1 & 2 Timothy - Overview

[Jim Watt]

“*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE” MINISTRIES*

*Jim & Marie Watt*

*Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com*

*Web: www.2rbetter.org*

*July 29, 2009
<http://www.2rbetter.org/>*



   *T4601R - 1 & 2 TIMOTHY - OVERVIEW*

“*LETTERS TO YOUNG APOSTOLIC PASTORS”*


 *1. 1 TIM 1:18-19a (1) COUNSELS AND PERSONAL EXPERIENCES. “This :charge I
commit to you, Timothy child, according to the prophecies which led the way
to you, that by them you war the good warfare; 19a having faith and a good
conscience;” *Here You give us a kingdom principle Father, that should
specially bless each minister at the time of his ordination. May we guard
the ministry of “presbytery” for this high calling (Acts 13:1-3). *Hallowed
be your :name.*


 *2. 2:5-6a (2-3) COUNSELS TO MEN, WOMEN AND LEADERS. “For one is God, one
is also mediator between God and men, a man, Christ Jesus, 6a who gave
himself a ransom for all.” **I am* the true and living *way*, said Jesus,
and no man comes unto the Father but through Me. This is a narrow and
straitened way, but we rejoice in it Father, for Your Son is indeed *the way
*. *Your :kingdom come.*


 *3. 4:12 (4) COUNSELS AND PREDICTIONS. “Let no one despise your :youth; but
be an example to the faithful, in word, in behavior, in love, in faith, in
purity.” *In Your Sovereignty Father, You often choose youth for leadership.
William Pitt the younger was Prime Minister of Great Britain at 24! Help us
who are older to receive Your choice of those who are younger! *Your :will
be done, As in heaven, so on earth.*


 *4. 5:21 (5-6) COUNSELS RE MINISTERIAL ADMINISTRATION. “I charge before
:God, and Christ Jesus, and the elect angels, that you observe these
thingswithout prejudice, doing nothing by partiality.”
*No respect of persons! This is the way of Your Kingdom! No favoritism to
the rich or those we like. *All* in Your body are important, Father! *Our
:daily :bread Give us this day.*


 *5. 2 TIM 1:12 (1) FAITHFULNESS TO THE GOSPEL. “For which cause I suffer
also these things: yet I am not ashamed; for I know whom I have believed,
and am persuaded that he is able to guard my :deposit against that day.” *To
know You deeply Father, is to talk like :Paul. Yes, we would move fully in
the same direction. Yet please do not suffer us to be tested above what we
are able to bear! *And forgive us our :debts, As we also have forgiven our
:debtors.*


 *6. 2:2 (2:1-4:8) FAITHFULNESS TO THE MINISTRY. “And what things you have
heard from me among many witnesses, the same commit to faithful men, who
shall be able to teach others also.” *Here is the key! Here is Your mind
concerning the multiplication of leadership, Father, may we understand
thoroughly this Kingdom principle, and heed it! *And bring us not into
temptation.*


 *7. 4:18 (4:9-22) FAITHFULNESS IN PRIVATIONS. “The Lord will deliver me
from every evil work, and will save me unto his heavenly :kingdom: to whom
be the glory unto the ages of the ages. Amen.” *We bless You Father, for
Your omnipotent ability; You can do whatever You plan or say. Our trust is
not misplaced, but complete in You! We declare this with *full* heart
assurance! *But deliver us from the evil one.*


 *NOTE*: See the solicitousness that Paul had for Timothy! He remembered his
tears! He was as a spiritual son to this great apostle. But what Paul shares
with Timothy is equally applicable to all young leaders of the 5-fold
ministry, especially those who have been placed as an apostolic pastor over
a city church such as Ephesus, composed of *many* local churches. All of
Asia Minor (modern Turkey) heard the word through this city church. And
Ephesus, along with the other 6 city churches of this area, were all
addressed by our Lord Jesus in Revelation 2 and 3!


 In a very real sense 1 & 2 Timothy and Titus are like a post-graduate
spiritual university course! These 3 epistles are indeed high caliber
teaching for a more limited circle of leaders. As Timothy was placed by Paul
to oversee the great city church of Ephesus; Titus was placed by him to
oversee the church of Crete, with its various local churches in the home.


 But Paul did not intend these two young men to be content with mastering
these 3 epistles! No sir, indeed! They were to be imbued with the 4 Gospels,
the equivalent to spiritual elementary school! Acts is like Junior High, and
James through Jude like High School. The 9 epistles of Paul to the 7
churches addressed by him - like university. Romans, Ephesus and 1 & 2
Thessalonians represent Passover, Pentecost and Tabernacles.


 For me, perhaps the key Paul shares with Timothy is found in 1 Timothy
4:14-15 (11-16) - *“Neglect not the gift in you, which was given you through
prophecy, with laying on of hands of the presbytery. 15 Be diligent in
these; - with vocal meditation in praying back as a prayer - these words to
God; give yourself wholly to these; that your progress may be evident to
all.”*


 This is a weighty portion of Scripture. Link it with God's word in Joshua
1:8 (1-9) - *“This book of the law shall not depart out of **your mouth**,
but you shall **meditate** on it day and night, that you may be careful to
do according to **all** that is written in it: for **then** you shall make
your way prosperous, and **then** you shall have good success.” *Note that
these words are a double exhortation to orally proclaim God's word. It is *
not* intended in our worship that we do so *silently in our heart*! No,
indeed. These words are to be *in our mouth*. And the word *meditate*,
Hebrew “hah-GAH” has the sense of the cooing of doves - rephrasing God's
word, reasoning from it, and praying it back to God in the spirit of Daniel
in chapter 9, and Ezra in chapter 9.


 See also Psalm 19:14, where David the Psalmist says, “Let the *words of my
mouth*, and *the meditation of my heart*, (a vocal prayer), be acceptable in
your sight, O Jehovah, my Strength, and my Redeemer!” Add to this Psalm one,
which is remarkably parallel to these 3 passages. Here the Psalmist says his
*delight* is in the *Torah*, *law*, *Teaching*” of Jehovah, and in His
teaching does he meditate (orally praying back to God in his own words) day
and night. Then see the *fruitfulness* he achieves as a Tree of Jehovah!


 I realize that the “City Church” application to Timothy and Titus is not a
present day concept. But consider the Word Study usage of *Church*,
ek-kl*e*SIa.
and how it tends to support this interpretation. Once it refers to Israel as
the *church* in the wilderness, Acts 7; 3 x the secular ek-kl*e*SIa of
Ephesus, Acts 19:23-44; 14 x a local church in the home in a city; 15 x the
Universal church; *but* - 81 x the church of a city. Timothy and Titus
thoroughly understood this concept. - J.A.W.



 *TO SUBSCRIBE -- Please Email:
mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org<mailing-subscribe at 2rbetter.org?subject=Just%20hit%20send%20be%20automatically%20subscribed>
*


 *TO UNSUBSCRIBE -- Please Email:
mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org<mailing-unsubscribe at 2rbetter.org?subject=Just%20hit%20send%20be%20automatically%20unsubscribed>
*


 *FOR ARCHIVE ARTICLES -- Web: http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/*
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://2rbetter.org/pipermail/mailing/attachments/20090729/68702299/attachment.htm>