But you, O man of God, flee these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness. (12) Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. (13) I urge you in the sight of God who gives life to all things, and before Christ Jesus who witnessed the good confession before Pontius Pilate, (14) that you keep this commandment without spot, blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ’s appearing (15) which He will manifest in His own time. He who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of Kings and Lord of lords, (16) who alone has immortality, dwelling in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see, to whom be honor and everlasting power. Amen.

1 Timothy was written by the apostle Paul as a pastoral letter. Paul was Timothy’s primary mentor and probably the one who led him to personal faith in Christ. Timothy travelled extensively with Paul and at times served as his representive to the Christian churches Paul founded. . This letter was sent to him at Ephesus where he brought doctrinal and organizational stability and proceeded in the loving firm direction Paul would have given. It was intended to be read aloud to the Ephesians so it would serve as Paul’s written authorization for Timothy.

Paul writes of worldly corruption of riches and love of pleasure which would bring no true contentment. Paul emphasizes the excellence of godly contentment which is profitable to all things. Paul sought to arm Timothy against love of this world; it is not enough to flee love of this world, Christians must do what is contrary – to fight the good fight of faith – let no one take your crown from you. We enter this world with nothing and leave with nothing. Those who fall into the temptations of the world are in danger of destruction and perdition. The first of today’s verses advise men of God to flee these traps and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience and meekness. The point here is not just to warn of the danger and eternal consequences of failure but to urge Timothy and Christians to rise above struggles for things perishable and useless but – reverting again to the metaphor of the Olympic Games – to lay hold of the REAL prize of eternal life. Paul writes further that Jesus Christ had already borne witness to the fact that He was Messiah. His was the model and bold confession (witness) of truth with a sentence of death before His eyes. Timothy was commanded to follow Christ without flaw; blameless, unrebukable. Timothy should live the life he preached.

The New Testament – and the Old – presents men and women of God with such reverence we forget they were but men exposed to temptation like us. We lose somewhat the reality of the apostolic story when in the saint we forget the man/woman. We are the audience of 1 Timothy. The more things change the more they stay the same.

Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercession and giving of thanks be made for all men, (2) for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. (3) For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, (4) who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth, (5) For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus, (6) who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time, – (7) for which I was appointed a preacher and an apostle – I am speaking the truth in Christ and not lying – a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth. (8) I desire therefore that the men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting

The first letter to Timothy was written by the apostle Paul – Paul had led Timothy to Christ and Timothy was Paul’s “son” in the faith. Paul had left Timothy in Ephesus and was writing counsel and guidance how he should conduct himself in leadership of that church. In our verses Paul is looking carefully at what place the Law of Moses has in Christian life and the object of this passage – as well as the entire chapter – is prayer. Prayer permits us to have peaceful and godly lives. It affects the community, reduces violence, opens up understanding and enables relationships to be developed. Paul tells us prayer becomes an instrument for salvation of all kinds of people meaning all kinds of men and women without distinction. Further, when men pray in public they must live in private what they pray.

Paul emphasizes the priority of the ministry of prayer; prayer for all men should pervade the church. This is God’s plan. Prayer consists of entreaties from a sense of need knowing we are not in charge. We are to petition – to converse freely – as we Christians have direct access to God in Christ. We are to pray prayers of thanksgiving. We have different needs at different times but at ALL times we need God. We have to pray to diffuse situations of anger. We are told to pray for authorities in government – called not to revolution but to prayer – so that we can live a quiet and peaceful life. The purpose is not to be comfortable and happy but to grow in godliness and dignity which will manifest Christian living. God’s procedure for reaching people is using people. The gospel of grace goes to all men so we are to pray for all men. The Jewish Law knew nothing of love toward all men; Gentiles and Gentiles kings were looked on as outside and not considered to be objects of divine love. There is one God and one Mediator between God and men: the man Jesus Christ. We were all in guilt of sin and needed a mediator to present ourselves in righteousness – “a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.” But faith is necessary for the appropriation of this salvation. If those who do not accept Christ by personal faith they are not covered by Christ’s sacrifice. If they die in sin Christ’s great ransom cannot deliver them.

I’m going to close with c.s.Lewis who touches my heart. “If you have once accepted Christianity then some of its main doctrines shall be deliberately held before your mind every day. That is why daily prayers and religious reading and church going are necessary parts of the Christian life. We have to be continually reminded of what we believe. Neither this belief nor any other will automatically remain alive in the mind. It must be fed “

And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord who has enabled me, because He counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry, (13) although I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an insolent man; but I obtained mercy because I did it ignorantly in unbelief. (14) And the grace of our Lord was exceedingly abundant, with faith and love which are in Christ Jesus. (15) This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came unto the world to save sinners of whom I am chief. (16) However, for this reason I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might show all longsuffering, as a pattern to those who are going to believe on Him for everlasting life. (17) Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.

The letter to Timothy was written by the apostle Paul. Today’s verses are Paul’s personal testimony and his charge to Timothy. He referred to his own conversion in these verses to encourage Timothy to be faithful in his ministry. If God chose to transform Paul – the worst of sinners – He can do this to anyone. Paul’s life was a before and after story. He went from a meticulous observer of the Law, who persecuted Christians in his zeal for the Law, to be God’s chosen vessel to preach Christ Jesus crucified. He viewed himself as a supreme example of Gods saving grace and this is his testimony , not making excuses but simply stating facts. Paul didn’t oppose Jesus Christ because he wanted to dishonor God but he believed he was serving God by persecuting Christians.

Our verses are not speculations or questions but the fullest assurance that Christ Jesus came into this world to save sinners. Paul received mercy that he might be a pattern of God’s saving grace. He portrayed himself as the worst of the enemies of God who was transformed by God. Paul was the best and most powerful of witnesses that God’s grace abounds over sin and that the work of Christ Jesus was perfect and acceptable. Mercy is an act of God and not earned by Paul/man in any way. We need to understand the fundamental truth of the gospel. It is all of faith in Christ. Our sins are forgotten in Christ – we should remember how much we are forgiven.

In verse 17 Paul breaks out into a doxology – an expression of praise to God. This happened in many of his letters. He was overwhelmed and could not find words to express his gratitude to God and he felt overpowered by the vastness of the gospel. In Romans (11:33 ) he wrote: “Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out!”

Therefore, though I might be very bold in Christ to command you what is fitting, (9) yet for love’s sake I rather appeal to you – being such a one as Paul, the aged, and now also a prisoner of Jesus Christ – (10) I appeal to you for my son Onesimus, whom I have begotten while in my chains, (11) who once was unprofitable to you but now is profitable to you and to me. (12) I am sending him back. You therefore receive him, that is, my own heart, (13) whom I wished to keep with me, that on your behalf he might minister to me in my chains for the gospel. (14) But without your consent I wanted to do nothing, that your good deed might not be by compulsion, as it were, but voluntary. (15) For perhaps he departed for a while for this purpose, that you might receive him forever, (16) no longer as a slave but more that a slave – a beloved brother, especially to me but how much more to you, both in the flesh and in the Lord. (17) If then you count me as a partner, receive him as you would me.

The letter to Philemon was written by the apostle Paul. To put this story in context, all the characters lived in an honor/shame culture and one that allowed slavery under Roman law. We have the apostle Paul, former Rabbi, zealous Jew and former Pharisee, now a prisoner in Rome for preaching the gospel. He calls himself a slave for Jesus Christ. He is writing to Philomen, wealthy businessman and a leader of the church in Colosse, in the matter of Philomen’s runaway slave, Onesimus. ( The punishment for Onesimus could be death.) Onesimus somehow met up with Paul (in chains) in Rome and was converted and endeared himself to Paul.

Certainly Paul and Philomen knew of each other. Paul felt the obligation to return Onesimus to his master was more important than keeping the slave with him. In this letter Paul appealed to Philomen to voluntarily receive his runaway slave and forgive him. AND to accept him as a brother in faith in Christ. Paul makes it clear that he has the authority to command this action but did not do so. Paul wanted Philemon’s action to be testimony to the fact that believers should want to be useful in God’s service. Personal circumstances of the believer are not to be separated from the fellowship of believers. God changes every person He saves. He changes the believer’s character. The key to loving relationships is God is transforming our hearts by faith in Christ.

I love the sense of humor Paul showed when he writes that Onesimus – his name means useful or profitable – as Philomen’s runaway slave was not “useful”. But now as a Christian he was useful to both Philomen and Paul. The fact that Paul had this letter delivered by Onesimus himself to Philomen was a big bet. And that this letter was saved and shared indicates that Philomen did what Paul asked and was a powerful example of Christian living in those ancient days. From A Grief Observed c.s.Lewis writes : “Your bid – for God or no God, for a good God or the Cosmic Sadist, for eternal life or nonentity – will not be serious if nothing much is staked in it. “And you will never discover how serious it was until the stakes are raised horribly high, until you find that you are not playing not for counters or for sixpence but for every penny you have in the world. Nothing less will shake a man – or at any rate a man like me – out of his merely verbal thinking and his merely notional beliefs.” Philemon was all in.