1 Timothy - Fighting Fit

The GospelsActs of the ApostlesPaul’s LettersOther LettersRevelation

A Walkthru’ of the New TestamentLesson 16: 1 Timothy – Fighting Fit

GOD REVEALED

Romans – Life Transformation Journey 1 Corinthians - Heaven’s Gold 2 Corinthians – Jars of Clay Ephesians - Pushing Limits Philippians - The Mind of Christ Colossians – Complete Maturity in Christ 1 Thessalonians – Cascading Hope 2 Thessalonians – Confident Hope 1 Timothy - Fighting Fit 2 Timothy – Fearless Faithfulness Titus – Double Grip Philemon – The Avatar

Paul’s Letters

EVENT TIMELINE OF THE NEW TESTAMENT

Introduction Spiritual Fitness:

Cleared Conscience Spiritual Flab:

Smeared Conscience Shipwrecked Faith:

Seared Conscience Discussion FAQ on women’s role

Fighting FitPresentation Overview

12 Fight the good fight of faith; take hold of the eternal life to which you were called, and you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. 1 Timothy 6:12

Fighting FitTheme Verse

1, 2 Timothy and Titus are pastoral epistles

Paul uses the tone of a father instructing son

Timothy was a young pastor of Ephesian Church and other churches.

Fighting FitIntroduction

Church in Ephesus was falling into wrong doctrines including a form of gnosticism [2]

Influential people promoting pagan practices and ideologies

Paul urges Timothy to maintain spiritual discipline within the church.

In order to do that he had to be “Fighting fit”

Fighting FitBackground

BackgroundThe site of the ancient Temple of Artemis, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world [3]

Goal: To save sinnersMeans/approach: Fight the battle wellDefenses Hold on to faith Hold on to good conscience

Spiritual FitnessCleared Conscience

Fitness regimeConnect with God

Conduct with others

Care of self

Spiritual FitnessCleared Conscience (Cont’d)

Single goal: to save sinners.

15 …Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. Ch 1

Spiritual Fitness – Cleared ConscienceGoal

Fight the good fight

Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. 1 Timothy 6:12

Spiritual Fitness – Cleared Conscience Means/ Approach

18 Timothy, my son, I am giving you this command in keeping with the prophecies once made about you, so that by recalling them you may fight the battle well, 19 holding on to faith and a good conscience, which some have rejected and so have suffered shipwreck with regard to the faith Ch 1.

Ref: Full armour of God Eph 6:10-18

Spiritual Fitness – Cleared ConscienceDefences

2 First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, 2 for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. 3 This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.Ch 2

Spiritual Fitness – Cleared Conscience Fitness Regime - Connect with God - Pray

2 Therefore an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, 8 Deacons likewise must be dignified, not double-tongued, not addicted to much wine, not greedy for dishonest gain. 9 They must hold the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience. ch 3:2,9-10

Spiritual Fitness – Cleared Conscience Fitness Regime -Connect with others

12 Let no one look down on your youthfulness, but rather in speech, conduct, love, faith and purity, show yourself an example . Ch 4

Spiritual Fitness – Cleared Conscience Fitness regime -Care of Self :Self Confidence

7 Have nothing to do with irreverent, silly myths. Rather train yourself for godliness; 8 for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come. 4:7,8

Fitness regime – Cleared ConscienceCare of Self – Sustenance

13 Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching. 14 Do not neglect your gift, Ch 4

Spiritual Fitness– Cleared ConscienceFitness regime-Care of Self : Sharpen Skill

9 likewise also that women should adorn themselves in respectable apparel, with modesty and self-control, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly attire, 10 but with what is proper for women who profess godliness—with good works. 11 Let a woman learn quietly with all submissiveness. 12 I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; rather, she is to remain quiet. Ch 2:9-12 (Refer FAQ at end of presentation)

Spiritual Fitness– Cleared ConscienceRole of Women

Paul’s instructions: general and context specific.Attire: Inner beauty.Authority: Under authority of husband/ father/ pastorTeaching: First century doctrines formulated by few spirit filled men.(Refer FAQ at end of presentation)

Spiritual Fitness – Cleared ConscienceRole of Women

Goal: Material gain, money

Means/ Approach: Fruitless discussion

Defenses: Weak, vulnerable

Spiritual Flab -Smeared Conscience

Fitness regime:

Inconsequential with respect to God Impulsive with respect to others

Indulging with respect to self

Spiritual Flab-Smeared Conscience (Cont’d..)

Material gain, money …who suppose

that godliness is a means of gain. ..

10 For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil. Ch 6

Spiritual Flab – Smeared ConscienceGoal

6 For some men, straying from these things, have turned aside to fruitless discussion,

Spiritual Flab – Smeared ConscienceMeans/ Approach

Weak, misdirected

in later times some will fall away from the faith… for bodily discipline is only of little profit Ch 4

Spiritual Flab – Smeared ConscienceDefences

Inconsequential – Connect to God2 through the insincerity of liars whose consciences are seared, 3 who forbid marriage and require abstinence from foods that God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. Ch 4

Spiritual Flab – Smeared ConscienceFitness Regime

Impulsive – Connect to People men everywhere to pray,

lifting up holy hands without anger or disputing. Ch 2

22 Do not be hasty in the laying on of hands, and do not share in the sins of others. Keep yourself pure. Ch 5


Indulgent

3 not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money 5 for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God's church? 6 He must not be a recent convert, or he may become puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil. 3:3,5,6


Indulgent6 but she who is self-indulgent is dead even while she lives.11 But refuse to enroll younger widows, for when their passions draw them away from Christ, they desire to marry 12 and so incur condemnation for having abandoned their former faith. 13 Besides that, they learn to be idlers, going about from house to house, and not only idlers, but also gossips and busybodies, saying what they should not. ch 5:6,11-13


Permanently damaged conscience.2 by means of the hypocrisy of liars seared in their own conscience as with a branding iron,3 men who forbid marriage and advocate abstaining from foods.. Ch 4

Shipwrecked Faith - Seared Conscience

Result of rejecting Conscience19 keeping faith and a good conscience, which some have rejected and suffered shipwreck in regard to their faith. Ch 1

Shipwrecked Faith - Seared Conscience

Spiritual Fitness: Cleared Conscience◦ Goal: Save sinners◦ Means: Fight the good fight◦ Defenses: Faith, good conscience◦ Fitness Regime: God – Pray, others – respect, Self – godliness

Spiritual Flab: Smeared Conscience◦ Goal: Material gain◦ Means: Meaningless discussion◦ Defenses: weak, falling away◦ Fitness regime: God – inconsequential, others – impulsive, Self -

Indulgent

Shipwrecked Faith: Seared Conscience

Recap: Fighting Fit

When influencial leaders set the church on a detour, how do you maintain an example?

How do you discern false teachings? What steps do you need to take to improve the discernment?

Share how your personal goal enables you to maintain the right vertical and horizontal relationships (God, self and others)?

Discussion – Fighting Fit

For we have brought nothing into the world, so we cannot take anything out of it either. Ch 6:7

Passage:9 Likewise, I want women to adorn themselves with proper clothing, modestly and discreetly, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly garments,10 but rather by means of good works, as is proper for women making a claim to godliness. 11 A woman must quietly receive instruction with entire submissiveness. 12 But I do not allow a woman to teach or exercise authority over a man, but to remain quiet. 13 For it was Adam who was first created, and then Eve. 14 And it was not Adam who was deceived, but the woman being deceived, fell into transgression. 15 But women will be preserved through the bearing of children if they continue in faith and love and sanctity with self-restraint. 1 Timothy 2

FAQs on Women’s role

Is Paul against women wearing Jewellery?It is interesting that those who take “not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly garments” literally and don’t wear jewellery, appear to skip the “braiding of the hair” bit. Paul’s reference is with respect to:

◦Spending huge amounts of time and money on expensive and elaborate clothing or hairdo.

◦ It also has to do with focusing and highlighting the “inner self” and “attitude” over the “looks”.

Q 1 – Women and Jewellery

Is Paul instructing that women can never teach at any time? The phrase “I do not permit women to teach” in present tense (appears to be for context

in 1st century). Contrast with the earlier instruction to men “I want men everywhere to lift up holy hands in prayer, without anger or disputing.” addressed to all men at all time.

Today, we do not see all men “lifting hands” during prayer. It is an expression to encourage them to pray rather than fight.

In the 1st century context of the Ephesian church, false teachers encouraged women to defy gender norms, be egalitarian, rebel, assume authority in the church, etc. There were women doing this and spreading wrong doctrines. Again first century teaching involved formulation of Christian doctrines which only select apostles who were men were to do – unlike 21st century when we propagate those doctrines.

Women are clearly instructed to teach in other passages. (2 Tim 5:24, Colossians 3:16). In general, Paul warns of the vulnerability of women who have to validate

their doctrines with the bible and appropriate spiritual authorities (pastor,/husband/ father) before teaching.

Last but not least the woman writing this FAQ is writing under the authority of her husband and pastor who are in agreement with women teaching in churches. [1]

Q2 – Women and Teaching

Was Paul telling women never to speak in churches and meetings? The word (hesuchia) can mean “silence,” in an absolute sense, or

“quietness,” in the sense of “peacableness” (similar word, hesuchion, is used in 1 Timothy 2:2: “… that we may live peaceful and quiet lives …”). It does not imply that women should not open their mouths at all but refers to the attitude.

In Jewish culture, women were always silent observers in the back of the synagogue. Paul encouraged them to respect their culture.

Submission also does not necessarily refer to all women submitting to all men – but specifically those those in authority over them – their husband, boss, pastor etc.

“Teach or have authority over men”..The teaching refers to authoritative teaching over (or dominating) men – which Paul has clearly commanded against…in the context of formulating prime doctrines, the home, her husband, in the context of the church – the pastor.

Godly women in the 21st century may preach in the church under the authority of their father/ husband and the pastor/senior pastor/ bishop. Propagating doctrines already formulated by men of the spirit in the Bible. [1]

Q3 – Women Speaking

1. bible.org2. biblegateway.com3. Image by Adam Carr

References

1 Timothy - Fighting Fit

Spiritual

Transcript of 1 Timothy - Fighting Fit