Where Bible Study Makes A Difference

UNDERSTANDING 1ST TIMOTHY AS A LETTER

The framework must be laid when we are studying a biblical text. Again let us take a look at the text under examination here:

keeping faith and a good conscience, which some have rejected and suffered shipwreck in regard to their faith. (1 Timothy 1:19)

It is not enough to read this text and draw a conclusion; especially when the conclusion is deemed as a proof text that a Christian can lose the faith Christ has given him and his salvation is destroyed. Oh no this cannot be my friends.

Why? Why can I not just read this verse and draw my conclusion. Looks pretty understandable in English here, right? Sounds like some Christians have rejected and suffered shipwreck in regards to their faith. Hey it says it right there, what else is there?

We must be inclined to understand the nature of this epistle here. First thing is identifying that this particular text is sandwiched between a LETTER which was personally written to Timothy as the Word of God Almighty. This LETTER was then to taken to the church (I will discuss later), and is to be chewed on by us; the Christian reader. We cannot just jump into the middle of it and start taking bites out of it. This unorthodoxy is not wise at all. Imagine receiving a large pizza; and when you begin to eat from it, you cut a small circle in the middle, pick up your piece and chow down. Makes no sense right? Exactly, because we know that we cut pizza in slices and eat from there. This brings order and sanity to our eating. Our food can then be digested properly, and you get a fully taste of what your eating.

We should formulate our minds to proper hermeneutics of the Holy Scriptures. We must refuse to draw meaning from just looking at the text and saying this is what it means, I have found the answer! (see Nehemiah 8:1-8) There are some these days teaching falsely in this kind of manner. Men are being lead astray from the faith because of bad hermeneutic (1 Timothy 4:1). Instead, we should take on reading the whole letter of 1st Timothy. This letter was written in the Greek Language which had no punctuation and no nice little chapters and verses like we see in our bibles. This process will take observation, outlining, examining the grammatical-historical context of the letter and producing the proper application of it. This is a long process; but it is one that will give us an accurate biblical understanding. Again let me reiterate the following text:

Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed,accurately handling the word of truth.(2 Timothy 2:15)

The truth must be rightly divided (orthotome meaning to cut straight; to make straight and smooth, to handle aright, to teach the truth directly and correctly). So to begin that straight cut, we must understand 1 Timothy is an EPISTLE. Epistle is a biblical genre that is also sometimes referred to as logical discourse or epistolary literature. This kind of literature includes at least two kinds of material discourse: expository (which expounds on truths or doctrines often with logical support) and hortatory (includes instructions on following courses of action or developing certain biblical characteristics according to the expository discourse presented). Seems like a lot? Good, we are just biting into it.

A letter is generally written in certain form where the author begins with some type of greeting, naming of his name, special thanks, or an address to the recipients. From there the discourse material is present and then often ends with a finishing thought or salutation.

Sometimes it is clear that a letter is written to a certain group of Christians during that historical time; other times epistles are privately address certain people. Timothy, a pastor of the church at Ephesus, is one whom God penned by Paul to write to Timothy. Even though the letter address pastoral instructions to Timothy, 2 Timothy 4:22 reveals the letters may have been intended to be passed on by Timothy. In that particular text the word for you is used in a plural sense.

We must also recognize the apostolic authority that was behind the writing of a letter. It was not some Dear John note. Oh no, the apostles and church leaders were writing with authority from God. Listen to what Peter says of Paul:

and regard the patience of our Lord as salvation; just as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given him, wrote to you, as also in all his letters, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which the untaught and unstable distort, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures, to their own destruction. (2 Peter 3:15-16)

Pauls letters were considered scripture, not just little notes to tell believer to repent. So it is very important to see 1 Timothy 1:19 as part of letter written as the Word of God by an author that had Gods authority to do so.

All of this is to continue to shape your thinking. You can understand the nature of saving faith through the word shipwrecked doesnt just deserve our cherry picking. This text is the Word of God. We cannot handle this letter incorrectly at all. Neither was this epistolary literature given to us to destroy our faith, but instead is Christ Word to the church. God bless you my beloved.