1 Tim. 1:12-17 - God's mercy shown to Paul

12 I give thanks to Christ Jesus our Lord who has strengthened me, because He considered me faithful, appointing me to the ministry —
13 one who was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an arrogant man. But I received mercy because I acted out of ignorance in unbelief.
14 And the grace of our Lord overflowed, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.
15 This saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance: “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners” — and I am the worst of them.
16 But I received mercy for this reason, so that in me, the worst of them, Christ Jesus might demonstrate His extraordinary patience as an example to those who would believe in Him for eternal life.
17 Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.

vs. 12 - "I give thanks..." - In these next few verses, 12-17, Paul gives his personal testimony. Paul doesn't usually spend much time on himself in his letters. 1 Cor. 5:19 and Gal. 1:13-2:10 are about the only places he mentions his past. Of course, Luke did a pretty decent job of telling of Paul's conversion and his work as a missionary. See: Acts 9:1-22.

"appointing me to the ministry" - Paul had done nothing (NOTHING!) that would make anyone think he would be a good apostle. Yet, Jesus plucked him off the road to Damascus. As God said about selecting a king for Israel: 1 Sam. 16:7 "Don't be impressed by his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. God does not view things the way men do. People look on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart." God rejected David's good looking brothers, and chose David while he was still a shepherd. God showed His mercy to Paul. God recognized that Paul, when his heart was given to Jesus would be a faithful worker. God gave him the strength he needed to do the work of an apostle. Paul was thankful that God's mercy was greater than his (Paul’s) sin.

vs. 13 - "blasphemer... persecutor... arrogant..." - Paul's self-analysis. He is honest about himself before he became a follower of Jesus. He did not see himself as a blasphemer, before Christ. In fact, he saw himself as upholding God's word, defending God from blasphemers. Paul thought of Jesus as the 'enemy' of God. He believed the disciples of Jesus were turning their backs on Judaism, rebelling against the Jewish authorities, Jewish Law, and religion. 'They' were the blasphemers! We want to think we are so different from the Jews. They were protective of their religion, defending against all enemies, 'foreign and domestic'. Paul stepped up to do his part in defending his Jewish faith.
He did not hold back, arresting people and executing them for blasphemy. That's where the 'persecutor' comes from.
Paul knew what was right - that is arrogant! I think Paul was seeing himself in the statement, "If someone thinks he knows something, he does not yet know to the degree that he needs to know." 1 Cor. 8:2. Jesus knew that the zeal in Paul, if properly directed, would be good for the church. When he understood rightly, he would work as hard for the church as he did to destroy it.

"... out of ignorance and unbelief" - On the road to Damascus, the blinding light surrounded Paul. He knew it was God talking to him, but he was confused. Acts 9:1-7 The question, "Why are you persecuting me?", was met with confusion. "Who?" Paul asked, since he KNEW he had been apprehended by God. (Who else shows up in a blinding cloud of light?) Paul was hunting down blasphemers. How could he possibly be persecuting God himself? Wasn't he defending God against all comers?
What a shock to his system to have the answer, "Jesus." Notice Paul did not argue with God on this point. He did not try to rationalize his position. One could easily see a "Yeah, but..." coming from Paul. On the other hand, believing intensely in God, and being surrounded by light and having a voice challenge him from that light, he knew and understood he had been wrong, completely and totally wrong. He did not understand because he was ignorant of the facts and truth.

"mercy" - Had Paul known and understood who Jesus was, the Son of God, the Messiah, and still fought against Him, the outcome may have been different. Because Paul did not know, did not understand, he was given another chance. The mercy rather than judgment meant that Paul would become one of the most important missionaries of the first century of the church. His knowledge of the Law and Prophets would make it possible for him to clearly explain why Jesus is the Christ the savior of the world.

vs. 14 - "grace... overflowed" - Instead of the punishment he deserved for attacking God, he received faith and love. Paul could see that he had no standing, no accomplishments that would absolve him of the crimes he committed in God's name. Even ignorance was no mitigating factor - he was guilty and deserved punishment. Instead, love, grace and mercy saved him. It is the same for us, our sin is greater than our ability to pay, but not greater than Jesus's atoning sacrifice. Titus 3:5 he saved us not by works of righteousness that we have done but on the basis of his mercy, through the washing of the new birth and the renewing of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us in full measure through Jesus Christ our Savior.

vs. 15 - "save sinners" - God's plan, since the Fall, has been to save people from their sin. Luke 19:10 "For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost." See also: Psa. 119:176, Jer. 50:6. God understands that most people do not know the way, and are ignorant of the trouble they face. They are lost and do not know the way. He also knows there are many who have heard the truth and choose not to follow. Isa. 48:18 "If only you had obeyed my commandments, prosperity would have flowed to you like a river, deliverance would have come to you like the waves of the sea." Zech. 7:11 "But they refused to pay attention, turning away stubbornly and stopping their ears so they could not hear." Mercy abounds for them also. Ignorance can be as deadly as rebellion. God calls out to all, to come and receive mercy, grace, and love. See Rom. 10:13 "For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. How are they to call on one they have not believed in? And how are they to believe in one they have not heard of? And how are they to hear without someone preaching to them?" How can anyone be saved if they are ignorant of the mercy of Jesus Christ?

"I am the worst of them." - I find this statement astounding. Paul, the missionary, the apostle, the writer of much of the New Testament apologetics - the worst sinner?! Was Paul being aggressively humble? Was he exaggerating for effect? Or did he really believe that his sins of persecuting Jesus were so much worse than the average bloke? I think he did. Paul was such an ardent believer, first in God, and after Damascus, also in Jesus. He was aghast! How he could have been so ignorant as to not have seen that Jesus is the Christ?
Paul was astounded by the grace. He had fought against Jesus, and yet the love and forgiveness overcame his sin and saved him. "Amazing grace. How sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me!."

vs. 16 - "for this reason" - Why? Why would God do this? The answer is simple: If God can save me, He can save anyone! That is your personal testimony - for any Christian. We all like to think we are not as bad as we really are (a line from the movie "The Talented Mr. Ripley"). We fool ourselves. If Jesus saves me, all can be saved. My life, my sin, my stubbornness all stand between me and a relationship with God. Christ's death on the cross happened almost 2000 years before I was born. Yet when I was formed in Mom's womb, I was a sinner. Christ’s sacrifice paid the price, all of it. There is nothing I could have done that would change that sacrifice, make it unnecessary.
If you have not acknowledged Jesus, and accept Him as Lord and Savior - stop now, repent, confess, and believe. You will receive love, faith, peace and freedom from sin's control over your life. He offers eternal life - a relationship with the One who knows you best and loves you most. Why delay?

vs. 17 “Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.” - This is a doxology, a hymn of praise. See also: Rev. 4:11 "You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, since you created all things, and because of your will they existed and were created!"

1 Tim. 1:8-11 - Law identifies Sins

8 But we know that the law is good, provided one uses it legitimately.
9 We know that the law is not meant for a righteous person, but for the lawless and rebellious, for the ungodly and sinful, for the unholy and irreverent, for those who kill their fathers and mothers, for murderers,
10 for the sexually immoral and homosexuals, for kidnappers, liars, perjurers, and for whatever else is contrary to the sound teaching
11 based on the glorious gospel of the blessed God, which was entrusted to me.

vs. 8 - "the law is good" - Paul has been chiding them for turning back to the Law. Don’t get him wrong. He is not saying the Law is wrong or bad. But emphasis and importance of the Law changed when Christ came. He is trying to help them see there is something (make that someone) better than the Law.

This verse is the first half of an Conditional statement. The law by itself is neither good or bad. The ‘goodness’ of the Law is based on whether or not it fulfills its reason why God gave it to us. The Law’s purpose is to get people to deal with their sins. The Law, as defined in the Bible, is only different from the laws the govern our nation, states, and locales, in that it was given by God. Governments write laws to address a harm that has to someone because of the actions of another. If you do not rob banks, the laws against bank robbing do not apply to you. They are on the books, but will not be used against you. You won't be thrown in prison for drug dealing, if you do not sell illegal drugs. You won't get a traffic ticket if you don't run red lights, or stop signs, or exceed the speed limit. The law is there, but it does not apply. Crimes are the symptoms of criminal behavior.

Our sinful behavior show the symptoms of our sin nature. Just as a runny nose, sneezing, coughing are symptoms of a cold or the flu. Our sins betray that we are controlled by our sin nature. The Law establishes ‘rules’ for relationship with God, relationships with other people. The instructions regarding sacrifices, and offerings, and other rituals were to help us see that it was not our doing that brought us peace with God. It was almost always through an item (lamb, grain, goat, bull, ram, etc.) which God provided. You and I cannot make a sheep. We can raise an animal that God provides. That is the message - it is all God plus our obedience and faith.

"provided one uses it legitimately." The second half of the conditional statement. The next few verses show the behavior the Law addresses.

vs. 9-10 - "not meant for a righteous person..." As noted above the law is good when someone is convicted and turns back, but it does not apply to a righteous person (i.e., someone who is not breaking the Lew). Paul lists fourteen or fifteen behaviors as examples to which the Law applies. There are eight listed in verse 9 and five or six in verse 10.

The list:

1. Lawless and Rebellious - (9)
2. Ungodly and Sinful - (9)
3. Unholy and Irreverent - (9)
4. Killers of mothers and fathers - (9)
5. Murderers - (9)
6. Sexually immoral and Homosexuals - (10)
7. Kidnappers - (10)
8. Liars and Perjurers - (10)
9. Whatever else is contrary - (10)

Lawless and Rebellious - Those who break the moral Law of the 10 commandments. Also, those who break the civil law of the country in which they live. Paul is not referring to the Law of the OT which includes sacrifices, offerings, and holy days. Christ, our Savior fulfilled all the law and prophets. Matt. 5:17. - There are those who defy authority just because it is there. I worked with a fellow who was a contrarian - whatever was said, he disagreed with it. It was frustrating to try to work with this guy. There are people who want to defy the government, the church, their moms and dads. There is a little of that in each one of us. When someone says, "Do this; or, do it this way" we bristle just a little. "Who is this guy to tell me what to do?" This is the spirit of Satan that is in our old unsaved nature. It is the remnant of the Fall. Setting your hearts and minds on Christ Jesus mitigates that tendency to rebel against Jesus.

Ungodly and Sinful - Those who keep God out of their lives. He is not part of any thing they do through the day. This is not about whether or not they go the church. They rely totally upon themselves. They are the "masters of their fate", they are the "captains of their souls" - from the old poem "Invictus" by W. E. Henley. - I don't think this means ‘people who commit sin’. We all do that - 'We sin because we are sinners - we are not sinners because we sin.' Again this is part and parcel of our fallen nature. Sinful people are those who refuse to acknowledge they offend God, and refuse to accept His solution - His Son Jesus Christ. In the book of Job, Elihu sarcastically notes that no one admits they deserve the judgement and punishment, but want God to deal with them on their terms not His. (Job 34:21-33). The Psalmist ponders whether it is worth holding on tho God’s way, when the evil-doers seem to prosper. Then he “enters the sanctuary of God, and perceives their end.” (Psa. 73:11-17) Only when our conscience is led by the Holy Spirit will we readily confess our sins, repent and turn away. The prophet Micah noted that it was God who pleads his case, and executes the justice for him when he has sinned against the Lord. (Mic. 7:9-10)

Unholy and Irreverent - These two have to do with refusing to be 'set apart' and not taking God seriously. To be holy is to be different spiritually from the world. God said, "You are to be Holy, for I am Holy." (Lev. 20:7) Think of the times that Jesus commanded His disciples to be different - in love, and compassion, behavior - because if we are just like the non-believers, how would they know we are His? We are his holy temple, so we cannot live unholy lives.
The term 'irreverent' implies being flippant about God. From a dictionary: “Critical of what is generally accepted or respected; satirical; without due respect or veneration; disrespectful.” It is slightly different than living unholy lives. This is not to say we must go around 'straight-laced, sober, and sad' if we are believers.

I think the rest of the list - from here to the end of the list — is more about behavior than attitude. Paul starts with a biggy: murdering your mother and father.

Killers of mothers and fathers - This seems like a big jump - from flippancy to killing. In some ways, the list from unholy to irreverent is about attitude - defiance that drives the behavior. The early part of the list identifies no particular activity. Jesus told us that it is what is in our hearts that causes us to sin. (Matt. 15:19) Acts of sin are the manifestation, or proof, that our condition is lost and hopeless. I am not sure Paul is actually talking about grabbing an axe, or a shotgun and 'doing in' our parents. He may be using a figure of speech, as did Jesus. Matt. 5:20-22. Dishonoring your father and mother is a sin that is clearly spelled out in the Ten Commandments Deut. 5:16.

Murderers - Sin separates us from God. It does not matter if it is murder, or hate, or anger, or jealousy. Sin is a condition of rebellion against God - and its reward is death, consignment to Hell for eternity. Only the sacrifice of His Son, Jesus Christ, saves us from that penalty. In human terms, there is no sin greater than murder. Murder cuts someone off from life itself. It is also part of the original 'Law' given to Moses on Mt. Sinai - See Deut. 5:17.

vs. 10 - The list continues:
Sexually immoral - See Ten Commandments - Deut. 5:18. - Most sins (at least those that involve interaction with other people) is 'outside your body' - something you do to or with them. Sex is different - yes, I know that you are doing it 'with' another person - but God has determined, decided that the sexual union of man and woman is more. It is not just an act no different than animals, but a giving of yourself intimately to another, and it becomes more - perhaps spiritual is a better way to put it. Pornography, adultery, prostitution, fornication, rape - all of these activities, sexual sin activities, are a perversion of the original God-given purpose. Sexual intercourse is not just for procreation, but is part of the spiritual bond between man-and-woman. God has given us sex to enjoy, as well as procreate. We are not animals, who mate only when it is possible to make babies. Like any human activity, sex can be perverted, removed from the marriage relationship.

Paul makes it clear in First Corinthians, that since we are now part of the Body of Christ, we are the vessels in which the Holy Spirit dwells and therefore where the Holy God of the universe also dwells, sexual sins are not just you 'having a little fun'. Sinning against your own body (sexual sins) involves God! See: 1 Cor. 6:13b-19 - "The body is not for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body... Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Should I take the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? Never! Or do you not know that anyone who is united with a prostitute is one body with her? For it is said, ‘The two will become one flesh.’ But the one united with the Lord is one spirit with him. Flee sexual immorality! Every sin a person commits is outside of the body, but the immoral person sins against his own body. Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?",
Does that not scare you - defiling the home of the Most High God? You may be able to convince yourself that it isn't that big of deal. If that isn't enough, you are also part of the church body (Rom. 12:5 ...”so we who are many are one body in Christ, and individually we are members who belong to one another”.) so your sexual sins affect the other members of the church. It is not just you screwing around.

Homosexuals - Another form of sexual sin. See the Ten Commandments - Deut. 5:18. It is more in the news in the U.S. The modern secular culture wants Christians to accept, (not just tolerate, but approve of) homosexual sin. To quote from an article in The Weekly Standard - "The attack is on religion itself - the freedom of faith to assert itself in public... Freedom of faith, perhaps: Believe what you want, in private. But freedom of religion, absolutely not: Everyone must conform in public." Prepare yourself - we will be asked, nudged, maybe even forced to change how we live our lives, rather than according to the scriptures. Prepare yourself - you must not be surprised when this happens, and must be ready to know how you will respond.

The following are some notes from a November 2015 sermon "What is the Church response to gay or lesbian people?" - part of a series on the church in the community:

The question for the church, "How does a person who is made to feel overwhelming shame be able to seek God?" Often Church's attitude is that homosexuals should feel shame.

The Bible is clear - homosexual sex is not in God's plan. Saying the Bible does not teach homosexual is a sin is a modern interpretation that is wrong. A survey indicates 91% young people say the church as 'anti-gay'. (We should not try to attach it pedophilia - note: most pedophiles are heterosexual).

What does it look like to love our gay neighbors? Our primary goal should not be to get the gays to agree with us about homosexuality, but about the love of God who sent his Son to save.

We need to apologize about the way the church has treated homosexuals. Note: most gays think we are all Westbury Baptist Church. We need to listen to them. We can begin to understand.

Separate orientation from behavior. Attraction is not the sin, what you do with it is sin. We are all tempted, it's what we do with it. We cannot get rid of our temptations. If you tell a person they must get rid of their same sex attraction before they can be a Christian, how can they respond to that? Telling a homosexual that you love the sinner, but hate the sin - is saying to them you hate them. (Part of the protests are fighting for their behavior!).

Need to get over being disgusted with homosexuals. Need to change our definition of defending the faith. "Would you let a gay couple come into your house?" God does not need us to defend Him. Need to be vulnerable towards the gays. (Side Note: I am not sure what this means, or how this accomplished.) It is brutal what we ask them to do - in order for you to be in the church, you must be celibate for the rest of your life.

This puts a interesting light on how we react to homosexuals, and how we react reflects on the church, on Christ.

Kidnappers - See Ten Commandments - Deut. 5:19. Kidnapping is a rather extreme form of theft. It is a violation of "Do not steal."

Liars - See Ten Commandments - Deut. 5:20. Is there any thing you dislike as much as having someone lie to you? Doesn't this mean to you the person can no longer be trusted? A loss of faith in that person?

Perjurers - See Ten Commandments - Deut. 5:20. From the dictionary, "The crime of willfully and knowingly making a false statement about a material fact while under oath." False statement is a nice way of saying, "You Lie!", in a legal sense.

Whatever else is contrary - Other stuff - See Ten Commandments - Deut. 5:21. - Things "contrary to the gospel..." There are very few commandments in the new covenant - not at all like the Old Covenant. The two greatest commandments - Love God. Love your neighbor. John writes in his first letter that we all know the 'old commandment' and also the 'new commandment'.

vs. 11 - "based on the glorious gospel" - From verse 10, the "sound teaching" is based on the gospel - the information Paul is imparting is based on the gospel. Christ Jesus, and Him crucified, resurrected - that is the glorious gospel. The Holy Spirit, the Helper, living in you.- that is the glorious gospel. The world will know we are Christians by our love - that is the glorious gospel.

End of Paragraph

1 Timothy 1:6-7 - They do not understand the law

6 Some have deviated from these and turned aside to fruitless discussion.
7 They want to be teachers of the law, although they don’t understand what they are saying or what they are insisting on.

vs. 6 - "deviated from these" - Some have moved away from sincere faith, good conscience, pureness of heart, (See: verse 1:5 from previous notes) and the doctrines Paul has been teaching. Instead of living for Christ they become a debating society - arguing about - whatever. "Is smoking worse than dancing?" "Is playing cards worse than going to movies?" “Should we have loud music in our worship service?” “Should believers drink alcoholic beverages?” These all seem relevant and important at the time. This is not bashing clean, moral living. There is nothing at all wrong living a pure life. Arguing about rules for living is no more profitable than is arguing about what is ‘work’ on Sabbath.

vs. 7 - "They want to be teachers" - All the discussion and arguments are to gather information, to marshal their rebuttals so as to convince others they are correct. The arguments are not always to bring people to God, or to faith, and to help in discipleship.
However, and this is BIG: they don't know what they are talking about. Like some of our politicians, they talk even though they are ignorant. "Having nothing to say, they say it anyway."
Is Paul referring to the Jews, to Pharisees or Sadducees? I am not sure. (Many of the early churches had converted Jews in the majority of their congregations.) But he is saying there are 'teachers' who do not understand why the Law was given, its purpose. If they are teaching the Law as a means of salvation or growing in maturity in the faith - they do not know what they are ill informed. If the festivals and holy days and sacrifices are necessary for salvation - they don't understand.

The leaders in Israel did not understand the Scriptures or the power of God. These were best and the brightest of the day! Jesus called them out. See Matt. 22:29 They didn't know! How could they not know? I am not picking on the Jews, because Christians today can suffer from the same malady. In Luke (Also: Matt. 17:14-18; Mark 9:14-27), a father appeals to Jesus to rid his son of a demon (probably epileptic-type seizures), because the disciples failed. See: Luke 9:37-43 Jesus expresses frustration (at least that's the way it appears) saying, "You unbelieving and perverse generation..." (This is also found in Matt. 17:17). He is not talking to the father. The father had just appealed to Jesus when other attempts failed. Jesus is addressing the disciples and the crowd of people who sought Him out as he came down from the mountain after the Transfiguration. The disciples only had an inkling of what Jesus was doing, or what He would accomplish that fateful Passover day and three days later.

Why did Jesus chastise the Jewish leaders? They had drifted away from God. (A recurring theme in scripture - for example read the book of Judges.) In another confrontation, Jesus was asked to heal a paralytic. He told the supplicant his sins were forgiven. (Mark 2:2-12) The religious leaders were upset. How could he forgive sins? Only God can forgive sins, right? Jesus asks them which is easier: forgiving sins or healing a cripple? Don't both require God's power, God's grace, and God working through Jesus? They have no answer. So Jesus heals the man. They are astounded! That’s what I mean in saying the Jews had drifted. How could they be so far away?

In 1 Tim. 1:7-8 Paul is warning that those who want to add The Law to the Gospel are leading the church stray. They don't understand what they believe. The Jews had drifted from the purpose for the Law, and the festivals, and the holy days, and sacrifices - they had lost their way. The Law, including the dietary rules and instructions to worship the Lord were given to set the Jews apart from the heathen, Gentile nations that would surround them in the promised land. If they followed these rules they would be totally different from all the nations, tribes and cultures around them. This difference was to be a beacon, a light to those around them.

Why be a light? To draw people to God so they could experience His grace, His love. Instead, their way of life became a shield, a bulwark against other cultures. The Jews became so insular that it became a 'sin' to touch a non-Jew - just touching a Gentile caused the Jew to be unclean - just like touching a leper! This was a perversion of the Law. Instead of drawing people to God, the Jew's behavior drove them away. In Jesus's time, the Greeks hated the Jews because of their belligerence. The Romans despised and hated the Jews for the same reasons. The Romans finally had enough, so 30 or 40 years later flattened Jerusalem. Rome crushed the Jews as perhaps they had never been crushed before (maybe the Assyrians did a similar job on the Northern Kingdom. Babylon did something similar in Daniel’s time.). There was no sign of God's grace and love here! God tells the Jews they are honoring Him with their lips, but not with their heart or actions. The prophets warned the Jews their hearts were hard, (Ezek. 11:19) not softened by God's grace. They followed their wicked hearts (Jer. 11:8); their idolatry controls their hearts (Hos. 5:4). See also: Ezek. 16:30, 33:31. In Malachi, God recounts in conversational style how the Jews have dishonored Him. The Jews were no longer a tower of light drawing people to God.

That is the danger we face as believers. That the Jews were to be different from nations around them was to remind the Jews it is was God that saved them, not themselves. The Jews were to be able to bring others to salvation. We are to be different from the non-believers all around us. How will people know we are His people? By our love. The greatest commandments: Love God, and love your neighbor. (Matt. 22:37-39; Mark 12:30-33) Jesus appeals to God the Father in prayer that we will love as He loves us, as the Father loves Jesus. (John 15:12,17; 17:26) This message of love, for each other, for non-believers is repeated through all of the letters of Paul, or John, or Peter and others. See Gal. 5:6. People will not be drawn to belief if we hide in our churches, hiding behind stone hearts. We do not need stone castles with moats and drawbridges to hide from the world, to be protected from the world. Hiding will only make us weaker. We need to be in the field of battle. We need to be out there where the people live to show them God's love. How will they come to know Jesus if we don't share Him? No one will want to come Jesus if they look at us and are repulsed. We must not lose our way.

That the Gentiles are to be part of God's kingdom has been known almost from the beginning. Go read God's response to Adam and Eve after the fall, or his Covenant with Abraham. The whole world is to be blessed. Here are a few of the verses: Psa. 22:27, 66:4; Isa. 2:2-5, 9:2, 66:1, 12, 23; Jer. 16:19; Dan. 2:35, 7:13-14; Amos 9:11-12; Zech. 8:20-23; Mal. 1:11. That Gentiles are going to be God's own possession is clearly stated in Hos. 2:23 - “those who are not my people shall be my people“. Our response is, “You are our God!” And in the New Testament, Paul writes in Eph. 3:3-5 and Col. 1:26-27 that Jews and Gentiles shall be co-heirs of the Kingdom of God. However, HOW the Gentiles become co-heirs was a 'mystery' - something revealed to us now, but was hidden from old - See Eph. 2:12-16 "remember that you were at that time separate from Christ, excluded from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenant of promise... you who formerly were far off have been brought near..." Also remember that Jesus told his disciples that they would not be able to see His kingdom, as they saw Rome, or the kingdom of David and Solomon. They would not see it because it was within in them - Luke 17:20-21.

1 Tim. 1:3-5 - Urging correct instruction

3 As I urged you when I went to Macedonia, remain in Ephesus so that you may instruct certain people not to teach different doctrine
4 or to pay attention to myths and endless genealogies. These promote empty speculations rather than God’s plan, which operates by faith.
5 Now the goal of our instruction is love that comes from a pure heart, a good conscience, and a sincere faith.

vs. 3 - "Macedonia" - An area (now a country) located East and North of Greece. The Aegean Sea is east of Greece and separates Greece from the Turkish peninsula (and actually is part of the Mediterranean Sea). Macedonia, sometimes part of Greece, sometimes autonomous, was a significant part of the Grecian history - think of Alexander the Great, and his father Philip.

"Ephesus" - A city on the west edge of the Turkish peninsula. Turkey, Macedonia and Greece were major areas of emphasis of Paul's evangelism. Many of the cities listed in the discussion in verse 2 above are mostly located in what is now known as Turkey. There is no easy way to get from Ephesus to Macedonia, especially without airplanes. There is no land route, unless you wanted to go several hundred miles east, past the Straits of Bosporus, around the Black Sea, and back along the coast line. The trip had to be by boat, across the Aegean Sea to the Macedonian coastline.

Identifying Erroneous Teaching

"not to teach a different doctrine" - The church (universal, not the local body) is but a few years old - about 30-35 years. It has grown from about 12-20 people cowering in Jerusalem to being spread throughout the Roman Empire, at least the part of the Empire located in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. That is fairly amazing, since everything was word-of-mouth - no telephones, no television, no radio, Twitter, Facebook, or blogs. This was up-close and personal - one-on-one talking about Jesus, small group evangelizing. This is cold-turkey witnessing.
In any endeavor in which information is passed from one person to another and spread this way, there is bound to be errors of understanding, resulting in dilution and minor changes to the message, or in some cases major changes. This is what Paul is writing about - to correct the misunderstanding or deliberate errors in the gospel message being taught.

vs. 4 - "myths and endless geneologies" - I think Paul takes a swipe at both pagan religions and Judaism in this phrase. I don't know how many other religions were as obsessed with genealogy as the Jews. Even in modern times, second and third world cultures are quite cognizant of their tribes or groups. See Sunni and Shia in middle east - these are religious sects of Islam. This is their source of belonging. The Spartans and Athenians were more political, or power oriented than spiritual in their tribal connections.
The Roman and Greek gods were the most familiar of non-Judaic religions at that time. But the Jews would not have forgotten the problems caused by turning to the gods of the Canaanites, Midianites, Philistines, or any other of the cultures of the lands of and around Israel. God spoke through Isaiah and asked if a god made by human hands could answer the human prayer, or save them in times of need. See Isa. 44:13-20. This was not a rhetorical question! “Can these gods save you?” The answer was “No!” It will always be no.The Greek mythical gods cannot save you from your sins, any better than Dagon (Jud. 16:23; 1 Sam. 5:2-7), Baal (Jud.2:3; 1 Kings 18:21-40), or Ashtar.

God’s Plan is Best

"...God's plan, which operates by faith." - Jesus was asked what needed to be done to do the works of God. His answer - believe! That belief has a specific object - the person sent by the Father, i.e., Jesus, the Messiah, the Son of God. (John 6:29)
Anything else leads to wasted time and effort - dreaming up stuff to do, things to believe, secrets to know, or specialized knowledge. All of those efforts take our attention off Jesus. We are saved by faith in Jesus. We must live out our salvation in the same way.
Are there rules to follow? A few. Are there formulas and rituals that will put us right with God? Not exactly. Formulas and rituals devolve into a 'works' religion: that is, what we do is what makes us acceptable. This is not living by faith. However, in Col. 2:6 We read, "Therefore as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, having been firmly rooted and now being built up in Him and established in your faith, just as you were instructed."

vs. 5 - "the goal of our instruction...' - There is more to the instructions Paul has given than just salvation. It sounds wrong somehow to say "just salvation" - because salvation is so amazing, so divine. It cost so much, and yet is freely given to you and me. Paul is referring to discipleship - learning how to live the Christian life, beyond becoming a born again Christian.

"...pure heart, clear conscience, and sincere faith." The instruction (discipleship training) produces these three in the believer:

1. A pure heart - Jesus Christ indwells the believer. (John 14:20, 21, 23)
2. A clear conscience - the believer confesses and repents of sin and is forgiven and cleansed of all unrighteousness (1 Jn. 1:8,9).
3. A sincere faith - a full commitment of the believer to Christ, no half-measures. (1 Cor. 15:58; Col. 1:23; Heb. 6:19)

These three discipled traits - pure heart, clear conscience, and sincere faith - produce an outpouring of love in us, and through us. (Gal. 5:22,23)
A pure heart and a good conscience are all founded in a sincere faith - believing that Jesus is the Son of God who died for your sins and was resurrected in righteousness signifying the whole penalty was paid in full. When living empowered by the Holy Spirit your conscience is guided by the Holy Spirit - this is the only path to purity and goodness. Our personal consciences, without the Holy Spirit, are too easily nudged off course with rationalizations. This is how people can come to call evil as good, and good as evil. (Need proof? Look at the political milieu in our present culture. Or look at how killing babies can be described as a good thing; or how adultery will enhance a marriage relationship; or how sexual abuse depends on how politically powerful, or wealthy the person.)

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1 Timothy 1:1-2 - A Letter to Timothy - Greetings

1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the command of God our Savior and of Christ Jesus our hope:
2 To Timothy, my true son in the faith. Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.

vs. 1 - This letter opening is typical of the others in the New Testament. When we write letters, we usually start off with, "Dear ... ," and end with "Sincerely, ... " and the name of the writer. I am not sure if letters were sent with a return address on the envelope. Letters were like most books which were rolled up scrolls, and not written on paper at all.

"apostle" - Paul establishes his bona fides immediately. There were only twelve or thirteen apostles of the Christian church - the original eleven disciples (twelve minus Judas Iscariot), the replacement Matthias (Acts 1:23-26), and Paul. These were taught by Jesus Christ - the twelve followed Jesus during His earthly ministry. Paul was taught by Jesus, after the encounter on the road to Damascus. There were other disciples - Barnabas, Epaphras, Silas and Timothy who were dedicated to the gospel. None of these are described as 'apostles'. Apostleship includes a certain authority; not a power-to-rule type authority, but an official imprimatur as someone who was instructed by Jesus.

"by the command" - The position of Apostle in the church of Jesus Christ was a selected group and voluntary. By this I mean they were tapped on the shoulder and Jesus said, "I want you to follow me, and spread the gospel." It was not like the masses of people seeking healing or some other miracle. The apostles were called to serve, and are a sub-set of believers, a sub-set of the original disciples. They agreed to the command and served to the end of their lives. These were not men who jumped on a bandwagon of a famous and successful candidate. There was no popularity vote, no campaign to get people to choose who would serve.

"God our Savior and of Christ Jesus" - This emphasizes the trinity, or at least two-thirds of the trinity. Jesus is our Savior. He died on the cross for us. He is the resurrection from the dead for us. Our hope is on Him. Jesus is God; God is Jesus. (John 14:9) God is our Savior. Some will say they believe God, but not Jesus.
It makes no sense to say God is our Savior, but Jesus is not.
If Jesus is not God, there is no adequate sacrifice for sin.
If there is no full payment, one that God will accept as paid-in-full, we are dead.
There is no hope because there is nothing we can do to earn His full approval. That is, there is no work we can do to open the doors of heaven for us. Believing and accepting Christ as Lord and Savior is the only "do" we can do. The price has been fully paid, our certificate of death which was against us has been nailed to the cross. (Col. 1:14).

vs. 2 - "Timothy" - A young disciple who was Paul's companion in many of his journeyings. Timothy’s mother, Eunice, and his grandmother, Lois raised him in a godly family. Paul met Timothy meet in Lystra where he was converted. Paul may have been the witness that brought Timothy to the Lord. Paul arranged that Timothy should become his companion, and he went with Paul’s journey through Phrygia, Galatia, and Mysia; also to Troas and Philippi and Berea (Act 17:14). Paul sent him from Athens with Silas to Thessalonica (Acts 17:15; 1 Th. 3:2). He went to Corinth with Paul (1 Th. 1:1; 2 Th. 1:1). He is sent on a mission into Macedonia. When the apostle was a prisoner at Rome, Timothy may have also been imprisoned. After Paul died, Timothy may have returned to Ephesus and may have died as a martyr. I say “may have” because the historical data is scant.

"grace, mercy, and peace" - three qualities we receive from God - grace when we get what we don't deserve; mercy because God takes pity on us by not giving us the wrath we do deserve (1 Cor. 7:25; 2 Cor. 4:1), and peace for now we are no longer at war with Him - we are friends (more than friends - family) See: 1 John 3:1,2; Rom. 8:16, 9:8; 2 Cor. 6:18; Hos. 1:10; Rev. 21:7.

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Outline and Summary of Paul's First Letter to Timothy

Written by: The Apostle Paul
When written: ~ 63 A.D.
Suggested Theme verse: "to let you know how people ought to conduct themselves" (3:15)

Purpose:

Paul is writing to encourage Timothy, a young leader of a church. I was going to say a new church, but then thought, "All the churches were new!" Almost no churches had been around for years or decades. There was very little church tradition. Some Jewish tradition had filtered over into the new Christian churches, but this was a new enterprise.
Most religions at the time were centered on Greek or Roman gods. There were very few organizations in which people were 'discipled', taught and trained in their belief system.
I don't think there were any 'churches' in which people were taught how to worship Caesar or Neptune. There were temples for Aphrodite, or Zeus, but I doubt there was much training, except for priests and acolytes. Did Caesar-worship have a bible? Did Zeus or Mars have a bible?
The Jews had synagogues, in which people came together regularly to be taught from their scriptures. Synagogues were local, for each village or neighborhood. People did not make the trek to Jerusalem for everyday worship, only for the major Holy Day sacrifices. In some ways, the church copied the practice of the Jews - getting together once a week to be taught. In addition, the teaching and practices of the church were radically different from all other religions (except for Judaism - both believed in God - and Christianity shared the Jewish Scriptures as their foundational documents.)

Paul tells Timothy people who are trying to get the Ephesus church to fall back into following the strictures of the Law don't know what they are talking about. After dealing with the problem of the Law, then Paul spends the rest of the letter helping Timothy guide the church in dealing with the family members. The interpersonal relationships of a group of people is complex. Even though we are 'new creations, all things have become new' (2 Cor. 5:17), our personalities, needs, and wants are all thrown into the church membership pot and stirred. The administration of a group of people requires both planners and doers, servants and those served, leaders and followers. I believe the Holy Spirit leads Paul to lay out a local church hierarchy, and guidelines for dealing with the believers.

Go through the letter, and see how God wants us to treat and work with each other in the church. Who will lead us? Elders. Who will serve us, help us in need? Deacons. Who should do these jobs? Upstanding citizens. Who should they serve? Widows. Old people. Slaves, Masters, Young men. Young women.Those who are in need. You know who they are, just look around you. They are your fellow believers. You see them every day, every church gathering.

Outline
Chap. 1
1:1-2 - Greeting
1:3-5 - Urging correct instruction
1:6-11 - They do not understand the law
1:12-17 - God's mercy shown to Paul
1:18-20 - Timothy reminded of his calling

Chap. 2
2:1-8 - Pray!
2:9-15 - Rules for Women

Chap. 3
3:1-13 - Rules for Overseers or Deacons
3:14-15 - Desire to come to you
3:16 - Compact Gospel

Chap. 4
4:1-5 - Some will stray
4:6-11 - Teaching the truth is good
4:12-16 - Stay faithful to your calling

Chap. 5 - Rules For harmonious living
5:1-2 - Old people
5:3-6 - Dealing with widows - part 1
5:7-8 - Realize your Responsibilities
5:9-10 - Starting a List...
5:11-16 - Dealing with Younger Widows - part 2
5:17-18 - Elders Are Your Leaders
5:19-20 - Accusations Against Leaders
5:21-23 - Keep yourself pure
5:24-25 - Behavior will be revealed

Chap. 6 - Rules for harmonious living
6:1-2 - Slaves and masters
6:3-5 - Fruit of false teaching
6:6-10 - The love of money...
6:11-12 - A charge to Timothy
6:13-16 - Jesus is the One
6:17-19 - Teach the rich
6:20-21 - Protect your calling
***
Summary:

Background information:

Timothy had been left by Paul in Ephesus, or sent to Ephesus, to correct some false teaching being preached there. This letter also sets up a leadership structure for the local church. At this time the main church structure was located in Jerusalem where most of the apostles were living. Peter, John, John, and Luke were the main leaders in the Jerusalem church. Barnabas brought Paul to Jerusalem to be 'approved' by the council to be a missionary. See Acts 9:26-30.

Paul and Barnabas went to Jerusalem to be blessed and sent out to evangelize. See: Acts 15:1-21. They needed the approval of the 'twelve' to go to the Gentiles. Without that approval, there is no way to know if they were actually part of the Christian faith or charlatans in it for profit. In each city, or village, where believers were found, they came together to support each other. This support is important because what they were doing was completely new.
In any group of people, whether a drug gang, a golf players club, or a church, leaders will emerge. People who will study, who will demonstrate themselves as the ones who may have answers to questions such as: "How do we..."; or "What is the proper way to..."; and "Can you help?" Likewise, in any collection of people, there are those that want to be in control of others - whether for good or ill will.

From the Jewish tradition, there were people called or appointed to care for those in their tribe or neighborhood. For example, Moses could not manage the Israelites - there were too many with too many issues. See: Exo. 18:13-21. Even the first church in Jerusalem was too much for the twelve apostles. There were people appointed to handle problems and issues. Everything that happened in the Jerusalem church was not personally directed by the apostles. They delegated the work and responsibility. See: Acts 6:1-7.

One of the major differences between the Jewish religion and other religions of the time - the Roman or Greek gods - is the Jewish God was solitary, and not an eclectic group of 'super' individuals. This monotheism was/is unique, and their behavior was to be based on their relationship with God.
One of the major differences between the Jewish religion and the Christian religion involves the personal relationship each believer has with God. I do not mean God was remote from the individual Jew. Each person could call upon God, and come and pray to Him. God promised to listen when they prayed, when they sought Him with all their heart. Yet, there was no way for the average Joseph to offer a sacrifice in the Temple. Sacrifice were brought to the Temple, handed over to the priests who performed the ritual for the believer. The whole dynamic changed when Christ came to earth as a human, to be sacrificed and resurrected.

Jesus said if you believe in Me, I will be in you, you will be in Me, and I am giving you the Holy Spirit of God to teach, instruct, guide, comfort, and help you. You are not alone anymore. When you pray I will always hear you because I am in you. When you don't know what to pray (especially during stressful situations) the Holy Spirit will speak for you. The Spirit knows your needs. This personal relationship with God means that individuals do not need a priest to guide them, to teach them. Priests were no longer necessary to perform rituals. There are no longer sacrifices for atonement, cleansing, purification.
Priests are not a bad thing, just not required for faith in Christ. That being said, there will always be people who struggle with studying and applying information for living their lives. There will always be people who thrive in study and synthesizing concepts for understanding and living for Jesus. There will always be people who are better at organizing and leading groups, and there are always followers. Leaders, teachers, servers, and followers imply a hierarchy or structure for the church organization.

Paul is not addressing the ecclesiastical structure of the world wide church, if such a thing is necessary. He is giving instruction for local church body organization. How to choose leaders for our local church. The guidelines for leader criteria are started here in this letter.

***
Note: My intent was to have each verse of the chapter included usually in italics, with discussion following. Sometimes if there were significant phrases or words, these are handled separately, and will be shown underlined. Verses quoted as reference or explanation will be italics with the address bold.
Please forgive fractured grammar, and partial sentences. These were notes written as I thought and prayed during the study. The truncated written thought was fully developed in my mind, or so I like to believe.

Col. 4:7-18 - Closings and greetings

See note 1

Vs. 7-9 - Tychicus, a dear brother, faithful minister, and fellow slave in the Lord, will tell you all the news about me. I sent him to you for this very purpose, that you may know how we are doing and that he may encourage your hearts. I sent him with Onesimus, the faithful and dear brother, who is one of you. They will tell you about everything here.

- Two fellow workers with Paul and Timothy were being sent to the people of Colossae to cheer them up and give them all the news, and exhortation. Note: not counting Timothy there are ten (10) workers listed in this letter. (1) Tychicus (name means 'chance') is mentioned in Acts 20, so is a long time helper with Paul. (2) Onesimus is perhaps more 'famous' because he was a slave, owned by Philemon. Onesimus runs away, eventually meets up with Paul and is converted. Paul convinces him to return voluntarily to Philemon (see the letter to Philemon). Onesimus and Tychicus are given the important jobs of delivering news to the churches in Macedonia area.

Vs. 10-14 - Aristarchus, my fellow prisoner, sends you greetings, as does Mark, the cousin of Barnabas (about whom you received instructions; if he comes to you, welcome him). And Jesus who is called Justus also sends greetings. In terms of Jewish converts, these are the only fellow workers for the kingdom of God, and they have been a comfort to me. Epaphras, who is one of you and a slave of Christ, greets you. He is always struggling in prayer on your behalf, so that you may stand mature and fully assured in all the will of God. For I can testify that he has worked hard for you and for those in Laodicea and Hierapolis. Our dear friend Luke the physician and Demas greet you.

- further listing of fellow workers (3) Aristarchus, (4) Mark - the author of the gospel; (5) Justus; (6) Epaphras; (7) Luke - author of the gospel and Acts; (8) Demas.
- Note: Epaphras worked hard for the church at Colossae, which he probably started. He prayed earnestly for them because of his concern for them and they might become mature in Christ. Mark served with Paul and Barnabas until a disagreement between Pauls and Barnabas arose concerning Mark. Paul and Barnabas part ways. Paul begins working with Silas, Mark leaves with Barnabas; they are cousins, so the Christian faith must have been shared in their family. See: Acts 15. Some time later, Paul and Mark resolve their differences, and Mark joins Paul in his ministry.

Vs. 15-18 - Give my greetings to the brothers and sisters who are in Laodicea and to Nympha and the church that meets in her house. And after you have read this letter, have it read to the church of Laodicea. In turn, read the letter from Laodicea as well. And tell Archippus, "See to it that you complete the ministry you received in the Lord. I, Paul, write this greeting by my own hand. Remember my chains. Grace be with you.

- Two more workers for Christ added to the list: (9) Nympha, (10) Archippus.
- "Nympha" - A woman sited as a founder, or at least a supporter of the New Testament church. Although Jewish tradition and also the surrounding culture did not really recognize women as 'people', the church founded on Christ definitely has a significant role for them. The ministry of the church elevates women from the time that Jesus starts His ministry, even before His death and resurrection. Mary, Martha, Mary Magdalene, the Samaritan woman at the well are all significant to His ministry.
To whom did Jesus first appear after the resurrection? - A woman, Mary.

Following up, the Apostles did not shun or berate women for their contribution. Women hold prominent places in the early church - see Acts, and the letters written by Paul and others.

Archippus is also listed in the letter to Philemon, and called a good soldier for Christ.

Final instructions "Read this letter and pass it on. Read the other letter when it arrives" I don't think that second letter was kept and preserved to be considered for the canon. And lastly an encouraging word for Archippus, "Don't forget you have been called into the ministry, be sure to do it always."

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End of Letter
note 1: The Bible Study NOtes for Col. 4:2-6 got posted in Jan. 2016 - ?! - No, I don’t know why or how. Ain’t technology wonderful - when it works...