About Prayer in 1 Timothy

In 1 Timothy 2 and 4, Paul reminds Timothy of the importance of “petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving.”

He particularly tells Timothy that people should always pray for their leaders.

I don’t pray for my leaders often.  I should do this more.

Paul & Timothy in 1 Corintians 4

Paul informs the Corinthian church that he is sending Timothy to remind them of Paul’s “way of life.”

Timothy’s ministry is still a partnership, based upon teamwork and modeling, but he is now being sent out alone.

Paul is gradually giving Timothy more and more independence and authority.

Paul’s Benediction

“Grace be with you” (6:21b, NIV).

Powerful, short words to conclude this 8-week study.

Do I say more than necessary at the conclusion of matters?

Yes, definitely. I go on and on.

Like I’m doing right now.

Frail

Image via Wikipedia

Within minutes of picking up Jim Collins‘ leadership classic, From Good to Great, I was struck by the list of model companies:

1. Abbot: Never heard of them
   
2. Circuit City: Bankrupt and liquidated
   
3. Fannie Mae: Sadly in turmoil
   
4. Gillette: Merged with Proctor and Gamble
   
5. Kimberly-Clark: Do they make groceries?
   
6. Kroger: Like the Wegmans of the South?
   
7. Nucor: Who?
   
8. Philip Morris: Yes, I know who they are
   
9. Pitney Bowes: Have they handled the digital revolution?
   
10. Walgreens: Still successful
    
11. Wells Fargo: Here’s one of many negative stories
    

I immediately recognized some of the eleven for very negative coverage.Paul wisely warned of the passing value of financial success and the mistake many people make relying upon money in1 Timothy 6:10.It’s a lot harder finding positive examples that last than negative ones!

Hymenaeus and Alexander

Christians must be evervigilant.

Hymenaeus and Alexander were sincere believers whose faith ws “shipwrecked.”

Paul “handed them over to Satan” to teach them a lesson.

It is vital that believers not engage in sinful actions which require this level of intervention.

But many of us do, in fact, require a strong level of correction.

Avoid the Wrong Thing

An important theme in 1 Timothy is to avoid the wrong thing, not only to do the right thing.

Do I spend more time doing the right things or avoiding the wrong things?

Is this a 50/50 proposition, or is one task more important than the other?

What Controversy

I thought Paul’s teaching on gender roles would be much more difficult to process, but he says that these are his opinions.

First Timothy is not where we find unnegotiable descriptions of the differences between men and women.

Review of 1 Timothy

Paul emphasized in this letter that church leadership is all about relationships.

There really isn’t anything new under the sun!

Avoid Pointless Arguments

Part of keeping our faith strong is avoiding pointless arguments.

This is not the same thing as avoiding thoughtful conversation. But debate is futile in the arena of science vs. religion.

So don’t bother.

Warn the Rich!

Image by alles-schlumpf via Flickr

Paul tells Timothy to remind rich people to trust in God, not their wealth.

God is a sure thing. Wealth is temporary and fleeting. The current economic crisis is an obvious application of this teaching.

Doing good deeds with our wealth will result in lasting rewards.

I sometimes forget that I’m wealthy. It’s easy to compare myself to people with more money. But relatively speaking, my family is incredibly wealthy!