During their ministrations to ecclesias in Ephesus and Crete, Timothy and Titus received encouragement and instruction from the apostle Paul. Although circumstances often forbade personal visits, Paul wrote letters (I & II Timothy and Titus) to stir up his companions in the Lord’s work. Each letter provides a wealth of guidance on shepherding the ecclesia; consequently these three letters are known as the pastoral epistles.
Useful today for all of us
Although written in the mid to late 60’s, not long before the fall of Jerusalem, the letters contain practical advice useful for our own times. For example, when ecclesial positions must be filled, believers are often admonished from the platform to review Paul’s letters to Timothy and Titus. Thus Paul’s words continue to provide guidance for selecting our ecclesial servants.
Yet the pastoral epistles are much more than just guidelines for the annual election of arranging brothers. Since each epistle sets out standards of acceptable behavior, reading them provides yet another opportunity to assess our progress toward the kingdom. By reviewing our lives through the words of the apostle Paul and taking remedial action, we will be able to better serve our Lord.
Paul’s love for Timothy
The first of the pastoral epistles is addressed to Timothy, who Paul affectionately calls his “own son in the
faith” (I Tim. 1:2). It was written about 65 A.D. when Paul still hoped to return to Ephesus (3:14). The letter reveals Paul’s deep concern for both Timothy and the brothers and sisters of Ephesus.
Although Timothy had a gentile father, he was raised by his faithful Jewish mother and grandmother (II Tim. 1:5). When he was still a young man, Timothy joined Paul and Silas at Lystra during the second missionary journey (Acts 16:1). As a close associate of Paul, he is frequently mentioned in Paul’s epistles and is praised for his devotion to the work of the Truth (Rom. 16:21; I Cor. 16:10; II Cor. 1:1; Phil. 2:19-22).
Dealing with opposition
From its inception, the gospel met opposition from its enemies. At first, Jewish officials made futile attempts to imprison the disciples and stop the good news from spreading (Acts 4:1- 3). Later, subversive forces crept in, trying to undermine the faith. At Miletus, Paul summoned the elders of Ephesus and cautioned them “of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them” (Acts 20:30). How to handle false teaching and teachers is a prominent point in the epistle.
After the opening salutation, Paul abruptly admonishes Timothy: “Charge some that they teach no other doctrine” (I Tim. 1:3). Had Paul’s earlier warning to the Ephesian elders at Miletus been ignored? These false teachers now had a foothold in Ephesus with their fables and endless genealogies. Such considerations were of no profit, generating controversy that weakened rather than strengthened the brethren.
Fortunately, Paul was experienced and knew what to do. Sometime earlier Hymenaeus and Philetus had falsely claimed the resurrection had past and their babbling’s ate as a canker (II Tim. 2:16,18). Paul learned the solution was to cast out the offenders. Although such action seems drastic, it was taken to teach the offenders a lesson that they might learn not to blaspheme.
Eliminating false teaching not enough
Paul realized the removal of false teachers from Ephesus would not in itself produce a healthy ecclesia. Instead, to receive God’s blessings, believers needed to adopt proper attitudes in their conduct and worship. They needed supplications, prayers, intercessions and thanksgiving for a period of peace and quiet (2:1). Favorable circumstances were necessary to preach the word and develop the ecclesia in this area.
As we might expect, these prayers were not to be restricted to occasions of formal worship. Paul exhorts “men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting” (2:8). Only with frequent exercise could the prayer life at Ephesus assume its rightful importance. This is a good reminder for our day.
Special instruction for sisters and elders
Paul’s advice to women professing godliness (2:9-12) appears curious to a worldly audience. Modesty, silence and subjection are not popular ideals in the world today. Lest one assumes Paul is overstepping his authority, he advances scriptural reasons why such things should be (2:13-15). When related advice from Paul elsewhere in scripture is considered, it seems reasonable to conclude he is speaking of public worship (I Cor. 14:34,35).
Qualifications of bishops (“overseer” NIV) and deacons (“assistant” although the Greek is often translated “servant” or “minister”) are the main concern of I Timothy 3. The qualities listed are certainly appropriate for those who would serve the Lord Jesus and his flock. Indeed, they are desirable qualities for all his brethren. A similar list is in Titus 1 with some additional qualities (Tit. 1:7,8).
Further warning about false teaching
Paul relays the Spirit’s warning to Timothy “that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith” (4:1). This departure grew with frightening speed until few doctrines of the orthodox church resembled those of the early believers.
For our part, we are blessed with a revival of the true teachings of Christ and the apostles. To keep the faith from being lost again, we need to heed Paul’s warnings: “Have nothing to do with godless and silly myths. Train yourself in godliness” (4:7 RSV). And he continues exhorting Timothy to give “attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine” (4:13). Paul knew attention to the scriptures would be the key for Timothy. He was to be “an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity…that thy profiting may appear to all” (4:12,15).
Yet even Timothy was warned to watch his doctrine (4:16). Perhaps Paul stressed this point because he knew the threat of false doctrine was to come from within the ecclesia (Acts 20:30).
How to achieve ecclesial harmony
In chapter five, Paul provides Timothy with some guidelines for ecclesial harmony and administration. Briefly, he suggests the ecclesial body should be regarded as a family. Older members should be given respect while those of similar age should treat each other with a family-like affection.
Support of older widows is first the responsibility of natural children or nephews (5:4,8,16). Where this support is lacking, the ecclesia is to provide (5:9,16). In this way, ecclesial resources are concentrated on helping those who are really destitute while the natural family is reminded theirs is a divinely established unit.
The natural family is again in view in the instruction that younger widows should “marry, bear children, guide the house” (5:14) rather than receive ecclesial support. The marriage of widows is qualified elsewhere as “only in the Lord” (I Cor. 7:39).
Beware of the love of money
Paul concludes his epistle with a series of personal instructions and admonitions. On the topic of wealth he warns: “The love of money is the root of all evil: which, while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows” (6:10). This verse is often misquoted or shortened to “money is the root of all evil” which entirely misses Paul’s point. The problem is not with money but with the love of it. Coveting money brings many sorrows whether or not the person actually achieves the coveted wealth.
As believers, our love and trust must rest in the living God (6:17). The Proverbs state: “Labor not to be rich: cease from thine own wisdom. Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not? for riches certainly make themselves wings; they fly away as an eagle toward heaven” (Prov. 23:4,5).
Or as the Master said: “Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven” (Matt. 6:19,20).
A final note in Revelation
It is interesting that the ecclesia at Ephesus appears to have heeded Paul’s instructions on false teachers. In the Revelation it says of Ephesus: “Thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars” (Rev. 2:2). Unfortunately, in the process of rigorously opposing error, the brethren lost their first love (Rev. 2:4). This we must not do.
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