; Psalm 86:10), gracious (Exodus 34:6; Psalm 116:5), faithful (Corinthians 10:13; 1Peter 4:19), merciful (Exodus 34:6-7; Psalm 86:5; 103:8-17) and long-suffering (Numbers 14:18; Micah 7:1).
Additionally, God is a jealous God (Joshua 24:19; Nahum 1:2), but also compassionate (2 Kings 13:23). The Scriptures describe Him as a consuming fire (Hebrews 12:29). There is none beside him (Deuteronomy 4:35; Isaiah 44:6), none before him (Isaiah 43:10), none like him (Exodus 9:14; Deuteronomy 33:26; 2 Samuel 7:22; Isaiah 46:5-9; Jeremiah 10:6) and none good but him (Matthew 19:17). He fills heaven and earth (1Kings 8:27; Jeremiah 23:24) and should alone be worshipped in spirit and in truth (John 4:24).
What is more is that God is self-existent (Exodus 3:1-4), self-sufficient (Psalm 50:11-12) and infinite (I Kings 8:22-27; Jeremiah 23:24). God is wise (Proverbs 3:19; I Timothy 1:17). He is also sovereign (Isaiah 46:1-11).
With assistance by the Holy Spirit, believers in Christ understand that God is incomprehensible (Job 11:17-19; Romans 11:33; I Corinthians 1:18-2:16). He is also faithful (Deuteronomy 7:1-9; Psalm 89:1-2), good (Psalm 107:8) and gracious (Psalm 1114; I Peter 5:10). He is One in essence (Deuteronomy 6:1-5; Isaiah 44:6-8) but also subsists as three persons (Matthew 29:19-20; 2 Corinthians 13:14).
Pastor Richard D. Phillips explains, “The Bible opens by saying, “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” The purpose of the creation account was not to answer twenty-first century scientific skeptics, but to teach the people of Israel about their God. The God who had delivered Israel in the exodus, who now revealed Himself through the pen of Moses, is the true God and Maker of everything that is. God is the source of all things; in the beginning He already is, and, by His Word, the very universe was made.”
May we worship the One, True God in spirit and in truth (John 4:24). Have a blessed day in the LORD.
“Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching.” (1 Timothy 4:13 (ESV)
The Apostle Paul wanted his young protégé Timothy to know he was coming to visit him in Ephesus. The phrase until I come (ἔρχομαι; erchomai) is a present, middle, indicative verb. Paul said he would personally arrive in the city and visit the church and its young pastor.
“Until I come” is the correct translation, and harmonizes with 3:14 (“hoping to come to you shortly”). The idea is, “If and when I return, I will give you new instructions.” Perhaps Paul had in mind some other mission on which Timothy could then be sent,” explains Dr. William Hendriksen.[1]
“During the apostle’s absence, then, his representative is given instructions about his duty with respect to public worship in the entire district. He must see to it that in all the churches of Ephesus and surroundings three elements receive due prominence.”[2]
What are these three elements Paul mentioned to Timothy? They were to devote himself to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, and to teaching the Word of God.
First, devote yourself (πρόσεχε; proseche) is a present, active imperative verb. Timothy must continuously, actively and obediently apply himself to a certain action or behavior. The Greek text literally says to public reading (ἀναγνώσει; anagnosei). This refers to reading something out loud. The implicit idea is for Timothy to publicly read aloud the Scriptures. When the church gathers to worship.
“The public reading of Scripture (just as in the synagogue, Luke 4:16; Acts 13:15; 2 Cor. 3:14; but now not only the reading of law and prophets, but in addition portions of the growing New Testament, Col. 4:16; 1 Thess. 5:27; Rev. 1:3).[3]
Second, to exhortation. Exhortation (παρακλήσει; paraklesei) means encouragement, comfort and consolation. While this may be done with words, within the context Timothy is to encourage people from the Scriptures regarding doctrine and Christian living.
Third, to teaching. Teaching (διδασκαλίᾳ; didaskalia) refers to biblical instruction and the teaching of doctrine. This must be done in both formal, and informal, settings.
“It does make a difference what one believes! The attitude of heart is not everything. There are certain facts with respect to doctrine and morals which must be taught, and which one must accept and embrace, so that one’s life is founded upon them. So much is clear: if there be no pulpit-reading, exhorting, and teaching, divine worship is a misnomer. In the early church, when very few individuals owned private copies of the sacred writings, and all such material had to be copied by hand, one can imagine how important was the public reading of Scripture. But even today the careful selection, and clear and interpretive reading of an appropriate portion of Holy Writ is “the most important part of public worship.” And even today if the choir takes so much time that little is left for exhorting and teaching, something is wrong. Timothy, then, must continue to devote his attention to these important matters.”[4]
Are the worship services in your local church including the reading of Scripture, exhortation and biblical teaching? May the Lord’s truth and grace be found here. Have a blessed day in the Lord.
Soli deo Gloria!
[1] William Hendriksen and Simon J. Kistemaker, Exposition of the Pastoral Epistles, vol. 4, New Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1953–2001), 158.
“Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching.” (1 Timothy 4:13 (ESV)
What kind of preaching can properly be identified as biblical preaching? Is biblical preaching a devotional talk, an oration, or a motivational speech? Can a pastor briefly refer to a biblical text and then spend the rest of the sermon time talking about something totally unrelated to the text and have this identified as biblical preaching? What is the difference between preaching and teaching? Today’s text, among many others, provide ample direction and definition as to the mandate, the manner, and the definition of biblical preaching.
“When warnings about a drift away from biblical preaching sound, the only reasonable response is a return to the scriptural roots of preaching to reaffirm its essential nature. In a reexamination of the heritage of biblical proclamation, two elements emerge: the mandates to preach and the manner of preaching,” explains Dr. Richard L. Mayhue.
The mandates to preach are found in the following New Testament texts. The pastor, preacher, teacher and student of Scripture can find many examples and exhortations in the Gospels, Acts, the Epistles, and Revelation. All biblical genres contain the command to preach the truth in fulfillment of God’s will. The following five New Testament passages represent the comprehensive and cumulative content supporting the importance of preaching the Word of God.
Matt. 28:19–20— “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
1 Tim. 4:13— “Until I come, give attention to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation and teaching.”
2 Tim. 2:2— “And the things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, these entrust to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also.”
2 Tim. 4:2— “Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction.”
Titus 2:1— “But as for you, speak the things which are fitting for sound doctrine.”[1]
Not only does God’s Word provide the mandate for preaching, but also the manner of preaching. There are four predominant words found in the New Testament regarding the proper and biblical manner of biblical preaching.
Kēryssō sees general use throughout the Gospels, Acts, and the Epistles. John the Baptist (Matt. 3:1), Jesus (Matt. 4:17), and Paul (Acts 28:31) all engaged in the action of preaching as indicated by this verb. To Timothy, Paul commended this same activity, telling him to preach the Word (2 Tim. 4:2).[2]
Εύαγγελίζω (euaggelizō, meaning “I preach the gospel”) is practically interchangeable with kēryssō (Luke 8:1; Acts 8:4–5). Paul and Barnabas preached the good news of the Word of the Lord (Acts 15:35).[3]
Μαρτυρέω (martyreō, meaning “I testify,” or “I bear witness”) is a legal term picturing the communication of truth from one who has a first-hand knowledge. John the Baptist bore witness to the Light (John 1:7–8), and John the apostle testified to the Word of God (Rev. 1:2).[4]
Διδάσκω (didaskō, meaning “I teach”) focuses on the purpose and content of the message transmitted, without excluding elements of the three previous verbs. As part of the Great Commission, Jesus commanded His disciples to teach (Matt. 28:20). Paul recommended teaching to Timothy (1 Tim. 6:2 and 2 Tim. 2:2). Teaching is sometimes associated with kēryssō (Matt. 11:1) and euaggelizō (Acts 5:42). The content of what is taught focuses on the way of God (Matt. 22:16) and the Word of God (Acts 18:11).[5]
In light of the biblical mandate for and the manner of preaching, how may we biblically define preaching? There is a general consensus for three types of preaching: topical, textual, and expository.
Topical messages usually combine a series of Bible verses that loosely connect with a theme. Textual preaching uses a short text or passage that generally serves as a gateway into whatever subject the preacher chooses to address. Neither the topical nor the textual method represents a serious effort to interpret, understand, explain, or apply God’s truth in the context of the Scripture(s) used.[6]
By contrast, expository preaching focuses predominantly on the text(s) under consideration along with its (their) context(s). Exposition normally concentrates on a single text of Scripture, but it is sometimes possible for a thematic/theological message or a historical/biographical discourse to be expository in nature. An exposition may treat any length of passage.[7]
The vision for His Word Today has always been to examine what the biblical text says, what it means, and how it may be applied in our lives. With this understanding, true biblical preaching is expository preaching. Today’s featured text from I Timothy 4:13 is one such Scripture reference supporting the vision and mission of expository preaching. It is this biblical text we will examine in detail when next we meet.
May the Lord’s truth and grace be found here. Have a blessed day in the Lord.
11 Command and teach these things. 12 Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity.” (1 Timothy 4:11–12 (ESV)
The following excerpt is by Dr. J. Ligon Duncan. He is an American Presbyterian scholar and pastor. He is Chancellor of Reformed Theological Seminary. Jackson, Miss. He preached this message in 2004.
I. Speak with authority and instruct your flock with these truths.
II. Prove your office by your life.
Secondly, notice what he says in verse 12. It boils down to this: he says, “Timothy, practice what you preach. Let no one look down on your youthfulness, but rather in speech, conduct, love, faith and purity, show yourself an example of those who believe.” Or, show yourself an example to believers. What’s Paul saying? He’s saying practice what you preach, Timothy. Prove your office by your life. Timothy, you’re young. There are older and more experienced people in your congregation. It would be possible for them to say, “Boy, that preacher’s kind of young….” And Paul says, “Timothy, you show that you have every business being a minister of the word of God by the way you live. You practice what you preach.”
And he zeroes in on five specific areas. He says, ‘Timothy, first…notice, first…with your speech show that you’re qualified to be a minister of God.’ This isn’t his preaching speech, this is his day-to-day speech. In the way that you talk, Timothy, in the respectful way that you talk to people, in the serious way that you talk to people; in the appropriate way that you talk to people, you show with your language that you’re a minister of the gospel.
And, in your conduct, in your manner of life, show that you are qualified to be a preacher of the gospel. Twenty-four/seven, with your life outside of the pulpit on Sunday morning and Sunday evening, the rest of the week, you show with your manner of life that you’re called to be a preacher of the word of God.
And Timothy, you show with your love. You show in the way that you serve others in love that you put their interests before your own; that you serve them even at your own expense. You show in the way that you love that you’re a minister of the gospel.
And Timothy, you show by your faith. Does Paul mean your trust in the promises of God, or does he mean your fidelity to the truth of God? I don’t know. It’s kind of hard to say. Sometimes he uses this word to mean “faithfulness;” sometimes he means it to be “faith.” Either would be a true exhortation, wouldn’t it? Timothy, by your faith show that you’re called to be a minister of the word.
And Timothy, by your purity…and Paul has especially in view Timothy’s sexual purity. The way he relates to the female members of his congregation. As one older minister in the Lord exhorted me and other younger ministers, he said, “Brothers, love the sisters, but take no pleasure in them.” Meaning, you love them like a sister in Christ. You serve them. But do not lust for them. Do not treat them as an object for your gratification. You love them purely, like a sister in Christ. That’s what Paul’s saying to Timothy.
And he’s saying, Timothy, you be an example. Timothy’s preaching, his authoritative preaching, is to be preceded by a life that exhibits the fruits of that authoritative preaching. He is to practice what he preaches. And my friends, all true Christian profession shows itself in how we live. And so, if Timothy is to be an example to us as believers in these five areas, then we ought to be examples to one another in these five areas. Are you praying that the Lord would grow you in those five areas? Are you praying for your brothers and sisters in Christ here at First Presbyterian Church that they would grow in these areas and be an encouragement to you? And that we collectively would be a witness to the world that God has done a work in our hearts, and therefore in us there is appropriate godly speech and conduct, and love and faith and purity? That’s a good prayer to pray for one another, and it’s certainly something for us all to aspire to, whether we’re ministers or not.
Ministers, elders here today, are you striving to adorn your life with this godliness? That’s what Paul’s calling us to do. We have a special burden to strive after this holiness, by the grace of the Holy Spirit.
May the Lord’s truth and grace be found here. Have a blessed day in the Lord.
11 Command and teach these things. 12 Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity.” (1 Timothy 4:11–12 (ESV)
The following excerpt is by Dr. J. Ligon Duncan. He is an American Presbyterian scholar and pastor. He is Chancellor of Reformed Theological Seminary. Jackson, Miss. He preached this message in 2004.
What’s a minister supposed to be and do? What is the heart of the ministry of the local church?You know, over the last hundred years in America, there have been more answers given to that question than I can even begin to list for you today. Just about everybody studying the church today agrees that ministers are expected to be more things now than they’ve ever been expected to be before. Historically, the Christian church expected ministers to preach, they expected ministers to lead in worship, and to pastor.
Today ministers are expected to be jacks-of-all-trades: salesmen, fund-raisers, leaders, counselors, therapists, cheerleaders, coaches….and then along the way somewhere, preach every once in a while, disciple and minister to the people of God in times of need. There’s been a multiplication of the expectations on the part of those in the pew for the ministers of the word. That’s just something that sociologists tell us. Everybody seems to be telling us that.
What, then, ought to be the job description of the minister? Paul has something to say about that in this passage today. What ought to be the model, the pattern of ministry in the local church? Again, if I were to list all the options that are out there today, we wouldn’t have time just to list the options! There is a model for how the church ministry ought to be conducted on every…there are ten models on every bookshelf that you find on “Ministry” in a local Christian bookstore. The church needs to be completely remodeled in order to appeal to seekers. No, the church needs to be completely remodeled in order to be welcoming to seekers. And there’s a model for every…there’s a philosophy for church life on every bookshelf–gobs of different approaches. What, then, should be the pattern of ministry in the local church? Paul says in this passage today what it ought to be. I want you to see six things, very briefly, that he directs to Timothy and to all ministers: six things that have something to say to all of us here gathered under the hearing of the word today. The first thing is this. You’ll see it in verse eleven.
I. Speak with authority and instruct your flock with these truths.
Paul wants Timothy’s proclamation to be authoritative. The first point that Paul makes to Timothy is that his ministry should be authoritative. He’s talking about authoritative proclamation. Notice what he says in verse eleven: “Prescribe and teach these things.” Some of your translations may say “command and teach these things.” That’s a perfectly good translation. It’s a military word that’s being used. “Command” or “prescribe” here is the word that is used to speak of the orders that are given by a superior officer to inferior officers. Paul is saying to Timothy that his proclamation needs to be authoritative.
Do you realize how counter-cultural that is? I’m told by everybody around me today that the pattern of ministry in the Christian church needs to be changed because people don’t like to be “preached at.” They don’t like a sermon. They like dialogue. They like advice. They’re more into the give and take of therapy than they are in the direct proclamation of a lecture or a sermon. And so, we’re told on every side the way we go about doing church needs to change, because people don’t like that. Well, I’ve got some news for you: people have never liked this!! There’s never been a time when people liked to have their hearts probed. There’s never been a time where people liked to have somebody discover where they have been weighed in the balance and found lacking. There’s never been a time where people liked to be told ‘you’re dead wrong; you need to go another direction.’
And Paul says that’s exactly what people have always needed, whether they like it or not. So, he says, “Timothy, prescribe and teach these things.” In other words, in your preaching, be authoritative. You’re not speaking for yourself. You’re not sharing your opinions. You’re not burdening people with your own idea about life. You’re speaking God’s word to them, so be authoritative about it! And you know what? Because all faithful Christian teaching has with its view the production of a life of fellowship and obedience to God, it’s got to be authoritative because we’re not just speaking the word in order to tell you something new or interesting. We’re not just giving you some fun facts to know and tell. Christian teaching has in view the transformation of life. And so, it’s got to be authoritative.
And as Christians, we ought to want to sit under a ministry that is faithful in the authority of its proclamation. That’s something that, if the Lord moves you from this place to another place, that’s something you ought to look for. Not a ministry that’s ‘dialoguing’ with you; not a minister that’s doing a late-night talk show chat on a bar stool; but someone who’s proclaiming authoritatively God’s word. That’s what Paul says we ought to do. This isn’t the opinion of up-tight Presbyterians: this is Paul, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit telling you what God wants in ministry.
May the Lord’s truth and grace be found here. Have a blessed day in the Lord.
11 Command and teach these things. 12 Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity.” (1 Timothy 4:11–12 (ESV)
When the Lord calls an individual into ministry, they initially may encounter some intentional, or unintentional, condescending attitudes by older saints. Certain persons within the church may endeavor to put the minister in their place, so to speak. They may reason their years of ministry, whether volunteer or paid, and life experiences eclipse any talent, abilities or calling the younger servant of Christ may possess. It can also be the case the young minister may believe they know all the answers to all the questions of life and living; even the questions they do not know.
What is to be the attitude and action a younger servant of Christ is to display to those fellow believers who are older? The Apostle Paul did not leave Timothy, or believers today, wondering what to think and how to act.
Regarding one’s attitude in this situation, Paul wrote, “Let no one despise you for your youth,” The phrase no one (μηδείς; medeis) means nobody and nothing. Let despise (καταφρονείτω; kataphroneito) refers to scorn, and to look down on. Taken together, Paul commanded Timothy to not allow anyone to be condescending to him as their pastor. The reason for such condescension was because of his young age. The words your youth (τῆς νεότητος; tes neotetos) refers to youthfulness.
Timothy may have been younger than most of the believers in the Ephesian church. As an elder and pastor, he was not to allow people to look down on him because of his age. This type of behavior should not happen in the church, but all too often does.
“Elders were highly respected in Greek gymnasia and exercised a ruling function in synagogues and churches, as they had in communities in the Old Testament. Timothy joined Paul before a.d. 50 (Acts 16:1–3). Men entered adulthood around puberty, so Timothy may have been in his mid-teens. Paul is writing in the early sixties, Timothy is at least in his mid-twenties and could well be in his early or mid-thirties; this term for “youth” (KJV) could apply up to the age of forty, although it usually applied especially to someone under twenty-nine. But those who were not elders were often considered inappropriate for leadership positions (cf. 1 Sam 17:33), and many offices even in Judaism became available only at age forty. Most stories about the appointment of young men were made up later to extol prodigies (postbiblical stories about Daniel, Solomon or several rabbis); Timothy’s appointment was thus a rare privilege in his culture.”[1]
While it may have been hard for Timothy to dictate the attitudes of others, he could control his own actions. Therefore, Paul commanded him to set the believers an example. Set (γίνου; ginou) is a present, middle, imperative verb. Timothy was to continuously, personally, and obediently behave with biblical character towards fellow believers. Paul called him to be an example (τύπος; typos). This refers to a model, an archetype for people to see and follow.
The model behavior Paul has in mind involves speech, conduct, love, faith, and purity.” Speech (λόγῳ; logo) means an individual’s words and the content of their communication. Conduct (ἀναστροφῇ; anastrophe) refers to a way of life and living. Love (ἀγάπῃ; agape) means a self-sacrificial love of the will. Faith (πίστει; pistei) refers to being committed, dependable, trustworthy and honorable. Purity (ἁγνείᾳ; hagneia) means having no moral defect.
“At first Paul’s instruction that Timothy should not let anyone “despise” (kjv) his youth might seem impossible to fulfill since Timothy could not control the attitudes of others. Yet when combined with the latter part of the verse, the thrust of Paul’s instruction becomes clear. Timothy must not be intimidated by his relative youthfulness or what others might think of it. Instead, he was to demonstrate his maturity by living such a godly life that he would become a pattern for other Christians in every area of his life: speech … life (i.e., “behavior or conduct,” anastrophē; cf. “conduct” in 3:15), love … faith, and … purity. The word for “purity” (hagneia, “moral cleanness”) is used only here and in 5:2.”[2]
“Timothy must not permit anyone to despise him because of his youth. He must see to it that he is respected because of his office. But he must attain this end not by “acting big” or bragging about his credentials, but by conducting himself as a man of sage counsel and consecrated, practical wisdom. Respect for the man will mean respect for his office.”[3]
“Hence, Paul continues, but become the believers’ model in speech, in conduct, in love,in faith, in purity. In an altogether natural and organic manner he must win the respect of all the believers. Note that Paul does not really say that Timothy should become a model for the believers, that is, for them to follow (see 1 Thess. 1:7; 2 Thess. 3:9), but that ever increasingly he should become a model of what the believers are; and this in five respects:
a. in speech, that is, in personal conversation (for preaching see the next verse).
b. in conduct, that is, in customs, habits, ways of dealing with people, etc.
c. in love, that is, in deep personal attachment to his brothers and in genuine concern for his neighbors (including even his enemies), always seeking to promote the welfare of all.
d. in faith, that is, in the exercise of that gift of God which is the root from which love springs (note: love here probably indicates the horizontal relationship; faith, the vertical).
e. in purity (see also 1 Tim. 5:2), that is, in complete conformity, both in thought and act, with God’s moral law.[4]
If you have a younger minister on the staff of your local church, treat them with the respect you would appreciate people extending to you; regardless of age. May the Lord’s truth and grace be found here. Have a blessed day in the Lord.
[2] A. Duane Litfin, “1 Timothy,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, vol. 2 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 741.
[3] William Hendriksen and Simon J. Kistemaker, Exposition of the Pastoral Epistles, vol. 4, New Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1953–2001), 157.
11 Command and teach these things. 12 Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity.” (1 Timothy 4:11–12 (ESV)
“Now, in the passage before us today Paul has some words, very personal words, for a man that he knew and loved very well: Timothy. And it would be very tempting for us…and you’re going to hear the “personal-ness” of this message in the pronouns that he uses. He’s speaking “you, you, you, you, Timothy,” and even some of the instructions that he gives are couched in the distinctive personality of Timothy,” explains Pastor Dr. J. Ligon Duncan.
“Timothy was a man who was constitutionally weak, he had stomach problems. He was temperamentally meek, he was given to deference. He had been Paul’s right-hand man, and frankly, he was having a hard time transitioning into the role of leadership where “he was the man.” He was young, and all of those combined to bring about certain characteristics and dynamics in the way that Paul speaks to him in this passage.”
“So, it would be very tempting for us to say, “Well, good. We’re getting ready to listen in on what Paul has to say to one minister, and what this says doesn’t say anything to me today.” You, if you took that posture, would be in the wrong position! Because every word of Scripture is given by inspiration and every word is profitable for you, for reproof and correction and training in righteousness, (2 Tim. 3:16-17).”
“First of all, in this passage what Paul says to Timothy is not only applicable to Timothy; it is applicable to everyone who is a minister of the gospel. Secondly, however, even in the things that Paul tells Timothy to do here, there is much that is said about what the ministry pattern of the local church is to be, if Timothy does the things that Paul tells him to do in I Timothy 4:11-16. But finally, you as a believer can learn much about what you are to be and do from this passage to a Christian minister. Why? Because in this passage Paul says, Timothy, you are to do this in order to be an example to the flock. Even though these words in the first instance are spoken to a minister, they’re applicable to every Christian,” concludes Dr. Duncan.
It is imperative for believers in Christ to know what this particular text says, what it means and how it may be applied in our lives. As is the case with this portion of Scripture, so it should be with all portions of Scripture.
The Apostle Paul wrote, “Command and teach these things.” Command (Παράγγελλε; Parangelle) is a present, active, imperative verb. Paul gave an order to Timothy, who in turn was to give an order to the believers in the church he pastored. A command is God’s announcement as to what He wants us to do. God commanded Timothy to give a command from God Himself. This was a solemn responsibility.
Paul not only gave a command from God for Timothy to announce what believers in Christ must do, but he also commanded Timothy to teach believers what they must do. The word teach (δίδασκε; didaske) is also a present, active, imperative verb. It means to instruct in either a formal or informal setting.
The phrase these things (ταῦτα; tauta) refers us back to the immediate context of I Timothy 4:1-10. The apostle commanded the pastor to teach what he taught him, which in turn was what the Lord taught the apostle. These things refer us back to the subjects of apostasy, deceitful spirits, doctrines of demons, seared consciences, and man-made requirements. It also includes genuine thanksgiving to God, good servanthood, words of faith and good doctrine, training for godliness, a willingness to toil and strive for biblical truth, and to set one’s hope solely in the living God who alone is the Savior of sinners.
“Timothy is told to command (or: to keep on commanding) and teach (or: to keep on teaching; both verbs are present imperatives) these things. He must command such things as, “Profane and old-womanish myths shun,” “Train yourself (and yourselves) for godly living” (verse 7). Orders such as these apply not only to Timothy himself but to all the presbyters, yes, and even to all Christians. It is probable that the expression “these things” in connection with “command” refers also to implied commands, such as, “Never reject what God has intended for use, but partake of it with thanksgiving” (verses 3, 4), “Nurture yourself (yourselves) on the words of faith and sound doctrine” (verse 6), “Rely on the living God and on his promise to all who live the godly life and who accept him by genuine faith” (verses 8, 9),” explains Dr. William Hendriksen..[1]
“Timothy must teach such things as, “Apostasy is coming, in the form of asceticism” (verses 1–3), “That error is an insult to God and to his work of creation” (verses 4, 5), “An excellent minister is one who is nourished on sound doctrine which he transmits to others” (verse 6), “The benefit which accrues from godly living transcends that which results from physical training (verses 8–10).”[2]
The application is clear. What Paul commanded Timothy to teach is what God commands all believers in Christ to teach. The Lord’s marching orders have not changed. They are still in force. God calls us to obey them without wavering. As we do, we may face toil and strife in this fallen world, who reject the message and the Messiah.
When this happens let each of us be encouraged by the words of our Savior and Lord who said, “11 “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. 12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” (Matthew 5:11–12 (ESV).
May the Lord’s truth and grace be found here. Have a blessed day in the Lord.
Soli deo Gloria!
[1] William Hendriksen and Simon J. Kistemaker, Exposition of the Pastoral Epistles, vol. 4, New Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1953–2001), 156–157.
“In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” (Genesis 1:1 ESV)
The basis for the propositional truth for the worldview of Biblical Theism, and its consequential implications including being accountable to the God of the Bible, stems from the very first verse from the first chapter of the first book of the Bible: Genesis 1:1. This verse is not an archaic, ancient or outdated text having no application to our lives today. Instead, the text establishes the foundation, source and starting point for all the biblical theist believes, and consequentially does, in knowing and living for God the Creator.
To begin with we observe the event of creation. “In the beginning” (Genesis 1:1, ESV). The phrase is one word in the Hebrew (רֵאשִׁית / rēʾšît). It refers to the point in time which is the beginning. It is the beginning of time at the point of the initiation of life that God created. The word appears fifty times in nearly all parts of the Old Testament. The primary meaning is “first” or “beginning” of a series.
Secondly, we observe the person responsible for creation: God. The word for God is אֱלֹהִים / ʾělohîm. This refers to the One, True God. We should note that though the form is a grammatical plural, the meaning is singular and many sources believe this implies a plurality of majesty or stateliness.
Thirdly, we observe the extent of creation. God created the heavens (שָׁמַיִם / šamayim) and the earth (אֹות, אֵת / ʾowt, ʾēt /אֶרֶץ / ʾeres). The heavens refer to the sky (Psalm 18:10), the universe (I Kings 18:45) and the abode of God (Deuteronomy 14:10). The earth refers to the ground, the whole earth as opposed to a part, countries, regions, districts and the specifically nations, such as the Land of Israel or the Promised Land. The word “earth” occurs 2,400 times in the Old Testament.
The practical implications are significant regarding what the Bible reveals about God the creator. Here are but a few practical implications to consider.
As creator, we see that God is sovereign, majestic, and intimately involved in creation. This includes when tragedy strikes in this fallen and sinful world. It would be logical and reasonable to assume that Christians, in light of their commitment to the Bible’s teachings of Biblical Theism, would therefore live their lives accountable to God and His Word. Such a life results in seeking to bring God glory by submission before and obedience to His Word and will.
However, a tension increasingly exists where Christians affirm Biblical Theism in principle by what they say but reject it in what they do in by rebelliously rejecting God’s Word. In other words, believers cannot truly affirm Biblical Theism on the one hand while at the same time reject salvation solely in Jesus Christ and live lives which are more in keeping with Atheistic Secularism on the other. It is contradictory or hypocritical to affirm the existence of a personal creator God who is also Savior and Lord but at the same time live in rebellion to the ethical teachings and commands of that very same personal creator God, Savior and Lord.
Therefore, believers in Christ must examine their lives and lifestyle, their ethical choices to see if they are living consistently to their commitment to the personal Creator and Savior of the Bible (God). We must examine our lives, lifestyle and ethical choices to see if in any way they are consistent with Atheistic Secularism’s rejection of the personal creator of the Bible (God). The believer who is truly committed to biblical truth will repent and renew their commitment to the One, True God.
Jesus said in Matthew 5:13-16 – “You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet. “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 5:13-16 ESV)
Ephesians 2:8-10 says, “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” (Ephesians 2:8-10 ESV)
Has God brought you into a covenant relationship with Him through the finished work, the substitutionary death, burial, and resurrection, of Jesus Christ? This is the beginning point of possessing and living eternally in light of God the Creator who is also Savior and Lord.
“For to this end we toil and strive, because we have our hope set on the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe.” (1 Timothy 4:10 (ESV)
The following essay is by Pastor John Piper. He preached this message January 1, 2020. It is entitled He Took Up Arms Against Liberalism: J. Gresham Machen (1881-1937).
Liberalism: Another Religion
In the Presbyterian Church of Machen’s day, there were hundreds who would not deny the Confession of Faith, but by virtue of this modernistic spirit had given it up even though they’d signed it. One of the most jolting and penetrating statements of Machen on this issue is found in his book What Is Faith?
It makes very little difference how much or how little of the creeds of the Church the Modernist preacher affirms, or how much or how little of the Biblical teaching from which the creeds are derived. He might affirm every jot and tittle of the Westminster Confession, for example, and yet be separated by a great gulf from the Reformed Faith. It is not that part is denied and the rest affirmed; but all is denied, because all is affirmed merely as useful or symbolic and not as true. (What Is Faith? 34)
When Machen took on modernism, then, he took it on as a challenge to the whole of Christianity. His most important book in the debate was Christianity and Liberalism, published in 1923. The title almost says it all: Liberalism is not vying with Fundamentalism as a species of Christianity. The book is not entitled Fundamentalism and Liberalism. Instead, Liberalism is vying with Christianity as a separate religion. He wrote the blurb for the book:
Liberalism on the one hand and the religion of the historic church on the other are not two varieties of the same religion, but two distinct religions proceeding from altogether separate roots. (J. Gresham Machen, 342)
Modernism to Postmodernism
I don’t think the structure of the modernism of Machen’s day is too different from the postmodernism of our day. In some churches, the triumph of modernism is complete. It is still a menace at the door of all our churches and schools and agencies. One of our great protections will be the awareness of stories like Machen’s — the enemy he faced, the battle he fought, the weapons he used (and failed to use), the losses he sustained, the price he paid, and the triumphs he wrought.
For example, Machen’s life and thought issue a call for all of us to be honest, open, clear, straightforward, and guileless in our use of language. He challenges us, as does the apostle Paul (2 Corinthians 2:17; 4:2; Ephesians 4:25; 1 Thessalonians 2:3–4), to say what we mean and mean what we say, and to repudiate duplicity, trickery, sham, verbal manipulating, sidestepping, and evasion.
“All is denied, because all is affirmed merely as useful or symbolic and not as true.”
The dangers of the utilitarian uses of moral and religious language are still around in our day. It is not unusual, for example, to come across language similar to what I read in the Washington Times when I was first researching Machen’s life. The spokesman for the Human Rights Campaign Fund, the nation’s largest homosexual advocacy group, told the Times, “I personally think that most lesbian and gay Americans support traditional family and American values,” which he defined as “tolerance, concern, support, and a sense of community.”
This is an example of how words with moral connotations have been co-opted by special-interest groups to gain the moral high ground without moral content. They sound like values, but they are empty. “Tolerance” for what? All things? Which things? “Concern” for what? Expressed in what way? Redemptive opposition or sympathetic endorsement? “Support” for what? For the behavior that is destructive and wrong? Or for the person who admits the behavior is wrong and is struggling valiantly to overcome it? “Community” with what standards of unification? Common endorsements of behavior? Common vision of what is right and wrong? Common indifference to what is right and wrong?
In every case, the standards are not defined. All you have is words driven by a utilitarian view of language where honesty and truth are not paramount. Machen shows us that this is not new, and that it is destructive to the church and the cause of Christ — especially when pastors engage in such duplicity from the pulpit.
His Promise Never Fails
The overarching lesson to be learned from Machen’s life, however, is that God reigns over his church and over the world. His all-inclusive plan is always more hopeful than we think in the darkest hours of history, and it is always more intermixed with human sin and weakness than we can see in its brightest hours. This means that we should renounce all triumphalism in the bright seasons and renounce all despair in the dark seasons.
Our hope for the church and for the spread of the true gospel lies not ultimately in our strategies but in God. Even when the culture degenerates, and once-faithful institutions drift, as they did in Machen’s day, there is every hope that God will triumph. He writes,
That Church is still alive; an unbroken spiritual descent connects us with those whom Jesus commissioned. Times have changed in many respects, new problems must be faced and new difficulties overcome, but the same message must still be proclaimed to a lost world. Today we have need of all our faith; unbelief and error have perplexed us sore; strife and hatred have set the world aflame. There is only one hope, but that hope is sure. God has never deserted his church; his promise never fails. (J. Gresham Machen, 386)
May the Lord’s truth and grace be found here. Have a blessed day in the Lord.
“For to this end we toil and strive, because we have our hope set on the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe.” (1 Timothy 4:10 (ESV)
The following essay is by Pastor John Piper. He preached this message January 1, 2020. It is entitled He Took Up Arms Against Liberalism: J. Gresham Machen (1881-1937).
‘Princeton Seminary Is Dead’
A few years earlier, Machen had left Princeton Seminary to found Westminster Seminary. This time he wasn’t forced out, but chose freely to leave when the governing boards of the seminary were reorganized so that the conservative board of directors could be diluted by liberals more in tune with the denomination as a whole.
Princeton Seminary died, in Machen’s eyes, and out of the ashes he meant to preserve the tradition of Charles Hodge and Benjamin Warfield. So when he gave the inaugural address of Westminster Seminary on September 25, 1929, to the first class of fifty students and guests, he said,
No, my friends, though Princeton Seminary is dead, the noble tradition of Princeton Seminary is alive. Westminster Seminary will endeavor by God’s grace to continue that tradition unimpaired. (458)
Machen’s most enduring response to what he called modernism was the founding of these two institutions: Westminster Seminary (which today is a major influence in American evangelicalism) and the Orthodox Presbyterian Church (which now, over eight decades later, bears a witness disproportionate to its small size).
Faith and Doubt
Machen met modernism face to face many years earlier, while spending a year in Germany after seminary. As he studied New Testament with well-known German scholars, Machen was shaken profoundly in his faith. Almost overpowering was the influence of Wilhelm Herrmann, the systematic theologian at Marburg, who represented the best of what Machen would later oppose with all his might. He was not casting stones over a wall when he criticized modernism. Machen had been over the wall and was almost lured into the camp.
In 1905 he wrote home,
I have been thrown all into confusion by what [Herrmann] says — so much deeper is his devotion to Christ than anything I have known in myself during the past few years. . . . Herrmann affirms very little of that which I have been accustomed to regard as essential to Christianity; yet there is no doubt in my mind but that he is a Christian, and a Christian of a peculiarly earnest type. (107)
His struggle with doubt gave him patience and sympathy with others in the same situation. Twenty years later, he wrote,
Some of us have been through such struggle ourselves; some of us have known the blankness of doubt, the deadly discouragement, the perplexity of indecision, the vacillation between “faith diversified by doubt,” and “doubt diversified by faith.” (432)
Nevertheless, Machen came through this time without losing his evangelical faith and was called to Princeton to teach New Testament, which he did from 1906 until he left to form Westminster in 1929. During that time, he became a pillar of conservative, Reformed orthodoxy and a strong apologist for biblical Christianity and an internationally acclaimed New Testament scholar.
Duplicity in the Classroom
Machen’s experience in Germany made a lasting impact on the way he carried on controversy. He said again and again that he had respect and sympathy for the modernist who could honestly no longer believe in the bodily resurrection or the virgin birth or the second coming, but it was the rejection of these things without openly admitting one’s unbelief that angered Machen.
For example, he said once that his problem with certain teachers at Union Seminary was their duplicity:
There is my real quarrel with them. As for their difficulties with the Christian faith, I have profound sympathy for them, but not with their contemptuous treatment of the conscientious men who believe that a creed solemnly subscribed to is more than a scrap of paper. (221–22)
He wanted to deal with people in a straightforward manner and take his opponents’ arguments seriously, if they would only be honest and open with their constituents and readers. As it was, however, many modernist professors and pastors were not honest and open.
More to come.
May the Lord’s truth and grace be found here. Have a blessed day in the Lord.
His Word Today 