New Testament Study Guides - ElectronicGospel

THEMES
The three major themes in these three books are the organization of the
local church, the minister’s personal morality and dealing with false teachers
within the church.
Besides the many personal notes from Paul to these young friends, Paul
gives them the authority to preach the gospel and to encourage the
organization of the local congregation with elders and deacons. Both men
are instructed in the qualities necessary to both offices, along with the
qualities that the wives of such men must possess. The two lists (First
Timothy 3: 1-13, Titus 1:5-9) can be harmonized although they are not
identical. Elders, along with the preachers, were specially charged to
respond to the teaching of error, and that response was to be very forceful.
Paul spends a great deal of useful time in instructing the young men on
how to relate to various members of the church, charging them to maintain
their purity especially with the young sisters. Paul reminds them that their
behavior will have great influence and effect on the church as a whole,
including its image in the community.
The letters also contain an element of prophecy, in predicting that many
will fall away from the true faith while maintaining some social connection
to it. Timothy and Titus are exhorted to study the Scriptures and persist in
preaching the word in season and out. The gospel era, or “last days,” would
be marred by love of self, money and other modern idols that would
provoke false doctrines and corrupted churches.
Specific errors are mentioned and the proponents are even named. One
involves the notion that the resurrection had already passed. False teaching
is compared to a cancer that must be confronted and not tolerated.
Paul prepares Timothy and Titus for persecution that will always follow
when one is living godly in Christ Jesus. Timothy especially seems to have
suffered from some stomach ailment and this might have been exacerbated
by the stresses of his work. Paul seems concerned that his youth will cause
him to be too timid in dealing with error.
The various roles of men and women are touched upon in the first letter
to Timothy, leading to doctrines regarding male public prayer leadership and
modesty of female attire. Care for widows is considered and the rich are
reminded to be generous in sharing with all in need. Later, in writing to
Titus, Paul takes the time to delineate the behavior that is respectable for
members of different groups–older men, younger men, older women,
younger women and bondservants.
Paul’s last written words are included in the end of Second Timothy, as
he was waiting to be executed by the Roman government (1:8, 16-17). Luke,
the writer of Paul’s biography in the book of Acts, was with him (4:11), and
Paul anticipated his death as a bittersweet transition to eternity. His
confident words have formed the hopeful thoughts of millions of souls who
have lived since.