1 Timothy 6

(1) All slaves should show full respect for their masters so they will not bring shame on the name of God and his teaching.

·       Moving from family relationships to work/slave relationships, Paul warns about slaves who become Christians and then grow insolent and disobedient to their masters, because this would reflect badly on Christianity and possibly prevent the masters from becoming Christians. Additionally, if Rome sensed that Christianity would lead to open rebellion by slaves because they consider themselves equal to the masters, Rome would crush this new religion (which they eventually tried to do anyhow). The end of slavery would spell the end of the empire.

·       1 Corinthians 7:20-24: Yes, each of you should remain as you were when God called you.  Are you a slave? Don’t let that worry you—but if you get a chance to be free, take it.  And remember, if you were a slave when the Lord called you, you are now free in the Lord. And if you were free when the Lord called you, you are now a slave of Christ. God paid a high price for you, so don’t be enslaved by the world. Each of you, dear brothers and sisters, should remain as you were when God first called you.

·       Galatians 3:28: There is no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male and female. For you are all one in Christ Jesus.

·       Colossians 3:22-24: Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything you do. Try to please them all the time, not just when they are watching you. Serve them sincerely because of your reverent fear of the Lord. Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. Remember that the Lord will give you an inheritance as your reward, and that the Master you are serving is Christ.

·       1 Peter 2:18-21: You who are slaves must accept the authority of your masters with all respect. Do what they tell you—not only if they are kind and reasonable, but even if they are cruel. For God is pleased with you when you do what you know is right and patiently endure unfair treatment. Of course, you get no credit for being patient if you are beaten for doing wrong. But if you suffer for doing good and endure it patiently, God is pleased with you. For God called you to do good, even if it means suffering, just as Christ suffered for you. He is your example, and you must follow in his steps.

·       Above my desk at work as a reminder is the last half of Colossians 24: …the Master you are serving is Christ.

(2) If the masters are believers, that is no excuse for being disrespectful. Those slaves should work all the harder because their efforts are helping other believers who are well loved. Teach these things, Timothy, and encourage everyone to obey them.

• Don’t goof off just because your boss is a Christian – he deserves your best.
• One awkward situation would be if the slave was the pastor of a church to which the master belonged.
• Read Paul’s letter to Philemon for an example of how believing slaves and believing masters were to work out the relationship with each other.

(3) Some people may contradict our teaching, but these are the *wholesome teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ. These teachings promote a godly life

·       *wholesome teachings: 1 Timothy 1:10: The law is for people who are sexually immoral, or who practice homosexuality, or are slave traders, liars, promise breakers, or who do anything else that contradicts the wholesome teaching

(4) Anyone who teaches something different is arrogant and lacks understanding. Such a person has an unhealthy desire to quibble over the meaning of words. This stirs up arguments ending in jealousy, division, slander, and evil suspicions.

·       The Judaizing teachers were constantly straining out a gnat, and swallowing a camel. They are “majoring” in the “minors”.

·       Galatians 1:6-8: I am shocked that you are turning away so soon from God, who called you to himself through the loving mercy of Christ. You are following a different way that pretends to be the Good News but is not the Good News at all. You are being fooled by those who deliberately twist the truth concerning Christ. Let God’s curse fall on anyone, including us or even an angel from heaven, who preaches a different kind of Good News than the one we preached to you.

(5) These people always cause trouble. Their minds are corrupt, and they have turned their backs on the truth. To them, a show of godliness is just a way to become wealthy.

·       In some ways, Paul is simply recapping what he has already indicated about the false teachers in Ephesus. Their teachings do not square with sound doctrine, nor do they lead to godly living. Such teachers are arrogant, but in truth they understand nothing. They have a preference for things that are controversial and this leads to all kinds of conflict and strife. False teachers are often in it for the money - just check out the expensive homes and cars some of the TV evangelists own!

·       Acts 20:33-35: I have never coveted anyone's silver or gold or fine clothes. You know that these hands of mine have worked to supply my own needs and even the needs of those who were with me. And I have been a constant example of how you can help those in need by working hard. You should remember the words of the Lord Jesus: It is more blessed to give than to receive.

(6) Yet true godliness with contentment is itself great wealth.

·       The false teachers believed that godliness (religion) was the means to making a profit.

·       "The word here used for contentment is autarkeia . . . By it they meant a complete self-sufficiency. They meant a frame of mind which was completely independent of all outward things, and which carried the secret of happiness within itself. Contentment never comes from the possession of external things." (Barclay)

·       Real contentment isn't too difficult for those whose real home is heaven. "It requires but little of this world's goods to satisfy a man who feels himself to be a citizen of another country, and knows that this is not his rest." (Clarke)

·       Philippians 4:11-13: Not that I was ever in need, for I have learned how to be content with whatever I have. I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.

·       Hebrews 13:5: Don’t love money; be satisfied with what you have. For God has said, “I will never fail you. I will never abandon you.”

(7) After all, we brought nothing with us when we came into the world, and we can't take anything with us when we leave it.

·        I remember when I worked for the J.I. Holcomb Company in Indianapolis, where I was the chief chemist. The lab was on the old Holcomb estate in a building that was a servant’s quarters. Our lab’s pilot plant was in his 5-car garage. Mr. Holcomb had died without an heir (his son had died in Alaska during one of their world tours) and he left everything to Butler University. When I would go for my walks around his estate during my lunch hour, I would peek into the windows of the mansion and see how beautiful, yet now broken down the house was. I could see the swimming pool outside that was now filled with leaves. I could look at the Pagodas that were rotting away. And now, all that’s left of him is his name on the Holcomb Gardens and the Holcomb Observatory on the Butler campus – the world’s form of eternal life. And, some day, the gardens and observatory too will be gone.

·        Job 1:21: He said, “I came naked from my mother’s womb, and I will be naked when I leave. The Lord gave me what I had, and the Lord has taken it away. Praise the name of the Lord!”

·        Psalms 49:17: For when they die, they take nothing with them. Their wealth will not follow them into the grave.

·        Ecclesiastes 5:15-16: We all come to the end of our lives as naked and empty-handed as on the day we were born. We can't take our riches with us. And this, too, is a very serious problem. People leave this world no better off than when they came. All their hard work is for nothing – it's like working for the wind.

(8) So if we have enough food and clothing, let us be content.

(9) But people who long to be rich fall into temptation and are trapped by many foolish and harmful desires that plunge them into ruin and destruction.

·        It is not said, those that are rich, but those that are determined to be rich - their happiness lies in worldly wealth, covet it inordinately and are eager and willing to do anything to get it. They make this their main objective in life.

·        What Paul is warning against is not the desire to earn money in order to meet our needs and the needs of others; he is warning against the desire to have more and more money and the ego boost and material luxuries it can provide.

·        Psalm 37:16: It is better to be godly and have little than to be evil and rich.

·        Psalm 62:10: Don't make your living by extortion or put your hope in stealing. And if your wealth increases, don't make it the center of your life.

·        Proverbs 30:8: First, help me never to tell a lie. Second, give me neither poverty nor riches! Give me just enough to satisfy my needs.

·        Proverbs 22:1: Choose a good reputation over great riches; being held in high esteem is better than silver or gold.

·        Jeremiah 9:23-24: This is what the Lord says: “Don’t let the wise boast in their wisdom, or the powerful boast in their power, or the rich boast in their riches. But those who wish to boast should boast in this alone: that they truly know me and understand that I am the Lord who demonstrates unfailing love and who brings justice and righteousness to the earth, and that I delight in these things. I, the Lord, have spoken!

·        James 4:2: You want what you don’t have, so you scheme and kill to get it. You are jealous of what others have, but you can’t get it, so you fight and wage war to take it away from them. Yet you don’t have what you want because you don’t ask God for it.

(10) For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. And some people, craving money, have wandered from the true faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows.

• 1 Chronicles 29:14: But who am I, and who are my people, that we could give anything to you? Everything we have has come from you, and we give you only what you first gave us!

·        Psalm 119:36: Give me an eagerness for your laws rather than a love for money!

·        Ecclesiastes 5:11: The more you have, the more people come to help you spend it. So what good is wealth—except perhaps to watch it slip through your fingers!

·        Luke 12:15: Then he said, “Beware! Guard against every kind of greed. Life is not measured by how much you own.”

·        2 Timothy 3:2: For people will love only themselves and their money. They will be boastful and proud, scoffing at God, disobedient to their parents, and ungrateful. They will consider nothing sacred.

·        Hebrews 13:5: Don’t love money; be satisfied with what you have. For God has said, “I will never fail you. I will never abandon you.”

·        Paul wants to be very clear on this matter of prosperity. Godliness does not guarantee material wealth, but neither is it sinful to possess material wealth. It is not being rich that is evil, but being obsessed with a desire to accumulate wealth. This is a sin that can be committed by the poor, if they are obsessed with becoming rich. Those who desperately desire to be rich may succumb to temptations to cut corners in order to get there. So then, it is the love of money which Paul condemns, and not the mere possession of wealth.

·        How many lottery winners end up with less than before they were rich!

(11) BUT you, Timothy, are a *man of God; so run from all these evil things. Pursue righteousness and a godly life, along with faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness.

·        *man of God: May we be known as men of God! What characterizes a “man of God?” Some would say a divinity degree, some would say it is to be ordained as a minister, some would say a man in black with a turned around collar – but that’s not what a “man of God” is! Moses, Elijah, Elisha, David, Shemaiah and Igdaliah were also called men of God.

·        2 Timothy 2:22: Run from anything that stimulates youthful lusts. Instead, pursue righteous living, faithfulness, love, and peace. Enjoy the companionship of those who call on the Lord with pure hearts.

(12) *Fight the good fight for the true faith. Hold tightly to the eternal life to which God has called you, which you have confessed so well before many witnesses.

·        *Fight - Greek agonizo, from which we get the word “agonize”, means “to contend in the games”. In the Greek games, the gloves of the Greek wrestler/boxer were fur lined on the inside, but made of ox-hide with lead and iron sewed into them – can you imagine what the loser looked like!

·        God calls us to be fighters where we may lose a battle here and there, but will carry on the fight with great determination until the war is over - when we lay hold on eternal life.

·        All this is in allusion to the exercises in the public Grecian games: Fight, conquer, and seize upon the prize and walk away with the victor’s crown! 2 Corinthians 10:3-4: We are human, but we don't wage war as humans do. We use God's mighty weapons, not worldly weapons, to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments.

·        1 Corinthians 9:25: All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize.

·        Philippians 3:12: I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me.

·        2 Timothy 4:7-8: I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful. And now the prize awaits me—the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on the day of his return. And the prize is not just for me but for all who eagerly look forward to his appearing.

·        Hebrews 10:23: Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise.

·        James 1:12: God blesses those who patiently endure testing and temptation. Afterward they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.

·        Jude 1:3: Dear friends, I had been eagerly planning to write to you about the salvation we all share. But now I find that I must write about something else, urging you to defend the faith that God has entrusted once for all time to his holy people.

·        In Hebrews 13:23, it is said: our brother Timothy has been released from jail. Hence it appears that he was imprisoned for the testimony of Christ, and perhaps it was then, more than at his ordination or at his baptism, that he made the good confession here mentioned. He risked his life and conquered. If not a martyr, he was a confessor.

(13) And I charge you before God, who gives life to all, and before Christ Jesus, who gave a good testimony before Pontius Pilate,

·       The confession made by Christ before Pontius Pilate is that he was Messiah the King; that his kingdom was not of this world; and that hereafter he should be seen coming in the clouds of heaven to judge the quick and dead. See John 18:36-37 and Mark 14:61-62. Remember what Pilate had written on the cross – “Jesus of Nazareth, the king of the Jews”!

(14) that you obey this command without wavering. Then no one can find fault with you from now until our Lord Jesus Christ comes again.

(15) For at just the right time Christ will be revealed from heaven by the blessed and only almighty God, the King of all kings and Lord of all lords.

·       King of kings: Domitian (81-96 AD) assumed the titles of “lord” and “god”. One of the titles of the Roman emperors was “savior of the world”.

(16) He alone *can never die, and he lives in light so brilliant that no human can approach him. No human eye has ever **seen him, nor ever will. All honor and power to him forever! Amen.

·        *can never die:

·        Romans 6:9: We are sure of this because Christ was raised from the dead, and he will never die again. Death no longer has any power over him.

·        1 Timothy 1:17: All honor and glory to God forever and ever! He is the eternal King, the unseen one who never dies; he alone is God. Amen.

·        **seen him: John 1:18: No one has ever seen God. But the unique One, who is himself God, is near to the Father’s heart. He has revealed God to us.

(17) Teach those who are rich in this world not to be proud and not to trust in their money, which is so unreliable. Their trust should be in God, who richly gives us all we need for our enjoyment.

·        Proverbs 11:4: Riches won’t help on the day of judgment, but right living can save you from death.

(18) Tell them to use their money to do good. They should be rich in good works and generous to those in need, always being ready to share with others.

(19) By doing this they will be storing up their treasure as a good foundation for the future so that they may experience true life.

·       Psalm 49:16-17: So don’t be dismayed when the wicked grow rich and their homes become ever more splendid. For when they die, they take nothing with them. Their wealth will not follow them into the grave.

·       Proverbs 28:11: Rich people may think they are wise, but a poor person with discernment can see right through them.

·       Matthew 6:19-20: “Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal.

(20) Timothy, guard what God has entrusted to you. Avoid godless, foolish discussions with those who oppose you with their so-called knowledge.

(21) Some people have wandered from the faith by following such foolishness. May God's grace be with you all.

·        Timothy is to guard the truth, the sound doctrine that has been entrusted to him. At the same time he is to avoid the empty words of the false teachers, which they mislabel as knowledge. Some have already gone astray by embracing this knowledge. With this last word of exhortation and admonition, Paul commends Timothy, his spiritual son, and the saints in Ephesus to the grace of God.

·        2 Timothy 1:14: Through the power of the Holy Spirit who lives within us, carefully guard the precious truth that has been entrusted to you.

--------------------------------------------------------------- 

NOTE:

Unless otherwise noted, the scripture version used is the New Living Translation.

Sources and References are on line at:
http://1timothy-study.blogspot.com/2010/12/1-timothy-references-and-sources.html

1 Timothy 5

Paul now advises Timothy how to relate with others in the church effectively and how to instruct them wisely. The church at Ephesus had been torn apart by the false teachers and much of this letter is aimed at putting the pieces back together. The faithful elders needed to be distinguished from the unfaithful. The unfaithful needed to be disciplined, but in fairness. And some of the leadership had to be replaced. This section contains practical principles for the regulation and maintenance of a local church's leadership.

(1) Never speak harshly to an *older man, but appeal to him respectfully as you would to your own father. Talk to **younger men as you would to your own brothers.

• *older man:
• Leviticus 19:32: “Stand up in the presence of the elderly, and show respect for the aged. Fear your God. I am the Lord.
• Proverbs 16:31: Gray hair is a crown of glory; it is gained by living a godly life.
• In today’s business world, older men are often looked down on and are often forced into early retirement. But, in older societies, older men were respected for their advice and wisdom earned from “the school of hard knocks”. Perhaps older, wiser and more conservative men would have prevented the economic mess we’re in now.
• **Younger men are to be treated as brothers; that is, as partners and friends in the work of the gospel.
• Timothy was to relate to everyone in the church in Ephesus as if they were the members of his own family. That advice would also apply to modern-day pastors.

(2) Treat older women as you would your mother, and treat younger women with all purity as you would your own sisters.

• Timothy, a young man himself, should relate to the younger women as if they were his sisters. Timothy was young, apparently unmarried and probably attracted attention from the younger unmarried women in the local church. He needed to avoid even the appearance of evil. I remember reading how a prostitute once tried to hug Billy Graham on the street with someone ready to take a picture – Billy Graham jumped over the hood of a car to avoid the situation which could have greatly harmed his effectiveness. He used to have a policy of not going into a hotel room alone - he was afraid someone would sneak a naked woman in there and she would jump on him and someone would then snap a picture to discredit him. Not only that, but he never had lunch or dinner with a woman alone. Hillary Clinton wanted to have lunch with him and he said he would, but not alone.
• One of the problems we read about is a preacher or TV evangelist involved in an affair with a member of the church or running off with a secretary.

(3) Take care of any *widow who has no one else to care for her.

·       *widow: James 1:27: Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you.

·       Widows were employed and paid by the church to tend the sick and the aged and orphans, to welcome visitors and even house visiting evangelists.

• In the days the New Testament was written, there was no social "safety net" at all. And, if there was any one class of people who were vulnerable, it was elderly widows, who were without means of support from husbands or grown children, without means to adequately support themselves and unlikely to remarry - those who are really widows.
• Note the emphasis on the fact that the church is one big family. It is this concept that leads on to the question of looking after widows who have no family.
• Widows have been and still are especially vulnerable individuals. As such God has always shown special concern for their protection (cf. Deuteronomy 10:18; 24:17; Psalm 68:5; Isaiah 1:17; Luke 2:37). Think of the position of Ruth’s mother-in-law, Naomi.

(4) But if she has children or grandchildren, their first responsibility is to show godliness at home and repay their parents by taking care of them. This is something that pleases God.

·       The Pharisees taught that a gift to the altar was more acceptable to God than relieving a poor parent:Matthew 15:5: But you say it is all right for people to say to their parents, ‘Sorry, I can’t help you. For I have vowed to give to God what I would have given to you.’

• 2 Thessalonians 3:10: Even while we were with you, we gave you this command: “Those unwilling to work will not get to eat.”
• No free hand-outs. No dependency upon the church. Our present welfare system has created generations of wasted lives of people, often minorities, who believe the world and the government owe them a living.
• This whole discussion of widows appears to focus on the younger widows in particular. They may be the same women Paul spoke of in 2 Timothy 3:6-7 who were being misled by the false teachers.

(5) Now a true widow, a woman who is truly alone in this world, has placed her hope in God. She prays night and day, asking God for his help.

(6) But the widow who lives only for pleasure is spiritually dead even while she lives.

• The life lived for mere pleasure and ease is no life at all. It is a living death, whether lived by a young widow or anyone else.
• In the contemporary world, many widows were tempted to resort to immoral living (prostitution) as a means of support, and that is probably in the apostle's mind when he uses the verb spatalao (lives only for pleasure). The term "dead" describes widows who are presumably believers (cf. James 2:17).

(7) Give these instructions to the church so that no one will be open to criticism.

• We Christians must recognize that unbelievers are watching us carefully, often hoping that we might turn out to be just like them and fall – our objective is to lead others to Christ, if not by word, then by example.

(8) But those who won’t care for their relatives, especially those in their own household, have denied the true faith. Such people are worse than unbelievers.

• Mark 7:9-13: Then he said, “You skillfully sidestep God’s law in order to hold on to your own tradition. For instance, Moses gave you this law from God: ‘Honor your father and mother,’ and ‘Anyone who speaks disrespectfully of father or mother must be put to death.’ But you say it is all right for people to say to their parents, ‘Sorry, I can’t help you. For I have vowed to give to God what I would have given to you.’ In this way, you let them disregard their needy parents. And so you cancel the word of God in order to hand down your own tradition. And this is only one example among many others.”
• Even the pagans believed that they were to care for their close relatives who were no longer able to take care of themselves.
• In the strongest terms, Paul emphasizes the responsibility of a man to provide for his family - to do all he can to support them.
• At the cross, Jesus told John to assume the responsibility of caring for Mary (John 19:26-27). That’s interesting because Mary had living sons at the time, such as James!
• If any men or women do not maintain their poor relations, they in effect deny the faith.

(9) A widow who is put on the list for support must be a woman who is at least *sixty years old and was **faithful to her husband.

• *sixty years old: As it might be supposed that, previously to this age, they might be able to do something towards their own support.
• **faithful to her husband: Greek was the wife of one husband.

·       And it is likely that the "wife of one man" statement is not about the woman who was married and her husband died, and then she was alone.  It is about the woman who was married to just "one man" and none other during her marriage.  In other words, when her husband died, she had no other husbands who might financially be able to care for her.  The city and vicinity of Ephesus, where Timothy resided and ministered at the time, was a sinful place where all sorts of "strange" relationships were possible, even likely.  If she had another husband, she was to be excluded from the permanent widow's dole being discussed in this context.

• Some think that the apostle means the list of those who were deaconesses in the Church; and that no widow was to be admitted into that rank who did not answer to the following character.
• Isn’t it interesting...this woman, who has had no means for material support of herself, is supported by the church.  And yet, she is viewed as a person who has something to give back to the church.  She’s not simply the recipient of welfare.  She, in receiving the outpouring of the church’s support for her in time of need, will turn around and do what? Give back to the church, of herself.

(10) She must be well respected by everyone because of the good she has done. Has she brought up her children well? Has she been kind to strangers and served other believers humbly? Has she helped those who are in trouble? Has she always been ready to do good?

(11) The younger widows should not be on the list, because their physical desires will overpower their devotion to Christ and they will want to remarry.

·       These are widows who are still young enough to remarry. Paul does not want to see these younger widows supported by the church. This would be an unnecessary, long-term burden on the church. In order for a younger widow to be “put on the list” for support, she would apparently need to take a vow to remain single. A young widow might meet an eligible man and regret her vow, and forsake her vow (5:12). Furthermore, a young widow who is supported by the church might waste her time going about from house to house, gossiping (5:13). Consequently, younger widows are to be encouraged to remarry (5:14).

·       Paul isn’t condemning young widows for wanting to get married, only observing that many unmarried women are so hungry for marriage and companionship that they don’t conduct themselves in a godly way in regard to relationships.

(12) Then they would be guilty of breaking their previous pledge.

• The "pledge" of this verse is one of celibacy, of abstinence.

(13) And if they are on the list, they will learn to be lazy and will spend their time gossiping from house to house, meddling in other people’s business and talking about things they shouldn’t.

(14) So I advise these younger widows to marry again, have children, and take care of their own homes. Then the enemy will not be able to say anything against them.

• During the Acts period with the possibility of Israel soon receiving Christ as Messiah, Paul urged widows not to remarry:
• Corinthians 7:8: So I say to those who aren’t married and to widows—it’s better to stay unmarried, just as I am.

(15) For I am afraid that some of them have already gone astray and now follow Satan.

• There were few choices for women in the culture Paul lived in, and his remarks are directed to the Greco-Roman culture that surrounded him.  Yes, there were some who were businesswomen, like Lydia who was "a seller of purple" dye, as seen in Acts 16:14.  But, such women were rare because, much like in today's Muslim culture, the men didn't like the competition and refused to do business with them.  What we call "jobs" was a rare option because you were either a slave or free at that time, and most of the "jobs" were filled by those who were slaves. The widow could also remarry or her family might take her in.  Neither of those options would seem attractive to every widow.  The sole remaining option for a woman of that time was prostitution, which is intimated by this verse when it says, "some of them have already gone astray and now follow Satan.”

(16) If a woman who is a believer has relatives who are widows, she must take care of them and not put the responsibility on the church. Then the church can care for the widows who are truly alone.

(17) Elders who do their work well should be respected and paid well, especially those who work hard at both preaching and teaching.

(18) For the Scripture says, *“You must not muzzle an ox to keep it from eating as it treads out the grain.” And in another place, **“Those who work deserve their pay!”

• *Deuteronomy 25:4: You must not muzzle an ox to keep it from eating as it treads out the grain.
• **Luke 10:7: Don’t move around from home to home. Stay in one place, eating and drinking what they provide. Don’t hesitate to accept hospitality, because those who work deserve their pay. - So, Paul is here saying that the Gospel of Luke is scripture, just as Peter says Paul's writings are scripture!

(19) Do not listen to an accusation against an elder unless it is confirmed by two or three witnesses.

• Deuteronomy 19:15: “You must not convict anyone of a crime on the testimony of only one witness. The facts of the case must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.
• Matthew 18:16: But if you are unsuccessful, take one or two others with you and go back again, so that everything you say may be confirmed by two or three witnesses.
• 2 Corinthians 13:1: This is the third time I am coming to visit you (and as the Scriptures say, “The facts of every case must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses”).

(20) *Those who sin should be reprimanded in front of the whole church; this will serve as a strong warning to others.

• *Those who sin: In the context, these would be elders who sin.

(21) I solemnly command you in the presence of God and Christ Jesus and the holy angels to obey these instructions without taking sides or showing favoritism to anyone.

(22) Never be in a hurry about appointing a church leader. Do not share in the sins of others. Keep yourself pure.

• Paul urged Timothy to minimize the possibility of elder failure by being extremely careful about whom he appointed in the first place.

(23) Don’t drink only water. You ought to drink a little wine for the sake of your stomach because you are sick so often.

• Proverbs 23:31: Don’t gaze at the wine, seeing how red it is, how it sparkles in the cup, how smoothly it goes down.
• Proverbs 31:6: Alcohol is for the dying, and wine for those in bitter distress
• Isaiah 5:11: What sorrow for those who get up early in the morning looking for a drink of alcohol and spend long evenings drinking wine to make themselves flaming drunk.
• Philippians 2:25-27: Meanwhile, I thought I should send Epaphroditus back to you. He is a true brother, co-worker, and fellow soldier. And he was your messenger to help me in my need. I am sending him because he has been longing to see you, and he was very distressed that you heard he was ill. And he certainly was ill; in fact, he almost died. But God had mercy on him—and also on me, so that I would not have one sorrow after another.
• 2 Timothy 4:20: Erastus stayed at Corinth, and I left Trophimus sick at Miletus.
• Bacchus is the Roman god of wine. When people engaged in these unbelievable drunken brawls, they were called Bacchanalian feasts. They engaged in orgies of sexual perversion. The key element in pagan worship was drunkenness. Two thousand years later, people still do the same.
• What do an alcohol-filled life and a Holy Spirit-filled life have in common? In both cases, a man becomes “a different person.” How many women stay married to a wife-beater because they say he's really nice when he's sober!
• The priests under the Mosaic law, while performing sacred rites, were forbidden to drink wine: Leviticus 10:9; Ezekiel 44:21.
• But use a little wine. Mingled with water--the common method of drinking wine in the East. It was not for the pleasure to be derived from the use of wine, or because it would produce hilarity or excitement, but solely because it was regarded as necessary for the promotion of health; that is, as a medicine. The word would include all infirmities of body, but seems to refer here to some attacks of sickness to which Timothy was liable, or to some feebleness of constitution; but beyond this we have no information in regard to the nature of his maladies.
• Why would Paul advise Timothy to use a little wine for your stomach's sake? Water in the ancient world was often impure; Timothy was probably having problems from the impure water, and since the fermentation process would eliminate some of the harmful things in the water, it would be better for him to drink a little wine rather than water all the time. Timothy was probably abstaining from alcohol for the sake of setting a good example. However, this abstinence was hurting his health - wine was safer to drink than water. So Paul is telling Timothy that it isn't wise to sacrifice his health for the sake of this abstinence - he will do more good for the Lord by taking care of his body in this circumstance.
• Since Paul's instruction was for medicinal purposes, this verse contributes nothing to either side of the debate over the use of wine as a beverage.
• Timothy was the victim of frequent infirmities; yet Paul did not simply command a healing on apostolic authority, or even send him a handkerchief with healing power (Acts 19:11-12). This demonstrates that Paul did not have miraculous powers at his own command after Acts 28:28.
• It was the illness of Timothy that led to this instruction; and one cannot help wondering if perhaps the good physician Luke had a hand in this prescription.


• Paul’s frequency of healing declined with the passing of time:
• Galatians 4:13-15:  Paul was ill
• 2 Corinthians 12:7-10:  Paul was afflicted
• Philippians 2:25-30: Epaphroditus was ill (A.D. 60)
• 1 Timothy 5:23: Timothy was ill (A.D. 62-3)
• 2 Timothy 4:20:  Trophimus was ill (A.D. 64)

(24) Remember, the sins of some people are obvious, leading them to certain judgment. But there are others whose sins will not be revealed until later.

(25) In the same way, the good deeds of some people are obvious. And the good deeds done in secret will someday come to light.

---

NOTE: Unless otherwise noted, the scripture version used is the New Living Translation.

---

NOTE: Sources and References are on line at: http://1timothy-study.blogspot.com/2010/12/1-timothy-references-and-sources.html

• Acts 6:1-6: But as the believers rapidly multiplied, there were rumblings of discontent. The Greek-speaking believers complained about the Hebrew-speaking believers, saying that their widows were being discriminated against in the daily distribution of food. So the Twelve called a meeting of all the believers. They said, “We apostles should spend our time teaching the word of God, not running a food program. And so, brothers, select seven men who are well respected and are full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will give them this responsibility. Then we apostles can spend our time in prayer and teaching the word.” Everyone liked this idea, and they chose the following: Stephen (a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit), Philip, Procorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas of Antioch (an earlier convert to the Jewish faith). These seven were presented to the apostles, who prayed for them as they laid their hands on them.