Family relationships, 1 Timothy 5:1-16

 

According to what Paul said in chapter 3 vs 15, he is writing this letter to Timothy “so that you will know how one ought to conduct himself in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and support of the truth.”  Now that should be of importance to all of us, and I assume by your presence here today that you too are interested in how you should conduct yourself in the household of God.

And that the church is likened to the household of God I think is the key to understanding these verses. He is speaking of the church body as being the family of God.  A family should be known by it’s love for one another.  That’s the hallmark of a good family, they love one another.  They respect one another.  They submit to one another.  They help one another out. They are concerned for one another.  And according to the Biblical standard, one doesn’t grow out of that family.  The commandment to honor your father and your mother doesn’t have an expiration date on it. I’m sure those of you that are parents continue to love and be concerned for your children even though they are grown and may have children of their own.  And I’m sure that all of us that have living parents continue to love them and care for them.

That model of the natural family is the illustration of the spiritual family that we belong to if we are Christians and a part of a godly church.  In many cases, our church family has even replaced our human family, perhaps due to the rejection that we have suffered from our family as a result of our coming to the Lord.  I think that was often the case in Paul’s day, especially among Jewish converts who found themselves ostracized by their unconverted Jewish families.

So our conduct in the church towards each other is that all is to be done in love, as if those in the church are our fathers and mothers, brothers and sisters.  And to that effect, Paul gives some practical advice how that love for one another should look.  He says in vs 1 and 2, “Do not sharply rebuke an older man, but [rather] appeal to [him] as a father, [to] the younger men as brothers,  the older women as mothers, [and] the younger women as sisters, in all purity.”  

Paul is speaking primarily to Timothy, but indirectly he is speaking to everyone in the church. And we are all to have this familial type of love for one another.  There is a bond that you have with your natural family, I’m sure.  No matter how your paths in life may separate you, there is still nothing like being able to pick up the phone and talk to your mother or one of your siblings.  There is an acceptance and freedom and love in those relationships that is essential to our well being.  My mother has been dead for about 5 years now, and I still find myself sometimes wanting to pick up the phone and call her.  She may not have always been the perfect mom -though I don’t think that anyone can be the perfect mom or dad - but nevertheless she was always interested in what I had to say and willing to listen. That kind of love should be characteristic of God’s family as well.

In regards to rebuking older men, upon further study we find that the ancient Greek verb for rebuke is not the normal word for “rebuke” in the New Testament. This is the only place this word is used, and it means literally “to strike at.” So basically what Timothy was being told was not to lash out at older men, but to treat them with respect as he would his own father.  In fact, the idea behind “appeal to him”  means to take him aside.  The issue is not whether or not the pastor should rebuke an older man.  We are told elsewhere, such as in Titus 2:15,  “Rebuke with all authority. Let no one despise you.” Now that is the more common word for rebuke, but the idea is clearly stated that there are times when people are to be rebuked.  But in the case of older men, don’t lash out at them but treat them with respect and honor. 

And just for reference, Timothy was probably around 32 years of age.  So an older man would be someone perhaps 60 years old or older.  If you’re younger than 60, it’s ok to lash out, I suppose.  I’m kidding, of course.  But I must admit I have always had a certain degree of jealousy for some of our Old Testament models of leadership who didn’t seem to have a problem administering corporal punishment.

For instance, I’ve always admired Nehemiah when he found out that the sons of Israel were marrying the pagan women from around the region near Jerusalem.  And he said “So I contended with them and cursed them and struck some of them and pulled out their hair, and made them swear by God, "You shall not give your daughters to their sons, nor take of their daughters for your sons or for yourselves.” I’ve always been a little jealous of the fact that Nehemiah was able to slap and pull the hair of people that were disobedient. I wonder if that would be effective today. I kind of doubt it.

In fact, Paul warns us not to lash out against those men that are older, but treat them like you would treat your father, and younger men as brothers.  I’m going to take exception to the brother part and try to treat younger men better than my brother and I treated one another.  We fought constantly our entire childhood. And even today, if we get together for more than 10 minutes we will be arguing so heatedly my wife is afraid that we will come to blows. But ideally, treat younger men as brothers.  Maybe the idea there is to treat younger man in the church like an older brother who takes his younger brother under his wing and teach them the essentials of life.

And then Paul adds in regards to older women, treat them like you would treat your mother. Or at least, like you are supposed to treat your mother. You show them respect, honor them. Listen to them. You know, the fact is, a lot of us probably had parents or family relationships that were far from perfect.  A lot of us wish that we had a godly mother that could have set the right example, that had a sacrificial love for her children, that gave wise advice.  The hope is that in the church, you might find such a person who could be the godly mother, or godly father, or big brother or sister that you never had. 

 I think this is what is missing today in the church.  We all know that we are told the characteristic of the church is that we are to love one another.  But we don’t know how that is supposed to look.  To be a godly mentor, a godly big brother, or a godly mother to a young woman who may not have had a good mother in her life, that’s the practical way that you love one another.  It doesn’t mean that you have to have a one on one Bible study with someone in order to love them.  It may mean that you take a young man fishing, or take a kid surfing, or take some young woman in the church out to lunch, or to a farmer’s market, or any other of number of ways you can practically love someone. 

You know, in your family growing up you just kind of accepted what the hand you were dealt and things happened because you lived in close proximity to one another.  But in the church, you have to be a little more intentional than that.  You might have to plan for it and create an opportunity. But what I think Paul is going to show here in the remaining verses, is that loving one another is a little more practical and concerned with daily needs and activities than what you might think.

The final relationship he mentions is that of young women, whom he says should be treated as sisters, with all purity.  In other words, there should not be any concern about a young woman, particularly an unmarried young woman in the church.  The same attitude that men would have towards their sister is the type of approach that you should have in the church. Now saying that, I do recognize that young people should ideally be able to find a mate in the church.  We are to marry “in the Lord”, that is, we are to marry another Christian, and only Christians.  And the pastor has the right to slap and pull the hair out of those who break that cardinal rule. But seriously, I think it’s appropriate for a young man and young woman to meet and marry within the church.

But I think Paul is speaking of impropriety, where a married man, or a pastor, or someone in leadership, is to avoid at all costs any improper conduct towards a young woman.  But rather guard such women, as a young man might guard the honor of his sister.  And if we look upon those women as our sisters then there should be no impure thoughts, or impure actions.  Unfortunately, that has not always been the practice in the church at large. Pastors and other men have sometimes given into temptation and took advantage of these young women and in the process ruined both parties lives as well as the church’s reputation in the world. So above all, a pastor must be above reproach in that area.  I said I think last week that for my part, I refuse to counsel a woman without my wife present.  That’s just being prudent against gossip, or temptation or just bad appearances.

And then Paul begins to illustrate this principle of love within the household of God by dealing with a subsection of the family that we may not  think much about today, but which was very much a part of the family dynamic in his day.  But even though we may not have as much of this sort of thing in our churches today, we can still apply the principles to the church family in our age.  Paul says in vs3 “Honor widows who are widows indeed;  but if any widow has children or grandchildren, they must first learn to practice piety in regard to their own family and to make some return to their parents; for this is acceptable in the sight of God.”

I think it is helpful to understand the historical context in which he presents this principle.  In Paul’s day, there wasn’t life insurance, or term insurance in the case of the unexpected death of a husband.  There wasn’t public assistance or welfare, or government programs to help the needy.  And so as a result, there were two classes of people that were left very vulnerable in that society. One was widows and the other was orphans. Both stood to become financially destitute by the loss of the husband, who was by and large the primary breadwinner of the family.  Today that is not as much of a concern.  We have programs and insurance and all kinds of government plans to take care of at least most of the financial needs of people that fall victim to the loss of a husband or parents. But there are still great emotional and spiritual needs that such people have that we should be concerned about.

But what Paul is addressing primarily here is the financial needs, which he says should be taken up by any surviving members of the widow’s family. If they have children or grandchildren, then the responsibility to take care of them should fall on them.  The principle is that the parents took care of their needs as they were growing up, and now that they are unable to care for themselves, the children should care for the parents. And I think that we are seeing that to a great degree in our society, as people are living longer, but many times require assistance in living in their old age.

So there is a spiritual as well as a physical obligation to care for the elderly.  And I would hope that doesn’t mean just handing them over to an old folks home and then forgetting about them.  A person needs a lot more than just food and water to live.  And additionally, the elderly have a lot more to give that we sometimes give them credit for.  I don’t believe that God designed the family to be as split apart and separated as it is today.  But unfortunately, economic and social concerns have taken precedence over family unity, and so a lot of young people think that growing up automatically means moving as far away from home as they can get. I don’t think that is God’s intention for the family.  But nevertheless, God’s design is for the family members to take care of the elderly or widowed parent.

If you notice in Paul’s original injunction regarding widows, he says “Honor widows who are widows indeed.”  Now he wants to define who are “widows indeed.”  In other words, in the eyes of the church, who are really dependent widows.  He says in vs 5 “Now she who is a widow indeed and who has been left alone, has fixed her hope on God and continues in entreaties and prayers night and day. But she who gives herself to wanton pleasure is dead even while she lives.”

A widow indeed is one who has been left alone, her husband has died, and there are no children or family that can help her. But even in that situation, it’s apparent that she is a godly woman, continuing in prayers night and day, and has fixed her hope on God. The contrast to a widow indeed is a woman who lost her husband, but she is living for pleasure.  She obviously has the means to do so and she is not necessarily living for the Lord either.  She is living for the pleasures of this world. Paul indicates that she is wanton; that means sexually unrestrained.  Such women are not the kind of widows that the church should be concerned with supporting.

Vs7 “Prescribe these things as well, so that they may be above reproach.  But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.”  So these aren’t suggestions, they are commands.  And the commands are given so that we might be above reproach in our conduct.

And the principle which is given has a much broader application than simply to widows.  I think it applies to everyone.  And that is, that a person should provide for those of their household.  To not do so, is to deny the faith.  That’s a pretty serious condemnation.  That condemnation covers dead beat dads who leave their family and don’t take responsibility for their kids.  But it also covers any member of the family that has the responsibility to provide for the needy ones in their family and yet doesn’t do so.  Paul even goes so far as to say in 2 Cor. 12:14, that “children are not responsible to save up for their parents, but parents for their children.”  So even saving up money for their children is a way that we are to provide for our household.

And of course, spiritually speaking, the church should provide for the needs of those of it’s household.  That means spiritually providing for them, and if necessary, physically providing for one another’s needs as well.  Those needs may be financial, but other needs that people have are just as important, such as companionship, mentorship, and so forth.

Now in the church of Paul’s day, there was such a widespread need for assistance for widows that there was a list in the church that those women were added to, that needed basic food and necessities for living.  These women had no other resources for their living expenses other than the benevolence of the church.  I can’t say that I have ever heard of that sort of list in churches today.  We do sometimes have other type of lists in the church, especially for people that are shut ins.  They may not have a shortage of food, but they are unable to get out and do things that they need to have done.  So as we look at this, we’re going to look at it but briefly, not because we have the same situation occurring in our churches, but because the principle of caring for one another’s needs is applicable to many possible scenarios.

Paul says in vs9 “A widow is to be put on the list only if she is not less than sixty years old, [having been] the wife of one man,  having a reputation for good works; [and] if she has brought up children, if she has shown hospitality to strangers, if she has washed the saints' feet, if she has assisted those in distress, [and] if she has devoted herself to every good work.” So this is a description of a godly woman, a “widow indeed” which Paul referred to earlier.  She was a loyal wife, she has served the church, she has helped others and shown hospitality, and she has generally been known for her good deeds.  And, she is at least 60 years old.  I think as a general rule people didn’t live as long in those days, and so 60 was considered old.  I used to think 60 was old.  But now I don’t think it’s quite as old as I used to. But that was their standard of old age in their day.  Bottom line, she was an older woman, without any real opportunity for remarriage, with no children, with no relatives, but a godly woman who lived a life for the Lord and depended upon the Lord for her survival.

In contrast to that, Paul speaks of younger widows. Vs11 “But refuse [to put] younger widows [on the list,] for when they feel sensual desires in disregard of Christ, they want to get married,  [thus] incurring condemnation, because they have set aside their previous pledge. At the same time they also learn [to be] idle, as they go around from house to house; and not merely idle, but also gossips and busybodies, talking about things not proper [to mention.] Therefore, I want younger [widows] to get married, bear children, keep house, [and] give the enemy no occasion for reproach;  for some have already turned aside to follow Satan."

As a general rule, these younger widows were not to be added to the support roll of the church, because they generally could provide for themselves and could remarry. Paul isn’t condemning young widows for wanting to get married, only observing that some unmarried women are so desperate for marriage and companionship that they don’t conduct themselves in a godly way in regard to relationships.

But a woman doesn’t have to be a young widow or even a widow at all to fulfill the description of “they learn to be idle, wandering about from house to house, and not only idle but also gossips and busybodies, saying things which they ought not.” Those who spend much time talking about other people’s lives need to mind their own business get a life of their own.  We all need to guard against gossip and being a busybody.  I’m afraid a lot of times gossiping masquerades as prayerful concern for others, when in fact some people find it exciting to speak of things that they shouldn’t be concerned about.  

Paul was saying though that a young widow who might go on support assistance from the church could end up with too much time on her hands, which leads to being a busy body.  If she were to get remarried, that problem would take care of itself. Paul is not condemning any young widow’s desire for romantic companionship; but he insists that it be pursued and expressed in the purity that is becoming to all believers.

Then finally, Paul restates the same principle he has already given twice before.  So for the third time he confirms this principle in vs 16 “If any woman (some versions add man) who is a believer has [dependent] widows, she must assist them and the church must not be burdened, so that it may assist those who are widows indeed.” In other words, the first responsibility for support is at the level of the family; then the church is to support the truly destitute who are godly and dependent upon the Lord.

But let me close by reiterating the undergirding principle that I started with this morning.  And that is that Christian love is practical.  It’s not all about feeling something for someone, or having an attraction for someone.  It’s about recognizing various needs of different members of the church and then acting to supply or fill those needs.  I would suggest that most of the needs we have today in the church are not financial.  Though there may be some financial needs amongst the various church members.  But there are also many emotional and physical and spiritual needs that people have that can be fulfilled through Christian love. I would encourage you to pray that God will identify those needs to you as you consider and pray for one another.

Jesus gave us the command to love one another.  It’s restated numerous times by the apostles.  Three times in John’s gospel we read Jesus’ words.  John 13:34  "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another.” John 15:12,  "This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you. ... And John 15:17 "This I command you, that you love one another.”

“Let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging [one another;] and all the more as you see the day drawing near.”  Hebrews 10:24,25

Job description of a pastor, 1 Timothy 4:11-16.

                   

The first letter to Timothy that we are studying is a personal letter to Timothy on the one hand, but it is also scripture, and as such it was meant to be read publicly in the church.  And the purpose of that was two fold as well; to give instruction in regards to the qualifications of pastors and teachers in the church, but also to inform the church as to what to expect from a pastor/teacher.

And I think that is very necessary today.  I believe that many pastors and teachers are obviously wrongly informed as to what their job is supposed to be, and many people in the church have a wrong view as to what to expect from the pastor.  Pastors seem to have the impression that their primary job is to be kind of like the general manager of the church, orchestrating all the various parts so that they work together and present a comprehensive service.  And then in addition to that they think that they are to be an entertainer of sorts.  They must be witty, be able to get a good laugh now and then from the audience, and able to speak fluently and articulately in such a way as to leave the audience with the vague impression that he said something meaningful, comforting and encouraging, without being insulting or offensive in any way.  That’s the pastor’s perspective.

The church people’s expectation is somewhat of a mystery.  I think there are as many different expectations as there are individuals in the church.  So the pastor in some respects has failed before he starts, because there is no way he can meet the expectations of everyone there. Some wish to be merely entertained. Some wish to hear things which validate their own beliefs. Some wish to be comforted and encouraged in regards to some personal crisis that they are going through.  And  a few, albeit I believe a very few, desire to hear the word of God, irrespective of whether or not it seems relative to their own particular interests. But above all, most people’s desire is that the pastor be as brief as possible.

I think it is necessary and helpful for today’s audience to hear what the apostle Paul says is to be the primary function of the pastor.  Because after all, it is the Lord’s church, and the pastor has been called by God to that role, and God has established certain qualifications for the pastor, and so it’s God’s prerogative to determine what the pastor should do and say. Since God hires the pastor, He is justified in determining the job description for the pastor.  And that will serve to inform the congregation as to what they should expect and desire from the pastor.

So Paul has been warning Timothy in the beginning of this fourth chapter about the deceiving nature of false prophets who will arise in the church, and draw away many after them by teaching fables and false doctrine such as asceticism and Gnosticism.  Paul’s response to that false teaching was to say that bodily discipline profits but a little, but godliness is profitable for all things, for it offers a promise for this life and the life to come. 

So now as Paul instructs Timothy in what a godly pastor is to teach, he begins by saying, “Prescribe and teach these things.”  Prescribe is from the NASB, but the KJV and others say “command and teach these things.”  Prescribe sounds a little more politically correct.  But the emphasis in the original language is a bit more strenuous than that. Paul says in effect that Timothy, or the pastor, is to command certain things to the church. In other words, there is to be no equivocation in preaching these truths.  There is to be no watering down of the truth to make it more palatable.  These truths are non negotiable.  They are not to be emasculated by the current culture. If God says it, then that is enough and it’s to be accepted as the word of God.  There is no alternate truth.

And we all know what it means to teach.  That means to explain, to expound.  The great thing about God’s commands, God’s word is that He doesn’t just give us absolute imperatives without also giving reasons for His commands. Sometimes they aren’t explicitly stated directly afterwards, but when you compare scripture with scripture, and interpret scripture with scripture, then you can usually see the reason for God’s injunctions.  And it’s the pastor’s job to teach, to answer the questions why, what, how.  To show from correlating scriptures what God is saying in it’s fullness and completeness.

That’s really what I think my job is as a pastor/teacher.  Its to be an expositor of the word. To expound the word.  To use the common vernacular of the day, to unpack it.  There is a lot that can be contained in a single sentence of scripture.  And so the pastor is to prescribe the word as a remedy for a certain malady, to command the word as the will of God, and teach the word by explaining it and applying it.

What things is Paul referring he should prescribe and teach?  Well, everything that came before verse 11, and even those things which come after.  Specifically though I think he is referring to teaching sound doctrine, the principles for godly living, in contrast to the worldly fables and old wives tales that the false prophets were relying upon to keep their audiences attention on themselves.  He has emphasized the importance of godly living, which is another way of referring to sanctification, which means to be conformed to the image of Jesus Christ.

There is a church in the area that on it’s advertising says, “nobody’s perfect.”  As in don’t worry, we’re not going to hold you to any standard of perfection.  Nobody’s perfect, and we don’t plan on trying to be either.  Well, actually, Jesus is perfect. And according to Romans 8:29 we are supposed to be conformed to  the image of Jesus Christ. Peter said in 1 Peter 1:14-16 “As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts [which were yours] in your ignorance,  but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all [your] behavior;  because it is written, "YOU SHALL BE HOLY, FOR I AM HOLY."   So I guess that means we are to be perfect.  We may fall short of that perfection, but that is what we are to be striving for, modeling ourselves after.  Being holy is not a feeling, but a life style that follows in the footsteps of Jesus. And the path to holiness is through the gate of repentance, not by insolently taking offense at the standard of holiness.

Then there is a seemingly odd statement here by Paul concerning Timothy’s age.  He says in vs 12, “Let no one look down on your youthfulness, but [rather] in speech, conduct, love, faith [and] purity, show yourself an example of those who believe.”  Now some think that this is an reference to  the age of a pastor, as if Paul is concerned about how old or how young a pastor should be.  And there may be some merit to one’s age if it is measured by one’s spiritual  maturity. But I’ve met some spiritually adolescent 70 year old pastors as well.  So their biological age is not necessarily the issue here, but their spiritual maturity is very much the issue.

The word that is translated as “youthfulness”  is according to Greek scholars comes from a word that denoted the age of a military male.  And you were considered to be of military age up to 40 years in those days. And so he is not talking about a teenager.  Actually, it’s believed by most scholars that Timothy was about 30-32 years of age.  About the same age as Jesus when He began His ministry.  But what he is referencing here is don’t let your relatively young age keep you from being an example to the church.  Make sure that your conduct is something that people can look up to.

I just finished saying a moment ago about how we are to be following the example of Jesus in regards to holiness and perfection.  And now Paul says that Timothy is also to be a similar example to his church.  His life should be one that his people can emulate.  Paul says about himself in 1Cor. 11:1 “Be imitators of me, just as I also am of Christ.”   So as the leadership in the church, Paul says they are to imitate Christ, and in so doing give an example to be imitated by the church.

Now how does the pastor do that? Or how are you to be an example to your children, to your coworkers, to your family and friends?  I think we are all called to live godly lives as an example to others, regardless of the role which you are given.  So first of all, we follow the example of Christ’s life and conduct.  Peter says in 1Peter 2:21 “For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps.”  

I think we have all heard the adage, “do as I say, and not as I do.”  Well, that may be the world’s way of teaching, but it’s not God’s way.  God’s way is that we teach by example.  And the pastor should be a good example of a godly life. But so should a housewife, or a school teacher, or a construction worker, or a father. And the example we should follow is Christ.

Specifically, Paul says there are five areas of your life that should be exemplary.  Speech comes first. So much damage is done by speech.  James writes a lot about controlling the tongue, which he calls a restless evil, full of poison. Godly speech doesn’t mean that we are mealy mouthed, that we can’t speak the truth, or that we have to say thee and thou and intone some pantomime of piousness.  But it means we speak peace and not hurt.  We speak love and not hate. Our speech is  not a fountain from which flows both bitter water and sweet.  You want to be godly?  Then start with your speech.  Knock off the vulgar, foul language. Stop the angry, bitter language. Take control over your speech.

The second is conduct. Your behavior.  Behave as a Christian should behave. Jesus, on two separate occasions, took a bullwhip to the temple and drove out the money changers and sellers of merchandise that were taking advantage of the people.  So behavior doesn’t mean you always have to be lovey dovey and limp-wrists.  If you want to know how a Christian is to behave, ask a non-Christian.  They know how Christians are supposed to act. I can tell you that it’s not in drunkeness, sexual immorality, crude speech, lying, stealing, etc.  Model your behavior after Christ.

Third is love.  Love is agape love.  There are many Greek words for love.  Eros is one that means sexual love.  Phileo is another which means brotherly love.  Agape is the third that means sacrificial love, and that is the word that is used here.  Someone explained it this way; eros is take, phileo is give and take, and agape is give. We are called to love with a sacrificial love.  That is by the way, the ultimate love in marriage as well.  That’s the sacrificial type of love we are to have for our spouse.  

Faith is the fourth. Faith here is not a reference to believing in something very, very fervently and then presto, it comes to pass.  Some think that is what faith means.  And I guess they think that a pastor should be really good at faith, and because of that faith in whatever he says or prays, it will come about.  That’s a perversion of faith.  Faith in this context is belief in Jesus Christ, in who He is, and what He accomplished, and what He will yet accomplish. So really Paul means the pastor is to be an example of being firm in the faith. All the tenets of our faith are held by him without wavering.

And the final example we are to have is by our purity.  This is the perfection we were talking about earlier.  I guess we do need to be perfect if we are going to be an example of purity to the church. But purity, while it does indicate the idea of perfection, also speaks of the lack of perversion or corruption. His actions are to be above board, beyond reproach, transparent.

Not to read too much into this, but purity may also speak to motive.  A pastor may be in that position for the wrong reasons. Some have obviously used their position to try to gain wealth or fame or for other possible reasons.  So being pure in his motives for ministry is important.

Having addressed the pastor’s conduct, Paul now speaks to his ministry.  He says in vs13 “Until I come, give attention to the [public] reading [of Scripture,] to exhortation and teaching.  Do not neglect the spiritual gift within you, which was bestowed on you through prophetic utterance with the laying on of hands by the presbytery.”

The primary job of the pastor is the preaching of the word of God.  That is done by public reading of scripture, exhortation from scripture and teaching of scripture. A man who lived during the days of Spurgeon and all the great preachers of the late 19th early 20th century, and had listened to them all, said that the most powerful sermon he ever heard was from the Scottish pastor Alexander Whyte, who simply read through the book of Philippians with only a few words of explanation here and there.

I don’t know that I would necessarily go that far, but I certainly want to avoid the other extreme as well.  I visited a multi campus, mega church central office in San Diego a few years ago, and I toured their facility.  At one point I was shown a conference table in a room that I was told was for the sermon committee.  A large group of creative writers met there to write the message that would be preached the following Sunday.  The pastor wasn’t even a part of the committee.  He just showed up a day or two before and practiced delivering his lines. 

That to me is obviously so far from what God has called the pastor to do as to be ludicrous.  But people seem to like it.  A more common practice among a lot of pastors is to buy a “canned sermon” or a series of messages from some online source which arrives all prepackaged with power point presentation and witty, whimsical stories and so forth. That’s really popular.

Paul says read the Bible, expound the Bible, give exhortation from the scripture, and teach the scripture. In his second letter to Timothy Paul says, (2Tim. 4:2) “preach the word; be ready in season [and] out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but [wanting] to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires,  and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths.  But you, be sober in all things, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.”

Preach the word, in season and out of season.  That’s the verse that God used to confirm my call to the ministry, by the way. Preaching the word is hard enough, but the in season and out of season part is really the most difficult part.

And notice this preaching of the word is what Paul refers to as a spiritual gift that Timothy was given by God. “Do not neglect the spiritual gift within you, which was bestowed on you through prophetic utterance with the laying on of hands by the presbytery.” Now that sounds all ecclesiastical, but I think we need to recognize that the presbytery is just another term for elders.  So at some point, Paul and some of the other apostles laid hands on Timothy. But that doesn’t mean that the gift of preaching came from Paul or the elders.  The gift came from God, and the elders just confirmed it. But it’s the same idea that we see in our ordination services today, where godly men confirm a pastor’s calling.

But much has been said about this gift of preaching, or gift of teaching.  I don’t think we should think of that as some special gift of articulation or oratory. It’s not a gift of being a good story teller. A spiritual gift is just the ability or power to do something that God wants you to do.  There are times when I don’t feel like physically I can preach. There were a couple of times when I was in extreme pain from needing a root canal and was unable to get it done before Sunday and had  to preach when I could barely speak. There have been times when I was dehydrated or something and I felt like I was going to pass out and had to pray for God to keep me from falling out. I’ve had times when I lost my voice right before I was scheduled to speak.  But in those times when physically I felt I could not do it, God gave me the strength or the voice or whatever it was I was lacking, to be able to preach the gospel.  No one listening was aware of anything miraculous happening, but I knew that God provided the ability I needed to do what He wanted me to do in that hour.

There is a wonderful, godly couple who come to our church whenever they are visiting Bethany.  They’ve been coming here for years.  And they have an amazing British accent.  Not the Cockney kind of accent, but the sophisticated type.  And I’ve jokingly said that if I had their accent I could have been a mega church pastor. Instead, God decided to keep me humble and give me a Southern accent. But what that illustrates is that people can think someone has the spiritual gift of preaching just because of how they sound and how the articulate words. But the gift is simply being able to rightly divide the truth and proclaim “thus says the Lord.”

  

And sometimes, according to 1Cor. 1:26-29 God choses the opposite type of person that we might choose to give that gift to.  Paul says, “For consider your calling, brethren, that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble;  but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong,  and the base things of the world and the despised God has chosen, the things that are not, so that He may nullify the things that are,  so that no man may boast before God.”  I think that speaks especially of God’s call  to pastors. God doesn’t necessarily look for the ex rock star, or ex football star to be who He uses to preach His word.  He uses the weak the foolish, to shame the wise.

But Paul indicates in the last verses of this passage, that our gift is not something that we are to become complacent with, but which we are to exercise, to strengthen, to build upon, to practice, so that we might increase it’s effectiveness in ministry.  He says in vs15 “Take pains with these things; be [absorbed] in them, so that your progress will be evident to all.  Pay close attention to yourself and to your teaching; persevere in these things, for as you do this you will ensure salvation both for yourself and for those who hear you.”

So pastors are to work on their preaching.  We are to study the word, diligently prepare the message from God’s word.  In his second letter to Timothy, Paul said, “Study to show yourself approved unto God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth.”  Persevere in preaching, take pains with it, be absorbed in it, so that you will preach the truth of the word of God, which has the power to save.

And that word of truth that we are preaching is the means of salvation for those who hear. Romans 10:14 says, “How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher?”

1Co 1:18, 21 says, “For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God. ... 21 For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.”

Saved means salvation, and salvation can refer to the full scope of salvation or any part of it, from justification, to sanctification, to glorification.  All are essential parts of salvation.   So back in vs 16, when Paul speaks of salvation for those who hear you, he is talking about any and all parts of salvation.  For those who have been saved, it is a reference to deliverance from the power of sin.  That’s the process of sanctification which we were talking about earlier.  About godly living.  Being under Bible preaching and teaching and exhortation is the means by which we mature, by which we live godly, holy lives, and the means by which we are perfected in our faith.

And that sanctification is the means by which all of us are able to preach a message that is seen by a watching world, that they may want what we have, which is a new life through Jesus Christ.  I hope you will show yourselves as an example of godliness in speech, conduct, love, faith, and purity, as you follow in the footsteps of Christ. 

Apostasy versus the truth, 1 Timothy 4:1-10.

I think almost every week as I preach, I somehow find a reason to quote the words spoken by Jesus found in John 4:24 "God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”  That statement by Christ is closely correlated to another He made in prayer to the Father, which is, “Your word is truth.”  And that statement finds it’s consummation in the words of Jesus found in  John 8:32, “If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.”

Now when He says make you free, He is not speaking of political freedom, or freedom from tyranny, but freedom from the captivity and condemnation of sin.  And we have been saying that in our church practice and worship it must be according to the truth of God’s word.  Paul has written this letter to Timothy according to chapter 3 vs 15, so that we might know how we are to conduct ourselves in the church of the living God, the pillar and support of the truth.  So when Paul lays out qualifications for leadership, for pastors, for deacons, and so forth, it is a matter of being obedient to the truth revealed by God. There are not multiple ways of doing church depending on the culture you live in, nor multiple ways of interpreting scripture, nor multiple possibilities in regards to pastoral qualifications. There is the truth, period, which we are to adhere to without deviation. Some aspects of church conduct are not stated, but things that are stated are not negotiable. 

But now in this manifesto for church conduct, Paul turns his attention to the enemy of the truth, which is apostasy. Apostasy simply means the abandonment of the truth.  And that has been something which the church has had to deal with since the very beginning.  Paul says it is in the latter days, but he is speaking as if he is in the latter days. The latter days, or latter times is a reference to the church age, which began at Pentecost and continues today, and will come to its conclusion at the second coming of Christ.  So Paul was living in the latter days, and we are living in the latter days.

Notice what he says in vs 1, “But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons.”  Now there are two primary ways that you can understand faith.  There are maybe more than two ways, but these are the two major ways to understand faith.  One is our faith which is believing unto salvation.  Believing and trusting in who Christ is and what He has accomplished through His work on the cross.  The second way is understanding  faith is the faith,  that is a reference to the body of truth which we hold and practice. And that is how Paul means it here.

So who is he speaking about here when he says some will fall away?  I would suggest that it is people who are at least in some way physically attached to the church.  They profess to be Christians.  That doesn’t mean that they are truly Christians.  I don’t believe that the Bible teaches that a true child of God can cease to be a child of God.  So Paul isn’t saying that people who are truly saved have fallen away unto perdition. But they can fall away from the practice of the faith into spiritual and physical shipwreck.  But more than likely what he is primarily speaking of here are people who have professed to be Christian but are not really Christians.  And because they did not believe the truth so as to be saved, they were led astray further by believing false doctrine, which makes it almost impossible for them to be saved.

And that is the goal of the devil.  His goal in purveying false doctrine is two fold; to cause those who are saved to suffer spiritual shipwreck and ruin their testimony, and secondly, to cause those who would possibly come to be saved, to become so deceived by false doctrine, or so confused by false doctrine, that they can not come to believe the truth so as to be saved. That’s why Paul attributes this apostasy to the doctrines of demons. Because the architect of apostasy is the devil and his angels.

Notice the end of verse one, these who have fallen away were “paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons.” Jesus said concerning the devil in John 8:44  "You are of [your] father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own [nature,] for he is a liar and the father of lies.”  So the architect of false doctrine is the devil. He is a liar and a murderer, and he twists the truth into a lie so as to deceive the world and lead them to destruction.

We should remember that John said in 1John 4:1 that we aren’t to believe every spirit, but we are to test the spirits to see if they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.  It amazes me how gullible people are.  Anything that is said or done in church or in the name of Jesus is automatically assumed to be true and of the Holy Spirit.  And yet we are warned again and again in scripture that from within the church false teachers will arise and deceive many.  And yet some crazy thing happens in a church building that you can not find even suggested in scripture, like angel dust falling from the rafters, or being slain in the spirit,  and automatically people attribute it to a great work of the Holy Spirit. It’s a spirit alright, just not the Holy Spirit.  It’s evil spirits, doctrines of demons and deceitful spirits at work in the church.

Now these spirits make use of men who speak their lies. These men are false prophets, false teachers and preachers in the church. Look at verse two, “by means of the hypocrisy of liars seared in their own conscience as with a branding iron.”  Their consciences are cauterized so that they no longer feel the pangs of their guilt. They become hardened in their rebellion. Grieving the Holy Spirit has led to resisting Him, which has led to quenching Him.  So their conscience no longer bothers them when they tell their lies.  Do you know it’s possible to tell a lie so often that you start to believe it? I think that sort of thing happens a lot.  Especially in politics, it would seem.  But the thing about a lie is that there is usually a germ of truth in it but it has been perverted into something that no longer is the truth.

Now what I think is really interesting is what Paul gives as examples of this demonic deception that leads to apostasy.  You would think that it would have to be some great evident heresy, like saying Jesus is Beelzebub or something to that effect.  But that is not what Paul identifies. Instead he choses to illustrate this principle with two doctrinal errors that really don’t seem that big of a deal.  Just a difference of opinion perhaps, not a matter of doctrine.

But notice what he identifies in vs 3 as examples of doctrines of demons.  “[men] who forbid marriage [and advocate] abstaining from foods which God has created to be gratefully shared in by those who believe and know the truth.”  Forbidding marriage and abstaining from certain foods.  These are the two great illustrations of apostate doctrine.  Now I don’t think for a minute that Paul is saying that these two are  the only possible means of apostasy.  I think there are numerous possible false doctrines that can lead to apostasy. But Paul chose these two probably because they were prevalent at that time in Ephesus, and because they were so subtle that Timothy might not have been aware of the danger.

These particular doctrines more than likely came from a philosophy known as asceticism. In many ways asceticism had a lot in common with Gnosticism which the Apostle John warns about at the end of the first century.  But it was a belief that matter was bad, and spiritual was good.  So they made a big deal out of restricting the physical in the belief that it would accentuate the spiritual.  We see that in pagan cultures today, such as in Tibetan Buddhism.  But certain aspects of asceticism has also been practiced in Christianity, for instance by monks, particularly in the Middle Ages. It’s the idea that refraining from certain physical comforts helps one attain a degree of spirituality or holiness.

The problem was that in practice asceticism did not keep one from sin.  In fact, in Gnosticism they believed that you could participate in sin without any repercussions, because it was only the  spirit that was important. And so they actually advocated that you could overcome the flesh by indulging in it.  The flesh and the spirit could lead opposing lives and that was ok.  And perhaps that spirit of Gnosticism is still working among the sons of disobedience today by saying we live in a age of grace and not law, and so therefore, we are not under condemnation but under grace, so there is no sin, no need to repent, and not to worry when they walk after the lusts of the flesh.

But my purpose here this morning is not to try to teach about asceticism or Gnosticism or Antinomianism, or any other ism. What I would like to show you though is that false doctrine may be something we might consider relatively minor, of not any real consequence.  And yet the culmination of small deceptions can end up taking one far from the faith.

Now in regards to both marriage and food, Paul adds, “which God has created to be gratefully shared in by those who believe and know the truth.”  In other words, God created marriage for man and woman to be enjoyed, to be a mutual comfort and support for both, and something that we are to be grateful to God for.  God said in creation that it was not good for man to be alone, and so He made woman to be a help mate for him.  So we should thank God for that, and our gratefulness to God for marriage should make us honor marriage and the vows we made to God. But instead, these false teachers had said that by forbidding marriage they were accomplishing some spiritual achievement.  

But as Paul said in Col 2:23 “These are matters which have, to be sure, the appearance of wisdom in self-made religion and self-abasement and severe treatment of the body, [but are] of no value against fleshly indulgence.”  In fact, in one particular church denomination today where they forbid marriage, there is ample evidence that practice has not prohibited fleshly indulgence, but has probably induced gross fleshly indulgence.  And yet they persist in teaching this false doctrine as a means of achieving holiness.

The other thing that was popular among the ascetics was abstaining from certain foods.  We still see that in certain religious circles today.  There are certain denominations that say that you need to practice vegetarianism, or that you need to follow the Jewish dietary laws.

 But they clearly haven’t read what God revealed to Peter in Acts 10:9-16 “On the next day, as they were on their way and approaching the city, Peter went up on the housetop about the sixth hour to pray.  But he became hungry and was desiring to eat; but while they were making preparations, he fell into a trance; and he saw the sky opened up, and an object like a great sheet coming down, lowered by four corners to the ground,  and there were in it all [kinds of] four-footed animals and crawling creatures of the earth and birds of the air.  A voice came to him, "Get up, Peter, kill and eat!"  But Peter said, "By no means, Lord, for I have never eaten anything unholy and unclean."  Again a voice [came] to him a second time, "What God has cleansed, no [longer] consider unholy."  This happened three times, and immediately the object was taken up into the sky.”  So at that time God declared all foods clean.

So Paul says if food is received with thanksgiving, with gratitude towards God, then it is sanctified by means of the word of God and prayer.  It is blessed by God, and given thanks for by us, and thus it is good, given by God to nourish us and strengthen us for our life.  God has provided for us physically as well as spiritually, and we should receive such blessings with gratitude.  Not believing the lies of demons that try to twist the truth into a false means of righteousness.

Instead, Paul indicates that a good pastor will teach the truth, and the truth will be spiritual food for the church that gives them spiritual life.  Remember Jesus said, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.”  So rather than give heed to the word of false teachers, Paul says in vs6 “In pointing out these things to the brethren, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, [constantly] nourished on the words of the faith and of the sound doctrine which you have been following.” Some translations say you will be a good minister of Christ Jesus. Either way, he is talking to Timothy, who is a pastor in Ephesus. And he indicates that the truth of God’s word and sound doctrine is the spiritual food that nourishes the soul.

That verse also indicates that it is the faithful pastor’s job to point out false doctrine and expose those who teach it. Now I could spend a lot of time here this morning naming names and calling out apostate churches and televangelists and fake healers and so forth.  But I don’t think that is necessarily profitable.  However, when I do call them out by name, it doesn’t mean that I am being unloving or unnecessarily combative.  It means that I take my job seriously. I take the truth seriously.  I believe that the devil is real and he is working.  And I value the spiritual and physical lives of those in our church enough to warn them when the wolves are in the hen house.

I was in the Post Office the other day and noticed that they have these bulletins on the board in the lobby showing the pictures and names and address of people that have been convicted of being sexual predators, who are now living in the community.  Does that seem mean to you? No, if you have kids and you live next door to that person, it seems prudent that you would  like to know if your neighbor is a convicted sexual predator.  I’m sorry if some people find in offensive, but I think the same principle applies to spiritual predators, that cause children of God to suffer shipwreck in their faith.  They need to be called out.  And I would be happy to give you the names of some if you want to see me afterwards.

So the pastor is to contend for the faith. But as in his letter to the Thessalonians, Paul warns about these teachers who have concocted spiritual doctrines from vague Biblical references which they combined with asceticism. And so he says to Timothy in vs 7 “But have nothing to do with worldly fables fit only for old women. On the other hand, discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness;  for bodily discipline is only of little profit, but godliness is profitable for all things, since it holds promise for the present life and [also] for the [life] to come.”

You know, we could make too much or too little out of his statement that bodily discipline is only of little profit.  We could take that to mean that we all should practice bodily exercise in moderation.  That it does have some profit.  And certainly, that is practical advice which is backed up by science.

Or on the other hand we could emphasize the fact that there is only a little benefit to bodily exercise. And therefore use that as an excuse to say why bother - eat, drink and be merry for tomorrow we die.  But what I think Paul is really saying here is physical exercise has only physical, temporal benefits, but spiritual discipline has eternal benefits.  

The kind of discipline that Paul  advocates is that which restricts the lusts of the flesh.  He says in 1Cor. 9:25-27 “Everyone who competes in the games exercises self-control in all things. They then [do it] to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable.  Therefore I run in such a way, as not without aim; I box in such a way, as not beating the air;  but I discipline my body and make it my slave, so that, after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified.”  So we do exercise discipline in regards to the lusts of the  flesh, so that we may walk in the Spirit.

We discipline ourselves to walk in the Spirit, so that we might attain godliness, and godliness is profitable for all things, since it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.  And to that he says, “It is a trustworthy statement deserving full acceptance.” In other words, this is the truth of God, which is to be accepted and believed and practiced by the church. The false teaching that these men were teaching wasn’t the truth, and it did not produce godliness, just self righteousness.  

And that truth of God, Paul says in vs 10, is that for which  “we labor and strive, because we have fixed our hope on the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of believers.” We serve the living God, and we have our hope in Him.  There is no hope in science, or philosophy, or physical fitness, or any degree of education or knowledge.  We cannot save ourselves.  Salvation is from the Lord, and there is salvation in none other than Jesus Christ.  He is the Savior of all men, who believe in Him and in HIs word.  

I don’t know what hope you have for life after death. I hope you are not trusting in anything other than in the atoning work of Jesus Christ through His death and resurrection. The Bible says it is appointed unto man once to die, and after that the judgment. The only way to escape the judgment of condemnation which has been passed to all men -for all have sinned - is to trust in Jesus Christ as your Savior, as the One who took the wrath of God upon Himself. It’s only by the transference of our sins upon Him, and His righteousness upon us, that we might be able to stand spotless and blameless before the throne of God. 

If you’re here today and have not believed in Jesus Christ for salvation, then I urge you to make that commitment today, to confess Jesus as your Lord and Savior, and receive the gift of new life.  

Servants to the truth, 1 Timothy 3:8-16

We are studying the first letter to Timothy which is the manifesto of church faith and practice.  The Apostle Paul is relaying how the church is to conduct itself. He says in vs 15 “but in case I am delayed, [I write] so that you will know how one ought to conduct himself in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and support of the truth.”

The Lord inspired Paul to write how the church is to be conducted. Jesus said, God is Spirit, and they that worship Him must worship Him in Spirit and in truth. So it’s important to God that we order our worship, conduct our church, according to His truth.  Last week we looked at the Lord’s requirements and qualifications of the pastor, or elder, or overseer of the church.  All of those titles are virtually synonymous. They all refer to the same position.  But there is one more position that Paul is going to address and that is the position of deacon.

Deacon comes from the Greek word, “diakonos”, which meant servant, or waiter, or minister.  We tend to think of the word minister differently than it is intended though.  A minister is one appointed to carry out the commands of the master.  Therefore, in political government, there are ministers of various departments of government, which administer the agenda or desires of the government. But the word itself does not denote a lofty title, but rather one who carries out the commands given to him by his superior.

So the pastor and the deacon(s) are both focused on the same agenda, and that is the support, proclamation and administration of the truth. The pastor has a different role than the deacon, but both are working on the same goal, for the same Lord.  But in preparation for that, Paul has delineated the qualifications for deacons.  Deacons are supporting and helping the pastor in the conduct or administration of the church. But to some extent, we are all to be serving the Lord, and following the example of a deacon.  Deacons are men that are given an representative role in serving the church, but all the members of the body are to serve the Lord in a similar way. And so even though you may not be officially named a deacon, we should all follow their example as a model for ourselves.

To get a better idea of the job of a deacon, it’s perhaps a good idea to see how this position came about.  We find that in the book of Acts, ch. 6:1-6 “Now at this time while the disciples were increasing [in number,] a complaint arose on the part of the Hellenistic [Jews] against the [native] Hebrews, because their widows were being overlooked in the daily serving [of food.]  So the twelve summoned the congregation of the disciples and said, "It is not desirable for us to neglect the word of God in order to serve tables. "Therefore, brethren, select from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may put in charge of this task. "But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word." The statement found approval with the whole congregation; and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas and Nicolas, a proselyte from Antioch. And these they brought before the apostles; and after praying, they laid their hands on them.”

So that is the account of choosing the first deacons in the first church in Jerusalem.  At that time there were probably in excess of 8000 people in that church. The apostles were the pastors, but it became evident that there was a practical need for men who would serve the physical needs of the congregation. The command to love one another is worked out in practical ways. A superficial view would be that these men were not much more than glorified waiters.  But a closer look reveals that they were much more than that.  Steven in particular was a man of great faith, and we have his last sermon recorded in the book of Acts which he preached to the men who would eventually  stone him to death.  Phillip became known as the Evangelist, and we have record of how God used him to minister the word of God to the Ethiopian eunuch. These deacons then eventually became preachers and evangelists and missionaries, taking their service to the Lord to another level.

The qualifications that Peter and the elders of the church at Jerusalem gave for a deacon was “men of good reputation, full of the Spirit and of wisdom.” That hardly seems like the qualification for a waiter, but they are good qualities for a servant of God. And those qualities are a summary perhaps for what Paul gives as qualifications for deacons in 1 Timothy.

So let’s look briefly at these qualifications.  And I think the first thing we will notice is the similarity between the pastor’s qualifications and the deacon’s qualifications.  Paul says in vs 8, “Deacons likewise [must be] men of dignity, not double-tongued, or addicted to much wine or fond of sordid gain, [but] holding to the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience.  These men must also first be tested; then let them serve as deacons if they are beyond reproach.”

You will notice that the qualifications for deacons is much the same as for pastors, but perhaps abbreviated somewhat.  And in the case of both positions, being a man who is above reproach is emphasized. He must be of good reputation both in the church and outside the church. He must be a straight talker, not someone who lies.  He must be dignified.  That doesn’t mean putting on airs, but honorable, a man of good character.

And just as with the pastor, he is not to be addicted to wine.  Wine would include any alcoholic drink. Proverbs says, wine is a mocker, and strong drink a brawler, and he who is intoxicated with it is not wise. I would go so far as to say that you are going to have difficulty being a man of dignity if you are a consistent drinker.

Not fond of sordid gain is another qualification for a deacon.  Sordid gain can cover a wide area of making money.  It’s probably indicating that a deacon is of necessity going to be a man of business, but he should not use underhanded business practices. He should not be engaged in any immoral business. He should not be associated with anything in his business dealings that would bring dishonor to Christ.  A lot of Christian businessmen think that all is fair in love and war and making a sale.  That you have to do what you have to do in order to make it in today’s world.  But a deacon must not have such a low standard in his business dealings.  He is to be above board, not wiling to sacrifice principle for profit.

And then Paul adds,  holding to the mystery of faith with a clear conscience. The word mystery there is used again in this passage in vs 16.  And what mystery means is what was once hidden is now revealed. The faith then is the gospel which has been fully revealed. And these deacons are men who hold fast their faith with a clear conscience. That means that they are not deliberately living in sin in violation of their faith.  They know what they believe and they live it out.  It’s not just a head knowledge, but a life that reflects the knowledge of the truth.  And maybe that is a distinction between pastors and deacons.  Pastors preach the truth in word and deed, deacons preach the truth by deed.  They are not so much preachers as they are practically working it out towards others in the church. Their life and conduct proclaim the truth of the gospel.

Now that leads to the next qualification which is in vs 10, “These men must also first be tested; then let them serve as deacons if they are beyond reproach.”  In the qualifications for pastors, Paul had said they were not to be a new convert.  That indicates that time was needed to mature a man to be a pastor before taking on this leadership role.  And the same thing is virtually being said here.  That a man must go through a time of testing before serving as a deacon. And then, when they have come through those tests, if they are without reproach, that is they didn’t fail the tests, then they are to serve the church in the capacity of a deacon.

Testing is not done to make someone fail. God isn’t trying to get you to fail the test. He is using it to prove your faith, or confirm or strengthen your faith through the test.  Peter said in 1Peter 1:6-7 “In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, so that the proof of your faith, [being] more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.”

So these men who are servants of the church are to be men who have come through the tests with a stronger, more mature faith.  Their faith has been tested through fiery trials and come forth as gold.

And then stuck right in the middle of the qualifications for deacons is some qualifications for their wives.  Now some have taken this verse to be a separate office of a deaconess, that is, a female deacon. But that doesn’t really correlate with all that was said about women’s role in the church in chapter 2.  If you notice, the context of verses 8-12 is all about the qualifications for deacons except for verse 11.  I think it makes much more sense contextually to consider verse 11 as a continuation of qualifications for deacons, but recognizing that their wives can affect their role.

Let’s notice what he says then in vs 11. “Women, [or an alternate reading is deacon’s wives]  [must] likewise [be] dignified, not malicious gossips, but temperate, faithful in all things.”  If this were qualifications for deaconesses, then it would seem odd that their qualifications are much more abbreviated than either deacons or pastors. Instead, I think it’s an indication that a deacon’s wife can either be a great asset to a deacon, or a great hindrance.  And the goal would be that she would be an asset.  

It’s likely that the wife of the deacon is mentioned here because the duties of the deacon might incorporate his wife to some extent. He is serving widows, often in their homes.  I can tell you that if a deacon was to serve a widow, especially by going to her home, then it would be prudent to take along his wife. For my part, I am careful not to counsel any woman alone.  I will always include my wife, or I will make sure we are in a public place.  But even then, it would be much better for my reputation if my wife is with me. And maybe that is the reason why Paul includes their wives in this description, since one of their primary jobs was serving widows in the church.

And the wife of the deacon, being privy to the widows needs or private affairs by accompanying her husband, must be careful not to gossip about those things which she was privy to. She also must be mild mannered, not a hot head, that’s what it means to be temperate.  And faithful in all things.  She is to be a godly woman of faith. I can tell you this; a man and his wife are tied together in regards to reputation.  One affects the other.  They may have completely different personalities, but in reputation they are tied at the hip.  A wife of bad character taints the reputation of a good man, and vice a versa.

But for the deacon’s part, he must be a man who is loyal to his wife.  Paul says in vs 12, “Deacons must be husbands of [only] one wife, [and] good managers of [their] children and their own households.” If the deacon is a good steward of his own household, then he will be a good steward of the household of God.  And unfortunately, the opposite is usually true.  If he is not a good steward of his household, then he will not be a good steward of the household of God.  Whether or not that verse also is an injunction against a deacon who is divorced, it is difficult to say. I would suggest that it probably indicates that he could be divorced, but not remarried.  Though I cannot be dogmatic about that from this verse.

To be a deacon then is to be a servant or a steward of the church. And as such descriptions indicate, being a servant does not always carry a very high standing in the eyes of man.But Paul indicates here that it does carry a high standing in the eyes of God.  He says in vs13, “For those who have served well as deacons obtain for themselves a high standing and great confidence in the faith that is in Christ Jesus.”

Paul gives here an incentive for good stewardship and a promise of a good reward for their service. Jesus said if you give a cup of water in His name truly he will not lose his reward.  So we can assume that Paul indicates that serving the practical needs of the people of the church is not less than giving a cup of water, and such service will be rewarded in heaven.

And then as I have already mentioned, Paul gives the reasons for relaying these instructions about the church and it’s leaders.  He says in vs 14 “I am writing these things to you, hoping to come to you before long; but in case I am delayed, [I write] so that you will know how one ought to conduct himself in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and support of the truth.”  

Now I have quoted this verse and spoken of this verse in each of our messages in 1 Timothy, but I realize not all of you have been here for the previous messages so I want to be sure you see a couple of things.  First he says the household of God is the church of the living God.  We are children of God by second birth. We are given a new spirit, and a new nature. We are born of God, who is our Heavenly Father.  We are called the brethren of Christ. And we are considered brothers and sisters of one another.  So we have a love for God and for one another that defines us as the family of God, the household of God.

And notice also that the word church is from the Greek word “ekklesia” which means called out ones, an assembly.  It has nothing whatsoever to say about a building.  Except in the passage in 1 Peter 2:5 where he says, “you also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.” In other words, the people are the temple of the Holy Spirit.  The people are the church, a spiritual house in which God dwells.

And finally, notice that the church’s duty is to support the truth. The truth refers to the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  He said, “I am the way, the truth and the life. No man comes to the Father except by Me.” So Christ is the truth, and the church’s purpose is to support and proclaim that truth, that by faith in Christ, the world might come to be saved.

That truth then is the theme of the hymn that Paul records here in the 16th verse. It is believed by many Bible scholars that this was part of a hymn that was well known in the early church.  They deduce this by the word construction in the original language.  I think it is very likely the case, or at least a creed that was rehearsed frequently in the early church. 

Paul introduces it by saying, “By common confession, great is the mystery of godliness.”  Common confession indicates it is something frequently confessed, that is possibly a hymn or creed.  When he says the mystery of godliness, it is a reference to our faith in Christ.  That which was hidden is now revealed, therefore he calls it a mystery.  When Jesus Christ was manifested in the flesh, the gospel of God was revealed. That which had been a mystery, which the saints of old had seen only darkly as in a mirror, or in pictures and types, was now revealed in the person of Jesus Christ.  And in a similar manner, this hymn that Paul repeats reveals that mystery of Christ from his birth to his ascension, and this truth going forth into all the world.

Let’s read it through.  “He who was revealed in the flesh,

Was vindicated in the Spirit, Seen by angels, Proclaimed among the nations, Believed on in the world, Taken up in glory.”

Now let’s consider each line separately and say a few words briefly about each statement. 

He who was revealed in the flesh.  This speaks of Jesus incarnation. But it also speaks of the eternal nature of Christ.  It doesn’t say he was made in the flesh, or created in the flesh, but He was revealed in the flesh.  That indicates that He who existed in the heavens with God, who was God, took on flesh.  John 1 says “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.”  He was preexistent God, who was revealed in the flesh.  He was Eternal Truth, which became flesh.

“He was vindicated in the Spirit.” John the Baptist said, “I beheld the Spirit like a dove descending from heaven, and He remained on Him.” He was also vindicated in the Spirit as He came out of the water and went about Galilee preaching the gospel and working miracles. The power of the Holy Spirit was clearly upon Him. And He was finally vindicated in the Spirit when He arose from the grave, having been found blameless and without sin, being evident that He was the Son of God.

The next line is “seen by angels.”  I wonder if that could better be translated testified by angels. He was certainly seen as well, but I think it more appropriate to think of their testimony to what they had seen.  The angels testified to the shepherds at His birth.  They ministered to Him in the wilderness.  They ministered again to Him in the Garden of Gethsamane.  And they testified to the disciples at His resurrection, “He is not here, He is risen.”  They testified of HIs coming again at His ascension, that He would return in the same way that He had gone up into heaven.  So the angels played a part in the proclamation of the truth of Jesus Christ.

The next line is proclaimed among the nations.  The truth of the gospel was proclaimed with power at Pentecost, and then quickly spread to all the civilized nations. Today the gospel has been preached to the entire world.  That is our mandate, to be witnesses, to bear testimony to the truth, and take it to the world.

And the last line is taken up in glory.  Jesus appeared to 500 people after His death.  There were 120 that were gathered together in the Upper Room. So it’s conceivable that there were at least 120 people who witnessed His ascension.  And as I said a moment ago, the angels were also there at His ascension as the disciples looked up in the sky in wonder.  The ascension indicates so many things to the Christian.  First that Jesus is the Son of God.  That He is living.  That He is standing at the right hand of the Father to make intercession for us.  And that He is coming again to claim His kingdom and claim HIs bride to live forever with Him.

And in the power of that truth, we can live without fear, without dread for the future, we can endure any suffering here on earth, having no fear of death,  knowing that because He lives, we too shall live, and we shall live with Him. And until He comes again, we will gladly support and serve the truth as the church of the living God, the household of God.  May we be found faithful servants when He comes.

Paul says in Rom 12:1-2 “Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, [which is] your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.”