Page 94 - New Testament Survey Student Textbook

1 Tim. 2:1–2 – This passage helps us have a strong sense of responsibility to pray for our own leaders in
government and every area of this life. This means that He will never ignore us when we pray for
leaders. In what areas do you see the need to pray for your leader (s)? Do you have other you know who
intentionally pray for you?

1 Tim. 3:1 – 5 – Seeing how God highly values the call to pastoral and teaching ministry, as ministers of
the Word, we need to become more aware of God’s expectations of our private and public life. How do
you rekindle your awareness of God’s expectations of your public and private life?
Paul emphatically reminds us to be careful to follow only true teachings and doctrines (1 Tim 4:1–5). Are
there any ideas you are tempted to entertain about God or the Church that you can identify as false?
Ask God to help you change them.

1 Tim. 4:4–5 – Faith is the issue here. God through His apostle indorses the idea that every eatable
animal is good for food provided we pray and trust His Word. This is in contrast to the Jewish food laws.
How do you see yourself grow in faith with regard to food? How are you encouraging others to grow in
faith?

1 Tim. 5:1–2 – This passage gives us a strong sense of the true family among believers. True family can
be experienced anywhere in the world away from home, if Christians applied God’s principles of love
rightly. How do you make others have a sense of family around you? How do you encourage others to
be familial?

1 Tim. 6:6–8 – We greatly need to watch the health of our desire for money. What is the motivation for
your desire for money and material wealth?

Do you do a good job of embodying Paul’s commands for behavior toward other believers? How do you
treat the vulnerable in your community and in our world: the elderly, the widows, the homeless, and the
children? Is there anyone you’re not inclined to be kind toward?

Atmosphere
While time is not certainly known, we are aware that the Epistle was written
after the events in Acts 28. Paul had instructed Timothy to care for the church
at Ephesus (1:3) while he went on to Macedonia. When he realized that he
would not return to Ephesus soon (3:14–15), he wrote this first letter to Timothy to develop the charge
(1:3, 18), to refute false teachings (1:3–7; 4:1–8; 6:3–5,20–21) and to supervise the affairs of the
growing Ephesian church (church worship, Ch. 2; the appointment of qualified church leaders, 3:1–13;
5:17–25). A major problem in the Ephesian church was a heresy that combined Gnosticism, decadent
Judaism (1:3–7) and false asceticism (4:1–5).

Highlights: key passages:

1Timothy

• Warning against False Teachers (1:3–11)
• The Lord’s Grace to Paul (1:12–17)
• The Purpose of Paul’s Instructions to Timothy (1:18–20)
• Instructions concerning Church Administration (Chs. 2–3)

93