Counsel to a Church Leader

The Divine Training
Audio MP3

Unto Timothy, my own son in the faith: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord.—1 Timothy 1:2

Richard Kindig

After Paul was released from prison (after Acts 28:31), he traveled to Turkey, where Timothy met him for a personal conference. Then Paul traveled to Macedonia and wrote his first epistle to Timothy. In this warm and tender letter the aged apostle opens by recalling the conversation they had a few months before, in which Paul prevailed upon his younger brother to return to Ephesus and stay there indefinitely.

“I urged you … stay there in Ephesus so that you may command certain men not to teach false doctrines any longer nor to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies. These promote controversies rather than God’s work—which is by faith.” (1 Timothy 1:3,4, NIV).

Ephesus was the New York City of the Greco-Roman world. It was the melting pot of the empire, the commercial, banking, and artistic center, the home of both religious ferment and worldly fashion. All mile markers in the eastern Roman empire were numbered from Ephesus. People came from everywhere to see its magnificent temple of Diana, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world.

As a pulse point of western civilization, Paul had spent more time in Ephesus than in any other place (two full years), and the apostle John had settled there along with Mary the mother of Jesus.

Aquila and Priscilla, after their conversion in Corinth, had settled in Ephesus at Paul’s request and established themselves as nurturers of the fast-growing Christian assemblies there.

The attraction of Ephesus to these early Christian leaders was not that Ephesus was a religious vacuum. Far from it. Ephesus was the spiritual heart of the pagan world, and for Christianity to survive and flourish, it would need to challenge the brightest minds, prevail in conflict with the most popular superstitions.

By the time Timothy settled there in 65 A.D., Christianity had made major inroads, but was now torn from within by a major new counter-offensive from Satan: the pseudo-Christian teachings known as Gnosticism.

We would like to focus on the methods Paul used to deal with severe errors that were already gaining a strong foothold in the church. He presents: 1) the basis of Paul and Timothy’s authority in these matters, and how to express that authority; 2) how to build a climate of internal strength in the assembly which will help the brotherhood resist doctrinal error; 3) teachings which directly contradict elements of the false doctrines, and the character qualities which will be in evidence where true teachings are followed.

Establishing Authority

When Timothy received first one and then another letter from his beloved “father in the faith,” he knew it was more than simply a letter from Paul to him. It was a message from God to the entire church (see 1 Timothy 1:1, 2). Timothy thus became a deputy of the most recognized authority in the church at that time.

Paul knew, however, that already there were many forces doubting his authority because true dispensational teachings about the Law were so hard for Jewish Christians to accept. Paul needed to keep repeating again and again the logic of Gentiles becoming fellow heirs with Jews. Thus Paul also invoked the authority of the law itself—not by claiming himself to be the best keeper of the law, but rather one who had deserved its condemnation for his personal hardness of heart, yet who experienced a new life through the forgiveness that can only be found in Christ.

Paul finished his preamble by noting that though he was instructing Timothy to charge —that is, bring his hearers to conviction and rethinking—he made it clear to Timothy that this was going to be a “good warfare.” Persuasion, not coercion, would be involved, and people would have to be won over by godly means.

Combating Error God’s Way

Paul’s reason for asking Timothy to remain in Ephesus was so he could effectively combat errors that had gained a foothold there. Notice that the erroneous views existed in the church. Paul’s strategy involved several methods.

The first method is obvious: confrontation of the leaders. Paul urged Timothy that he directly challenge “certain ones … not to teach alien doctrines.” At later times in the church’s history, “heresy” began to be viewed as false doctrine which must be stamped out by ex­communication. This is not what Paul was advocating.

Ephesus was an ecclesia besieged by grievous false doctrines, serious errors that could actually make shipwreck of a person’s faith. In the case of a few of the most egregious leaders, Paul used his apostolic authority to expel these leaders, and named them: Hymenaeus, Alexander, and Philetus. But the rest of the leaders were not addressed directly; their ideas were held up for examination. Timothy was in­structed to personally “charge” them—to confront them in private or, if necessary, public meetings, with information about the specific errors they were advocating, along with reasons why these errors were damaging. The epistle also served to warn the brethren that certain ideas are dangerous to a life of faith in Christ. But reason, not emotional manipulation, was used. By listening carefully to what Paul taught, each could verify it by both the Torah/Taanach and the apostles’ writings which were already being recognized as Scripture.

Note that for most of the Gnostic, Judaizing, and self-serving leaders he was asking Timothy to battle, Paul does not advise shunning. He asked Timothy to use his influence as a teacher to combat the ideas held by these false teachers. This is much more difficult than separation: 1) to use the moral force of righteous authority (not civil/ecclesiastical power) to confront false teachers; 2) to use reason and evidence, backed by kindness and profound examples of Christian discipleship, to “war a good warfare,” following the example of an educated and restrained shepherd leadership that Paul himself embodied; and 3) to teach ecclesias how to inoculate themselves against false doctrine by allowing the community that God has already fashioned to express itself through mutual submission, obedience, faith, and love among all. In this view, faith is a family, a household, held together by natural authority, substantive communication, and loving ties of loyalty and service (Galatians 6:10).

A Cornucopia of False Doctrines

Gnostic Myths—(1 Timothy 1:4). When he warns against endless genealogies, Paul is not referring to the factual Bible genealogies that are the basis for understanding prophecy and Bible chronology. He is referring to speculative Gnostic teachings, in which angelic emanations supposedly intermarried with humans, producing a complex intertwining of human and spiritual “pedigrees.”

Paul warns the congregation at Ephesus not to pay any attention to speculative “knowledge, falsely so-called,” and the endless questions that arise from these religious philosophies. (See 1 Timothy 1:4; 6:20; 2 Timothy 2:14-18,23,25,26; 3:5-8.) Paul affirms that the in­ability to see past these imaginative religions is the result of a darkened mind, a damaged thinking process. That’s why he advises Timothy not to argue with these “myths” in a way that accepts their bogus sources as evidence—that would be futile. He advocates a categorical rejection of all non-biblical accounts of creation and fall. Films like The DaVinci Code try to place these Gnostic forgeries such as the Gospel of Thomas on a level with the Bible. Faith must be established on bedrock, not fantasy.

Gnostic Concepts of God—The Gnostic view of origins is that there are many gods in heaven, and that only special initiates know who the supreme creator is. Gnostics also teach that the material universe is inherently evil, and that the world was made by a completely self-centered deity called the Demi-Urge, who came to be known as Yahweh, the vengeful and anti-female God of the Old Testament.

Thus, the key error Timothy was fighting in Ephesus was the acid idea that the Creator of Earth is angry, selfish, and rebellious; and his creation is weak, flawed, and fallen because it is flesh. In this view the Serpent was right, and Eve is revered as a channel into salvation.

1. Paul counters these blasphemous notions by stating in 1:11 that the true God is not angry, but “The Happy God.”{FOOTNOTE: According to The Interpreters Bible on makarios: “The Greek word rendered blessed [1 Timothy 1:11 in the KJV] is used in pagan literature to denote the highest stage of happiness and well-being, such as the gods enjoy. Here it stands for the Hebrew ashre, ‘how happy!’ as in Psalm 1:1, 32:1, 112:1.”}  God is happy and at peace because everything is going according to his plan of redemption. God is always kind and loving to us when we come to him in faith, through Christ (Hebrews 10:19).  Thus, while God has placed the world under wrath or hereditary punishment (Romans 1:16-18), this is a temporary thing, designed to teach mankind lessons and create a hunger and thirst for righteousness. In the end, the ­anger of God will have been seen to be but for a moment, while his mercy and loving pleasures will last forever (Psalm 16:11; 30:5; 136:1-26).

2. Paul makes it clear that instead of being one of many deities, the true God is unique —the Only. He is eternal, cannot die, is invisible, and deserves all glory and praise (1 Timothy 1:17; 6:15,16).

3. Instead of the Gnostic view that God is unknowable except through multiple deities who can impart “Gnosis”—knowledge—Paul states that the Creator is “the only wise God” (1:17), and access comes only through the one mediator God has provided (2:5).

4. Instead of only a few being “saved” through hidden knowledge, Paul states that the true God is himself our savior (see 1:1 and 2:3), who has made the way of salvation clear through a glorious evangel or joyful message (1:11). Paul makes it clear that the problem is human sin—and salvation comes through Jesus Christ (1:15). The one true God is committed to the salvation of all (1 Timothy 2:4-6; 4:10).

Gnostic Concepts of Morality—The Gnostic “Christians” hold two dangerous ideas concerning morals. They teach that the flesh can be controlled through an ascetic lifestyle which even avoids marriage. Yet because flesh is by nature corrupt, they say sin is unavoidable. Thus Gnosticism produces two extremes of behavior: licentiousness on the one hand, as­ceticism on the other.

1. Paul wrote that the moral impact of true faith would be “love from a pure heart, a good conscience, and an unhypocritical faith” (1 Timothy 1:5). His morality was viewed as earthy by Gnostic standards: marriage, food, children as part of life but not the focus of life.

2. He warned that hypocritical ideas of morality would invade the church, and attempt to restrict the food and marriage as some sort of religious duty. He called this a doctrine of devils, because it accuses God of not wanting his creatures to enjoy the pleasures he created for them (1 Timothy 4:1-4).

3. The apostle teaches that while we are not saved by good works (2 Timothy 1:9; cf., Ephesians 2:8,9), our faith and obedience will prepare us for good works (2 Timothy 2:21). By shunning the “knowledge, falsely so-called” (1 Timothy 6:20), we can gain the true knowledge of God with visible fruitage of good or worthwhile works—actual results (Colossians 1:10). The tendency of Gnosticism is speculation, strife about words; what Paul called babblings, unprofitable words, subverting the hearers, spoiling philosophy and vain deceit (2 Timothy 2:14, 16).

Gnostic Distortions of Masculinity, Femininity, and Family—Ephesus was a culture that placed femininity on a spiritual pedestal that is higher than masculinity. Then, it was the Diana pagan cult; today, it comes from many sources, including God’s own time to roll back the curse of female subjugation to men that began in Eden. Still, Gnosticism and feminism subvert the natural order as God intended it to exist during the era of man’s fall. In Ephesus, as now, young aficionados of new ideas become the experts, while the wisdom of age is no longer prized. The Gnostic impulse is often to elevate female exponents of the mysteries into positions of leadership, and challenge masculinity as innately insensitive to the leadings of God’s spirit.

1. Paul instructs Timothy to arrange the church for sustainable, quiet growth and stability by submitting to higher powers and organizing along natural lines of age and gender (1 Timothy 2:1-15; 5:1-20). He calls for order within families, with parents regulating children and wives submitting to husbands; economic order in which those who work eat and provide only for those who cannot work; and a church order which imparts special honor to those who are older and wiser, especially those who rule well.

2. Leadership is to be carefully dispensed, only to those of character, who meet the moral and spiritual qualifications. Knowledge is only at most one-sixteenth of the requirement of senior leaders (1 Timothy 3:1-13).

3. Paul reminds Timothy (1 Timothy 2:9-15) that the original sin was introduced in Eden through a woman who was deceived. He argues that Adam was formed first, and was not deceived, but chose to follow his wife’s bad example. The implication is that strong men are needed in the church, and the greatest strength a woman can show is to voluntarily accommodate the headship of her husband, even in spiritual matters.

4. Paul urges Timothy to give special attention to the development of future leaders (2 Timothy 2:2), recognizing that sometimes younger ones who can be useful to the church will be at variance with the older, more conservative elements (1 Timothy 4:12). Such are not to be despised; but on the other hand they are to be guided by the most foundational elements of faith, so that they grow strong and wise before their time of leadership begins (2 Timothy 2:15,22, 24,25).

Gnostic Perversions of Faith—Paul is most concerned by the Gnostic influence on faith itself. Gnostics make faith mysterious and complicated. They make knowledge the measure of a person’s salvation, and personal effort to understand hidden truths the key to victory.

1. Paul countered this cancerous view by focusing on the simplicity of biblical faith—an authoritative, provable testimony about basic facts: God made the physical world good (1 Timothy 4:4); God is personal, but invisible, and he has chosen to reveal himself through the man Christ Jesus (1 Timothy 4:10; 6:15; cf., Hebrews 1:2). And faith involves facts: Jesus came to an actual place, said specific words that were written down, died on a certain day, and was resurrected in a manner that was verified by hundreds of eye-witnesses. These facts are the basis of saving faith (2 Timothy 3:14-17).

2. A life of faith is not speculative (2 Timothy 4:1-4). It soberly accepts reality that can be verified by one’s eyes, ears, and mind. And it produces a life of honor, righteousness, love, humility, and obedience. This godliness is the real source of power in a Christian life (2 Timothy 1:6-11). Good works result, both now and in the future (2 Timothy 3:16,17); and ultimately all people who have ever lived will benefit from the faithful process of salvation—the one and only mediator between God and men.

How thankful we are that Timothy obeyed the command of his elder brother Paul, and remained in Ephesus (1 Timothy 1:3). It was not easy. Paul empathized with Timothy’s tears (2 Timothy 1:4). Paul also felt a need, after bolstering Timothy’s boldness in the first epistle (1 Timothy 4:12), to encourage a softer tone in the second (2 Timothy 2:24). Paul wanted above all for Timothy to be able to bring people to conviction, an inner response to the truth of God (1 Timothy 4:8-16; 6:12). Therefore, Paul balanced Timothy’s advice by telling him on one hand to reprove and rebuke with authority—that is, with an aroma of righteousness that commends itself as coming from God—and yet also with longsuffering.

The result for Timothy was that, long after Paul had passed to his reward, Timothy re­mained in Ephesus, until an angry pagan mob, tired of hearing his advocacy of the gospel, seized him, dragged him through the streets, and finally stoned him to death. This occurred in either 80 A.D., about fifteen years after Paul sent him there, or perhaps in 97 A.D. when he was 80.

Timothy had submitted to “that Divine training which is in faith.” May we do the same in our world today, communicating with pagan elements as well as the confused Christian culture, in order to help all who are willing to acknowledge the simple and beautiful truths of God’s word, thus saving both ourselves and those who hear us (1 Timothy 4:16). It is a battle worth fighting, a noble struggle and an ennobling process of growth for those thus engaged. The reward for Timothy, for Paul, and for us, will be a crown of righteousness from the Lord, our judge (2 Timothy 2:5,11; 4:18).