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1 Timothy 1

  • 1 Timothy 1:18-20

    Keeping Faith and a Good Conscience.

    1 and 2 Timothy have seventy-five commands for us to obey with intention and integrity. One of those commands is found in 1 Timothy 1:18-20. The word "faith" in verse 19 is synonymous with the word "command" in verse 18, so "keeping faith" could read "keeping the command."

    The word "keeping" means to bear or wear the faith/command, allowing it to become part of our person. The faith is the body of doctrines written and preserved in the Word of God for us to obey.

    Each of us is to keep this faith with a good conscience. A person’s conscience is well instructed and at peace when it knows and lives the commands of Scripture. Paul also mentions the conscience in 1 Timothy 1 and 3. Each mention is tied directly to the command of Scripture, the instruction of Scripture, and the mystery of faith pertaining to the Word of God and the gospel message of Jesus Christ.

  • 1 Timothy 1:18-20

    Your Personal Role in the Spiritual Protection of Our Church Family.

    1 Timothy 1 is all about ministry balance. Paul emphasizes three things necessary for Timothy's ministry and every local church:

    • teaching sound doctrine,
    • maintaining an evangelistic heart, and
    • defending the faith.

    Every member must take responsibility for all three. A congregation that only teaches sound doctrine or only evangelizes will know success for a while, but a flock where each saint embraces the challenge of learning to defend the body of faith entrusted to them will know the eternal blessing of God.

  • 1 Timothy 1:12-17, Part 2

    The Protective Value of a Genuine Testimony.

    New birth is the best defense against unbelief. A simple salvation testimony and evidence of a changed life shows that Jesus is enough. No rule or creative idea can change a person's life. Legalism and pragmatism simply do not agree with the Gospel.

  • 1 Timothy 1:12-17

    The Protective Value of a Genuine Testimony.

    Every believer has been born again of a supernatural cause. Paul gives his testimony in the first chapter of his letter to Timothy to remind him that spiritual new birth is what keeps the church revived, refreshed, and protected. A healthy church is one that sees people being saved, discipled, and serving. This is the natural progression that God uses to build His church. One person who walks with the Lord can have a spiritual influence so great that only the Lord knows its true extent.

  • 1 Timothy 1:3-11, Part 2

    Pursuing Ministry Nobility Rather than Religious Pragmatism.

    We don't want one family member left behind at special events. The family picture should not be missing anyone! Similarly, we don't want anyone left behind in a church. We seek to protect each member so all can enjoy spiritual unity and progress.

  • 1 Timothy 1:3-11, Part 1

    Pursuing Ministry Nobility Rather than Religious Pragmatism

    1 Timothy 1:3-11 begins the body of Paul's letter to his mentor Timothy. Paul wrote to assure and strengthen Ephesian believers who were unsettled and scared by unbelief. Fearful people need to be encouraged, instructed, and emboldened to take action. Paul urged Timothy to take action against unbelief and help his flock become protectors of the church.

  • 1 Timothy 1:2

    Spiritual Fathers — Spiritual Sons

    Paul wrote the book of 1 Timothy to encourage the believers at Ephesus, then instruct them about the structure of the church so they could make spiritual progress. First he had to encourage their leader, his "true son in the faith," Pastor Timothy. Paul was Timothy's spiritual father. He had mentored Timothy in personal growth and in ministry. What fruits did Paul desire to see in his spiritual son -- and what should we pray to see in our spiritual children?

  • 1 Timothy 1:1, Part 2

    The Deepest Joy Springs from Understanding Christ's Deity.

    The church in Ephesus had been unsettled by the false teaching of unbelievers in their midst. Even young pastor Timothy was anxious. Paul knew the flock at Ephesus well from teaching in their houses for over three years. His heart was that no soul would be left behind, and he wrote to settle the Ephesian believers. They needed to be encouraged and settled, so they could then learn proper structure and function in the church, then go on to make spiritual progress. Paul was an example to Timothy in discipleship and pastoral ministry.

  • 1 Timothy 1:1

    Sound Doctrine Settles Hearts.

    Paul wrote the book of 1 Timothy as a mentor to his tutor. Pastor Timothy oversaw the largest of the first-century churches. This letter was a tool in Timothy's continued discipleship by Paul. No church is strengthened without disciple-making. It is a work of the church that every member must be involved in, not just the pastors.