1 Timothy and 2 Timothy are the two letters/epistles of the apostle Paul which along with the Epistle/Letter to Titus, form a trilogy called the Pastoral Epistles/Letters or Clergy Epistles/Letters. These letters/epistles are called Pastoral Epistles or Clergy Epistles because they deal with matters affecting pastors, clergy, and congregations. In these letters to Timothy and Titus, apostle Paul's primary concern is to instruct his young associate or disciple to guard the spiritual heritage that he has received by establishing truth and sound doctrine in the Universal Church.

1 Timothy begins with a warning against half-truth doctrine and false doctrine, and a reminder of God's mercy, illustrated by apostle Paul's experience of salvation. This is followed by instructions on Universal Church practices: on prayer, on public worship, and on the qualifications of clergy and deacons. A salute to the Lord Jesus Christ concludes the section. Continuing with Timothy's responsibilities, apostle Paul warns that false teachers will infiltrate the Universal Church. He instructs Timothy on the behavior, attitude, and the characteristics of a fit minister of the Gospel, as well as his duties toward others. Following another warning against false teaching, apostle Paul exhorts Timothy to fight the good fight of the faith and win for yourself the eternal life to which you were called when you made your profession and spoke up for the truth in front of many witnesses. And you must aim to be saintly and religious, filled with faith and love, patient and gentle.

As usual, after a brief greeting, 2 Timothy begins by recalling Timothy's spiritual heritage, exhorting him to be strong under adversity and to keep the faith. Apostle Paul also uses the metaphors of soldier, farmer, experienced worker, and household utensils as model for Timothy to imitate as a strong and worthy servant of the Gospel. Thereafter, apostle Paul declares what people will be like in the last days, although Timothy can take encouragement in the face of adversity from apostle Paul's example. The final chapter of 2 Timothy take on a solemn tone as apostle Paul appeals to Timothy to press forward in fulfilling his clergy calling or pastoral calling.

From Paul, apostle of Christ Jesus appointed by the command of God our saviour and of Christ Jesus our hope, to Timothy, true child of mine in the faith; wishing you grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and from Christ Jesus our Lord.

As I asked you when I was leaving for Macedonia, please stay at Ephesus, to insist that certain people stop teaching strange doctrines and taking notice of myths and endless genealogies; these things are only likely to raise irrelevant doubts instead of furthering the designs of God which are revealed in faith. The only purpose of this instruction is that there should be love, coming out of a pure heart, a clear conscience and a sincere faith. There are some people who have gone off the straight course and taken a road that leads to empty speculation; they claim to be doctors of the Law but they understand neither the arguments they are using nor the opinions they are upholding.

We know, of course............ and for everything else that is contrary to the sound teaching that goes with the Good News of the glory of the blessed God, the gospel that was entrusted to me. I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, and who judged me faithful enough to call me into his service even though I used to be a blasphemer and did all I could to injure and discredit the faith. Mercy, however, was shown to me, because until I became a believer I had been acting in ignorance; and the grace of our Lord filled me with faith and with the love that is in Christ Jesus. Here is a saying that you can rely on and nobody should doubt: that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. I myself am the greatest of them; and if mercy has been shown to me, it is because Jesus Christ meant to make me the greatest evidence of his inexhaustible patience for all the other people who would later have to trust in him to come to eternal life.

Timothy, my son, these are the instructions that I am giving you: I ask you to remember the words once spoken over to you by the prophets, and taking them to heart to fight like a good soldier with faith and a good conscience for your weapons............ Similarly, I direct that woman are to wear suitable clothes and to be dressed quietly and modestly....... Here is a saying that you can rely on: To want to be a presiding elder is to want to do a noble work. That is why the president must have an impeccable character....... In the same way, deacons must be respectable men whose word can be trusted, moderate in the amount of wine they drink and with no squalid greed for money.......

At the moment of writing to you, I am hoping that I may be with you soon; but in case I should be delayed, I wanted you to know how people ought to behave in God's family - that is, in the Church of the living God, which upholds the truth and keeps it safe. Without any doubt, the mystery of our religion is very deep indeed:

He was made visible in the flesh,
attested by the Spirit,
seen by angels, proclaimed to the pagans,
believed in by the world,
taken up in glory.

The Spirit has explicitly said that during the last times there will be some who will desert the faith and choose to listen to deceitful spirits and doctrines that come from the devils; and the cause for this is the lies told by hypocrites whose consciences are branded as though with a red-hot iron....... Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives' tales. Train yourself spiritually. Physical exercises are useful enough, but the usefulness of spirituality is unlimited, since it holds out the reward of life here and now and of the future life as well; that is a saying that you can rely on and nobody should doubt it. I mean that the point of all our toiling and battling is that we have put our trust in the living God and he is the saviour of the whole human race but particularly of all believers. This is what you are to enforce in your teaching.

Do not let people disregard you because you are young....... Think hard about all this, and put it into practice, and everyone will be able to see how you are advancing. Take great care about what you do and what you teach; always do this, and in this way you will save both yourself and those who listen to you.

Do not speak harshly to....... Be considerate to widows.......,and not give the enemy any chance to raise a scandal about them; there are already some who have left us to follow Satan....... Do not be too quick to lay hands on any man, and never make yourself an accomplice in anybody else's sin; keep yourself pure....... This is what you are to teach them to believe and persuade them to do.

Anyone who teaches anything different, and does not keep to the sound teaching which is that of our Lord Jesus Christ, the doctrine which is in accordance with true religion, is simply ignorant and must be full of self-conceit - with a craze for questioning everything and arguing about words. All that can come of this is jealousy, contention, abuse and wicked mistrust of one another; and unending disputes by people who are neither rational nor informed and imagine that religion is a way of making a profit. Religion, of course, does bring large profits, but only those who are content with what they have. We brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it; but as long as we have food and clothing, let us be content with that. People who long to be rich are a prey to temptation; they get trapped into all sorts of foolish and dangerous ambitions which eventually plunge them into ruin and destruction. The love of money is the root of all evils and there are some who, pursuing it, have wandered away from the faith, and so given their souls any number of fatal wounds.

But as man dedicated to God, you must avoid all that. You must aim to be saintly and religious, filled with faith and love, patient and gentle....... Warn those who are rich in this world's, it is good that they are not to look down on other people; and not to set their hopes on money which is untrustworthy, but on God who, out of his riches, gives us all that we need for our happiness. Tell them that they are to do good, and be rich in good works, to be generous and willing to share - this is the way they can save up a good capital sum for the future if they want to make sure of the only life that is real.

My dear Timothy, take great care of all has been entrusted to you. Have nothing to do with pointless philosophical discussions and antagonistic beliefs of the 'knowledge' which is not knowledge at all; by adopting this, some have gone right away from the faith. Grace be with you. - 1 Timothy chapter 1 to 6 -

From Paul, appointed by God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus...... That is why I am reminding you now to fan into a flame the gift that God gave you when I laid my hands on you. God's gift was not a spirit of timidity, but the Spirit of power, and love, and self-control. So you are never to be ashamed of witnessing to the Lord Jesus Christ or ashamed of me for being his prisoner; but with me, bear the hardships for the sake of the Good News, relying on the power of God who has saved us and called us to be holy - not because of anything we ourselves have done but for his own purpose and by his own grace. This grace had already been granted to us, in Christ Jesus, before the beginning of time, but it has only been revealed by the Appearing of our saviour Christ Jesus. He abolished death, and he has proclaimed life and immortality through the Good News; and I have been named its herald, its apostle and its teacher.......

Keep as your pattern the sound teaching you have heard from me, in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. You have been trusted to look after something precious; guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us....... Think over what I have said, and the Lord Jesus Christ will show you how to understand it all.

Remember the Good News that I carry, "Jesus Christ risen from the dead, sprung from the race of David"....
If we have died with him, then we shall live with him.
If we hold firm, then we shall reign with him.
If we disown him, then he will disown us.
We may be unfaithful, but he is always faithful,
for he cannot disown his own self.

Remind them of this;... Have nothing to do with pointless philosophical discussions - they only lead further and further away from true religion... Some people's faith cannot stand up to them. However, God's solid foundation stone is still in position, and this is the inscription on it: 'The Lord knows those who are his own' and 'All who call on the name of the Lord must avoid sin.'....

Instead of giving in to your impulses like a young man, fasten your attention on holiness, faith, love and peace, in union with all those who call on the Lord with pure minds. Avoid these futile and silly speculations, understanding that they only give rise to quarrels; and a servant of the Lord is not to engage in quarrels, but has to be kind to everyone, a good teacher, and patient. he has to be gentle when he corrects people who dispute what he says, never forgetting that God may give them a change of mind so that they recognize the truth and come to their senses, once out of the trap where the devil caught them and kept them enslaved.

You may be quite sure that in the last days there are going to be some difficult times. People will be self-centred and grasping; boastful, arrogant and rude; disobedient to their parents, profligates, savages and enemies of everything that is good; they will be treacherous and reckless and demented by pride, preferring their own pleasure to God. They will keep up the outward appearance of religion but will have rejected the inner power of it. Have nothing to do with people like that.

Of the same kind, too, are those men who insinuate themselves into families in order to get influence over silly women who are obsessed with their sins and follow one craze after another in the attempt to educate themselves, but can never come to knowledge of the truth. Men like this defy the truth just as Jannes and Jambres defied Moses: their minds are corrupt and their faith spurious. But they will not be able to go on any longer: foolishness, like that of the other two, must become obvious to everybody.

You know, though, what I have taught, how I have lived, what I have aimed at; you know my faith, my patience and my love; my constancy and the persecutions and hardships that came to me in places, Antioch, Iconium and Lystra - all the persecutions I have endured; and the Lord Jesus Christ has rescued me from everyone of them. You are well aware, then, that anybody who tries to live in devotion to Christ is certain to be attacked; while these wicked impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving others and deceived themselves.

You must keep to what you have been taught and know to be true; remember who your teacher were, and how, ever since you were a child, you have known the holy scriptures - from these you can learn the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All scripture is inspired by God and can profitably be used for teaching, for refuting error, for guiding people's lives and teaching them to be holy. This is how a man who is dedicated to God becomes fully equipped and ready for any good work.

Before God and before Christ Jesus who is to be judge of the living and the dead, I put this duty to you, in the name of his Appearing and of his kingdom: proclaim the message and, welcome or unwelcome, insist on it. Refute falsehood, correct error, call to obedience - but do all with patience and with the intention of teaching. The time is sure to come when, far from being content with sound teaching, people will be avid for the latest novelty and collect themselves a whole series of teachers according to their own tastes; and then, instead of listening to the truth, they will turn to myths. Be careful always to choose the right course; be brave under trails; make the preaching of the Good News your life's work, in thoroughgoing service.

As for me, ... I have fought the good fight to the end; I have run the race to the finish; I have kept the faith; all there is to come now is the crown of righteousness reserved for me, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will give to me on that Day: and not only to me but to all those who have longed for his Appearing...

The first time I had to present my defence, there was not a single witness to support me. Everyone of them deserted me - may they not be held accountable for it. But the Lord stood by me and gave me power, so that through me the whole message might be proclaimed for all the pagans to hear; and so I was rescued from the lion's mouth. The Lord Jesus Christ will rescue me from all evil attempts on me, and bring me safely to his heavenly kingdom. To him be glory for ever and ever. Amen. - 2 Timothy chapter 1 to 4 -

Timothy (honored of God) is apostle Paul's friend and chief associate, who is mentioned as joint sender in six of Saint Paul's letters/epistles. - 2 Cor. 1:1; Phil. 1:1; Col. 1:1; 1 Thes. 1:1; 2 Thes. 1:1; Philem. 1 - Apostle Timothy first appears in the second missionary journey when Saint Paul revisited Lystra. - Acts 16:1-3 - Apostle Timothy was the son of a Gentile father and a Jewish-Christian mother named Eunice, and the grandson of Lois. - Acts 16:1; 2 Tim. 1:5 - Timothy may have been converted under Saint Paul's ministry, because the apostle refers to him as his 'my dear and faithful son in the Lord' - 1 Cor. 4:17 - and as his 'true child of mine in the faith.' Timothy was held in high regard in Lystra and Iconium, and apostle Paul desired to take him along as a traveling companion. - Acts 16:3 -

Apostle Timothy played a prominent role in the remainder of the second missionary journey. When Saint Paul was forced to leave Berea because of an uproar started by Jews from Thessalonica, apostle Silas and Timothy were left behind to strengthen the work in Macedonia. - Acts 17:14 - After they rejoined Saint Paul in Athens - Acts 18:5 - Saint Paul sent Timothy back to the believers in Thessalonica to establish them and to encourage them to maintain the faith. Apostle Timothy's report of the faith and love of the Thessalonians greatly encouraged Saint Paul. - 1 Thess. 3:1-9 -

During Saint Paul's third missionary journey, apostle Timothy was active in the evangelizing of Corinth, although he had little success. When news of disturbances at Corinth reached apostle Paul at Ephesus, he sent apostle Timothy, along with apostle Erastus - Acts 19:22 - to resolve the difficulties. The mission failed, perhaps because of fear on apostle Timothy's part. - 1 Cor. 16:10-11 - Saint Paul then sent the more forceful apostle Titus, who was able to calm the situation at Corinth. - 2 Cor. 7 - Later in the third journey, apostle Timothy is listed as one of the group that accompanied apostle Paul along the coast of Asia Minor on the way to Jerusalem. - Acts 20:4-5 -

Apostle Timothy also appears as a companion of Saint Paul during his imprisonment in Rome - Col. 1:1; Phil. 1:1; Philem. 1 - From Rome, Saint Paul sent apostle Timothy to Philippi to bring back word of the congregation that had supported the apostle so faithfully over the years. Apostle Timothy's strongest traits were his sensitivity, affection, and loyalty. Saint Paul commends him to the Philippians, for instance, as one of proven character, faithful to Saint Paul like a son to a father, and without rival in his concern for the Philippians. Saint Paul's warnings, however, to "be strong" suggests that apostle Timothy suffered from fearfulness and perhaps youthful lusts. But in spite of his weaknesses, Saint Paul was closer to apostle Timothy than any other associates. - Phil. 2:19-23; 2 Tim. 1:4, 1:7, 2:1; 2:22, 3:10; 1 Cor. 16:10-11 -

Writing about A.D. 325, Eusebius reported that apostle Timothy was the first Bishop of Ephesus. In 356 Constantius transferred what was thought to be apostle Timothy's remains from Ephesus to Constantinople (modern Istanbul) and buried them in the Church of the Apostles, which had been built by his father Constantine.

The Letter from Saint Paul to Titus, is one of the three Clergy Epistles/Letters or Pastoral Epistles/Letters among Saint Paul's writings, the others being 1 and 2 Timothy. The Clergy/Pastoral Epistles/Letters are so named because they deal with matters concerning clergy, pastors, and congregations. They are the only letters/epistles of Saint Paul addressed to individuals [Philemon is addressed 'to the church that meets in your house' - 1:2 -] The main purpose of the epistle to Titus was to warn against half truth teaching and false teaching, and to provide guidance for one of Saint Paul's younger associates on sound doctrine and good works.

From Paul,servant of God, an apostle of Jesus Christ to bring those whom God has chosen to faith and to the knowledge of the truth that leads to true religion; and to give them the hope of the eternal life that was promised so long ago by God... The reason I left you behind in Crete was for you to get everything organized there and appoint elders in every town, in the way that I told you: ... Since, as president, he will be God's representative, he must be irreproachable: never an arrogant or hot-tempered man, nor a heavy drinker or violent, nor out to make money; but a man who is hospitable and a friend of all that is good; sensible, moral, devout and self-controlled; and he must have a firm grasp of the unchanging message of the tradition, so that he can be counted on for both expounding the sound doctrine and refuting those who argue against it.

And in fact you have there a great many people who need to be disciplined, who talk nonsense and try to make others to believe it, particularly among those of Circumcision. They have got to be silenced: men of this kind ruin whole families, by teaching things that they ought not to, and doing it with the vile motive of making money.......

To all who are pure themselves, everything is pure; but to those who have been corrupted and lack faith, nothing can be pure - the corruption is both in their minds and in their consciences. They claim to have knowledge of God but the things they do are nothing but a denial of him; they are outrageously rebellious and quite incapable of doing good.

It is for you, then, to preach the behavior which goes with healthy doctrine............ Remember, there was a time when we too were ignorant, disobedient and misled and enslaved by different passions and luxuries; we lived then in wickedness and ill-will, hating each other and hateful ourselves. But when the kindness and love of God our saviour for mankind were revealed, it was because he was concerned with any righteous actions we might have done ourselves; it was for no reason except his own compassion that he saved us, by means of the cleansing water of rebirth and by renewing us with the Holy Spirit which he has so generously poured over us through Jesus Christ our savior. He did this so that we should be justified by his grace, to become heirs looking forward to inheriting eternal life. This is doctrine that you can rely on.

I want you to be quite uncompromising in teaching all this, so that those who now believe in God may keep their minds constantly occupied in doing good works. All this is good, and will do nothing but good to everybody. But avoid pointless speculations, and those genealogies, and the quibbles and disputes about the Law - these are useless and can do no good to anyone. If a man disputes what you teach, then after a first and a second warning, have no more to do with him: you will know that any man of that sort has already lapsed and condemned himself as a sinner.

... All our people are to learn to occupy themselves in doing good works for their practical needs as well, and not to be entirely unproductive. All those who are with me send their greetings. Greetings to those who love us in the faith. Grace be with you all. - Titus chapter 1 to 3 -

Apostle Titus is a "partner and fellow worker" of the apostle Paul. - 2 Cor. 8:23 - Although apostle Titus is not mentioned in the Book of Acts, Saint Paul's letters/epistles reveal that he was the man of the hour at a number of key points in his [ Paul's] life.

Saint Paul first mentions apostle Titus in Galatians 2:1-3. As an uncircumcised Gentile, apostle Titus accompanied apostle Barnabas to Jerusalem, as a living example of a great theological truth: Gentile need not be circumcised in order to be saved. Apostle Titus next appears in connection with Saint Paul's mission to Corinth. While Saint Paul was in Ephesus during his third missionary journey, he received disturbing news from the Church at Corinth. After writing two letters/epistles and paying one visit to Corinth, he sent apostle Titus to Corinth with a third letter/epistle. - 2 Cor. 7:6-9 - When apostle Titus failed to return with news of the situation, Saint Paul left Ephesus and, with a troubled spirit, traveled north to Troas. - 2 Cor. 7:5, 2:12-13 -

Finally, in Macedonia, apostle Titus met the anxious apostle with the good news that the Church at Corinth had repented. In relief and joy, Saint Paul wrote yet another letter to Corinth [2 Corinthians] perhaps from Philippi, sending it again through apostle Titus - 2 Cor. 7:5-16 - In addition, apostle Titus was given responsibility for completing the collection for the poor of Jerusalem. - 2 Cor. 8:6, 16-24, 12:18 -

Apostle Titus appears in another important role on the island of Crete. Beset by a rise in half-truth and false teaching, and declining morality, apostle Titus was told by Saint Paul to strengthen the Church by teaching sound doctrine and good works, and by appointing elders in every city. Saint Paul then urged apostle Titus to join him in Nicopolis (on the west coast of Greece) for winter. Not surprisingly, apostle Titus was remembered in Church tradition as the first Bishop of Crete. - Titus 1:4-5, 3:12 -

A final reference to apostle Titus comes from 2 Timothy 4:10, where Saint Paul remarks in passing that apostle Titus has departed for mission work in Dalmatia (modern Yugoslavia). Apostle Titus was a man for tough tasks. According to Saint Paul, apostle Titus was dependable, reliable, and diligent, and he had a great capacity for human affection. Possessing both strength and tact, apostle Titus calmed a desperate situation on more than one occasion. Apostle Titus is a good model for Christians who are called to live out their witness in difficult and trying circumstances. - 2 Cor. 7:6, 13-15, 8;17 -
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Faith . Hope . Love - Welcome donation. Thank You. God bless.

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Name: Alex Chan Kok Wah
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Sunday, May 24, 2009

I have through years of reading, pondering, reflecting and contemplating, the 3 things that last; FAITH . HOPE . LOVE and I would like to made available my sharing from the many thinkers, authors, scholars and theologians whose ideas and thoughts I have borrowed. God be with them always. Amen!

I STILL HAVE MANY THINGS TO SAY TO YOU BUT THEY WOULD BE TOO MUCH FOR YOU NOW. BUT WHEN THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH COMES, HE WILL LEAD YOU TO THE COMPLETE TRUTH, SINCE HE WILL NOT BE SPEAKING AS FROM HIMSELF, BUT WILL SAY ONLY WHAT HE HAS LEARNT; AND HE WILL TELL YOU OF THE THINGS TO COME.


HE WILL GLORIFY ME, SINCE ALL HE TELLS YOU WILL BE TAKEN FROM WHAT IS MINE. EVERYTHING THE FATHER HAS IS MINE; THAT IS WHY I SAID: ALL HE TELLS YOU WILL BE TAKEN FROM WHAT IS MINE. - JOHN 16:12-15 -