The Bible Study Podcast, episode 79.

Today, the Bible Study podcast starts a study of the book of 1st Timothy.

Welcome to the Bible Study podcast.

I'm your host, Chris Christensen.

I wanted to do a study of 1st Second Timothy and Titus, which are letters from Paul to particular individuals. Most of the

letters in the New Testament are letters to churches. And they deal with issues of pastoral

responsibility, of being a pastor, and that seemed like a good follow-on to the study on

leadership. And so let's jump right into 1 Timothy 1. Paul and 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. Timothy was not just a traveling companion of Paul's, but he really did see him as

his spiritual son. Paul, so far as we know, was not married, because he says that in one of his letters,

and so far as we know, had not married because he says that in one of his letters, and so far as we know, had no kids.

And so he looks at Timothy with a special relationship, a very fondness for the younger man.

And then in verse three, Paul jumps right into the meat of the letter.

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. So Paul, as he went off to further ministry, left Timothy in Ephesus, and he left him

there, particularly because he trusted Timothy to do a good job of teaching the gospel. And when he says

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