Lesson Five of the Letters to Timothy

“Fight the Good Fight”

Sometimes carrying out the work the Lord has for us seems overwhelming. Paul sensed this in Timothy as he faced various trials in leading churches. Everyone has trials in day-to-day life. Even if you know exactly what God wants you to do, it can feel like a crushing weight some days. Today we are going to learn how God enables each of us to get through these times. It’s a lesson of hope and encouragement.

Read 1 Timothy 1:18-20. What does Paul call Timothy? What does this indicate about their relationship to you?

Paul gives Timothy instructions according to what?

What three  things does Paul tell Timothy to do according to the prophecy made about him? 

1. __________________________________________________________
2. __________________________________________________________
3. __________________________________________________________

What happens to those who reject these three things in their lives and the work God has for them?

Paul talks about two men who have rejected the three vital things in “fighting the good fight.” Who are they and what happened to them?

Timothy was very dear to Paul, who had no children of his own. Wouldn’t it be nice to have a mentor like the Apostle Paul? I pray you have someone in your life who can encourage you like that. I also pray you will be an encouragement to someone younger than you as well. 

Who has been or is a mentor to you? How have they blessed your life?

Who have you mentored or are mentoring? How has this relationship blessed your life and theirs?

Maybe you have never had someone to encourage you in your life. I hope you will have someone come into your life if you haven’t. My mother was an encouragement and mentor to me. She is in heaven now, but God has blessed me with others who have been there for me in this area. I thank Jesus for them. I have had the joy and honor of mentoring young women and some young men in my life. It is part of our “good fight” Jesus has for us to do. 

Read Titus 2. Whoever you are, be it a older man, older woman, etc., write out what this chapter says you should be doing.

Look at verses 11-14. God’s grace and salvation teaches what?

What are we waiting for as we work for God’s glory?

We are Christ’s “very own.” What should we be eager to do?

Each of us has a role to play for the sake of the Good News each of us has received from God’s hand. We shouldn’t be lax in our efforts as we wait for Jesus to return or take us home. There is vital work to be done. He has equipped us with the Holy Spirit and special gifts unique to every individual Christ follower. These gifts enable us to do good and fight the good fight.

Look back at 1 Timothy 1:18. Paul encourages Timothy to engage in three things. These three things are vital to everyone who has Jesus as their Master. Let’s look at them individually:

The Good Fight

“Oh God, Let me die rather than to go on day by day living wrong. I do not want to become a careless, fleshly old man. I want to be right so that I can die right. Lord, I do not want my life to be extended if it would mean that I should cease to live right and fail in my mission to glorify You all of my days!...” A.W. Tozer

The good fight is doing what God has called us to do to bring glory to His Name. It is the battle of Hope which is to bring others to a saving knowledge and acceptance of Jesus Christ. We use various gifts given to us specifically to do just that. 

Read 1 Corinthians 12:1-11. List the different types of spiritual gifts listed. 

Do you know your gifts? What are they?

Our main purpose in life is to glorify God in all we do. A.W. Tozer, (1897-1963) a pastor, author, speaker and mentor,  wanted nothing more than to live his life to glorify God. He was not formally educated as one would think a pastor of his talent should be, however, he was given tremendous gifts of preaching and teaching. God equipped Tozer to glorify Himself  in his life. We should all want to do the same thing and we’d do well to remember its God who does the equipping.

Holding onto the Faith

Faith is believing God. How do we hold onto something we cannot touch or see? Hebrews 11:1 says, “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.”

 We hope for eternal life with Jesus and we have the assurance God has allowed us to approach Him because of our belief in Jesus and all He has done for us. This is our anchor - Jesus.

Read Hebrews 11:6. Why is it impossible to please God without faith?

Who does God reward?

Faith is a requirement in our relationship with God. Without it there is no relationship. It is truly the anchor to our rocky lives. We are tossed to and fro without it. What is so cool is God supplies this faith. All we have to do is receive it.

A Good Conscience

What is your motivation for what you do with your life? Is it self-centered or is it Christ-centered? We should be asking ourselves these questions every time we do something. Our focus must always be to glorify God. In order to have a “good conscience” we must confess our sins before God and be cleansed of our unrighteous behavior.

Read 2 Peter 1:3-10. What things does the Apostle Peter tell us “to make every effort to do”?

Why is it so important for every believer to possess these qualities?

What is the result of not having the qualities evident in our lives?

God gives each believer faith, goodness, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, kindness, love. However, we can choose to ignore these gifts and do things our way. When we live on our own it is as if we have forgotten what Jesus did for us on the cross. It makes me shutter to think I would ever forget His sacrifice, but I do. When I do, my conscience isn’t clear but is full of sin. 

We are called to believe God, love, trust and serve Him through His Son. When we do this we live in good conscience. Our motivation isn’t about self, rather, it is is Jesus and His purposes. 

Fighting the Good Fight isn’t something we do on our own. It is an act of faith we hold onto as our secure anchor. God supplies all we need in order to bring glory to Him. On our power we always fall weakly short. Let this encourage you because God is your Source for all things from the easy to the impossible. You can accomplish His purpose and fight the battles you face daily if you place your trust firmly in Him.

Lesson Four of the Letters to Timothy

“A Trustworthy Saying”

The Apostle Paul, in this first letter to Timothy, speaks with an urgency as he teaches and encourages his student. First, he greets and blesses him with all that Christ affords. Next, he warns him about the dangers of false teachers and the poison they inject into the church. He then tells his story in humility as reflects on the grace Jesus had on him, giving him a mission and purpose in life, which is to share the Good News to both Jew and Gentile alike.

In all his years of devotion to God, Paul never thought he would associate with a non-Jew. He kept himself “pure” according to the Law. Of course he felt he was on the right track when Jesus Himself interrupted his life to make an about-face and do something so contrary to everything He knew. As you read the next passage for our study today, you should be able to tell how grateful Paul is for Jesus’ divine interruption. To have your life turned upside-down and taken on a completely different path than you ever thought takes a huge element of trust. You have to trust the One who leads you. In this case for Paul, and for us, we have to trust Jesus.

Read 1 Timothy 1:15-17. What trustworthy saying does Paul tell Timothy is worth full acceptance?

What kind of sinner does Paul consider himself? How many times does he say this?

What reason does Paul say he was shown mercy?

What words does Paul use to give glory to King Jesus?

Let’s look at the word “trustworthy.” The Greek word Paul uses here is, “pistos” which means, “to win over, persuade. Worthy of belief, trust, or confidence. True and just.”

 Paul, who was a staunch Pharisee, bent on persecuting and murdering Jewish Christians, was convinced by Truth Himself, to change the course of his life and follow Jesus. He immediately placed his confidence in the Christ he tried to stop. Jesus had to be trustworthy at the onset to convince Paul to change his ways. 

You may be thinking, “well if Jesus were to appear to me like he did Paul, I could trust Him.” True enough, but I believe when Christ makes Himself known to a person, His presence through the Holy Spirit is powerful and fully convincing and thus trustworthy. A decision on the part of the person encountering Jesus in their life is the reason a life turns. Paul had to make a decision to follow Christ. You and I have to make the decision to follow Christ. It takes believing Jesus is totally trustworthy.

Paul also considered himself to be what he really was, the worst of sinners. When Christ appeared to Paul, the Holy Spirit shown the light on the truth of his sins. We too are sinners. When Jesus makes Himself known to a person, sin is exposed. We can either accept we are sinners or reject this truth. Paul accepted he was indeed a sinner against the Holy One. It was a big blow to him because he had dedicated himself to being a righteous Pharisee.

Read John 3:16-21. Which verse are you familiar with in this passage? Write it out?

What was God’s reason for sending Jesus to the world?

What happens to the person who believes (trusts) in Jesus?

What happens to the person who doesn’t believe Jesus?

Who is the “Light that comes into the world”? Why do evil people (those who refuse Jesus) hate the “Light”? What do they fear?

What happens to the people who “live by the Light”?  Why?

It’s all a matter of trust. When we trust in Jesus our sin is exposed and dealt with. We are then cleansed by the saving blood of Him who died for those sins. When folks don’t trust it is mainly because they don’t won’t to know that what they have been doing is wrong. They don’t want their sin to be exposed for what it is; an affront to God. Because they won’t allow Christ’ light to expose their lives, they hate Him.  They want Him to go away or they refuse to even believe He exists and fight Him to the bitter end.

I fear many churches are trying to make following Christ more palatable. They don’t want to offend people so people will come into their church and fill up the chairs. Entertainment is the main focus, cushioning the reality of Christ dealing with sin. The truth is, Christ light exposes sin for what it is and its not easy to face. It’s offensive to be confronted with our sin. It hurts to know we are not living right. Without the Truth, we will continue on in our destructive and offensive ways before God and the way to Him is blocked.

Jesus is offensive to sin. He exposes it for what it is, thus exposing us. We should feel shame for our behavior and want to turn from it and turn to Him. The beauty of Jesus is that He gives us a way out of ourselves and into a relationship with Him, connecting us to our Creator God.

Who do you trust? Explain.

Jesus is trustworthy. He is worthy of our praise and trust. Are you willing to allow Him to expose the truth of your life? Are you willing, like Paul to stop what you are doing and place all your trust in Jesus? Will you change direction and begin doing whatever Jesus has for you to do? Let us follow Jesus for He alone is trustworthy, loving us beyond all reason and making the way, the only way, to a eternal relationship with God.

Lesson Three of the Letters to Timothy

“The Lord’s Grace”

The Apostle Paul shifts gears in the next portion of his first letter to Timothy. He instructed Timothy on false teachers and now he is focusing on himself and how far the Lord has brought him.

Read 1 Timothy 1:12. What has Jesus given Paul?

What has the Lord considered about Paul?

What did the Lord appoint Paul to?

Paul had every reason to be thankful to the Lord Jesus. First Paul speaks of the strength Jesus has given him. He knew he couldn’t spread the Good News without this strength. He depended solely on the Holy Spirit he had received when he accepted Jesus as Messiah.

Read Acts 9:15. What did the Lord say the Annanias about Paul?

Read Philippians 4:13. What does Paul say in this verse?

Jesus chose Paul “to carry His Name before the Gentiles, their Kings and the people of Israel.” This was no easy task. First, Paul was Jew through and through. He did not associate with Gentiles for they were considered “unclean.” Now Jesus was sending him to the very people he had avoided religiously all his life. It went against everything he knew as a faithful Jew. 

Secondly, Paul was asked to preach the Good News to Israel. He was doing exactly what he fought against. He had persecuted Jews who had accepted Jesus as Messiah. Talk about shifting gears at break-neck speed. Paul had thought he was doing God’s will by going after the very people Jesus was telling him to bring the Good News to.

Have you ever experienced doing something Jesus had told you to do that was completely contrary to everything you ever known? Explain.

Jesus is notorious for asking His followers to go places and do things that are contrary to what they have always known or have always done.  He wants us to grow in Him. He, as God, has always used people who thought they couldn’t do or shouldn’t do the task He asked of them.

Read Genesis 18. What did God tell Abraham?

God used an old man and old woman to birth the nation of Israel, the people our Messiah would come from. 

Read Exodus 3. What did God tell Moses?

God used an outcast and a murderer to liberate His chosen people out of slavery.

Read Judges 6. What was Gideon’s response to God’s assignment for him?

God used a man, who thought he was nothing, for a task only God could accomplish.

We are not unlike these three men. All of us are given tasks while we are on this earth. God knows we are nothing without Him. Because we don’t have the power to accomplish anything on our own, we have to totally rely on Him. He knows our insecurities and uses them to His glory. If we thought we could do it on our own, then the Lord couldn’t use us.

Read 1 Corinthians 1 :26-31. Why does God choose what the world calls “foolish” and “weak”?

For those who call themselves followers of Jesus, who should we boast in? Why?

The truth is we are all weak in and of ourselves. Paul, points this out in his own life. He went from thinking he was a powerful Pharisee persecuting Christians to a humble man totally dependent on God to teach others about Jesus. We would do good to see this in ourselves and understand that we can do all things through Christ Jesus and His Holy Spirit indwelling us.

Read 1 Timothy 1:13-14. What was Paul like before Jesus came into His life? 

Why was Paul shown mercy?

What was poured out abundantly on Paul?

We are all ignorant and unbelieving before we come to Jesus. Because of God’s great mercy in Christ Jesus, our eyes are opened when we believe in Him as our salvation. We have no excuse for sinful behavior after we come into faith. Because God is merciful, He gives us forgiveness even in our sinfulness. However, our actions sometimes requires discipline from His hand. 

It seems as if the trend in churches nowadays is to only preach grace. But, grace without His truth and discipline doesn’t allow for growth and maturity in our walk with Jesus. The Bible teaches us discipline is a necessary component in our relationship with God. He doesn’t discipline us to be cruel but to lead us as His children.

Read the following passages and relate what each says about the Lord’s discipline:

Deuteronomy 8:5 -

Proverbs 3:11-12 -

Proverbs 12:1 -

Hebrews 12:4-11 -

God’s discipline is essential to our growth. Mercy and grace are important for us to receive eternal life. But, His discipline helps us understand how to live as He requires of us. The Apostle Paul knew this. We would do well to know this too. The churches need to teach the whole truth of God’s love for us and this includes learning from the loving hand of God when we go against what we has told us not to do.

God is faithful to those who call Him Lord through the acceptance of His Son Jesus. The Apostle Paul knew this better than most. Christ humbled him, just as He humbles us when we call Him Lord. The Lord’s grace isn’t just His allowing us into His family without the full portion of His love. His love involves truth, grace, mercy, justice and discipline. Without the fullness of His love we cannot grown in faith.

Lesson Two of the Letters to Timothy

“For the Sake of God’s Love”

Controversy is the best distracter from what the Gospel is really about. If we spend our time justifying the Word of God or looking into genealogies and things like that, then Satan rejoices that we are not telling others about the saving grace found in repenting of sin and turning to Jesus. We cannot become distracted but we must focus on what God has called each believer to do, which is to serve Him, accept His Son’s sacrifice and spend our lives telling others about Him. This is all for the sake of God’s love and sharing this perfect love with those God brings into our lives.

Read 1 Timothy 1:3-5. What is the command Paul is referring to? (Look back at verse 3).

What is the goal of this “command”?

Where does it come from?

We are commanded to stop false teachers in the Church and turn them around to Jesus and the purpose of the Good News. It’s important to know we should not be caught up in the controversy but rather to point others back to God’s saving grace through His Son Jesus. 

Some of the Jews wanted to focus on the Law and the heritage of their faith. They still relied heavily on the ritualism of the Law instead of finding the true freedom found in the salvation in Jesus. Paul, who was called to bring the Good News (as are we) to the world, knew these Jews and their teachings we causing division and confusion. He wasn’t saying the Jewish faith or the Law was wrong, he was saying the Law was not what makes a person right with God. Rather, the Good News (Gospel) had replaced the Law. This Good News is that Jesus had completed the Law and through faith in Him we have a relationship with the Father. 

Notice in verse five Paul tells us the goal of the command to “not teach false doctrine, devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies,” is love. The Greek word for “love” used in this passage is “agapao” and means to “love, cherish, esteem, favor, honor, respect, accept, prize, relish, to devoted to.” 

In other words, instead of the loveless, ritualism of religion, the goal of the Good News is perfect which is the abiding love found in Christ Jesus. The rest is just a waste of time and causes confusion among the Church. 

Look at verses six through seven. What have these false teachers wandered away from? (refer to verse 5b).

What have they turned to?

What is the goal of these men?

What don’t they know?

These false teachers, Timothy is encountering and Paul is warning him about, are 

so caught up in promoting controversies instead of God’s work, they miss the point. We learn from Paul, that God’s work for each believer is faith. This  means our task, our assignment on this fallen world is to believe God. You see, these controversies are a distraction, used by Satan, to stop God’s work in us...faith...believing God.

False teachers come in all shapes and sizes, who knowingly or unknowingly promoting dissension within the Church. As believers, we need to check our belief s, what we place our faith in and see if it lines up with the Word of God. This means we have to believe, have faith, in His Word as fully and wholly inerrant. Sometimes we just don’t know the answer to our questions about why things happen or how the Bible lines up to what we think we know. This is where faith, believing God, comes into play. It is our job, our task, our goal to believe God in all things.

Read Deuteronomy 29:29. What belongs to the Lord?

What belongs to us?

Somethings we just won’t understand certain things. This is because God reveals only what He wants us to know. In Deuteronomy, there were some things God kept hidden from the Israelites, that He has since revealed to us through His Son. He has revealed that through Christ Jesus we can have a relationship with Him. They could only approach the periphery of God through the Law. 

Read 1 Timothy 1:8-11. How is the Law viewed as good?

What was the Law made for?

What do you think “contrary to the sound doctrine that conforms to the glorious gospel of the blessed God” means?

Without Christ Jesus, we are all in sharp contrast as sinners to the holiness of God. There is no way we can reach Him on our own. No amount of trying to follow a set of rules will get us into relationship with God. The Law only points out how we fail in our feeble attempts to be made right with Him. There is only one way to have a right relationship with our Creator.

Read 1 Peter 3:18. What did Christ die for? Why?

This is the Gospel...Good News...Christ Jesus took our punishment for the sins we committed against our Holy God, Creator of all things. Satan wants us to be distracted and look elsewhere for meaning. Our purpose in Jesus is to have relationship with God through Him. This is the very meaning of life to us. When we focus on stupid things like religion instead of relationship with Christ Jesus, we lose out on the delight we find in the presence of our God.

Are there things that distract you from a full relationship with God? What do you need to lay down in order to place your full attention on righteousness found in Christ? Don’t be distracted by the religious who want to argue and point out things that don’t really matter. If you abide in Christ, be obedient to His Will and Word, righteousness comes automatically. If you try and become righteous on your own by following a list of rules, then you will be sure to stumble out of the presence of the Holy One.

Controversy distracts us from what is from God. He wants to be in relationship with us. Let’s focus on Him alone and believe Him fully. Get rid of those in your life who keep distracting you from righteousness in the presence of God. Watch out for those in the Church who are causing distraction. Avoid them. Point them out to the leadership in your Church. If they are your leadership, then ask God to lead you elsewhere. Seek Him in all things. Don’t get distracted but remain focused on Jesus and His redemption for the sake of God’s love.