1 TIMOTHY 1

1 Timothy 1:1 Christ Jesus Who is our hope... (see also study of Believer's Blessed Hope)

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I Timothy 1:1
Paul often referred to himself as ‘an apostle by the will of God’ (I Corinthians 1:1, II Corinthians 1:1, Ephesians 1:1, see note Colossians 1:1). In this case, however, he says, ‘It’s not just His will for me, it’s His command that I am to be an apostle—one who is sent out, one who shares truth.’

The things that we have been commanded to do can sometimes become wearying when we find ourselves in situations we weren’t anticipating—like prison. After all, it was from a Roman prison cell that Paul wrote to Timothy. And in this, I am reminded of another who found himself a prisoner...

‘Oh, Lord, I cannot speak. I am but a child,’ Jeremiah protested when called to minister.

‘Before you were born, I knew you and ordained you to be a prophet,’ the Lord replied. ‘I will put My words on your lips—and you shall go.’

So Jeremiah did. And what happened? He eventually ended up in a dungeon.

‘OK, Lord,’ he said. ‘Yes, You commanded me. Yes, You anointed me. But people aren’t responding. No one is getting saved.’

So Jeremiah decided to quit prophesying, to quit sharing—until he realized that the Word of God was like fire in his bones and that he could not keep quiet (Jeremiah 20:9).

Maybe like Jeremiah, or perhaps like Paul, you feel imprisoned and are tempted to throw in the towel, to quit sharing the Gospel with people since none seem to respond. But if you do, the Word of God will burn in your heart as surely as it did in Jeremiah’s, and, like Paul, you will realize you have no choice in the matter, for you are under the command of God. (Courson, J. A Day's Journey: 365 Daily Meditations from the Word October 13. Santa Ana, CA: Calvary Chapel Publishing)

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1 Timothy 1:2

AMONG the safety rules mountain climbers must remember as they scale rocky cliffs is this: Keep three points on the rock. In other words, before you move a foot, make sure the other foot and both hands are firmly positioned on solid rock. And if you are going to move a hand, make sure your other hand and both feet are securely placed.

That's a good safety tip for our spiritual lives as well. To keep from falling, we need to keep a grip on three rock-solid truths: grace, mercy, and peace, the words the apostle Paul often used to begin or conclude his letters.

The first message I heard Dr. M. R. DeHaan preach was part of a series of lessons called "Three Sisters of Salvation," which were about these three words. I made up my mind then that I would make these three qualities part of my life.

We are given our salvation as a gift of God's grace. His wrath is withheld from us because of His abundant mercy. And His peace enables us to stand in quiet confidence when the howling gales of adversity swirl around us. They will give us security dur­ing our spiritual mountain climbing experience.

We can appropriate these gifts through prayer and obedience. In the storms of temptation we will not fall if we always keep three points on the Rock. —DCE (Our Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved)

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1 Timothy 1:3-15  COMPUTER ETHICS

"We know that the law is good if one uses it lawfully." - Matthew 6:34  (see note)

The Computer Ethics Institute has proposed 10 commandments for computer users. The laws include:

. Thou shalt not use a computer to harm other people.
. Thou shalt not snoop around in other people's computer files.
. Thou shalt not copy or use proprietary software for which you have not paid.
. Thou shalt always use a computer in ways that ensure consideration and respect for your fellow humans.

Many of us have had enough contact with computers to see the need for such rules. We may also realize, however, that merely publishing laws will not change human nature.  Even the Law of Moses, which these principles imitate, was never able to change anyone's heart. No one can become  good by keeping the commandments.

The Law's highest purpose is to show us God's perfect standards and our need for Christ. No one else has paid the price for our forgiveness. No one else enables us to love "from a good conscience, and from sincere faith" (1 Tim. 1:5).

Christ doesn't change us by teaching us to keep the Law (Gal. 3:1-5). He transforms us by giving us a new heart. And that will affect even our use of computers. -- MRD II

A changed life is the result of a changed heart. (Ibid)

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1 Timothy 1:5
When you set sail on the high seas, you need to know three important facts: your location, your destination, and your course. By referring to a map and using a compass, you can end up where you want to go.

The hard part comes in determining where you are at any given moment. Foul weather creates conditions that can sometimes confuse sailors. I heard about someone who set out across Lake Michigan from Milwaukee to Grand Haven. After sailing for 2 hours, trusting his own sense of direction, he spotted a large city on the horizon—Milwaukee! Somehow, thinking he was headed east, he had gone in a huge circle.

How does a follower of Christ stay on course and avoid spiritual shipwreck? By carefully reading and following the directions in God's Word, depending on the Spirit's leading, and listening to the wise counsel of Christian friends. —D. C. E.

To STAY ON COURSE, TRUST THE COMPASS OF GOD'S WORD. (Copyright. Used by permission of Our Daily Bread)

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1 Timothy 1:12-17 This is a faithful saying . . . that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners

Thomas Bileny, an Englishman who died a martyr's death in 1531, described his salvation experience:

"My soul was sick and I longed for peace, but nowhere could I find it. . . . But at last I heard of Jesus Christ. It was then, when first the New Testament was set forth by Erasmus, that the light came. I bought the book, being drawn by the Latin rather than by the Word of God, for at that time I knew not what `the Word of God' meant. On my first reading I chanced upon these words, `This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief.' This one sentence through God's inward working did so light up my poor bruised spirit that the very bones within me leaped for joy and gladness. It was as if, after a long dark night, day had suddenly broke."

When people recognize the awful reality of their sin before a holy God, they may be overwhelmed by a sense of hopelessness and despair. They cannot escape the fact that they are sinners, and they know they cannot save themselves. But the hope Thomas Bileny found is avail-able to all. Jesus died for sinners, and He can replace hopelessness and despair with confidence and unbounded joy.

Pride makes it difficult to acknowledge the wickedness in our hearts. But admitting our sin is the first step to salvation. Then we must place our trust in Christ and accept His wonderful gift. —D.C.E.

We are dead in sin, but Jesus can make us dead to sin. (Copyright. Used by permission of Our Daily Bread)

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1 Timothy 1:15  The Answers Can Wait

This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief. —1 Timothy 1:15

David Herwaldt, a thoughtful, reflective pastor friend of mine, was slowly dying after 50 years of faithful ministry. He often talked with me about the nature of God and the eternity he would soon enter. We realized that we had only a superficial grasp of these mysteries, but we were not distressed. We knew that God had rescued us from our sin and guilt, and we rejoiced in our salvation. We had all we needed to obey the Lord gladly, live confidently, and serve Him gratefully.

When we are distressed by our inability to answer life's most vexing questions, we must remember that Christ did not come to satisfy our curiosity. Rather, He saw us as fallen and hurt, and He came to lift and heal.

When Jesus read Isaiah 61:1-2 to the people in the synagogue (Luke 4:16-21), He presented Himself as the promised Messiah, whose primary purpose for coming was spiritual. He came to deliver us from the helplessness of our spiritual poverty, to release us from the shackles of our guilt, to heal our sin-caused blindness, and to set us free from sin's enslaving power.

Let us therefore trust Him and make obeying Him our highest goal. This is the path to a grateful, joyous, and hope-filled life. The answers can wait. —Herbert Vander Lugt

When trouble seeks to rob your very breath,
When tragedy hits hard and steals your days,
Recall that Christ endured the sting of death;
He gives us hope, and merits all our praise. —Gustafson

Christ came not to satisfy our curiosity but to save our souls.

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1 Timothy 1:1-17 (Exposition by C H Spurgeon)

1 Timothy 1:1
Christ is our hope; we have not a shadow of a hope apart from him. I remember, when on the Continent, seeing on a cross the words “Spes unica,” the unique, the only hope of man; and that is true of the cross of Christ, and of Christ who suffered on it, he is our hope.

1 Timothy 1:2
Notice the apostle’s triple salutation, “Grace, mercy, and peace.” Whenever Paul writes to a church, he wishes “grace and peace”; but to a minister he wishes “grace, mercy, and peace.” Ah! we want mercy more than the average of Christians; we have greater responsibilities; and, consequently, might more readily fall into greater sin, so to a minister Paul’s salutation is, “grace, mercy, and peace.”

1 Timothy 1:3, 4
You see, the apostle, in his day, had to contend against those who ran away from the simplicity of the gospel into all manner of fables and inventions. Such, in our day, are the doctrine of evolution, the doctrine of the universal fatherhood of God, the doctrine of post-mortem salvation, the doctrine of the final restitution of all men, and all sorts of fables and falsehoods which men have invented.

1 Timothy 1:5-7
There were some who put the law into its wrong place. They made it a way of salvation, which it never was meant to be, and never can be. It is a way of conviction. It is an instrument of humbling. It shows us the evil of sin; but it never takes sin away.

1 Timothy 1:8
In its own place it has its own uses, and these are most important.

1 Timothy 1:9-13
Paul must have written this verse with many tears. What a wonder of grace it was that he should be put into the sacred ministry, to bear testimony for Christ, when he had been before a blasphemer!

1 Timothy 1:13
He almost thought that, if he had done all this wilfully, be might not have been forgiven; but he felt that here God spied out the only extenuating circumstance, namely, that he was mistaken: “I did it ignorantly, in unbelief.”

1 Timothy 1:14, 15
He spoke from his heart, from deep experience. This indeed was to him the glorious gospel of the blessed God, that had saved him, the very chief of sinners. He could therefore with confidence commend it to others as worthy of all acceptation.

1 Timothy 1:16
The case of Paul is not a singular one; it is the pattern one. If there are any here who feel that they have sinned like Saul of Tarsus, they may be forgiven like Paul the apostle. He is a pattern to all who should thereafter believe in Christ to life everlasting. Just as we often see things cut out in brown paper, and sold as patterns, so is the apostle Paul the pattern convert. What God did for him, he can do for thousands of others.

1 Timothy 1:17
Paul could not help this outburst of praise. He must put in a doxology. When he remembered his own conversion and pardon, and his being entrusted with the ministry of the gospel, be was obliged to put down his pen, and lift up his voice in grateful thanksgiving to God. So may it be with us, be with us, as we remember what great things the Lord hath done for us!

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1 Timothy 1:12 (Oswald Chambers)
The Real Thanks of the Worker
1 Timothy 1:12 And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord . . .

Everything that God has created is like an orchestra praising Him. “All Thy works shall praise Thee.” In the ear of God everything He created makes exquisite music, and man joined in the paean of praise until he fell, then there came in the frantic discord of sin. The realisation of Redemption brings man by way of the minor note of repentance back into tune with praise again. The angels are only too glad to hear that note, because it blends man into harmony again (see Luke 15:10).

Praising God is the ultimate end and aim of all we go through. “Whoso offereth praise glorifieth Me.” What does it matter whether you are well or ill! whether you have money or none! It is all a matter of indifference, but one thing is not a matter of indifference, and that is that we are pleasing to the ears of God.

Paul had got back again by way of repentance into tune with God (cf. 1 Timothy 1:13), and now he has his base as a worker in thanksgiving to Christ Jesus; his whole life has been brought into perfect relation to God.

The Realised Test of the Worker
1 Timothy 1:12 who hath enabled me . . .

The test of the worker is that he knows he has been enabled by the Lord Jesus, therefore he works and learns to do it better all the time. The realisation that my Lord has enabled me to be a worker keeps me strong enough never to be weak. Conscious obtrusive weakness is natural unthankful strength; it means I refuse to be made strong by Him. When I say I am too weak it means I am too strong; and when ever I say “I can’t” it means “I won’t.” When Jesus Christ enables me, I am omnipotently strong all the time. Paul talks in paradoxes, “for when I am weak, then am I strong.”

The Recognised Truth by the Worker
1 Timothy 1:12 for that He counted me faithful . . .

To recognise that my Lord counts us faithful removes the last snare of idealising natural pluck. If we have the idea that we must face the difficulties with pluck, we have never recognised the truth that He has counted us faithful; it is His work in me He is counting worthy, not my work for Him. The truth is we have nothing to fear and nothing to overcome because He is all in all and we are more than conquerors through Him. The recognition of this truth is not flattering to the worker’s sense of heroics, but it is amazingly glorifying to the work of Christ. He counts us worthy because He has done everything for us. It is a shameful thing for Christians to talk about “getting the victory”; by this time the Victor ought to have got us so completely that it is His victory all the time, not ours. The overcoming referred to in the Book of the Revelation is not the personal overcoming of difficulties but the overcoming of the very life of God in us while we stand resolutely true to Him.

The Responsible Trust of the Worker
1 Timothy 1:12 . . . putting me into the ministry.

The ministry is, the “glorious gospel of the blessed God, which was committed to my trust.” If I am going to be loyal to that trust, it will mean I must never allow any impertinent sensitiveness to hinder my keeping the trust. My trust is the glorious gospel for myself and through me to others, and it is realised in two ways: in the perfect certainty that God has redeemed the world, and in the imperative necessity of working on that basis with everyone with whom I come in contact (cf. see notes Colossians 1:28; 1:29). (Chambers, Oswald: Approved Unto God: The Spiritual Life of the Christian Worker. Discovery House. 1997)

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1 Timothy 1:12-17 God's Delight

A Scottish preacher spoke of evangelism as a fellowship of reconciled, forgiven sinners who don't simply preach but live out their faith. They also offer to others the same reconciliation and forgiveness they have received from God.

The apostle Paul expressed the same conviction: "Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief" (1 Timothy 1:15). Once a blasphemer and persecutor of Christians, Paul believed that God's mercy was shown to him, the worst of sinners, as an example to other sinners who would later believe on Christ (v.16).

Whenever we testify that God has forgiven us and provided eternal life through faith in Christ, we're declaring that God is a saving God. Yet, when we observe destructive lifestyles among people, it's easy to write them off. Instead, we should look at them as Christ does. "When He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them" (Matthew 9:36).

Jesus said He came not to condemn the world but to save it (John 3:17). Rather than condemning people, we should say, "Who am I to condemn others, when God has forgiven me so generously?" God delights to use forgiven sinners to reach other sinners.—Joanie Yoder  (Copyright. Used by permission of Our Daily Bread)

Love is giving for the world's needs,
Love is sharing as the Lord leads,
Love is caring when the world cries,
Love is compassion with Christlike eyes. —Brandt

To love sinners is to be like Jesus.

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1 Timothy 1:15 Good News

A Christian counselor was troubled by this line in her church's statement of faith: "We deserve God's condemnation." She said she often talks with clients who are so beaten down with self-condemnation that they need to hear, "You deserve God's love."

I commend that therapist for her empathy, but I'm afraid her thinking is subtly flawed. The good news of the gospel is not that we deserve God's love. The good news is that God sees us in all our sin and unworthiness, yet He loves us so much that He has provided for our complete forgiveness and acceptance.

The apostle Paul said that he had persecuted believers "ignorantly in unbelief" (1 Timothy 1:13). Yet this was not an excuse. He accepted responsibility for his unbelief, referring to himself as "formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an insolent man." Although he saw himself as the "chief" of sinners (v.15), he wasn't shackled by the guilt of past sins. His primary emphasis was on the Lord's marvelous grace that freed him from a debilitating sense of unworthiness.

It's true that "we deserve God's condemnation," but it's also true that "Jesus came into the world to save sinners" (v.15). That's good news for all of us, no matter what we have done! —HVL (Copyright. Used by permission of Our Daily Bread)

No condemnation now I dread,
I am my Lord's and He is mine;
Alive in Him, my living Head,
And clothed in righteousness divine. —Wesley

The one who receives Christ will never receive God's condemnation.

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1 Timothy 1:15 "Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am foremost of all."

Missionary Irene Webster-Smith...returned to Japan after World War II to continue her work. On one occasion, she met the wife of a Japanese military leader who had been condemned to death for war crimes. This woman was a Christian who was deeply burdened for her husband. She asked Irene to visit him in prison. Irene did, and the man accepted Christ. Soon a call came to Irene that other war crimes prisoners wanted to visit with her. Eventually, fourteen of the twenty-five convicted men put their faith in Christ. No matter how awful the sin, we have a Savior whose love and grace can reach far beyond the worst transgression (see note Romans 5:20).

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1 Timothy 1:15 (F B Meyer. Our Daily Homily)
Sinners, of whom I am chief.

If the elephant can go safely over the swaying bridge, the horse and mule can; and the apostle seems to glory that in the very beginning of the progress of the Gospel through the world it had laid hold of and converted himself, because if he had been saved, any one might be. As men have been brought under conviction, in successive ages, it has been a profound consolation to learn that the chief of sinners has been in heaven for eighteen hundred years. In him first Jesus Christ showed forth “all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe.”

Without doubt Paul never forgot the excess of his hatred and persecutions towards the infant Church. But probably he alludes here also to the deepening consciousness of unworthiness and sinfulness which accompanies all progress towards the knowledge and love of God. This phase of experience may be accounted for thus. The true saint of God, though certain of forgiveness, reviews his past sins in the light of that purity of which he is ever obtaining truer perceptions, and thus recognizes shades of evil in them which a slighter knowledge of God had failed to reveal. He also feels himself a greater sinner than others, because he supposes that God cannot have treated another with the same forbearance and mercy as have been extended to himself; and the greater the love the more heinous the transgression. And in addition, as subtler forms of temptation are suggested to him, and to every one, he knows that there are kindred susceptibilities within him, even though they are abhorred and resisted. It is beneath the pressure of such thoughts that he recognizes his uttermost indebtedness to the grace of God.

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1 Timothy 1:19 A Winning Combination

. . . having faith and a good conscience, which some having rejected, concerning the faith have suffered shipwreck. —1 Timothy 1:19

A new believer slipped into his old ways by attending a party and getting drunk. When he arrived home, his wife would not let him in. Instead, she called their pastor, who found the man sleeping in his car.

The pastor took him to a motel to sleep off his drunkenness. He knew him well and was confident that a strong rebuke would not be needed. Instead, he asked God to convict the man and bring him to repentance. In this case the pastor chose the right course. The young man later said that he had learned a valuable lesson through this experience and that the Lord had "taken all the fun out of sin."

A "good conscience" will disturb us when we do something we know is wrong. We keep it "good" by heeding it and turning away from sin. Paul said the faith of Hymenaeus and Alexander "suffered shipwreck" because they rejected the voice of their good conscience (1 Timothy 1:19-20). By doing so, they had deadened their conscience and then apparently twisted the truth to justify their conduct.

True faith and a sensitive conscience will take all the fun out of sinning and remove the desire to twist the truth to justify what is wrong. Faith and a good conscience are a winning combination. Let's keep them strong.—Herbert Vander Lugt (Copyright. Used by permission of Our Daily Bread)

Our conscience is a gift from God,
It is a guiding light;
And when aligned with faith and truth,
It tells us wrong from right. —Sper

Conscience is a safe guide when guided by God's Word.

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1 TIMOTHY 2

1 Timothy 2:1 (F B Meyer. Our Daily Homily)
That supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men.

A life is revealed here of which many of us know practically nothing. We do not feel the absolute necessity of being much alone in the presence of God, not so much for ourselves, as for others; and this sad neglect of intercessory prayer, which we all deplore, really points to a lack of the divine life, since if that were mightily within us we should inevitably feel its throb and pulse in this direction. This comes out clearly in the words that follow.

Intercession is necessary that we may know the secrets of a quiet, peaceable, and godly life (1 Timothy 2:2).

Such intercession for others is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior (1 Timothy 2:3). And the word translated good might be rendered beautiful.

It is consonant with the Divine purpose, for God wishes to have all men saved (1 Timothy 2:4). If, then, his Spirit is within us, we, too, shall long that men should be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth. Our hearts will be filled with a Divine tenderness of yearning which will find vent in strong cryings and tears. It is only thus we can live in harmony with the Divine purpose. One writes “When I think of this, I feel I must pray. Oh, how near it brings to God to pray in the Spirit, and leads me to see that no pressure of duty among men can free us from the absolute need of much prayer.”

Such intercession is in profound union with the mediation of our Lord (1 Timothy 2:5–6). — As the great High Priest, He ever liveth to intercede; and in our little measure we, too, as members of a holy priesthood, must blend our supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks with his (1 Peter 2:5).

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1 Timothy 2:1 Prayer Evangelism

I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men. --1 Timothy 2:1

Over the centuries since Jesus died for our sins and rose victorious from the grave, many methods have been used to spread the gospel. From Peter's first sermon, when 3,000 were saved, to great preaching campaigns of men like Charles Spurgeon and Billy Sunday, to friendship evangelism, many ways of influencing others to accept Jesus' free gift have been tried.

In a major city in the midwest, another method has been launched: prayer evangelism. In the campaign to reach the populace of this city, organizers have set out to pray for every individual. They have divided the city into sections, and all cooperating churches have been assigned the names of the people in those sections.

Of course, it will also take other kinds of contacts, such as literature or face-to-face visits, but prayer is the major component. In 1 Timothy, Paul explained that God "desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth" (2:4). And the method suggested for beginning the work of evangelization is "supplications, prayers, intercessions . . . for all men" (v.1).

What about your neighborhood and mine? Let's begin right now to do some prayer evangelism. --JDB  (Copyright. Used by permission of Our Daily Bread)

For Whom Can I Pray Today?
Talk to God about people before you talk to people about God.

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1 Timothy 2:1-2 Prayer And Politics

[Pray] for all men, for kings and all who are in authority. . --1 Timothy 2:1-2

In 1787 a convention was called in the United States to revise the Articles of Confederation. For weeks delegates reviewed ancient history and analyzed modern governments, searching for insights. But nothing suited the infant nation.

Finally, a distinguished gentleman named Benjamin Franklin rose and said, "In this situation of this assembly, groping as it were in the dark to find political truth and scarce able to distinguish it when it is presented to us, how has it happened that we have not hitherto once thought of humbly applying to the Father of Lights to illuminate our understandings?" Mr. Franklin believed there was a sovereign God who could provide guidance to those who sought it.

If ever there was a time to follow that prayerful example, it is now. Paul said that governments are ordained of God (Ro. 13:1), and that we are to pray for those in authority over us (1 Tim. 2:1-2). This prayer principle also applies to the election of our leaders. We must become informed and vote prayerfully for those who shape our laws.

Because God has instructed us to do so, we can--indeed we must--unashamedly and boldly mix prayer with our politics. --DJD

In God we trust, let others trust their rulers,
We trust in God to save us from alarm;
Like broken reeds, the works of man will fail us,
Our God alone can keep us from all harm. --Smith

Whatever makes men good Christians makes them good citizens. --Webster (Copyright. Used by permission of Our Daily Bread)

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1 Timothy 2:2  Better Times Ahead

[Pray] for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life. —1 Timothy 2:2

Paul lived in the Roman Empire under the rule of the cruel and ruthless Nero. Yet he saw the possibility of better times ahead. If he hadn't, he wouldn't have exhorted the first-century Christians to pray for "a quiet and peaceable life" (1 Timothy 2:2).

If Paul were living today, I don't think he would be pleased when Christians paint a totally dark picture of the future. Although some governments do repress their citizens, think of what's happened. Since the Berlin Wall came down, new winds of freedom have been blowing in the world. And even though immorality and broken homes are still a terrible blight, many people seem to be returning to the values of marital fidelity.

I believe that the only real hope for the world is the return of Jesus Christ. I don't know when the Lord will come, but while I wait I'll continue witnessing for Him and praying for a great revival. I'll be asking the Lord to lead the nations into paths of peace and prosperity. I'll be doing what I can to help people who are struggling in dire poverty. I'll vote for leaders who uphold moral values.

We must not withdraw from the world but do what we can to make it a better place to live. God is in control. We can't lose. Let's be optimistic! —HVL (Copyright. Used by permission of Our Daily Bread)

Keep me ever watching, Master,
That no fear my faith may shake;
Working, praying, hoping, longing,
Till the joyful morn shall break. —Dimmock

The future is as bright as the promises of God.

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1 Timothy 2:9 God Can Save Anyone!

Therefore I exhort . . . that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men. —1 Timothy 2:1

Today, as always, there is an urgent need for us to pray for "all who are in authority" (1 Timothy 2:2). But does the word all include the most wicked of leaders? Are there ever people in positions of power and influence who are beyond the help of prayer?

The answer to this question can be found by noting the word therefore in verse 1, which calls our attention to the immediate context. In 1 Timothy 1:12-17, Paul admitted that he was once a blasphemer, a persecutor, and a violent man (v.13). He vigorously affirmed that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. Then he added this significant phrase: "of whom I am chief" (v.15).

Paul explained that he received God's mercy so that Christ would display His limitless grace in him as a pattern for those who are going to believe on Him in the future (v.16). In effect, Paul was saying, "If I, the worst of sinners, can be saved, anyone can." Paul therefore exhorted us to pray for all in authority, because God our Savior desires all to be saved and to embrace His truth (2:4).

So let's not only pray that honorable leaders will act wisely, but also that ungodly leaders will be saved. Yes, God can save anyone. —Joanie Yoder (Copyright. Used by permission of Our Daily Bread)

No leader is beyond God's grace
When righteous people pray;
For when God's children intercede,
The Lord will have His way. —D. De Haan

To influence leaders for God, intercede with God for leaders.

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1 Timothy 2:11-15 (Elisabeth Elliot)
“It is in willing submission, rather than grudging capitulation, that the woman in the church (whether married or single) and the wife in the home find their fulfillment.”

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1 Timothy 2:11-15 (Vance Havner)
“A good woman is the best thing on earth. Women were last at the cross and first at the open tomb. The church owes a debt to her faithful women which she can never estimate, to say nothing of the debt we owe in our homes to godly wives and mothers.”
 

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1 TIMOTHY 3

1 Timothy 3:14-15 I am writing you these instructions so that... you will know how people ought to conduct themselves in God's household.

Bible teacher Chuck Swindoll once described a neighborhood kids' club that had a humorous, but wise, list of rules for its members. The rules were beautiful in their simplicity: ""Nobody act big. Nobody act small. Everybody act medium."" That's a list of rules anyone can keep! (Today in the Word)

1 Timothy 3:16 (F B Meyer. Our Daily Homily)
Without controversy great is the mystery of godliness.

It is more than likely that this is a fragment of one of the earliest hymns of the Church. In her hymns, and maintenance of the ordinances, she thus becomes the pillar and ground of the truth. The words “mystery of godliness” are probably a general heading which is further unfolded and expanded in the six following sentences, which may have been sung antiphonally:—

“God was manifest in the flesh, Justified in the Spirit. Seen of angels, Preached unto the Gentiles. Believed on in the world, Received up into glory.”

The Extremes of Manifestation. — The Eternal Word was manifested in the flesh. But it was not simply a physical manifestation; we cannot forget the descent of the Holy Spirit at his baptism, or the authentication of his words which the Spirit gave in signs and wonders, and convinced hearts, and converted lives.

The Extremes of Created Intelligence. — Angels worship Him; and Gentiles, sunk in heathen darkness, hear the story of his wondrous love. Jesus is the centre of all worlds: from heaven’s bright spaces they come to Him on the one hand; from earth’s dark sins they come on the other. In Him meet angels and men.

The Extremes of Space. — Glory is above: “He was received up into glory.” The world is but a speck, a mote in the beam of eternity. How great the space between the two! But the feet of our Emmanuel have trodden its low pavement, and He has now taken to Himself his former glory. Like Jacob’s ladder, He links earth with the throne of God.

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1 TIMOTHY 4

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1 Timothy 4:4 Earthworms And Fruit

Every creature of God is good, and nothing is to be refused. —1 Timothy 4:4
 

Have you ever wondered why God made a particular creature, like mosquitos or snakes? I’ve often wondered about earthworms. Why did God form such creepy crawlers?

Actually, worms have an indispensable function to fulfill. Amy Stuart, in her book The Earth Moved: On The Remarkable Achievements of Earthworms tells us that in an average acre of ground there are countless earthworms continually breaking up the soil. Their silent and invisible activity is absolutely essential—no worms, no vegetation.

What, then, can we learn from earthworms? Not only in nature but also in our lives there are invisible forces at work. There is the silent and unseen work of prayer by those who are concerned about our well-being. There is the work of our own spiritual discipline, as we pray and meditate on God’s Word. And there is the vital work of the Holy Spirit, breaking up the clogged soil of our souls and producing in us the Christlike fruit of “love, joy, peace, longsuffering . . .” (Galatians 5:22-23).

In our lives and in our world, God has ordained unseen influences that bear fruit. Whether it’s the lowly earthworm or the crown of God’s creation—the human race—there is so much more at work than meets the eye. —Vernon C Grounds (Copyright. Used by permission of Our Daily Bread)

All things bright and beautiful,
All creatures great and small,
All things wise and wonderful,
The Lord God made them all. —Alexander

God’s unseen work in our hearts produces fruit in our lives.
 

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1 Timothy 4:4 (F B Meyer. Our Daily Homily)
Every creature of God is good … if it be received with thanksgiving.
We must be very careful in applying these words. Intoxicating liquor, for instance, is sometimes described as “a good creature of God.” But surely that term is not legitimate. Whatever grounds there may be for defending its use, can this text be alleged as one? For there is a great deal of human manipulation in its preparation. Before it reaches our lips, it is greatly altered by the process of fermentation. It can hardly be called God’s good creature.

When we are quite sure that we are dealing with one of God’s pure and unadulterated gifts, such as human love, friendship, the beauties of nature, wholesome food, fresh young spirits, the innocent mirth of the Christmas home-gathering; we must distinguish between God’s gifts and our abuse of them; between his creation and our distortion of it, There are things in our lives which are not his creation or gift, and which we must resolutely refuse and put away. There are others which come to us clearly and absolutely from his hand.

Rejoice in every good thing which the Lord gives. — Rejoice! Do not enjoy things as though under the sword of Damocles, suspended by a thread.

Be careful to maintain the spirit of thanksgiving and prayer. — What you can thank God for or use in his name and for his glory; what lifts you from the gift to the Giver, or is capable of being prayed over, with no shadow of misgiving, is innocent and healthy.

Watch only against the intrusion of self. — Whatever you place between yourself and God, or rest on apart from God, or make the aim and centre of your life, is hurtful and must pass through the fire. The way to rid yourself of its poison is to insist on making it a subject of thanksgiving.

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1Timothy 4:7-8 (F B Meyer. Our Daily Walk)

SPIRITUAL GYMNASTICS - "Exercise thyself unto godliness: for bodily exercise is profitable for a little; but godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the life which now is, and of that which is to come."-- 1Timothy 4:7-8

THE RELATION of the body to religion has always engaged the attention of thoughtful religious men. Human opinion has oscillated between two extremes. On the one hand, some have considered that the body was the seat of sin, and have set themselves to degrade and debase it with every indignity and torture. This conception has influenced devoutly-intentioned people in the East, and also in Western monasticism. But sin must be dealt with in the heart and soul, where it has its inception and spring. It is easy to macerate the body, whilst the pride of self-mortification is undetected. If we deal with bad thought and evil suggestion, we shall not have so much trouble with the body, which is only the dial-plate, registering the workings within. The other extreme was represented in the Greek religion. The temples that stand in ruins: the superb works of art which have survived the wreck of centuries; its poetry and literature, sustain and illustrate the supreme devotion of the Greek mind to beauty. The Christian position differs from both. To us the body is the temple, the instrument, the weapon of the soul. The Holy Spirit quickens our mortal body by His indwelling, and in the faces and lives of holy men and women we may trace the growing results of the inward power and beauty of pure and undefiled religion. It is good to care for the body, but only as we should care for a complex and fine piece of machinery which is to serve us. There are gifts in us, which we must not neglect, or it will go hard with us when we meet our Master, who entrusted them to our stewardship. Probably the trials and temptations of life are intended to give us that inward training which shall bring our spiritual muscles into play. In each of us there is much unused force; many moral and spiritual faculties, which would never be used, if it were not for the wrestling which we are compelled to take up with principalities and powers, with difficulty and sorrow. The Apostle bids us take heed to ourselves, and to live in the atmosphere of uplifting thought and of self-denying ministry (1Ti 4:13-15).

PRAYER - Mould us, O God, into forms of beauty and usefulness by the wheel of Thy providence, and by the touch of Thy hand. Fulfil Thine ideal, and conform us to the image of Thy Son. AMEN.
 

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1 Timothy 4:7 Keep The Goal In View

Bible scholar William Barclay tells of his walks through the meadow with his bull terrier Rusty. Whenever his dog came to a shallow creek, he jumped in and started removing stones, one by one, dropping them haphazardly on the shore. This pointless activity would go on for hours.

Barclay says that Rusty's strange behavior reminds him of some self-proclaimed experts on the Bible. They expend enormous energy and countless hours trying to interpret obscure passages, but all their effort does nothing to edify themselves or others.

Through the years I have received long letters from people like that. Some show me how to know exactly who the Antichrist will be. Others claim to have found the key to certain Bible mysteries by studying the meaning of names in the lists of genealogies.

Apparently there were some teachers in Ephesu