I Timothy for Beginners
Paul's Personal Witness
Teaching Strategy
The focus of this lesson is on Paul’s personal witness of salvation. Of special note is how we can use this as a model for our spiritual growth.
Student Learning Outcomes
- Know: Understand the teachings from I Timothy.
- Feel: Value the advice Paul provides Timothy for our faithfulness to Jesus.
- Do: Use Paul’s teachings to increase our faithfulness.
Body of the Lesson
Discussion Questions
Below are suggested questions to use during the guided discussion portion of the lesson. There are also suggested responses to questions to help students grasp the various concepts. These are provided to assist the discussion and are not considered as “right or wrong” responses.
The purpose of this question is to review information from the previous two lessons.
Paul is seeking to help Timothy deal with issues he is facing in Ephesus. Specifically:
- Establishing Timothy as a legitimate teacher teaching sound doctrine.
- Condemning false teachers and doctrine, especially Gnosticism.
Paul recognizes his previous role as a persecutor of the church and is now grateful to God for the opportunity to serve in His Kingdom. Paul continues to be humbled by this opportunity as he grows spiritually in his role as an apostle. He gives three reasons his feelings that he did not deserve to be an apostle.
- He was a blasphemer (denounced Jesus as a fake and troublemaker)
- He was a persecutor (Persecutor of followers of Christ)
- He was a violent aggressor (Arrogant, insolent, aggressive, and angry with Jesus and His people
Paul was zealous beyond most of his day. He recognized the futility of all of this. At his conversion in Acts 9, Paul came to realize that he was wrong in his knowledge and motivation. The first action Paul had to do was submit to our Lord through baptism. He had already believed and repented, now he had to follow-through with obedience. As a result, he received God's mercy and forgiveness.
Look for responses that include that God is faithful (trustworthy statement) that we must accept (beyond simply hearing it, we must believe and act upon it). God sent Jesus to die for everyone's sins. Paul is an example of that faithfulness. For this reason, when we realize we are saved, we give God glory for His grace and love.
Eternal, immortal and invisible. These three descriptions still apply today. God has not, nor will ever change. This includes His promises for us and our salvation through Jesus. These are additional reasons why God is worthy of honor and glory.
To entrust means to turn over to. Paul is expressing confidence in Timothy that he will act as he needs to as Paul gives him the knowledge and authority for his efforts to minister to Christians. He charges Timothy to remain faithful with a clear conscience (knowing he is doing the right thing).
There are many reasons why someone in the Body of Christ needs to be corrected. Remember, however, the purpose is to bring the person back into a relationship with our Lord.
Jesus provided a process in Matthew 18:15-20 that includes handling things in a graduated manner beginning with allowing the person to correct their behavior as early as possible. If that doesn't work, then it is elevated within the leadership of the congregation. It is only as a last resort that a situation is handled in a public way. This is in keeping with Paul's teachings in I Corinthians 5:1-13. A point of note is that we must acknowledge our own sin and to understand that we are judging a person's behavior based on God's word alone and not our likes, dislikes, or personal beliefs (See Matthew 7:1-5).
We recognize that no matter who we are, we need salvation through Jesus. We also recognize that God is faithful to forgive us when we turn to Him in obedient faith. This action is the beginning of our spiritual growth. We then continue to live faithfully. Part of living faithfully involves teaching others to understand how they need and can be in a relationship with Jesus, and live faithfully as well. We can use Paul as an example for faithfulness.