Page 22 - Pastoral Epistles student textbook

12 I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me
trustworthy, appointing me to his service.

V12-17. Paul’s words matched his life. His life was changed.
How has your life changed since putting your faith in Jesus?

All Christians should be able to look back at their life – over a period of every six months or so
and see how God is changing them. We are either getting rid of sin or we are adding godly
habits or both.
1:18-20. Remaining Faithful to the Call.

18 Timothy, my son, I am giving you this command in keeping with the prophecies
once made about you, so that by recalling them you may fight the battle well,
19 holding on to faith and a good conscience, which some have rejected and so have
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suffered shipwreck with regard to the faith. Among them are Hymenaeus and
Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan to be taught not to blaspheme.

God’s truth requires the believer to live responsibly. There are serious consequences for those who
turn away from God’s truth and His calling.

V18. What does it mean to fight the battle well?
The good fight is the struggle all Christians engage in when our efforts are focused on serving God and
honoring God and accepting responsibility for living lives that reflect personal holiness.
Paul talks about how this was part of his own life in 2 Timothy 4:7.

I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.
Look at 1 Timothy 1:20.

20 Among them are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan to
be taught not to blaspheme.

Paul “handed these two men over to Satan.” They were apparently not willing to repent of their sin
and Paul therefore disciplined them and forced them to leave the church.

It is a dangerous practice to allow sin to remain in the lives of the church without asking people to
repent. Yet this discipline is sometimes overlooked in many churches because it is difficult to identify
and seems hurtful to most people who witness the discipline – and yet this is what Paul asked Timothy
to do.
Has your church ever used this a form of discipline and if so – who would be willing to tell us about it.
What was the sin? How was it accepted by the sinner and by the church?

 The main point of chapter one is: walking in the truth of the Gospel changes people’s lives. Our
behavior changes. We become more involved in church. And we are more likely to eliminate the sin
in our life.
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