Top 7 Bible Verses From The Book Of 1 Timothy

Here are seven important Bible verses from the Book of 1st Timothy.

First Timothy 1:3-4 “As I urged you when I was going to Macedonia, remain at Ephesus so that you may charge certain persons not to teach any different doctrine, nor to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies, which promote speculations rather than the stewardship from God that is by faith.”

The very first letter written to Timothy was when Paul was in prison (again!) and wanted to make sure the church’s teaching stayed pure because Paul already knew that “certain persons, by swerving from these, have wandered away into vain discussion, desiring to be teachers of the law, without understanding either what they are saying or the things about which they make confident assertions” (1st Tim 1:6-7). These “different doctrines” are simply myths which lead to endless speculations and these lead nowhere good…and lead us away from focusing on Christ.

First Timothy 1:15 “The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost.”

Paul humbly declared himself the foremost of sinners. Why would he write such a thing? He says “I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life” (1st Tim 1:16), even though, as Paul writes, I was “formerly I was a blasphemer, persecutor, and insolent opponent. But I received mercy because I had acted ignorantly in unbelief, and the grace of our Lord overflowed for me with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus” (1st Tim 1:13-14), but weren’t we all in the very same situation before we put our trust in Jesus Christ?

First Timothy 2:1-2 “First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way.”

Why should we pray for those who are in “high positions” if they’re corrupt? So that we might lead a peaceful, quite life, and besides, “This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth” (1st Tim 2:3-4). If we are praying for our leaders, as we’re told to do so, perhaps some might come to saving faith in Christ and a more stable society might follow. One in which others might be saved and which is also what God’s desire is (2nd Pet 3:9). That should be our desire too as Jude writes, “have mercy on those who doubt; save others by snatching them out of the fire; to others show mercy with fear, hating even the garment[g] stained by the flesh” (Jude 1:22-23).

First Timothy 2:5-6 “For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time.”

Paul writes as if quoting right out of the Book of Hebrews by declaring that there is only one Mediator between us and God and that’s Jesus Christ. This Man gave Himself for a ransom from the god of this world (2nd Cor 4:3-4) so Paul “renounced disgraceful, underhanded ways. We refuse to practice cunning or to tamper with God’s word” (2nd Cor 4:2a) which is still happening today. There are not many paths. There is only one true path to God and it must be through Jesus Christ (John 6:44; Acts 4:12).

First Timothy 3:2-3 “Therefore an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money.”

The qualifications that Paul gives Timothy (and us) for pastors are nearly the same qualifications for that of a deacon, as Paul writes “Deacons likewise must be dignified, not double-tongued, not addicted to much wine, not greedy for dishonest gain. They must hold the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience” (1st Tim 3:8-9). In both cases, he “must not be a recent convert, or he may become puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil” (1st Tim 3:6).

First Timothy 4:1-2 “Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons, through the insincerity of liars whose consciences are seared.”

I would suggest that this has already happened and that it’s getting worse, day by day. They have not only departed from the faith but came up with an entirely different faith. Sadly, it’s not the saving faith of grace alone in Christ alone (Eph 2:8-9) but some, for example, “forbid marriage and require abstinence from foods that God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth” (1st Tim 4:3). Others decree that the Holy Days should be observed and certain “unclean” foods be avoided. That is a departure from the biblical gospel.

First Timothy 4:12-13 “Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity. Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching.”

No one would despise the Prophet Daniel and yet he was simply a teen that was powerfully used by God in Babylon but also Joseph, the young boy who was sold into captivity and then later imprisoned without a cause. God did some mighty work through these young men and their testimony lives on today to prove it as their accounts are recorded in Scripture. God used the evil done to them for the ultimate good of Israel (Gen 50:20).

Conclusion

The First Book of Timothy is an excellent read for our times because they aren’t just departing from the saving faith found in Jesus Christ alone, they are requiring others to keep certain rituals to be saved. Then there is the other extreme; everything is lawful so anything goes. Paul shows us the thick, not thin line between these two extremes. And that is to live in obedience to Jesus’ commands, live a life pleasing to God, and seek out those who are lost so that God might use us as a means to save others.

Article by Jack Wellman

Jack Wellman is Pastor of the Mulvane Brethren Church in Mulvane Kansas. Jack is also the Senior Writer at What Christians Want To Know whose mission is to equip, encourage, and energize Christians and to address questions about the believer’s daily walk with God and the Bible. You can follow Jack on Google Plus or check out his book Teaching Children the Gospel available on Amazon.