Titus 1: good leaders in a new church

Titus was in Crete, establishing a new church. Note that it was different from Timothy dealing with a well established church in Ephesus. Paul knew there were some false teachers there preaching asceticism, focusing on genealogies, Jewish myths and commandments, etc. It was necessary to have good leaders in the new church.

5-9 I left you in charge in Crete so you could complete what I left half-done. Appoint leaders in every town according to my instructions. As you select them, ask, “Is this man well-thought-of? Is he committed to his wife? Are his children believers? Do they respect him and stay out of trouble?” It’s important that a church leader, responsible for the affairs in God’s house, be looked up to—not pushy, not short-tempered, not a drunk, not a bully, not money-hungry. He must welcome people, be helpful, wise, fair, reverent, have a good grip on himself, and have a good grip on the Message, knowing how to use the truth to either spur people on in knowledge or stop them in their tracks if they oppose it.

The leaders should have a good reputation from a good character. How come this good reputation? From the way he deals with his spouse and children, from his everyday life. In our society, leaders are chosen by his curriculum and not by their everyday lives. What is done inside the house, in secret, is very important to the Lord.

2 Timthy 4: Paul is about to be executed.

Paul is in Rome facing trials. He is about to be executed by Nero. Some "friends" left him and some opposed him. Perhaps, if I were Paul, I would ask: "was my life worthwhile"? However, Paul says to Timothy:

6-8 You take over. I’m about to die, my life an offering on God’s altar. This is the only race worth running. I’ve run hard right to the finish, believed all the way. All that’s left now is the shouting — God’s applause! Depend on it, he’s an honest judge. He’ll do right not only by me, but by everyone eager for his coming

or closer to the Greek:

8 in the future there is reserved for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing.

Paul is very sure that the Lord is on his side and that his life was worthwhile indeed. 

2 Timothy 3: from bad to worse

Paul in prison wrote to Timothy, the bishop of Ephesus:

1-5 Don’t be naive. There are difficult times ahead. As the end approaches, people are going to be self-absorbed, money-hungry, self-promoting, stuck-up, profane, contemptuous of parents, crude, coarse, dog-eat-dog, unbending, slanderers, impulsively wild, savage, cynical, treacherous, ruthless, bloated windbags, addicted to lust, and allergic to God. They’ll make a show of religion, but behind the scenes they’re animals. Stay clear of these people.

Everyone is very prone to sin, and to sin more and more. In a world that is getting more evil, Timothy will have to take tough decisions about himself and the church. Paul will soon die, but Timothy will find wisdom in the Scriptures:

14-17 But don’t let it faze you. Stick with what you learned and believed, sure of the integrity of your teachers—why, you took in the sacred Scriptures with your mother’s milk! There’s nothing like the written Word of God for showing you the way to salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. Every part of Scripture is God-breathed and useful one way or another—showing us truth, exposing our rebellion, correcting our mistakes, training us to live God’s way. Through the Word we are put together and shaped up for the tasks God has for us.

2 Timothy 2: be strong in the grace

Paul is in a prison. Timothy is a bishop and the church is facing problems: some are preaching heresies there. Timothy must confront these preachers but Timothy is young and he is a little timid. Can Timothy deal with his mission? We read:

1 You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.

"be strong" came from Endynamoō which means: "be continually strengthened" or "allow yourself to be empowered". Paul is not asking Timothy to trust in himself, to be strong using his power, Paul is asking Timothy to trust in Jesus's power. "Be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus" is a command to us, Christians, today.

2 Timothy 1: Paul is near death in a prison.

 Paul is in a prison for the second time in Rome. Nero is Caesar. He is near death. We read:

11-12 This is the Message I’ve been set apart to proclaim as preacher, emissary, and teacher. It’s also the cause of all this trouble I’m in. But I have no regrets. I couldn’t be more sure of my ground—the One I’ve trusted in can take care of what he’s trusted me to do right to the end.

Imagine that Paul were not certain about his resurrection after death, would he be in peace in prison? Probably he were thinking about if what he has done was right or wrong. However, Paul trusted in Jesus and received the treasure/gospel that he was obliged to preach.

1 Timothy 6: Guard the treasure

Paul wants Timothy to conduct the church in Ephesus, but he advises Timothy:

11-12 But you, Timothy, man of God: Run for your life from all this. Pursue a righteous life—a life of wonder, faith, love, steadiness, courtesy. Run hard and fast in the faith. Seize the eternal life, the life you were called to, the life you so fervently embraced in the presence of so many witnesses.

What is to "seize the eternal life"? I, as a modern man, think that I am saved / have eternal life; so let us move on to the next chalange. Certainly Paul didn't think that the eternal life was some kind of "solved problem" when he said "take hold of the eternal life". The eternal life is very different from our normal life; it is a life of fight against our "normal" way of thinking. In the eternal life, Jesus is the king not me. 


Paul ends the letter:

20-21 And oh, my dear Timothy, guard the treasure you were given! Guard it with your life. Avoid the talk-show religion and the practiced confusion of the so-called experts. People caught up in a lot of talk can miss the whole point of faith.


What is to guard the treasure? It is to protect the message, the gospel as it was being corrupted by some influencers in the church of Ephesus. Even today, it is very common that a person who doesn't belong to Jesus wants to appear as smart talking about religion. The gospel is not about me , it is about our Lord Jesus.

1 Timothy 5: No magic in the church

Timothy was some kind of bishop. He had to manage leaders in the church:

17-18 Give a bonus to leaders who do a good job, especially the ones who work hard at preaching and teaching. Scripture tells us, “Don’t muzzle a working ox” and “A worker deserves his pay.”
19 Don’t listen to a complaint against a leader that isn’t backed up by two or three responsible witnesses.
20 If anyone falls into sin, call that person on the carpet. Those who are inclined that way will know right off they can’t get by with it.
21-23 God and Jesus and angels all back me up in these instructions. Carry them out without favoritism, without taking sides. Don’t appoint people to church leadership positions too hastily. If a person is involved in some serious sins, you don’t want to become an unwitting accomplice. In any event, keep a close check on yourself. And don’t worry too much about what the critics will say. Go ahead and drink a little wine, for instance; it’s good for your digestion, good medicine for what ails you.

As the Spirit was moving in the church, one could think that the Spirit would do some kind of magic. For instance, whenever a leader were falsely accused, the accuser would be killed by the Spirit. When Timothy, as a bishop, were ill, then no need for medicine: the Spirit should heal him. 

However, reading this passage, I thought that this advice had a lot of common sense as if there were no kind of magic in the church. 

We, human beings, are subject to the Lord rules and many rules are to be applied equally to all mankind. The Lord wants that his people love Him and love each other. Love is an alignment of our heart with the Lord's heart. This alignment make us think and take actions, as for instance, take medicine when ill, or to judge others with no partiality.