Church Life as Family

I once heard a conference speaker tell me that I was God’s favorite. What was immediately confusing about that statement is that I wasn’t the only one in the audience. Others must have heard him say the same thing. Which means that a few hundred were told they were God’s favorite. Which seems to diminish the idea of what it means to be a favorite just a little bit.

The fact is the Bible says that God is no respecter of persons in the sense that He has no favorites of earthly influence. He doesn’t need to.

At the same time, God’s word is also clear that He is always looking out for widows and orphans in a significant way. Take one example (there are several):

God in His holy dwelling is
a father of the fatherless
and a champion of widows.
(6) God provides homes for those who are deserted.
He leads out the prisoners to prosperity,
but the rebellious live in a scorched land.
(Psalm 68.5-6, HCSB)

As we have worked our way through the letter of 1 Timothy, we have previously noted a couple of places where Paul implies that the family unit is like a little church, and the church is like a big family. God cares how families treat each other, and particularly how families treat their orphans and widows. At this point in his letter, in 1 Timothy 5.1-16, Paul addresses the way we treat each other in the church, responding to each other and our needs. How can we regard our fellow church members as family?

We treat every member with gentle respect. (vv. 1-2)

Verses 1 and 2 of chapter 5 could perhaps align better with what came immediately before them, but it seems appropriate to understand them as part of a larger discussion on family-church life. Paul speaks of our interactions with fellow church members, that communication should happen with gentleness and respect, as if they were family members. He adds a special phrase as a reminder to treat young ladies with all purity. So first, we are to treat each member of the church (family) with gentle respect. But there is another important admonition.

We care for true widows with loving support. (vv. 3-16)

This is a large grouping of verses to put together under one point, but they begin and end with the exhortation to assist those who are genuinely widows, or truly widows. Paul describes widows who are left without any family to help take care of them.

God’s word is clear that the church has a responsibility to help take care of those church members who have no one else to assist them. He says that if anyone has family members, the family should provide assistance, monetary and otherwise. Those who could help but refuse to do so are, according to the Holy Spirit, “worse than” one who claims no Christian faith at all. The Scripture simply recognizes that even those not operating from a Christian ethic understand the basic desire to and necessity of support for family members. Christians who don’t are without excuse.

Here God sets up a process whereby genuine widows (and perhaps by extension, anyone who is without any real means of support) can and should receive assistance from the church when possible. Paul and the church there know that many people tend to abuse the assistance process, and so he sets in place a series of guidelines as to who should receive the available support. The list or enrollment mentioned in verse 9 implies those who qualify for support. Regarding widows, to receive church assistance, he said they must be:

• Genuinely left without support (vv. 4-5, 16)
• Genuinely trusting in God (vv. 5-7; contrast vv. 11-15)
• Genuinely faithful in serving (vv. 9-10)
• Genuinely senior in age (v. 9; contrast v. 14)

Paul doesn’t want the church or the process to be abused, so parameters are set in place. And there are pretty stern warnings for those who reject this plan. We’ve already noted the “worse than an infidel” section. But notice also in verses 14-15 that those who would abuse this process for support are risking the accusations and temptations of Satan himself. This is serious business for the church to get right.

Why? Because the church is the community of truth. And how we treat widows really matters.

[This is part of a larger series on 1 Timothy called The Community of Truth.]

Good Servants of Christ Jesus

What did it take for you to become good at what you do? What did it take for you to become skilled at it? Did you have formal education or training? Did someone teach you how to do it?

For the believer, this is ultimately what discipleship is—God is training us, maturing our character, making us more like Jesus. Certainly, we must have the Holy Spirit working in us, enabling and empowering us. But the Bible also teaches that on our part, it takes practice; it takes rehearsal. Today we look at 1 Timothy 4.6-16, the next section in this series. In my own life, this section in chapter 4 had an early and lasting impact on my progress in character. These verses are among the first I memorized—because I knew I would need to remind myself often.

After warning about the real danger of falling away from faith and from the true gospel, Paul immediately addresses the church’s continual need of God’s Word. He says it in a way that Timothy and everyone there will understand—in terms of what makes a good servant or minister. He speaks of the training and practice it will take. Although he is specifically talking to Timothy in the role in which he was serving, these principles are true for everyone: The word for minister (in some translations) in verse 6 is the same word as servant. What was true for Timothy is true for us. So what makes someone a good servant of Christ?

1. Good servants of Christ grow through regular intake of God’s Word (vv. 6-7).

We grow through God’s Word, instead of being deceived through false teaching. This proves or demonstrates that we have been nourished and trained already—note that Timothy has already been following these things. Just like a baby needs milk, and instinctively desires it, we need the Word of God to be nourished (see 1 Pet 2.2-3). Are you taking in God’s Word regularly?

2. Good servants of Christ engage in disciplined training for an eternal reward (vv. 7-10).

We engage in disciplined training as opposed to being deluded through common folk fables in receiving an earthly benefit. Paul calls them “old wives’ tales,” showing that term’s usage from at least the first century. He simply means that Timothy should not get caught up in silly fables and myths that have little or no value. So it takes exercising, training, disciplining (ourselves) to avoid falling into error. Actually, it takes ongoing discipline to develop in anything.

Just like companies that offer continuing education credits to keep their employees trained, we all need continuing training. Many folks engage in physical exercise, and certainly it has some benefit. However, the Scripture here says that spiritual exercise offers benefit and promise for this life and for the eternal life that will extend beyond this one.

If you want to make an impact that will last into eternity, discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness. Are you training yourself, through the Word of God, to exercise toward godliness, with the understanding that you are progressing toward an eternal reward?

3. Good servants of Christ model a mature life in front of other believers (vv. 11-14).

We model a mature life as opposed to allowing immaturity, whether real or perceived, to diminish our serving influence on others. Paul has just described the common grace of God, and the particular grace to save to the uttermost those who trust in Him (v. 10), which is why this purpose is worth living for, and then teaching and modeling for others.

Many youth group leaders have turned to verse 12 over the years as a key verse for their teens. While it’s a great verse to inspire them, this statement was not only addressed to teenagers, but a call for any servant of God’s Word to be demonstrating maturity. Timothy was not a teen. He was probably 30 years old or more, but still considered young for his day contrasted with the elders in the church who might look down on him (in their era) and despise his youth.

In our day, we have almost the opposite trend: America tends to idolize young people in our culture. In Paul’s day there would have been a great respect for the elders in the church. So his encouragement to Timothy was to lovingly and graciously show that maturity doesn’t always equate to age. The goal is to be above reproach—not to allow anyone to be able to raise an accusation about spiritual immaturity in each of these key areas (v. 12). This was proved by the confirming acceptance of God’s calling on his life, and it must not be neglected. Do you live in such a way that folks can watch your life, and then imitate it?

4. Good servants of Christ labor over good theology for Godward progress (vv. 15-16).

We are to work hard at having a good theology, as opposed to leading our churches and ourselves on a path to destruction. Paul describes the path to a healthy theological understanding: Being fully into God’s word, devoted to it. Bible translators always come up with interesting ways to render the second phrase in verse 15. Actually, it is simply a form of the word be, so that the meaning is: Be in it; soak it up; saturate yourself in the things of God through His word.

Right theology then informs and influences right living, although we sometimes think it’s the other way around. What we know about God impacts what we do on a daily basis. It will have a Godward redeeming influence on us and on those who watch us. If people watch your life, would they come to you with a question about God because they know you pore over the Scriptures? Can they see that you’re making progress?

5. Good servants of Christ share this glorious gospel for mutual transformation (vv. 6, 11, 13, 16).

We are to share this as the good news that it is, as opposed to merely gaining personal knowledge. We get to tell others. If we miss this point, we have missed Paul’s reason for these paragraphs. Are you sharing this glorious gospel with anyone?

[This is part of a larger series on 1 Timothy called The Community of Truth.]

The Gospel

[For our church website I revised the wording and changed some verses from this earlier blog post on the basic gospel message. Same message, just updated. Here is the revised re-post.]

How can we know God? By trusting in Him through the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Do you believe the gospel of Jesus? What is the core of the Good News? Although the effects of the gospel are profound, the basic message is simple.

Ruler
God, the holy, loving, joyful Creator, is the sovereign One over all people and things, and He deserves the worship, reverence and obedience of His creation.

Our Lord and God, You are worthy to receive glory and honor and power, because You have created all things, and because of Your will they exist and were created. (Revelation 4.11)

For His invisible attributes, that is, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen since the creation of the world, being understood through what He has made. As a result, people are without excuse. (Romans 1.20)

Rebels
We, the creation, have chosen our own path in life, and walked away from our holy Creator. As a result we deserve our due penalty—death and separation from the loving and joyful God.

For God’s wrath is revealed from heaven against all godlessness and unrighteousness of people who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth, since what can be known about God is evident among them, because God has shown it to them. (Romans 1.18-19)

For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 6.23)

Redemption
Jesus the Christ (the Messiah), who is fully God, took on a human body, lived a perfect life, died in our place (thus taking our death penalty), and rose from the dead. As a result, the ability to know our Creator and live in His joy was restored and made available in Christ.

For Christ also suffered for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, that He might bring you to God, after being put to death in the fleshly realm but made alive in the spiritual realm. (1 Peter 3.18)

He [God the Father] made the One who did not know sin [God the Son—Jesus] to be sin for us, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. (2 Corinthians 5.21)

Renewal
The available redemption cannot be earned, but must be applied to us individually as the Holy Spirit pulls us, and we respond to His grace in repentance and faith—accepting the gracious gift of life in Christ, and growing in Christlike character. This involves immediate soul renewal, and later at the return of Christ, it will involve the physical renewal of our bodies and all of creation.

And if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead lives in you, then He who raised Christ from the dead will also bring your mortal bodies to life through His Spirit who lives in you. (Romans 8.11)

But based on His promise, we wait for the new heavens and a new earth, where righteousness will dwell. (2 Peter 3.13)

My sincere prayer is that you would be able to experience God’s joy and delight in Him through the gospel of Jesus Christ. He offers Himself to you. Will you trust in Him, and accept His gracious gift?

If you are just beginning your life with God in Christ, I encourage you to connect with a local church community of Christ followers.  In the meantime, for more information, click here.

*All Scripture references are from the HCSB.

Falling Away from Faith

For the Apostle Paul, nothing was to be considered more dangerous than a false gospel. That’s obvious from his letters. But sadly, for far too many Christians, ancient and modern, being concerned about the vital integrity of the good message about God in His redeeming work has drifted to a less important matter. When that happens, and local churches are not on guard, dangerous and destructive teachings can creep in.

We see it all the time. I’m sure some reading this would roll their eyes (as I probably used to do) and say, he’s at it again. But the fact is that Paul speaks to this grave concern yet again in 1 Timothy 4.1-5, so as we work our way through this letter, we can’t help but see his heart. Deceptive, false teachings are real, and they can cause us to walk away from the faith.

Paul describes the danger and concern with falling away in clear terms. What do we need to be aware of, in order to preserve us from falling away?

1. The certainty of some falling away from faith cannot be taken lightly (v. 1).

Perhaps the scariest part of this brief section is how adamant Paul is. He says it is absolutely certain that some will depart from the Christian beliefs they once held to be true. That ought to cause some pause for every one of us. He says the Spirit “explicitly says” that some “will leave” the faith. It is certain, and therefore it should not be taken lightly—by any of us, since the false teachings are so deceptive. Peter concurs:

But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. (2 Peter 2.1, HCSB)

2. The subtlety of falling away from faith must be recognized (vv. 2-3).

When people have seared consciences, their hypocrisy and lies don’t matter to them any longer. As such, Paul says they even invite demonic influence. People don’t like to talk about demons these days. It seems outdated. But the danger remains real, and subtle. In fact, part of the primary danger is the subtlety factor. It can happen when we’re not on guard. Also, it doesn’t happen merely in those instances when a biblical teaching is completely disregarded; it can happen when a correct teaching is barely twisted into something else with any mixture of error.

Many believe this example in verses 2-3 may have been a gnostic or pre-gnostic set of teachings that obviously altered God’s plan for marriage and food. It is possible to fall into the trap of false teachings through subtle shifts and exploitations in our weaknesses. See what Peter has to say in agreement:

They will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, and will bring swift destruction on themselves. (2) Many will follow their unrestrained ways, and because of them the way of truth will be blasphemed. (3) In their greed they will exploit you with deceptive words. (2 Peter 2.1-3, HCSB)

3. The antidote to falling away from faith must be repetitive (vv. 4-5).

The only realistic way to combat false teaching is to fight it continually. Paul speaks to this particular false teaching with the reminder that both spirit and matter are created by God, who declared them good (which contrasted with basic Gnosticism). He explains that the repetitive, ongoing way to recognize this is through the intake of His word (the Scriptures), and through prayer, both of which are always intended to be continual practices. Again, Peter agrees:

Dear friends, this is now the second letter I’ve written you; in both, I awaken your pure understanding with a reminder, (2) so that you can remember the words previously spoken by the holy prophets, and the commandment of our Lord and Savior given through your apostles. (2 Peter 3.1-2, HCSB)

I used to read these texts and think, Well, it’s not going to happen to me! But the Bible also says, Let him who thinks he stands take heed, lest he fall (1 Corinthians 10.12). My assumption was foolish. I need to stay in God’s word and in prayer to keep focused on the one, true gospel, through which God is able to keep us from falling (see Jude 24).

Let’s take heed.

[This is part of a larger series on 1 Timothy called The Community of Truth.]

The Pillar and Pattern of the Truth

My first staff ministry opportunity was to serve as an interim youth pastor. I thought I needed to be cool, but knew that I wasn’t. Among my cool attempts that flopped: the creation of a new ministry theme and logo. I wanted to somehow illustrate the importance of the church being the “pillar and support of the truth,” as Paul calls it, in 1 Timothy 3.15. And what logo did I choose?

A pillar.

Nothing generates enthusiasm, stirs excitement and wells up emotion in young people quite like a pillar.

So I tried. But at least I got the content right: The truth about God in the gospel, as demonstrated through the church, is vitally important to everything that we are and everything that we do as individuals and families in a community of Christian faith.

The picture of the church being the pillar and support (or foundation) of the truth helps us to see the main point of Paul’s letter, and should be understood by churches still today as the central focus of who we are and why we do what we do. We are to be the ones who the broader culture can look to as those who uphold the truth.

In 1 Timothy 3.14-16, Paul explains his reasons for writing this letter, and in the process gives the gospel as the pattern for living.  What does it mean to be the pillar of the truth, and the pattern of the gospel?

First, we—as the church of the living God—are to uphold and support the truth (v. 15). The Word of God is very clear. Paul writes this letter so that if he can’t see them soon, he wants to go ahead and share with them what he would say in person if he were there: We’re about upholding the truth in society. In a very literal sense, Christian church buildings ought to be able to be seen in the larger community as a place of truth (and love and care). The church can and should be a respite from all the ills in the broader culture. We have to ask ourselves: Does my church look like that?

But of course, it’s not about the building. The regular worship gatherings and smaller group settings can and should serve as an example of the truth for nonbelievers. As the “household” and family of God, as Paul puts it, we have the opportunity to show the truth when we gather. But it’s more than just on Sundays.

How we conduct ourselves shows a pattern of life (v. 15). Precisely because the church is to be the pillar and support of the truth, it needs to be on display in how we as church members live and go about our daily activities. Paul in v. 15 says it matters how we behave and conduct ourselves. So it matters, not just that we as the church are the pillar of the truth; we are to be the pattern of truth.

That pattern of life must be transformed by and then point to the gospel of Jesus Christ (v. 16). People ought to be able to understand more about the truth by how we live out the gospel. Once again the gospel is shown as not merely the path to salvation, but also the way of life after we begin believing, and a pattern to be followed and displayed until God calls us home.

The ultimate pattern of godliness? Jesus. So Paul lays out the “mystery of godliness” that has now been revealed in Jesus, and essentially presents the gospel in a nutshell in one verse (16).

He was manifested in the flesh,
vindicated in the Spirit,
seen by angels,
preached among the nations,
believed on in the world,
taken up in glory.
(1 Timothy 3.16, HCSB)

In this beautiful hymn about Jesus, it is clear from the context that how we conduct ourselves as the church reflects the gospel. But not just the pillar of the truth about how to get us into heaven. As the “mystery of godliness” it is also the pattern of life to be lived.

Wearing a pillar logo might not be too hip, but young and old alike in the church have a far greater privilege: actually being the pillar and pattern of truth.

[This is part of a larger series on 1 Timothy called The Community of Truth.]

Respectable Volunteer Leaders

Recently as we continued on Wednesdays to work our way through the biblical letter 1 Timothy, one of the deacons at our church decided to be a little funny. He said that in the qualifications for deacons, they have a little bit of leeway with drinking wine. He was referring to the fact that in 1 Timothy 3.8-13, as contrasted with the section that immediately precedes it concerning overseers/pastors, it says that deacons should not be addicted to, or given over to, “much” wine, rather than outright prohibiting being a drunkard.

Of course, he is joking, and he knows that the Apostle’s main point is that the deacon, and any volunteer leader in the church, must live a life above reproach, as outlined in these sections. Last time we looked at proven character for leadership, but with specific regard to the pastors and elders that God has placed in leadership roles within their churches. In this section, Paul for a brief moment takes a gracious aim at volunteer ministry leaders.

In fact, the clear similarities between the section for pastors and the section for deacons are striking. It is immediately noticeable. The general approach is the same: they are to lead lives of godly character. These leaders described in 1 Timothy 3.8-13 must be respectable people of integrity.

Without superimposing a 20th or 21st century ministry model on Paul, I believe he is speaking with regard to all the volunteer ministry leaders of his day. A very interesting interpretational clarification is necessary regarding verse 11. Paul addresses the “women” by using the Greek general word for women. Many translations have chosen to interpret that Greek word in this context as wives, often without footnoting that the word is actually women. Several Bible commentators note this distinction as well.

It seems odd that Paul would be putting forward a brief set of qualifications for deacons’ wives since he did not do the same for the wives of pastors in the preceding verses. Also, the English possessive word Their (as in, “Their wives”) is not in the Greek manuscript, which further seems to indicate that he is not necessarily referring to deacons’ wives. Finally, the list of qualified widows (to receive support), which he talks about in chapter 5, includes a similar list of character qualities (see 1 Timothy 5.9-10). For these and other reasons, no one can be dogmatic about it referring to deacons’ wives, and therefore it seems best to translate the word as women, instead of interpreting it as wives. (Indeed, Paul does say in verse 12 that deacons should be one-woman men, but the fact that he again uses the word Deacons appears as though he has returned again to the group he addressed in verse 8, thus potentially addressing a different group in verse 11).

So what’s the point? Perhaps Paul realizes that he has already addressed specific male servant-leader roles, and wants to speak to those female servant-leaders in the church also, so that everyone in leadership—paid or volunteer, male or female—needs to understand the weighty responsibility of living a life that models integrity to the rest of the flock.

In any case, the overall admonition for these men and women is to live lives that are worthy of respect (vv. 8 and 11). Every other qualification falls under this general banner. Just as there are tests for pastors (see vv. 4-7), these volunteer leaders are to be tested first, and then they can serve as deacons and leaders. Finally, he refers to the lasting legacy that deacons and volunteer leaders acquire when they pursue godliness and serve with humility as His leaders in His church.

On every level, in every way, integrity matters.

[This is part of a larger series on 1 Timothy called The Community of Truth.]

Proven Character for Leadership

After taking quite a hiatus from publishing notes on a series I have previously taught and that I am teaching now on Wednesday evenings at my church, I wanted to return to these posts on the biblical letter known as 1 Timothy. You can find the first several parts of the series here.

Sadly, even a mention of the topic of pastoral integrity can conjure up mental pictures of all the prominent pastors we know of who have fallen in ministry. We remember them because they were placed on a proverbial pedestal, implicitly or explicitly stating that they were men of character worth following. Pastors aren’t supposed to be superhuman, as some seem to think, but they are to be pursuing God and godly character in such a way that their progress is evident to everyone. Notice how the Apostle Paul describes Timothy’s proven character to the Philippians:

Now I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon so that I also may be encouraged when I hear news about you. (20) For I have no one else like-minded who will genuinely care about your interests; (21) all seek their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ. (22) But you know his proven character, because he has served with me in the gospel ministry like a son with a father. (Philippians 2.19-22, HCSB, emphasis added)

After talking about God’s purposeful, ordered design for church gatherings and the life of the church, now in 1 Timothy 3.1-7, Paul speaks about the qualifications of those who would lead and teach the church. What types of prerequisites are placed on church leaders? The men who would oversee the church must first have done these things.

Proven Personal Integrity (1 Timothy 3.1-3)

He begins by affirming that if someone senses an ongoing deep longing to serve as an overseer (pastor), his desires are good and noble. But he must live out his stated desires by proving his character. The apostle gives a list of qualifications for serving as an overseer. The pastor must practice these qualities, he says. We won’t detail the list here, but a brief look will show Paul’s heart.

The pastor must be above reproach. He must be a one-woman man. He must have the character and integrity that anyone would expect of a pastor. But perhaps what is most striking about this list is that every trait except one is actually expected of every follower of Jesus. The only unique prerequisite listed is that he must be able to teach. In other words, every believer should pursue godliness to the degree that he or she has proven progress in character. But the pastoral overseer must not only demonstrate these traits, he must also be able to teach adequately if he is to lead a church.

Modeled Family Leadership (vv. 4-5)

In many ways, a spiritually healthy church is like a big family. And the reverse is true. In many ways, a spiritually healthy family is like a little church. This principle runs as a subtheme throughout 1 Timothy. As I mentioned in the last 1 Timothy post, when it’s done well, male leadership in the church is simply an extension of what’s taking place in the home.

As such, the home is not so much a pastor-dad’s proving ground for leadership ability as it is his primary place of ministry. He simply must be a good husband and father. He is to lead and minister (that is, serve) effectively in both the home and church, and he is disqualified from church leadership if he can’t be a servant-leader at home.

Shown Spiritual Maturity (v. 6)

New believers and those immature in their faith have not proven their character and are not ready, yet, to be an overseer or pastor. Paul’s concern is basic, and obvious: Immature believers are perhaps especially susceptible to pride, which can bring them down just like it did for Satan. So in order to serve as a leader in the church, a man must not be too new in his understanding of the gospel, or of God Himself.

Earned Public Respect (v. 7)

The final qualification that Paul mentions here is that the church leader must have a good reputation in the public eye. His integrity must begin at home, proceed into his church, and extend out into the larger community. Even if his family and church love him, if a pastor has not demonstrated a keen appreciation for how he comes across to nonbelievers or the general public, he is not fit for leadership. Paul doesn’t mince words: he says to neglect this idea is to risk falling into a trap of Satan and into disgrace. Certainly a pastor’s real evaluation comes from God and he should live for an audience of One (see 1 Corinthians 4.3-4). However, while not being driven by public opinion, a pastor should care about how he represents God in view of an outside community that is watching. If he doesn’t, he’s not qualified to lead in the first place.

God certainly cares about the character of the men who would lead His church. To ignore His requirements concerning proven character is to follow a recipe for disaster. It is out of His love that He places such requirements: for the glory of His name, the good of His church, and the hope of the larger community.

[This is part of a larger series on 1 Timothy called The Community of Truth.]