1 Timothy 4:10-11

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10 That is why we labor and strive, because we have put our hope in the living God, who is the Savior of all people, and especially of those who believe. 11 Command and teach these things! ~ 1 Timothy 4:10-11

This first epistle of the Apostle Paul written to Timothy is about being trained by the truth. And, when we are being trained by the truth, we are made more effective at communicating the truth to others. 

In v.10 of today's text we read, "That is why we labor and strive, because we have put our hope in the living God, who is the Savior of all people, and especially of those who believe."

When we are convinced of the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, we will be single-mindedly focused on the opportunities in life to influence others in a way that they may be enabled to see the truth of the Gospel as we have. This investment comes on the heels of our authentic walk with the Lord whereby He is training us by the application of His truth as it happens to us. The best classroom wherein God teaches us is most often the most difficult. All of this underscores the most important thing in our lives: our understanding of God or our theology. It is our theology that determines our choices in life.

Once we entered into a personal relationship with the God of all Creation, we were made aware of a different realm that we were not all that aware of before. All of a sudden, we found ourselves functioning with eternity in view and from eternities perspective, everything else comes into clearer view. This results in laboring and striving to deliver the Gospel to others as clearly as we have seen it for ourselves. I have found that God has given me the life experiences that I have so that I may know Him and make Him known better.

This work is so labor intensive because the results are so serious. For everyone we know and have known and will know will spend eternity in heaven or hell based upon how each responds to the Gospel of the Lord Jesus. When was the last time we contemplated what hell is like for those who are there right now? This should move us to serious action to share the Gospel with all who will hear us.

Paul writes, "because we have put our hope in the living God." Having given our hearts to the Lord, we are learning that He is giving His heart to us. And, this has serious ramifications: we are gaining a greater sense of concern for the lost. One of the common criticisms the Lord Jesus faced when He walked this earth was:  He spent too much time with sinners. If we are gaining His heart, we will be accused in like manner. Due to the fact that we know that all will one day either stand before God as Judge or Savior, we should work hard at connecting with people in such a way that we are privileged to share the gospel with them in hopes that they will receive the free gift of forgiveness through the Lord Jesus.

The word “labor” comes from a Greek verb which means to work to the point of weariness or exhaustion. The word “strive” comes from a Greek verb which means to agonize. As those who have heaven as our home, we work to the point of exhaustion and we agonize over the lost estate of those who are not in Christ because we know the eternal outcome for everyone who rejects this free gift.

We know many in this world who live as if this world is the ultimate in reality and they invest everything they have in holding onto this world. The Christian is different, "we have put our hope in the living God." We deprive ourselves of the earthly pleasures and we suffer rejection because our hope is set on eternity with the living God. We are not tied to the temporal, we are not trying to amass a fortune here so we can indulge ourselves before we leave earth. We are set on and defined by the future. Eternity! We live out of this hope that will propel us into an eternity of love and joy and peace and patience and kindness and goodness and self-control. 

It is this sure hope that the Lord Jesus has earned for us and we long for others to know it for themselves. William Faulkner once said, "You cannot swim for new horizons until you have courage to lose sight of the shore." To what degree are we willing to lose sight of the shore of this world? To the degree that we are convinced of the reality of heaven becomes the degree to which we will lose our grip on this world.

In v.11 we read, "Command and teach these things." The word "command" underscores the seriousness of the issue at hand. And, the word “teach” includes the idea of passing on information to another in a way that causes them to want it. In Titus 2:10, the Apostle Paul commands us to "adorn the Gospel." The Greek word used for adorn gives us our English word "cosmetic" which is to dress it up, to beautify it. We do this best by developing a trusting relationship with the lost, a relationship wherein we earn their trust. And, as we get to know them, we do well to be humble, honest, and authentic in our walk with the Lord for it is out of our sincere love for the Lord that He speaks His truth most loudly.

The greatest and most attractive of all virtues is love; it is the universal language. If people are convinced of our love for the Lord and them, they will be drawn to Him. Love should be the ultimate mark of the disciple of the Lord Jesus, who said, "By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another" (John 13:35).

1 Timothy 4:7-9

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7 Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives’ tales; rather, train yourself to be godly. 8 For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come. 9 This is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance. ~ 1 Timothy 4:7-9

Today's topic is the continuation of what we discovered in 1 Timothy 4:1-6. In order to be most effective in serving and influencing others, we must understand that all false teaching comes from the demonic world. These demonic influences have been around since the fall of Lucifer and their tactic is always to lead us to self rather than the Savior. In addition, we must be defined by and saturated by the Word of God.

In v.7 we read, "Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives’ tales; rather, train yourself to be godly." 

Since the enemy wants to lead us to self, we are to reject anything that places more emphasis on us rather than on God. These godless teachings have no basis in Scripture. While acknowledging self-denial has some value, we do best to consistently aim at that which God is doing in this world to redeem mankind and find effective ways to be a part of His work. Someone once said, "A chemist may handle and study poisons, but he does not permit them to get into his system."

These “old wive’s tales” brought with them the idea that it was best to not marry and that godliness is measured by the foods we eat. In that day, when they wanted to bring disdain on some viewpoint, they would call it an old wive’s tale. By using this description, the Apostle was saying that the false teaching was unbiblical. 

Now, spiritual effectiveness is the result of being saturated with the Word of God. Whereas the Bible will keep us from sin, sin will keep us from the Bible. We must be convinced of the value of the Word of God, even when it slams us. In addition, we must be careful not to have a welcome mat in our being for false teaching.

In 1 Timothy 1:4 Paul reminded us to not waste our time on myths and endless genealogies that only promote controversial speculations rather than advancing the truth of God. In 2 Timothy 2:16 Paul says avoid godless chatter because those who indulge in it will only become more and more ungodly. The point is whatever is not on par with God's definition of things, do not be distracted by it from the truth. Be defined by the truth.

At the end of v.7 we read, "rather, train yourself to be godly." Ministry is not how clever we are, it is about how God is defining of us. For the word "train" the Apostle uses the Greek word gumnazō. We get our English word gymnasium from it. To train ourselves is to develop the habit of saying "no" to the flesh and "yes" to the Spirit who will always work in tandem in our lives with the Word of God. He will always render a selflessness that enables others to see the secret to our spiritual success, the Lord Jesus Christ Himself.

Now, in Ephesus, in those days, physical training was prized and was very vital. The Greeks were into physical beauty. They invested heavily in the training the body. They went to the gym in order to train their bodies every day. They had a Gold's Gym on every corner, too. So, the Apostle Paul uses this word, gumnazō, to describe how we are to invest heavily in being “godly.”

Godliness is not about good people getting better. Godliness is the accentuation of God in our lives. The emphasis must never be on the one who is experiencing the invasion of God into His life. In many ways, godliness is about us getting out of God's way and allowing Him to express Himself.

In v.8 we read, "8 For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come."

In comparison, our eternal investment is far more profitable than our temporal investment. When we get involved in spiritual gymnastics the godly results will not only be for now but for eternity. Paul is encouraging our involvement in our sanctification which is a process whereby God is changing us from the inside out to think and live according to His definitions. And the benefactors of our sanctification are those we influence to go with God.

In v.9 we read, "This is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance."

The Apostle Paul uses the phrase, "This is a trustworthy saying," five times in the pastoral epistles. It means it’s a truism, an axiom, a maxim. It is something patently obvious, it is axiomatic. Everybody knows that bodily exercise is only good for a little time but spiritual exercise is good forever and enduring. Godliness is increasingly going out of vogue, but everyone knows it is the answer. We must be wise to let God have His way today in our lives.

1 Timothy 4:6

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If you point these things out to the brothers and sisters, you will be a good minister of Christ Jesus, nourished on the truths of the faith and of the good teaching that you have followed. ~ 1 Timothy 4:6

In today's text the Apostle Paul is instructing Timothy on how to be most effective in ministry. The Greek word used in v.6 for "minister" is the word from which we get our English word “deacon.” As we considered while discussing the work of the deacon, it means servant. When we lack an attitude of service, our usefulness to the Lord's work in this world will be limited. 

This one verse illustrates the most effective way to disarm false teaching. The best way to make ineffective the false is not by correcting it, it is by affirming the truth. And, we affirm and teach the truth best by living it. 

When we are known by what we do not believe, we will be good at refuting error. But, we will find it difficult to teach authentic Christianity because we will not know the mystery of Christianity. We will know what’s wrong, but we will not know what’s right. Knowing the Lord Jesus is the secret to knowing what is right.

True ministry is the positive building up of others, not emphasizing error but making our souls a safe haven for the truth. This will result in effective ministry. It is the true nature of ministry to be positive. It is the building up or the edification of others that causes us to be most effective in our service of others. 

Now, this does not mean that we do not identify and call out error. It just means that the overwhelming approach to life is the accentuation of eternal life which is the Lord Jesus Himself. And, if we are experiencing Him everyday, it will be natural to have an effective ministry in our homes, our churches and our communities.

In v.6 the Apostle wrote, "If you point these things out to the brothers and sisters." In other words, we must teach others to be discerning. To be discerning is to think biblically. The best way for others to see us thinking biblically is for us to live biblically. This is basic to all leadership. And it’s not the idea of commanding people, it is not the idea of forcing people to buy into things. This is authentic, honest and humble walking with the Lord on a daily basis. We do this best when we are most convinced that we need Him. Sadly, most often, trials are required to convince us to walk with Him. But, on the other hand, when we go through trials and walk with Him, those around us are taught best.

In the middle of v.6 we read, "a good minister of Christ Jesus, nourished on the truths of the faith." To be nourished we must have a hunger, and in many ways, our hunger is not necessarily pleasant. King David wrote, "I thirst, I hunger." And, over time, David learned that his hunger was for the Lord, as is all of our hungers.

The Lord Jesus said, "I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty."

In John 6 the Lord Jesus said, "Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For on him God the Father has placed his seal of approval." Here the Lord Jesus discloses that eternal life is a gift to be received not a promise to be earned.

The Lord comes to us through His word as the one who is bread to our souls. He offers us His life to enable us to experience eternal life. We were not meant to produce our own food. We were meant to be nourished by Him. This is part of the reason that He came to earth. He did not send someone or something else; He came Himself to give Himself. And, as a result He is all that we need. And, when we have Him, we will have all that we need to serve Him by serving others.

1 Timothy 4:4-5

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4 For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, 5 because it is consecrated by the word of God and prayer. ~ 1 Timothy 4:4-5

Today's text comes on the heels of Paul's warning in 1 Timothy 4:1 which reads, "in later times some will abandon the faith." The faith is simply God's definitions of all things. All things find their meaning only in their created origin or God's definition and design of all things.

Now, 1 Timothy 4:1 comes on the heels of the apostle's words in 1 Timothy 3:16 which reads, "Beyond all question, the mystery from which true godliness springs is great." 

The Lord Jesus is the mystery from which true godliness springs. He is the believer's righteousness which becomes for the believer the compass to not only knowing God but also making Him known. And, the central focus of all false teaching is to make for themselves a form of the Lord Jesus made in their image as someone different than the description of Him in the Scriptures.

To discover true Christianity, we must ask one question: "What is being taught about the Lord Jesus? Is He the God-Man who shed His blood to redeem mankind back to Himself?" All teaching must be measured by the plumb line of the Scriptures presentation of the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. This is the context within which the Apostle Paul writes today's text.

In v.4 we read, "For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving."

The false teachers in Ephesus were forbidding marriage and the eating of certain foods. They had combined Jewish legalism with Eastern asceticism to make up their own religion. They loved using the word "forbidding." In keeping with Lucifer's approach to all things, false teaching always puts the spotlight on man and his accomplishments, whereas biblical Christianity will always place the spotlight on the Lord Jesus and His accomplishments.

Now, the Apostle Paul answers these teachers by going back to the doctrine of creation. He writes, "For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving." 

Here, the Apostle is cultivating in us the habit of gratitude. If we do not adopt the posture of seeing that everything comes to us as a gift from God, we will most likely be duped by the deceptive artistry of the evil one and miss out on the transcendent perspective born out of grace.

In James 1:17 we read, "Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows." 

In context James is explaining how we are led from a meaningful and personal relationship with God to a life of rebellion against Him. The first step away from God comes on the loss of our recognition of His goodness.

Thanksgiving is the recognition that everything comes as a gift from the loving God of all creation. When we receive everything as a gift from Him, humility, which is so essential to the depth of any relationship, will garrison our souls into a loving interaction with our Creator. And, it is then that we are reminded that we are not the kings on the thrones of our existences. It was G.K. Chesterton who once said, "gratitude is the highest form of thought, it is happiness doubled by wonder."

False teachers always present the God of the Bible as more strict than He really is. The serpent in the Garden also did this when he said to Eve in Genesis 3:1-3, "1 Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?” 2 The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, 3 but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die." Satan smuggles in the idea that God is a liar, and he also gets Eve to misquote God when she said, "You shall not touch it."

In v.5 we read, "because it is consecrated by the word of God and prayer." When we allow the enemy to slither into our thinking that we can be on par with God, we will discover derailment before we arrive at the station of our lives. But, when we put all things through the colander of God's word and prayer, we will arrive upon the biblical definition of all things. The remedy for wayward and unbiblical thinking is recognizing that we are the created who must not deviate from being defined by God. Thus, it will be out of this posture that we will be framed up by this God who brushes up gratitude from within our redeemed souls. And, that is good!

1 Timothy 4:1-3

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1 The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. 2 Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron. 3 They forbid people to marry and order them to abstain from certain foods, which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and who know the truth. ~ 1 Timothy 4:1-3

The apostle Paul, in Acts 20:28-31, warned the Ephesian elders that false teachers would invade the church. These false teachers were apostate which is when someone departs from the faith they previously affirmed. They depart from the faith because their hearts were never engaged with the Lord in the first place. They never had a personal relationship with God, they never knew Him.

Throughout the history of this world, God has called people into a personal relationship with Him through His written and His living word. The written word is all about the living word. And, Satan and his demons know this, so, they try to lure us away from truth with their lies which are skirted with some of the truth.

In today's text, the Apostle launches into a discussion of the demonic forces that come against the truth. This is the only place where demons are mentioned in the pastoral epistles. In these verses Paul presents the topic of apostasy.

In v.1 we read, "The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons."

The Apostle uses the verb apostēsontai which means “to remove oneself from one position to another.” For the Apostate, this is always an intentional departure. The Apostle was not describing something unintentional, he was not talking about somebody struggling with doubt. This is someone who deliberately rejects the truth that he once affirmed.

An unbelieving heart leads one to depart from the living God. He allows himself to be lured away and seduced away by demonic forces. Most often these forces use everyday things like our felt needs for security or love or attention, and he slowly lures us away until we freely give ourselves to his control. This is not an overnight event. This is why it is so important to keep short accounts with the Lord regarding our forgiven sin.

Here is a person exposed to Christian truth, a person who to some degree affirms a confidence in the Lord Jesus, but because his heart is not truly God’s, he is lured away by the enemy of God. He turns from the truth to the lies of the devil and is drawn away from the true faith unto eternal damnation.

In v.2 we read, "Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron."

These false teachers appear to be good preachers or priests or religious leaders of one kind or another. They may be good on the outside. They may be very religious in their appearance. They may appear to be pure in their motives. They pretend to exalt God whom they don’t exalt at all, but rather they exalt themselves.

One of the marks of a true servant of God is selflessness. He is in the habit of being read by that he reads, and the result is that God defines him. He is immediately known by his honesty and humility because the word of God has done its work on him. As a result, he practices what he preaches. He has not become sinless or perfect, but he sincerely seeks to know and be known by the Word of God. 

The Apostle writes in v.2, "whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron." False teachers will always be defined by himself and will be carried on in life by their hypocrisy. They do this because their consciences have been desensitized to God, His Spirit and His definitions of all things.

Our conscience is the tool that sends off impulses to affirm or condemn our actions, whether they are in line with God's definitions of life or not, but hypocrites have no conscience. Their conscience has been turned into scar tissue, and no longer do they feel in accordance with God's Word and Spirit. 

In fact, the term “seared” is a technical medical term from which we get our English word “cauterized.” The false teacher is so scarred to the point where he can carry on his lie and  hypocrisy and seem to have no conscience.

In v.3 we read, "They forbid people to marry and order them to abstain from certain foods, which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and who know the truth."

The false teachers in Ephesus were majoring on two things, forbidding marriage and forbidding certain foods. In so doing, they combined Jewish legalism with Eastern asceticism. These false teachers taught that an unmarried life was more spiritual than a married life, which is contrary to Scripture. We must always beware of any religious teaching that tampers with God’s definition of marriage. 

In addition, these false teachers equated abstaining from certain foods with spirituality. Salvation for them was built on how they denied themselves. Typical of all false religions, they devise human means by which one becomes saved, either by things done or by things not done. Religion puts man on the throne, not God. At its heart religion embraces the conviction that self-denial somehow pleases God.

The central deviation of all religious error is a negative depiction of the person of the Lord Jesus Christ who is the fulfillment of all scripture. The unseen diabolical forces know Jesus is Lord, so their thrust of error is to divert our attention away from Him. Their goal is to prevent us from bowing our wills to His loving embrace.

Finally, it is the living and the written word of God that softens our conscience toward all that is Him. Reading and being read by Him daily is the key to a vibrant walk with Him. God's goal in our lives is to free us from the bonds of slavery to the enemy. So, when we come to Him though His word and He says something to us that we do not like, we have a choice to allow Him to do heart surgery in us or not. When we are amiable to His heart changing presence in our lives, we will not only maintain a tender heart toward Him, but we will grow in our love for others.

1 Timothy 3:14-16

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14 Although I hope to come to you soon, I am writing you these instructions so that, 15 if I am delayed, you will know how people ought to conduct themselves in God’s household, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth. 16 Beyond all question, the mystery from which true godliness springs is great: He appeared in the flesh, was vindicated by the Spirit, was seen by angels, was preached among the nations, was believed on in the world, was taken up in glory. ~ 1 Timothy 3:14-16

Having taught on leadership within the church, the Apostle Paul turns our attention to the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. The church in Ephesus had begun to abandon sound doctrine, so as a result, there was a need to reiterate the essential message of Christianity. This is the emphasis of today's text.

In v.14 we read, "these instructions" which refer to the underlying reason why the Apostle wrote this epistle. Not only that which he had written but also the things he has yet to write. Essentially, the Apostle is teaching Timothy THE essential of the faith.

In v.15 we read, "if I am delayed, you will know how people ought to conduct themselves in God’s household, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth." 

The word “household,” used in v.15, is oikos which does not speak of a building. Very often people refer to the buildings as the church. This is not biblical. The Apostle is properly referring to the church as the people in relationship with God. The emphasis here is that believers in the Lord Jesus Christ are all a part of a family that is in dynamic relationship with the living God of the Bible. The church is not a part of an organization that is to be treated like a business, however, we are a part of an organism that is actually in personal relationship with the living God. As the Apostle points out, if we miss this most essential part of the faith, we miss it all.

During the first century, the number one god in Ephesus was Diana. Those who once worshipped at the Temple dedicated to Diana and had professed faith in the Lord Jesus Christ were still learning of God's ways and how His ways were quite to the contrary to those of Diana.

So, at the end of v.15 we read, "the pillar and foundation of the truth." Paul is saying, "The church is the pillar and foundation of the truth." His point was quickly understood by the folks in Ephesus due to the huge pillars and the large foundation that undergirded the Temple of Diana. It had 127 pillars that supported the massive structure. These pillars were made of solid marble, studded with jewels and overlaid with gold. Each of them were gifts from various kings throughout the world and each were tributes to those who gave them. The pillar and foundations held up the huge structure which at that time was one of the seven wonders of the world.

With the Temple of Diana as his backdrop, the Apostle Paul captured the minds of those who were in the church in Ephesus. In the same way that the pillars and foundation supported the temple of Diana, the church is to be the living support system of the truth. The church does not make the truth, we support it, we hold it up. It is a sacred treasure given to us for the glory of God, the good of men and we must hold it as our most precious treasure. The church does not make the truth, it is making us.

In v.16 we read, "Beyond all question, the mystery from which true godliness springs is great: He appeared in the flesh, was vindicated by the Spirit, was seen by angels, was preached among the nations, was believed on in the world, was taken up in glory."

The Lord Jesus Christ is the mystery and He is the essence of eternal life and godliness. The Christian faith is a faith built on the person and righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the one at the center of all that we believe. And, in v.16, the Apostle Paul gives us six essentials of our Lord.

"He appeared in the flesh." When the Lord Jesus came to earth, God became the God-man. The Lord Jesus pre-existed, and then He took on visible human form. He made the invisible God visible to man.

"He was vindicated by the Spirit." This means He was declared righteous by the Spirit of God. Along with the Father, the Holy Spirit was the other needed witness proving the diety of the Lord Jesus. In His flesh the Lord Jesus was and is the sinless human and in His Spirit He was and is God. He was declared to be righteous by the Holy Spirit and this is why the Father said on two different occasions, “This is My beloved Son in whom I am well pleased.” 

The Lord Jesus was declared righteous by God so that He could save sinful man from the wrath of God. In 2 Corinthians 5:21 we read, “He who knew no sin became sin for us.” The Lord Jesus Christ never sinned, but when He went to the cross, He absorbed the punishment of God for all sin, so that God could forgive the sin of all who would believe in Him.

"He was seen by angels." Throughout the earthly life of the Lord Jesus, the angels observed Him, watched over Him, visited Him, and attended to His needs. The Lord Jesus Christ  is the fulfillment of all of the scriptures and the angels attested to that at His birth, in the Garden of Gethsemane, at His cross and at His resurrection.

"He was preached among the nations." After His resurrection and His exaltation in the eyes of the holy angels, the resurrected Lord Jesus Christ was preached among the nations because without this most essential message, no man would be saved.

"He was believed on in the world." The preaching of the forgiveness of sin resulted in the salvation of all who have and will believe on Him. The first time the gospel was preached in Jerusalem, after His resurrection, three thousand people believed. Belief in the finished work of the Lord Jesus on the cross is essential to salvation.

"He was taken up in glory." In Acts 1:9 we read, "And when He had spoken these things, while they beheld, He was taken up and a cloud received Him out of their sight. And while they were looking steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, two men stood by them in white apparel, and they said, 'You men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing into heaven? The same Jesus taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as you have seen Him go into heaven.'"

This is the essential teaching that Jesus Christ is God, the Savior of all who have and will believe on Him. As a result, He is most precious to us. So precious, we guard our personal relationship with Him and we, at every opportunity,  preach Him crucified, imploring all to believe in His finished work on the cross for the forgiveness of sin and to receive the free gift of salvation through His precious blood. When we lose sight of this one essential, we are all in danger of falling away which is the subject of the verse which follows. And, we will consider those in our next blog and podcast.

1 Timothy 3:12-13

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12 A deacon must be faithful to his wife and must manage his children and his household well. 13 Those who have served well gain an excellent standing and great assurance in their faith in Christ Jesus. ~ 1 Timothy 3:12-13

Today, we close out the Apostle Paul's teaching on the marks of a deacon. As is the case with all leaders, the deacon’s wife is a part of his ministry because the proof of one's love for the Lord is first and best seen in the home of the deacon. How he treasures his wife is a great indication on how sincere the deacon is.

In every one of Paul's letters, he shows an unmistakable and an unshakable commitment to the truth no matter what the circumstances. The Apostle Paul recognized the Lord Jesus as the complete Lord of his life. As a result, the Apostle Paul was convinced that nothing happened in his life that was not okayed in advance by the Lord Jesus.

In addition, the Apostle Paul saw the Lord Jesus as his own personal Savior who forgave his sins, who picked him up when he was discouraged, who stood by him in times of trouble and intense pressure. He saw the Lord Jesus as his companion, as his dearest friend who never left him. This is the secret of standing today amid the mounting pressures that we face in the world. Christianity was never intended to be a creed to be believed, or certain doctrines that we subscribe to only. Christianity is a person whom we know, whom we interact with and rely upon day-by-day.

In v.12 we read, "A deacon must be faithful to his wife and must manage his children and his household well."

This teaching is reminiscent of the earlier teaching in this chapter that the Apostle gave to the Elders. The word used here for "faithful" is commentary that I agree with. Paul literally writes "mias gunaikos" which means "of one wife." Many translate this to mean that a deacon can not be divorced, but I kindly disagree. Paul is saying, "a deacon must be faithful to his wife." He is not running around on his wife. And, by the way, the best thing a man can do for his children is to love their mother unconditionally.

This leads to the next instruction the Apostle gives to the deacon. He writes in v.12, "A deacon must manage his children and his household well." The word "manage" is the same word used of Elders in 1 Timothy 3:4 which means "to stand before." The focus in this word is care for his family. He knows the Lord for himself as his savior, friend and companion and this enables him to be authentic before his family. To manage is to have earned the trust of one's family. This type of leadership in the home comes from the authenticity that grows out of the deacon's selfless love and concern for his family.


In v.13 we read, "Those who have served well gain an excellent standing and great assurance in their faith in Christ Jesus."  

Those who have served well are given two promises here. The first promise is an excellent standing. This literally means “stepping up above everyone else.” This word bathmos could be translated “pedestal,” or “an elevated platform.” Literally, the Apostle writes, "When a deacon serves well, he is put on a pedestal."

If a deacon serves in humility, with a sincere desire to serve, he will be lifted up. It is not that the deacon seeks to be lifted up, but when he humbles himself before the Lord to fulfill the Lord's call on his life, the Lord will lift him up.

In addition, those around him will respect him. The honor will be natural because the deacon is motivated by love for the Lord and His call. The deacon will gain respect as a result of the selfless living exhibited. We pattern our lives after those we respect. 

The second promise in v.13 is great assurance in their faith in Christ Jesus. In other words, because the deacon is faithfully walking with the Lord, serving Him well and He is blessing the service rendered, the deacon sees God's power, grace, and presence in his life. This garners great confidence and faith into the life of the deacon.

For the word assurance the Apostle used the Greek word parresia which means a confidence that produces a snowballing effect that heightens his awareness of God's blessing. This will result in the deacon's heightened usefulness and effectiveness. We naturally gain a greater sense of confidence, and boldness when we look back on our past to see what God has done in and through us. And, on the basis of knowing His hand is on our lives, we can take on anything, even though we feel inadequate. This is the kind of confidence we get from faithful service to the Lord.