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1 & 2 TIMOTHY & TITUS Do What Yo u Have Heard

11 STUDIES FOR INDIVIDUALS OR GROUPS

P ETE SOMMER

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Contents

GETTING THE MOST OUT OF 1 & 2 TIMOTHY AND TITUS ————————————— 5

1 Spiritual Deception—————— 11

2 1 Timothy 2 The Way Back to Health ———— 15

3 Who Can Lead? ——————— 18

4 1 Timothy 4 True & False ———————— 22

5 1 Timothy 5:1—6:2 How Grace Confronts Conflict —26

6 1 Timothy 6:3-20 Find Your Riches in Christ ——— 30

7 Rejected but Not Ashamed ——— 33

8 Pass It On ————————— 37

9 How to Recognize God’s Voice—— 41

10 It’s Your Turn Now —————— 45

11 Titus 1—3 Eight Months to Change a Church—48 Leader’s Notes —————————————————— 51

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1 Spiritual Deception 1 Timothy 1

“Simply Christians,” says a sign over a sign-up table on a university campus during the first week of school. Two dazed Christian fresh- men sign up, not knowing that Simply Christians is a cult front. Within weeks, Simply Christians will have these freshmen believ- ing they have found the only true Christians on earth. In a year they will cut their ties with family, old friends and other believers, and give most of their time and money to the group. Because the cult has a record of suing its critics, the university will let them function freely and issue no warnings. More subtly, some evangelical groups will persuade members into a life of high-intensity commitment, taking up five or six nights a week, emphasizing “authority” and “community.” New students will be under “disciplers” who probe their most private experiences for spiritual defects that only the group or leader can remedy. Both groups will use the , pray, shower attention on the new members and pull them toward exclusive commitment until they cave in, burn out or break away.

GROUP DISCUSSION. What would indicate to you that a group was not healthy, even though it might call itself Christian?

PERSONAL REFLECTION. When have you felt like you were encounter- ing a false spirituality in someone?

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12 1 & 2 Timothy and Titus

These modern examples are the kinds of thing that were rampant in the church at Ephesus. Paul sent Timothy to Ephesus to deal with these trends. Read 1 Timothy 1.

1. What can you discover about the situation in Ephesus from Paul’s comments?

2. How does Paul describe Timothy’s job (vv. 3-5)?

3. Finding hidden meanings in the Old Testament was a popular method in first-century religion. False teachers here tried to mix these “secret teachings” with the gospel. What results were the false teach- ers getting for their efforts (vv. 4-6)?

How were they different from the results Paul was after?

4. What materials were the false teachers using (vv. 7-9)?

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Spiritual Deception——————————————————— 13

5. From what Paul says about the proper use of the law, how does it seem that the false teachers used it (vv. 8-11)?

6. In what way was Paul himself like the false teachers before his con- version (vv. 12-17)?

7. Compare verse 14 with verse 5. How would this help Timothy keep a clear perspective for his own mission?

8. Note the places where the word conscience comes up (vv. 5, 19). When we speculate and theorize instead of dealing with our own issues of sin, what happens to conscience?

9. Why do faith and a good conscience go together (v. 19; see also 3:9; 4:2)? TimothyTitus.book Page 14 Monday, July 27, 2009 1:57 PM

14 1 & 2 Timothy and Titus

10. How can the kind of faith Paul shows in verse 15 help you face your own issues of conscience?

11. Some Christian groups today may have impressive features but engage in certain practices and pressures that make members feel uneasy. A lot of energy goes into keeping faith and conscience apart in these groups. Are you involved with some “spiritual” activities that bother your own conscience? (Be as honest as possible.)

Close in prayer by putting your own name in place of the general word sinners in verse 15. Now read verses 16-17 as your own prayer of thanks to God.

Now or Later

12. Compare chapter 1 with 1 Timothy 6:3-21. Note the repeated or similar words and phrases. How does this clarify why Paul wrote this letter?

13. What added information does chapter 6 give about the motives of false teachers? What should we study next? We have LifeGuides for . . .

KNOWING Hospitality Parables Advent of the Savior The Lord’s Prayer Pleasing God Following Jesus Prayer Woman of God I Am Praying the Psalms Women of the Abiding in Christ Sabbath Jesus’ Final Week Worship Women of the The Jesus Paul Knew Old Testament DEEPENING (Spring 2018) YOUR DOCTRINE LIVING FULLY KNOWING GOD Angels AT EVERY STAGE Listening to God Apostles’ Creed Singleness Meeting God Christian Beliefs Marriage God’s Comfort The Cross Parenting God’s Love End Times Couples of the The 23rd Psalm Good & Evil Old Testament Miracles Heaven Growing Older & Wiser Questions God Asks The Kingdom of God (Fall 2018) The Story of Scripture Grandparenting

GROWING IN SEEKERS REACHING THE SPIRIT Encountering Jesus OUR WORLD Meeting the Spirit Jesus the Reason Missions Fruit of the Spirit Meeting Jesus Evangelism Spiritual Gifts Good News Four Great Loves Spiritual Warfare Loving Justice LEADERS LOOKING AT Christian Leadership LIVING YOUR FAITH THE TRINITY Integrity Busyness Images of Christ Elijah Christian Virtues Images of God Joseph Forgiveness Images of the Spirit SHAPING YOUR GROWING IN DEVELOPING CHARACTER RELATIONSHIPS DISCIPLINES Christian Character Christian Community Christian Disciplines Decisions Friendship God’s Word Self-Esteem

Find the perfect study for your group with IVP’s LifeGuide Finder: ivpress.com/lifeguidefinder