Lesson 550

(Lesson 550)(02-17-13) 1 Timothy 1:1-7, "Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the commandment of God our Saviour, and Lord Jesus Christ, which is our hope; Unto Timothy, my own son in the faith: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord. As I besought thee to abide still at Ephesus, when I went into Macedonia, that thou mightest charge some that they teach no other doctrine, Neither give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which minister questions, rather than godly edifying which is in faith: so do. Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned: From which some having swerved have turned aside unto vain jangling; Desiring to be teachers of the law; understanding neither what they say, nor whereof they affirm."

In the first part of this lesson Paul salutes Timothy and congratulates him on his zeal toward God. He then encourages Timothy to continue teaching against those who would distort the gospel of Jesus Christ by trying to blend into it, old laws and traditions.

Many of our "Churches" today are equally guilty of trying to impose traditional pomp and ritual upon those who humbly seek salvation.

Paul said, "Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned:" This means that we are to teach the gospel, not out of vanity or greed, but out of a mind set on giving. We are to humbly teach only those things commanded by Jesus Himself with a pure heart and in faith. That commandment, in essence, is to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and to treat everyone as you treat yourself. There is NO call for all the bells and whistles some attempt to attach to God's plan.

When the Jews were under the Law of Moses, the laws were listed, each individual sin was virtually written down so that, if committed, they might be atoned for one at a time, or all together. Each "sin" required a different atonement. We now know, through the gospel of Jesus Christ by the amazing grace of God, we only have to atone one time, that being by accepting the "one size fits all" sacrifice made by a virgin born Jesus, the Son of the living God, on our behalf.

By sending Timothy this letter, Paul was condemning those who would have a lost person jump through a series of hoops as he/she worked out his/her eternal salvation.

In an earlier lesson I promised to reveal how Paul was constantly trying to keep the Jews from imposing the law on new Christian converts. You can see by this lesson, and those lessons contained in his other letters to the Churches, steering Christianity away from Jewish law consumed most of Paul's teaching.

"Then he called for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas, And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house." Acts 16:29-31, This is all there is to it.~