I and II Timothy--The Doctrine of Christ

I and II Timothy--The Doctrine of Christ

1 and II Timothy and Titus are “Pastoral Epistles,” addressed to ministers in charge of important Churches. Both Timothy 239and Titus seem never to have disappointed the full trust Paul reposed in them. Timothy, young and sensitive, is exhorted to endure hardness and fight the good fight of faith, and to be an ensample to the believers.

(1) A pure Gospel. Paul emphasizes the need of true doctrine. The false teaching of the first century which Timothy was exhorted to arrest, bears a close resemblance to that of the twentieth.

(2) A pure worship. Teaching with regard to prayer, etc.

(3) A faithful ministry. The supreme duty of devotion to the Lord’s service. An unqualified promise (1 Timothy 4:16).

(4) The importance and authority of the Scriptures (1 Timothy 6:3; 2 Timothy 3:15-17; 2 Timothy 4:1-4).

Christ our Savior (1 Timothy 1:15; 1 Timothy 2:3; 1 Timothy 4:10). Christ our Mediator (1 Timothy 2:5). Christ our Ransom (1 Timothy 2:6). Christ our Teacher (1 Timothy 6:3). Christ our King (1 Timothy 6:15). Christ our Captain 2 Timothy 2:3). The second Epistle to Timothy is of special interest as being the last Paul wrote, written from the dungeon in Rome in the near expectation of his execution. His zeal and faith are unabated. He is able to say: “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith.”

These two Epistles contain two prophecies of coming peril for the professing Church: (1) 1 Timothy 4:1-5, bearing a close resemblance to the errors of the Church of Rome; (2) 2 Timothy 3:1-5, probably relating to the great apostasy of the last days before the Coming of our Lord, and giving a photographic picture of the evils of our own day.