For This, You Will Answer

The Only Thing
2 Tim 4:1-5

Introductory Notes

· Dangerous Times—2 Tim 3:1-13
· God’s Man and God’s Word—2 Tim 3:14-17

1. The Charge—2 Tim 4:1 “…I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom; 2 preach the Word…”

a. The Word Meanings

(1) “…Charge…”—This is a legal word, having to do with testifying in a court of law or ordering someone else to testify truthfully. It is like the judge charging the jury to do their duty, or a military man being given orders to carry out.

(2) “…before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom…” The young preacher, Timothy, is placed face to face with Jesus, to whom he will answer for every word preached.

(3) “…Preach the Word…”—that means to proclaim the Word of God, not to preach about it, at it, around it, or from it, but to preach the Word itself!

(4) This word is an imperative, which means it is a command.

b. The illustration:

(1) As a Christian, I will answer to Christ Jesus someday for how well I lived for Him. How well did I fulfill Ir role as husband, father, and Christian man. But as a man of God, I have a much greater responsibility for which I will also answer.

James 3:1 My brethren, let not many of you become teachers, knowing that we shall receive a stricter judgment.

(2) I will stand one day, at the Judgment Seat of Christ. I will not be looking up into the face of some preacher, but into the Face of God.
(3) I will stand there in front of the Lord Jesus Himself and answer for every word I preach, every sermon and every lesson I bring out, everything that I studied in God’s Word.
(4) I will not answer for whether or not I made every meeting.
(5) I will not answer for whether or not I made people feel good about themselves
(6) I will not answer for whether or not I was popular, socially acceptable, or affectionately thought of by the people.
(7) I will not answer for whether or not I took care of every errand someone in the church thought the preacher ought to do.
(8) I will answer to God for what God has called me to do—to preach His Word.
(9) Everything in this passage is a finger pointing to me and to every preacher of the Gospel.

· The Holy Spirit says, through Paul, a simple command—preach the Word.

2. What is preaching the Word?

a. What it is not

(1) Hobby horses
(2) Entertainment
(3) Emotional exercises in search of a meaning
(4) Speeches intended to make you feel good.

b. Preaching the Word is proclaiming the Word

(1) The OT examples—3800 times—“thus saith the LORD,” “God said…” or words to that effect!
(2) The clearest OT Example—Neh 8
(a) They read the Word publicly, and the people stood for this reading.

(b) Neh 8:8 So they read in the book in the law of God distinctly, and gave the sense, and caused them to understand the reading.

(i) They read distinctly—that means they read in such a way as to make the words clear and understandable.
(ii) They gave the sense—that is, they gave the meaning of the words they were reading
(iii) They caused them to understand—that is, they explained the words and the meaning in such a way that the people could make application to their own lives.

(3) The NT Examples—

(a) John the Baptist—The prophets prophesied him, and he preached them!

(b) Jesus—taught, preached, everywhere. Jesus did not teach simply and sweetly, but He preached the deep things of the Word, often having to explain what He said to His disciples afterward.

(c) Luke 24—Christ exposited the OT!

Luke 24:27 And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself.

Luke 24:32 And they said to one another, "Did not our heart burn within us while He talked with us on the road, and while He opened the Scriptures to us?"

(d) The Apostles—declared the Word, preached the Word—examples, Peter, Stephen, Philip—they gave clear exposition of the Old Testament history, showing that Christ was the fulfillment of the Law and the Prophets.

(e) Paul’s teaching and preaching

Acts 17:2 "Then Paul, as his custom was, went in to them, and for three Sabbaths reasoned with them from the Scriptures,"

Acts 19:8 "And he went into the synagogue and spoke boldly for three months, reasoning and persuading concerning the things of the kingdom of God."

(f) Paul’s instructions

Rom 1:15 "So, as much as is in me, I am ready to preach the gospel to you who are in Rome also."

Rom 10:13-15 "… "whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved." 14 How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? 15 And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: "How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, Who bring glad tidings of good things!""

Rom 16:25 "Now to Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ…”

1 Cor 9:16 "… woe is me if I do not preach the gospel!"

1 Cor 15:11 "Therefore, whether it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed."

Titus 1:1-3 "… God, who cannot lie, promised before time began, 3 but has in due time manifested His word through preaching, …"

1 Tim 4:13 Till I come, give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine.

Titus 2:1 But speak thou the things which become sound doctrine:

3. Necessary Questions:

a. Why preach the Word?

(1) God commands His man to do so.
(2) The example has been set

(a) Prophets and patriarchs of the OT
(b) The Lord Jesus
(c) The Apostles and Prophets of the NT
(d) The Great Godly men of history.

(3) Only preaching the Word Saves Sinners—

1 Cor 1:17-18 "For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect. 18 For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God."

1 Cor 1:23 "But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness;"

1 Pet 1:23-25 "Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever. …: 25… the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you."

(4) Only preaching the Word grows saints

Eph 4:11-12 "… pastors and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ…”

(5) Only preaching the Word prepares warriors—every part of the Gospel armor is related to the Word.

b. Who preaches the Word?

(1) Those qualified (by God’s standards)

(a) 1 Tim 3:1-7 “…A bishop then must be…”

ü blameless
ü the husband of one wife
ü vigilant
ü sober
ü of good behaviour
ü given to hospitality
ü apt to teach
ü Not given to wine
ü no striker
ü not greedy of filthy lucre
ü but patient, not a brawler,
ü not covetous
ü One that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity; 5 (For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?)
ü 6 Not a novice…”
ü 7 Moreover he must have a good report of them which are without; …”

(c) Titus 1:9 “…Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers…”

(2) Those called (by God’s Spirit)—Gal 1:15-16 "But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb, and called me by his grace, 16 To reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen…”

4. When, and How Preach the Word?

a. In season…Out of season—

(1) When it is convenient, when it is not convenient.
(2) When it is popular, when it is not popular.
(3) When times are good, and when they are bad.
(4) It is like your marriage covenant—for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health…

b. Reprove (with all longsuffering and doctrine)

(1) This is to rebuke by making convincing arguments, through preaching and teaching, by giving evidence in the Bible.

(2) This word means to convince or convict. It is the same word used of the Holy Spirit’s convicting ministry in John 16:8— “… And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:…”

(3) It means to challenge people with the Word of God, that they might be convicted of the sin in their life.


c. Rebuke (with all longsuffering and doctrine)—This is beyond reproof and conviction. This is a plain old reprimand, a sharp rebuke. The argument has been given, now it boils down to standing up and rebuking those who will not listen.

(1) This is the word used when Jesus rebuked the sea

Mat 8:26 "A…Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm."

(2) This is the word used when Jesus cast out demons

Mat 8:26 "And he saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm."

d. Exhort (with all longsuffering and doctrine)—This is positive, this is the encouragement given.

e. With all longsuffering and doctrine.

(1) The preacher-teacher must be patient
(2) The preacher-teacher must always be willing, ready, and prepared to teach.
(3) The preacher-teacher must always undergird all messages with the doctrines of the Bible, not the ideas of men.

5. Why Preach the Word in this manner? (4:3-4)

a. The season will come when most people in most churches won’t want to hear sound doctrine!—the hard times we talked about Wednesday evening. Now is such a time.

(1) Note, this doesn’t talk about the totally non-religious!
(2) The unchurched lost man or woman does not care what the preacher preaches—they are not there!

(3) This is talking about lost religious folks, who have a form of religion, but deny the power thereof, and who won’t endure sound doctrine!

b. The Hypocrites won’t endure sound doctrine, so they will become apparent.

(1) Sound doctrine will smoke out lost church members. They will either get right or get out.
(2) Sound doctrine will challenge weak Christians and strengthen them.

c. The Hypocrites, the Lost religious people, will find teachers they like, who will preach what they want to hear.

(1) First, they will gather, heap, to themselves teachers and preachers who will teach and preach what they want to hear.

(a) Why are there so many heretics on the airwaves and so many preachers willing to compromise to draw a crowd?

(b) Because demand creates supply.

(2) Itching ears—Their ears want to be tickled, be soothed. They don’t want to hear anything that will challenge their beliefs or convict them of their sins.

d. The hypocrites will listen to fables, myths. They will be perverted from (turned from) the Truth to myths.

(1) Myths about who God is and what He is like.
(2) Myths like the carnal Christian theory, which says people can have eternal life, but show no evidence of eternal life within them.
(3) Myths like the ridiculous idea that there is any significance whatsoever to a name on a church roll when the person matching the name has no interest at all in the things of God or in that local church.
(4) Myths like emotional shaggy dog stories which make us laugh, cry, or get stirred up, but which mean nothing biblically.
(5) Myths about Truth, which says that God has changed His rules for nearly everything, that any lifestyle is acceptable to God.

e. Biblical preaching is offensive to the natural mind, to the lost man or woman, and to some degree to the undiscipled Christian.

(1) Biblical preaching inflames the opposition of the proud.
(2) Biblical preaching offends the merely religious
(3) Biblical preaching does not please those looking for a positive, ego-comforting, feel-good message.

6. How is the preacher to Conduct His Ministry in the light of all this?

a. Watch In ALL Things—The ministry is not conducted on autopilot. You must continually be on guard and watchful in all areas.

(1) Watch yourself

Acts 20:28 ""Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers…

1 Cor 10:12 "Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall."

1 Tim 4:16 "Take heed to yourself and to the doctrine. Continue in them, for in doing this you will save both yourself and those who hear you."

(2) Watch out for the sheep—God places His men on guard over the sheep of His pasture; you are to guard against dangers from without and from within.

Acts 20:28 ""Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood."

(3) Take heed to the mission you have been given. God has given His men a mission in life, and each man’s mission is not the same, but the overall goal of all the missions is the same goal.

1 Cor 3:10 "According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid the foundation, and another builds on it. But let each one take heed how he builds on it."

Col 4:17 "And say to Archippus, "Take heed to the ministry which you have received in the Lord, that you may fulfill it.""


b. Endure hardships—There are many trials and hardships in the ministry. The Man of God must endure them. 2 Tim 2:3 "You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ…”

c. Evangelize—you must be ever ready to evangelize, to speak the Word to all you encounter.

d. Prove—to completely carry out and finish—God has given you the ministry of the Word, and you are to carry out and finish that ministry completely.

The Good Minister

The True Preacher and His Duties

1 Tim 4:6-11



1. A Good Minister: "If you instruct the brethren in these things, you will be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished in the words of faith and of the good doctrine which you have carefully followed.

a. A True Preacher Is A Teacher “"If you instruct the brethren in these things…”

(1) If you instruct—in this case, a rare Greek word that means, “to put under.”
(2) this is one of the key tests of the true preacher, does he teach the people?

(3) There are some who seem to think that one can be a preacher without being a teacher—there are no Bible verses to support such a thing—preaching and teaching must go together.

(4) The very definition of pastor, in the only time the noun form is used to describe the New Covenant preacher, is wrapped up in the gift of God to the church in the form of teaching pastors (plural)—(Eph 4:11) "And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers,"

(5) The heart of the great commission is not to make converts, but to make disciples by teaching them.

(6) Examples of the verb form of “shepherd”

(a) (John 21:16) "He said to him again a second time, "Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?" He said to Him, "Yes, Lord; You know that I love You." He said to him, "Tend My sheep.""
(b) (Acts 20:28) ""Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood."
(c) (1 Pet 5:2) "Shepherd the flock of God which is among you, serving as overseers, not by compulsion but willingly, not for dishonest gain but eagerly;"
(7) Bottom line—it is hard to imagine a New Testament preacher who was not only a preacher but a teacher.

b. A Good Minister is a Good student—“…[constantly] nourished in the words of faith and of the good doctrine…”

(1) The word “…constantly…” expresses that this is a present participle, which refers to continuity, a lifestyle habit—the true preacher never stops learning
(a) Example—Bro. Charles Dinkins
(b) Example—William Tyndale, waiting to be martyred, requested a Hebrew Bible and Hebrew dictionary that he might study
(c) And of Course, Paul…(2 Tim 4:13) "Bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas when you come; and the books, especially the parchments."

(2) Nourished is the word “entrepho,’ which is a rare word. The philosopher Plato used the word to describe the education of a lawyer—“nourished in the laws…”

(3) The nourishment is in the words of the faith, [tois logois tēs pisteōs] not some magic-like “faith word,” but as so many other times, THE faith is in view, the doctrines and teachings of “the faith once delivered to the saints.”

(4) “Sound Doctrine” goes beyond the basic teachings of the faith, to the deeper things (1 Cor 2:6 ff), and to the practical implications and applications of our faith.

(5) There is such a thing as bad doctrine

(a) False theories about Who Jesus Is
(b) False teaching about salvation
(c) Denial of the full sufficiency of God’s Word
(d) Denial of the Lordship of Christ
(e) Human traditions set over and against the Word of God
(f) “Prophecies” by modern day “prophets”
(g) Gnostic “secrets”

c. A Good Minister is a careful student —“…which you have carefully followed…”

(1) This no doubt refers to the discipling that had occurred when Paul taught Timothy

(2) The word means “to walk alongside of,” indicating perhaps even the manner of the instructions Timothy received while traveling with Paul.

(3) The verb is in the perfect tense, which tells us that for Timothy, the study and personal application were an established and settled habit—2 Tim 2:15

d. A Good Minister Rejects Ignorance—“…7 But reject profane and old wives' fables…”

(1) Reject—turn away from

(2) Profane—the word refers to godless things

(3) Old wive’s fables—the word for “fable” is a word that talks about fictional stories that are not true and have no basis in Truth

(1 Tim 1:4) "nor give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which cause disputes rather than godly edification which is in faith."

(2 Tim 4:4) "and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables."

(Titus 1:14) "not giving heed to Jewish fables and commandments of men who turn from the truth."

(2 Pet 1:16) "For we did not follow cunningly devised fables when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of His majesty."

(4) The True Preacher does not buy the lines of the heretics, nor does he believe in human traditions and legends

(5) The theology of the Gnostic heretics was fanciful, mystical, and ridiculous—here Paul compares it to the ghost stories, scary stories and legends that a pagan grandmother might tell her grandchildren

2. A Good Minister Stays in Spiritual Shape— “…and exercise yourself toward godliness. 8 For bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come 9 This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance …”

a. A Spiritual Workout

(1) The word “exercise” is “gymnasia,”.

(2) He is not saying that bodily exercise is of no account, just that it is not of much worth, since it is not about eternity.

(3) Instead of being a physical athlete, the true preacher is to be a spiritual athlete, worked out and prepared for the contest by rigorous instruction and hard work—

(2 Tim 2:15) "Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth."

(Col 1:29) "To this end I also labor, striving according to His working which works in me mightily."

(1 Tim 5:17) "Let the elders who rule well be counted worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in the word and doctrine."

(4) What a true preacher does, by way of preparation and spiritual training, is to study the Word and allow God to work in his life to create godliness, and to grow in prayer and in experiential knowledge of God.

b. The Spiritual Fitness Goal: Godliness

(1) Godliness refers to that character trait which is serious and reverent about the things of God

(2) The True Preacher has the same mindset as the Lord.

(Col 3:2) "Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth."

(Phil 2:5) "Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus,"

(1 Cor 2:16) "For "who has known the mind of the LORD that he may instruct Him?" But we have the mind of Christ."

(3) The True Preacher has set his mind on God and His ways—Mat 6:33

c. Pain Brings Gain “…godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come…”

(1) There is no area of our lives which godliness will not go

(2) The life now—living for Christ
(3) The Life To Come—living with Christ for all eternity.

d. Paul’s Amen—“…9 This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance…”


3. Why the Good Minister Does What He Does è (1 Tim 4:10) "For to this end we both labor and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of those who believe."

a. Two battles fought by every man of God

(1) Labor—(Col 1:28-29) "Him we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus. 29 To this end I also labor, striving according to His working which works in me mightily."

(2) Suffer Reproach—strive, agonizomai, agonize

b. What makes it worth it all, and then some

(1) Our Faith—“…we trust…”
(2) The Object of Our Faith “…in the living God…”
(3) The Goal of the ministry “… the Savior of all men…” Available for all, but it is only effective to those who believe.
(4) The Family of Faith “…especially of those who believe…”

4. A Good Minister Preaches With Authority—“…11 These things command and teach…”

a. These things—everything brought up, chiefly “the Faith” and the various instructions having to do with the apostates.

b. Command—

(1) Paraggello—a word almost always identified with authority, often with the authority of Jesus

(2) Some examples

(Acts 1:4) "And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, "which," He said, "you have heard from Me;"

(Acts 16:18) "…Paul, greatly annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, "I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her." And he came out that very hour."

(Acts 17:30) ""Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent,"

c. In Authoritative preaching, the preacher takes into account the following things

(1) The Authority of the Writer—2 Pet 1:18-21, 2 Tim 3:16-17

(2) The Accuracy of the Text—Mat 5:17-20, Jn 17:17


(3) The Example of the Savior—(Mat 7:28-29) "And so it was, when Jesus had ended these sayings, that the people were astonished at His teaching, 29 for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes."

d. And Teach—covered already, but a reminder that if preaching contains no teaching it is not real preaching

Apostasy

Apostasy

1 Tim 4:1-5

1. Preliminary Thoughts

a. The chapter division does not help here—Chapter 4 is definitely a continuation of the thoughts of chapter 3.

(1) The church is the pillar and ground of the Truth
(2) The heart of the Truth is Who and What Jesus is.
(3) Chapter 4 is largely concerned with continuing the defense of the faith first mentioned in chapter 1—why is this theme repeated again and again? Because this was then (as it is now) a major problem,
(4) In general these verses deal with the idea of apostasy, and in particular with one specific group of false teachers that were apparently in Ephesus.



b. What does the word “apostasy”mean?

(1) There are actually two terms used that m mean the same thing, apostasia, and aphistemi

(2) Very simply, apostasy means to depart. Most of the references to this word merely mean that, to depart from this place, etc.

(3) Twice, it refers to believers departing from sin, or pulling away from false teachers

(4) But in this passage and other places, it refers to leaving the faith, and in one riveting use, the Holy Spirit tells us a very important fact about things to come.

2 Thes 2:3 Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, 4 who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.

(5) Just before the rapture, there is going to be the greatest apostasy in the history of the church—and there have been some great ones already.

(6) Jesus talks about this apostasy in Mat 24:23-28

(7) And after the Rapture, when the church is gone and the restraining hand of the Spirit of God is drawn back, THE Apostasy (Greek) will be complete.

(8) But, until then, apostasy has been and will be a problem.

(Acts 20:28-31) ""Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood. 29 "For I know this, that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. 30 "Also from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves. 31 "Therefore watch, and remember that for three years I did not cease to warn everyone night and day with tears."

2. What Does This Passage Teach Us About Apostasy? (1 Tim 4:1-5) "Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons…”

a. Apostasy is a certainty—it will happen “…the Spirit expressly says…”

(1) First, there is no doubt that the Holy Spirit has told Paul this, and that Paul has been inspired by God to write this.
(2) But there have also been warnings about apostasy throughout the ministry of Jesus and in the ministries and writings of the other apostles, and elsewhere in Paul’s writings

(Mark 13:22) ""For false christs and false prophets will rise and show signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect."

(Acts 20:29) ""For I know this, that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock."

(3) Latter Times—can mean any time from the time Jesus came until now.

(4) the last days began when Jesus came the first time—(Heb 1:1-2)

(5) Pentecost was part of the “last days”—(Acts 2:17) "'And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, That I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh…”

b. False Doctrines and heresies will multiply as the last days grows on
(2 Tim 3:1) "But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come:"

(2 Pet 3:3) "knowing this first: that scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts,"

c. Apostates will depart from the faith

(1) From “the faith once delivered…”

(2) There is a body of doctrinal beliefs that the Bible calls “the faith.” It is The Faith to the exclusion of other beliefs, and it is to be believed in and practiced by every believer—Mat 28:19-20

d. Facts about the faith

(1) The Faith is something we must obey (Rom 16:26)

(Acts 6:7) "… a great many of the priests were obedient to the faith."

(Rom 1:5) "Through Him we have received grace and apostleship for obedience to the faith among all nations for His name,"

(2) We can become stronger in the faith

(Acts 14:22) "strengthening the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith, and saying, "We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God.""

(Acts 16:5) "So the churches were strengthened in the faith, and increased in number daily."

(3) One can be weak in the faith and still be in the faith

(Rom 14:1) "Receive one who is weak in the faith, but not to disputes over doubtful things."

(4) The Faith is a place to take a stand

( (1 Cor 16:13) "Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong."

(5) Every person in the church is supposed to be built up, established, and unified in the faith
(Eph 4:13) "till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ;"

(Col 2:7) "rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving."

(1 Tim 3:9) "holding the mystery of the faith with a pure conscience."

(6) The Faith is something we must fight for

(2 Tim 4:7) "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith."

(1 Pet 5:9) "Resist him, steadfast in the faith…”

(Jude 1:3) "…contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints."

(a) Church is no game, nor a country club, nor a place to come in to be made to feel good.

(b) Church is about witnessing “the faith” to the lost, and teaching “the faith” to those who get saved, and helping people learn to walk and live “the faith”

(c) We may differ as a church, and between churches, as to non-essential points of understanding—Romans 14—but on matters of life and death (The Christian Worldview, The Bible, Salvation by Grace through Faith, The Trinity, the Person and Work of Christ, the Lordship of Christ, the Person and work of the Holy Spirit, and the need for a consistent Christian life, etc., on those doctrines that constitute the faith, there can be no compromise

c. Facts about apostates

(1) The apostate has no root

(a) The Parable of the Soils (Luke 8)
(b) The Context—Jesus is explaining to the disciples that which is hidden from the crowd

(Luke 8:13) ""But the ones on the rock are those who, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, who believe for a while and in time of temptation fall away."

(2) The Apostate has no real fruit—Mat 7:13-20 (Mat 7:15-16) ""Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. 16 "You will know them by their fruits. …"

(3) The Apostate teaches doctrines of demons

(1 Tim 4:1) "Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons,"

(1 Cor 10:20-21) "Rather, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice they sacrifice to demons and not to God, and I do not want you to have fellowship with demons. 21 You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons; you cannot partake of the Lord's table and of the table of demons."

(a) False religions are demonic in origin
(b) False religions are demon-inspired as to teachings
(c) False religions are utterly false

(4) The Apostate has an evil heart of unbeliefè (Heb 3:12) "Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God;"

(5) The Apostate participates in, excuses, or ignores Immoral behavior. Rev 2:14, 2:20-23

(6) In other words, an apostate is someone who claimed to be born again, who claimed to be saved, but was never saved and who proved it by departing, morally and doctrinally, from “…the faith once delivered to the saints…” (Jude 3)

3. Why Does Apostasy Happen?

a. The Apostate is listening to the wrong voices è he has been deceived “…giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons...”

(1) Here is the problem—without discernment, there is no ability to recognize a fake teaching è Lost people have no discernment,

(2) The second problem is that they are drawn away and deceived, not by persuasive men (though they may be the tools), but they are led away by satanic forces, the demonic hordes, who are always looking for someone to devour.

(3) In opposing apostasy, we are not opposing men and women—this is not about winning an argument or convincing someone by logic—there is no logic with an apostate, for they are under demonic influence.

(Eph 6:11-12) "… 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places."

b. The bottom line is that the lost church member who departs from he faith is deceived by deceiving spirits, and then begins to believe, support, and teach doctrines of the Devil and his crew.

c. What are the effects of Apostasy in an apostate? “…speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron…” They become so intent that they lose all sense of reality and truth, and they are ready to lie, cheat, steal, and personally attack true believers. They are so insensitive to sin, that they blaspheme God and harass His people and His church.

4. The Nature of and Truth About This Particular apostasy “…3 forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from foods…”

a. First, note the illogical and blatantly false nature of this false teaching—God instituted marriage in Genesis, and the Bible holds marriage to be “the institution which God loves (Mal 2) and in the NT, the New Covenant abolishes all dietary laws.

b. Forbidding to marry—

(1) there were several cult groups in Paul’s day which forbade marriage—and this has continued in various forms.

(2) The Cathars, in France in the 1100s and 1200s practiced a form of this, by not allowing relations between husband and wife after baptism.

(3) The Shaker religion forbade marriage

(4) Some denominations do not allow their ministers to marry, which has resulted in centuries of great problems that result from forcing men to live in that abnormal state.

(5) Abstaining from foods
(a) In the OT, there was a ceremonial set of laws about what one could and could not eat—observant Jews follow these codes today.
(b) But in the NT, the Law has been fulfilled and superseded—(See Acts 10, Acts 15, Gal 2-3)

(c) Again, several cult groups restrict the diets of their members in some ways.

5. The Answer, simple, direct, and biblical—“…from foods which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. 4 For every creature of God is good, and nothing is to be refused if it is received with thanksgiving; 5 for it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer."

a. The Answer to This Heresy

(1) Those who believe and know the Truth will understand
(2) God created these foods to be thankfully consumed
(3) God created no bad creatures
(4) The Word, and Prayer
(a) The Word tells us that the dietary laws are fulfilled and no longer in use
(b) Prayer dedicates the food to God.

b. How does this relate to illegal drugs, etc.? It does NOT relate—those are not food items.

c. A model for the last of the last days

(1) We live in an age lacking discernment

(2) We live in an age when many leaders in so-called Bible-believing churches give in to every trend and fad instead of preaching the Truth.

(3) We live in an age when doctrinal accuracy and precision, even about the most vital doctrines, is lacking

(4) We live in a time when the making of distinctions is considered ill-mannered and rude.

(5) We live in the age of itching ears
(a) 2 Tim 3:1-13
(b) 2 Tim 4:1-5

b. We live in an age when (in America anyway) like that of Laodecia (Rev 3:14-22)

1 Tim 3:16, part 1

I’m Glad I Know Who Jesus Is
Part 1
1 Tim 3:16

1. Analysis of the Passage

a. This is an ancient hymn of the church, one inspired by the Holy Spirit

(1) In the original, there is a natural rhythm to it
(2) It is meant to give a theological definition to the Truth delivered to the saints, and preserved and defended by the church—3:14-15

b. Each line is organized the same way in the original, with a verb in the aorist tense followed by a noun

(1) The aorist tense is a snapshot, a moment in time.
(2) But these things did not all happen at a moment in time as man sees it—but to God, each one was a done deal before He made the worlds.

c. Each line tells a different doctrine about Who and What Jesus is
d. Each line is vital for our salvation, for Christ’s mediation, for our reconciliation
(1) God was revealed in flesh
(2) The Holy Spirit vindicated Christ’s Ministry
(3) The Angels witnessed everything
(4) Christ was preached
(5) People believed
(6) Christ Ascended

e. Why are these events so important?

(1) Christianity is a fact-based faith
(2) Our faith is not about religious feelings and being uplifted
(a) The purpose of church is not to make you feel good about yourself and to give you some words of comfort.
(b) The purpose of the church is to attack the gates of Hell and rescue the perishing.
(c) The purpose of church is to be the training ground for people equipped to take the Gospel to every corner of this town, this county, this region, this sate, this nation, and this world.

(3) Our faith, first and most of all, is about real things that happened in real time to real people—and the apostles and other early church leaders are constantly telling us this in the Bible.

(4) Two examples
(a) Stephen’s sermon—Acts 7—here is a man on trial for his life, and he gave them a HISTORY lesson!
(b) Paul’s declaration of faith—1 Cor 15:1-11
(5) So, an attack on the facts is an attack on salvation
(6) This is why every cult group winds up with some kind of works salvation

2. The Great Mystery: "And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness…”

a. First, What is a Mystery in the Bible?

(1) It is something that was concealed, but is being or is going to be revealed (Mark 4:11) "And He said to them, "To you it has been given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God; but to those who are outside, all things come in parables,"

(2) The Gospel is a mystery since eternity past—

(a) (Rom 16:25) "Now to Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery kept secret since the world began"

(b) (1 Cor 2:7) "But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory,"

(c) (Eph 3:9) "and to make all see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the ages has been hidden in God who created all things through Jesus Christ;"

(3) The New Testament contains several of these mysteries—things previously concealed that are now being revealed.

(4) Resurrection and rapture is a mystery revealed by Paul—(1 Cor 15:51-52) "Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed; 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed."

(5) Part of the mystery is that Christ dwells in us through the Holy Spirit (Col 1:26-27) "the mystery which has been hidden from ages and from generations, but now has been revealed to His saints. 27 To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory."

(6) There is also a mystery of Evil—the development of the kingdom of the antichrist. (2 Th 2:7) "For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way."

b. Context: 3:14-15

(1) The “faith once delivered to the saints” (Jude 3) has in it “some things hard to understand…” 2 Pet 3:15, indeed it includes deep teachings which are for mature believers (1 Cor 2:6-16)

(2) The basic facts that one must believe to be saved, however, are very simple: Rom 10:8-9 "But what does it say? "The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart" (that is, the word of faith which we preach): 9 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved."

c. But, believers are not to remain babes—Heb 5:12-14

(1) The list of deep doctrinal truths found in 1 Tim 3:16 is thought by most commentators to be from an early confession of faith, or perhaps from an early hymn of the faith
(2) This list of facts about Who and What Jesus is constitutes the outline of what we call Christology

d. There is no argument about one thing, this is a great mystery
(1) What is a mystery? A mystery is something which was unknown before and which is now being made known, such as God’s revelations to Paul concerning the nature and meaning of the New Testament Church.

(2) “Godliness” the idea that God became flesh is a great (mega) mystery—but the point is, that it has all been revealed.

e. Jesus the Revelator!
(1) John 1:14-18
(2) Rev 1:1-2
(3) Heb 1:1-2
(4) The point—Jesus, in His Life, Person, and Work, has revealed the great mystery of the Gospel, and the church, the pillar and ground of the Truth, is supposed to be the bulwark, the fortress, the defender of the Truth.

3. God was manifested in the flesh

a. He, Jesus, the Messiah, was manifested in flesh

“…The verb is used by Paul elsewhere of the incarnation (Romans 16:26; Colossians 1:26) as well as of the second coming (Colossians 3:4). ..” A. T. Robertson

b. The incarnation, the Son of God coming in human flesh, has these key elements, each of which cult groups and liberal theologians attack.
(1) He was pre-existent, in fact, He is eternal, the Alpha and the Omega—Mal 5:2, John 8:58, Rev 1:8
(2) He was and is God—John 1:1
(3) He did not cease to possess His Deity while on Earth, but He took on something extra—humanity—Phil 2:5-11

(4) He came into this earth as a real man, from the moment of conception in the virgin’s womb, what is really striking about Him is that physically, there was nothing striking about Him.

(5) He was made in all points like us—but without sinè He had no sin, He did no sin, He knew (personally) no sin—Heb 4:15-16


c. This is a key doctrine of the Bible, and has been much abused and attacked. The basic areas of attack have been:

(1) Attack #1èTo say that Christ was only a man, though with a special relationship with God (Ebionism). In this version of the Gospel, as in the false teachings of Joel Hemphill, there really is nothing special about Jesus but that He had faith.

John 1:1-3 "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made."

John 8:24 ""Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for if you do not believe that I am He, you will die in your sins.""

John 8:58 "Jesus said to them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM.""

John 20:28 "And Thomas answered and said to Him, "My Lord and my God!""


(2) Attack #2èTo say that Christ was not a man, that He did not come in the flesh, but that He was an illusion, a totally spiritual being who only appeared to be human—Docetism –Heb 2:17-18 "Therefore, in all things He had to be made like His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. 18 For in that He Himself has suffered, being tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted."

(3) Attack #3èTo say that Christ was less than fully God, that He was created—Arianism—(John 1:3) "All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made."

(4) Attack #4èTo say that Christ was a man who became God—adoptionism –Micah 5:2 ""But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, Though you are little among the thousands of Judah, Yet out of you shall come forth to Me The One to be Ruler in Israel, Whose goings forth are from of old, From everlasting.""

(5) Attack #5èTo say that Christ had a sin nature—Heb 4:15-16 "For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. 16 Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need."

d. Why have these attacks been launched against the doctrine of Christ’s Person?

(1) Because the mystery of lawlessness (2 Thes 2:2) has also been revealed and is working to keep men and women, boys and girls, from Salvation in Christ.

(2) The spirit of Antichrists is already in the world—1 John2:18-23—attacking our Faith

(3) And because if He is not who the Bible says He is, He cannot do what the Bible says He can.

Must, Part 2

Must, Part II


Readings: Acts 6:1-7, 1 Tim 3:8-15

Ø A great need in churches today—Biblical leadership
Ø Tradition has left us a confusing mess, and few churches follow the Biblical leadership model
Ø But those who do usually prosper above their contemporaries

What is a Deacon? He is a man with:\
(1) A servant’s heart, feet, and hands
(2) A calling of God to serve
(3) A heart to ease the burden of the eldership
(4) A man who meets the qualifications of Acts 6 and 1 Tim 3

1. Where Deacons Came From: The Background—Acts 6:1-2

a. The Dispute in the Church—

(1) The “Grecians:”
(a) The Greek-Speaking Jews were Jews who had adopted much of Greek culture, including the language.
(b) Some of the more proper Jews looked down upon them almost as much as they did Gentiles.
(2) The Hebrews: These were Jews who had been raised in Palestine, and who spoke the native Aramaic dialect and followed Jewish culture.
(3) The Greek-Speaking Jews were complaining that the Hebrew-Speaking Jews were not taking care of the Greek-speaking widows.

b. The Situation Was Difficult and Dangerous
(1) This threatened the unity of the church.
(2) It was causing so much trouble that the apostles, who were the elders of this first church, had no time to pray, study, or disciple new believers—and, this was not their gifting nor their calling

c. The Solution Given by the Apostles to the people—6:2b-4
(1) It is not that they were too good to serve tables, nor that the serving of the tables was of no importance.
(2) But their calling was to the Word and prayer, and to be faithful to that calling requires total dedication.
(3) The decision of the church, and the task of the deacons— Acts 6:3 The church picked out qualified men which the apostles approved, ordained, and set to the task.


2. What were the Tasks of the Seven? Acts 6:3

a. To release the men of God to be able to devote themselves to the Bible and Prayer

b. To serve tables
(1) Of the Widow
(2) Of the poor
(3) Of the missionary
(4) Of the elders

c. Who were the supervisors of the deacons? The apostles, who were operating as the pastoral team, using shared leadership

d. However, the deacon is not limited in ministry—two of the greatest early evangelists, Stephen and Philip, were of the seven original deacons.

e. It is not required that deacons be preachers, teachers or exhorters—they are workers. But it is also not forbidden for them to exercise the gifts God has given them.

3. Biblically, what are the Deacon’s Qualifications?

a. The First List of Qualifications—Acts 6:3

(1) They must be “…men…”—the word in the original is the Greek word used only for males.

(2) They must be of “…honest report…” The literal meaning in the original is “complete witness,” and it refers to a man with a good reputation.

(3) They must be “…full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom…” this speaks of a man controlled by the Holy Spirit who is also wise and prudent, a man who can be trusted spiritually and practically.

b. The Second List of qualifications—1 Tim 3:8-12

(1) A Deacon must be a reverent man who loves and fears the Lord.“…grave…”.

(2) A Deacon must be a man with a reputation for honest speech—“…not doubletongued…”.

(3) He must not be a drinker—“…not given to wine…”,

(4) He cannot be a money-grubber—“…not greedy…”.

(5) He must be a man who knows and believes the doctrines of the faith, and whose conscience is clear—“…9 Holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience….”

(6) He must not be new to the congregation, but someone whose character has been tested over time, and whose character is continually tested.

(7) The Greek verb in verse 10 has a tense which indicates continued action—“…10 And let these also first be proved;…”

c. The Deacons’ Wives

(1) Why are there no instructions for the wives of elders (pastors)? Because they have a full time job just taking care of their man.

(2) A Deacon’s wife must be serious, not a back-biter, a sober-minded, and a spiritual woman: "…Even so must their wives be grave, not slanderers, sober, faithful in all things."

(3) The deacon’s wife must be reverent and God-fearing. She should be a godly woman of prayer and a woman of the Book.

(4) The Deacon’s wife cannot be a slanderer. A woman who is a slanderer and a back-biter is not the wife a deacon should have.

(5) If a man has a wife who is a slanderer and a back-biter, he is as unqualified to be a deacon as is a divorced and remarried man.

(6) The Deacon’s wife must be sober-minded and trustworthy

(7) Why all of these concerns?

(a) The Deacons will be dealing with serious personal things
(b) The Deacons will be dealing with money, needs, and business
(c) The last thing needed is for their wives to hinder the process…

4. The results: Effective Church Leadership

a. The first result—Greater Publication—“…Then the word of God spread…”.

(1) The Preachers, the eldership were able to devote themselves to the Word and Prayer. This made the preachers mightier in the Word. Their time alone with the Lord made them better servants of God. Their time discipling people caused rapid progress in discipleship

(2) The People, being well-taught, spread the Word (see Eph 4:12-16).

(3) Because of the power of the pulpit when bathed in prayer and steeped in the Word, the lost were convicted.

(4) Because of the power of the pulpit, the saved people were growing faster.

(5) Because of the preaching and prayer, the members became doctrinally mature and stable.

(6) Because of the preaching and prayer, the members became better able to speak the Truth in love as mature believers should.

(7) Because of all of this, the church grew in numbers and in spiritual and moral power.

b. The Second Result–Greater propagation

(1) Eph 4:11-16 True Church Growth is Biblical growth.

(a) Man’s program is all about methods and cotton candy preaching.

(b) God’s program of church growth is not based on catchy phrases and special days, nor is it based on the pastor cajoling people to attend church who really don’t want to be there.

(c) God’s program of church growth is: For the church to major on four things,

(i) The Apostle’s Doctrine
(ii) Fellowship (koinonia, not dinners),
(iii) the Breaking of Bread
(iv) Prayer.
(d) God’s program is for the men of God to preach, teach, and lead.
(e) God’s program is for the people to grow in grace because of powerful teaching and preaching.
(f) God’s program is for spiritually mature Christians to naturally spread the Gospel through their witness.

c. The Third Result of a Biblical deacon ministry was—greater penetration a deeper reach “…and a great many of the priests were obedient to the faith."

5. Finally, we see the Deacon’s Reward—(1 Tim 3:13) "For those who have served well as deacons obtain for themselves a good standing and great boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus."

a. If a man serves well as a deacon, he will be appreciated and loved by the chuch

b. If a man serves well as a deacon, God will make him bolder and stronger in faith, so that he can serve even more and even better.

How to Run the Church

Ought:
How To Do Church

(1 Tim 3:14-15)

1. A Side Point—Divine Providence Makes Our Plans: "These things I write to you, though I hope to come to you shortly; 15 but if I am delayed…”

a. Paul had intended to return to Ephesus at this point—he never did

b. Divine Providence is that characteristic and power of God by which He controls the course o f human history and individual human lives

(1) Human History—Acts 17:24-27, Is 42:8-11
(2) Individual Lives—Ps 139:13-16, Gal 1:13-15

c. Paul, at this time, does not realize that he will never be in Ephesus again


2. How To Conduct Yourself In Church—“…I write so that you may know how you ought to conduct yourself in the house of God…”

a. Some peoples claim that there are no normal forms of organization, leadership, or polity (organization) for the NT church—this gives them the leeway to set up the church according to their tastes—this verse destroys that entire idea

b. The purpose of this letter, supplemented by other passages in other books, is to show us how the Apostles organized the local church, so that we might follow their example.

c. This entire book is dedicated to telling us how we are to do church!

d. Here is what we have looked at so far in our study of Timothy:

(1) How to fight against false teachers

(a) Given the amount of time the New Testament spends telling us how to deal with false teachers, this must be very important
(b) Examples

(i) 1st Corinthians in part, dealt with false teachers who had denied the bodily resurrection of Jesus

(ii) 2nd Corinthians dealt with “super-apostles” who were teaching false doctrines and deceiving believers

(iii) The entire book of Galatians was about defending salvation by Grace against false teachers who denied it

(iv) The Ephesian letter teaches about spiritual warfare, because in that city of pagan religion, fighting against demonic forces was all too common.

(v) In Colossians, they were fighting against a false teacher who had organized his own cult religion

(vi) In 1st Thessalonians, there was confusion about the end times

(vii) In 2nd Thessalonians, a cult group that had broken off from the true church and were forging letters as if from Paul, teaching that the Lord had already returned and the Thessalonians had missed it.

(viii) In 1st and 2nd Timothy, here before us, there were several different kinds of false doctrine being dealt with

(ix) In Titus, there were false teachers in the churches in Crete which Titus had to take on head on and deal with.

(x) In 2 Peter and Jude, a dangerous cult was spreading through several churches

(xi) In 1, 2, and 3 John, a group we now know as the Gnostics had penetrated several churches

(xii) In the seven churches of Asia in Rev 2 and 3, there were problems with false teachers in five of the seven churches.

(xiii) And, there is more to come!


(2) 1 Timothy tells men and women how to worship and serve?

(a) There are distinct, overlapping, and complementary ways of Serving God in the church
(b) All are to serve, but not in the same way


(3) 1 Timothy tells us How to organize the government of the local New Testament church

(a) Paul names two offices, elder/overseer/pastor, and deacon

(b) Paul gives qualifications for those offices

(c) Titus 1 and Acts 14, 15, 20 suggest to us that these were regular and widespread practices

(d) Since Paul was the man through whom the Lord had decided to reveal church Truth—Eph 2:11-3:21, these things are seen to really fit together well, and belong to his ministry.

(4) Several things yet remain to be studied, and among the mosts vital are

(a) How pastors are to serve

(b) How pastors are to be treated by the church

3. What the church is—“…the Household of God…”

a. Not a physical building—“God’s House…” is not brick and mortar, but is flesh and blood. The congregation does not meet at the church—wherever the congregation is, that IS the church.

b. The Assembly, the ecclesia, is the congregation gathered together for conducting church—Mat 16:17-20

c. “In the household…” refers to your relationship to other believers when you meet together.

(1) We are little stones (1 Pet 2:1-5)
(2) He is the chief corner stone—Eph 2:20

4. What the Church is To Be, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth."

a. The church of the LIVING God

(1) God spoke of this often in the OT

(2) The Church is the Church of The Living God

(a) In the OT, it is a phrase that emphasizes the falsehood of the dead “gods” of the pagans—(Jer 10:1-10) ***
(b) In the NT, it is a confession of faith

(Mat 16:16) "Simon Peter answered and said, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.""

(John 6:69) ""Also we have come to believe and know that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.""

(2 Cor 6:16) "And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said: "I will dwell in them And walk among them. I will be their God, And they shall be My people.""


b. The Church is The bulwark [pillar and ground] of Truth

(1) In Ephesus and other places, the pagan temples had large columns with stone bases, which not only were beautiful but also functional, in that they held the building together

(2) Paul is using that architectural form to illustrate the centrality and importance of the Word, and of the importance of the church protecting and preserving the Word of God.

(a) 2 Tim 1:13-14
(b) 2 Tim 2:1-2

c. The Word of God is the Only authority the church has

(1) God holds His Word in such esteem, that He puts it over His own Name—Ps 138:2—"I will worship toward Your holy temple, And praise Your name For Your lovingkindness and Your truth; For You have magnified Your word above all Your name." Why?

(a) First, because God truly loves the Word of Truth that He ordained before the ages (1 Cor 2), which has eternally been settled in Heaven (Ps 119:89)

(b) Second, because the Word of God is an objective standard by which to measure everything—it is easy to claim to be serving in the Name of the Lord, but the only way that can be tested and measured is by reference to God’s Word—see Mat 7:21-23, 1 John 2:18-23, 4:1-3, Is 8:19-20

(2) The Word of God tells us how be saved—Romans 10:9

(3) The Word of God tells us Who Jesus Is—

(Mat 16:16) "Simon Peter answered and said, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.""

(John 8:58) "Jesus said to them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM.""

(John 20:28-29) "And Thomas answered and said to Him, "My Lord and my God!" 29 Jesus said to him, "Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.""

(4) The Word of God tells us What Jesus Has Done

(Mat 1:21) ""And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins.""

(5) The Word of God tells us How we are to respond to Him

(Acts 16:30-31) "And he brought them out and said, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" 31 So they said, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.""

(Rom 10:9-10) "that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation."

(6) The Word of God tells us how to live for Him

(Mat 28:19-20) ""Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 "teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen."

(John 10:27) ""My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me."

(7) The Word of God tells us what True New Covenant worship is


(8) The Word of God tells us what is right and wrong behavior for a believer

(9) The Word of God gives us that sure and certain hope of the return of the Lord and our going to be with him.

(10) And the church is supposed to be the bulwark, the fortress of the Truth, the repository of the Truth, the legacy-keeper, the succession of Truth preachers and Truth teachers that have safeguarded and who still safeguard this Holy Word

The Godly Pastor, From: Pilgrim's Progress, by John Bunyan

Sir,” said Christian, “I am a man that am come from the City of Destruction, and am going to the Mount Zion; and I was told by the man that stands at the gate, at, the head of this way, that if I called here, you would show me excellent things, such as would be a help to me in my journey.”

Then said the Interpreter, “Come in; I will show that which will be profitable to you.” So he commanded his man to light the candle, and bid Christian follow him: so he took him into a private room, and bid his man open a door; the which when he had done, Christian saw the picture of a very serious man hung up against the wall; and this was the fashion of the picture. His eyes lifted up to heaven, the best of books in his hand, the law of truth was written upon his lips, the world was behind his back. He stood as if he pleaded with men, and a crown of gold did hang over his head.

Then said Christian, “What does this mean?”

Inter. The man whose picture this is, is one of a yousand; he can beget children, 1 Corinthians 4:15, travail in birth with children, Galatians 4:19, and nurse them himself when they are born.

And whereas you see him with his eyes lift up to heaven, the best of books in his hand, and the law of truth writ on his lips: it is to show you that his work is to know, and unfold dark things to sinners; even as also you saw him stand as if he pleaded with men: and whereas you saw the world as cast behind him, and that a crown hangs over his head; that is to show you that slighting and despising the things that are present, for the love that he has to his Master’s service, he is sure in the world that comes next to have glory for his reward.

Now, said the Interpreter, I have showed you this picture first, because the man whose picture this is, is the only man whom the Lord of the place where you are going, has authorised to be your guide in all difficult places you may meet with in the way: wherefore, take good heed to what I have showed you, and bear well in your mind what you hast seen, lest in your journey you meet with some that pretend to lead you right, but their way goes down to death.

Can You Withstand Heresy?

Can You Withstand Heresy?
A Biblical Refutation of the Destructive Heresy of Joel Hemphill

He has won eight “Dove” awards, he is a Gospel music legend, and he is about to be installed (October 2007) in the Gospel Music Hall of Fame. He has appeared on the Gaither “Homecoming” videos, he has written dozens of hit Southern Gospel anthems, and he is considered by many to be a Godly man and a minister of Christ. However, the truth is that this man, by his own published admission, is a traitor to “…the faith once delivered to the saints…”. He is a denier of the Deity, the Lordship and the pre-existence of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and a purveyor of salvation by works. Indeed, to find so glaring a heresy as this, one would have to look to the Ebionites, descended from the Judiazers, who existed for a brief period 1800 years ago.
Gospel music singer Joel Hemphill’s tract, “Can You Face Reality?”, is a poorly-written, self-contradictory snippet of a destructive heresy, one just as destructive as those encountered by Peter. 2 Pet 2:1 But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction. He flatly and plainly denies the lordship and deity of our Lord Jesus Christ and sets up a system of salvation by works. In the process, he ignores numerous scriptures, distorts and quotes others out of context, makes patently false statements about the Bible, publishes distortions and lies about history, uses unreliable theological sources, and misquotes and quotes out of context well-respected Christian teachers. His heresy is so far out that he literally exceeds other heresies of the day by denying the Lordship, pre-existence and eternality of Christ Jesus our Lord. Hemphill’s heresy exceeds that of the Mormons and Jehovah’s Witnesses, each of which has higher view of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ than Hemphill does, and it is being subsidized by the dollars of born-again believers who do not know nor realize the depth of these heresies.
Rather than give equal time to the Devil’s man, we will not answer his tract line by line, but will instead teach the truth about the Nature of God, and thereby demonstrate the gross and deadly errors taught by Hemphill and others. Secondly, we will address the total lack of discernment shown by many Christians and church leaders who mindlessly play and sing the music of lost heretics, and who even invite them in to their churches.


What is The Nature of God?

Throughout the history of the church, the enemies of God have attacked the Biblical teaching concerning His Nature, particularly the Deity of the Son of God. The doctrine we touch upon here is one of the most attacked (and best and most consistently defended) of all the major teachings of the Faith: God is Triune, eternally existing as Father, Son, and Spirit (three persons or personalities that are distinct)--yet there is only one God. This has been called the doctrine of the TRINITY since the days of the early church. The early church wars and the philosophical debates surrounding that doctrine, have obscured the fact that the doctrine of the Trinity is solidly supported by Holy Scripture, and is directly drawn from the scriptures. The simple statement we have made, stripped of the technically philosophical terms, expresses what the Bible everywhere teaches about the subject. I Frankly don't understand it for one second. However, I recognize fully that the Bible teaches these truths, so I believe them and teach them whether I understand them or not.

The key presupposition we must have as we approach the doctrine of the Trinity is this: BELIEVE WHAT THE BIBLE TEACHES, AND DON'T TRY TO UNDERSTAND IT. This doctrine speaks of the very essential nature of God, how can we expect to understand it? Indeed, nearly every cult that has departed from the evangelical Christian faith has either begun from someone trying to explain the Trinity. The view of the entire orthodox church, including evangelicals, Eastern Orthodox, and Roman Catholics, has always been that denial of the doctrine of the Trinity constitutes departure from "the faith once delivered to the saints." (Jude 3)

What are the Basic Ideas of the Trinity? Mat 28:19….baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,"

“…In the Name….” MONOTHEISM--There is only One True God. – the foundation of the doctrine of God's tri-unity is that there is only One God. It is emphatically taught in both the Old and New Testaments. "hear oh, Israel, the LORD our God is one LORD." (Dt 6:4). “...there is no god with me..." (Dt 32:39); "...I am the LORD, and there is none else..."(Is 45:18) "...before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me..." (Is 43:10). "There is one God and one mediator between God and man..."(1 Tim 2:5); "...and this is eternal life, that they might know thee, the only True God, and Jesus Christ, whom Thou hast sent..." (Jn 17:3).

PLURALITY: “…in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit…” Within the One True God exists a plurality of persons. First, there are plural terms and names applied to God. The most prevalent in the Bible is the Hebrew Elohim. God also is described with plural pronouns, "...Let us make man in our image.." (Gen 1:25), Gen 11:6-8 "And the LORD said, "….. 7 "Come, let Us go down and there confuse their language, that they may not understand one another's speech." 8 So the LORD scattered them abroad from there over the face of all the earth, and they ceased building the city." Isa 6:8 "Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying: "Whom shall I send, And who will go for Us?"

In Isaiah 48:16-17 --The Trinity in Isaiah! Isa 48:16 "Come near to Me, hear this: I have not spoken in secret from the beginning; From the time that it was, I was there. And now the Lord GOD and His Spirit Have sent Me."
17 Thus says the LORD, your Redeemer, The Holy One of Israel: "I am the LORD your God, Who teaches you to profit, Who leads you by the way you should go.. 18 Oh, that you had heeded My commandments! Then your peace would have been like a river, And your righteousness like the waves of the sea.

We next see that THE FATHER IS GOD--“…in the name of the Father,,,” Jesus is often called the Son of God, therefore God is a Father, and the Father is God. There is no scripture that even hints that the Father ever ceases to be a separate person. Jesus continually refers to the Father as a separate Person. Jesus continually talks to the Father. Jesus tells us to pray to the Father. On more than one occasion, the Father speaks. Mat 17:5 "While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them; and suddenly a voice came out of the cloud, saying, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear Him!""

We must understand that Jesus Christ is Eternal God. This is the foundation doctrine of Christianity--Jesus Himself said "...If you believe not that I AM he, you shall die in your sins..." (JN 8:24) This is not just a speculative, philosophical teaching--unless God redeems us Himself, we cannot be redeemed. Jesus is called God by others, John 20:28 ,Rom 9:5, 1 Tim 3:16 ; Jesus claimed the titles and prerogatives of God, John 8:58, Mat 12:8, Mat 9:2-6. Jesus is called God by the Father, Heb 1:4-14 . Finally, Jesus is called Jehovah—compare the scriptures below: John 12:37-41/Is 6:1, 9-10, Ps 24:7,10/1 Cor 2:8,, James 2:1, Is 8:13-14/1 Pet 2:5-8, Ps 23:1/Jn 10:11, Is 40:10-11/1 Pet. 5:4
Is 44:6, Jer 23:5-6, Joel 2:32/Acts 4:12.

Furthermore, Jesus is worshipped. In Is 42:8, Ex 20:3, and many other OT passages forbid the worship of anyone but Jehovah God Himself--yet we see in many passages that Christ is worshipped . Jesus is worshipped by men: Luke 24:51-52, Mat 28:9, Mat 14:31-33. Jesus accepts the worship of men—John 20:29. He is worshipped by angels at the order of the Father—Heb 1:4-14. Finally, Jesus is worshipped in Heaven itself.—Phil 2:9-11, Rev 5:6-14.

Jesus did and does The works of God : Creation (Jn 1:3, Heb 1:2) , Preservation of the universe (Col. 1:17, Heb 1:2-3), the sending of the Spirit of God (Jn 16:7) , the forgiveness of sins (Acts 5:30-31) and the giving of eternal life (Jn 17:2-3) .

Jesus possesses divine attributes. He has Self existence (Jn 5:26, 8:58), Eternity (Jn 1:1-2, 14 Micah 5:2), Omniscience (Jn 1:48), Omnipotence--(Mt 28:18-20, omnipresence (Mt 18:20--note that He was on earth, and in the flesh, and used the present tense, showing that He had this attribute even in His earthly ministry), Immutability (Heb 13:8), and Sovereignty (Mt 11:27).
ü Jesus is God, and that fact seals our redemption, for the One who died for us is Very God of Very God, a Person of infinite worth, who laid down His life and took it up again.

ü Jesus is God, which seals our resurrection
ü Jesus is God, which guarantees our preservation
ü Jesus is God, which guarantees His return in power.

Not only is the Son of God also God the Son, the Holy Spirit is a Person (not an it), and He is God. The Holy Spirit is a Person--not a force, influence, etc. Many cults and sects deny His personality. He is turned into some kind of "divine electricity,", a sort of impersonal force for God and good in the world. This, of course, goes along with their denial of the Trinity. However, when we look at the Bible, we find that He has personal qualities ascribed to Him by scripture. He can be lied to—Acts 5:1-5, He can be tested—Acts 5:1-5. The Holy spirit has Personal Qualities, such as understanding and knowledge, (1 Cor 2:10-11), a will (1 Cor 12:11), love (Rom 15:30), and Grief (Eph 4:30). The Holy Spirit performs Personal Actions: He speaks (1 Tim 4:1, Rev 2:7), He teaches (Lk 12:12, Jn 14:26), He commands (Acts 13:2), He intercedes (Rom 8:26). Personal characterizations applied to Him: Comforter (Jn 14:16), Witness (Heb 10:15, Rom 8:16), Justifier and Sanctifier (1 Cor 6:11), Intercessor (Rom 8:26). Pronouns used of Him (Jn 14:26, Jn 16:7).

The Holy Spirit is God-- The Holy Spirit is called God – Act 5:3-5, 1 Cor 3:16--Compare with 2 Cor 6:16). Indirectly, the Holy Spirit is also called Jehovah-! It was Jehovah who spoke by the prophets (Lk 1:68-70) yet Peter says it was the Holy Spirit (2 Pet 1:20, also compare 2 Sam 23:2-3 with Acts 1:16). It was Jehovah that Israel rebelled against in the wilderness (Ps 78:4, 17-18), but Isaiah says it was the Holy Spirit (Is 63:10). In Dt 32:12, Jehovah led Israel, but in Is 63:14, It says the Holy Spirit led them. Jehovah commissioned Isaiah the prophet (Is 6:6-8), but Paul says (under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit) that it was the Holy Spirit who commissioned the prophet (Acts 28:25-26). The Holy Spirit Demonstrates the Attributes of God: Holiliness (Rom 1:4, cw Ex15:11), Eternality (Heb 9:14), Omnipresence (Ps139:7), Omniscience (1 Cor 2:10-11), Omnipotence ( Lk 1:35, Mic. 3:8, Is 40:28), Sovereignty (Mat 4:1--He led Jesus!) (Jn 3:8, 1 Cor 12:11, Acts 13:2-4, 20:28).


The Importance of the Doctrine of the Trinity--Mat 28:20 ""teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen."
God is a God of Relationship—Mat 3:16-17 . People mess relationships--the human race is a race at war with itself. Guess what? God does not have this problem! What the doctrine of the Trinity teaches us is that God is a God of relationship! -- The most long-lasting and tranquil relationship which has ever existed or will ever exist is the all-loving, all-knowing, all-powerful relationship between the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit! Psa 90:1-2, John 17:5, 24, Heb 9:14. -God is not like us in our failure to relate--He does not leave us nor forsake us. God will never leave, God will never forsake--and God will never divorce one of His own.

And this relational nature of God means that we can have Representation in heaven. Christ is our Representative. Jesus is both our Representative and our example in Baptism: Mat 3:15.--Remember, we can't go to heaven without righteousness--and our righteousnesses are filthy rags..our works cannot save us....we must have the righteousness of God. Jesus, in His earthly ministry, fulfilled the righteousness of God for us. Christ Jesus lived for us! Jesus was our representative on the cross... Isa 53:5; WE could not pay the price; WE could not stand in that place and endure the totality of God's wrath against a sinful race; WE could not stand in the presence of a Holy and just God for even one second! The Sin was Ours, the Guilt was Ours, the Iniquity was Ours, the Shame was ours, the punishment and the stripes were Ours--but the blood was HIS!!!!! My Representative, my Substitute, endured the wrath of God for me. And No Mere Man Could have done that for even one of us.....Only a being, a Person of infinite strength and power could have hung on that cross enduring that wrath, and satisfied that debt! Without the doctrine of the Trinity, there is no representation, because unless God has stood in our place, we are doomed, doomed, doomed! Jesus is our representative in all dealings with God the Father (1 Tim 2:5 ). How can I, a sinful man, approach the Almighty, Holy Father in heaven? I have a Mediator, a Friend that sticketh closer than a brother, a Holy Hand that joins my hand with the Father. Jesus is our Representative at the throne of Grace--He is our priest in the Holy of Holies—Heb 4:14-16. Jesus is our Representative in the court of the Most High—Zech 3:1-7, Heb 7:25-26.

The ultimate aim of the Representation by Christ Jesus is Redemption and Reconciliation through the Person and Work of Christ, through the blood of the Lamb ( 1 Pet 1:18-21). Redemption was ordained and planned before God made the world--Christ was the Lamb Slain from the foundation of the world. God the Father sent His Son on a Holy Mission--and the objective location of that mission was a small, rocky, ugly, hill outside the gates of an ancient city in the mountains of Palestine. The hill was Calvary; the City was Jerusalem; And the mission the Son accomplished on the cross was our reconciliation with God. Rom 5:6 For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. 2 Cor 5:21 For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

Will You Withstand Heresy?

Having seen the Truth plainly taught, what is to be done? First, pray earnestly for the salvation of Joel Hemphill and others caught up in this vile heresy. Second, refuse to buy or sing any song written by or recorded by this man unless and until he repents and recants. Third, write or email the Southern Gospel Music Association (www.sgma.org), and demand that they reconsider placing this self-admitted heretic in the Southern Gospel Hall of Fame. Fourth, copy, forward, reprint, and distribute this tract, to spread the word about this destructive heresy.

Charles T. Buntin
New Covenant Counseling Ministries, Bible Teacher
Mayfield, KY 42066—see my blog at http://mainto4.blogspot.com/
mainto4@newwavecomm.net

For additional reading on this subject, we recommend the following book:
The Forgotten Trinity, By James R. White, Alpha-Omega Ministries

Qualifications for pastoral ministry

Must, Part 1

1 Tim 3:1-7, Titus 1:5-11

Introductory Thoughts

Ø What do we call someone who holds this office?

o In over 20 instances, the office is called “elder”—presbuteros, or presbuteroi

o In six instances, the office is described as “overseer,” or bishop—episkopos

o Only once is this office is referred to as “pastor,” poimen, in Eph 4:11, though the verb form is used three more times.

(John 21:16) "He said to him again a second time, "Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?" He said to Him, "Yes, Lord; You know that I love You." He said to him, "Tend My sheep.""

(Acts 20:28) ""Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood."

(1 Pet 5:2) "Shepherd the flock of God which is among you, serving as overseers, not by compulsion but willingly, not for dishonest gain but eagerly;"

o This became the common usage through a series of historical events in Baptist history

o So as not to confuse anyone, I will use the term we are all most familiar with

Ø Several questions seldom asked, and even more seldom answered, are:

o “What are the Biblical qualifications for pastors?”
o “What is the Biblical job description of pastors?”
o “What particular spiritual gifts do pastors need to have?”

o Neither you nor I can really know if a man has been called by God, but the Bible gives us a list of qualifications that can give us a true indication.

o If a man says he has been called to the Gospel ministry and he does not have these qualifications, he is either deceived or he is lying.

o The Pastors’ Character
o The Pastors’ Families
o The Pastors’ Gifts

1. First, the concept of “must”

a. “Must” is a very important Biblical principle
b. Some examples

(Mat 24:6) ""And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass…”

(John 3:7) "" You must be born again.'"
(John 3:14) ""And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up,"
(John 3:30) ""He must increase, but I must decrease."
(John 4:24) ""God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.""
(John 10:16) ""And other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, …”

c. If this or any church would be pleasing to God, they MUST call a man with these qualifications.

2. The Character of the Pastors of the Church

a. A vital topic in this day

(1) Pastoral scandals

(a) Rev. Radic, that sold the church
(b)Rev. Haggard who visited the gay prostitute
(c) The associate pastor at Belleview Baptist in Memphis who had a previous conviction of molestation

(2) Lack of respect for the office

(3) Lack of respect for the men who hold the office and do it right.

b. “…Must…” —these are things that must be, not optional.

c. “…blameless…”

(1) This does not mean “sinless,” else no one would ever qualify.
(2) This means “no legitimate charges can be brought” of anything of a serious nature

d. “temperate” literally means “wineless.” And “not given to wine…” Why mention this twice? Because it is a vital requirement, that many want to overlook in this day

e. “…sober-minded…” A man to be taken seriously, who takes life seriously.

(1) If I was a physician, a surgeon, and I was doing to operate on you today, I believe that you would take this very seriously, and you would want me to be serious about the procedure

(2) What I do here from this pulpit is of far more importance—I am a soul surgeon, dealing with the eternal destinies of people who are going to exist forever.

"Biblical preaching must be soaked in the blood of Jesus and singed by the fires of hell." John Piper

I will one day stand before my Lord, and my ministry will be questioned on the basis of my faithfulness to the Truth in my preaching and teaching. I will not be questioned on my likeability, nor on my manner of dress, or any other such petty thing. I will be judged at the Bema Seat for how well I exercised my calling, which is to preach the Truth to men and women who are in danger at any moment of falling into an eternal abyss, a lake of fire.

(Acts 20:26-27) . 26 "Therefore I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all men. 27 "For I have not shunned to declare to you the whole counsel of God."

(2 Cor 5:10-11) "… we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. 11 Knowing, therefore, the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are well known to God, and I also trust are well known in your consciences…”

(James 3:1) "My brethren, let not many of you become teachers, knowing that we shall receive a stricter judgment.

(2 Tim 4:1-2) "I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom: 2 Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. …”

f. “…of good behavior…” a man with an ordered life.

g. “…hospitable…” a man who loves people and being around people.

h. “…not violent…” Literally, not a striker

i. “…gentle, not quarrelsome…” Not someone spoiling for a fight. You can oppose false teachers or knuckleheads and still be peaceful.

j. “…not greedy for money, not covetous…” 1 Tim 6:6-10, Acts 20:23

(1) The church should adequately support the man of God—if he is a true man of God, he will labor over the Word, struggle with difficult passages, and carefully weigh the effects of what he is teaching and preaching—James 3:1-2

(2) The church should fix it so that he does not have to worry about his family’s well being

(3) But the ministry is not about becoming wealthy

3. The Pastor’s Family

a. Note that there is no job description for the wife of a pastor (but there is one for the wife of a deacon). The reason is that the wife of a man of God has plenty to do just being his wife.

b. “…must be…the husband of one wife…”

(1) Must…

(2) The Pastors must be males—the word “husband” is a word that can only refer to a male.

(3) The Pastors must each have only one wife—Literally, they must be “one-woman men…”

(4) Each pastor must be totally committed to one and only one woman.

c. The pastors’ home lives must be respectable; The Pastor must have a well-run household, with his children not being riotous or unruly, and who are submitted to his leadership—3:4b-5

4. The Pastors’ Spiritual Gifts

a. They must be apt to teach “…Titus 1:9 holding fast the faithful word as he has been taught…”

(1) Well taught—has this man been discipled in the faith, and who discipled this man?

(2) Timothy had been well taught, by example, experience, and doctrine:

(3) The Discipleship Principle—

2 Tim 1:13 "Hold fast the pattern of sound words which you have heard from me, in faith and love which are in Christ Jesus.

2 Tim 2: 2 And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also."

b. Not a novice—amateur night in the pulpit is never an option

c. Exhorter—A Bible preacher is not to be a shrinking violet nor a dry teacher, but is gifted to stir the souls of all who listen and encourage them.

d. Convincer—A Bible preacher is a man gifted to convince and convict. “…, that he may be able, by sound doctrine, both to exhort and convict those who contradict.”

e. Able to shut down false teachers

2 Tim 4:2 "Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching."

Titus 1:13 "This testimony is true. Therefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith,"

Titus 2:15 "Speak these things, exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no one despise you."

f. Able to rule well—the administrative gift is often overlooked but is just as much a part of the package as any other.

(1) There is a problem here with this word “rule,” and it causes problems however one looks at it, especially for Americans, because we don’t have a king—our governors govern, our presidents preside

(2) First, we cannot ignore this word, pass it by, nor negate it, for it is integral to this subject, and it is repeated twice for emphasis

(3) The problem comes with the English word, “rule,” which is no longer a good communicator of the meaning of this Greek word, and this has caused problems

(4) The word, translated “rule,” προΐστημι, proistēmi, means to ; to stand before, or to preside, or to maintain. Let’s see how it is used


1 Thessalonians 5:12
Them that labour among you (tous kopiōntas en humin). Old word for toil even if weary.
And are over you in the Lord (kai proistamenous humōn en Kuriōi). Same article with this participle. Literally, those who stand in front of you, your leaders in the Lord, the presbyters or bishops and deacons. Get acquainted with them and follow them.
And admonish you (kai nouthetountas humas). Old verb from nouthetēs and this from nous (mind) and tithēmi, to put. Putting sense into the heads of people. A thankless, but a necessary, task. The same article connects all three participles, different functions of the same leaders in the church.


1 Tim 5:17 "Let the elders who preside well be counted worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in the word and doctrine."

Heb 13:7 "Remember those who preside over you, who have spoken the word of God to you, whose faith follow, considering the outcome of their conduct."

Heb 13:17 "Obey those who preside over you, and be submissive, for they watch out for your souls, as those who must give account. Let them do so with joy and not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you."

Heb 13:24 "Greet all those who preside over you, and all the saints. Those from Italy greet you."


***Mat 20:17-28—servant leadership

***1 Pet 5:1-5

5. Application—how can we judge?

a. Brother, how do YOU know if a man is not really called?
(1) The same way I know that a woman is not called to pastor
(2) The Word settles all arguments—Is 8:19-20
b. By their fruits you shall know them—Mat 7:15-20

How To Worship In the Assembly
Part 2
1 Tim 2:9-15

a. Where this puts us: This is a continuation of 1 Tim 2:8èWe are talking about behavior in the assembly of the church

b. The main points in today’s text are very simple.
(1) Women are vital to the church
(2) Women are to be known for who and what they are, not how they look
(3) Women are to learn
(4) Women are not to lead
(5) Women are to be cared for by their Christian Children


1. Women are Vital to the Church

a. Women are full partners in Salvation, and in the ministries of the church—“…in like manner also…”

b. The Gifts and ministry of women. are “like” those of the men that is, they are to be done in the same holy manner, though there are distinctions in the ministries of men and women.

(1) Like the men, they are to pray for all people, for the lost, for government leaders
(2) Like the men, they have One True God to Whom they turn
(3) Like the men, women have continual and instant access to the Mediator
(4) And as the men, they are to be holy and separate

c. The Status of women in Paul’s Day was often dismal

(1) High Born Greco-Roman women, were usually the property of their husbands, and were not often out in public—in a pagan household, the father ruled absolutely
(2) The dishonorable exceptions were “ladies of the evening…”
(3) The honorable exceptions (Lydia, for example) must have been exceptional indeed, and were most likely widows or the daughters of very wealthy and powerful men.
(4) Slaves were slaves, and had no privileges of any kind
(5) Even the “priestesses” of the temples, etc. were not some kind of super-feminist force. Pagan women had little real status at all.
(6) Jewish women had a higher status than pagan women (within their communities and families), but they were still considered very lowly.

d. The difference among Christians

(1) Women were, from the beginning considered equal partners in Salvation—Gal 3:28

(2) Women were a vital part of the ministry of Christ on Earth
(a) His mother’s cousin, Elizabeth
(b) His mother
(c) Anna
(d) Martha and her sister Mary
(e) Mary Magdalene
(f) Joanna the wife of Chuza
(g) Susanna

(3) Women figure prominently in the history of the early church
(a) Priscilla
(b) Claudia
(c) Dorcas
(d) Phoebe
(e) Philip’s daughters
(f) Tryphena and Tryphosa

(4) Women figure prominently in church history since then.
(a) Katie Luther
(b) Suzanna Wesley
(c) Fanny Crosby
(d) Lottie Moon

(5) There are many great Christian women in our day
(a) Beverly LaHaye
(b) Kay Arthur
(c) Beth Moore
(d) Anne Graham Lotz
(e) Ruth Graham


2. Women are to be known for who and what they are, not how they look
"…in like manner also, that the women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with propriety and moderation, not with braided hair or gold or pearls or costly clothing, 10 but, which is proper for women professing godliness, with good works…”

a. What this phrase does NOT mean

(1) This does not mean that women must dress in toe sacks and block shoes.

(a) The clothing mentioned here as being over the top is of a very special type

(b) Wealthy Greek and Roman women would sometimes spend huge fortunes on one outfit, including having strands of real gold and precious jewels woven into their hair—they did not wear these outfits all the time, this was “formal wear,” and like the formal wear that celebrities wear today, the intention of the dress was to draw attention to the wearer”

(c) Even in the early church, there were a few well-off people (see James 2, and 1 Cor 11), and in Ephesus, apparently, some of the wealthy women from this culture were attending the meetings of the church dressed in this special attire. Paul very gently corrects this, because the ostentation was a distraction.

(2) The question is not clothing, but attitude.
(3) And, again, the context is how to act in the assembly of the saints.

b. What this phrase does refer to

(1) “In Like Manner…” as the men, the women are to be holy in life
(a) “…Their adornment…” 1 Pet 3:1-6èthe moral and ethical character of the women of old, women of God helps us to understand this adornment of a quiet spirit
(b) There is nothing wrong with jewelry or nice clothing per se, the problem arises if the woman values them over the real adornment of holy living
(2) “…In like manner…” as the men, they are to pray and worship without anger and strife


3. Women are to learn “…11 Let a woman learn in silence…”

a. Again, we must clue ourselves in to the Greco-Roman culture

(1) With rare exceptions, women were taught very little about anything.
(2) The idea that a woman was to be taught and was to gain knowledge as a part of her way of life was a revolutionary idea, one which separated

b. First, every true believer is to be discipled in The Faith.

(1) Mat 28:19-20
(2) Eph 4:11-16

c. Second, every true believer is to grow in Christ—Heb 5:12ff, 2 Pet 3:18

d. Third, the first line teacher of every adult Christian woman is to be her husband! Eph 5:25ff

e. The issue of silence—

(1) The word here does not refer to absolute silence, but to a quiet, peaceful attitude—see same word in 2 Thes 3:12

(2) There are two places where women are told to be silent in the church, and both of them are in passages where leadership and preaching are the subjects. See 1 Cor 14:33-35

(3) There are other places where it seems to be taken for granted that women are to pray aloud during the service, though not in a leadership role

(4) This is backed up strongly by the appearance of the next topic.



4. Women are not to lead, have authority over, nor teach adult men—“…with all submission. 12 And I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man, but to be in silence. 13 For Adam was formed first, then Eve. 14 And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived, fell into transgression…”

a. If human language means anything, this is the teaching of the Bible in this area

(1) The example of the OT—with the exception of Deborah noted below.
(a) Noah, Abraham, Joseph, Moses, Joshua, etc.—all of the national and spiritual leaders were men except Deborah

(2) The NT—

(a) there were many women of great faith who could have been picked to be an apostle—but Jesus picked only men

(b) There were two more possibilities, one to take Judas’ place, and one to be the apostle to the Gentiles, but God picked Matthias and Paul

(c) Every NT book was written by a man

(d) Every NT church was led by a plurality of men.

(e) The qualifications for church leadership specifically call for males to lead the church—1 Tim 3:1-13, Titus 1:5-11

(3) People have often asked me how it is that there are so many women teachers in this day, and does that fact deny the clear teaching that men are to be the leaders

(a) First of all, the habits, practices, and traditions of man can NEVER override the clear teaching of scripture. If every church in the land was pastured by a woman, the Bible would still call for male leadership.

(b) The Answer is found in a recognition of the Deborah Principle—Deborah was the only authorized female leader of the people of God in the Old Testament—

(c) Why? Because the men of her generation were spiritual wimps, like Barak
(d) If men do not do their job, someone will!

(4) I am firmly convinced that a combination of men who won’t go, men who were abused and burned out of the ministry, and men too busy following the latest fads to really preach has opened up a door for the Deborah Principle to take effect.

5. Women are to be cared for by their Christian Children “…15 Nevertheless she will be saved in childbearing if they continue in faith, love, and holiness, with self-control."

a. Note: “…she will be saved IN childbearing…if THEY…”.

b. This is a theological football: some of the ideas that have been put forth:

(1) Some say this is referring back to Christ being born of a woman

(2) Some say that this really means that salvation is partly or wholly influenced for women by childbearing

(3) Some say that this refers to a woman’s children taking care of her when she is old, using the alternative meaning of sozo, to be preserved.

(4) Context—this statement was in reaction to or explanation of, what Paul just said about male authority in teaching—a reminder that women exercise great influence over every child they raise.

c. What this does NOT mean è it does NOT mean that there is some way for women to work out their salvation by having children