Devotionals: 1 Timothy Archives

Something New

By Andrew YoungMay 20, 2017Devotionals: 1 Timothy

Dear Ezra Devotional Readers, I am writing this from Durham, North Carolina, where I am enjoying a special time of interaction with my daughter Deborah, her husband Aaron, and their two children, Toby and Lydia. We have reached the end of the devotional material I have written on John’s Gospel so far. Rather than use this time here in the USA to write more, I am going to share with you a series of writings on 1 Timothy that I prepared a number of years ago while serving as Principal of Grace Theological College. At the time, these were circulated weekly […]

Truth Matters

By Andrew YoungMay 20, 2017Devotionals: 1 Timothy

“…remain at Ephesus so that you may charge certain persons not to teach any different doctrine.” (1 Timothy 1:3) Bible Reading: 1 Timothy 1:1-7 Paul wrote his first “pastoral” letter to Timothy some time after he had left his young colleague in Ephesus to supervise life in the church in that city. Knowing Timothy’s character and the difficulty of his assignment, he wrote to encourage his son in the faith and to provide him with authoritative guidelines for his work. He begins by reminding Timothy why he had been left in Ephesus, namely, to “command certain men not to teach […]

Two Tests for Teaching

By Andrew YoungMay 21, 2017Devotionals: 1 Timothy

“The aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart…” (1 Timothy 1:5) Bible Reading: 1 Timothy 1:3-7 How can you tell if the teaching in your church is true and on target? One way you can do this is to look at its effects, or the fruit that it is producing. Paul tells Timothy in his first letter that the results of teaching truth and error differ widely. Error, he says, leads to controversy and useless speculation (1 Timothy 1:4). At least, that was what was happening in Ephesus. The false doctrines of men devoted to […]

Making Shipwreck the Faith

By James ChuangMay 22, 2017Devotionals: 1 Timothy

“By rejecting this, some have made shipwreck of their faith…” (1 Timothy 1:19) Bible Reading: 1 Timothy 1:12-20 Our first point of focus in these studies in 1 Timothy is on truth or doctrine. We have seen so far that truth matters and have considered two tests that allow us to distinguish truth from error. Next, we look at the possibility of falling from the truth. Can men and women who have embraced the gospel later abandon it or at least so seriously compromise it that they effectively fall from the faith? Indeed, they can. This is what had happened […]

Fighting for the Faith

By Andrew YoungMay 23, 2017Devotionals: 1 Timothy

“This charge I entrust to you… that you may wage a good warfare…” (1 Timothy 1:18) Bible Reading: 1 Timothy 1:18, 19 There is a final aspect of doctrine or “the truth” that bears discussing before moving on to other topics in 1 Timothy. It is the need to “fight” for the faith when it is threatened. Twice in his first letter to Timothy Paul urges his young assistant to “fight the good fight [of the faith]” (1 Timothy 1:18; 6:12). The idea of entering into disputes over particular truths or doctrines has fallen out of favour in our day. […]

Put Prayer First

By Andrew YoungMay 24, 2017Devotionals: 1 Timothy

“First of all, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions and thanksgivings be made for all people…” (1 Timothy 2:1) Bible Reading: 1 Timothy 2:1-7 From doctrine (Chapter 1), Paul’s attention in 1 Timothy turns to worship (Chapter 2). “I urge, then, first of all,” he writes, “that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone” (1 Timothy 2:1). Paul evidently thinks that worship – or at least prayer – should have first place in the life of the church. That’s what he means when he says, “I urge, then, first of all…” He has rank or priority in mind, not […]

Praying for the World

By James ChuangMay 25, 2017Devotionals: 1 Timothy

“I urge that supplications, prayers… be made for all people…” (1 Timothy 2:1) Bible Reading: 1 Timothy 2:1-15 In our last devotional, we noted the priority the apostle Paul put on prayer in the life the church. It is to be the first work of the church. Or, as John Stott puts it, the church is to be essentially a “worshipping, praying community” in the midst of a world that doesn’t know God. But Paul was not only concerned that the church should pray. He was also vitally concerned about the scope of its prayers. It was to be worldwide […]

Praying for Rulers

By Andrew YoungMay 26, 2017Devotionals: 1 Timothy

“…for kings and all who are in high positions…” (1 Timothy 2:2) Bible Reading: Romans 13:1-7 According to the apostle Paul, rulers are to have a place in our prayers. Writing to Timothy he says “I urge… that prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone – for kings and all those in authority” (1 Timothy 2:2). One can appreciate that the early Christians might have found this difficult to do. Their kings and rulers were not Christians, and in many cases, were downright hostile toward those who followed the new faith. Nero, the emperor of Rome at the time, […]

Blameless Leaders

By Andrew YoungMay 27, 2017Devotionals: 1 Timothy

“Therefore an overseer must be above reproach…” (1 Timothy 3:2) Bible Reading: 1 Timothy 3:1-7 Leaving the theme of worship (1 Timothy 2), we turn next to that of pastoral leadership (chapter 3). Timothy was to refute false teaching, to establish orderly worship, and to ensure that those aspiring to pastoral leadership had the right qualifications (3:1-13). It is worth noting as we turn to this new subject that there is a proper order of leaders within the church. This is a point that has been disputed at times in the history of the church. Commenting on this, John Stott […]

“One-Wife Men”

By Andrew YoungMay 28, 2017Devotionals: 1 Timothy

“Therefore an overseer must be… the husband of one wife…” (1 Timothy 3:2) Bible Reading: 1 Timothy 3:1-7 Marriage and family life feature prominently in the requirements Paul lays down for overseers in the church. An elder must be the husband of but one wife (1 Timothy 3:2), and he must manage his own family well (v. 4). If a person cannot meet those standards it would appear that he is disqualified from leadership in the church. Just what Paul means when he insists that an overseer must be “the husband of but one wife” has been disputed. Some say […]