Today we begin a short, three-week, series in Paul’s First Letter to Timothy. As its name suggests, this short epistle was written by the apostle Paul to Timothy, whom he calls his “true son in the faith”. Timothy was a young man (perhaps in his early 30s when this letter was written) who had become one of Paul’s closest missionary companions – a trusted disciple whom he held in great affection. Timothy is mentioned a number of times in Paul’s other letters, as well as in the book of Acts, so we know that he accompanied the great apostle on several of his missionary journeys around the Eastern Mediterranean.
This particular letter seems to have been written by Paul to Timothy towards the end of Paul’s own life and career – perhaps around the mid-60s AD. As we learn from verse 3 of the letter, Paul has just travelled into Macedonia (part of modern-day Greece), leaving Timothy behind to take charge of the young Christian congregations in Ephesus (in Turkey). This letter is Paul’s guidance note to Timothy as he takes on oversight of the Ephesus churches. It’s a letter designed to instruct, encourage and edify Timothy for the demands of Christian leadership. As you would expect in such a letter, Paul’s epistle to Timothy contains instruction on such things as the conduct of public worship, the importance of prayer, the recruitment of ministers, and the handling of money. Just the sort of things that many a Vicar and PCC still wrestle with to this day!
But in today’s passage – in this first chapter of this epistle – Paul instructs Timothy to refute false teaching in Ephesus. “As I urged you when I went into Macedonia” he writes, “stay there in Ephesus so that you may command certain people not to teach false doctrines any longer.”
We don’t know exactly what this false teaching consisted in, but Paul is adamant that Timothy needs to stamp it out. Whatever these troublemakers in Ephesus were teaching, it was evidently leading some there to depart from true Christian faith and ethics. These false teachers were corrupting both the ‘minds’ and the ‘morals’ of the Christians in Ephesus, you might say! Timothy is told by Paul to refute their errors and teach ‘sound doctrine’ instead.
We, of course, are not in first century Ephesus, but twenty-first century Ashton. Yet as Christians today, we too are surrounded by false teaching of all kinds – false teaching that comes at us from all angles, whether its from our mass media, other religions, different philosophies, popular culture or even simply from our secular friends and neighbours.
- If we listen to such sources, rather than to Paul, we might come to believe that Jesus is only one of a whole host of equally suitable religious leaders or personal saviours – not someone with a unique claim to our loyalty and love.
- Other contemporary voices might try to persuade us that we human beings have no sin to be sorry for – our bad behaviour can be blamed entirely on our genes, our education or the government – not anything that makes us in need of God’s forgiveness.
- And other twenty-first century false teachers might urge us to revise traditional Christian sexual ethicsor to jettison biblical teaching on the sanctity of life from the womb to the grave.
On such topics, and so many more, we have a cacophony of voices in our ears – from politicians to journalists, from pop psychologists to people at the pub. So why should we listen to what Paul has to say, rather than them? Paul may well be the author of around one half of the New Testament, but why should we respect his authority? Why should we listen to Paul’s teaching today, especially when at times it can seem so challenging, so counter-cultural, so ‘politically incorrect’??
Well, in today’s passage , Paul commends himself to Timothy (and to us) as a trustworthy teacher with a true message. As an apostle who has God-given authority and a God-given gospel. We should leave 1 Timothy chapter 1 with the conviction that Paul should be trusted, and that his teaching should be obeyed. Let’s briefly look at both of these things in turn.
Paul: A trustworthy apostle (v.1, 12-14)
Beginning at the beginning, Paul asserts his authority in the very first line of his letter. He describes himself there as “an apostle of Christ Jesus”. The word apostle literally means a“sent one”, so Paul is claiming that he has been sent to his task by Jesus Christ himself. Moreover, his apostleship is “by the command of God” he says.
Its hard to imagine a more impressive and imposing authorisation! Paul isn’t throwing his weight around at his own initiative or for his own pleasure. On the contrary, he is exercising a leadership responsibility over the Church that’s been given to him by the God the Father and God the Son. To reject Paul, therefore, is to reject the One who sent him.
Paul tells Timothy (and us) a little more about his apostolic commissioning in verses 12 to 14, doesn’t he? In those verses Paul recounts his personal history – he turns his mind back thirty years to his previous career as a zealous Pharisee and persecutor of the early church.
Here was a man who wanted to stamp out the first Christian believers, using violence if necessary. Infamously, he was present at the execution of Stephen – the first Christian martyr – and ‘approved’ of his killing.
But Paul’s life and faith was turned upside down on the famous ‘road to Damascus’, wasn’t it? As we read in Acts chapter 9, Paul was en route to that Syrian city to arrest the Christians there, when he had a dazzling encounter with the risen Lord Jesus. He was thrown to the ground, blinded by light, and told that from now on he would be Christ’s designated apostle to the Gentiles. From that moment on, it would be his life’s work to take the Gospel message where it had never gone before. Paul was transformed from the Church’s foremost persecutor to its most famous advocate.
Writing to Timothy, even 30 years later, Paul still can’t get over Christ’s grace to him. As a persecutor of the church Paul deserved Christ’s condemnation, instead he received salvation. Paul deserved God’s judgement, instead he was graciously given a great commission. Paul expresses his emotions this way to Timothy:: “I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me trustworthy, appointing me to his service. Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief. The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.”
Nothing can explain the total transformation in Paul’s life and faith apart from his encounter with the resurrected Jesus. Paul’s personal commissioning by Christ was the source of his apostolic authority.
You may have seen in the news this week that Peter Mandleson has been fired as the British ambassador to Washington. He found himself in some hot water about his connections to the late Jeffrey Epstein, and his authority has been revoked. But Paul was the Lord Jesus’ ambassador and personal representative. A man of absolute integrity whose apostleship will never been revoked. So Timothy – and us – should willingly submit to his authority and pay heed to his words.
The Gospel: A trustworthy message (v.15-16)
So Paul is a true apostle, a legitimate spiritual and moral authority over us. But what about the message he preached? What was the authorised Gospel he proclaimed, the message of salvation that we ourselves are to believe and pass on to others?
Well, in verse 15 today Paul passes on the essence of the Gospel in what he calls a ‘trustworthy saying.’ One of three ‘trustworthy sayings’, in fact, that Paul makes in this letter, and probably the most important. Comfortable words that we hear every week in our 9am BCP communion. Let me remind you what it is: “Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners”
What wonderful news that is. God’s Son came into our world not to condemn it, nor even to educate it – but to save it! The life, death and resurrection of Jesus was one great rescue mission, a mission to secure the salvation of anyone (yes, anyone!) who will receive it. Whether we are young or old, male or female, Jew or Gentile, God’s forgiveness and eternal life are available through faith in Christ.
To emphasise and underline this fact, Paul reminds Timothy (and us) that he himself was the worst of sinners – a persecutor of the Church – yet Christ saved even him! As he writes in verse 16 “I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his immense patience as an example for those who would believe in him and receive eternal life.”
So never think that your background, your past, your identity excludes you from Christ’s salvation. The Gospel is truly for all who believe. Christianity is a global religion because it has good news for people of every nation. We can – and should – be gloriously indiscriminate in sharing our faith. No one is beyond the grace and mercy of God – not even a murderous persecutor like Paul – nor even a notorious slave trader like John Newton, who wrote these famous words: “Amazing grace! How sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me. I once was lost, but now I’m found; was blind, but now I see!”
Conclusion
As I finish, its no surprise that, having experienced God’s amazing grace in his own life, Paul turns to praise. Because in our final verse this morning Paul’s gratitude for the Gospel expresses itself in exuberant words of worship: “To the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen!”
If we are Christians here this morning may we share Paul’s heartfelt desire to praise our Saviour. And may we share Paul’s apostolic enthusiasm to share the good news of Jesus with all we meet – at work, at home, at a café or even in the pub!