Page 10 - Pastoral Epistles I & 2 Timothy, Titus

I Timothy 1 – The Importance of Truth

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
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to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir
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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 they lie so
often. Recently, CBS broadcast 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 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 1 of I Timothy. Let’s
begin…

The Lesson ...

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 you may
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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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