1 Timothy, Day 2
Conduct for the Church (1 Timothy 2 – 3)
“I hope to come to you soon, but I am writing these things to you so that, if I delay, you may know how one ought to behave in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, a pillar and buttress of the truth” (1 Timothy 3:14 – 15).
This passage concludes with an explanation as to why Paul wrote these 2 chapters. They were written so that Timothy would have a better understanding of how Christians should behave. So, what are some of the things that Paul talks about? Let’s take a look.
1 Timothy 2:1 – 7 mentions how we as Christians ought to pray for our country’s leaders, and I think that this is a great reminder for us today. Chances are that if you liked our previous president, then you do not like our current one, and vice versa. No matter who our elected officials are and whether we agree with them politically or not, we need to be praying for them. We need to pray that they would make good decisions. As Americans, we should want our leaders to do what is best for our country, but as Christians, we should want our leaders to make godly decisions. Praying for our leaders is a win-win if our focus is for others to come to know Jesus as their Savior.
1 Timothy 2:8 – 15 mentions how men and women should pray. Specifically, men are to pray without anger or quarreling. They should not pray publicly when there is unrepented sin in their life. When we come to God, we need to have “holy hands.” In the same way, women are to pray in a way that does not bring attention to themselves. Instead, the focus should be on what they do. Please note that during this time in Roman history, women who prayed publicly and dressed to get attention were associated with paganism and prostitution. Paul did not want these Christian women to be associated with these pagans in any way. In our current culture, how difficult is it for women to buy clothes that help others focus on who they are as a person instead of how attractive they might be by the world’s standards?
1 Timothy 3:1 – 7 describes the qualities of an overseer and these standards seem pretty high. I think two main ideas can be gleaned from this passage. The first one is that this office can be desired and sought out by those who wish to serve in this capacity. The second is that not just any Christian should fill this role in the local church. This person must be mature in his faith, as well as successfully passing on his faith to his children. Verse 5 asks a great question: “For if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God’s church?” It makes sense, doesn’t it?
1 Timothy 3:8 – 13 concludes this portion with Paul also describing the qualifications of a deacon, which are very similar to that of an overseer. The verse I would like to point out here is Verse 11, about how their wives should also be godly examples. I have known a few men whose service in the local church has been either removed or minimized due to their wife’s lack of spirituality. This next part is for young, single men: When you begin looking for a wife to spend the rest of your life with, make sure that she is even more beautiful on the inside than on the outside, and she will help you meet these requirements.
Paul’s desire is clear in this passage: Christians should seek to grow closer to God and to glorify Him, instead of us wanting to be the center of attention. What’s your desire, and what are you going to do about it?
Pastor David Guenin