Bible Study: Paul’s call to Timothy — and to us
1 Timothy 1:1-2
I have the privilege of leading a men’s Bible study at Good Shepherd Anglican in Cornelius, North Carolina.
Last year, we spent several months diving deep into the book of Revelation — an incredible journey that challenged and strengthened our faith. You can explore all of our lessons here.
After that, we turned our attention to 1 Timothy. Over the next several weeks, I’ll be sharing the lessons we used right here on this Substack — starting with 1 Timothy 1:1-2 below.
Each week, I prepare study notes along with thought-provoking questions to spark discussion and encourage deeper reflection. I’ll be posting these notes one lesson per week, and I hope they prove helpful to others who want to dig into God’s Word.
Just to be clear — I’m not a pastor, nor have I attended seminary or had formal theological training. But I’ve been actively studying the Bible for 35 years, and I know how to dig into commentaries and research Scripture.
If you’re interested, I’d love for you to follow along!
Timothy 1:1-2.
Click here to read the passage.
Yes, just two verses! But please take a few minutes to read those verses two or three times, focusing on individual phrases and words.
Like most Christians, I gloss over the salutations of Paul’s letters as throwaway verses. But I also know nothing in God’s Word is worthless.
A brief introduction to 1 Timothy
Theme: The gospel leads to practical, visible change in the lives of those who believe it.
The letters of 1 Timothy, 2 Timothy and Titus are often referred to as the Pastoral Epistles because they have so much to say about the responsibilities of pastors. But anyone who is a Christian and who is a member of a local church needs to know what God says about how the church is to function and how we are to conduct ourselves when we come together to worship and serve.
For us at Good Shepherd, this may be an especially important book as we welcome a new rector (the lead pastor of an Anglican church).
Consider just a few important questions addressed by Paul:
How do Old Testament laws apply to Christians today? (Chapter 1)
Can women teach in the church? (Chapter 2)
Who is qualified to be an elder or a deacon? (Chapter 3)
How do I spot false teachers? (Chapter 4)
Which widows should the church support? (Chapter 5)
What should wealthy Christians do with their money? (Chapter 6)
Background on Timothy
Timothy was younger than Paul, possibly in his 30s, and he had assisted Paul in several different ministries.
Paul, the apostle to the Gentiles and author of 13 letters in the New Testament, had stationed Timothy in Ephesus to do the difficult work of combating false teaching. Timothy was also told to lead the church to be faithful in several different areas, including godly living.
At the time Paul wrote this letter, Ephesus was large, diverse, religiously complex, and flourishing commercially.
Since the temple of Artemis was in Ephesus, the cult of Artemis was especially influential with its “practice of magic, sorcery and soothsaying.” Timothy was not ministering in a culture founded on Judeo-Christian values.
The church at Ephesus was also dealing with the serious problem of false teaching. Paul mentioned Hymenaeus and Alexander as two individuals who had to be excommunicated from the church for rejecting “faith and a good conscience.” It’s not a good sign when two of your elders must be taught not to blaspheme!
Here are some of the false teachings Timothy faced in Ephesus:
They were straying in their doctrine (1:3).
They were preoccupied with myths, genealogies, and speculation (1:4).
They misused the law (1:7).
They were apparently immoral (1:19–20).
Their consciences were seared (4:2).
They were forbidding marriage and certain foods (4:3).
They craved controversy and quarrels (6:4).
They were using godliness for material gain (6:5).
The church was not merely dealing with preferences for the style of music — the gospel itself was at stake.
Notes on 1 Timothy 1:1-2
The opening words of 1 Timothy demand our attention: “Paul, an apostle.” Paul was giving us his credentials as an apostle, which means we had better listen to what he has to say. 1 Timothy is authoritative.
1 Timothy is a letter filled with hope, reminding us from the very beginning that God is our savior and that Christ is our hope. While the letter addresses difficult issues in the church, it is grounded in the gospel’s promise of salvation and the hope we have in Jesus.
This gospel should come to mind when we read the close of Paul’s greeting: “Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord” (1:2). Again, this is one of those portions of the greeting we tend to pass over, but consider what is being said here. God’s dealings with His people are full of grace, mercy and peace. That’s good news for those who are still battling sin, which is all of us.
Questions
What are the greatest cultural changes facing the church today?
Looking at the list of eight false doctrines above, which false doctrines are the biggest threat to Good Shepherd and to Christians you know?
Why did Paul call Timothy his “son” (or “child” in some versions)? Do you have any children or siblings “in the faith” who seem closer than your blood relatives?
Timothy is often portrayed as young and in need of encouragement. What are some ways we can encourage younger men in their faith, as Paul did for Timothy?
Reflecting on Paul’s fatherly tone towards Timothy, how important is accountability and encouragement among Christian men? How can we strengthen this in our group?
In what specific ways might you pray for our new rector and the other leaders of our church?