Today’s reading comes from 1 Timothy 1-3 follow the link provided here to read the ESV online.
1 Timothy is a pastoral epistle, meaning that Paul wrote it to another young pastor. When I first started at Little Escambia, I found it extremely helpful to read all the pastoral epistles over and over again during my first summer here. Paul shares keen spiritual truth as an apostle to a young man just beginning in ministry.
One of the things that jumps out at me when I read 1 Timothy is Paul’s warning about fables and endless genealogies (1:3-4). Truth matters, but the things mentioned here tend to divide. Sometimes it is more important to know that the Lord is coming back (truth) than it is to worry and debate if some of the critters unleashed in Revelation 9 might actually be helicopters (I see how they would look that way to a generation returning from Vietnam… but in this generation, CRISPR kits are being sold to any adolescent with $450 who wants to learn how to “bio-hack” and so it is more and more conceivable that someone could bio-engineer those suckers into existence). The truth is, we don’t know exactly what those critters are and we could speculate for hours upon hours, but it wouldn’t get us any closer to Jesus, help us share our faith, or really encourage us in any real way and so it’s worth leaving those discussions behind to have a real one that will edify us in our faith.
Paul always remembered where he came from (1:15) and we would do well to follow his example of humility. Having faith and a good conscience are critical to ministering to people and Paul echoes this advice to Timothy (1:5 &19). He solemnly states this in contradiction to those who have shipwrecked their faith (1:19-20).
In chapter two and three, Paul turns his attention to praying for those in governmental leadership and those who are qualified to be a pastor or deacon in the church. Different churches have different takes on these passages, but the reality is that these passages are there and they mean something. It is worth asking the question how do we honor the Lord in our churches according to these passages.
FATHER, thank you for your word that is truth and the sound doctrine that leads us to life everlasting in you through the blood of Jesus. We ask that you would guard us from being sidetracked by petty little side issues and that we would be focused on you. We pray for our leaders and ask for you to guide those who are an authority over us. We thank you for pastors and deacons. We pray that you would continue to call faithful individuals to the leadership of your church. Thank you for the grace of calling me to pastor at Little Escambia. I pray that you are glorified by your church. IN JESUS NAME, AMEN.
What did you take away from today’s reading? What are your thoughts or questions? Feel free to comment below and enter the discussion.
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