Page 11 - Pastoral Epistles student textbook

2.1 Connect

At his trial, Jesus was asked by Pilate “what is truth?” Earlier, Jesus told His disciples, “I
am the way, the truth and the life.” (John 14:6). Jesus is the logos of God. That means
Jesus is the exact representation of who God is. The author of Hebrews put it this way
(Hebrews 1: 1-3): “ Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers
by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he
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appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. He is the radiance of the
glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power.

Our world today is confused. In the US, we are bombarded with FAKE NEWS. What our news stations
broadcast is quite often a bunch of false or slanted news. Americans cannot really trust what they say,
because the lie so often. Recently CBS broadcasted a news report about how bad the Coronavirus was
and said they were showing a hospital in a city in America but were really showing a desperate
hospital in northern Italy. They made the situation look far worse than it is. That is lying to the public.

A person who bases his life and beliefs on false information will certainly be disappointed in the end.
We need to base what we believe on the TRUTH. And the only truth there is in found in the written
and living logos of God, Jesus Christ and His Word. Today, Paul will build on this idea as we begin our
study in Chapter 1 of I Timothy. Let’s begin…

2.2 Objectives

1. The student should be able to identify the location of where Timothy was ministering.

2. The student should be able to state the importance of truth in Biblical doctrine and why.

3. The student should be able to describe the truth that Jesus paid it all as one of the primary points
of sound doctrine.

2.3 The Importance of Truth

First Timothy is one of three pastoral letters (including 2 Timothy and Titus) that the
aging apostle Paul sent to those who would continue his work. Timothy was, in every
way, Paul’s spiritual son. Young but gifted, Timothy had been assigned to lead the
church at Ephesus—a church needing order in worship as well as doctrinal correction,
plagued as it was by false teachers. Paul’s letter, counseled Timothy on matters of
church leadership—from proper worship, to qualifications for overseers (elders) and
deacons, to advice on confronting false teaching and how to treat various individuals within a
congregation. Paul charged Timothy to live a life beyond reproach, giving believers a standard to
emulate.

Excerpt taken from: 1 and 2 Timothy and Titus by John Calvin.

1 Timothy 1:3-4. As I urged you when I went into Macedonia, stay there in Ephesus so that
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you may command certain people not to teach false doctrines any longer or to devote
themselves to myths and endless genealogies. Such things promote controversial
speculations rather than advancing God’s work—which is by faith.
The Apostle Paul wrote to the church in Ephesus at least two times.

Ephesians 3:1-3.
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