1tim5v1-4

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READ: 1 TIMOTHY 5:1-25 PASSAGE: V1-4 [SERIES #15]

We closed the previous chapter with the thought of the young preacher being exhorted to save both himself and his hearers
As noted: This does not rule out salvation by grace alone through faith without the deeds of the law
But it does recognise the need for fruit in the Christian life
Never swallow the Devil’s lie that it is acceptable for professing Christians to live their lives without the fruit/holiness
Salvation has a positive aspect to it as well as the negative
It is salvation from sin and not merely salvation from hell
Therefore when the preacher takes heed to the doctrine and to the practice – he is the instrument which God is using to secure the salvation which Christ has purchased for His people
Work of edifying/saints is as important as the work/evangelism

Although there are general principles, yet the Apostle carefully makes some distinctions re: the age/gender of our hearers
Here is the wise master builder teaching the apprentice
One size does not fit all in the Christian life
Different people carry different relationships
We cannot treat all exactly the same way when we come to ensure that those general principles are carried through

Let’s keep this in mind as we explore 5 things/passage which relate to the Christian life:

1) THE PLACE OF PIETY IN THE CHRISTIAN LIFE:

A/ Word piety itself is used in v4
Greek word appears here and Acts 17:23 (“Worship”)
Text requires us of two things re: piety

[i] It is to be shown – not kept secret
[ii] Shown in the hardest places: At home

B/ To this end, we see that it is to be learned
Not something that is naturally acquired
Yes, it comes with the renewed heart by grace
But it comes in germ form and is to be cultivated
In 4:7 the same idea is pursued: Exercise thyself/godliness
You cannot exercise yourself from an armchair or in a library
Theory is not exercise: This is a doing word
It something to be learned and carried out and done

C/ What is piety? It is sanctified action
More than mere morality which any heathen may engage in
Obviously embraces morality – (our 3rd point) but it is more
Piety flows from a heart that is right with God
[i] The heart has been purchased by the blood/Christ
[ii] The heart has been yielded to Christ in consecration
Piety has a single eye to the glory of God and nothing else
As said: Piety is much more than mere morality

Furthermore: Piety is much more than mere religion
Can draw near/God with: lips and yet the heart be far from Him
That is just a sham piety – hypocrisy (Mark 7:6)
Piety is not being a whited sepulchre but a living, spiritual testimony to the saving/keeping power of God in a wicked world

D/ Piety (as said) is sanctified action- It does something positive
Passage: He engages its professors to care for their parents (v4)
I remind you that this often proved to be a sore point
Christ mentioned (in context/hypocrisy) of those who dedicated their money to God and left their parents to well nigh starve
God doesn’t want their money because it is tainted
He wants them first to learn piety at home

2) THE PLACE OF PRAISE IN THE CHRISTIAN LIFE:

Usually when we speak about praise, we are thinking about praising God – for who He is and what He has done
Let everything that hath breath, praise the LORD (Psalm 150:6)
But here we are talking about another kind of praise

B/ Paul desires that certain folk be honoured within the church
[i] In v1 he sets his sights on the aged men
(Most/commentators do not think Paul refers to office bearers)
They are not to be rebuked especially by younger men
Obviously…does not make them immune from church discipline
Church would fall apart if that were the case
We will come back to this, but observe how the older men are to be honoured and respected on account of their age

This is no new commandment expected of us
Read the OT and see the respect which the elderly enjoy there
You can see it in the life of Jacob as he went down to Egypt
The mighty Pharaoh treated him with a kind of awe
Of course, the 1st commandment with promise was to this end
Let us honour the older folk – esp. aged Christians like Mnason of whom we see described in Acts 21:16 as an old disciple

[ii] There are others to be honoured:
Young men are to be honoured as brethren by the older folk (v1)
Already had Paul deal with ageism/reverse (4:12)
Being treated as a brother means treated equally
Again, none of these honourings, mean special treatment
Young man, being treated as a brother, must not be indulged
This is not a call to let him away with the rashness/youth etc.,
But it does call the older men to at least recognise it and to guide (as oppose to patronise) the same young men as brethren

[iii] Another group to be honoured in a similar way are the women
Older women are to be honoured as mothers (nearest/dearest)
Younger women as sisters in the family
Same idea again: None are to be despised in the church/Christ
Christian church is a family place
Some (where sinful necessity requires it) will actually leave their own families to be added unto the church (Matthew 10:37)
So let there be a respect given one to another

[iv] Another group is mentioned without any ref. to their age
Those who are widows indeed (v3)
God has always had a special place/His heart for the widow
Several refs to the widow in the OT and Psalms/Proverbs
The LORD will destroy the house of the proud: but he will establish the border of the widow. (Proverbs 15:25)
Chapter has a whole (v1-16) has much to say about widows, but always let those who ware widows indeed be honoured
Widow’s lot is not an easy one and more so in the Apostle’s day
Never forget the widow who gave her 2 mites i.e. all that she had

So let us (as we read in Romans 12:10) Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another;
This is a great evidence/love in the church and it will work wonders among us as we seek to serve God

3) THE PLACE OF PURITY IN THE CHRISTIAN LIFE:
Purity is mentioned by name in v2 in regard to younger women
It is further strengthened by the word “all” i.e. “all purity”

A/ Immediate context of these words concerns Timothy
Timothy was a pastor with responsibilities towards all his flock
Within/flock there were young woman…and he was a young man
Obvious potential for problems to arise
Ignore the chapter division, the recent words include those of 4:16 i.e. Take heed to thyself
Evidently such words came into play when Timothy had dealings with the younger women
Perhaps the fires/temptation had never more tinder than this

B/ But the words are greater than this immediate context
God has called us all to live in purity
For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness (1 Thessalonians 4:7)
There is a very practical side to this call to purity:
We know that we are sanctified in Jesus Christ and called
That is our standing i.e. it is positional
He hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified (Hebrews 10:14)
But we are also called to sanctify and purify ourselves:
This is not so much our standing as our state:
Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. (2 Corinthians 7:1)
That is a call to a practical, ongoing purity

C/ Where there is impurity in anything, there is a grieving of the Spirit/God who is, of course, the spirit of holiness (Holy Spirit)
We should therefore seek at all times to keep/garments clean
The Lord Jesus commended some in the church/Sardis:
Thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with me in white: for they are worthy. (Revelation 3:4)
They walked in purity with God – the world (at large) had a minimal impact upon them
This is what true religion is:
Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this,
To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction [Significant words?] and to keep himself unspotted from the world. (James 1:27)

This was never an easy thing to do in any age
Think of the many sundry bits/advice given in Book/ Proverbs
Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life. Put away from thee a froward mouth, and perverse lips put far from thee. Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids look straight before thee. Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established. Turn not to the right hand nor to the left: remove thy foot from evil. (Proverbs 4:23-27)
How much more in our utterly perverse day/generation?
There is an ongoing culture war to drive back the boundaries
As it was in the days/Lot…so shall it be in the days of the coming of the Son/man (Luke 17:28)
The days/Lot were the days of Sodomy/perversion on earth
Bible is calling us to purity in such an age

4) THE PLACE OF PERSUASION IN THE CHRISTIAN LIFE:

A/ We pick this thought up in v1 where the older men were not to be shamefully rebuked but rather entreated

Candid recognition here that older men can err/step out of line
Between fact that no one is perfect and that old age has its effect upon the whole man: Physically, mentally and spiritually
It is no surprise that sometimes they need to be taken in hand
V1 cannot be allowed to let erring men run riot
In the absence of a straight rebuke – a word/entreaty is enjoined instead to obtain the same result i.e. a putting right
We want the older brethren to walk with God all their days
The hoary head is a crown/glory if found way/righteousness
If not – then it is a sad commentary and a disgrace
It is the desire that the entreating with many warm and sympathetic reasons will prevail

B/ Bible reserves the right for the use/rebuke
Christ rebuked Peter in Matthew 16:22
If a brother offends you – rebuke is commanded (Luke 17:3)
Again: 1 Timothy 5:24 makes reference to the open rebuke
Paul ministered such a rebuke towards Peter in Galatians 2:15

C/ But the use/entreaty here is a gentler way
Let us not be unnecessary gunslingers!
Let us use the rebuke almost as a last resort
Certainly, only after we have entreated seeking the gentler way

D/ Every good cause is attended to by good reasoning
It may be easily defended and presented favourably

5) THE PLACE OF PROPRIETY IN THE CHRISTIAN LIFE:

A/ Notice the great argument that Paul employs as he urges these things: for this is good/acceptable before God (v4)

We have here enunciated a general principle in the Scripture
A lot wider than people looking after their old folk
This ought to be our chief end: Glorify God i.e. to do that which is good/acceptable before God (and to enjoy Him for ever)
While prudence demands that we also ought to have an eye on how others view us – avoid being unnecessarily weird/odd etc.,
Yet where there is a clash between God’s will and the world’s view (as there will be) – it is God’s will that must prevail

B/ Apostle Paul saw the clash that exists and wrote:
For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ. (Galatians 1:10)
Jesus Christ said that we cannot serve two masters, for we will comparatively love the one and hate the other (Luke 16:13)
Joshua said: Choose ye this day whom ye shall serve (24:15)

C/ None ever lost out doing that which is good/acceptable in the sight of God even though it might appear that they do
In v4 (where the principle is clothed in an example) there might well have been the tendency of the young to well night abandon their natural duties in order to pursue something a little more exciting and outwardly beneficial and profitable
We saw earlier how the Pharisees in their tradition left room for the supposedly pious to dedicate to God what ought to have been used for the comfort/sustenance of their parents

D/ None can profit in that kind of thing
Anything gotten by such ungodly practices can never be blessed by God – it is (in reality) ill gain that does no one any good
It has been bought at a high price – even to the displeasing/God

We might ask whether or not Demas did the right thing when he forsook Paul (and all that Paul stood for) because his love was centred around this present evil world? (2 Timothy 4:10)
Was God pleased – was this acceptable behaviour in His sight?
Or is it mentioned as a dire warning?
Of course, we say the latter, remembering it is written:
Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. (1 John 2:15)
Never exchange the love/Father for the love/world
If something is good/acceptable in God’s sight, then it carries its own reward and you never lose out with God
Example: And the speech pleased the Lord, that Solomon had asked this thing. (1 Kings 3:10)
Solomon got much more than what he sought for
He asked for wisdom (to do God’s work) and God gave Him earthly riches too even though he had passed these by in his request cannot guarantee that God will enrich you financially etc., but I can guarantee: your need will met and your soul will be blessed

THE END

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