The purpose of this is to identify the expectations and characteristics of a leader and teacher (whether sodal (apostolic team) or modal (local Church) in 1 Timothy. However I concede that these commands are declared in a modal context, Paul, a sodal leader, commands people to emulate him thusly his commands can be taken in both leadership positions.
I hope that this can help to distil some core, gospel centred principles by which we can lead for the glory of God to replicate effective leaders for the purpose of the gospel.
1 Timothy:
The Topics He Addresses and commands he gives (explicit)
1. Charge the body to (1:4)
a. Not devote themselves to any other doctrine
b. Not to devote themselves to any myths or genealogies
c. But do devote themselves to faith which results in stewardship from God (or good order)
2. The aim of an overseer is Love (1:5)
a. This comes from a good conscience, a pure heart, and sincere faith
b. If you swerve from these you will wander into vain discussion and you won’t have understanding.
3. The law is everything that is in accordance with the gospel. That the law is laid down for those who don’t walk in the truth of the gospel. (1: 11)
4. Wage good warfare by holding faith and a good conscience. (1:18-19)
a. If you depart from these you make a shipwreck of your faith. Some in doing this have been handed over to Satan.
5. Constantly be praying (supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgiving) for all people especially for those who have authority so that the saints can live peaceful lives which are godly in every way. (2:1)
a. This is good and we should do this with no malice because God desires everyone to be saved (regardless of persecution probably in context.)
b. The reason and motivation of this particular mindset is that there is one God and the mediator of that God is Christ who gave himself up as a ransom for all. The Gospel is the motivation for this practice of praying.
6. To ensure that the men in the body pray everywhere lifting their hands up in prayer not in anger. Women should also be modest and adorned in respectful apparel. This modesty should be an extension of their godliness. (2:8) (i.e. there works being an indication of their heart)
7. Women are not to exercise authority or to teach (2:12)
8. The office of overseer is a noble task (3:1)
a. Overseers are to be:
i. Above reproach
ii. The husband of one wife
iii. Sober minded
iv. Self controlled
v. Respectable
vi. Hospitable
vii. Able to teach
viii. Not a drunkard
ix. Not violent but gentle
x. Not quarrelsome
xi. Not a lover of money
xii. He must manage his household well
xiii. In dignity he must keep his children submissive
1. If he cannot do this how can he mange the household of God?
xiv. He must not be a recent convert
1. Or he could become puffed up
xv. He must be well thought of by outsiders
9. Deacons
a. The qualifications of a deacon
i. The must be dignified
ii. Not double tongued
iii. Not addicted to much wine
iv. Not greedy or dishonest
v. They must hold the mystery of the faith in good conscience
vi. They must be tested to prove that they are “blameless”
vii. Their wives must be dignified, not slanderers and faithful in all things.
viii. They must manage their children and households well.
b. Paul warns Timothy that people will depart from the faith. They are those who do not give any allowance for their freedom in Christ. They forget that everything is made holy by the word and prayer. (4:5)This will happen by devoting themselves to the teaching of demons.
c. Through human liars
d. Through those with seared consciences
10. Hold to the truths outlined by Paul and be a good servant of Christ Jesus. (4:6)
11. Be trained in the words of the faith (the gospel) and good doctrine. (4:6)
12. Train yourself in godliness so that you may strive to the end empowered by hope in the gospel. (4: 8)
13. Command and teach the Gospel
14. Set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity. (4:11)
15. Timothy is to devote himself to the public reading of scripture, to exhortation to teaching (4: 13)
16. Don’t neglect your gifts (your gifting needs to be nurtured and identified (4: 14)
17. Immerse yourself in the utilization of your gifting. (4:15)
18. Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching (4: 16)
a. Persisting in this will save both yourself and your hearers.
19. Don’t rebuke an older brother but encourage them. (5:1)
a. Treat older woman as mothers
b. Younger men as brothers
c. Younger women as sisters in all purity
20. Pay the elders, especially those who preach and teach (4:17-18)
21. Do not except a charge against an elder unless the charge is brought upon by two or three witnesses.
a. If they do sin though they are to be rebuked in the presence of all so that the other elders may stand in fear (4:20)
b. Do these commands and keep them not performing them partially or with out knowing all the facts.
22. Do not allow anything else but the gospel be preached in the Church that person is puffed up, understands nothing, has an unhealthy craving for controversy, and all this produces envy, evil suspicion, dissention, slander. It creates friction among the evil, depraved, deprived of truth, and they consider Godliness to be a means of wealth. (6:5-8)
23. Flee all these things (6:11)
24. Fight hard (6:11
a. Pursue
i. Faith
ii. Love
iii. Godliness
iv. righteousness
v. steadfastness
vi. gentleness
25. Charge the Rich to no put their faith in their riches (6:17)
a. They are to trust in Gods power not there money’s
b. They are to rich in good works
c. This is to build a foundation by which they can grasp what true life is.
26. Do not devote yourself to what some people are calling “knowledge”
a. Rather guard the deposit entrusted to you
His implicit: encouragements/ commands/ illustrations/ personal example/ interaction with timothy
1. Apostles are of Christ and commissioned by him (1:1)
2. In close relationship with timothy (1:2)
3. Paul brings timothy along in his assertions. He assumes and welcomes his “son in the faith” into right understandings about doctrine. This can be immensely encouraging for a young leader and affirms him because his teacher is implicitly confirming his legitimacy in leadership. ( 1:8)
4. He never departs or moves on from the gospel in his encouragement. He is content to teach and disciple timothy in it even in his talks about leadership. He is training him up in it even when discussing leadership. ( 1:11)
5. He reinforces that the gospel has been entrusted to him. This is implicitly telling timothy that it is being entrusted to him as Paul is modelling leadership to him. (1:11)
6. He openly praises and thanks God for his grace. ( 1:12) This rejoicing is for his ability to serve. He claiming his ability as a leader is as a result of the Lord, as he “judged me faithful, appointing me to his service”. He is not putting up his own power as the catalyst for his leadership but rather God’s to his young leader. (1:12)
7. He is openly confessing sin to his young leader. (1:14-15)
8. He is a lover of Jesus and enabled by his spirit as a result of Gods great mercy demonstrated in the gospel as a way to show his great patience. (1:16)
9. His life as a leader is to display that patience of God in the gospel. Paul’s life is to show practical examples of the gospel. (1:16)
10. He openly praises and glorifies God in front of timothy. (1:17)
11. He again calls him his child (1:18)
12. He reminds him of the promises of God that were given him through prophecy. (1: 18)
13. Paul is continually using the Gospel as the motivator and dominant appeal for his calls on Timothy. (2:1)
14. Paul is communicating the same enabling practices that he just exercised with timothy in 1:8. He is showing that in training the called deacons to their office their faith will increase in their responsibility. If they are qualified that is. Paul demonstrates then he illustrates. (1:13)
15. Paul loves and longs to be with Timothy (3:14)
16. He reminds Timothy that the church is not the rules and structures that he just illustrated.
17. He reminds timothy of what the church is after his very pragmatic calls. He buttresses his practice with principle, his orthopraxy with orthodoxy. This is all massaging and implicitly littering young Timothy’s heart and mind with the Gospel in encouragement as well as instruction. This just reinforces the Pauline as well as the entirety of the biblical narrative’s emphasis on gospel centrality. (3:15-16)
18. Undergirded in his argument is the freedom that the gospel gives us. (4:5)
19. Honor widows (5:3)
a. Care for them
20. He loves and cares for his young leader, giving him malady’s for his ailments. (5:23)
21. He refers to him as the man of God (6:11)
22. Paul brings him personally back to the Gospel by bringing him back to his salvation (6:12)
23. He retells the gospel and charges him with it as he bursts forth in joy about Jesus to his young leader. (6:13-17)
24. He wishes grace on him (6:21)
a. This is really important to get across because this is not just something people said back then. It literally means that what Jesus has given you, may that be with you.
25. The Gospel is the reason that he was appointed as an apostle and a teacher of the gentiles in faith and truth. (2:7)
a. Deacons gain good standing for themselves and in being one they gain confidence in the faith that is in Christ. (Gospel appeal) (3:13)
These are some practical questions that we can apply to leadership lessons from 1 Timothy. They are organized in implicit and explicit examples. The explicit questions are the direct commands that Paul gives Timothy as a young leader- the prescriptive texts. The implicit commands are what we can glean from Pauls example of leadership not necessarily his commands- description. Remember bring the gospel to bear on your convictions. In answering these questions, refer back to the scripture and outline so that you can read them in context, not in religious isolation and proof texting.
Questions:
Explicit Questions:
1. Do you charge people to devote themselves to the gospel? (1:4)
a. Do you in that charge dismantle the ways they are rebelling against the gospel specifically? (i.e. the endless genealogies etc.) This can work its self out in money, relationships, identity, safety, etc.
b. Or do you give them principles that pray on their tendency to try and save themselves from their sin instead of the belief in Christ that enables them to respond in obedience.
2. Could you be an overseer or deacon? (1:5; 3-4)
a. Is your faith sincere? Is your heart pure?
b. Do find yourself wandering into vain discussion? Do you have understanding?
c. If not there are places where you are not believing the Gospel.
3. Are you constantly praying? (2:1)
a. Is the motivation of this prayer mindset the gospel?
4. Do see the people that persecute you or those you work with or are ministering as one’s whom God wants to save?
5. Do you preach freedom in Christ? Are there people who you need to softly illustrate there lack of faith?
a. However, we need to weigh this scripture with other scripture. Paul says in Romans 16 where that we are not to make people stumble because of our freedom. This one takes alot of discernment, prayer and humility. Also context is important, a “freedom” rebuke probably will be better received on a one on one or in community rather then from the pulpit or monologue teaching settings.
b. However, Paul does refer to people who restrict people from freedom as those who are liars and have seared consciences and are influenced by demons. ( 4:5)
6. Would you say that you are trained in the words of faith (the gospel) or are you trained in empty theology and bible quotes?
7. Do you set the believers an example in faith, conduct, purity and love. (4:11)
8. Do you neglect gifts? Are you being a good servant and utilizing the means that God has given you to serve? (4:14)
a. The “Tri- perspectival” leader ship forms of prophet priest and king are helpful here.
9. Do you flee all the things outlined in 6:5-8?
Implicit questions:
- Do we promote and display the Gospel as the reason we are appointed and serve? (2:7)
- As opposed to knowledge etc.
- When they are ready, do we appoint people or give them responsibility so that they may have confidence in Christ? (3:13)
- Do we bring our younger leaders along in your assertions of Godliness in you language? Do you refer to the people you are discipling as “sons” “fellow workmen” “men of God”? This can give them great confidence and motivation in the gospel as you confirm the spirits work in them. (1:11)
- Do you “entrust” the gospel to people? Declaring the gospel over them and allowing the holy spirit to work? (1:11)
- Do you illustrate your ability to serve and work in the gospel as a work of God enabling you for ministry? Do you put forth Gods power continually instead of your power? (1:12)
- Do you openly confess sin to those you teaching or discipling? (1:14-15)
- Do you have familial relationships with people you are discipling? (1:18)
- Is the Gospel the dominant appeal to all of you exhortations? (2:1)
- Do you demonstrate then illustrate? (1:13)
- Do you love and long to be with people you are discipling? This is indicative of how much you love them? (3:14
- Do you buttress your practice with principle? IS the gospel the reason for your doing? (3:15-16)
- Do you know the people you are discipling enough to know if they are sick? (5:23)
- Do you bring people back to the Gospel personally by reminding them of their conversion? Or do you ”encourage” them by giving them something other then the gospel? (6:12)
- Do you routinely re-tell the Gospel to people? (6:13-17)
