Prophecies Once Made About You

1 Timothy 1:18-19 - Timothy, my son, I give you this instruction in keeping with the prophecies once made about you, so that by following them you may fight the good fight, holding on to faith and a good conscience. Some have rejected these and so have shipwrecked their faith.

1 Timothy 6:12 - Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses.

2 Timothy 4:7 - I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.

Acts 13:2 - While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, "Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them."

Conclusions:

• Timothy had possessed eternal life since he had first been saved, but Paul urges him to claim its benefits in greater fullness
• “When you made your good confession” is probably a reference to Timothy’s confession of faith at his baptism during Paul’s first missionary journey
• In 2 Timothy 4:7 Paul looks back over 30 years of labor as an apostle
• Like an athlete who had engaged successfully in a contest, he had finished the race and had kept the faith, i.e., had carefully observed the teachings of the Christian faith
• Or, in view of the Pastorals’ emphasis on sound doctrine, perhaps the faith refers to the deposit of Christian truth
• Paul’s first missionary journey did not result from a planning session but from the Spirit’s initiative as the leaders worshiped
• The communication from the Holy Spirit may have come through the prophets

Application:

• Are you fighting the good fight of the faith?
• Are you carefully observing the teachings of the Christian faith?
• Have you been set apart for the work you have been called to?

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

Conclusions derived from NIV Study Bible

Sound Doctrine

1 Timothy 1:8-11 - We know that the law is good if one uses it properly. We also know that law is made not for the righteous but for lawbreakers and rebels, the ungodly and sinful, the unholy and irreligious; for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers, for adulterers and perverts, for slave traders and liars and perjurers—and for whatever else is contrary to the sound doctrine that conforms to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, which he entrusted to me.

Titus 1:1-4,9 - Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ for the faith of God's elect and the knowledge of the truth that leads to godliness—a faith and knowledge resting on the hope of eternal life, which God, who does not lie, promised before the beginning of time, and at his appointed season he brought his word to light through the preaching entrusted to me by the command of God our Savior, To Titus, my true son in our common faith: Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior…He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it.

Mark 1:1 - The beginning of the gospel about Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

Conclusions:

• Sound doctrine is correct teaching, in keeping with that of the apostles
• The teaching is called sound not only because it builds up in the faith, but because it protects against the corrupting influence of false teachers
• Soundness of doctrine, faith and speech is a basic concern in all the Pastoral Letters
• In the Pastoral Letters the word sound occurs eight times but is found nowhere else in Paul’s writings
• Crucial events in God’s program occur at His designated times in history
• His word is the authoritative message that centers in Christ
• Three times in Titus God the Father is called Savior, and three times Jesus is called Savior
• The beginning in Mark 1:1 suggests the opening verse of Genesis
• Gospel is from the Old English godspel, “good story” or “good news”, which accurately translates the Greek
• The good news is that God has provided salvation through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ

Application:

• Do you hold firm to the trustworthy message?
• Has God brought His word to light in your life?
• Have you been saved through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ?

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

Conclusions derived from NIV Study Bible

Myths

1 Timothy 1:3-7 - As I urged you when I went into Macedonia, stay there in Ephesus so that you may command certain men not to teach false doctrines any longer nor to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies. These promote controversies rather than God's work—which is by faith. The goal of this command is love, which comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. Some have wandered away from these and turned to meaningless talk. They want to be teachers of the law, but they do not know what they are talking about or what they so confidently affirm.

1 Timothy 4:7 - Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives' tales; rather, train yourself to be godly.

Galatians 5:6 - For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.

Job 38:2 - "Who is this that darkens my counsel with words without knowledge?

Conclusions:

• Godliness requires self-discipline
• Faith is not mere intellectual assent but a living trust in God’s grace that expresses itself in acts of love
• God states that Job’s complaining and raging against Him are unjustified and proceed from limited understanding

Application:

• Do you train yourself to be godly?
• Do you express yourself through love?
• Do you complain and rage against God?

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

Conclusions derived from NIV Study Bible

Grace

1 Timothy 1:2 - To Timothy my true son in the faith: Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 1:7 - To all in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints: Grace and peace to you from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

Jonah 4:2 - He prayed to the LORD, "O LORD, is this not what I said when I was still at home? That is why I was so quick to flee to Tarshish. I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity.

John 14:27 - Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

Conclusions:

• The basic idea of the Greek for saints is holiness
• All Christians are saints in that they are positionally set apart to God and are experientially being made increasingly holy by the Holy Spirit
• Jonah uses a fixed, confessional formula
• God is slow to anger. In contrast, Jonah became angry quickly
• “Peace…my peace” is a common Hebrew greeting, which Jesus uses in John 14:27 in an unusual way
• Peace speaks, in effect, of the salvation that Christ’s redemptive work will achieve for His disciples—total well-being and inner rest of spirit, in fellowship with God
• All true peace is Christ’s gift, which the repetition emphasizes
• In its greetings of peace the world can only express a longing or gift
• But Jesus peace is real and present.

Application:

• Are you a saint?
• Do you see God as gracious, compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love?
• Is your heart troubled? Are you afraid?

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

Conclusions derived from NIV Study Bible

Christ Jesus Our Hope

1 Timothy 1:1-2 - Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the command of God our Savior and of Christ Jesus our hope, To Timothy my true son in the faith: Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.

2 Corinthians 1:1-2 - Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, To the church of God in Corinth, together with all the saints throughout Achaia: Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Titus 1:1-4 - Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ for the faith of God's elect and the knowledge of the truth that leads to godliness—a faith and knowledge resting on the hope of eternal life, which God, who does not lie, promised before the beginning of time, and at his appointed season he brought his word to light through the preaching entrusted to me by the command of God our Savior, To Titus, my true son in our common faith: Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior.

Titus 2:12-14 - It teaches us to say "No" to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope—the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.

Conclusions:

• An apostle is one specially commissioned by Christ
• Timothy was evidently with Paul when 1 Corinthians was written, but not necessarily a co-author
• Our brother means our fellow believer, our brother in Christ
• The church of God is a community of believers, the local representatives of the universal church
• Saints are another term for God’s people; it means those who have been set apart as holy to the Lord
• Achaia is Greece, as distinct from Macedonia in the north
• Though 1 Corinthians deals particularly with the situation in Corinth, it was also intended for Christians elsewhere in Greece
• Presumably copies would be made of 1 Corinthians in Corinth and circulated to Grecian Christians
• Crucial events in God’s program occur at His designated times in history
• His word is the authoritative message that centers in Christ
• Three times in Titus God the Father is called Savior, and three times Jesus is called Savior
• “The blessed hope—the glorious appearing” is the second coming
• It is possible to translate “our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ” as “the great God and our Savior, Jesus Christ,” but the NIV rendering better represents the Greek construction
• Our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ is an explicit testimony to the deity of Christ

Application:

• Are you in the community of the church of God?
• Has God brought His Word to light to you?
• Are you waiting for the blessed hope?

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

Conclusions derived from NIV Study Bible

Chosen

1 Peter 5:13-14 - She who is in Babylon, chosen together with you, sends you her greetings, and so does my son Mark. Greet one another with a kiss of love. Peace to all of you who are in Christ.

Ephesians 1:4-6 - For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will—to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves.

Conclusions:

• Divine election is a constant theme in Paul’s letters
• In Ephesians 1 divine election is emphasized in the following ways: (1) He chose us; (2) He predestined us; (3) we were also chosen; (4) having been predestined
• Holiness is the result—not the basis—of God’s choosing
• Holiness refers both to the holiness imparted to the believer because of Christ and to the believer’s personal sanctification

Application:

• Has holiness been imparted to you because of Christ?

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

Conclusions derived from NIV Study Bible

Chief Shepherd

1 Peter 5:4-6 - And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away. Young men, in the same way be submissive to those who are older. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble." Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.

John 10:11 - "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.

Ephesians 5:21 - Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.

Luke 14:11 - For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."

Conclusions:

• A Palestinian shepherd might risk danger for his sheep, but he expected to come through alive
• Jesus said that the good shepherd will die for His sheep
• Paul shows how, in each relationship, each partner can have a conciliatory attitude that will help that relationship
• The grammar indicates that this mutual submission is associated with the filling of the Spirit
• The command “be filled” is followed by a series of participles in the Greek: speaking, singing, making music, giving thanks and submitting
• He who humbles himself will be exalted is a basic principle repeated often in the Bible

Application:

• Are you willing to lay down your life for your sheep?
• Do you submit to others out of reverence for Christ?
• Do you exalt yourself or do you humble yourself?

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

Conclusions derived from NIV Study Bible