1Thessalonians: Biography of a Life: Timothy's Influence

But his father was a Greek. Which was well reported of by the brethren that were at Lystra and Iconium. Him would Paul have to go forth with him and took and circumcised him because of the Jews which were in those quarters for they knew all that his father was a Greek.

Now let's turn over to 1st Timothy chapter 1 Verse 1 Paul an apostle of Jesus Christ by the commandment of God our Savior and Lord Jesus Christ our hope unto Timothy my own son and that's really my genuine child in the faith. Now 2nd Timothy chapter 1 Verse 2 says to Timothy my dearly beloved son grace mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord I thank God whom I serve from my forefathers with pure conscience that without ceasing I have remembrance of thee in my prayers night and day. Greatly desiring to see thee being mindful of thy tears that I may be filled with joy when I call to remembrance the unfamed faith that is in thee which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois and thy mother Eunice and I am persuaded that in thee also.

Turn over to chapter 3 verses 14 and 15 but continue thou in the things which thou has learned and has been assured of knowing of or from whom thou has learned them and that from a child thou has known the Holy Scriptures which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. Now while I'm here I might as well read the next two verses. All Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine for reproof for correction for instruction in righteousness that the man of God may be perfect or complete throughly or completely furnished unto all good works.

Now maybe we'll read the references in 1st Thessalonians that we do have 1st Thessalonians chapter 1. 1st Thessalonians 1 and 1 Paul and Silvanus and Timotheus unto the church of the Thessalonians which is in God the Father and in the Lord Jesus Christ. Chapter 3 and verse 1. Wherefore when we could no longer forbear we thought it good to be left at Athens alone and sent Timotheus our brother and minister of God and our fellow laborer in the gospel of Christ to establish you and to comfort you concerning your faith. Then he mentions again in verse 6 but now when Timotheus came from you unto us and brought us good tidings of your faith and charity and that you have good remembrance of us always and so on.

So we're going to look a little bit at Timothy. At his life, at his influence and there's an expression that I have read here a man of God. Timothy is the only one in the New Testament who is given that description.

He is mentioned in 1st Timothy chapter 6. O thou man of God. So what's a man of God? Somebody who can quote a few chapters? Somebody who can preach eloquently? What is a man of God? This is not an elderly man we're talking about. This is a young man.

A man of God. I think if you go back into the Old Testament in 1st Kings chapter 13 there's a beautiful story. In a time of apostasy.

In a time when King Jeroboam had instituted a rival worship. An idolatrous rival worship. And there's a man that's never named but he's just called a man of God.

A man of God came out of Judah to speak for God. To the people of God who were departing from God. And so a man of God.

That expression seems to be brought into the picture in a time of departure. Seems to be always in that context. When others are taking an easier route.

When others are defecting. Here's someone who is a man of God. A man who stands for God.

A man who has a companionship with God. A man who walks with God. And Timothy is called a man of God.

And so I basically would like to appeal to you at whatever age you are. But maybe especially if you're younger. That you would set your heart to be a man of God.

And you might say well that's pretty tough. It's one thing to just hang around with the Christians and sort of stay in the fold. But to be willing to stand out among the Christians.

As someone who is completely devoted to God and his things. But I want to give you at least a little glimpse of his life. And also some of the counsel that Paul gives to him.

That would enable him to be maintained as a man of God. So in these passages in Acts chapter 16 where we read to start with. We're really introduced to him and he's already a disciple.

So how did he get to be a disciple? I think the other verses that I read would let us know that he was a convert of Paul. Paul calls him my beloved son. There's a very, very close bond.

I would suggest that he probably was saved when Paul came to that area in Acts chapter 14. On his first missionary journey. He was one of those converts.

Says that he was a certain disciple. He was a son of a certain woman who was a Jewess and believed. Again, the additional descriptions that were given to him in the epistle to Timothy.

Let us know that he probably came from a divided home. We would say an unsaved father. So he didn't have ideal circumstances.

But he did have a mother. And before that, there's mention of a grandmother. So again, here are some of the foundations.

That may be hidden from public view. But the hidden root or source for a life that becomes marked as a man of God. He had a grandmother.

Who had a genuine faith. A mother. And it seemed that through them, there was this will to bring the knowledge of God to that little boy.

And from an infant, he knew the scriptures. It seems obvious that he didn't get that encouragement or example from his father. Maybe you don't have the best example for you.

Maybe you don't have everything as a support to you for your spiritual development. But here are the important foundations for faith and faithfulness. Now, it seems very clear when you come to Acts chapter 16 that he had an excellent testimony.

It says he was well reported of by the brethren. And so then Paul, as he looks upon this young man, he says, I want him with me. Now, it is wonderful when you are a young Christian to have encouragement.

To have someone older who notices you and cares about you and how you're doing. I look back at my own experience to one servant of the Lord in particular, Mr. Daugherty. Who was to a number of us in northern Ontario like a father in the faith.

He spent a lot of time around our area in gospel series and so on in teaching. And he always had some little personal thing to say. He had an individual interest in us.

And I remember when he began sort of a mission. The assemblies where I grew up in had been established for quite a number of years. The assembly in Earlton, I think, was the first in that area, which was maybe around 1907.

The assembly in Charlton was somewhere around 1921 or 1922. The assembly in Englehart in the 1930s. Kirkland Lake was somewhere in the late 30s or early 40s.

And so by the time I came on the scene in the 1950s, I just grew up in these assemblies that were always there. But one of the things Mr. Daugherty became concerned about was that there had not been anyone raised up from among those assemblies to take the gospel further into the north. So he began this little mantra, a preacher from the north for the north.

And he would repeat that. Now, he never ever said anything, as far as I know, he never said anything directly to any of us who are younger. But this was something that he was becoming, you know, this was a little bit of his stump speech.

Well, eventually there were three. Three of us in a relatively short period of time who ended up in the Lord's work. Murray Pratt, my cousin, who I ended up working with in the north.

My brother David, who started out in the north and ended up in the far south in Chile. And so there was an influence from a previous generation. That's what I'm getting at.

And so those of you who are older, do you have a burden for the condition of things? For the progress or lack of progress of the gospel and of assembly testimony? Start praying. Start giving encouragement to those who can become men and women for God in our day. God raises up the help that is needed for the time that we are in.

We need to believe that. And so Timothy came into, he wasn't, you might say, a leader in the same sense that the Apostle Paul. And I take a little bit of encouragement from that, even for myself, because I definitely was not a leader either.

My older brother David was definitely a leader. And my cousin Murray more in evangelism. I was happy to help.

I was kind of a bit of a leaner rather than a leader. We don't all have to be the spark plug. We don't have to be the initiator, but we need initiators.

But we can be those who are willing to become partners in that work. To support it, to strengthen it, and to work with those who may have that capacity to be that spark plug. And so here he is.

He has become a godly young man. But the Apostle Paul, as he comes along, he comes to this conclusion. Now there's some other verses which I didn't read in 1 Timothy 4. Verse 14 and 2 Timothy 1 and 6. That when you put those together, clearly suggests that the Spirit of God singled out Timothy.

There was a prophetic declaration about him. Paul laid his hands on him. He became someone who in a sense commissioned him in the work.

And then it mentions the laying on of hands of the overseers. So there was clearly a recognition of a suitability. There was an impulse from the Spirit of God in that time period to bring this man into the service of the Lord.

To push him into that sphere. And there were those who were on the human level, those who fellowshiped with him in partnership for his commendation. So I've just given you just a little bit of Timothy's circumstances of his upbringing, his conversion, and this call to full-time work from this section.

But one of the things that becomes very clear, and I'm just going to take it in the order that I believe it is historically. So we're going to go back to 1 Thessalonians now. 1 Thessalonians.

And we have this reference in chapter 3 to Timothy being sent back. And I am not completely clear on the exact time period. When you read certain commentaries, they'll give you suggestions as to what year it was and so on.

And there's certainly variations. My Newberry Bible gives certain dates, which others don't always agree with. So I'm just going to suggest to you that, and this is what I'm going to particularly emphasize in the life of Timothy.

Is that Timothy was entrusted with visiting assemblies that were in trouble, that had difficulties, that were under pressure. Now that tells me a lot about Timothy. That Paul, as an older man, and a man who had been involved in the founding of these assemblies, was confident in a man who was relatively young.

Again, I don't know how old Timothy was. He may have still been in his 20s at this time. He may be in his 30s by the time Thessalonica is involved.

But he was young. And Paul had this confidence in him that he could send Timothy back to encourage them, to stabilize them, and to find out how they're doing. And so I would suggest that Timothy was sent to Thessalonica first, then sometime later.

I'm just going to give you the suggested dates that I have come up with, and they may not be accurate. Possibly around AD 52 to 53, in that time frame for Thessalonica. And in Corinth, possibly about AD 59.

I can't be dogmatic about that. And when we come to Philippi, because he was sent to Philippi as well, in a time of their distress. Possibly around AD 63, because by that time Paul is in prison.

And then the last one, which seems to be the most extensive time of his ministry, was to do with the assembly at Ephesus. And it would overlap, or follow along with Philippi, in AD 64. And then finally, in the last message of Paul, the second epistle to Timothy, possibly AD 67, right at the end of his life.

And so Timothy was entrusted with a commission to go and help. And so in Thessalonica, it was largely of encouragement, in view of the persecution that was there. When we come to Corinth, I'm just going to read these quickly with you.

A reference in 1 Corinthians chapter 4. What was going on in Corinth was, instead of the assembly appreciating Paul as their father in the faith, and being obedient, submissive to his teaching, and appreciating him as their father and instructor, they thought they had outgrown him. There was pride. There was also a lot of other carnality in their midst.

Immorality. So in 1 Corinthians 4, here's what he says. Verse 14.

Wherefore I beseech you, be ye followers of me. Paul has to plead with them to respect him enough to listen to his ministry. But then he says, For this cause have I sent unto you Timotheus, who is my beloved son.

My beloved son. And faithful in the Lord, who shall bring you into remembrance of my ways which be in Christ, as I teach everywhere in every church. So how would you feel if you were Timothy? Maybe sending that, carrying that letter with you.

Coming into an assembly where there was an atmosphere of contempt among at least some of them towards Paul and those who were associated with Paul. He was coming into quite a challenging environment. And yet the apostle had this confidence in him.

And he wanted to send him as a model for them to look at and to follow. I hope that there are those here and in the other assemblies that are being represented here. There are those who are not looking for a place for yourself.

But you are seeking to be an example that others can follow and be preserved in a pathway of obedience to the Lord. Now he makes one more reference to Timothy in chapter 16. I'll just read it quickly.

He says, Let me see, verse 10. Now if Timotheus comes, see that he may be with you without fear, for he worketh the work of the Lord as I also do. Let no man therefore despise him, but conduct him forth in peace, that he may come unto me, for I look for him with the brethren.

Now just from some of these glimpses, I get the impression that Timothy may have been a little bit of a quiet person. Not really a bold, forward kind of man. And Paul seemed to feel rather protective of him here.

Remember Paul, in his own natural temperament, he was a warrior. He was someone who would take people down. And Paul was afraid of that characteristic in himself.

In the second epistle, where he says, I beseech you that I may not be as I think to be when I come. He knew that in himself he could be very confrontational. He could confront them.

He could stare them down. And he's trying to tell them here, don't you dare. Don't you dare show contempt to Timothy.

So I just pick up these little glimpses of Timothy. That he wasn't the most forceful personality. But he was someone who was faithful.

We may not be the kind of people who are just ready to take on anything and anybody at any time. But God calls us to faithfulness, to stand for God. To stand for what God would want upheld among us.

Now, let's go then to Philippi, to Philippians. And there's some very precious things brought to us here. In Philippians chapter 2. Philippians chapter 2 is all about the mind of Christ.

The mind of the servant. Thinking of others. Not seeking our glory or our place.

And so he says in verse 19. But I trust in the Lord Jesus to send Timotheus shortly unto you, that I also may be of good comfort when I know your state. For I have no man like-minded who will naturally or genuinely care for your state.

For all seek their own, not the things which are Jesus Christ's. But you know the proof of him, that as a son with a father, he has served with me in the gospel. And therefore I hope to send presently, so soon as I shall see how it will go with me.

Now if you read the account in the book of the Acts. When they went to Philippi. Timothy is not even mentioned.

Timothy is in the background. It's Paul and Silas. But it seems evident from here that Timothy was there.

And those Philippian believers who are now enmeshed in internal friction and rivalry among them. But thankfully that had not translated into contempt for those who brought the gospel to them. There still seemed to be a closeness and an appreciation of Paul and Timothy and Silas who had brought the gospel to them.

So Paul is able to appeal to the assembly without that conflict between himself and them as he had to in Corinth. But he's able to encourage them as he speaks here. I'm going to send Timothy.

And as he expresses this beautiful commendation of Timothy. He says, I have no one. I have no one like Timothy.

No one who is like-minded. Now the word like-minded here doesn't really mean that he just thinks like I do. And you know he agrees with me and so I'm confident in sending him to you.

It really means of equal soul. He says, I have no one who has the same heart for you as Timothy does. And that heart for you is not determined just because I think so much of you as an individual.

But because I have the interest of Christ in my heart. And just as Paul had been self-sacrificing in his service among them. And they had seen Christ modeled in Paul's life.

So he says, Timothy will be just the same with you. Now, you know, I think back to my own experience again in new work. And Murray and I were cautious about who we invited to come and help.

It's not that we had favorites and we would say, well, you know, I like that preacher. So I'll get him to come and help us. We were young in the Lord's work.

And we were aware of the fact. I mean, when the work initially started, Brother Ken Moore was with us. He was an older brother in full-time service.

But he took ill and he wasn't able to continue. So he wasn't part of the work when it really developed. And the assembly was formed.

So we encouraged certain older brethren to come that were like fathers to us. That we trusted that they would never bring dissension and harm to the assembly. They wouldn't be there to just push their agenda or their pet doctrine or whatever it would be.

They had the people of God in their hearts. They would never bring harm or division. And that's what we see here in Timothy.

Someone who is so committed to the Lord's interests in the Lord's people. He will genuinely care. He will genuinely care for your state.

And it's really the same as the word things here or your interests or your needs. You know the proof of him. As a son with a father, he has served with me in the gospel.

And so we have that glimpse of him in Philippi. And then finally we come to Ephesus. And I'll just take a few glimpses of the first letter of Paul to Timothy.

1 Timothy chapter 1. So in Thessalonica there was an assembly that was suffering persecution. So their faith, the issue was the stabilizing, the encouragement of their faith. And Timothy was competent to go there and to help to stabilize and encourage them in their faith.

When you come to Corinth, there was an atmosphere of waywardness. The flesh manifesting itself. Of wickedness being tolerated in their midst.

And so there was a moving away on the level of morals and behavior. As well as certain elements of teaching. But it's primarily moral.

And Timothy is sent there. When you come to Philippi, it is strife and rivalry happening within the assembly. When it comes to Ephesus, it's perhaps the most difficult to deal with.

And that is doctrinal error. And so it says in 1 Timothy chapter 1 verse 3. Now the end of the commandment. And that's really the word charge again.

The aim of the charge is charity or love out of a pure heart. And of a good conscience. And of faith unfeigned.

And then he mentions some who have swerved away from this good conscience. And they have swerved into error. And teaching the law.

Again he repeats it in verse 18. This charge I commit unto thee, son Timothy. According to the prophecies which went before on thee.

That thou by them mightest war a good warfare. Holding faith and a good conscience. Which some having put away concerning faith have made shipwreck.

And then he mentions two men. Who have been part of that error. And so this is in the context of error in doctrine.

Now I've heard it said many times. That most of the problems that we have are not doctrinal. They're personality clashes.

Very often that's true. But that's I would say no longer true. We are also being influenced.

And affected by many different flavors of teaching. And part of that comes from the proliferation. Of the ways of getting information today.

And I remember back in Timmins. There was a brother in the assembly. Who hadn't been coming out all that much.

And I finally got to visit him. And spend a little time with him. And he brought out this sheaf of paper about that thick.

Of teaching that he had downloaded. Printed off from the internet. And he himself had started into doubts in a certain area.

And then he had decided he was going to search on that topic. Well of course you can get anything and everything. And he got to the point where he didn't know.

Whether he believed in God anymore. Or whether he could accept a God. It was really triggered.

It was triggered by eternal fire. Punishment and hell and so on. And I recognize that this is what we are up against today.

That we are getting our information. From people we don't even know. And we don't know all what they teach.

What they believe. So we need to have a lot more discernment. And care today.

Just recently there was a young sister. That brought a book that she had been reading. And she was kind of getting disturbed by it.

And so I had to point out some of the fundamental error. That was behind what she was disturbed by. Now thankfully when people hear the gospel clearly.

They have a foundation. But still very often. And I'm hearing this too often today.

That there are those who have become influenced. By somebody that they begin to follow. Listen to.

They start getting drawn. And they start thinking that the assembly doesn't know what it's talking about. That brethren are all uneducated.

They don't know doctrine. And they go off in the wrong direction. So we have this potential for a lot of problems.

Today. Timothy though he may have been a quiet man. He's given a mandate.

A charge. To hold the fort. To confront error.

To be forceful. To have this not taught. So this is part of what we have to be willing to do.

We can't be just simply good people. We have to confront what is wrong. And so this is part of the challenge.

That I see. The challenge of becoming men and women for God today. We have to be willing.

To face up to what is confronting us. In our world. And so.

I would like to just mention. That in first Timothy particularly. There is this critical connection made between.

Accurate. Teaching. And good behavior.

And that connection is simply this. That the truth of God. And in one place it's called the truth that is according to godliness.

The truth of God. Partakes of the character of God. It's not just academic and theoretical.

And it calls for. And works with a life. That has the characteristics that are given here in verse five.

In other words if we teach the word of God as it ought to be taught. This is what will be developed. In those who hear.

The aim of the charge is love. Out of a pure heart. And of a good conscience.

And of genuine or unhypocritical faith. And so truth. Is intended.

To translate into living. And that living is the life. Of Christ himself.

Which is love. But that love if it is going to be. Uncorrupted.

He says it must come out of a pure heart. It must come. Through a good conscience.

And it must have. An unhypocritical faith. So these are the elements that are emphasized.

In first Timothy. And there's a lot of. A lot of verses here.

That. That. Would be good to look at.

But I want to just. Mention a few from chapter four. And here's what he says.

From verse six down. In the context of the departure. That is mentioned in at the beginning of the chapter.

Some shall depart from the faith. Giving heed to seducing spirits. And doctrines of demons.

And so on. He says in verse six. If thou put the brethren in remembrance of these things.

Thou shalt be a good minister of Jesus Christ. Nourished up. In the words of faith.

And of good doctrine whereunto thou hast attained. But refuse profane and old wives fables. And exercise thyself.

Now I like. The word to train yourself. For that word exercise.

Train yourself rather unto godliness. For bodily training profits too little. But godliness is profitable unto all things.

Having promise of the life that now is. And of that which is to come. Now.

This is the. This is the. You might say that foundation or the core.

That we must have within ourselves. If we're going to be able to be men and women of god. And able to have this.

This edifying and stabilizing effect. Upon other believers. We must be nourished up.

We must grow and develop. In our own appreciation of god. We must be nourished in the truth ourselves.

And there's no other way around it. Than personal meditation. You need to get to know god.

You need to get to know his word. And to meditate in it. And as I look back in my own life.

I can only be thankful for the measure in which. As a young Christian. I began to devote myself.

To the meditation of the word of god. My only regret in a sense. Is that I haven't done more.

Whatever your personal circumstances are. It will be for your blessing. It will be for your equipping.

For your fitting. Your personal preservation. Your personal blessing in life.

What he emphasizes here. Is that godliness holds the promise of life. It is in godliness.

That there is happiness. That there is well-being. That there is stability and strength in your life.

And if you develop in this yourself. Then you will be able. To be that kind of influence.

On the believers that you know. And so that's the encouragement that he gives here. Verse 13 down relates.

Verse 12 is about being an example. Being a model for the believers. And then from verse 13 down.

It is in using your spiritual gift. And I would suggest that Timothy was gifted. As an evangelist.

He was gifted as a shepherd. He was gifted as a teacher. These elements are found in his life.

Now my time is almost gone. So I'm just going to make a couple of more comments. Let me read in 2nd Timothy chapter 3. Rather I already read it to you.

But just to remind you of it again. Paul is not going to be there much longer. Paul knows that his date with death.

Is about to happen. He is leaving Timothy his final charges. His final exhortations.

And he leaves them with this important emphasis. All scripture is given by inspiration of God. And is profitable for doctrine.

For understanding what is true. Understanding God's truth. It is profitable for correction.

For correcting what arises. Whether within ourselves or in others. And for instruction.

For correction and for instruction in righteousness. And the outcome is. That the man of God.

May be fitted. Equipped. Now this became very important to me personally.

Very early in the work in camp. The people that we had the joy of seeing. Turn to the Lord Jesus.

A lot of them had mixed up lives. Even in their early 20's and 30's. There was a lot of problems.

And I began to think. Am I equipped for this? Do I know how to counsel people? Do I know how to help people in their lives? This passage became very important for a foundation for myself personally. I need to know the word of God.

Because there is nobody. That knows the human soul and spirit as the maker of it. God holds a patent on life.

And I also learned. That in the areas in which God. Had taught me things.

About myself. About what is right. About the truth of God and so on.

In those areas. I was being fitted to help others. In similar need.

And so again. Take this. To heart.

Whatever your life experiences are. God is working in those life experiences. He is fitting you.

He is equipping you. So that you can be for him. A man.

A woman. Of God. May God bless us.