Commentary on 1 & 2 Timothy

The traveling overseer Timothy faced a difficult situation while shepherding and caring for the congregation of Ephesus. Certain ones of that congregation such as Hymenaeus, Alexander, and Philetus were entertaining unbiblical ideas concerning the resurrection and skewed evaluations of material prosperity. Others were continually arguing over aspects of the Jewish law, getting distracted by philosophical musings, or dabbling in mysticism and genealogies. Paul had started to correct these teachings but for some reason had to suddenly leave the congregation. In his stead he left young Timothy to continue to deal with this troubling situation. Reflecting on Paul’s epistles can help us when confronting specious reasonings, false teachings, and the men who propogate them. Indeed also Paul’s letters can do much to improve the types of discussions we have as we pursue a clearer understanding of the Bible's prophecy and remain steadfast in the truth.

Let us consider 1 Timothy chapter 1. In verse 3 Paul mentions the purpose of Timothy’s staying behind in Ephesus. He was told to “command ones not to teach different doctrine, nor to pay attention to false stories and to genealogies, which end up in nothing, but which furnish questions for research rather than a dispensing of anything by God in connection with faith.”

In Paul’s absence, Timothy was to continually instruct ones in the congregation to not teach false doctrines – deviations from the word of God or teachings of Christ. This may seem obvious at first glance however the Churches of Christendom provide positive proof of the damages wrought by unchecked doctrinal deviations. Sadly we often have witnessed those who do not have a firm grasp on the faith go from questioning prophetic or organizational matters to aligning themselves with Christendom's churches and entertaining or even advancing un-Biblical ideas about Jesus Christ and his spirit annointed brothers.

The next part I find particularly interesting. Timothy was to command ones to not get bogged down in theological or legal research questions. Was this because such research was inherently wrong? It seems to me the focus here is that such questions were not designed to promote faith or godly devotion but simply to be philosophical musings or to occupy the mind with possibly unanswerable questions.

In connection with the Bible there are many things that we often wonder about. There are many things in our readings that we cannot answer and so we meditate on them or do research to find an answer. Such a thing is good. However posing questions just for the sake of debate or for mere show of knowledge can be detrimental. It can refocus our minds from what we know to what we do not know. Can we get so wrapped up in trying to answer the potentially unanswerable that we lose sight of the clear truths of the Bible? Or by having theological debates can we detract from a person’s faith? Maybe by arguing over prophecy we inadvertently cause ones to doubt the inspired word of God? (Such is the sad legacy of "higher criticism" and strange theological reasonings. I should like to comment on such shows of "wisdom" later in a commentary on Paul's letters to the Corinthians.)

Woefully it can be seen that individuals without a firm hold on the truth can be induced to question everything and anything. Like Pontius Pilate they absolve themselves of any responsibility toward God or their fellows by washing their hands and claiming, "What is truth?" It would behoove any mature Christian to be extremely careful when discussing the "solid food" with those who have yet to grasp the "milk" of Bible truth. (Hebrews 5:12) Truly our time would be better spent shoring up their faith in the basic teachings of the Holy Scriptures.

Next Paul clearly spells out the Timothy’s commission in verse 5 where he says, “really the objective of this mandate is love out of a clear heart and out of a good conscience and out of faith without hypocrisy.” This thought is again echoed in verse 18, “This mandate I commit to you, child, Timothy, . . . that by these you may go on waging the fine warfare; holding faith and a good conscience, which some have thrust aside and have experienced shipwreck concerning [their] faith.”

Timothy was going to be waging spiritual warfare against false reasonings, empty speech, and apostasy in the congregation of Ephesus. How was he to attack such destructive speech? It was through love, faith, and a good conscience. This is in harmony with Paul’s other letters were he alluded to our spiritual warfare and made clear that we should attack evil with “weapons of light” such as love. (Romans 13: 12, Ephesians 6:13-20) His and our best course of action is to continue to encourage ones who may be falling into doubts, showing them mercy, loving them, building their faith and snatching them out of the fire. (Jude 22,23)

In 1 Timothy 4:11 Paul again instructs Timothy to “keep on giving these commands and teaching them.” How was he to teach them? 1 Timothy 4:12 continues, “become an example to the faithful ones in speaking, in conduct, in love, in faith, in chasteness.”

This is an important point. Sometimes we can debate and debate with someone and they still will not come to a proper understanding. However we can teach them by our example in love or faith. This calls to mind Peter’s counsel to Christian wives that through their godly conduct their unbelieving husbands can be “won without a word” (1 Peter 1:2) How true that sometimes our best answer will be a non-verbal one.

1 Timothy Chapter 6:1-5 focuses on the attitudes of the problem members of the congregation of Ephesus. They are described as “puffed up [with pride], not understanding anything, but being mentally diseased over questionings and debates about words. From these things spring envy, strife, abusive speeches, wicked suspicions, violent disputes about trifles on the part of men corrupted in mind and despoiled of the truth.”

Paul pulls no punches in describing the bad that can result by taking part in questionings and debates about words. Perhaps you have noticed how a “discussion” about some small matter of prophecy (a trifle) can quickly spiral into abusive speeches, name calling, suspicions, and other verbal violence. Or how sometimes when someone counters an opinion or idea that we hold how we can quickly become obsessed with proving ourselves “right” and our brother “wrong”? Is this not a sign of pride? I should like to point out that some Bible translations add to the end of verse 5, “from these things turn away.” Whether or not that is a spurious addition I don’t think that you can argue against the wisdom of it.

Indeed Paul concludes his first letter to Timothy by encouraging that very thing. “O Timothy, guard what is laid up in trust with you, turning away from empty speeches that violate what is holy and from the contradictions of the falsely called “knowledge”. For making a show of such [knowledge] some have deviated from the faith.”

Christians should be mindful to guard against letting themselves get involved in debates and empty speeches. We should not try to elevate ourselves by a show of knowledge and try to force others into our way of thinking by angry debates.

The second letter to Timothy was written as Paul faced his death. Therein he gives Timothy admonition to continue on as a Christian minister. There too he also reiterates how Timothy should act in regards to verbal wrangling.

Once again in 2 Timothy 2:16 Paul instructs Timothy to “shun empty speeches that violate what is holy; for they will advance to more and more ungodliness and their word will spread like gangrene.” Timothy was to avoid getting involved in these speeches. Just as Paul knew that even detractors could spread the good news of Christ by their constantly speaking against it that “empty speeches” could “spread like gangrene” if one would continue to debate endlessly on them.

Paul continues this line of thought in verse 23 where he tells him to “turn down foolish and ignorant questionings, knowing they produce fights. But a slave of the Lord does not need to fight, but needs to be gentle toward all, qualified to teach, keeping himself restrained under evil, instructing with mildness those not favorably disposed.”

What excellent advice for all of us! We shouldn’t let someone goad us into a debate that will only lead to a fight. Too often we have individuals who seem to only pose topics of conversation that do not propagate love but instead to cause anger or hurt feelings. Even if you honestly feel that you are in the right of what benefit is it if you win a verbal debate but do not “incite one to love and fine works”? Isn't that the primary objective of our fellowship? (Hebrews 10:24:25) Isn’t it sad that while some may take a position that is technically correct that their manner of defending their position or attacking that of others is animalistic and devoid of love?

What can be the good result of turning down such debates? Paul answers in verse 25, “perhaps God may give them repentance leading to an accurate knowledge of truth and they may come back to their proper senses out from the snare of the Devil, seeing that they have been caught alive by him for the will of that one.”

After highlighting the ungodly attitudes of men within the congregation during the last days Paul highlights the a particular dangerous form of man in 2 Timothy 3:6,7. "For from these arise those men who slyly work their way into the households and lead as their captives weak women loaded down with sins, lead by various desires, always learning and yet never able to come to an accurate knowledge of the truth." This is where the real danger lies with those who would advance wrong doctrine. They are not content to keep such deviation to themselves but they enter into the households and pull ones out after them. For such individuals there is really no such thing as truth. God's word is merely a curiosity to be examined endlessly from all sorts of angles. Doctrine is mailable clay to be formed, torn down, and reformed again and again.

To the Apostle Paul there was such a thing as truth and there too would be ones to resist it. In verse 8 of Chapter 3 he describes these resisters as "men completely corrupted in mind, disapproved as regards the faith". While such men may slip in slyly Paul says that as time progresses, "their madness will be very plain to all" for "wicked men and impostors will advance from bad to worse, misleading and being misled." (2 Timothy 3:9,13)

Was the situation hopeless? Paul knew that apostacy and wicked men would not be going away. Indeed he aptly prophesied that the situation would continue to deteriorate into a full-fledged apostacy without restraint. (2 Thessalonians 2:7) However on an individual level he trusted in young Timothy's ability to withstand such pressures and moreover help those with a pure heart cling to the truth as well.

He lovingly implores Timothy in verse 14 and 15 "You, however, continue in the things that you learned and were persuaded to believe, knowing from what person you learned them and that from infancy you have known the holy writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through the faith in connection with Christ Jesus."

Once we have learned the basic truth of the scripture and have been persuaded to believe it we needn't be like those who are always searching for something more. The wisdom that we gain becomes our grounding so that we do not become "tossed about as by waves and carried hither and thither by every wind of teaching by means of the trickery of men, by means of cunning in contriving error." (Ephesian 4:14) A firm grasp of such truth leads to faith in Jesus. One of the greatest gifts from our Heavenly father is His inspired word the holy scriptures. (2 Timothy 3:16). By reading the scriptures and rejecting the harmful "wisdom" of men we can become "fully competent, completely equipped for every good work". (2 Timothy 3:17)

We have the inspired Word of God. (Hebrews 4:12) We have the holy spirit as our teacher. (John 14:26) Yet some still repudiate these wonderful gifts; exchanging them for self-styled teachers of the word. Paul anticipated that just as there would arrive many of these teachers there would not be a shortage of those who would enjoy ear tickling designed to turn them away from hearing the truth. (2 Timothy 4:3,4)

Our response to this is to “preach the word, be at it urgently in favorable season, in troublesome season, reprove, reprimand, exhort, with all long-suffering and [art of] teaching.” (2 Timothy 4:2) He counsels Timothy to "keep your senses in all things, suffer evil, do the work of an evangelizer, fully accomplish your ministry. (2 Timothy 4:5). We do well to occupy ourselves with such wholesome activities and not let apostates and false teachers pull us away or soak up our time and attention.

In dealing with individuals that are deviating from the written word and the healthful teachings, following such wicked men, we may feel compelled to reprove, reprimand, or exhort them. However we need to do so with long-suffering (loyal love) and the art of teaching – that is to say with all manner of tact and mild speech. Of what benefit is it that we win an argument and lose a brother? And in reproving a brother wouldn’t it be more loving for us to apply Jesus counsel of Matthew 18:15 and privately discuss the matter instead of in front of others?