Here’s a Trustworthy Saying

Posted by on February 14, 2010 under Sermons

map showing location of Ephesus in Asia MinorWelcome to Ephesus

  • Prominent First Century church
  • Acts 18 – Paul and Apollos started in synagogue
  • Need for the Spirit
  • Jews and Greeks
  • Acts 20 – Wolves and Shepherds
  • Revelation 2:1-7 – The later Ephesians had been through internal strife

Timothy’s Mission

  • Paul leaves Timothy in Ephesus
  • I Timothy 1:3-4 – Timothy is to promote God’s work and refute “other teaching.”
  • Misuse of the law
  • God’s work vs pointless controversy

Paul’s Testimony

  • Trustworthy Saying 1 – Christ came into the world to save sinners
  • He makes Paul faithful and shows mercy
  • Faith and love of Jesus
  • I am the worst sinner
  • I was a blasphemer, persecutor, violent
  • I acted out of ignorance and “unfaith”

“PISTOS”

The “Certain Ones”

  • putting value on controversy: myths and endless genealogies which amount to speculation (1:4);
  • engaging in empty discussion (1:6);
  • responding to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons (4:1);
  • guided by the hypocrisy of liars (4:2);
  • forbidding marriage and promoting abstinence from foods (4:3);
  • emphasis on godless and silly myths (4:7);
  • desire for controversy and disputes about words (6:4);
  • believing godliness is a means for gain (6:5)

Cling to Your Faith

  • Includes more than just doctrine
  • Includes conscience
  • Others have shipwrecked their “faith”
  • Hymenaeus and Alexander were thrown to Satan so that they would learn not to blaspheme!
  • Fight the good fight = Keep this charge

Healthy Teaching

  • … or who do anything else that contradicts the healthy teaching that comes from the glorious Good News entrusted to me by our blessed God. (1 Timothy 1:10-11)
  • Some people may contradict our teaching, but these are the healthy teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ. These teachings promote a godly life. (1 Timothy 6:3)

My thanks to Dr. Eugene Peterson (Professor Emeritus of Spiritual Theology at Regent College, Vancouver, British Columbia) for helping me with a portion of this lesson. This good article by Dr. Peterson is useful for anyone in ministry.