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1 TIMOTHY CHAPTER 1 KJV WEB 1Tim 1-1 (121f) Thy kingdom come >> Manifestations of faith >> Hope >> Expectation >> Expecting good things based on God’s character >> Expectation based on God’s generosity (253c) Trinity >> Relationship between Father and Son >> Jesus is equal with the Father >> Jesus has all the external qualities of the Father >> Son is inherently equal with the Father – This is a relatively weak scriptural evidence of the Trinity when it talks about God our Savior. Meanwhile, the Bible specifically says that Jesus Christ is savior of the world, so when Paul says God is our savior, he is equating God with Christ. 1Tim 1-2 (3m) Responsibility >> Parents for their children >> Paul feels responsible for those he brings to the faith (33f) Gift of God >> God is our Father >> Greatness is expressed as being a child (78d) Thy kingdom come >> Sincerity >> Taking God to heart >> Having a genuine heart -- This verse goes with verse 5. Timothy was one of many hundreds and thousands of converts that Paul made throughout his life, but Timothy was not just another convert. Paul was a man who in many respects lacked trust in people. Paul didn’t blindly trust Timothy; he had to work hard to gain Paul's trust, who had a lot invested in the Church. He wasn’t about to press into service the first guy that came along and make him his right-hand man in his ministry to the saints. Timothy had to prove himself to Paul and some people failed the test, but Timothy passed with flying colors, being always faithful. He never let Paul down; he was always available and at the right place at the right time. He was always ready to serve and was full of faith, and he believed in God with all his heart. These were the qualities and characteristics that Paul earnestly desired in people, especially in those who led the Church. The quality that Paul most valued in Timothy was his giant heart for God and his love for God’s people. He would do just about anything for them even to the point of sacrificing his life for them, which was also Paul's attitude. This is why he loved Timothy; they were on the same page. (107h) Thy kingdom come >> Faith >> Hearing from God >> The Church is of the truth >> God’s people are the true witnesses of God 1Tim 1,3-16 (70k) Authority >> Believer’s authority >> We are the salt of the earth (Preservative) – People who have strayed from the gospel often migrate their pet issues to Christianity that Paul said are fruitless. If they value the appearance of Christianity but care not for faith in Jesus, it indicates they have created a diversion from the gospel, while simultaneously integrating the gospel into their beliefs, so their time spent conversing about peripheral issues they attribute to faith, thus perceiving themselves as Christians. This is all smoke-and-mirrors and is self-deception, and it is transparent even to the nearsighted observer, since just about everyone knows political and social issues have no place in doctrines pertaining to faith and godliness. One example of this is abortion. Christians get on the abortion bandwagon, though admittedly abortion is a great evil in our society, yet attributing their passion for the subject to faith in Jesus is a diversion from the gospel of Jesus Christ. If everyone who claimed to believe in Jesus actually devoted themselves to the faith, incidences of abortion would automatically decline. That is, if Christians became the salt of the earth as Jesus commanded us, we would become the conscience of the world, and people would understand that abortion is evil, and it would become less of a solution for unwanted pregnancies. Both men and woman would realize that unplanned pregnancy is too great a risk and would take measures to prevent it, thus reducing the incidence of fornication and adultery, and society would return to a semblance of Christianity again, but attempting to directly resolve each issue just doesn’t work. Dealing with political and social issues requires us to take our attention off the gospel, which is just what the devil would have us do. We as Christians need to focus on our relationship with Jesus, who Himself never veered onto political or social issues, but kept His eyes on the upward call of His Father, and let the world do what it will, and by that He changed the world. If we become the salt of the earth as we have been called and trust God to convict the world of sin by our example, it would solve political and social issues far more effectively than if we directly addressed them. KJV WEB / Navigation Bar 1Tim 1,3-13 (21b) Sin >> Disobedient to the call -- These verses go with verses 19&20 1Tim 1,3-11 (162ka) Works of the devil >> Being a slave to the devil (Addictions) >> Bondage >> Being slaves of men >> In bondage to the burdens of men >> In bondage to the Law – Fruitless discussion refers to “endless genealogy, which gives rise to mere speculation.” No one does a study on genealogy and presents it to the group and sees change in people’s lives. God has given us life-changing power in the Holy Spirit through the Scriptures that we place in our heart with eternal implications, and He has commanded us to manifest this faith through a good conscience, holding tremendous promise for those who commit their lives to it, yet some get hoodwinked into peripheral issues that are of no consequence. They find like-minded people, and they sit around talking about their pet issues, and no body’s life is enhanced, no gifts are instilled, no blessings are conveyed and there is no joy in any of it, and apparently that’s the way they want it. Peripheral issues are a distraction from the gospel, and the consequence of fruitless discussion and mere speculation is a wasted life. (173i) Works of the devil >> The religion of witchcraft >> Catholicism >> Unholy sacrifice >> Penance of following the law (Legalism) (174f) Works of the devil >> The religion of witchcraft >> Form of godliness >> Self righteousness >> Comparing yourself with sinners – There are anti-Semites who study genealogy to discover who is the real Jew, and they believe one of the tribes of Israel (Dan) migrated to the Caucus Mountains many centuries ago (the Danish), and for this reason the true Jews are Caucasian, white people, KKK sympathizers, Skinheads and other organizations that persecute the Jews. Christian anti-Semite is an oxymoron, such as the named groups, yet they consider themselves Christian and hate everybody who is not just like them. Putting their own theories into words, they claim to be Jewish in origin and use their findings to exonerate themselves in persecuting the Jews. None of their theories are possible to prove, so they trust the integrity of their sources; why not trust the word of God instead of anti-Semites whose only motivation is to hate? Paul wrote this letter to Timothy with his own hand, who advised against any genealogical pursuits. It is better to trust Paul than to trust those committed to rationalizing their hatred against their fellow man. They may have been Jews who whipped and beat the scars on Paul's back, but Paul himself was a Jew, and we should rather listen to his council than to hate the people who persecuted him. Their minds are twisted by the devil beyond remedy, because they wandered from the faith. (196i) Denying Christ >> Man exercises his will against God >> Spiritual laziness >> Replacing God’s standard of excellence with yours >> Lukewarm Christianity (202f) Denying Christ >> Man chooses his own destiny apart from God >> Running from God >> Running from the word of God >> Running from the truth 1Tim 1,3-8 (198d) Denying Christ >> Man exercises his will against God >> Ordained by man >> Men place themselves in positions of authority >> Men who have no business in the ministry (239l) Kingdom of God >> Pursuing the kingdom >> Pursuing the knowledge of the kingdom >> Teachers >> Let not many of you become teachers >> Teachers incur a stricter judgment -- These verses go with verse 20. Love is based on knowledge as the primary manifestation of faith. Timothy not only loved God, but also loved the truth, and was able to teach it. 1Tim 1,3-7 (96n) Thy kingdom come >> Having a negative attitude about sin >> Having a rebellious attitude -- These verses go with verses 18-20 (97i) Thy kingdom come >> Attention >> Giving attention to the wrong things – So much fruitless discussion revolves around the Old Testament. One way to tell if a person has a genuine faith is to note if he emphasizes the New Testament. Anyone who is more committed to the Old Testament than the new should raise red flags. Not only is he usually not an expert in the Old Testament, he doesn’t even understand his own teachings. False faith is confidence that doesn’t come from God. It is “counterfeit faith". Take a couple steps off the path, and we are suddenly waist deep in a quagmire of self-deception, trespassing on the devil's “truth”. (175j) Works of the devil >> The religion of witchcraft >> Ignorance >> Ignorant of what God means >> Ignorant of the meaning of God’s word (179f) Works of the devil >> Practicing witchcraft >> Wolves >> False prophets >> False prophets preach works and deny Christ – Gnostics openly admit to believing in myths; in fact they're proud of it, which is to say they don’t believe in absolute Truth. Paul mentioned “endless genealogies”, indicating that some of these Gnostics were Jews, who were commanded by God to keep their generations pure. They were to marry within their respective tribes and thus preserve the Jewish race, but to think they found favor with God doing these things was how the Jewish people veered off course. As a result of believing lies, they were unable to believe the true teachings and doctrines of the Church. The word “speculation” hints at the many teachings and philosophies of Hinduism, who use presumption as the basis of their beliefs. Instead, we are to keep our heart set on the object of our faith, Jesus Christ the righteous, but to focus on genealogies, myths and speculations give rise to fruitless discussion. If we focus on other things, we will eventually stray from the way of salvation, and soon the things we once believed will become distant. It could come that we cannot find our way back to the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ (2Cor 11-3). (182f) Works of the devil >> The origin of lawlessness >> Deception >> Three causes of interpreting Scripture falsely >> Because they do not understand the Scriptures 1Tim 1,3-6 (1m) Responsibility >> Avoid offending God >> Carrying a false burden >> Making commitments that contradict Scripture – Have you ever met a Jehovah witness who didn’t act like he was carrying a heavy burden? That is the nature of cults; they weigh you down, because it takes more energy to believe a lie than it does the truth. They have the devil as a taskmaster, who never lets them rest. On top of the spiritual conflicts, they also have the cultic association breathing down their backs telling them how to live. So, yes—teaching strange doctrines is a heavy burden, heavier than the truth (Mat 11,28-30). KJV WEB / Navigation Bar 1Tim 1-3,4 (50a) Judgment >> God judges the world >> Condition of Israel in the last days – Genealogy is a mere hobby to the gentiles by comparison to the Jews. At one time it was a huge part of old covenant Jewish culture, in that God commanded Israel not to marry into the gentile nations. The Jews are sons of Jacob (Israel), who had twelve sons (tribes), and they meticulously recorded which tribe they originated. It mattered to them that they were Jews, for if their seed mixed with the gentile races, it would make them a non-Jew in the purest sense of the word. Nevertheless, Paul said in Rom 10-12,13, “There is no difference between Jew and Gentile-the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, for, 'Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.'" Does it still matter to be a Jew? No, in a way it doesn’t, but in another way it does, for God has plans for the Jews at the end of the age. The Bible says that in the last days the Jews will be reconciled to God, but if they don’t know they are Jews, how can they be reconciled? In the last days Israel will recognize Jesus Christ as their messiah, so a day is still coming when it will be important to know if they are Jews and from what tribe they originated. God is not finished with them, for He plans to use Israel one more time at the end of the age to restore the gentile Church and bring many to salvation. It says in Rom 11,25-27, “I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers, so that you may not be conceited: Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in. And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: "The deliverer will come from Zion; he will turn godlessness away from Jacob. And this is my covenant with them when I take away their sins." Then Rev 7-4 says, “Then I heard the number of those who were sealed: 144,000 from all the tribes of Israel.” Therefore, on the one hand genealogy is irrelevant, but on the other, it is still relevant to know who is who in the Jewish community, for they have a job to do at the end of the age. See also: Great Endtime Revival (Jews will manage the gospel at the end of the age); Heb 2-16; 58e (72c) Authority >> Transferring authority >> Men delegate authority by obeying the word -- These verses go with verse 18 (138e) Temple >> Building the temple (with hands) >> Reproof >> Reprove your brother for spreading false doctrine – Some people don’t want to be confined to Scripture but want to believe in God their own way, making up fanciful tales about Him, so they can place their signature on the stories the make and proselyte others to believe them. Those who have Jesus dwelling in them don't need these things, because they can read the Scriptures as a dynamic revelation from God. The truth we believe by the Spirit is revealed to us over the course of our lives, so what we comprehend forty years into our salvation is exponentially greater than when we first believed. Those who prefer myths to a sincere faith in Jesus say that our faith is static and simplistic, but we say of them that if they don’t believe in Jesus Christ as the only way to the Father (Jn 14-6), their religion is worthless. (158c) Works of the devil >> Essential characteristics >> Divide and conquer >> Strife >> Contentions, especially about words (semantics) (171d) Works of the devil >> Manifestations of the devil >> Outward appearance >> Vanity >> Vain experience >> Emptiness is where God isn’t -- These verses go with verses 6&7 (178b) Works of the devil >> The religion of witchcraft >> Presumption (Hinduism) >> Presuming the facts about the circumstances >> Presumption is not founded on facts – There must be a million ways to distract us from our relationship with God, and studying genealogy is just one of them. Paul was a Pharisee prior to his conversion, who must have also gotten involved in genealogical studies and determined that he was from the tribe of Benjamin. It is not bad or wrong to want to know who are our relatives, but to claim it as part of our religion is a distraction. Paul said that endless genealogy is akin to myths, that if our faith is based on heritage, then it is not faith at all.. Therefore, we should put away our genealogical interests and get back to "the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ" (2Cor 11-3). (212d) Sovereignty >> God is infinite >> He is the creator >> Evolution (Defaming God) >> The philosophy of evolution – It is ironic that people think faith in the word of God is mere speculation, when in fact all other forms of knowledge are vulnerable to the same speculative potholes. There is no speculation to faith in God, since we have the entire universe to prove His existence. Only a fool would deny His existence in light of the great expanse. To deny God is equivalent to denying one’s own existence. KJV WEB / Navigation Bar 1Tim 1,5-11 (205ka) Salvation >> Salvation is based on God’s promises >> Faith versus works >> The faith of God versus the faith of men >> Faith versus the law >> The work of faith versus the works of the law – Christians don’t need the law; they have the Holy Spirit dwelling them, who does a much better job directing them into the purpose and calling of God, but the "faith" of men without the inspiration of the Holy Spirit cannot rise above the law (Heb 9-10). If we emphasize the Old Testament over the new, we are essentially prioritizing the law above grace. If we will not commit to faith with a good conscience, then the only thing left is the law, and Paul is said that the law was made for sinners. So, if we don’t want anything to do with faith in Jesus, then we are inadvertently admitting to being party with some of the most vial people the world has known, for whom the law was intended. The law was never made to save people but to judge them, like a mirror that reflects an image of a person and shows the true nature of his ways, acting in place of conscience for those who have destroyed theirs. See also: Conscience; 1Tim 1-5; 78d 1Tim 1-5 (78d) Thy kingdom come >> Sincerity >> Taking God to heart >> Having a genuine heart -- This verse goes with verse 2. The opposite of mere speculation is “love from a pure heart, a good conscience and a sincere faith." Note the sequence of Love, conscience and faith: Love is the primary manifestation of faith, and conscience acts as a catalyst that stands between faith and love. Love may be the most real thing in the world that builds confidence, which defines “faith”. The world may say that these things give rise to mere speculation, but these attributes are the very substance of God. The heart is what matters as conscience builds confidence, and confidence proves that God is at work in our lives. We have all heard the saying, “God is my conscience;” through the Holy Spirit He lives in our heart and works through our conscience, which is the window to the soul that allows us to see ourselves and others as God sees us. See also: Conscience; 155b (105a) Thy kingdom come >> Pure in heart >> A pure heart is a genuine heart (124c) Thy kingdom come >> Manifestations of faith >> Love >> Acts of love >> Love is the proper motive for all you do (125ba) Thy kingdom come >> Manifestations of faith >> Faith and love in equal measure -- This verse goes with verse 14. Paul throughout His epistles talked about faith and love in the same breath, and it is no wonder, for they are one and the same. We cannot separate them, and if we do, it is no longer faith or love. For example, faith without works (love), James called worthless (Jm 2-20), and love without faith cannot rise above self-righteousness, since it proves we are unwilling to give God the credit for our good works. Jesus said, “He who practices the truth comes to the Light, so that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God” (Jn 3-21). Jesus also said in Jn 6-45, “Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father, comes to Me.” That is, everyone who practices the law comes to the light and tells the world that his righteousness is the work of God and not of himself. What we get when we put faith and love together is the essence of Christianity, the center of Jesus’ teachings and the manifestation of God's Kingdom. (155b) Witness >> Validity of the believer >> Witness of the believer >> Conscience >> Having a good conscience >> Conscience bears witness of our good behavior -- This verse goes with verses 18&19. What use is faith without a clear conscience, and what use is a clear conscience without faith? Together, though, they represent the gospel of Christ in its entirety, in that a sincere faith generates love, authenticating our faith. See also: Conscience; 1Tim 1-9,10; 250i (233d) Kingdom of God >> Pursuing the kingdom >> Seeking the kingdom >> Seeking the goals of the kingdom >> Seek the goal of love KJV WEB / Navigation Bar 1Tim 1,6-11 (16e) Sin >> Man’s willingness to be evil >> Allowing sin to reign in your flesh >> Afraid to deal with it (25f) Sin >> Poverty (Forms of fear) >> Satan and his children are murderers – God gave Israel the law to keep them from going down the road to ruin, such as in the days of Noah, but it failed to restrain them for one crucial reason: the law was made for sinners who reject the law. This describes the law as ineffective; nor does it do anything for the righteous person, since it doesn't help them keep the law; it only notifies them when they violate it? If this is true in the new covenant, then it was also true in the old, and for this reason there needed to be a change of covenants. Instead of the law, God has given us His Spirit, eliminating any need for law, who teaches us about God's general and specific will, generally leading us to produce the fruits of the Spirit, and specifically teaching us about our calling and helping us fulfill it. (52a) Judgment >> Judging Church with world >> Law judges sin >> Those who transgress against it (90f) Thy kingdom come >> Keeping the law >> Law is our tutor >> It shows our need for Jesus (135a) Temple >> Your body is the temple of God >> Sins of the body >> Immorality >> Sexual perversion >> A mixed bag of impurities (167g) Works of the devil >> Manifestations of the devil >> Carnality/Secularism (mindset of the world) >> The carnal mind does not receive the things of God >> It does not understand the word of God 1Tim 1,6-9 (180i) Works of the devil >> Practicing witchcraft >> Rebellion >> Rebelling against God’s narrow way >> Rebelling against the will of God (181d) Works of the devil >> Practicing witchcraft >> Lawlessness >> Lawlessness is no excuse for sin >> Sinning under the law is still lawlessness 1Tim 1-6,7 (85b) Thy kingdom come >> Your words can lead to your own demise >> How can you, being evil, speak what is good? – Wisdom has the right answer, but sometimes our flesh gets in the way; remembering our anger, words are spoken in hostility that are prejudiced and contemptible. When we speak this way, we fall into a trap that we have devised for ourselves during the days of our rebellion. These dark corners of our life can become our downfall. How many times have we heard of ministers committing egregious sins and are quietly removed from the ministry and their offenses muted? Outwardly this sounds noble, but these people often just move to the next town and continue their godless lifestyles, maintaining their position as ministers of the gospel. Instead we should expose them ( Eph 5-11). (159m) Works of the devil >> Essential characteristics >> Counterfeit >> Counterfeit God >> Counterfeit truth (171d) Works of the devil >> Manifestations of the devil >> Outward appearance >> Vanity >> Vain experience >> Emptiness is where God isn’t -- These verses go with verses 3&4 1Tim 1-6 (161b) Works of the devil >> Wandering from the character of God >> Wander from the faith – Talk to someone who has strayed from the gospel and turned aside to fruitless discussion and he would say that his pet topics were important. Paul went to places like Athens Greece where people loved to talk about philosophy (Act 17-21); everyone had their own ideas about nearly everything, and Paul considered it fruitless discussion. He didn’t preach the gospel to them the way they talked about their philosophy, but with confident authority. People today don’t talk much about philosophy; we are more inclined toward political and social issues. Show me a Christian who is politically or socially oriented, and I will show you a person who has turned aside to fruitless discussion. Christians in the first century understood that the subject of their conversation revealed the center of their hearts, whereas we apparently don't believe this anymore in the 21st century, who spend the day musing on our pet issues. (197h) Denying Christ >> Man exercises his will against God >> Man withers when he is in control >> False doctrine is fruitless (203i) Denying Christ >> Man chooses his own destiny apart from God >> Back-slider >> Withdraw from obeying God >> Withdrawing from the truth KJV WEB / Navigation Bar 1Tim 1-7 (1i) Responsibility >> Avoid offending God >> False burden of serving God in ignorance (22k) Sin >> Pride glorifies self >> Being wise in your own eyes (54b) Paradox >> Opposites >> Ignorant people wanting to teach (184g) Works of the devil >> The origin of lawlessness >> Abusing the grace of God >> Spending His grace on your pleasures >> Abusing your position 1Tim 1,8-11 (108d) Thy kingdom come >> Faith is the balance between freedom and law (135c) Temple >> Your body is the temple of God >> Sins of the body >> Immorality >> Homosexuality – The law associates homosexuals with people who kill their fathers and mothers. Not every homosexual is a murderer, and not every murderer is a homosexual, but they both belong in the same group of lawbreakers, as James put it, “Whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all.” In other words, the person who breaks one commandment: “If a man has sexual relations with a man as one does with a woman, both of them have done what is detestable. They are to be put to death; their blood will be on their own heads” (Leviticus 20-13), he is guilty of violating the law as a whole, which also says, “You shall not murder” (Exodus 20-13). It is like a man who has ten daughters, and a hired hand violates one of them; he has offended the entire family. (145h) Witness >> Validity of Jesus Christ >> Jesus’ works bear witness of Himself >> Demon possession >> Human state >> Filthiness >> Deeds of the flesh – This subject is under the sub-topic filthiness, the human state of demon possession, suggesting that a person becomes demon possessed through the filthy deeds of his flesh, which is achieved by transgressing the law. Potentially, an unbeliever can become demon possessed, though most people have a sense of decency about themselves. Having developed their own standards, they are only willing to go so far in their hypocrisy, but some have denied the inner voice of their conscience and have exploited their own bodies for the pleasure they can get from it, and this leads them further into the abyss of human depravity, until they become susceptible to demon possession. They don’t consider these creatures necessarily evil or bad, because of the sins they have committed, their standard eroded to the point of accepting demons, and they end up wreaking havoc in them and in the people they meet, including and especially their own family members. 1Tim 1-8 (128c) Thy kingdom come >> Manifestations of faith >> Goodness >> Doing good transcends the law 1Tim 1,9-11 (53l) Paradox >> Opposites >> Law was made for sinners >> Sinners follow after the law – Not even in the old covenant did a righteous man need the Law, for it was not given to the righteous, but on Mount Sinai it was given to Moses for the sake of the wicked. So when Moses commanded Israel to follow the Law, he was speaking to sinners. There were some who loved the Lord, such as Joshua and Caleb, yet those who needed the Law were the first to violate it. Paul speaking of a time before the Law was given said in Rom 2,14-16, “For when Gentiles who do not have the Law do instinctively the things of the Law, these, not having the Law, are a law to themselves, in that they show the work of the Law written in their hearts, their conscience bearing witness and their thoughts alternately accusing or else defending them, on the day when, according to my gospel, God will judge the secrets of men through Christ Jesus.” All sinners know it is wrong to commit murder, because they don’t want to be murdered, and all sinners know it is wrong to steal, because they don’t want anyone to steal from them. All sinners know it is wrong to do anything to their fellow man that they don’t want done to them. The sinner knows this, but he doesn’t care; he ignores and denies his wrongdoing. He makes a distinction between himself and others, knowing how he wants to be treated, but doesn’t care how he treats others. Sinners have a double standard, being the very definition of a sinner (Jm 1,6-8). (167j) Works of the devil >> Manifestations of the devil >> Do not conform to the world >> The world of sin 1Tim 1-9,10 (250i) Priorities >> God’s prerequisites >> Lists >> List of traits that can be found in man >> List of deeds of the body – Our conscience is an inner voice that tells us when we have done wrong, and God has given a voice to our inner voice in the Holy Spirit, who sharply rebukes us when we violate His will. We can stifle the voice of God in our heart, but it is not advised, and for Christians to emulate this list of sinful traits suggests they have done just that. To silence the voice of God in our heart about our sin is blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. We are all guilty of this at one time or another, and the reason Jesus said it was unpardonable is that we cannot get back the good works we missed by disobeying Him. Before we were saved we had a conscience and were made aware of the Law, then we got saved and the Holy Spirit replaced the Law, so now we know about sin through Him, but if we evict the Holy Spirit, we lose our salvation and return to the Law as sinners. A person who has evicted the Holy Spirit is destined for hell and is worse than an unbeliever (1Tim 5,6-8). The unbeliever has potential to be saved, but the one who has evicted the Holy Spirit is dead while he lives. See also: Conscience; 1Tim 1,18-20; 45i 1Tim 1,10-12 (67n) Authority >> Doing God’s work under His authority >> Ministry of helps >> Help God KJV WEB / Navigation Bar 1Tim 1,12-20 (71h) Authority >> Ordained by God >> Ordained by His sovereign will >> God chooses to work in you 1Tim 1,12-16 (11k) Servant >> Paul’s example of God’s standard – There were many people who were far greater sinners than Paul over the centuries, even in his own time. People have committed genocide and murdered thousands of people without mercy, yet it was still possible they could suddenly realize the error of their ways and get saved, yet without seeing themselves as great sinners as Paul saw in himself. It is because they didn’t see the full revelation of their sinfulness. When Paul said he was the foremost of all sinners, he was not referring to an absolute value of sin, but a relative quantity, not the tallying of sins and comparing them with others, but a realization of himself as a sinner by comparison to other people’s realization of themselves. Not even Paul received a full revelation of himself as a sinner, so when he met God he still had reason to fear like the rest of us. When he entered into judgment, Jesus showed the disparity between Himself and Paul, and said, ‘You thought of yourself as a sinner, but this is what I thought of you as a sinner,’ the difference between them like comparing a mountain to a molehill. If that was Paul’s experience in judgment, how will it fair with us? (30i) Gift of God >> Favor by His grace >> He does not take your sins into account – Paul was an example of debauchery, showing just how low a person could go and still be a viable candidate for God’s mercy. Of all people, God chose a Pharisee to lead the early church. He was an example proving that we really don’t know who will make it to heaven and who won’t. None of the saints in Paul’s day extended any hope for him ever becoming a Christian; they were afraid of him, but then God called Him and he became the greatest apostle the Church has ever known. He did more to spread Christianity throughout the known world than any other man, though previously his mission was to arrest the saints and execute them for being Christians. We think because a person speaks the jargon of Christianity he is sure to go to heaven, but this religious nomenclature can be leaned just like any field of knowledge. The Church wrote off Paul, and we do the same to people we don’t think are seeking God, though it is true that holding out hope for some of the most depraved people is a waste of time and faith. So it was reasonable that the Church gave no thought of Paul becoming a Christian, and when he did get saved nobody believed him, until he conferred directly with the original apostles who gave him the right-hand of fellowship (Act 9,20-31; Gal 1,11-24; 2,1-10). He didn’t come to them with religious terminology, though he mostly knew what Christians believed; what Paul presented to the board of apostles in Jerusalem was sincerity of faith, zeal and a believable testimony of meeting Jesus on the road to Damascus, being converted on the spot. (115d) Thy kingdom come >> Faith >> Working the grace of God >> Through your ministry >> Through your calling >> In preaching the gospel (120f) Thy kingdom come >> Manifestations of faith >> Forgiveness >> Forgiveness is an act of mercy >> God passes over our sins (193e) Die to self (Process of substitution) >> Turn from sin to God >> Repent >> Bring forth fruit in keeping with repentance >> Testimony of Paul’s life (194b) Die to self (Process of substitution) >> Turn from sin to God >> Run to God >> Run to Jesus when He calls for you (207l) Salvation >> Salvation verses >> The kindness of God >> God is kind to sinners >> He seeks and saves that which was lost 1Tim 1-12,13 (175e) Ignorance (Key verse) (176a) Works of the devil >> The religion of witchcraft >> Ignorance >> Misguided – Acting “ignorantly in unbelief” is a very accurate description of Paul prior to his conversion to Christianity. He was totally convinced of his own religion. He thought the Christians were completely wrong, and He never stopped for a minute to listen to what they were saying. God commanded Israel to stomp out corruption of those who tried to subvert the commands that He spoke to Moses, according to Deuteronomy chapter thirteen, and so Paul was doing what he thought was right, yet his thinking was completely wrong. Paul was a believer in the Old Testament, yet he did not believe what it said; rather, he believed what his teachers and mentors taught him. This is also the case with us, though we have the Scriptures that are thousands of years old setting in front of us, allowing us to learn the teachings of the original apostles, yet the current teachings and practices of Christianity influence us to practice and believe things that are not written. That is, culture has interpreted the Scriptures for us, and culture is by no means an authority on the subject; rather, it is capricious, arriving at its own "truth" by means of grafting society’s trends to the Scriptures and misrepresenting them as God's Truth. Culture determines truth by picking things at random. This was how Saul arrived at his truth before he was converted to Christianity, and we battle the same enemy of truth in our own day, only we have the Internet to accelerate and systematize the process. It is not impossible to rise above this cultural meme machine (meme: a cultural item that is transmitted by repetition and replication in a manner analogous to the biological transmission of genes -- Dictionary.com).. The Bible can take us back all the way to our Christian roots, like a time machine, setting the controls to the first century. What did Paul say? Read it in the Bible! What do Christians believe? Paul said in these verses that they believe whatever culture tells them. Instead of listening to the meme machine (culture), read and obey our time machine (the Bible). See also: Memes; 2Tim 4-3,4; 55n (243f) Kingdom of God >> Opposition toward the Kingdom of God >> Persecuting the kingdom >> Persecuting the Church of God 1Tim 1-12 (9e) Responsibility >> God strengthens us from our weaknesses (14g) Servant >> Ministry of helps >> Helpers are set apart from the world (82h) Thy kingdom come >> Prayer >> Thankfulness >> Giving thanks for His mercy (94e) Thy kingdom come >> Perspective >> God’s Perspective on the Church (102j) Thy kingdom come >> Faithfulness (Loyalty) >> Consistency >> Loyalty KJV WEB / Navigation Bar 1Tim 1,13-16 (31l) Gift of God >> Gift of His grace >> Forgiveness is a function of God’s grace – It was a trustworthy statement that Jesus came into the world to save sinners, and it was a trustworthy statement for Paul to say that he was the foremost of them all. Therefore, it is a trustworthy statement that the most depraved sinner still has hope of being saved, because of Paul’s example. It is one thing to love the things of the world and be materialistic and greedy, but it’s another thing to persecute Christians, though it is hard to believe that the rich have a better chance of entering the Kingdom of Heaven than Paul (Lk 18-24), yet the most hardened cases can be saved. This means the rest of us need to maintain our faith. 1Tim 1-13 (25e) Sin >> Poverty (Forms of fear) >> Murder >> Persecution to the death >> Kill your neighbor for God’s sake (186c) Works of the devil >> The result of lawlessness >> Blasphemy >> Cursing the Holy Spirit >> Lying to the Holy Spirit – The reprobate mind by definition is someone who cannot be saved or believe in God or seek His forgiveness. The Pharisees that persecuted Jesus are the perfect example this; Jesus said to them, “How will you escape the sentence of hell?” They were rejected in regard to the faith (2Tim 3-8), their hearts hardened to God’s goodness and grace to the point of permanent unbelief. The reprobate mind is like carbon monoxide poisoning. The molecule masks the oxygen molecule, attaching to the alveoli within the lung, blocking the oxygen and suffocating the person. So, the reprobate mind believes something in place of Christ, and they cannot stop believing their own lies. The Pharisees were experts in the Scriptures, but knowing the Bible did not help them. There is demonic activity involved in the formation of the reprobate mind; it’s not purely a fleshly problem. Satan and his minions are all reprobates, so it shouldn’t surprise anyone that demons are involved in the formation of the reprobate mind. Reprobates are not actually demon possessed, so it is impossible to exorcise them. Therefore, the demon possessed man actually has more hope than the reprobate. In contrast, Paul acted ignorantly in unbelief. Had he known the truth, he would have believed in Jesus, because unlike the Pharisees that harassed the Lord throughout His ministry, Paul was actually seeking the truth, being one reason God chose him to be lead apostle of the Church. Paul had a good conscience, even when he threw Christians in jail. He may have done a lot of things against the truth, but in his heart he thought he was doing the right thing. Some of the other Pharisees made a business from their false teachings; they were the moneychangers of the temple; they only cared about themselves. They didn’t even care that Jesus was their messiah; they crucified Him in full knowledge of His deity, because He was hindering their business of religion. Paul was not like them, though he too was a Pharisee. Nicodemus too was a Pharisee, but he wasn’t like the moneychangers either. See also: Reprobate (Man and demons think alike); Jd,4-13; 186j (206h) Salvation >> God makes promises on His terms >> Conditions to promises >> Conditions to the gifts of God >> Conditions to salvation 1Tim 1-14 (125ba) Thy kingdom come >> Manifestations of faith >> Faith and love in equal measure -- This verse goes with verse 5. The words “faith” and “love” are often found together throughout the New Testament. These two aspects of the gospel converted Paul. Consider his companions on the road to Damascus, one saw a vision while the other heard a voice. Only Paul both saw and heard the divine intervention. One without the other is powerless, like faith without love and love without faith. People without faith do nice things, but they do not know the love of God, for they are seldom nice to their enemies. Faith and love are both essential, like the Holy Spirit and the word of God are partners and are useless without the other, as Paul's companions proved. KJV WEB / Navigation Bar 1Tim 1-15,16 (43i) Judgment >> Satan destroyed >> Perfected by God (86c) Thy kingdom come >> Belief >> Treating the knowledge of God as fact >> Repentance is the result of the resurrection – Those who do not see themselves as sinners are the greatest sinners of all. Jesus saves those who confess their sins and seek repentance. When Paul said, “among whom I am foremost of all,” he was not saying he was the greatest sinner, but the one who foremost admitted his sin (1Jn 1-8). This is what Jesus taught in Lk 7-47 when He said, “He who is forgiven little, loves little.” Jesus wasn’t declaring some people worst sinners than others, just the opposite; He was indicating a sliding continuum how much or little a person admits and confesses his sins; this determines how much or little a person loves God. Paul proved his love for Christ throughout his ministry, risking his life day after day to preach the gospel; he did it all from love for God and appreciation for saving him. How deep does our sin go? The answer lies in the depth of our love. There is no bottom to our sin by evidence of the bottomless pit that God created for those who reject Him. Sin reaches all the way to the very core of our being, yet how far down have we confessed our sins? Maybe to others we appear as good citizens of our community, but to God we need salvation and healing through the cross. In his former life, Paul persecuted the Church, and when Christ met with Saul on the road to Damascus, his whole world turned 180 degrees, causing him to admit that almost everything he believed was wrong. That is not easy to do, especially after investing everything into the things he believed. (126i) Thy kingdom come >> Manifestations of faith >> Patience >> The patience of God >> God is patient – It is a trustworthy statement that Jesus came into the world to save sinners, and Paul was the foremost of all, or at least we can trust that this was how Paul felt about himself; whether he was really the worst sinner is questionable. Another thing we can say for certain: anybody who participates in martyring the saints puts himself at the top of the list of sinners. Saul was a wretched man before he got saved; he rounded up Christians for extermination, just because they believed in Jesus. That is evil. He persecuted the saints and played a part in their martyrdom, for which God quickly loses patience. There were many things people have done over the centuries, many wars fought, and God just watched it all. His attitude was that he gave man their lives and this earth to do what they wanted, and if he tears up everything trying to kill each other, then so be it. To stop him doing what he wants is an infraction on man's will. If God did this, He would have to end man’s reign on earth. If fact, this will eventually happen at the return of Christ when He sets up His thousand-year reign, and then man’s reign of terror will finally end with Jesus becoming king of all the earth as the first Millennium of His eternal reign. Had God fudged the plans for World War I or stopped Hitler, He would have had to prematurely end the age of grace, and forfeit all the souls that would have been saved between then and the scheduled time of the end. Ironically for the sake of the elect who would inherit eternal life, namely us, He allowed evil to continue. (246k) Kingdom of God >> Spirit realm imposed on the natural realm >> Demonstration of God’s kingdom >> God demonstrates His glory >> Demonstration of His love 1Tim 1-15 (102h) Thy kingdom come >> Faithfulness (Loyalty) >> Trustworthy >> Loyalty – There is no such thing as a righteous person, except in his own mind, though there are plenty of self-righteous people who think they don’t need Jesus. There are many things we can say about Jesus, for one that He was loyal to His Father, for it was the Father’s pity that sent His Son to make propitiation for the sins of the people (Heb 2-17). Jesus came into the world to save sinners, who recognize their sin and seek God's righteousness. Isn’t it interesting that Jesus doesn’t save the righteous but sinners (Mk 2-17)? They understand they were born in a body of sinful flesh; they understand they are sinners and loathe the thought of it. We would prefer to be in the company of angels and fellowship with righteous men made perfect (Heb 12-23). That day will come, but for now we must continue to struggle in this life until the time set by the Father when He calls us home. (107k) Thy kingdom come >> Faith >> hearing from God >> The Bible will lead you to truth >> The Scriptures are factual 1Tim 1-16 (244d) Kingdom of God >> The eternal kingdom >> Eternal life of the trinity >> Jesus is the source of eternal life KJV WEB / Navigation Bar 1Tim 1-17 (118b) Thy kingdom come >> Faith >> Eyes of your spirit >> Seeing through the eyes of your spirit >> Everything you can see you can have (138g) Temple >> Building the temple (with hands) >> Exhortation >> Glorifying God in your exhortation (221i) Kingdom of God >> The elusive Kingdom of Heaven >> Kingdom hidden behind the veil from the world >> God hides his divinity from man’s corruption >> The Kingdom of God is from another realm – Jesus is the King of kings, who has reigned throughout all eternity. The fact that we don’t see Him now in this role doesn't makes Him any less the King of all creation. He is visible from one end of heaven to the other; no matter where we go God is there. (243j) Kingdom of God >> The eternal kingdom >> The indestructible kingdom >> The head of the body is indestructible >> Jesus is indestructible (244c) Kingdom of God >> The eternal kingdom >> There shall be no end to his increase >> Jesus shall be glorified forever (252a) Trinity >> You shall put no other gods before Me >> Worship Jesus (Because He is equal with God) >> Jesus is worthy of our worship >> Worship Jesus for His inherent worthiness – In this verse Paul worshipped Jesus. If He were not God, Paul would have committed an egregious sin, breaking the first commandment that says we are to worship the Lord our God and serve Him only (Deuteronomy 6-13), but Paul worshipped Jesus without sinning, because Jesus is God. If we don’t interpret this verse, then it stands as an acclamation of the trinity. To make it say otherwise we would have to interpret it, bend it out of shape and make it say what is not written. Paul glorified Jesus for the various divine attributes that only God could possess. There are many definitive passages in the Bible that allude to Jesus as God, and this verse speaks plainly about Him in this way. (253ec) Trinity >> Relationship between Father and Son >> Jesus is equal with the Father >> Jesus has all the internal qualities of the Father >> Jesus is God in heaven – Here is another verse for your trinity quiver. There is only one God, yet the Bible teaches that Jesus is God, referring to him as the "King eternal." We all know that Jesus is the King of kings and Lord of lords. In this acclamation Paul glorified the trinity, so much that we would have to misinterpret nearly every word to keep it from saying that. In case someone doubts that the phrase “King eternal” does not refer to our Lord Jesus Christ, Paul used His name five times in the previous five verses, providing the context. To say that Jesus is both eternal and immortal would be redundant if these two words meant the same thing. That is, being immortal doesn’t mean He always existed, but to be eternal does mean that. In other words, saying that Jesus is eternal means He was never created, for He always existed, and to say He is immortal means that He will continue living forever. To say that Jesus is invisible suggests that He is here with us now; we just can’t see Him, and if He is invisible to everyone on earth, then He is everywhere at the same time, as the only person of the trinity who can do that—the Holy Spirit. Therefore, Paul was calling Jesus the Holy Spirit, which is accurate according to Scripture. Paul tops off his acclamation of the trinity calling Jesus Christ the only God, which speaks for itself. If the trinity were unbiblical, then Paul should not be calling Jesus God, but the trinity is biblical and Jesus is God. The Father is also God, and so is the Holy Spirit; all three are instances of God. To believe that Jesus were merely a prophet, we would need to get rid of the trinity by finding ways of dispelling dozens of passages that speak of the trinity in that way, and some are more explicit than this one. KJV WEB / Navigation Bar 1Tim 1,18-20 (5b) Responsibility >> Advocate God’s cause >> Disciples are soldiers in God’s army – We know about prophecy that they are statements made through the Spirit that must come true, otherwise they were not from God. So why do we need to fight the good fight of faith; why can’t we just sit back and let the prophecies come to pass on their own; why do we need to help them? One aspect of prophecy is that we fight the good fight of faith. That is, spiritual warfare is an inherent element of prophecy. If the prophecies have been given to us, on some level we have the power to sabotage them to keep them from being fulfilled by refusing to do God’s will, but we could never keep the word of God from its fulfillment in someone else’s life who is faithful in Christ. In other words, we cannot sabotage someone else’s prophecies; we can only sabotage our own. When someone is faithful, there is no force on earth that can keep God from fulfilling His word in that person. See also: Spiritual warfare; 86m (27c) Sin >> Consequences of sin >> Condoning evil can bring a curse on your life (45i) Judgment >> Of believer’s sin >> God will judge us for trampling on His son – Prophecies that have been spoken over us that we know are the will of God we are to protect with all our strength of heart and soul. Whatever God has commanded of us will direct our lives to His heavenly kingdom. These prophecies pertain to our whole life, and so we are called to strive with God and place our faith in Him. Fulfilling the prophecies that have been spoken over us strengthens our faith in Jesus. In this way we maintain a good conscience, knowing that what we are doing is the will of God, ensuring that we will do His will in all aspects of life, but there are some who have received prophecy and have neglected it, superceding it with fleshly and temporal concerns. It says that those who do such things have suffered shipwreck in regard to their faith, meaning that if we treat our calling this way, we will treat our faith the same way, for neglecting the prophecies that we know are true puts a stain on our conscience. Hymenaeus and Alexander were guilty of this, and Paul handed them to Satan so they may be taught not to blaspheme. Many will say that delivering someone to Satan is to stop praying for them, and that is certainly part of it, but we have to go back to Romans chapter one. God does the same to certain people (Rom 1-24); He gives up on them after they have proven they have no interest in committing their lives to the faith. See also: Conscience; 86m (86m) Thy kingdom come >> Obedience >> Be doers of the word from the heart >> Internalize the word of God – The prophecy Paul spoke over Timothy pertained to keeping faith with a good conscience, which some have rejected. Some have surrendered to the most haunting sins, allowing them to take over their souls, and their sins carried them to a dark place, filling their hearts with darkness and despair, until their last state was worse than the first, potentially becoming greater sinners than they were before they got saved. These are forces of darkness at work in the Christian’s life trying to strip us of our faith and steal our salvation. Paul said that some Christians have fallen prey to the powers of darkness, having submitted to the forces of evil that were crouching at their doorstep and commanding their loyalty, but he told Timothy to fight the good fight, not to surrender to them but to struggle against them, maintaining a good conscience through which he will keep the faith. By that he will maintain a blameless reputation among the saints as Paul's helper. See also: Conscience; 197j / Spiritual warfare; 1Tim 1-18,19; 116d (96n) Thy kingdom come >> Having a negative attitude about sin >> Having a rebellious attitude -- These verses go with verses 3-7 (163j) Works of the devil >> Being a slave to the devil (Addictions) >> Used by Satan to destroy your own life – Some say this verse is referring to Paul no longer praying for the offenders, but perhaps it means that Paul did pray for them. “Handed over” has an active tense (not praying for them is passive). Perhaps Paul prayed that since these two named persons have rejected the protection of God in their lives, Satan should torment them for a period, "so they might be taught not to blaspheme." That doesn’t mean Paul prayed to the devil but prayed to God similar to this: ‘They have abandoned their shield of Christ, so now they are susceptible to the devil’s arrows. Therefore, allow the devil to have his way with them for a season, in order that they might repent of their blasphemy. If they learn their lesson and repent, then bring them back to the fold and we will receive them, but if they further harden their hearts, they have made their choice. We, the Church, will not send our resources on them if there is little to no hope of repentance.’ This might sound harsh, but blasphemers are a threat to the rest of the body, having a corrosive effect on the faith of others. God has used Satan many times throughout Scripture to teach a lesson to those who are evil themselves. God gives them over for a period and allows them to eat the fruit of their own ways, and hopefully the will repent. We must protect those who are faithful in Christ above those who are disobedient. (172g) Works of the devil >> Manifestations of the devil >> Tares among the wheat >> Hypocrites among the just >> Lazy among the prudent (197a) Denying Christ >> Man exercises his will against God >> Spiritual laziness >> Rebelling Against what God wants you to do >> Refusing to renew your mind (197j) Denying Christ >> Man exercises his will against God >> Man withers when he is in control >> Unfaithfulness >> Unfaithful to your own conscience – Paul spoke of conscience in verse 5 as a catalyst that manifests our faith in love. Allowing our conscience to be ravaged by sin is like throwing our faith to the elements without an overcoat. Faith has no protection without a good conscience. It’s open to the elements and will soon die of exposure. The Holy Spirit uses our conscience to speak to us about sin. Therefore, if we ignore our conscience, we have opened our faith to the arrows of the devil. See also: Conscience; 1Tim 1-18,19; 102a (198a) Denying Christ >> Man exercises his will against God >> Man withers when he is in control >> Unteachable >> Resisting the knowledge of God (204a) Denying Christ >> Man chooses his own destiny apart from God >> Back-slider >> Practicing sin >> Dying in sin (206b) Salvation >> God makes promises on His terms >> Conditions to promises >> Conditions to living in the spirit >> Conditions to participating in the spirit KJV WEB / Navigation Bar 1Tim 1-18,19 (44j) Judgment >> Transformed >> Fulfill your ministry according to the will of God (46ab) Judgment >> Spiritual warfare >> Subjecting your flesh >> Violent take it by force >> Fight the good fight of faith (100f) Thy kingdom come >> Diligence >> Diligence in working the grace of God (102a) Thy kingdom come >> Ambitious to fulfill God’s calling >> To see God’s will in your life – It is ironic that many people come to Christ and are saved because they wanted to clear their conscience; this suggests that living by an evil conscience as a Christian can lead to losing our faith. As Christians, God has surely placed us between a rock and a hard spot when He created us in a body of sinful flesh and forced us to live in a world of evil; for if we don’t maintain a clear conscience, we will suffer shipwreck in regard to our faith. People to whom this happens never attempt to do the will of God, for keeping the faith is not possible to the fleshly mind, nor is it possible with a defiled conscience. God has given us a choice, but we have only one good choice, so in a sense we don't really have a choice. We must do what He says, though technically we have the option to disobey and rebel, but the consequences are too devastating to even contemplate. What makes it so difficult is our three enemies mentioned in Eph 2-2,3: the world, the flesh and the devil. See also: Conscience; 1Tim 1,5-11; 205ka (106l) Thy kingdom come >> Faith >> Hearing from God >> Purpose of hearing from God >> To protect your faith (116d) Thy kingdom come >> Faith >> Working the grace of God >> Through worship >> Through His authority – Working the Grace of God is the greatest subject of this entire concordance. It explains everything wrong with our thinking about the gospel of Christ in this last days' apostasy. It exposes all our false doctrine and teaches us the right ways of God. Fighting the good fight of faith pertains to overcoming sin, being the essence of Spiritual warfare. Paul says it has to do with personal prophecies, not endtime prophecy, but prophecies that were specifically spoken over Timothy. This does not mean we can personalize a verse in the Bible and claim it as our own. These prophecies named over us are weapons given to fight the good fight of faith. Paul instructed Timothy to take these prophecies into prayer to receive further understanding and then integrate them into his faith, and by doing so he was working the grace of God. Paul spoke the prophecies over Timothy, yet Timothy still had to work with God before the prophecies could be fulfilled. It was by faith that Timothy received the prophecies, and it was by grace that he fulfilled them, yet there was an added component of Timothy's will that he supplied for God to complete His work in Timothy. That is, he had to cooperate with the Lord, or His grace would be in vain (2Tim 2-1). Sometimes we must pound our garden tools into weapons of righteousness (Joel 3-10) and turn from working the soil to fighting devils in spiritual darkness. We must work the grace of God into our lives in spiritual warfare, occurring all around us through satanic forces of wickedness that resist our faith in Christ. See also: Spiritual warfare; 152ia (127m) Thy kingdom come >> Manifestations of faith >> Goodness >> Rewards for doing good >> Clear conscience is the reward for doing good (152ia) Witness >> Validity of the Father >> Witnesses of the father >> Prophets >> The Church holds the position of a prophet >> Church operates under a prophetic anointing >> Delivering a prophetic message from God – Paul prophesied some things over Timothy, saying that he should use them as weapons to fight the good fight of faith. We too should fight to keep the words that God had spoken in our heart, and not hand them over to the demons, our spiritual enemies. We use the prophecies to protect us from unbelief, but the prophecies cannot protect us if we don't protect them. Prophecies are important, though they can be easily misused. We should not let go of the things that God has revealed to us; they are our life. See also: Spiritual warfare; 199e (155b) Witness >> Validity of the believer >> Witness of the believer >> Conscience >> Having a good conscience >> Conscience bears witness of our good behavior -- These verses go with verse 5 (162a) Works of the devil >> Carried away by the storms of the devil (199e) Denying Christ >> Man chooses his own destiny apart from God >> Rejecting Christ >> Throwing God away >> Renouncing your faith – For those who have received prophecy from the Lord, their faith is partially based on those things, but if they refused to walk in them as students of His word and disciples of prayer, they became shipwrecked in regard to their faith. While their faith was idle, their flesh was active, and they began living according to the dictates of the world, sabotaging their faith. The revelations they previously received were reduced to mere words they once believed. They now hold their faith in contempt as silly ideas they once entertained about God. They blasphemed the Holy Spirit, having denied receiving anything from the Lord, their faith reduced to a mere figment of the imagination, perhaps a spot of porridge in the craw. They were supposed to work the prophecies into their lives, fighting the good fight of faith to fulfill what He had promised, but now they see it as just a fairytale. See also: Spiritual warfare; 232g / Blasphemy leading to a reprobate mind; 1Tim 4-1,2; 164a (232g) Kingdom of God >> Pursuing the kingdom >> Seeking the kingdom >> Embrace (Jesus during the storm) >> Hold on to your faith – We are called to fight the good fight of faith through the prophecies previously made concerning us. A prophecy that is spoken over us is one of the weapons in our arsenal regarding spiritual warfare. The thing about prophecy is that we cannot put more confidence in them than the confidence we have in the person who prophesied over us. If a stranger prophesied over us, we cannot place any confidence in his words, since we don’t know the person, but if someone whom we know and trust prophesies over us, we can put confidence in his words, as Paul spoke over Timothy. Paul prophesied to Timothy regarding his life and ministry, which became a standard both in Paul’s mind and in Timothy. Everything else can change and sway with the currents of life, but the prophecies concerning Timothy were a fixed point, so long as he continued to believe them. When the devil came to Timothy with his doubt and unbelief, he could go back to the prophecies made concerning him and say, ‘No, this is my identity.’ The only way a person can have strong confidence in a prophecy is by people attending their local church for many years and have developed strong spiritual bonds with each other, so when the minister prophecies over his sheep, he is speaking as one who knows and cares for them. There are things they know about each other, and this knowledge is combined with the instruction of the Lord, so the person who receives the prophecy can attach strong confidence. During good times he can think about the prophecy, but when hard times hit, when the wind begins to blow and the waves pound against the fortress of his faith, he needs great confidence in all he knows and understands about God, and a stranger is simply not able to give that to him. See also: Spiritual warfare; 1Tim 1,18-20; 5b 1Tim 1-18 (72c) Authority >> Transferring authority >> Men delegate authority by obeying the word -- This verse goes with verses 3&4 KJV WEB / Navigation Bar 1Tim 1-19,20 (21b) Sin >> Disobedient to the call -- These verses go with verses 3-13 (186c) Works of the devil >> The result of lawlessness >> Blasphemy >> Cursing the Holy Spirit >> Lying to the Holy Spirit (188b) Die to self (Process of substitution) >> Separation from the old man >> Die to the flesh >> Dying to self keeps you on God’s course 1Tim 1-19 (154i) Conscience (Key verse) – Serving our conscience is equivalent to serving Christ. 1Tim 1-20 (65b) Paradox >> Anomalies >> God helps Satan >> God gives people over to Satan (65i) Paradox >> Anomalies >> Satan Glorifies God – Paul named certain men, handing them over to Satan that they might learn not to blaspheme. These men were Christians at one time, who suffered shipwreck in regard to their faith. The ship represents our faith, and if our faith is destroyed, then we go down with it, which makes God’s investment of grace in our lives in vain. Paul handed these men to Satan, some say by not praying for them, but it is more likely that Paul actively prayed that God would deal with them in a way that they cannot infect other people with their rancid beliefs. God uses the devil more often than we realize, being the reason Satan is here in the first place. We are in a strange situation in this life, a fallen world where Satan dwells. These circumstances are not ideal, nor are they coincidental but orchestrated by God. He wanted Satan here to use him to test us to make sure our faith is real (actually, we're the ones who need to know this) and to refine us like gold. (239l) Kingdom of God >> Pursuing the kingdom >> Pursuing the knowledge of the kingdom >> Teachers >> Let not many of you become teachers >> Teachers incur a stricter judgment -- This verse goes with verses 3-8 See next page