DOCSLIB.ORG

1 Timothy 6:17-19

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
1 Timothy 6:17-19 1 Timothy 6:17-19 1 Timothy 6:17-Paul Tells Timothy To Command The Rich To Not Be Arrogant Or Place Their Confidence Upon Riches But On God 1 Timothy 6:17-19 In 1 Timothy 5:1-6:2, the apostle Paul gives instructions to Timothy with regards to various groups in the Ephesian Christian community. In 1 Timothy 5:1- 2, he gives instructions to Timothy with regards to his proper treatment of older and younger men and women in the church. This is followed by an extended discussion of a problem concerning widows in 1 Timothy 5:3-16. Then, in 1 Timothy 5:17-25, he addresses the proper treatment of elders and need to exercise caution when ordaining men to be overseers. Lastly, in Timothy 6:1-2, the apostle discusses the proper conduct of Christian slaves towards their masters. By these instructions, Paul is describing the Christian community as a family that is to operate according to God’s love by the power of the Spirit. The members of this family are to show proper respect and honor toward each other. This family has responsibilities and an authority structure build into it. Now, in 1 Timothy 6:17-19, Paul will address a fifth and final group, namely those Christians who were rich. 1 Timothy 6:17-19 concludes that portion of the epistle that is directed specifically at the Ephesian Christian community. 1 Timothy 6:19-20 concludes not only the epistle but also that portion of the epistle that is directed specifically to Timothy. In 1 Timothy 6:3-10, Paul issues a final indictment against the false teachers in Ephesus and their love of money. After issuing this final indictment against the false teachers, Paul then urges Timothy in 1 Timothy 6:11-16 to live a godly, exemplary life (6:11-16). Now, in 1 Timothy 6:17-19, Paul returns to the subject of wealth. In these verses, he commands Timothy to instruct those who are rich in the Christian community in Ephesus to not be arrogant or placed their confidence upon the uncertainty of riches but on God who richly supplies Christians with all things to enjoy. Then, he follows this by commanding Timothy to instruct the wealthy to perform good works with their wealth, which will result in rewards at the Bema Seat. This paragraph might appear to be out of place. However, after his teaching that the love of money is a sin, he undoubtedly wanted the Ephesians to understand that that possessing wealth is not evil in itself only the love of it. So he doesn’t want the Ephesians to get the wrong idea about wealth. There is a great danger for those who are wealthy to be deceived into thinking that it will give them security. Only 2011 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 1 God is their security. So in verses 17-19, Paul is instructing the Ephesian Christian community in Ephesus what their proper attitude toward money should be. The majority of Americans in the twenty-first century would be considered by Paul as being rich. The Christians in the first century would consider Americans in the twenty-first century as rich. The standard of living among the majority of Americans was much higher than the standard of living of Paul’s congregations. In fact, the standard of living among the majority of Americans is much greater than the rest of the world. Therefore, what Paul is teaching in 1 Timothy 6:17-19 is certainly applicable to Christians living in America in the twenty-first century. A lot of Americans like to deny this fact that they are wealthy in comparison to the rest of the world because they are either stingy and don’t want to part with their money or they just totally unaware of how well they have it. Flat screen televisions, I-phones, dishwashers, two cars in each family, computers, summer vacations, winter vacations in exotic places, etc. Americans are wealthy no question. Therefore, Christian Americans would do well to heed Paul’s instructions in 1 Timothy 6:17-19 and begin, if they haven’t already, using their money to advance God’s kingdom and help God’s people. Some argue that the verses are an interpolation, originally placed after verses 2 or 10. However, there is no textual evidence, which supports this idea. Contextually, these verses fit perfectly after verse 16. In verses 3-10, Paul condemned the love of money of the apostate pastors in Ephesus, which was followed by exhorting Timothy to exemplify a godly life in verses 11-16. Now, in verses 17-19, he is balancing his teaching on wealth. It is evil to love money so as to pursue it without regard for God’s will but not to possess wealth. So verses 17- 19 serve to balance, Paul’s teaching with regards to wealth. Others argue that the doxology in verses 15-16 signify an end to the epistle and thus verses 17-19 must be interpolation. However, Paul’s uses doxologies in the middle of his epistles such as in Romans 11:33-36. Therefore, 1 Timothy 6:17-19 serves to qualify Paul’s teaching in 1 Timothy 6:3-10 and is designed to help the Christians in Ephesus to put the subject of money and wealth in proper perspective. It is sin to love money more than God. However, it is not sin to possess it. In fact, having it, presents a great opportunity to help God’s people and further advance His kingdom in the world. Stewardship of Treasure In 1 Timothy 6:17-19, Paul is discussing the believer’s stewardship with regards to money. A steward is a manager, not an owner. He is one who manages the property of another. God is the owner and we are the managers of the various stewardships He has given. This includes the whole of life, of course. But to be 2011 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 2 good stewards of His grace, we must know the precise areas of stewardship for which God is holding us accountable. Stewardship is one of four concepts related to Christian fellowship. (1) Relationship with Christ: We are all permanently united together by the common (eternal) life that we share as a result of regeneration and the Baptism of the Spirit (Acts 2:42; 1 C. 1:9; 1 Jn. 1:3). (2) Partnership: We are to work together for a common purpose to obtain common objectives for the glory of God and the gospel of Jesus Christ (cf. Phil 1:27; Phlp. 1:5; Gal. 2:9; Heb. 1:9). (3) Companionship: We are to communicate with one another and have fellowship with one another sharing with one another the things (viewpoint and thinking) of Christ (Acts. 2:42; Heb. 10:25; 2 Tim. 2:2; 1 Thess. 5:11; Rom. 1:11- 12; 2 Tim. 2:2; 1 Thess 5:11; Phlm. 6). (4) Stewardship: We must recognize that all we have belongs to the Lord and has been given to us as trusts from God to invest for His purposes. Believers need to be willing to share their material possessions for the promotion of the gospel and to help those in need. Good stewardship stems from recognizing our relationship to Jesus Christ, but it also means recognizing our partnership in Christ’s enterprise on earth. (Rom. 12:13; 15:27; Gal. 6:6; Phil. 4:15; Rom. 15:26; 2 Cor. 8:4; 9:13; Heb. 13:16; 1 Tim. 6:18). We must recognize that all we have belongs to the Lord and has been given to us as trusts from God to invest for His purposes. A steward is one who manages the property of another and is not an owner; he is a manager. As stewards we must recognize that all we have belongs to the Lord and has been given to us as trusts from God to invest for His purposes. Believers need to be willing to share their material possessions for the promotion of the gospel and to help those in need. Everything that we are and possess as believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, both spiritually and materially, namely, our time, talent and treasure are in fact, trusts given to us by God which we are to invest for God’s kingdom and glory (1 Pet. 1:17; 2:11; 4:10-11; Luke 19:11-26). Good stewardship stems from recognizing our relationship to Jesus Christ, but it also means recognizing our partnership in Christ’s enterprise on earth. In any good partnership, the partners share equally in both privileges and responsibilities, the assets and liabilities, and the blessings and burdens. What kind of partnership would it be if one partner took all the income and enjoyed all the privileges while the other partner did all the work and paid all the bills? No one would enter into a partnership like that, yet that is what goes on in the church today. Partners are to share and share alike in all the aspects of their enterprise. They may not do the same things since there are diverse spiritual gifts distributed to individuals in the body of Christ. In fact, members of any partnership 2011 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 3 will be much more successful in their enterprise if they work and share according to their abilities, expertise, and training, but still share the load.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • 1 an Exegetical Study of 1 Timothy 6:3-12 with Special
    AN EXEGETICAL STUDY OF 1 TIMOTHY 6:3-12 WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO ITS IMPLICATIONS FOR THE PROSPERITY GOSPEL BY SIFISO T. DLAMINI A THESIS SUBMITTED FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER of THEOLOGY AT THE SOUTH AFRICAN THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY SUPERVISOR: DR. R. D. FALCONER DATE: AUGUST 2018 1 The opinions expressed in this thesis do not necessarily reflect the views of the South African Theological Seminary ii DECLARATION I hereby acknowledge that the work contained in this thesis is my own original work and has not previously in its entirety or in part been submitted to any academic institution for degree purposes. ___________________________ Sifiso T. Dlamini August 2018 i ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to express my gratitude to my wife Fundo Dlamini for her encouragement and support which have been invaluable to me during the completion of this research project. For clear guidance and wisdom, I also want to thank my supervisor, Dr. Robert D. Falconer. I know it was not always an easy task, but the commitment and character of Dr. Falconer served to inspire me. ii ABSTRACT The prosperity gospel (PG) is a widespread theology among certain denominations of the Christian church. The essence of this theology is the teaching that Christians have a right to wealth and health through positive confession and is based on a selection of texts in the Bible. The prosperity gospel, on closer examination, is the result of a very particular view of the Bible. The Bible is primarily seen as a faith contract between God and believers. Along this way, God is manipulated by the believer to fulfill his or her wants or desires.
    [Show full text]
  • Midwestern Journal of Theology
    MIDWESTERN JOURNAL OF THEOLOGY Volume 2 Fall 2003 No. 1 CONTENTS Editorial 2 Articles: The Pastoral Epistles in (very) Recent Study I. Howard Marshall 3 A Brief Defense of the Pastoral Epistles’ Authenticity Terry L. Wilder 38 Using the Law Lawfully: A Short Study on Paul and The Law in 1 Timothy Greg A. Couser 43 Oi]koj qeou=: A Theologically Neglected but Important Ecclesiological Metaphor Malcolm B. Yarnell III 53 Exegetical Outlines of 1 & 2 Timothy and Titus F. Alan Tomlinson 66 Other Articles: Robert Murray M’Cheyne: The Passionate Preacher Michael D. McMullen 80 Toward Translating “Evangelize” as “Evangelize”: An Analysis of the Holman Christian Standard Bible Thomas P. Johnston 91 Book Reviews 101 Book Review Index 122 List of Publishers 123 Midwestern Journal of Theology Editorial The average person in the pew pays very little attention to the Pastoral Epistles. Many people think that the Pastorals have nothing to say to them because they are not planning to be pastors. Further, the letters are addressed specifically to Timothy and Titus. But Paul expected these epistles to be read by believers. Consider the plural “you” that occurs at the end of each letter (1 Tim 6:21; 2 Tim 4:22; Titus 3:15) which indicates that Paul had not just his specific addressees in view as he wrote but also the church. So, all believers today should read and study these epistles and pastors should preach them. A flurry of scholarly activity has taken place recently on the Pastoral Epistles—the contributors listed below add their articles to the mix.
    [Show full text]
  • 114 1 and 2 Timothy Outline
    AGAPE BIBLE COLLEGE 321 North Penelope, Belton, TX 76513 FIRST AND SECOND TIMOTHY Curriculum Provided by: Harvestime International Network http://harvestime.org 1 FIRST AND SECOND TIMOTHY THE LEGACY BIBLE OUTLINE SERIES 8 Harvestime International Institute 2 THE LEGACY BIBLE OUTLINE SERIES The Legacy Bible Outline Series is a study of the Bible using the text of the Bible itself. The series outlines books of the Bible in simple format, providing commentary only as needed to enhance understanding. Text-based questions are also included for every chapter. We suggest you create a notebook for each book of the Bible. Insert the outlines in your notebooks and add your own study notes. Each time you study a book, you can easily append the outlines to continuously expand the materials. The Legacy Bible Outline Series is designed so you can easily personalize it. The files for the series are in MS Word format to enable you to revise, input your own notes, change page numbers, and alter the layout as needed. You can also create your own outlines for other books of the Bible using this format The text of the King James Version is included in The Legacy Bible Outline Series to enable you to underline and make notes in the actual text as part of your study. Unlike a Bible which will eventually wear out, you can photocopy worn pages if they need to be replaced--which means you won’t lose your notes and underlining. Be sure to read the text in other versions of the Bible also, as different translations will greatly enhance your study.
    [Show full text]
  • 1 and 2 TIMOTHY - a TEACHER’S GUIDE the CENTRAL QUESTION: What Does This Book/Story Say to Us About God? This Question May Be Broken Down Further As Follows: A
    1 AND 2 TIMOTHY - A TEACHER’S GUIDE THE CENTRAL QUESTION: What does this book/story say to us about God? This question may be broken down further as follows: a. Why did God do it/allow it? b. Why did He record it for our study? “To be permitted to have a view of God is the highest privilege accorded to man. This privilege should be prized above all earthly distinction or honor.” ST, June 16, 1898 1. Do you learn anything new about God from these books? What was the historical background of these two letters? How would you feel as a young pastor getting such a letter from a conference official? Where was Paul when he wrote these letters? What do you think he was doing? (1 Timothy 3:14-15; 2 Timothy 1:8,16-17; 2:9; 4:6,18, RSV) What was Timothy doing? (1 Timothy 1:3, RSV) Chronology of Paul and Timothy Working Together (Modified from 6SDABC p. 101,102) A.D. 46 - On Paul’s first missionary journey, he met Timothy, Eunice (Timothy’s mother), and Lois (Timothy’s grandmother) at Lystra. After watching his miracles, the people of Lystra thought Paul was a “god.” Then, when he denied being a god, they stoned him and left him for dead. Timothy was there. (Acts 14:8-20; 2 Timothy 1:5) 49 - On Paul’s second missionary journey, he circumcised and ordained Timothy. Then, Timothy joined Paul for the rest of that journey. (Acts 16:1-3) 49-51 - Timothy remained briefly at Berea while Paul was forced to flee to Athens.
    [Show full text]
  • 1–2 TIMOTHY TITUS Editorial Consultants Athalya Brenner-Idan Elisabeth Schüssler Fiorenza
    1–2 TIMOTHY TITUS Editorial Consultants Athalya Brenner-Idan Elisabeth Schüssler Fiorenza Editorial Board Mary Ann Beavis Carol J. Dempsey Amy-Jill Levine Linda M. Maloney Ahida Pilarski Sarah Tanzer Lauress Wilkins Lawrence Seung Ai Yang WISDOM COMMENTARY Volume 53 1–2 Timothy Titus Annette Bourland Huizenga Sarah Tanzer Volume Editor Barbara E. Reid, OP General Editor A Michael Glazier Book LITURGICAL PRESS Collegeville, Minnesota www.litpress.org A Michael Glazier Book published by Liturgical Press Cover design by Ann Blattner. Chapter Letter ‘W’, Acts of the Apostles, Chapter 4, Donald Jackson, Copyright 2002, The Saint John’s Bible, Saint John’s University, Collegeville, Minnesota USA. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Scripture texts in this work are taken from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, © 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved. © 2016 by Order of Saint Benedict, Collegeville, Minnesota. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form, by print, microfilm, mi- crofiche, mechanical recording, photocopying, translation, or by any other means, known or yet unknown, for any purpose except brief quotations in reviews, without the previous written permission of Liturgical Press, Saint John’s Abbey, PO Box 7500, Collegeville, Minnesota 56321-7500. Printed in the United States of America. 123456789 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Names: Huizenga, Annette Bourland, author. Title: 1–2 Timothy, Titus / Annette Bourland Huizenga ; Sarah Tanzer, volume editor ; Barbara E. Reid, OP, general editor. Other titles: Titus Description: Collegeville, Minnesota : LITURGICAL PRESS, 2016.
    [Show full text]
  • 1 Timothy Study Guide
    1 TIMOTHY STUDY GUIDE i 1 TIMOTHY STUDY GUIDE A Midtown Fellowship 1 Timothy Bible Study Plan: Weeks 9-12 © 2020 by Midtown Fellowship. All rights reserved. Published by Midtown Fellowship All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or utilized in any for or by any means, electronic or mechanical, or by any information storage and retrieval system--except for brief quotations for the purpose or review, without written permission from the publisher. Scripture, unless otherwise noted, taken from THE ENGLISH STANDARD VERSION ©2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. ii 1 TIMOTHY STUDY GUIDE TABLE OF CONTENTS CLICK ON DAY TO ADVANCE INTRODUCTION 1 INDUCTIVE BIBLE STUDY 2 PRAYER GUIDE 5 WEEK 9 6 Monday, June 15 - Ephesians 2:13-22 6 Tuesday, June 16 - Galatians 3:23-29 8 Wednesday, June 17 - Luke 10:25-37 9 Thursday, June 18 - Ephesians 4:25-32 11 Friday, June 19 - Galatians 6:1-10 12 Saturday, June 20 - 1 Timothy 5:1-16 13 WEEK 10 15 Monday, June 22 - Hebrews 13:7-8, 17 15 Tuesday, June 23 - 1 Thessalonians 5:12-14 16 Wednesday, June 24 - Matthew 18:15-20 17 Thursday, June 25 - Colossians 3:1-11 18 Friday, June 26 - Psalm 32:1-5 19 Saturday, June 27 - 1 Timothy 5:17-6:2 20 WEEK 11 22 Monday, June 29 - Philippians 4:10-20 22 Tuesday, June 30 - Luke 18:18-30 23 Wednesday, July 1 - Matthew 6:19-24 24 Thursday, July 2 - 2 Corinthians 9:6-15 25 Friday, July 3 - Luke 11:5-13 26 Saturday, July 4 - 1 Timothy 6:3-10, 17-19 27 WEEK 12 28 Monday, July 6 - Galatians 5:16-26 28 Tuesday, July 7 - Ephesians 6:10-18 30 Wednesday, July 8 - 1 Peter 5:6-10 31 Thursday, July 9 - Hebrews 4:14-16 32 Friday, July 10 - 1 Timothy 1:3-7 33 Saturday, July 11 - 1 Timothy 6:11-16, 20-21 34 iii 1 TIMOTHY STUDY GUIDE INTRODUCTION As a church, we want to be people marked by God’s Word.
    [Show full text]
  • The Letters to Timothy, Titus and Philemon
    The Letters to Timothy, Titus and Philemon THE LETTERS TO TIMOTHY, TITUS AND PHILEMON An Explanation of these Four Letters Especially for You Rock Solid #8 Ger de Koning The original Dutch version is available at Webshop: www.uitgeverijdaniel.nl Orders: [email protected] Translation: Ursula Moestapa Cover design: Jan Paul Spoor / Sjon Heijenga Layout: Piet Versteeg © 2016 by Ger de Koning. All rights preserved. No part of this publication may be – other than for personal use – reproduced in any form without written permission of the author. New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit http://www.lockman.org. 4 Contents Foreword 9 Abbreviations of the Names of the Books of the Bible 11 Old Testament 11 New Testament 12 Explanation of general format 13 The First Letter to Timothy 15 Introduction 15 1 Timothy 1 19 Blessing and Exhortation | verses 1-4 19 The Purpose of the Commandment | verses 5-7 24 The Law and the Gospel | verses 8-11 28 The Past and Now | verses 12-14 33 Honor and Glory To God | verses 15-17 37 Prophecies and the Good Fight | verses 18-20 42 1 Timothy 2 47 A House of Prayer | verses 1-4 47 The Mediator – The Praying of Men | verses 5-8 52 Women | verses 9-15 56 1 Timothy 3 61 The Overseer | verses 1-5 61 Overseers (continuation) and Deacons | verses 6-11 67 The House of God | verses 12-16 71 1 Timothy 4 76 Apostasy In Later Times | verses 1-5 76 Discipline
    [Show full text]
  • 2 Timothy 4:1-18 May 5, 2013 Lesson Passages
    Be Persistent to the End Lesson Passage: 2 Timothy 4:1-18 May 5, 2013 Lesson Passages: 1. Keep Proclaiming (2 Tim. 4:1-4) 2. Keep the Faith (2 Tim. 4:5-8) 3. Keep Helping (2 Tim. 4:9-15) 4. Keep Trusting (2 Tim. 4:16-18) Focus on This Goal: To help adults live daily in their Christian walk ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Scripture 1- Keep Proclaiming (2 Tim. 4:1-4) 1 I solemnly charge you before God and Christ Jesus, who is going to judge the living and the dead, and because of His appearing and His kingdom: 2 Proclaim the message; persist in it whether convenient or not; rebuke, correct, and encourage with great patience and teaching. 3 For the time will come when they will not tolerate sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, will multiply teachers for themselves because they have an itch to hear something new. 4 They will turn away from hearing the truth and will turn aside to myths. Verse 1- With the words, I solemnly charge (order) you. Paul gave Timothy a sacred (Godly) responsibility. He had sent similar orders to Timothy in the first letter. What was the basis for Paul’s words? First, the apostle reminded Timothy of the reality of the Father and the Son (God and Christ Jesus). Second, Paul wrote about the reality of final judgment. None will escape. The living, are those who will still be alive at Christ’s return. The dead are those who will have died physically, but nevertheless will be raised to face judgment.
    [Show full text]
  • The Role of Bishops
    THE ROLE OF BISHOPS February 3, 2019 32nd Sunday after Pentecost Revision D Epistle: 1 Timothy 4:9-15 Today’s Epistle lesson is not used at all in the West for Sunday services. Going back about 50 years, many Western churches had Scripture readings for Matins and Vespers and today’s Epistle reading was included. But these readings are falling largely into disuse today. Looking through the old lectionaries (from the 1940’s) of Western churches, virtually every verse from 1 Timothy, 2 Timothy and Titus (the Pastoral Epistles) was read either at the weekday services or during Sunday services. With the passing of Matins and Vespers, the main theme that is now missing in Western churches is that of bishops and the role of bishops in the Church. For example, Table 1 lists the Sunday lectionary for most Western churches (going back at least to the 1940’s) that is used today. Table 2 lists the weekday lectionary for some Western churches that is starting to fall into disuse. Note how much the themes in Table 2 revolve around the Bishop’s role in the Church. Background: Timothy, Bishop of Ephesus Paul first met Timothy in Lystra and Timothy was well spoken of by the brethren there and at Iconium (Acts 16:1-4). While this occurred at the beginning of Paul’s second missionary journey (49 AD) or right after the Council in Jerusalem (Acts 15), Paul probably met Timothy on his first missionary journey2. Timothy may have been among the elders (or presbyters) Paul and Barnabas appointed at the end of their first missionary journey in 48 AD (Acts 14:23).
    [Show full text]
  • Notes on 2 Timothy 202 1 Edition Dr
    Notes on 2 Timothy 202 1 Edition Dr. Thomas L. Constable HISTORICAL BACKGROUND Following his release from house arrest in Rome in A.D. 62, Paul resumed his itinerant ministry in the Mediterranean world. Writing to Titus from somewhere in Macedonia, probably between A.D. 62 and 66, he said that he planned to visit Nicapolis (Titus 3:12). Assuming that he did visit Nicapolis, Paul went from there to Rome, evidently indirectly. His visit to Troas (2 Tim. 4:13) probably took place shortly before he wrote 2 Timothy. It may be that Paul's arrest required his leaving his cloak, books, and parchments there, but that is only speculation. In any case, Paul ended up in Rome as a prisoner again (2:9). He had already had his initial hearing and was awaiting trial when he wrote this epistle (4:16). He believed that the Roman authorities would execute him soon (4:6). Copyright Ó 2021 by Thomas L. Constable www.soniclight.com 2 Dr. Constable's Notes on 2 Timothy 2021 Edition "According to tradition which goes back at least to the fifth century, the Mamertine prison is the place where both Paul and Peter were confined before their execution under Nero."1 Paul's Roman Imprisonments Contrasted2 First Last He had freedom in his house. He was in chains as a criminal. Acts 28:30 2 Tim. 2:9 He could entertain many visitors. It was dangerous to visit him. Acts 28:30-31 2 Tim. 1:16-17 Many believers were with him. He was completely alone.
    [Show full text]
  • 1 Timothy 6:13-16 a Portrait of Obedience
    1 TIMOTHY 6:13-16 A PORTRAIT OF OBEDIENCE “I charge you in the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who in his testimony before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, to keep the commandment unstained and free from reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, which he will display at the proper time—he who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone has immortality, who dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see. To him be honor and eternal dominion. Amen.”1 he text before us is one sentence in the original language. It leaves the impression that the Apostle began to speak and became so excited that he forgot to take a breath. After T presenting a charge to the young preacher, Paul moves into one of the most beautiful and moving doxologies to be found in any of his writings. The sentence he pens is pregnant with great theology that will instruct the one who takes time to work through what has been written. And that is our goal of this message today; endeavouring to learn something of the Person of Our God and Saviour, discovering in the process an appropriate response to His Person. Take note that Paul’s charge is specifically addressed to Timothy. The second person singular pronoun is found in many manuscripts; however, it is missing from some of the most important and earliest manuscripts. We expect the pronoun to be present; but it isn’t present in many of the earliest manuscripts.2 If the command is not directed to Timothy, as we anticipate, it would indicate that Paul was issuing a generalised command that is applicable to all Christians.
    [Show full text]
  • Power Play in the Church? the Case of 1 Timothy 2:8–151
    ISSN 2355-6374 (Print) POWER PLAY IN THE CHURCH? THE CASE OF 1 TIMOTHY 2:8–151 P.H.R. (Rob) van Houwelingen Correspondence: [email protected] ABSTRACT: Thinking in terms of ecclesiastical power as a negative force has often found a breeding ground in the Pastoral Epistles. To what extent Three aspects will be considered consecutively: power, powerlessness, and authorized power. Power says something about the underlying problem that Timothy faced: the male/female relationship in the Ephesian congrega- tion threatened to degenerate into a power struggle. Powerlessness refers narrative recounts human weakness, which in 1 Timothy becomes a sort of triptych about Eve and creation, Eve and the fall, and Eve and redemption. Authorized power is the way in which the problematic situation in Ephesus was regulated with apostolic authority, to create space for the trustworthy Word. Paul’s instructions about the behaviour of women could nowadays easily be considered a kind of misogynistic power play. However, the apos- tle should be interpreted on his own terms. This is true both for his social context and for his missionary drive. KEYWORDS: power, man, woman, congregation, Paul ABSTRAK: Berpikir dari segi kuasa gereJawi sebagai kekuatan negatif sering ditemukan perkembangannya dalam surat-surat pastoral. Sejauh mana itu dibenarkan? Artikel ini membahas suatu perikop yang selalu 1 This article is a pre-publication of a contribution in the forthcoming volume Power in the New reworked exegetical material from Van Houwelingen (2013). An earlier version in Dutch has been pub- lished in 6 THE CASE OF 1 TIMOTHY 2:8-15 aspek akan dipertimbangkan secara berurutan: kekuasaan, ketidakber- dayaan, dan kekuasaan yang disahkan.
    [Show full text]