Old Testament Reading: Genesis 9:1–17

“And God blessed Noah and his sons and said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth. The fear of you and the dread of you shall be upon every beast of the earth and upon every bird of the heavens, upon everything that creeps on the ground and all the fish of the sea. Into your hand they are delivered. Every moving thing that lives shall be food for you. And as I gave you the green plants, I give you everything. But you shall not eat flesh with its life, that is, its blood. And for your lifeblood I will require a reckoning: from every beast I will require it and from man. From his fellow man I will require a reckoning for the life of man. ‘Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed, for God made man in his own image. And you, be fruitful and multiply, increase greatly on the earth and multiply in it.’ Then God said to Noah and to his sons with him, ‘Behold, I establish my covenant with you and your offspring after you, and with every living creature that is with you, the birds, the livestock, and every beast of the earth with you, as many as came out of the ark; it is for every beast of the earth. I establish my covenant with you, that never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of the flood, and never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth.’ And God said, ‘This is the sign of the covenant that I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all future generations: I have set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth. When I bring clouds over the earth and the bow is seen in the clouds, I will remember my covenant that is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh. And the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh. When the bow is in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth.’ God said to Noah, ‘This is the sign of the covenant that I have established between me and all flesh that is on the earth.’” (Genesis 9:1–17, ESV)

Sermon Text: 1 Timothy 3:1-7

“The saying is trustworthy: If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task. Therefore an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. He must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive, for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God’s church? He must not be a recent convert, or he may become puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil. Moreover, he must be well thought of by outsiders, so that he may not fall into disgrace, into a snare of the devil.” (1 Timothy 3:1–7, ESV)

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Please excuse any typos and misspellings within this manuscript. It has been published online for the benefit of the saints of Emmaus Reformed Baptist Church but without the benefit of proofreading.

Introduction

One of the reasons I chose to preach through 1 Timothy was so that we might be encouraged as a congregation to keep our focus upon Christ, the advancement of his kingdom, and the building up of his church in these politically turbulent times. Granted, all of scripture does point to Christ and the furtherance of his kingdom, but 1 Timothy has a lot to say about life in Christ’s church. And I think it is good for this to be our focus.   

As Christians, we are citizens of an earthy nation. We live under the Noahic Covenant. And so we are obligated to participate in the common (but accountable) political communities that covenant sanctions. And this topic has been our focus in Sunday school over the past couple of months. There we have learned a lot about our responsibilities in the civil realm. There you have been encouraged to be responsible citizens. 

But as Christians, we are also citizens of the kingdom of heaven. If you are in Christ you live under the New Covenant ratified in his blood. And where is this New Covenant community found? Many of its members have already gone to glory and are even now enjoying the blessed presence of God. Their bodies lie in the grave but their souls have been perfected and are alive in the presence of God. These saints who have gone to glory are assembled in heaven. Our brother Steven Haws is among them. Our brother John Thezier is among them, along with many others. But there are also many partakers of this New Covenant who are alive on earth today. These are those who have been drawn to faith in Christ. These have turned from their sins to trust in Christ for the forgiveness of their sins. These have been justified, adopted, and are now being sanctified by the word of God and by his Spirit. And where do these members of the New Covenant who are alive in the world today assemble? They assemble in God’s house, that is to say, in the Church. They sit at the Lord’s table. They gather together on the Lord’s Day to feast on Christ and on his word. They come to offer up prayers and praise to God with the intent to obey him in the whole of life. They come to fellowship with one another, and in so doing they gain a foretaste of the blessed life that is to come. In fact, the scriptures remind us that the assembly of God’s redeemed in heaven and the assembly of God’s redeemed on earth are synchronized in their worship even now when the writer to the Hebrews says, “But you [speaking to Christians alive on earth] have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in festal gathering, and to the assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel” (Hebrews 12:22–24, ESV). Where do those who are partakers of the Covenant of Grace assemble? Whether on earth or in heaven they assemble before the throne of God being united to Christ by faith. Let this truth sink in, brothers and sisters. Believe it sincerely so that it brings peace to your soul. You are citizens of the kingdom of heaven now  if you have faith in Christ.  

Do you see, then, that the Christian has a dual citizenship? We are simultaneously citizens of an earthly nation, and of Christ’s heavenly kingdom. God is the Sovereign King of both. He reigns over both through his risen Son, all things having been made subject to him. But he reigns over these realms differently. And though he has a special kind of love and concern for his redeemed — those who are citizens in his heavenly and eternal kingdom — we must remember that we  are citizens of both.

Brethren, while I do not wish to in any way diminish the importance of our political engagement, this morning I do desire to fix your minds upon the far greater task of building Christ’s church and furthering his heavenly and eternal kingdom on earth. To put it differently, Christians must engage in both realms. They must continuously seek the good of the city and nation in which they live and also the advancement of the kingdom of God on earth. But one of these tasks is more important than the other. Neither should be neglected. And some Christians may be called to engage in politics or in Christian ministry more than others. But even the Christian politician must confess that his work in the political realm is subordinate to the work of Christ’s kingdom. 

How so, you ask? Well, while it is true that life in these two kingdoms is always deeply intertwined and interrelated, the political communities in which we live exist to preserve life in this world. And we might ask, why is life on this earth being preserved? If you know about the covenant that God transacted with all of creation through Noah (of which the rainbow is a sign) you know that God promised that “seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night, shall not cease”(Genesis 8:22, ESV). But why did he promise this? Why did he promise to preserve the world? The scriptures are clear. He promised to preserve the natural order so that the human race might be preserved. And the human race is preserved so that God might accomplish his purposes of redemption through the Covenant of Grace. Stated in another way, God in his mercy has determined to preserve the human race. This includes the preservation of stability within our political communities (generally speaking). But the ultimate reason for the preservation of the human race is so that the salvation of God’s elect might be accomplished and applied. Indeed, salvation has been accomplished. The Christ was born. He lived, died, and rose again for himself and others. And indeed, this redemption is being applied to God’s elect, just as it has been from the first utterance of the gospel in the presence of our first parents, Adam and Eve. The world remains — the full and final judgement of God has been delayed — so that redemption may be accomplished by Christ and applied to all his elect. 

This is precisely what the Apostle Peter taught in 2 Peter 3. Listen carefully to his words. And notice his allusion to the flood, and his teaching concerning God’s preservation of the natural world from Noah’s day to the present for the purpose of the accomplishment and application of redemption. He writes. “This is now the second letter that I am writing to you, beloved. In both of them I am stirring up your sincere mind by way of reminder, that you should remember the predictions of the holy prophets and the commandment of the Lord and Savior through your apostles, knowing this first of all, that scoffers will come in the last days with scoffing, following their own sinful desires. They will say, ‘Where is the promise of his coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation.’ For they deliberately overlook this fact, that the heavens existed long ago, and the earth was formed out of water and through water by the word of God, and that by means of these the world that then existed was deluged with water and perished. But by the same word the heavens and earth that now exist are stored up for fire, being kept until the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly. But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed” (2 Peter 3:1–10, ESV). According to Peter the return of Christ and the  final judgement is delayed, not because God is slack, but so that “all should reach repentance”.

What is the point that I am making? Well, in brief it is this. Political issues matter. They matter because they pertain to our life in this world. And clearly, God is concerned with life in this world. He has promised to preserve the human race until Christ returns. And one of the ways that he preserves the human race is by the preservation of political stability, in which governmental powers play a significant part. Political issues matter. They matter to God and they should matter to us. But never can the Christian lose sight of the bigger picture. God has promised to preserve the world under the Noahic covenant, so that his redemptive purposes might be fulfilled. This is why I have said that political concerns must remain subordinate to kingdom concerns for the Christian. Both concerns and valid, but the Christian must keep the furtherance of Christ’s kingdom (which is accomplished through the preaching of the gospel, by applying baptism to those who repent and believe, and by teaching those who believe to obey all that Christ has commanded), as their leading concern. This is our mission, brothers and sisters. The church is to  “ make disciples of all nations, baptizing them… [and] teaching them to observe all that [Christ has] commanded…” (Matthew 28:19–20, ESV). This is not our only concern, but it is our primary concern. 

It’s really about perspective and priorities. Tell me friends, what is a husband and father to devote himself to? I hope you would say, his life is to be devoted to loving his wife and children, and to raise the children up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. So is that all he is to do then? Is he to spend every waking hour with his wife and children and focus all of his energies only on them? You know that life in this world does not work this way. That husband and father must go to work, he must maintain the home, mow the lawn, pay the bills, serve within the church, engage socially, along with many other things. But as he engages in these other responsibilities, he must constantly keep everything in perspective and maintain his priorities. He would be irresponsible to neglect work and the other duties of life. But he would  error greatly if he allowed work or social life to take priority over loving and leading his wife and children. It is about perspective and priorities. And so it is for the Christian sojourner. Life is complex. We have many responsibilities. But why are we here? Answer: To give glory to God and to further Christ’s kingdom. 

I wonder, do you see how keeping this big picture in mind helps us to keep politics in perspective? Should the Christian care about politics? Yes! For God is preserving humanity by maintaining stability in this realm. But should the Christain view political matters as ultimate? No! For according to the scriptures the preservation of the natural world and of the human race is serving a greater end, namely, the accomplishment of salvation and the application of it to God’s elect, which is the furtherance of God’s kingdom which will come to a culmination in the new heavens and earth which Christ has earned on the last day. Stated even more simply: politics matters, but the advancement of the kingdom of Christ and the building up of Christ’s church matters more. This is the mission of the church under which the other responsibilities of life are subordinate. 

One thing that has been on my mind lately is the question, how will the church in this land, not only survive, but thrive as the culture grows ever more hostile to the Christian faith? I’m sure you have noticed the hostility. It’s not directed at Christians only, but towards others who hold to a belief in God and the idea that morality is rooted in him. And the hostility is not coming from our neighbors primarily. Instead it is concentrated in institutions of power — the universities, the press, large and powerful corporations, and in the elite celebrity class. There is indeed some hostility present within the broader society. Will it continue to trickle down to our neighbors and become pervasive? Only God knows. But the question is this, how will the church thrive if our culture remains on this path? 

The answer is rather simple, I think. The church will thrive in a culture that is hostile to her in the same way that will thrive when she holds an honored and privileged place within society, and that is by being faithful to Christ and his word. 

And this is my charge to you this morning: As sojourners maintain a heavenly and eternal perspective, keep our mission always in mind, and be faithful to Christ and his word. Be faithful in your own soul. Be faithful in your home. Be faithful in public. And be faithful in the church. 

The church will thrive if she is faithful. The church will wither if she is compromising.

Compromising churches will seem to be alive for a time. This is especially true when the culture is relatively kind to Chritsians. But compromising churches will surely wither with the passing of time, for they have separated themselves from their lifesource. They are like cut flowers. They may for a brief moment have the appearance of life and beauty, but their decay is inevitable, for they have been severed from their roots.

But faithful churches will thrive with the passing of time. Faithful churches are like the hardy shrubs that blanket the hills here in Southern California. They often go unnoticed. They are not as visually impressive as an elaborate bouquet of flowers, but their roots are firmly set in the soil. They thrive in the springtime rain, and they are resilient to drought and the heat of summer.   

Brethren, let us be sure that faithfulness to Christ and his word is our aim. Let us continue to send our roots down deep into the soil of Christ and his word. Let us be sure to believe him and to obey him individually, as families, and as a congregation. And let us not fear times of drought nor the heat of summer, leading us to compromise. No, the very worst thing that we could do is compromise in faith and practice, for then we would be severed from the root. But remaining faithful we must rest assured that God has designed his church to thrive, not only in the springtime rain, but also the heat of summer. The church, and every member within her, is well equipped to thrive in every condition.     

That was a very long introduction, I know. But I wished to set this sermon, and this sermon series, against that backdrop. Faithfulness is what we are after. What is God will for the church? Once we know, we must be faithful. 

And what have we learned so far? In brief, the church must be faithful in doctrine, in holiness, and in prayer. And the text that is before us today makes it clear that one of the most important things that a church will do is to appoint men to the office of overseer. Stated negatively, one of the most damaging things a church can do is to appoint men who are not called qualified to the office of overseer. In brief, if the church is to be faithful, then she must have faithfull men leading her. 

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A Noble Task

Our text for today begins with what Paul calls “a trustworthy saying.” This must have been a saying that was adopted by the early church: “If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task.”

To aspire to something is to seek to attain, or to long for something eagerly. “Noble” does not mean glorious, but rather good, fine, and praiseworthy. And it is important to notice that the office of overseer is called a “task”, that is to say, a work. 

You will note that Paul does not rebuke men for aspiring to the office of overseer as if they were being selfishly ambitious, but he does remind Timothy, and through him, the church, that overseers must engage in good, fine, and praiseworthy work. Undoubtedly, there are some who are selfishly ambitious to hold the office of overseer within Christ church. These wish to have the notoriety and respect that sometimes comes with the position. But Paul does not assume that all who aspire to the office are of this spirit. Instead, he simply reminds us that overseers must engage in noble work.

So what is the office of overseer? Well, it is no different from the office of pastor or elder. This one office — the office of elder — goes by many names. Each name highlights a different aspect of what the office requires. The term elder brings to mind authority. The term pastor brings to mind the care of a shepherd. And the term overseer (or bishop) connotes general leadership and oversight. If you were to read Acts 20:17 and following you would find an account of Paul the apostle meeting with the “elders of the church” of Ephesus. And as they met he spoke to them saying, “Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood” (Acts 20:28, ESV). And so elders are also called overseers, and these have the responsibility to look out for and lead the church of God.  

“If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task.” But you will notice that someone aspiring to the office of overseer does not make them qualified to hold that office. Instead, there are qualifications to be met. And if we are paying attention to the New Testament scriptures we will agree that it is the church that must agree that the man who aspires to the office of overseer meets these qualifications. Naturally, existing elders have an important role to play in this process. The fact that Paul wrote to Timothy to see to it that these qualifications were met confirms this. But those who aspire the office of overseer are to be vetted by the congregation. The congregation must agree that the man is called and fit for the office. And the church, with the existing elders at the lead, is to lay hands on the man to set him apart for the work, with fasting and prayer as Acts 13 describes. 

So what are the qualifications? Many are listed here, but they fall into two categories. First, the man must exhibit personal self-discipline and maturity. In other words, he must be morally upright.  And secondly, he must have the ability to relate to others, to care for them, and to teach them. In other words, he must be gifted for the work. These personal and interpersonal qualifications are not grouped together. They are intertwined in this text. But we will consider them according to these classifications.

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Morally Upright

First, let us consider the moral qualifications. An overseer, must be morally upright. 

In verse 2 we read “Therefore”.  Because overseers must do noble work, “Therefore an overseer must be above reproach”. This means he must be above criticism. Now, of course the apostle has reasonable or valid criticism in mind. If an overseer, or an aspiring overseer, comes under criticism from someone in the church or outside the church it does not mean he is disqualified. If that were the case then neither Paul himself, nor Jesus, would be qualified to hold the office, for these men were often criticized by others. Clearly, Paul means the man must be above reproach that is valid. No one should be able to look upon the man and say in truth, his life is marked by sin. He is a hypocrite.  

This requirement to be above reproach functions as a heading for the other moral requirements, I think. He is to be above reproach, generally speaking. In particular he is to be “the husband of one wife”. 

Let me tell you what this does not mean. This does not mean that an overseer must be married. Paul was not married. Jesus never married. But if the man is married, he is to be the husband of one wife. Furthermore, this does not mean that a man is disqualified from holding office if he has had more than one wife in his lifetime. If a man has remarried after the death of his previous wife, then he may hold this office. And if a man has remarried after a valid divorce, he may hold this office. But in this case the church would be wise to look very carefully into the circumstances of that divorce to be sure that it was valid according to the scriptures so that the man be truly above reproach. 

What then does it mean to be “the husband of one wife”? First, it means that overseers are to be men and not women (but that was already made clear in 1 Timothy 2:11-15). Secondly, it means that if the man is married, he must be faithful to his wife. He must be a one woman man. This is of course the standard for all Christian husbands, but it is absolutely required to hold the office of overseer. The man must be faithful to his wife, and thus above reproach.   

Thirdly, the man must be “sober-minded”. When we compare English translations of the Bible is clear that translators struggle to capture the meaning of this Greek word with one English word. Some say “temperate”, meaning self-restrained, disciplined or moderate. The KJV says “vigilant”, meaning watchful. Again, the ESV says “sober-minded”. When we put these terms together, we get the idea. An overseer must be alert, clear-headed and disciplined in his way of life. 

Fourthly, he must be “self-controlled”. This term is similar to the previous one. But in the Greek the word seems to suggest prudence, thoughtfulness and sensibility. 

Fifthly, the man must be “respectable”. This means that he must be “modest, well-ordered, moderate”(Louw Nida, 747). He must behave in a way that is becoming of a Christian man and of a leader within Christ’s church. Sometimes I wonder if these celebrity pastors who make a name for themselves by being brash and obnoxious meet this qualification. 

We will leave “hospitable” and “able to teach” for the next section. In verse 3 we find the sixth moral requirement: “not a drunkard”. This, like all of the moral requirements, applies to all Christians, but it is required of overseers. He must not be “given to drunkenness”, the NIV says. “And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit” (Ephesians 5:18, ESV), brothers and sisters.

Seventhly, he must not be “violent”. Violent here refers to one who is “pugnacious and demanding—‘bully…’, (Louw Nida, 756). This applies not only to physical violence, but also relational violence. He must not be combative, aggressive, and contentious. 

Eightly, let us take “gentle” and “not quarrelsome” together. Instead of being combative, aggressive, and contentious, an overseer must be gentle and peaceful. 

Some, I am afraid, take this string of requirements — “not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome” — to mean that a pastor must never be firm. That is of course ridiculous. In fact, it is because pastors will sometimes need to rebuke false teachers and sinners that they must not be violent nor quarrelsome, but gentle. If the man is sober-minded, self-controlled, not violent or quarrelsome, but gentle, he will be able to deliver a firm rebuke when it is needed without losing his temper. To say it differently, the man must not be driven by his passions. 

In fact, there is parallel passage to 1 Timothy 3 found in Titus 1. There Paul lists qualifications for elders for his co-worker Titus. The list is very similar, but not the same. In Titus 1:7 we read “For an overseer, as God’s steward, must be above reproach. He must not be arrogant or quick-tempered or a drunkard or violent or greedy for gain…” (Titus 1:7, ESV). He must not be quick-tempered. But listen to what Paul says just a few verses down in Titus 1:13. He commands that Titus “ rebuke [false teachers] sharply, that they may be sound in the faith, not devoting themselves to Jewish myths and the commands of people who turn away from the truth” (Titus 1:13–14, ESV). The meaning is this: an overseer cannot be violent, quarrelsome, or quick tempered. Instead he must be gentle. And this is so that he might deliver a firm rebuke when needed, not driven by passionate anger, but with affectionate love. All Christians ought to have these qualities, brothers and sisters. 

Ninthly, “not a lover of money”. Money is not evil. Money is good. It is needed to survive. Overseers are not commanded to care nothing about money. The Proverbs calls that foolish. Instead, he must not be a lover of money. “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.” (1 Timothy 6:10, ESV). Hebrews 13:5 warns us, saying, “Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you’” (Hebrews 13:5, ESV). As you know, there is money to be made in religion. And some do seek positions of authority in the church to capitalize. And this why Peter instructs elders, saying, “shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly; not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock” (1 Peter 5:2–3, ESV). He must not be  “a lover of money”, Paul says. 

Tenthly, an overseer must be humble. In verse 6 we read, “He must not be a recent convert, or he may become puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil” (1 Timothy 3:6, ESV). Recent converts are prone to pride if promoted to positions of leadership prematurely. Let a man demonstrate that he is mature and therefore humble. Life experiences are humbling. And education is humbling — the more you learn the more you realize what you don’t know. Pride is destructive. Pride caused the devil himself to fall and to be condemned. Pride led to Adam’s fall. And pride will lead to our fall as well. Hear Proverbs 16:18:  “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall”. And hear Proverbs 18:12: “Before destruction a man’s heart is haughty, but humility comes before honor.”

So the man must be morally fit to hold the office of overseer, bishop, pastor, or elder — whichever term you prefer. I am afraid that churches are often tempted to overlook character flaws for the sake of having a man who is gifted lead the church. What will bring people in?, they ask. Answer: a gifted preacher and a charismatic leader. And it is true, that will bring people in the doors! But if the man is not molly upright, the end is destruction. How many scandals do we need to hear about before we learn this lesson — stories of ministers who are financially corrupt, sexually immoral, compromising, deceitful, and abusive? The church is greatly harmed by these immoral leaders, and so to is the reputation of Christ. The pattern will continue so long as we have numerical success and cultural relevance as our highest aim. Instead, we must seek to be faithful.           

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Gifted For The Work

Let us now briefly consider the gifts that are required of an overseer. And I will have you notice from the outset that “eloquent preacher” and “charismatic leader” is not on the list! If the man is able to preach eloquently and to lead with great skill, then thanks be to God. BUt these are not requirements. Instead, the man must demonstrate that he is able to, one, care for God’s church. And two, teach.  

First, he must demonstrate that he is able to care for God’s church. Look at verse 4: “He must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive, for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God’s church?” 

The requirement is that the man be able to care for God’s church, just as the title “overseer” implies. And how will he demonstrate that he is able to do this? Answer: in his personal life. Before he is entrusted with the management of the church, he must demonstrate to the congregation that he is able to manage his own household. 

The word translated as “manage” means to “guide, to direct, to lead” (Louw Nida, 464). This is what all husbands and fathers must do in the home. They are called to guide, direct, and lead their wife and children. They are to influence them to cause them to follow a recommended course of action (Louw Nida, 464). But if a man is struggling to manage his own household, he should not be trusted to manage the household of God.

He is to “manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive.” This phrase, “with all dignity” means that a man is to manage his household with “behavior which is befitting, implying a measure of dignity leading to respect—‘propriety, befitting behavior” (Louw Nida, 746). I suppose there are a couple of different ways for a father to keep his children submissive, or obedient. The children of a father who is a drunkard and violent may be submissive. They may obey, but only out of fear. They may obey, but not from the heart. And they will not obey for long. They will grow to resent their father and to run from him at first opportunity. But Christian fathers must manage their households and keep their children submissive “with all dignity”. They must lead strongly with love and gentleness. It is right that the children fear him, but with the kind of fear that has a deep love and respect for him at its core. This is the kind of fear that we have for God, isn’t it? We fear him because we love and respect him — and we know that he loves us. All Christian men must manage their households well. All are to keep their children submissive. But they are to do so, “with all dignity”. They are to lead as Christ leads — not by domineering over those under their care, but with love and service.  

Secondly, an overseer must be “hospitable”. This was stated up in verse 2. It means that he must be open to others and able to care for them. The one who is hospitable is willing to receive others into their home, to be involved in their lives, and to care for their needs. An overseer must have this capacity. Being an overseer involves more than preaching and teaching, you see. In the church we live life together. And pastors must be willing and able to relate to others and to care for this. This does not mean that pastor’s homes must be wide open, for they must maintain their own household. But their homes and their lives should be open, for being an overseer involves caring for others.

Thirdly, and lastly, an overseer must be “able to teach”. This also was stated in verse 2. When we come to the qualifications for deacons in the next passage we will see that they share many things in common with the qualifications for overseers, but “able to teach” is not one of them. Overseers must lead the church. And one of the ways that they lead is through the teaching of God’s word.

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Conclusion

So these are the qualifications to hold the office of overseer. A man must be morally upright and also gifted for the work. 

When it comes to the gifts required, we find that men will possess these gifts to varying degrees. Some will excel in caring for the church, others in hospitality, and others in teaching. Every overseer will have room to grow. But each man must possess all of these gifts to some degree before his appointment to the office, and the church must recognize that he does.  

And when it comes to the moral qualifications, we understand that no man is perfect. Some sins are particularly heinous and may automatically disqualify a man from holding office in Christ’s church. Most sins are not automatically disqualifying. Certainly, the point is that the man must be above reproach. His life is to be marked by obedience to Christ, and not sin.

So how does this apply to you? In many ways!

One, all Christians, young and old, male and female, should seek to mature in Christ so they are morally upright. These moral qualifications are not unique to pastors — all Christians should have them. But an overseer must have them to hold the office.  

Two, how important it is for the church to know what the qualifications for overseers are! To appoint a man to the office of overseer who is not fit may do great damage to the church in the long run. Do not compromise on this, brothers and sisters.

Three, if you aspire to the office of overseer then it is imperative that you ask yourself if you meet these qualifications and that you seek to strengthen what is lacking while you wait for the congregation to add the external call to the inward call that you sense within your heart. It is the church that must recognize these qualities within you. One of the best ways to develop the gifts of an overseer is to simply relate to people, to care for them naturally, to be hospitable, and to pray for others in the corporate prayer meetings of the church. Be careful not to pray for show. But pray with a sincere love for God and others. I do believe a pastors’ heart is put on display through prayer.   

And I will conclude where I began. Brothers and sisters, let us be found faithful. Let us be found faithful in our own souls, in our homes, in society, and within the church. The glory of God must be our aim. Faithfulness to God must be our objective. Let us maintain that eternal perspective, and give priority to the furtherance of Christ’s kingdom over all other earthly pursuits. 

Lord help us. To him be the glory. Amen.      

Old Testament Reading: Isaiah 56:1–8

“Thus says the LORD: ‘Keep justice, and do righteousness, for soon my salvation will come, and my righteousness be revealed. Blessed is the man who does this, and the son of man who holds it fast, who keeps the Sabbath, not profaning it, and keeps his hand from doing any evil. Let not the foreigner who has joined himself to the LORD say, ‘The LORD will surely separate me from his people’; and let not the eunuch say, ‘Behold, I am a dry tree.’ For thus says the LORD: ‘To the eunuchs who keep my Sabbaths, who choose the things that please me and hold fast my covenant, I will give in my house and within my walls a monument and a name better than sons and daughters; I will give them an everlasting name that shall not be cut off. And the foreigners who join themselves to the LORD, to minister to him, to love the name of the LORD, and to be his servants, everyone who keeps the Sabbath and does not profane it, and holds fast my covenant— these I will bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer; their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be accepted on my altar; for my house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples.’ The Lord GOD, who gathers the outcasts of Israel, declares, ‘I will gather yet others to him besides those already gathered.’” (Isaiah 56:1–8, ESV)

Sermon Text: 1 Timothy 2:8-15

“I desire then that in every place the men should pray, lifting holy hands without anger or quarreling; likewise also that women should adorn themselves in respectable apparel, with modesty and self-control, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly attire, but with what is proper for women who profess godliness—with good works. Let a woman learn quietly with all submissiveness. I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; rather, she is to remain quiet. For Adam was formed first, then Eve; and Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived and became a transgressor. Yet she will be saved through childbearing—if they continue in faith and love and holiness, with self-control.” (1 Timothy 2:8–15, ESV)

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Please excuse any typos and misspellings within this manuscript. It has been published online for the benefit of the saints of Emmaus Reformed Baptist Church but without the benefit of proofreading.

Introduction

As we consider this passage today it is important that we remember Paul’s purpose in writing to his co-worker, Timothy. Paul’s purpose for writing can be discerned by simply reading the letter, but it is stated directly in chapter 3 verses 14 and 15. There we read, “I hope to come to you soon, but I am writing these things to you so that, if I delay, you may know how one ought to behave in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, a pillar and buttress of the truth.” So, Paul’s primary concern was to encourage Timothy to promote good order in the church in Ephesus. He wrote so that the members and ministers in Ephesus would know how they ought to behave within the church of the living God.  

First, Paul addressed Timothy directly and charged him to fulfill his ministry in the church of Ephesus. Among other things, he was to “charge certain persons not to teach any different doctrine, nor to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies, which promote speculations rather than the stewardship from God that is by faith” (1 Timothy 1:3–4, ESV). He was to “wage the good warfare, holding faith and a good conscience” (1 Timothy 1:18–19, ESV).

And then after this Paul urged Timothy to see to it that the church fulfill its calling. And the first thing he urged the church to do was to pray. Chapter 2 verse 1 says, “First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people…” (1 Timothy 2:1, ESV). The church is God’s temple or household. And the church is to be a house of prayer for all nations.

But here in verse 8 the apostle turns his attention to the genders. First, he addresses the men, and after this he addresses the women in the church. Both are to pray. Both are to offer up “supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings… for all people”. But they are to do so being aware of their particular propensities to sin. Both are to lift up “holy hands” to the Lord in prayer. But the men are to teach and have authority within Christ’s church, as we will see.  

Yes, brothers and sisters, I am well aware of how offensive this is to many within our culture. And yes, I am aware that many within the professing church have also taken offense and have, in one way or another, attempted to explain this text away. Most of these will say that Paul’s views concerning gender roles belong to a bygone era, but we have progressed beyond them. But this interpretation will not stand, for here Paul roots his teaching, not in the ever-shifting tides of culture, but in the Triune God’s fixed design at creation. In the beginning, God (who is one in three), “created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them” (Genesis 1:27, ESV).

God is one, and yet within him we may distinguish between Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. And so too humanity is one, and yet within humanity we may distinguish between male and female. Brothers and sisters, both the unity and the diversity within humanity are beautiful. Both are to be celebrated, for in the unity and diversity we see the image of the Triune God.  

Men and women are of equal dignity and worth. Both are human. Both are image-bearers. Never can we lose sight of this fundamental unity. The result will be oppression. But neither can we lose sight of the diversity. Men and women are not the same. They are different physiologically. They are different emotionally. And according to God’s design, they are to fulfill different roles within the family and the church. To lose sight of the fundamental unity that exists between men and women will lead to oppression. But to lose sight of what differentiates men and women will lead to disorder. 

Disorder is what we are witnessing in our culture, in our families, and even in our churches, for many have rejected the distinctions that God himself has made at creation. When contemplating the human race, and when considering the unity and diversity of the male and female genders, nothing is more fundamental than this. In the beginning, “God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them” (Genesis 1:27, ESV). 

As I have said, Paul’s stated purpose in writing to Timothy was to promote good order within the church in Ephesus. It is not surprising, then, that he addresses men and women from the outset. As Paul considered the members of the church in Ephesus (members who stood before God and Christ as equals), he classified them as men and women, males and females, and rightly so. For though they are one, they are also diverse. Both men and women have a particular role to play in Christ’s church, and this is according to God’s design.  

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Men Are To Pray

First, Paul addresses the males within the congregation, saying in verse 8, “I desire then that in every place the men should pray, lifting holy hands without anger or quarreling.”

The whole church has already been exhorted to pray. In verse 1 of this chapter we read, “First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people…” (1 Timothy 2:1, ESV). But here the apostle addresses men in particular. The men of the church must pray. In fact, they are to lead in prayer. This is why Paul mentions them first. And this is why [aul explicitly urges them to pray, saying, “I desire then that in every place the men should pray, lifting holy hands without anger or quarreling.”

Sadly, in many churches, it is the women who pray while the men remain silent or absent themselves from the prayer meetings of the church. Perhaps this has something to do with pride. To pray, one must be humble. For in prayer we acknowledge the One who is higher than us. In prayer, we admit that we are under his authority. In prayer, we admit that we are not in control. And in prayer, we confess that we are needy. If a man is prideful he will not pray. But if a man is humble before God, he will bow the knee before his Father in heaven. Undoubtedly, there are  other reasons for prayerlessness, but pride will certainly keep us from prayer.

Notice that the apostle says that men are to pray “in every place”. Of course, men are to pray in private and with their families. But when the apostle says “in every place” he likely has in mind the various meeting places of the church. As we will see, the apostle has the church gathered in mind as he writes this passage. The men are to pray whenever and wherever the church assembles. 

And when they pray they are to lift up holy hands to the Lord. No, this does not mean that when men pray they must lift up their hands. In fact, there are many postures for prayer mentioned in the Holy Scriptures. Men may pray with their faces bowed to the earth, they may kneel, they may look heavenward. There is not one posture appropriate for all prayer. But posture does matter, for it is an expression of the disposition of the heart. We should be mindful of our posture in prayer, brothers and sisters. To pray with hands lifted up expresses neediness and dependence. Christian men should not hesitate to express that they are needy and dependent upon our Father in heaven. 

The apostle is not here demanding that we always pray with this posture, but he is demanding that we be holy. What kind of hands are we to lift up to the Lord? We are to lift up “holy hands”. Of course, this means that we are to come to the Father having been made holy through faith in Christ, having been washed in the blood of the Lamb. But more than this, it is also an exhortation to be holy. We engage in the activities of life with our hands. And we are to be sure that our hands are holy, meaning that our way of life is holy and our conduct pure. “As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, ‘You shall be holy, for I am holy’” (1 Peter 1:14–16, ESV).

Brothers, pursue holiness in the whole of life. Live in obedience to the Lord in thought, word, and deed. When you sin against God, repent sincerely, knowing for sure that your prayers will be hindered should you go on living in unrepentant sin. 

Peter speaks to this reality in 1 Peter 3:7, saying, “husbands, live with your wives in an understanding way, showing honor to the woman as the weaker vessel, since they are heirs with you of the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered” (1 Peter 3:7, ESV). A man’s prayers will be hindered if he fails to live with his wife in an understanding way. A man’s prayers will be hindered if he fails to honor his wife as a co-heir of the grace of life. The same is true for other sins. It is appalling to God when a man lives in unrepentant sin and then lifts his filthy hands to him in prayer. Yes, the Father is merciful and kind. He is eager to embrace the prodigal son. But turn from your sins, brothers. Believe upon Christ. Pursue holiness. Pray, lifting holy hands to the Lord.

Specifically, the apostle insists that men put away “anger” and “quarreling”. Of course, men are to put away all sin. But why do you think the apostle highlights these sins — the sins of anger and quarreling? It is not difficult to see that these are sins that plague men more than women. There are indeed exceptions to the rule. But men do tend to struggle with anger and quarreling.

“Anger” might also be translated as “wrath”. “I desire then that in every place the men should pray, lifting holy hands without [wrath] or quarreling”. Certainly, this is what the apostle has in mind. He is forbidding wrath, or anger that has burned out of control. 

There is such a thing as righteous anger, brothers. For example, it is right for you to be angry about injustice in the world. But that righteous anger turns to sinful anger when it overflows its boundaries. Explosive anger is sinful. Anger that festers in the heart leading to bitterness is sinful. And anger that moves us to take vengeance against another is also sinful. “Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, ‘Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord’” (Romans 12:19, ESV). As I have said, there is such a thing as righteous anger. But men do sometimes struggle to control their passions. Instead of exercising self-control men do sometimes allow their emotions to drive them to wrath, bitterness, and vengeance. 

The apostle also forbids quarreling or arguing. As with anger, there is nothing sinful about presenting an argument. One may argue a case in a righteous manner. If presenting an argument were inherently sinful, then Christ himself would be guilty of sin, and many of Paul’s letters would be filled with sin, for both of these men did argue for sound doctrine and confront others concerning sin. Clearly, Paul is not forbidding men from making an augment. Timothy would obviously need to do this very thing when he opposed the false teachers in the church in Ephesus. He would need to warn them to teach no other doctrine, and he would need to argue his case should they persist. Paul is not forbidding the art of argumentation, but rather an argumentative spirit. The word “quarreling” gets to the point, doesn’t it? There is a clear difference between presenting an argument and being argumentative. And the difference resides within the heart. The one who is quarrelsome makes little effort to understand the other, is reckless with his words, and cares more about winning the argument than promoting the truth. As is the case with the wrathful person, so it is with the quarrelsome person — both lack self-control. Both are driven by their passions. As James says, “What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel” (James 4:1–2, ESV). 

Brothers, if we are to live lives of holiness before the Lord we must learn to control our passions. 

God has made us in such a way that we have affections. As humans we perceive the world, we consider things to be either good or bad, and our affections move us to celebrate and draw near to that which is good and to grieve and reject that which is bad. The trouble is, now that we are fallen into sin our affections are often bent out of shape. We often consider what is bad to be good, and what is good to be bad. And even when we get things right in this regard, our affections often overflow their proper bounds. And when they do they are properly called passions. Fathers, it is right that you are angry with your son when he disrespects his mother. But it is wrong when this righteous anger drives you to rage. When you explode in anger, you are being driven by your passions. Passions are affections misdirected. Passions are affections overflowing their proper bounds. Brothers, we must learn to control our sinful passions. We must not be driven by them. We must develop self-control. We must be governed by the word of God and driven by his Spirit.  

“As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct…” (1 Peter 1:14–15, ESV). “So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart. Have nothing to do with foolish, ignorant controversies; you know that they breed quarrels” (2 Timothy 2:22–23, ESV). And remember that “the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit”(Galatians 5:22–24, ESV).

The wrathful and quarrelsome person is driven by his passions. But we must develop self-control in Christ Jesus. For the apostle has said, “I desire then that in every place the men should pray, lifting holy hands without anger or quarreling.” The same applies to women, but Paul is here addressing besetting sins.  

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Women Are To Pray

Secondly, Paul addresses the females in the congregation, saying in verse 9, “likewise also that women should adorn themselves in respectable apparel, with modesty and self-control, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly attire, but with what is proper for women who profess godliness—with good works.”

The word “likewise” at the beginning of verse 9 is important. It indicates that Paul’s command for the women is similar to his command for the men. Women are also to pray in every place. And women are also to lift up holy hands to the Lord. When Paul urged “that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people…”, his desire was that both men and women pray within the Christian congregation. The word “likewise” links the instructions for man and the instructions for women together. Both are to lift up holy hands to the Lord in prayer. 

This is because men and women are one in Christ Jesus. Both are united to Christ by faith. Both have been reconciled to God the Father through the Mediator, Christ Jesus. Men and women are heirs together of the grace of life, as Peter has said. Both have bold access, therefore, to the throne of grace. Women, like the men, are to pray, lifting holy hands up to the Lord.

Paul’s instructions for men and women differ in two ways. One, the men are addressed first. And concerning the men Paul explicitly says, “I desire then that in every place the men should pray” (1 Timothy 2:8, ESV). I think it is right, therefore, to urge the men to lead in prayer within the Christian congregation, while at the same time urging the women to pray also. Sadly, the opposite is often true, as I have already said. 

Two, Paul’s instructions for men and women also differ in regard to the besetting sins that he identifies. Men are warned to cease from anger and quarreling. And the women are warned concerning vanity and immodesty. There are of course exceptions to this rule. Men may also be vain and immodest. But in general, women do care more about their physical appearance and outward beauty than do men. And throughout the history of the world cultures have pressured women to obsess over outward appearance. Ours is no different. 

And so the apostle says that “women should adorn themselves in respectable apparel, with modesty and self-control…” “Respectable” may also be translated as “suitable” or “proper apparel”. Women are to dress in a manner that is proper. Proper for what? you might ask. Verse 10 will answer that question saying, “proper for women who profess godliness…” Christian women should dress in a way that fits their profession of faith. Their dress is to be modest, the text says. Their dress should correspond to a heart that loves God more than the things of this earth. In their dress women should be careful to not lead others to sin. And their moderation will be the result of their self-control — that is to say, of their good judgment and decency.

The positive command is that “women should adorn themselves in respectable apparel, with modesty and self-control…” And the same command is stated negatively with the words, “not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly attire…” (1 Timothy 2:9, ESV). 

No, this text is not forbidding Christian women from ever braiding their hair or wearing gold or pearls. Instead, this is text is forbidding extravagant dress and immodesty. As one commentator puts it, “it is the excess and sensuality that the items connote that Paul forbids… and not braids, gold, pearls, or even costly garments in and of themselves” (Knight, The Pastoral Epistles, 136). When Paul piled up these terms —  “braided hair and gold or pearls or costly attire” — the original audience would have thought of the way that the wealthy in society dressed, or even the dress of the harlot. Christian women should avoid this extravagant and sensual style. Instead, they should dress with modesty. Of course, the way that men and women dress will differ from culture to culture, but this word of warning can always be applied.  “Women should adorn themselves in respectable apparel, with modesty and self-control…” no matter what the cultural norms may be. 

Instead of clothing themselves in an extravagant and sensual manner, Christian women should dress in a way that “is proper for women who profess godliness—with good works” (1 Timothy 2:10, ESV). Sisters, clothe yourselves with “godliness”. Clothe yourselves with “good works”. And teach the younger women to do the same. That is what the apostle is encouraging! He is urging you to see that true beauty is not external but internal.

This sounds a lot like something Peter wrote. To Christian wives, he said, “Do not let your adorning be external—the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry, or the clothing you wear— but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God’s sight is very precious” (1 Peter 3:3–4, ESV). How important it is for women, and particularly young women, to learn this lesson. True beauty resides within. And the beauty within is beauty that is imperishable. It does not fade but increases with the passing of time as you grow in godliness.

So, both men and women are to pray within the Christian congregation. Both are to pray “lifting holy hands” to the Lord. Men and women are to live holy lives, being mindful of besetting sins, and being eager to develop self-control. Neither men nor women can be driven by the passions of the sinful flesh now that they are in Christ Jesus. 

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Women Are To Learn But Shall Not Have Authority Over Men Within The Church

Thirdly, as Paul considers the genders and seeks to bring order to the church of the living God, he commands that women learn while forbidding them to teach or to have authority over men within the church. 

Verse 11 says, “Let a woman learn quietly with all submissiveness.” 

The command is “let a woman learn”. It is not only the men who are to be taught but the women also. In our modern age, this probably does not strike you as being all that impressive, but at certain times and in certain places throughout the history of the world women have been excluded from learning. Paul insists that the women are to learn alongside the men in the Christian congregation. 

This certainly corresponds to what Jesus himself modeled in his earthly ministry. Not only did he teach his twelve disciples, who were all men, but he taught women also. In fact, it would seem that some of his closest friends were women. Think of his relationship with Mary and Martha, for example. This teaching also corresponds to the record of the book of Acts — women played a very important role in the expansion of the church in those early days. Women are to be given a place alongside men in the Christian congregation. They are to sit side by side under the ministry of the word. They are to learn together. They are to pray together. And they are to work together for the furtherance of Christ’s kingdom.  

But notice that Paul commands women to learn “with all submissiveness”. So up to this point, the unity between men and women has been stressed. Both are to pray, lifting up holy hands to the Lord. Both have equal access to the Father as image-bearers redeemed and reconciled by the blood of the Lamb. But here the apostle acknowledges the differences between males and females and commands that the women learn quietly within the church with all submissiveness. 

The positive command is “Let a woman learn quietly with all submissiveness.” And the matter is stated negatively with the words, “I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; rather, she is to remain quiet.”

It is important to note what Paul does not say. One, he does not say that a woman is never to teach. Instead, Paul has the authoritative teaching ministry of the church in view. A woman is not to teach in an authoritative way when the congregation, consisting of men and women, is assembled. In that context, she is to remain quiet, the apostle says. But it may be that she speaks and teaches in other settings. Two, he does not say that females may never have authority over males. Again, Paul is addressing teaching and authority within Christ’s church. And three, Paul is not saying that women must remain absolutely quiet. In fact, they were just urged to pray! Again, he is clearly addressing authoritative teaching when the church is assembled. Remember, he wrote to Timothy so that he may “know how one ought to behave in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, a pillar and buttress of the truth.”

That women have an important role to play in the church, and may even be used of the Lord to teach in certain contexts, is illustrated by that story concerning Apollos found in Acts 18:24ff. In fact, the New Testament is filled with examples of women being used mightily by the Lord. But this story is most pertinent. “Now a Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, came to Ephesus. He was an eloquent man, competent in the Scriptures. He had been instructed in the way of the Lord. And being fervent in spirit, he spoke and taught accurately the things concerning Jesus, though he knew only the baptism of John. He began to speak boldly in the synagogue, but when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately” (Acts 18:24–26, ESV). 

Isn’t that interesting? First of all, this event transpired in Ephesus, which is where Timothy ministered when Paul wrote to him. But more to the point, both Priscilla and her husband Aquila were used of the Lord to teach Apollos, who was an “eloquent man, competent in the Scriptures. Both he and she explained to him “the way of God more accurately”. In no way does this passage suggest that it was improper for Priscilla to be involved with this. But pay careful attention — “they took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately.” Do you see that Priscilla did not hold the office of pastor/teacher but was used of the Lord to teach others, even this gifted leader within the church named Apollos?

Now, it goes without saying that this teaching which distinguishes between male and female and commands that women take a place of submission within the church, being forbidden to teach or to exercise authority over a man (which means that women cannot hold the office of elder or deacon), is countercultural. Our modern and progressive culture scoffs at this. They consider it to be oppressive towards women. In fact, certain factions within our culture are even more radicle than this. They scoff at the way in which the scriptures distinguish between the genders. 

So here is the question: is the church permitted to go with the flow of the culture by dismissing this teaching from Paul as belonging to a bygone era? It the church permitted to ignore this text claiming that these were the cultural norms in Paul’s day, but we have progressed beyond them?

Indeed, there are some things described in the scriptures that are not timeless but belonged to a particular era or culture, and we are right to move on from them. For example, we do not sacrifice animals at the temple in Jerusalem, and rightly so. But there is a reason for this. Temple worship was instituted, not at creation, but under Moses. Furthermore, it foreshadowed Christ who is the true temple and the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. When the Christ came he fulfilled the Old Covenant and established the New Covenant, and temple worship was rightly taken away.  

But what about this teaching concerning males and females within the church. And though it is not our focus today, we might ask the same thing concerning the biblical teaching regarding the roles of husbands and wives within the family (you would do well to notice that they mirror one another). May we dismiss these teachings as old fashioned and out dated? The answer is no, for Paul roots this teaching, not in the Old Covenant, in culture or custom, but in creation. Men and women are to be considered equal, and yet women and wives are called to take posture of submission in the church and family because this was God’s design from the beginnig.  

Look at verse 13: “For Adam was formed first, then Eve…”, the apostle says. The word “for” is important. It indicates that Paul is about to explain why things are to be this way. Women are to take this posture of submission within the church and are forbidden from teaching and having authority over the men in the congregation “for Adam was formed first, then Eve…”. 

Not only is Paul drawing our attention to the order of creation — first the man was made, then the women. But he is reminding us of the whole creation narrative. “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” And what did he do with the earthly realm that was at first “without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep”? He brought it into order. Our God is a God of order. And the order of the natural world was established by him at the time of creation. And that includes the order that is to exists between husband and wife within the home and males and females within the church of the living God. 

Adam was formed first, remember. But he found no one suitable for companionship. All of the animals were living creatures, but they were not human. They were not image-bearers. So God created women.  She was taken from Adam’s flesh, meaning that she shares his nature. She is human. She is an image-bearer. And furthermore, she was not taken from his feet so as to be his slave, nor was she taken from his head so as to be his superior, but she was taken from his side to be his companion. God made the woman to be a helper fit for him. And what was Adam’s response when he first saw her? “Then the man said, ‘This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man” (Genesis 2:23, ESV).

And so this order that was established at creation will remain for all time. Men and women are of equal dignity and worth. They stand side by side on an equal plane as image-bearers of God. And they stand side by side as co-heirs in Christ Jesus. But they are not the same. They were made different so that they might correspond to one another, thanks be to God. 

When men and women rebel against God’s design disorder and wickedness prevail. In verse 14 Paul reminds us, not of creation, but of man’s fall into sin when says, “and Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived and became a transgressor.” Adam fell into sin because he failed to be the head that God had called him to be. The covenant was transacted with Adam. He was the one responsible. He was forbidden from eating of the tree of the knowledge of God and evil. He was commissioned to keep and expand the garden temple. When he ate of that forbidden fruit, he ate willfully and defiantly. But the woman was deceived. She failed to be the helper that God had called her to be. 

When Paul reminds of the order of creation he is urging us to live according to God’s design.  

When Paul reminds of man’s fall into sin he is reminding us of where a disregard of God’s design will inevitably lead — to sin, to disorder, and death.  

Before we conclude let us very briefly consider this little remark found in verse 15. Concerning the women Paul says, “Yet she will be saved through childbearing—if they continue in faith and love and holiness, with self-control.”

What does this mean? In fact, there are about five different interpretations of this verse. I will give you the one that I agree with. Given that Paul has just mentioned man’s fall into sin through the deception of the woman, here in verse 15, he reminds us of the gospel that through the offspring of the woman a Savior would come into the world. Eve was deceived leading to Adam’s sin. But she  — that is Eve along with those women who would descend from her — would be saved through the process of childbearing. Eve and the Virgin Mary, along with every woman that bridged the gap between them would be used of the Lord to bring the Savior into the world. And through that process of childbearning all women (and men) will be saved “– if they continue in faith [in the gospel] and love and holiness, with self-control” (1 Timothy 2:15, ESV).

The word “yet” at the beginning of verse 15 is important, I think. It clues us in to the irony. Through the woman, Eve temptation was brought to Adam, and through him, sin and death came to the human race. But in though the woman Mary the second Adam — the Christ — was brought in the world and through him salvation to men and women from every tongue, tribe, and nation.  

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Conclusion

You know, one thing I am a bit tired of is Christians in this culture acting as if they are ashamed because they hold to these old, traditional views concerning men and women in the family and church. Brothers and sisters, why would you be ashamed of living according to God’s design? His design is clearly revealed in the pages of Holy Scripture, but it is also revealed in nature. An unbiased consideration of marriage and the family clearly reveals that this is how things are meant to be. Do not be ashamed of this, brothers and sisters. Instead, put the beauty of God’s design on full display! Men, do your part in the church and home. Women, do your part in the church and home. Love one another. Honor one another. Thrive together so that the world may see the glory of God and the image of God in his creation. 

Old Testament Reading: Psalm 67 

“TO THE CHOIRMASTER: WITH STRINGED INSTRUMENTS. A PSALM. A SONG. May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face to shine upon us, Selah that your way may be known on earth, your saving power among all nations. Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you! Let the nations be glad and sing for joy, for you judge the peoples with equity and guide the nations upon earth. Selah Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you! The earth has yielded its increase; God, our God, shall bless us. God shall bless us; let all the ends of the earth fear him!” (Psalm 67, ESV)

Sermon Text: 1 Timothy 2:1-7

“First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time. For this I was appointed a preacher and an apostle (I am telling the truth, I am not lying), a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth.” (1 Timothy 2:1–7, ESV)

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Please excuse any typos and misspellings within this manuscript. It has been published online for the benefit of the saints of Emmaus Reformed Baptist Church but without the benefit of proofreading.

Introduction

Here at the beginning of chapter two, we have a shift in focus. In chapter one Paul commanded Timothy to do certain things as a minister of the word. But here in chapter two, Paul commands Timothy to see to it that the church does certain things. The church — the church in Ephesus where Timothy ministered, and every local church in every place and time — is to engage in certain activities. And what is the very first activity that Paul urges? He urges the church to pray. “First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people…”, the apostle says. 

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The Church Is To Pray For All Kinds Of People

The church is to devote itself to prayer. And when we pray, we are to pray for all kinds of people. 

First of all, I urge…

In verse  1 we read the words, “first of all”. “First of all” can either mean first in a sequence or first in importance. Paul likely had both ideas in mind when he wrote the words, “first of all”. This was the first thing that he commanded the church to do because it is also of first importance. What is the church to do? What activities is she to engage in? First of all, the church must pray! 

Sadly, prayer is often of least importance to the individual Christian and to the church. Prayer is often the last thing that we do. It is often treated as a last resort. When everything else has failed, then we will pray. But prayer ought to be of first importance to us. It should be where we start, not where we end up when all else fails. This should be true of us personally. And this should also be true of us corporately. And that is why Paul urges prayer within the congregation. “First of all, then, I urge” that prayers be offered up, he says. To “urge” is to ask for something earnestly or to plead for something. Here Paul pleads with Timothy, with the church of Ephesus through him, and even with us, to be devoted to prayer. 

This should not surprise us. One of the characteristics of the people of God in every age is that they commune in prayer and intercede on behalf of the world. And concerning the New Covenant people of God, which is what we are, the prophet Isaiah said, “And the foreigners who join themselves to the LORD, to minister to him, to love the name of the LORD, and to be his servants, everyone who keeps the Sabbath and does not profane it, and holds fast my covenant— these I will bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer; their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be accepted on my altar; for my house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples” (Isaiah 56:6–7, ESV.). If prayers were to be offered up in the temple under the Old Covenant, how much more in the New Covenant temple of God now that the blood of the Christ has been shed to make atonement for sins and to reconcile men to God? The church is the church of the living God. She is the temple of the Holy Spirit. The church is a house of prayer for all people. It is no wonder, then, that this is the first thing the apostle urged. He urged that prayers be offered up to God within the church, for this is the church’s design.  

Supplications, Prayers, Intercessions, And Thanksgivings

Specifically, Paul urged “that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made…” These terms all refer to prayer, but they each highlight a different aspect or kind of prayer. 

To supplicate is to make requests for the specific needs of others. To pray is to bring others before God to seek their blessing. To intercede is to appeal to God boldly on behalf of others. And with thanksgivings, we express gratitude to God for others and for the work that God is doing in them, through them, and for them. I suppose that Paul could have simply said, first of all, then, I urge you to pray… But by pilling up these terms he reminds us of the variety of ways that we can and should pray for others. We are to supplicate, praying for the specific needs of others. We are to pray for others generally, seeking the Lord’s blessing on their behalf. We are to intercede, appealing to God boldly on behalf of others. And we are also to bring our requests to God in the form of thanksgiving. The church is a house of prayer. The members are to devote themselves to private prayer. And when we assemble, we are to address God in prayer.  

Brothers and sisters, is prayer of first importance to you? Is it of first importance to us? Paul here urges us to pray. 

All Kinds Of People

And then he more specifically urges that these prayers be offered up “for all people.” What does Paul mean when he urges that prayers “be made for all people.” Clearly he means that prayers are to be offered up to God by the church for all kinds of people. 

Now, some might object to this by saying, the word “kind” is nowhere to be found in this passage. Or, “all” must mean “all” without exception or qualification! But is that true? Must “all” always mean “all” without exception or qualification? If I say to you “all” are invited to my house for lunch today it is clear that I do not mean all without exception. The whole world would not be invited, but only you. The context naturally clarifies what is meant by “all”. And such is the case with this passage. When Paul commands that prayers be offered up on behalf of “all people”, he means all types of people.  

First of all, it would be absurd for Paul to urge that prayers be offered up by the church in Ephesus for every individual person alive on planet earth without exception. They wouldn’t be able to do it if they tried. Not even close.

Secondly, it is not uncommon for Paul (or others) to use the word “all” to mean “all kinds” or to refer to all of a particular group. For example, in Romans 12:18 Paul says, “If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all” (Romans 12:18, ESV). It is abundantly clear that when Paul uses the word “all” here he does not mean, be at peace with every person on the planet, but rather, be at peace with those that you come into contact with. And so no, “all” does not always mean “all without exception.” In fact, “all” often has reference to a particular group, class, or kind of people, and it is the context that makes the limitations clear. 

Thirdly, you will notice that the next verse does clarify what Paul means. “First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people…” Verse 2: “for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way” (1 Timothy 2:2, ESV). 

For Kings And Those In High Positions

The church is not to limit its prayers to a certain kind or class of person but is to pray for all kinds of people, and that includes “kings and all who are in high positions.” The church is not to discriminate in its prayer life on the basis of ethnicity, class, age, gender, or any other thing that might divide us. The church is to pray indiscriminately for all kinds of people.

This might seem obvious to you. But human history shows that this is not obvious to all. In our sin, we discriminate against those not like us. In sin, we forget that we have humanity in common, which means that we share the image of God in common. The world is divided by so many things — ethnicity, gender, age, and class among them. But the Christian must not discriminate. For the Christian knows that all of these bear the image of God. And the Christian also knows that Christ died, not for a particular kind of person, but for all kinds of people. He died to redeem people from every tongue, tribe, and nation. He died for males and for females, for young and old, for rich and poor, for the strong and the weak. If God has not discriminated along these lines, then neither should we. Our “supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings” are to be made “for all people”, even “for kings and all who are in high positions.”

Now, why did Paul feel it necessary to specifically exhort the church in Ephesus to pray for this kind or class of person — “for kings and all who are in high positions.” Well, we should not forget that the early church was often persecuted by this kind or class of person. We should remember that most of the converts in the early church were not a part of this class. Paul’s words to the Corinthians make this clear: “For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God” (1 Corinthians 1:26–29, ESV). It is not at all hard to imagine why Paul would need to say this to the Ephesians. To put it into my own words its as if Paul said, “don’t discriminate in your prayers, brothers and sisters. Pray for all kinds of people, for Christ came to redeem all kinds of people. And yes, this even includes “kings and all who are in high positions.”

Though the church in this country has not experienced persecution from the governmental powers in the way that the early church did, there does still exist a division in this country between the political class and those who are citizens. And it is possible that Christians fall into the same trap. It is possible that we begin to view the political class, or members of a particular party within the political class as pure evil and irredeemable, and thus discriminate against them in our prayer life. This cannot be, brothers and sisters. We must pray for all kinds of people, for presidents, governors, and “all who are in high positions.” We must pray that they come to salvation and that the Lord would use them for good given the positions they hold within society. 

When Paul wrote to the Ephesians he urged them to pray for all kinds of people and he specifically identified those with political power. Clearly, the Ephesians were falling short in this regard. Perhaps this was because of persecution. It may also have had something to do with the false teaching that was present within the church. Perhaps the false teaching lead to discrimination against certain kinds of people, but we can only speculate about this.    

Earlier I said that it might seem obvious to you that prayers are to be offered up for all kinds of people.  And perhaps it is obvious to you. But perhaps it is not so obvious. It is possible that you yourself have begun to discriminate in your prayer life. It is possible that, though you would never say it, you have begun to view a particular kind of person as being beyond the limits, irredeemable, and thus not worthy of prayer. In our context, the discrimination is typically racial, or socio economic. Brothers and sisters, it cannot be. We must offer up prayers for all kinds of people as we seek their good, and ultimately their salvation in Christ Jesus. 

There is one truth that is essential if we are to maintain this unbiased disposition towards all. And it is the truth that men and women are made in the image of God. There are no exceptions. You will never meet a human being who is not an image-bearer. All humans share this in common. We have the same Creator. We are made in his image. We have the same blood running through our veins. We have equal dignity and worth, therefore. This is what unites us. And this unity is profound. 

But within the unity that is humanity, there is also diversity. The human race is diverse. And the diversity is beautiful. It is not to be denied but appreciated. The human race is made up of many individuals, each with their own personality. Some are male and some are female. Some are rich and some are poor. Some are powerful, others are weak. Each person has their own unique history. Each one differs in appearance and ability. The diversity is not to be despised but celebrated. When we consider the unity of humanity and the simultaneous diversity of humanity we are to see something beautiful, for this unity in diversity images God who is eternally one and three.

But as you know, throughout the history of the world sinful man has not considered the unity and diversity within humanity to be beautiful. Instead, many have warred against the image of the Triune God in humanity by either trying to obliterate what distinguishes, us or by doing violence to what unifies us. 

This problem will never go away (not until Christ returns to make all things). It will simply manifest itself in different ways. Sinful humans will always war against the diversity in humanity. Today, many wish to deny the difference between males and females, for example. And perhaps this movement is in response to fact that others have done violence to the unity of men and women. Both are image bearers and stand before as equals, but men have often oppressed women, and women do sometimes oppress men. Neither those who deny the differences nor those who do violence to the unity are right. Both fail to appreciate the beauty of the image of the Triune God in humanity. And the same may be said of matters of race or ethnicity. Some wish to obliterate the differences (which is sad — something beautiful is lost when we do), and others do violence to the unity (and this is tragically unjust when men of power oppress men of weakness on the basis of the color of their skin, forgetting that all have the same Creator and bear his image). As I have said, this problem will not go away until Christ returns. The problem may increase and decrease. And it will certainly manifest itself in different ways. But fallen humanity will always war against God, his design in creation, and his image in humanity.

But there is one place where we should expect this perennial problem to melt away, and that is within Christ’s church. The church is the present and earthly manifestation of the kingdom of God, and the inbreaking of the age to come into this present evil age. In the church, the diversity that exists within humanity must never be denied. The diversity must be celebrated in Christ. How marvelous and beautiful it is to consider humanity as individual persons, each with unique personalities, histories, experiences, and gifts. How beautiful it is to consider the differences between male and female, and the distinguishing characteristics of the cultures and customs of the people of this earth. You have heard the expression that variety is the spice of life, haven’t you? Well, it applies here, doesn’t it? The diversity that exists within humanity is to be appreciated and enjoyed. But never is it to lead to division, devaluation, or the oppression of others. For we share the image of God in common with the rest of humanity. And more than this, those in Christ share Christ in common. The image has been renewed in us through faith in him. Indeed, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:28, ESV).

This discussion concerning the diversity and unity that exists within the human race may have felt like a giant tangent to you. But I hope you can see how it pertains. If we are to pray for all kinds of people, as the apostle commands, then we must appreciate the diversity in humanity while never losing sight of our fundamental unity.  

That We Might Lead A Quiet And Peaceful Life

“First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, [yes, even] for kings and all who are in high positions…” And then Paul adds, “that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way.”

One of the reasons that we are to pray for those with civil authority is so that we might live a peaceful and quiet life. We are to remember the civil authorities have been appointed by God for the preservation of peace through the promotion of justice. The civil authorities exist to punish the wrongdoer, and particularly those who do violence to others. When we pray for those who have civil authority we are to pray, not only for their salvation, therefore, but also that they would do the job that God has given them to do in the civil realm, leading to a peaceful and quiet life for those who live in their jurisdiction. The government’s job is to protect its citizens from harm. They are to protect their citizens from the harm of foreign powers. And they are also to protect their citizens from the harm of other citizens by upholding justice. The Christians in Ephesus lived under the threat of persecution from these governing authorities. And so this gave them all the more reason to pray for them. 

They were to pray for “kings and all who are in high positions that [they] may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way.” And this is how Christians are always to live within the world. They are to live godly lives. This means that they are to live lives of holiness before God and man. They are to live a pious life of obedience. They are to be dignified, living in a way that is fitting for a child of God. 

Perhaps you have noticed how tempting it is to respond to government overreach and oppression by ranting and raving against those with authority. It is tempting to speak evil against those who abuse their power. But this is not the way of Christ. The Christian is to behave in a godly and dignified way even in the face of persecution. And so where is the Christian to go with his frustrations and fears? First, he is to go to prayer. He is to pray for presidents, senators, and governors. And having prayed, he is to “live a godly and dignified” life as he entrusts himself to God who is sovereign overall. 

“First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way.” 

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God Desires That All Kinds Of People Be Saved

After this Paul says, “This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.”

“This is good”, Paul says. 

What is good? you ask.

Well, it is good that prayers be offered up for all kinds of people. 

And why is this “good”? 

It is good because it corresponds to God’s desire for all kinds of people to be saved. 

By the way, a thing can only be called “good” when it corresponds to God and to his will. Things are good and beautiful and lovely only when they correspond to God and fulfill his design for the thing, whatever it may be. 

And Paul is here saying that prayers offered up for all people are good because they correspond with God’s will. He “desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.”

You will notice that God is here called “God our Savior”. We are accustomed to calling Jesus Christ our Savior. Rarely do we refer to God as our Savior, but he certainly is! God has saved us through his Son. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16, ESV).

A Contradiction With The Doctrine Of Predestination?

There are some who claim that this passage contradicts the doctrine of election or predestination. The doctrine of predestination teaches that it is God’s will to save some. If you believe the Bible, then you must believe the doctrine of predestination. It is not some obscure doctrine. No, it is clearly taught in many passages, one of them being Ephesians 1:3-6. There Paul says, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved” (Ephesians 1:3–6, ESV). So there are many passages which teach that God has determined to save some, but this passage says that “God our Savior… desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.”

Is God conflicted within himself? Did he, on the one hand, determine to save some and send the Son to atone for their sins, and on the other hand, wish that all would be saved? No! It is absurd to speak of God in this way. God cannot be conflicted within himself, and neither can contradictions be found in his word. 

The solution is simple. This passage is simply teaching that God’s will is for all kinds of people to be saved. The context makes this abundantly clear. The reasoning of the apostle is very tight. Prayers are to be offered up on behalf of all kinds of people, even for kings and those in high positions. This is good and pleasing to God our Savior because his will is that all kinds of people be saved. And as we will see, if they are to be saved, they must be saved through faith in Jesus the Christ, for he is the only mediator between God and man. 

As I have said, the reasoning of the apostle is very tight. There is to be no discrimination in our prayer life. We are to pray for all people. Why? Because “God so loved the world that he gave his only Son…” God did not set his love on the Jews only, nor on the pour only, nor on the weak only — no, he set his love on all kinds of people. And Christ came to redeem all kinds of people. Christ commissioned the church to make disciples of all nations. The Spirit of God was poured out on all flesh. And in the new heavens and earth, there will be people from every tongue, tribe, and nation standing before the throne of grace.  

Stated differently, God’s will for the church is that she prays. And the prayer life of the church is to correspond to God’s redemptive purpose. We are to pray for all people, for God’s will is to save all people. And this he will certainly do (for God’s will cannot be frustrated), through Jesus Christ, the only mediator between God and man.   

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Though There Are Many Kinds Of People, There Is Only One Mediator, Christ The Lord!

And that brings us to the final point. Though there are many kinds of people in the world, there is only one mediator between God and man, Christ the Lord. 

Verse 5:“For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time. For this I was appointed a preacher and an apostle (I am telling the truth, I am not lying), a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth” (1 Timothy 2:5–7, ESV).

Do not forget that in the ancient world — the world in which Paul lived —  the predominant belief was that there were many gods. Each nation had its gods. The Romans had theirs. But the Christian claim is that there is only one God. He is the Creator of all things seen and unseen. He is the God, not only of the Jews, but also the Romans. Indeed, he is the God of all nations, even if they do not recognize him as such. All other so-called gods are not god’s at all, but are the idols of men. 

All humanity shares this in common, therefore. They come from one God, and they are made in his image. And they also share the same problem. All have sinned and have fallen short of the glory of God. They are alienated from him and are under his wrath, therefore. But God is gracious. He has provided a Savior. And notice, he has not provided many saviors — one for this tribe or nation, and another for that tribe or nation. He has provided one Savior for all the fallen children of Adam. “For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.”

A mediator is a go-between. A mediator is a middle man whose job it is to reconcile (or bring together) parties who are at odds. In this case it is God who is at odds with all humanity. And the mediator is the man Jesus Christ. He was brought into the world through but there is only one mediator. The only way to be reconciled (or made right) with God is through faith in him.  

Notice that Paul says Christ “gave himself as a ransom for all”. Again, if “all” means all without exception then we have a contradiction in the scriptures, for elsewhere the scriptures teach that Christ laid down his life for the church and not for the world, for the sheep and not goats. And when Christ instituted the supper, “he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, ‘Drink of it, all of you, for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins’” (Matthew 26:27–28, ESV). Christ shed his blood for “many” but not all. Why then does Paul say that Christ “gave himself as a ransom for all.” The message is clear. There is only one God. And there is only one mediator between God and man, Christ the Lord. And Christ gave himself up at just the right time, and this he did, not for the Jews only, but for all nations. He died for all the peoples of the earth so that he might redeem, not only the children of Abraham, but the children of Adam too. 

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Conclusion

In the new heavens and earth there will be a new humanity washed in the blood of the lamp. This new humanity will be perfectly unified in Christ, but it will be diverse — a true reflection of our great God who is one and three.

Old Testament Reading: Psalm 19:7–14

“The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple; the precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes; the fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever; the rules of the LORD are true, and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb. Moreover, by them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward. Who can discern his errors? Declare me innocent from hidden faults. Keep back your servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me! Then I shall be blameless, and innocent of great transgression. Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer.” (Psalm 19:7–14, ESV)

Sermon Text: 1 Timothy 1:18-20

“This charge I entrust to you, Timothy, my child, in accordance with the prophecies previously made about you, that by them you may wage the good warfare, holding faith and a good conscience. By rejecting this, some have made shipwreck of their faith, among whom are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan that they may learn not to blaspheme.” (1 Timothy 1:18–20, ESV)

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Please excuse any typos and misspellings within this manuscript. It has been published online for the benefit of the saints of Emmaus Reformed Baptist Church but without the benefit of proofreading.

Introduction

In the introductory sermon to this series I raised the question, why should Christians who are not Pastors be concerned about what Paul says to Timothy, his co-worker in gospel ministry? This is a valid question, I think. Paul wrote this letter, not only to a Christian brother, but to a minister. As a result, much of what Paul says to Timothy has direct application to ministers of the gospel serving with the local church today. But from the start, I wished to convince you that this letter does apply to all Christians, either directly or indirectly.  

Indeed, many things are said in this letter that apply, not only to pastors but to all Christians. And even in those portions that apply most directly to pastors, we do find indirect application for the people of God. For example, what Paul says to Timothy his co-worker does help every believer to understand God’s will for the church. What is the nature of the church? What is she to be like? Paul’s instructions to Timothy are very revealing. Also, we might ask what is God’s will for pastors?  What should we expect from them? What is their work? 

Now obviously pastors should be concerned with the question, what is God’s will for pastors? It would be foolish, and even dangerous, to enter into ministry without a basic understanding of the answer to that question. But I hope you would agree that every member of every Christian congregation should also be concerned to know God’s will for pastors. Every member ought to know what they should expect from their pastors and elders. And this knowledge becomes particularly important when it comes time to appoint men to the office of pastor. What are the qualifications? What does the job demand? Do you know?

By asking these questions I am implying that the scriptures have something to say about this. And they most certainly do! The scriptures have not left the nature of the church nor the job of ministers undefined. On the contrary, when we pay close attention to what the New Testament says, and particularly to Paul’s letters to his co-workers, we  an see clearly what the work of the ministry entails.   

So far in this letter, we have learned that the work of the ministry entails promoting sound doctrine within Christ’s church. This is accomplished both positively and negatively. Positively, sound doctrine must be taught. And negatively, false doctrine must be opposed. Sound doctrine brings life and peace. False doctrine leads only to lifeless speculation and division. True doctrine must be promoted within Christ’s church if she is to flourish. The whole church is to see to it that this happens, but it is the particular responsibility of the minister.  

In the passage that is before us today, we learn more about the work of the ministry. Here we learn that to enter the ministry one must be called, that those called must be prepared to engage in warfare, and that this spiritual warfare must be conducted in faith and with a good conscience.  

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 To Enter The Ministry One Must Be Called

First, please recognize that to enter the ministry one must be called. The word “called” is not found in this passage, but this is what Paul describes. He reminds Timothy of his calling when he says, “This charge I entrust to you, Timothy, my child, in accordance with the prophecies previously made about you…” (1 Timothy 1:18, ESV)

Charge

The words “this charge” refer back to the charge that began in verse 3. A “charge” is an order or command. Paul began to order or command Timothy to do certain things as a minister of the gospel in verse 3. He then inserted his testimony (to make a point, if you remember). And now Paul resumes his charge to Timothy, saying, “This charge I entrust to you…” 

Entrust

Christ himself entrusted the work of the ministry to Paul the apostle, then Paul entrusted the work of the ministry to Timothy, and Timothy was to do the same with others. In 2 Timothy 2:2 we read, “and what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also.” And so we see a pattern. The work of the ministry is to be entrusted to faithful men from generation to generation. Elders have a particular responsibility to be sure this happens, but it is to be the concern of the whole congregation, generally speaking. The work of the ministry is to be passed along from minister to minister.

My Child

You will notice that Paul again refers to Timothy as “my child”. Not only is this a term of endearment. And not only does it indicate that Paul was older than Timothy. More than this, it reveals that Paul was Timothy’s spiritual father. It may be that Paul led Timothy to the faith personally, or that those who lead Timothy to the faith were first led to the faith by Paul. Certainly, it means that Paul mentored Timothy in the faith. Timothy was Paul’s child, spiritually speaking. And here we see that ministers of the gospel should aim to pass along a spiritual heritage to others. 

“In accordance with the prophecies previously made about you…” 

And then we find this phrase: “This charge I entrust to you, Timothy, my child, in accordance with the prophecies previously made about you…” The meaning is this: Paul’s charge to Timothy aligns with or corresponds to, the prophecies previously made about him.

What were these prophecies? Well, we do not have a record of the details, but clearly they were prophecies pertaining to Timothy’s call to the ministry in general, or his call to be a co-worker of Paul’s in particular. Though we do not have a record of these prophecies concerning Timothy, we do have record of similar prophetic activity within the early church. 

In the days of the early church, there were prophets who ministered alongside the apostles who spoke God’s word under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. There are neither apostles or prophets in the church today. Their ministry was foundational and not perpetual (Ephesians 2:20). But there were certainly prophets ministering at the start of the New Covenant era, just as there were prophets who ministered under the Old Covenant.   

You might remember how in Acts 21:11 Agabus the prophet came from Judea to Caesarea and “he took Paul’s belt and bound his own feet and hands and said, ‘Thus says the Holy Spirit, ‘This is how the Jews at Jerusalem will bind the man who owns this belt and deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles’’” (Acts 21:11, ESV). Agabus was a true prophet, for that is indeed what transpired.

But this prophecy that was made concerning Timothy was probably more like another prophecy recorded in Acts concerning the ministry of Paul (also called Saul) and Barnabus. In Acts 13:1 we read, “Now there were in the church at Antioch prophets and teachers, Barnabas… Saul [and others]. While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, ‘Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.’ Then after fasting and praying they laid their hands on them and sent them off. So, being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia, and from there they sailed to Cyprus” (Acts 13:1–4, ESV). Though we do not have a record of the details, we are to understand that similar prophecies were made concerning Timothy. Like Paul, Timothy was called to the ministry by God and through the church.

I will say a little bit more about how God calls ministers today in a moment. But for now, consider the effect that this reminder from Paul concerning the “prophecies previously made” would have had on Timothy? Perhaps Timothy was discouraged at this moment. Perhaps he was fearful. What a tremendous encouragement this would have been to be reminded of his calling. It as if Paul said, don’t forget your calling, Timothy. It was God who called you to this work, and he did so through the church. Take courage, therefore, and persevere. 

Though it is true that apostles and prophets do not dwell amongst us, God does still set men apart for the work of the ministry in much the same way as Paul, Barnabus, and Timothy were set apart. He calls ministers of the word inwardly and outwardly. That is, he calls them to his service subjectively and objectively. 

When I say that ministers are called subjectively, I mean that a minister must be called inwardly and in the heart, if you will. He must sense God’s call upon his life and desire the work so that he may, to quote Peter, “shepherd the flock of God… exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have [him]; not for shameful gain, but eagerly” (1 Peter 5:2, ESV). Concerning the desire for ministry, Paul begins his list of qualifications for the office of overseer, or elder, by saying, “If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task” (1 Timothy 3:1, ESV). It is not wrong to desire to serve as an elder within Christ’s church. On the contrary, it is good for someone to desire to hold this office. In fact, one should not enter the ministry if he does not desire it, for then he would be doing what Peter forbids — he would serve, not willingly, but only because he feels obligated, or for selfish gain.

The inward and subjective call is essential, but so too is the outward and objective call. And here I am referring to the call of God that comes to a man through the church. The inward call is applied to the man’s heart by the Spirit. It is called subjective because it is perceived by the man through feelings. But the outward call is applied to the man by the Spirit through the church. It is called objective because this call is not based upon the feelings of the man, but upon the undeniable fact that the church has determined that the man is fit to hold the office of overseer, and they have agreed that the Spirit has indeed called him to the work. 

Here in our passage for today ,Paul reminds Timothy, not of the internal and subjective call, but the external and objective call. Prophecies were uttered concerning him. And presumably the church did with Timothy what they did with Paul and Barnabus before him — they fasted and prayed and laid their hands on him to set him apart for this work. And why do you think Paul reminded Timothy of this external and objective call, as opposed to the internal and subjective call. I hope the answer is clear to you. Our emotions and desires often change with the circumstances of life. I would imagine that Timothy often felt like persevering in the ministry. But sometimes he probably felt like quitting. And in those moments when he felt like quitting, he would benefit most from bringing to mind the external call, and not the internal —  the objective rather than the subjective. He would be most encouraged by remembering the feeling of the hands of those who ordained him on his shoulders and to remember the words that they spoke. We are to see here that the Spirit of God works powerfully to set men apart for Christian ministry. And this he does by calling the man inwardly and externally, subjectively and objectively. Both are crucial. No man should be ordained to the gospel ministry if he is lacking either of these. 

As I was considering all of this I started to think, I wonder who the Lord will call from amongst us to serve as a minister of the gospel either here at Emmaus or to take a call elsewhere? It may be that the Lord would rise up one of our young men to enter the ministry. I know that I began to sense a call to the ministry when I was 16 or 17 years old. That internal and subjective call was confirmed by the church externally and objectively when I was in my early 20’s. I would say that it was confirmed even more powerfully when we planted Emmaus when I was 30. It was good for me to reflect a bit on all of that this past week and to also think, I wonder if the Lord is doing a similar work with a young man who has been brought up in this church? We should pray that he would, brothers and sisters. 

Or perhaps the Lord would call someone to serve as pastor who is more advanced in years? This also would be a great blessing! But how will we know? Well, to put it simply, the man will feel called and the congregation will recognize that he is called — the current officers and members will come to see that the man possesses the gifts and meets the scriptural qualifications to hold this office within Christ’s church.     

And that brings me back to something I said in the introduction. Every member of every church should be very much concerned to know what God expects from pastors. What qualifications does the man have to meet? What gifts must he possess? What does the job entail?  It should not be difficult to imagine what a blessing a good minister of the gospel will be to the church, and what a curse a bad minister would be. Though current pastors play a significant role in identifying and appointing future pastors, ultimately it is the decision of the whole church. The whole church must agree that the man is fitted and called to the ministry. And only then may the elders lay their hands on the man and appoint him to the office of overseer. You are not passive spectators in the ordination process, but active participants. The Spirit of God will work through you to call men to his service. Are you ready? Do you know what God’s word says concerning the qualifications of ministers? 

 To enter the ministry one must be called.

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 Those Called Must Be Prepared To Engage In Warfare

Secondly, those called must be prepared to engage in warfare. This is what Paul says at the end of verse 18: “This charge I entrust to you, Timothy, my child, in accordance with the prophecies previously made about you, that by them you may wage the good warfare” (1 Timothy 1:18, ESV). The words, “that by them” indicate that this is what fulfilling his ministry will entail. Timothy will have to engage in warfare. 

This might sound strange to someone unfamiliar with the demands of ministry. In fact, I would imagine that the vast majority of those who go into the ministry, go in underestimating the warfare they will face. 

The reasons for this are many. Two come to mind. 

One, some are raised in church traditions where ministers of the gospel do not engage in warfare, but pursue a life of ease. My wife was raised in a different church tradition, and she remembers visiting the pastor with her father and would find him with his feet up on his desk reading the newspaper. That image is burned in her memory. Now, perhaps the man was hard working. Maybe the timing was just bad. But that was her impression of Christian ministry. I can tell you, that is no longer her view. 

Two, it really is difficult for those not in ministry to gain a clear view of what ministry actually entails. I suppose the exception would be if the church offers a robust internship program. But even then, it would be difficult to expose a man to the demands of ministry prior to him actually going into the ministry (I suppose the same is true of most professions). When do most people see their pastors? On Sundays. And what do most people see pastors do? Preach and pray. I can tell you, brothers and sisters, writing sermons and delivering them is light and enjoyable work. I don’t lose sleep at night over sermons. Preaching may be the most important thing I do, but it is not the most burdensome. The Christian ministry involves far more than preaching on the Lord’s Day. Many years ago a young man asked me the question, so what do you do all week? He was so sincere. He really wanted to know. I suppose he thought that I played lots of golf. 

Brothers and sisters, ministry is warfare. If you feel called to the ministry, you need to reckon with this fact before you go in. And as a member of Christ’s church, you need to pray for your ministers that they would “wage the good warfare”, and that the Lord would sustain them as they fight the good fight. You ought to pray for those of us who are devoted to full-time ministry, but also for those men who serve as elders while working in the secular realm. Not only are they bearing the burdens of work and home life, but of the church as well! And the burdens are often heavy. 

I am reminded of that passage in 2 Corinthains 11 where Paul recounts his sufferings as a minister of the gospel. He listed his imprisonments, the beatings he endured, along with shipwrecks, hunger and thirst, among other things. But at the end he added this: “And, apart from other things, there is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for all the churches” (2 Corinthians 11:28, ESV). A long time ago I remember thinking, how strange that Paul would list this among imprisonments, beatings, shipwrecks and the like. But I understand him now. Ministers of the gospel will, if they are indeed waging the good warfare and not skating by, will be burdened with a deep concern for the church. 

I say all of this to you not so that you might feel sorry for me or for us. We are happy to do what we are doing. We are truly blessed to serve the church in this way. I share this with you so that you might pray for your ministers, and when it comes time to appoint new ministers you might know what the job actually entails. It is warfare. Furthermore, if you sense a call to the ministry you need to have some idea of what you are getting yourself into. If you are called and fitted, you will happily take up the work. But if you are not called and fitted, I fear that you will languish under the burden.    

Before we move on to point three I should probably say a word about the nature of this warfare. 

What kind of warfare is it? Well, clearly it is spiritual warfare. As Paul says in 2 Corinthians 10:4, “For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds” (2 Corinthians 10:4, ESV).

And who is the enemy that misters fight against? Well, ultimately the enemy is Satan and his kingdom. You will notice that both he and his realm are mentioned in verse 20. But the fight is not with him only, or with him directly. Rather, this fight against the Evil One manifests itself in many ways.

To put the matter succinctly, the Christian minister must wage war against falsehood. He must preserve and promote the truth. And the minister must wage war against sin — both the sin of others within Christ’s church, and also his own. Stated differently, the minister must come alongside those entrusted to his care to help them in their fight against sin, all the while fighting against sin of his own. 

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  This Warfare Must Be Conducted In Faith And With A Good Conscience

And this leads us quite naturally to the third point. To enter the ministry one must be called. Those called to the ministry must be prepared to engage in warfare.  And finally, this warfare must be conducted in faith and with a good conscience. “Wage the good warfare”, Paul says, “ holding faith and a good conscience.” In other words, this is what the minister is to bring to the fight — he is to come equipped with faith and a good conscience. 

Faith

Here “faith” refers to personal faith and trust in God, in Christ, and the truth of his gospel. How will a minister help others to grow in their faith if he himself is weak in faith? And how will he possibly persevere in warfare unless his faith is strong? 

Good Conscience

And when Paul commands Timothy to maintain a good conscience he means that his conscience is to be kept clear. This means that ministers are to be sure that they themselves are walking in a worthy manner, and not in sin. When a minster sins (which all do) he is to quickly repent before God and man. Some sins are of a disqualifying nature. Other sins are not. But a minister but be sure to keep his conscience clear. He must live a holy life. And when he fails, he must repent truly and sincerely. A minister who knows what it is to sin against God and others and to repent truly will be well equipped to compassionately help others to do the same. But a minister who lives in sin, or who sins and does not have the humility to repent, will only bring harm to those who are under his care.  

 So what does the work of the ministry entail? Well, there are many tasks. But one task that must not be neglected by the minister is the task of keeping one’s faith strong and conscience clear. The conscience is kept good and clear when we walk in obedience to the commands of God. Paul will return to this idea later in this letter, saying, “Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers” (1 Timothy 4:16, ESV). This is not a pure repetition of what Paul says here, but the idea is similar. Ministers must not only be concerned for others, but they must first keep watch on themselves to be sure that their conduct is pure. Also, they must devote themselves to teaching the faith that they themselves believe.  

Shipwreck 

Paul warns that those who fail to hold to the faith and keep their conscience clear will make a shipwreck of their faith. Verse 19: “By rejecting this, some have made shipwreck of their faith…”, he says. 

Paul knew all about shipwrecks. He knew what it felt like to be tossed uncontrollably to and fro by the wind and the waves. He knew what it was to be driven ashore and to watch the ship be broken apart by the relentless pounding of the surf. What a terrible experience, and what an awful sight that must be. And yet this is the term that Paul uses to describe the course of the false teacher who fails to hold to the faith and to keep his conscience pure — it leads to shipwreck, to the total destruction and  breaking apart of one’s faith and life. 

How sad it is to watch a professing Christian, and particularly a minister of the gospel, make a shipwreck of their faith. It is an awful sight. It takes your breath away when you see it. It leaves you with a pit in your stomach. And I have seen it. I have watched men with good and sound doctrine make shipwreck of their faith because they failed to keep a good conscience before God. Paul warns Timothy  to beware of the reefs of unbelief and immorality. Ministers must stay the course. They must keep the wind in the sails, and steer clear of temptation, lest they be driven ashore and broken to pieces.   

Hymenaeus And Alexander

You will notice that this text concludes with a reference to two well-known figures who made shipwreck of their faith, Hymenaeus and Alexander. These were teachers in the church who went off course and were wrecked as a result. 

Paul mentions Hymenaeus again in 2 Timothy 2:16ff, saying, “But avoid irreverent babble, for it will lead people into more and more ungodliness, and their talk will spread like gangrene. Among them are Hymenaeus and Philetus, who have swerved from the truth, saying that the resurrection has already happened. They are upsetting the faith of some. But God’s firm foundation stands, bearing this seal: ‘The Lord knows those who are his,’ and, ‘Let everyone who names the name of the Lord depart from iniquity’” (2 Timothy 2:16–19, ESV). So we know that Hymenaeus erred in his teaching, saying that the resurrection has already happened. And we know that this was accompanied by ungodliness. And it may be the same Alexander who is mentioned again in 2 Timothy 4:14, where Paul says, “Alexander the coppersmith did me great harm; the Lord will repay him according to his deeds” (2 Timothy 4:14, ESV).

Here in our text these two are set forth as an example of teachers in the church who failed to hold on to “faith and a good conscience” and made a shipwreck of their faith. Paul adds that he handed these “over to Satan that they may learn not to blaspheme” (1 Timothy 1:20, ESV). To be handed over Satan is to be put out of the church, which is the kingdom of Christ, and to be banished to the world, which is the domain of Satan. And the objective, you will notice, is that those who are put out would come to repentance. In the case of Hymenaeus and Alexander, these needed to learn not to blaspheme. 

In reminding Timothy of Hymenaeus and Alexander Paul was encouraging Timothy, one, not to go the way that they went, but to keep his faith and his way of life pure. And two, Paul was reminding Timothy of what must be done with those who persist in false teaching or in sin — they must be, to quote now from 1 Corinthians 5:5, handed over to “Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that [their] spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord” (1 Corinthians 5:5, ESV). You will notice that in both 1 Timothy 1:20 and 1 Corinthains 5:5 the stated purpose of putting the person out of the church and thereby banishing them to the realm of the Evil One, is so they might turn from their sin for the salvation of their soul. And the same can be said regarding that famous church discipline passage in Matthew 18. The goal is to gain the brother who is sinning.

One very concerning thing about the modern church is that very few churches do the hard work of church discipline. In the early days of the Reformation the reformers wrestled with the question, how do we identify a true church? That was an important question because having broken away from Rome and the hierarchy of priests, bishops, and the Pope people were left wondering, where is the true church to be found if not in this organization? In general, the reformers — and particularly the later reformers —  taught that a true church is not true because they are under the hierarchy of Rome, but because the word is faithfully preached there, the sacraments are rightly administered, and — get this — the church is disciplined. I think it is right to identify “discipline” as the third mark of a true church. The New Testaments scripture speaks clearly about discipline. The church is to be kept pure. False teaching and sin is to be addressed within the church. Both members and ministers must do their part. There is formative church disciple wherein we naturally exhort and encourage one another to believe what is true and to walk in a manner that is worthy. And there is also formal discipline which may involve public admonition, suspension from the Lord’s Table, and even excommunication, which is what Paul describes here when he speaks of handing these two over to Satan. But pay very careful attention to this, brothers and sisters. The motive is love, and the goal is always repentance and restoration. The motive is love. Why should we trouble ourselves with church discipline? Because we love God and one another. And the goal is not to drive away, but to restore through repentance. And so we must be faithful to do what the scriptures call us to do, trusting that the Lord is able to use even excommunication to bring an erroring brother or sister to their senses. It is not difficult to understand how this might work. A brother or sister may be presuming upon the grace of God but only come to see their error of their way once they are put out of the church and barred from the ministry of the word, participation at the Lord’s Table, and from the sweet fellowship that is enjoyed within Christ’s church.

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Conclusion

There are so many applications to be drawn from this text.  

If you are in the ministry now serving as an elder within Christ church, then you have much to think about. 

And the same is true for those who feel called to the ministry — you also have much to think about. How important it is for you to consider the scriptures carefully so that you might know what the qualifications and responsibilities of ministers are.

And church members must also know. They must know so that they can pray for their ministers and also know what to look for when it comes time to appoint others to this office. 

But even beyond this, much of what has been said today concerning ministers may be applied by you as you fulfill God’s call upon your life. No matter what the Lord has called you to, you also must be prepared to engage in warfare. And you also must be sure to hold faith and a good conscience lest you make a shipwreck of your faith.   

May it never be. May we all stay the course so that in the end we hear the words, “well done my good and faithful servant”.