INTRODUCTION

1. The Power of God’s Word

a) The Lord Jesus used the Scriptures significantly

b) He used the Scriptures to defeat Satan

c) He used The Scriptures to instruct His Disciples

2. The Purpose of God’s Word

a) The place of the Scriptures was discovered afresh

b) The Apostles of the Lord Jesus had developed a greater appreciation of the Scriptures

 

THE PROBLEMS THAT THREATENED THE CHURCH

1. Persecution of the Church and Believers

2. False teachings that threatened to corrupt the truth

3. False brethren who affected the good name of the Church

4. The attractions of the world that cause believers to backslide

 

THE PROVISIONS OF THE LORD FOR THE CHURCH

1. Outstanding Apostles

a) They led the Church well

b) They helped lay down the foundations of the Church

2. Teaching of the Apostles

a) Oral teachings

b) Written Epistles

c) These became valuable assets of the Church

3. Significant pastors

a) Timothy

b) Titus

c) Epaphroditus Philippians 2

d) These were great examples of how they served the Lord and ministered to the churches

 

THE PASTORAL EPISTLES

1. There were three Pastoral Epistles by the Apostle Paul

a) 1 Timothy

b) 2 Timothy

c) Titus

2. These were important Documents that were part of the New Testament

a) They were instructive

b) They were insightful

c) They were inspirational

 

A GLIMPSE OF SOME OF THE PROBLEMS FACED

3 As I urged you when I went into Macedonia—remain in Ephesus that you may charge some that they teach no other doctrine,

4 nor give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which cause disputes rather than godly edification which is in faith.

5 Now the purpose of the commandment is love from a pure heart, from a good conscience, and from sincere faith,

6 from which some, having strayed, have turned aside to idle talk,

7 desiring to be teachers of the law, understanding neither what they say nor the things which they affirm.

8 But we know that the law is good if one uses it lawfully,

9 knowing this: that the law is not made for a righteous person, but for the lawless and insubordinate,

for the ungodly and for sinners, for the unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers,

10 for fornicators, for sodomites, for kidnappers, for liars, for perjurers, and if there is any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine,

11 according to the glorious gospel of the blessed God which was committed to my trust. 1 Timothy 1:3-11

1. The problems Timothy had to battle in the church at Ephesus

a) “Other doctrines”

b) “Fables”

c) “Endless genealogies that cause disputes”

d) “Idle talk”

2. Who were these people who taught such things?

a) They posed as teachers of the law

b) But they were unqualified people

i) They did not know the Scriptures well

ii) They did not know what the Scriptures actually affirm

3. Timothy was charged to defend the Church against the false teachers!

a) He had to expose their false teachings

b) He had to show that the false teachers had nothing much to offer

 

THE ESSENTIAL PURPOSE OF THE SCRIPTURES

Now the purpose of the commandment is love from a pure heart, from a good conscience, and from sincere faith 1 Timothy 1:5

1. The Purpose of God’s commandment

a) God gave His Word for a specific purpose

b) That must be borne in mind

2. The Purpose and the End Goal must be the same

a) To display the Love of God

b) To comprehend His love

c) To have that Love in us

3. The Word of God properly understood would result in:

a) Love from a pure heart

b) Love from a good conscience

c) Love from a sincere faith

 

OUR CHALLENGE

1. To comprehend God’s gift of the Scriptures

2. To have our lives changed by the Commandments of God

a) Heart

b) Conscience

3. To truly possess the Love of God

And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love. 1 Corinthians 13:13