How firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord is laid for your faith in his excellent word.

Welcome to Through the Bible.

In this study, Dr. J. Vernon McGee

is going to set the stage for our study in the pastoral

epistles. The books of First and Second Timothy and Titus, all written by pastors

to pastors. And here's an introduction to help get us started.

These are called pastoral epistles. And here's an introduction to help get us started.

These are called pastoral epistles.

That is, the two epistles to Timothy and Titus.

It has to do with the local church and a great deal has to do with the conduct of the local church and from these epistles

there have been drawn as well as from the book of acts the rules

and regulations of the local church from these has sprung the denominations and the independent churches.

And the interesting thing is that Paul is not dealing with rules and

regulations. He's actually dealing with great principles, but it's not the

conduct that is important. It's the character of the individual, members of the church.

You see, you can make all kinds of rules about whether you should have deacons and elders

and what authority they should have. But friends it doesn't make any difference what

kind of system you have if the character of the man are all right, if they're godly man, he's going to talk a great deal about that,

that they should be godly man. Now if they're not godly,

it doesn't make any difference what kind of rules and regulations you have.

They just simply won't work in a spiritual organization called the local church.

Now I want to read today one of the most remarkable letters we have

...