Bible Study: Paul's charge to Timothy — guard and celebrate the Gospel
1 Timothy 1:3-20
Click here to read the passage, 1 Timothy 1:3-20.
Click here to read the notes and questions for 1 Timothy 1:1-2.
Read 1 Timothy 1:3-20: The Centrality of the Gospel in the Local Church
Main Idea: Church leaders must lead God’s people to persevere in the gospel in the face of false teaching and other challenges.
In this passage, Paul instructs Timothy to remain in Ephesus to combat false teachings and promote sound doctrine. He emphasizes love, faith and a pure conscience, warning against those who misuse the law.
Paul then shares his personal testimony, expressing gratitude for God’s mercy in saving him despite his sinful past. He presents himself as an example of Christ’s patience toward sinners.
Finally, Paul encourages Timothy to fight the good fight of faith and mentions the discipline of Hymenaeus and Alexander for their blasphemy.
1 Timothy 1:3-11: We Must Guard the Gospel
Paul’s first instruction to Timothy was essentially this: Guard the Gospel!
Pastor David Platt writes:
“If we lose the gospel, we lose everything. We may think other things are more urgent or more in need of addressing in the church — things like prayer, leadership, mission, materialism, or caring for one another. Paul would get to all of these things eventually, but he began by telling Timothy to guard the gospel.”
1 Timothy 1:12-20: We Must Celebrate the Gospel
Paul gives us one of the most concise, clear, and compelling descriptions of the gospel in all of Scripture. Verse 15 includes a powerful sentence that encapsulates the gospel in just nine words: “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.”
Paul tells us that Christ Jesus “came” into the world. So much truth is packed into the word “came.” Jesus didn’t first come into being in Bethlehem. He already existed as the second person of the Trinity, the preexistent, eternal Son of God who was there with the Father and the Spirit before the foundation of the world. Jesus didn’t have to come into the world, but he chose to because he loves us.
Paul then reminds us that he is the “foremost” of sinners. More from Platt:
“Don’t forget, the guy who is writing this letter to the church used to be the church’s single greatest threat. He wanted it wiped off the map! Paul oversaw the persecution of Stephen (Acts 8:1), the first Christian martyr, and then he devoted his life to arresting, imprisoning, and killing Christians everywhere he could. In fact, Paul was on his way to Damascus to kill Christians when he met Christ. Amazingly, God caused His grace to overflow to the one person who seemingly deserved it the least.
“We learn that the grace of God is unconditional, for there was nothing in Paul to draw God to Him. Paul’s salvation originated in God and God alone. And the same is true for you and me. We are not saved based on any condition in us; we are saved solely on account of sovereign grace in God. His grace is unconditional.
“This is really good news to anyone who has ever thought, ‘God would not save me. I’ve hated him. I’ve turned against him. I’ve fought God at every point in my life.’ If you think you are beyond the mercy of God, hear this: God chose to take the chief persecutor of the church and make him the chief missionary in the church to show he is patient, he loves, and he beckons sinners to believe in him for eternal life. No matter who you are or what you’ve done, these words are worthy of full acceptance: ‘Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners’”
Questions
How is the gospel under attack today? What pulls people away from the true gospel?
Paul talks about the proper place for God’s law in our lives. What rules and regulations do some Christians (and preachers and churches) add to the gospel?
Why is it a worse error to think that obedience to laws can save a person? How does this teaching sometimes show up as a matter of degrees rather than overt heresy?
Looking at Verses 9-11, what specific sins does Paul list in these verses, and why do you think he highlights them?
What is the value in remembering what you were before you were saved? Conversely, what is the danger in not realizing the seriousness of your previous sinful state?
How can we “fight the good fight” of faith in our own spiritual battles today?