Page 25 - Pastoral Epistles I & 2 Timothy, Titus

Six of Paul’s epistles include Timothy in the greetings. The most tender and moving of Paul’s letters was his last
one to Timothy. He was a prisoner in a Roman dungeon when he wrote 2 Timothy, approximately AD 67. He
knew he had a short time to live, so the letter is his spiritual last will and testament – his “dying wish” – to
encourage Timothy and to invite Timothy to join him during his final days of imprisonment.

2 Timothy 4:9, 21.
9 Do your best to come to me quickly.
21 Do your best to get here before winter. Eubulus greets you, and so do Pudens, Linus, Claudia,
and all the brothers and sisters.

According to Foxe’s Book of Martyrs, which was written several centuries later (originally
published in 1563), Timothy remained in Ephesus until AD 97. During a pagan celebration of a
feast called “Catagogian,” Timothy severely criticized and rebuked the people involved in their
celebration for their ridiculous idolatry. This provoked the partygoers, who beat him with clubs “in
so dreadful a manner that he died two days later.”

I grew up playing baseball with other young guys in our town. In the summer, almost every boy played
baseball. We would get some guys together and just play ball. We didn’t need a coach. We didn’t need a rule
book and we didn’t need spectators. We just played baseball. Sometimes five on each side. Sometimes six.
Sometimes four. Whoever showed up got to play.
Sometimes we played at the baseball park. Sometimes we played in the street. We would have to
wait for the cars to go through before we pitched the next ball.
Some of you may have played baseball the same way.
We never had official umpires. Whether someone was out or safe was usually up to their own
honesty. If there were arguments about whether the player was out or safe, we would sometimes flip a coin.
If we needed to flip a coin – one side was always happy, and the other side always complained.
But when we played real baseball games, we always had umpires. Baseball needs umpires - to hold us
to what are called proper standards.

The church also needs to operate by using proper standards. Just imagine what a worship service would be like if
there were no guidelines and no rules.
1 Corinthians 14:40. But everything should be done in a fitting and orderly way.

1 Timothy chapter 2 gives us some of these proper standards about how we are supposed to conduct ourselves
in our worship service when we come together. Chapter 2 gives us rules and guidelines about what we are
supposed to do and not to do.

23