Church Responsibilities Continued

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To Employees

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These verses have a wide range of application. They are applicable to everyone for we all are employees. We work for ourselves, we work for the church and we work for others. We have a responsibility to those that we work for and we have a responsibility to those who work for us.

These instructions appear to be given to slaves but they are applicable to all. It is estimated that one half of the population of Ephesus were slaves, therefore many of the believers in the church there were slaves. To these people, Paul gives instructions concerning their responsibility to their masters and we might very well apply these instructions to ourselves.

The Gospel set the slave free and because of this, many openly defied their masters. Paul wanted Timothy to explain to these people that their spiritual freedom did not apply to their legal position. They were not to assume that sense their master was now their brother in Christ that he now had no right to tell them what to do. This attitude created serious problems in the church and in the courts. As Christians working for other Christians, we must not take advantage of the love and concern that they have for us, but rather, because of this relationship, render unto them a greater measure of our labor.

Paul says in Romans 2:24, that for a slave to rebel against an unsaved master would bring disgrace upon the Gospel. He says here that all masters deserve to be treated as worthy and honorable, weather they are or not. For this reason, Paul did not go around preaching against the sinful institution of slavery.

To False Teachers

We have in these verses, a subject that is controversial. We have described here a class taught by a teacher who is one of five things:

1. A teacher who is to lazy to study and therefore creates arguments between the students in order to fill in the time. OR
2. A teacher who does not know the lesson or the Bible well enough to give sound instruction, so he improvises. OR
3. A teacher who is proud but has nothing to be proud of. OR
4. A teacher who has a conceited attitude which causes him to argue about minor things. OR
5. A teacher that creates, within the class, envy, dissension, slander and suspicions . This causes arguments when false statements are often made.

We have teachers in all of our churches that can fall in any or all of the above five categories. The tragedy is that because of this, the students are robbed of the truth and even worse, they are often taught false teachings. Now I am not saying that we cannot disagree in love on some points. We do not all have to agree on everything, but we do need to study and base our differences on that sound study of the Bible not on personal opinions. I spent some 23 years in Sunday School and never learned anything about the Bible. Many others have expressed similar, even longer experiences. Please do not think that Paul is knocking the exchange of opinions. He commended the Bereans because they went home and studied the Word to see if what he said was true. All of us as teachers, appreciate that kind of response by those whom we teach. I keeps us on our toes.

Many, even in Paul's time, liked the teacher that taught little and allowed much discussion no matter how irrelevant it was. They were even in much demand, some even received high salaries. So they promoted mediocrity and even worse, encouraged false teachings, or at least, teachings that pleased the peoples ear.

Paul learned to be content in whatever state he found himself, because he believed that his life was led by the Spirit and he gave of his life without thought of personal gain or what it might cost him. He preached what the people needed to hear not what they wanted to hear. There is an old Amish saying, "Cooking lasts, kissing don't". A Quaker friend once said, "Friend, if ever thou dost need any thing, come to me and I will tell you how to get along without it."

The desire for wealth and popularity lead these false teachers to continue as they did. Paul says that the desire for wealth usually leads to sin. In this case, it led to laziness, lack of truth, pride, conceit and envy and dissension. We need to be very selective in our Sunday School teachers.

The Pastors Responsibility

The false teachers were men of the world but Timothy was a man of God, as such, he was to shun the evils of pride and money. Paul tells Timothy of four things that he should do if he was to be a success in his ministry.

1. "Run, or Shun". There are times when running away is a mark of wisdom. The word used by Paul meant to "separate yourself". Get away from, in this case, false teachers. As a congregation, we must allow, even encourage the minister to do this. We must allow the Holy Spirit to lead him in this decision.
2. "Aim or Follow". Aim or follow after what? Paul lists 6 things:
   1. Righteousness, personal integrity.
   2. Godliness, good conduct.
   3. Faith, better translated faithful. The greatest asset a minister can have is dependability.
   4. Love, sacrifice for the sake of others.
   5. Steadfastness, patience, hanging in there when the going gets tough.
   6. Meekness, gentleness. Meekness is not weakness, it's power under control.
   These were the six things that Timothy was to aim for or to follow after.
3. "Fight". This is the same Greek word that was applied to athletics and soldiers. It gave them the "competitive edge". It means giving it your best. Paul said of himself, "I have fought the good fight." He wasn't asking of Timothy more than he was willing to give himself. In this area, lets be sure we are fighting with the forces of evil and not with each other as was the case in Ephesus. We need to be like Nehemiah, as he over looked the repairs to the walls around Jerusalem, we need a trowel in one hand and a sword in the other.
4. "Lay hold of your salvation." Paul reminds Timothy of the time that he confessed Christ as his Lord and Savior and the eternal life that he received. It's interesting that way Paul puts this, "Take hold of the eternal life you received when you confessed Jesus Christ in the presence of many witnesses(verse 12)." I thought this was a strange way of saying this, but when you think about it, it makes sense. We accept Christ as our Lord and Savior, we receive eternal life, but how many "lay hold" of that promise, how many people have a "know so" salvation? If we did, we would shout from the rooftops, as Paul did, "To live is Christ, to die is gain." Our attitude about death would change completely. So Timothy was to "lay hold", acknowledge, never doubt his salvation.
5. "Keep free from reproach." Remain true to his ministry, to all the trust that had been given him and all the service that was expected from him. How should Timothy keep all of this? "Unstained and free from reproach." Do not do any thing that might bring disgrace upon the ministry of Jesus Christ. Keep your actions above reproach. How long should Timothy do this? Verse 14, until death or the Second Coming, which ever comes first. What's going to happen at the Second Coming that Paul is concerned about here? At the Second Coming, we must all give an account of the talents with which we have been entrusted. Failure on our part will not effect our salvation, phrase the Lord, read First Cor. 3:13.

Notice Paul gives these instructions to Timothy in the form of an oath. "I charge you in the presence of God and Jesus Christ." "God who gives life to all things and Jesus Christ, who in His testimony before Pontius Pilate, made the good confession." What was the confession that Jesus made before Pilate? Jesus confessed that His kingdom was not of this world. What had this to do with Paul's instructions to Timothy? Paul could foresee the dangers that lay ahead for Timothy. He would experience opportunity, power, high standing, eventually become the first Bishop of Ephesus. It would not be easy for Timothy to see his kingdom in light of the "world to come". This was a warning to Timothy to remain humble and dedicated to the ministry to which he had been called. Verse 20, "Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to you." "Avoid chatter and contradictions." "That which is falsely called, knowledge." "So-called science", is what the King James calls it.

We are, more than ever, today faced with the contradictions of science and the Word of God. Paul says, "Avoid these things". So we, as a church, must seek for our minister, what Paul sought for Timothy, personal integrity, good conduct, dependability, love and concern for others, patience, gentleness, a firm faith, moral strength, and a desire to guard that with which he has been entrusted.

Rich Peoples Responsibility

To Timothy, Paul gives the following instructions to be passed out to the rich. First, rich people are to be humble. Wealth often makes a person proud. We should remember that we do not own the wealth that we have, we are only stewards of it. Paul believed that wealth came by the Grace of God, therefore, it should make us humble and cause us to give God the glory. He expresses an observation that many of us have observed, "It is possible to be rich in this world and still be poor."

Notice what He means by this. Only the believer can be "rich" in this world, and its not money that makes him that way, it is faith and assurance in what Jesus purchased for us, not what money purchased for us. So Paul's first instruction to the rich were to be humble.

His second instruction was to trust God, not wealth. We should remind ourselves of the parable that Jesus told about the rich farmer. His barns were full so he tore them down and built bigger ones, only to find out that that very day his soul was required of him. Someone has said, "Wealth is not really security, rather it is evidence of insecurity." Earthly wealth can be lost over night, so lets put our faith in that which is eternal.

The third instruction to the rich was to enjoy what the Lord gives. Some people find this un-Christian. They believe that the word "enjoy" is not in the Bible, it is a mis-interpretation. But if you read the book of Ecclesiastes, the recurring theme is, "Enjoy the blessings of life now." This is not sinful. It is simply enjoying all that God gives us and if he gives us wealth, use it for the benefit of others. There is much pleasure in money if it is used for the benefit of others.

Last of all, enjoy all that the Lord gives you. Paul calls this, "Taking hold of life, which is life indeed." Improper use of wealth will not cause the believer to be lost, nor will proper use give us a greater reward. Our reward will be in this world.

Timothy's Responsibility

Finally, in these verses, Paul gives his last instructions to Timothy. Four bits of wisdom is passed on to him:

1. Guard the knowledge that has been given to you.
2. Avoid godless chatter and contradictions from what is falsely called knowledge.
3. Remember that those who profess this false knowledge, have missed the mark of faith.

Paul's last hope for Timothy and all who would read this letter was that the Grace of God would be with them. What greater gift could Paul wish for young Timothy and his church that the Grace of God, sufficient for all of our sins, that which passes understanding.

THUS ENDS THE FIRST LETTER THAT PAUL WROTE TO TIMOTHY

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