New Testament Lesson # 41: Timothy, Titus
“I Have Finished My Course”
Ponderize
Scripture: 1 Timothy 4:12
“But be thou an example of the believers, in word, in
conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity.”
Introduction
Quote 1 Pres Monson: “Recently, as I have been reading and pondering the scriptures, two
passages in particular have stayed with me. Both are familiar to us. The first
is from the Sermon on the Mount: “Let your light so shine before men, that they
may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” The
second scripture is one which came to my mind as I pondered the meaning of the
first. It is from the Apostle Paul’s Epistle to Timothy: “Be thou an example of
the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in
purity.” I believe the second scripture explains, in great part, how
we can accomplish the first. We become examples of the believers by living the
gospel of Jesus
Christ in word, in
conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, and in purity. As we do so, our
lights will shine for others to see.”[1]
Paul’s letters known as
1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, and Titus are often called pastoral Epistles (not
to be confused with rural as in
Beethoven’s Pastoral Symphony), because they contain Paul’s counsel to pastors
or leaders in the Church. First Timothy was written sometime between AD 62 and
65 from Macedonia. Second Timothy appears to have been written from Rome where
Paul was imprisoned, shortly before his execution, around AD 68. Timothy was
now Bishop in Ephesus. Titus was probably written before the Epistles to
Timothy and while Titus, a former missionary companion, was tasked with calling
bishops on the island of Crete.
Timothy was Paul’s companion on his
second mission (Acts 16:2). His father was Greek but his mother, Eunice and his
grandmother, Lois were Jewish (Acts 16:1; 2 Timothy 1:5). Titus was a Greek convert
(Galatians 2:3) and was part of the circumcision controversy at the Jerusalem
Council (Galatians 2:3, 5).
1 Timothy 4;
2 Timothy 1–4;
Titus 1. Paul
describes signs of apostasy. He teaches that learning and teaching true
doctrine helps guard against apostasy.
Apostasy was a danger in the early
Church, both in Paul’s time and Joseph Smith’s time, but it is also a danger today
as recent news has highlighted. It has to do with “philosophies of men, mingled
with scripture.” Pres. Hinckley: “I
have spoken before about the importance of keeping the doctrine of the Church
pure, and seeing that it is taught in all of our meetings. … Small aberrations
in doctrinal teaching can lead to large and evil falsehood” (Teachings
of Gordon B. Hinckley [1997], 620).
Paul is scathing in his
condemnation of those who profess to be Christian but in fact do not follow
God’s laws (see 2 Timothy 3:1–7, 13). Can
we understand why this is apostasy? Bruce R. McConkie: “In God’s Church,
the only approved doctrine is God’s doctrine. The Church is not a debating
society; it is not searching for a system of salvation; it is not a forum for
social or political philosophies. It is, rather, the Lord’s kingdom with a
commission to teach his truths for the salvation of men” (Doctrinal New Testament Commentary, 3 vols. [1965–73], 3:71).
Elder
Christofferson, “So it’s a matter of being clear; it’s a matter of understanding
right and wrong; it’s a matter of a firm policy that doesn’t allow for question
or doubt. We think it’s possible and mandatory, incumbent upon us as disciples
of the Lord Jesus Christ, to yield no ground in the matter of love and sympathy
and help and brotherhood and serving in doing all we can for anybody; at the
same time maintaining the standards He maintained. That was the Savior’s
pattern. He always was firm in what was right and wrong. He never excused or
winked at sin. He never redefined it. He never changed His mind. It was what it
was and is what it is and that’s where we are, but His compassion, of course,
was unexcelled and His desire and willingness and proactive efforts to
minister, to heal, to bless, to lift and to bring people toward the path that
leads to happiness never ceased. That’s where we are. We’re not going to stop
that. We’re not going to yield on our efforts to help people find what brings
happiness, but we know sin does not. And so we’re going to stand firm there
because we don’t want to mislead people. There’s no kindness in misdirecting
people and leading them into any misunderstanding about what is true, what is
right, what is wrong, what leads to Christ and what leads away from Christ.”[2]
So our responsibility is to teach true
doctrine (see 1 Timothy
1:3; 4:6,
13; Titus
2:1): Elder
Boyd K. Packer said: “True doctrine, understood, changes attitudes and
behavior. The study of the doctrines of the gospel will improve behavior
quicker than a study of behavior will improve behavior. … That is why we stress
so forcefully the study of the doctrines of the gospel” (Ensign, Nov. 1986, 17).
And how do we teach true doctrine? Elder
Joseph B. Wirthlin counseled: “God has revealed everything necessary for
our salvation. We should teach and dwell on the things that have been revealed
and avoid delving into so-called mysteries. My counsel to teachers in the
Church, whether they instruct in wards and stakes, Church institutions of
higher learning, institutes of religion, seminaries, or even as parents in their
homes, is to base their teachings on the scriptures and the words of latter-day
prophets” (Ensign, Nov. 1994, 77).
Although the Epistles to Timothy are
instructions to him as Bishop, they are sound advice to all who lead in the
Church. Equally, President Hinckley gave advice to Bishops, but it can refer to
all who are in a position of responsibility in the Church: “You must be men of
integrity. You must stand as examples to the congregations over which you
preside. You must stand on higher ground so that you can lift others. You must
be absolutely honest, for you handle the funds of the Lord. …Your goodness
must be as an ensign to your people. Your morals must be impeccable. The wiles
of the adversary may be held before you because he knows that if he can destroy
you, he can injure an entire ward. You must exercise wisdom in all of your
relationships lest someone read into your observed actions some taint of moral
sin” (“The
Shepherds of Israel,” Ensign,
Nov. 2003, 60–61).
At the end of Second Timothy, Paul is
at the end of his life and he says “I have fought a good fight, I have finished
my course” (2 Timothy
4:7). Elder Wirthlin explains what that means, “Enduring to the end means
that we have planted our lives firmly on gospel soil, staying in the mainstream
of the Church, humbly serving our fellow men, living Christlike lives, and
keeping our covenants. Those who endure are balanced, consistent, humble,
constantly improving, and without guile. Their testimony is not based on
worldly reasons—it is based on truth, knowledge, experience, and the Spirit” (“Press On,” Ensign, Nov. 2004, 101).
1 Timothy 4:12.
Paul teaches that we should be “an example of the believers.”
As we read earlier, Pres. Monson
highlighted this scripture in his General Conference address in October and
paired it with Matthew 5:12—let your light so shine. We talked a couple of
weeks ago about anger. With Paul’s and Pres. Monson’s list of in what ways
should be an example, we can see that anger has no place. Word and conversation go
together as general behavior: “The words we use can lift and inspire, or they
can harm and demean. In the world today there is a profusion of profanity with
which we seem to be surrounded at nearly every turn. It is difficult to avoid
hearing the names of Deity being used casually and thoughtlessly. Coarse
comments seem to have become a staple of television, movies, books, and music.
Bandied about are slanderous remarks and angry rhetoric. Let us speak to others
with love and respect, ever keeping our language clean and avoiding words or
comments that would wound or offend. May we follow the example of the Savior,
who spoke with tolerance and kindness throughout His ministry.”[3]
Pres. Monson’s explanation of being a
believer in spirit: “To me that means we strive to have in our lives kindness, gratitude, forgiveness, and
goodwill. These qualities will provide for us a spirit which will touch the
lives of those around us. It has been my opportunity through the years to
associate with countless individuals who possess such a spirit. We experience a
special feeling when we are with them, a feeling that makes us want to
associate with them and to follow their example. They radiate the Light of
Christ and help us feel His love for us.”
Faith: “Our faith in the Lord Jesus
Christ and in our Heavenly Father will influence all that we do. Amidst the
confusion of our age, the conflicts of conscience, and the turmoil of daily
living, an abiding faith becomes an anchor to our lives. Remember that faith
and doubt cannot exist in the same mind at the same time, for one will dispel
the other. I reiterate what we have been told repeatedly—that in order to gain
and to keep the faith we need, it is essential that we read and study and
ponder the scriptures. Communication with our Heavenly Father through prayer is
vital.”
Purity: “Finally, we are to be pure, which means that we are clean in
body, mind, and spirit. We know that our body is a temple, to be treated with
reverence and respect. Our minds should be filled with uplifting and ennobling
thoughts and kept free from those things which will pollute. In order to have
the Holy Ghost as
our constant companion, we must be worthy. Brothers and sisters, purity will
bring us peace of mind and will qualify us to receive the Savior’s promises.
Said He, ‘Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.’”[4]
1 Timothy 6;
Titus 2–3.
Paul teaches that we should “follow after righteousness” and deny ungodliness.
It might not be necessary to qualify
what Paul meant by “love of money” being
“the root of all evil ” but here is Elder Oaks: “There is nothing inherently
evil about money. The Good Samaritan used the same coinage to serve his
fellowman that Judas used to betray the Master. It is ‘the love of money [which] is the root of all evil.’ (1 Timothy
6:10; italics added.) The critical difference is the degree of spirituality
we exercise in viewing, evaluating, and managing the things of this world” (Ensign, Nov. 1985, 63).
“In Titus 3:5,
Paul wrote that we are saved through Christ’s mercy ‘by the washing of
regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost.’ The ‘washing of regeneration’ is
baptism; the Greek word translated as ‘regeneration’ suggests the idea of re-creation.
At baptism a person enters into a covenant relationship with Christ and is
created anew in a sinless state, becoming ‘a new creature’ (2 Corinthians
5:17; Galatians
6:15). Just as a newborn is given a name, those who are baptized take upon
themselves a new name—the name of Jesus Christ—and covenant to strive to live
like Him.”[5]
LDS Media Library Videos
I Have Kept the Faith
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