BACKGROUND-1-2 TIMOTHY
Timothy was a former missionary companion to Paul and accompanied him on his second missionary journey.
Paul is writing from prison in Rome. 1 Timothy was written during his first imprisonment, but then was released some time after. He left with Timothy and Titus on a teaching tour, but later Paul was arrested and imprisoned again. Paul writes 2 Timothy from Rome as well and It’s apparent that at that point, Paul is feeling that his death is imminent.
Timothy is at that time a church leader in Ephesus.
Timothy’s father was a Greek Gentile but had a Jewish mother and Grandmother
At the time of this letter, Timothy is young. How young, we don’t know.
BACKGROUND-TITUS
A Gentile converted by Paul himself
On that teaching tour between imprisonments, Paul traveled to Crete with Titus and placed him in charge of the church there to call local leaders and establish the church.
Paul’s counsel to a local church leader
ICEBREAKER
Fill a glass with water, put a skull and crossbones symbol on it, and maybe even add some red food coloring to heighten the effect.
Have the imagine that it was filled with a toxic, perilous poison.
How toxic is it? If you were to swallow it, it would cause paralysis and death within minutes. If it were to get on your skin, it would cause permanent damage. In fact, it is so toxic that if you even breathe in the fumes, it will cause lung damage.
Q:How would you handle it?
A: Not at all. Stay as far away from it as possible. And if I absolutely had to handle it, I would protect myself.
Bring out a pair of gloves, safety goggles, maybe a respirator mask, or even a hazmat suit. In that scenario, you would do anything in your power to keep yourself safe.
Q: Do you treat the things the prophets tell us are dangerous in the same way? Why or why not?
SEARCH
Q: Paul uses a very interesting word to describe the Latter-days in 2 Timothy 3:1? What is it?
A: Perilous. We live in perilous or dangerous times. And then Paul is going to give us a huge list of what make our day and age so dangerous.
Q: What kinds of things make the last days so perilous (dangerous)?
Read 2 Timothy 3:2-5
So what makes the last days so perilous? Not medical epidemics, but moral epidemics, not politics, but pride, not disasters, but dishonesty and disobedience, not global warming, but global wickedness, not natural disasters, but spiritual disasters. We should be much more worried about the spiritual calamities of the latter days, not the physical ones. I mean, if I die in a terrorist attack, or a plane crash, or a hurricane, I just die. I get my transfer to the Spirt world a little earlier than I would prefer. But if one of these spiritual disasters gets me, and I die spiritually, I lose my faith, my commitment to righteous living, well that could affect my eternity. It’s a much bigger deal. Paul counsels us to turn away from such things.
Remember that 1 and 2 Timothy and Titus are written to church leaders who are striving to lead their flocks to righteous action and faith. There are two major themes that I see in these books. The things that will help people to endure the perilous times, and the things that will hinder, or hurt people in these perilous times.
WHAT KINDS OF THINGS WILL NOT HELP US IN PERILOUS TIMES
1TIMOTHY
1:4 Fables, endless genealogies, things which minister questions.
1:6 vain janglings
4:1 seducing spirits, doctrines of devils
4:7 profane and old wives fables
6:4 doting about questions and strifes of words, envy, strife, railings, evil surmisings
6:5 Perverse disputing of men of corrupt minds, destitute of truth
2 TIMOTHY
2:4 entangleth himself with the affairs of this life.
2:14 strive about words to no profit
2:16 profane and vain babblings
2:18 erred concerning the truth, overthrow faith
2:23 foolish and unlearned questions, gender strifes
3:7 ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth
4:3 lusts, heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears.
4:4 turned unto fables
TITUS
1:9 Gainsayers
1:10 unruly, vain talkers, deceivers
1:14 Fables, commandments of men that turn from the truth
3:9 foolish questions, genaologies, contentions, strivings about the law, for they are unprofitable, vain
Q: Does that look like the description of anything in our world today? Where do we find vain janglings, babblings, the profane, things that gender strife, seducing spirits, the perverse disputing of men of corrupt minds, foolish things, things that entangle us in the affairs of this life and the popular opinions of the day. Things that overthrow faith and minister questions.
A: It’s the Internet! Right! It’s Social Media! It’s Television, and Movies. It’s Reddit, and Instagram, and Facebook, and Fake News, and Anti Faith, anti family, anti virtue material.. They are filled with things that incite anger, and contention, and debate, and questioning. The Internet is pregnant with foolish, and seductive, and deceiving things.
If you wish to survive the perilous poisons of the latter days, it is absolutely essential that you minimize your exposure to the vain janglings, babblings, and seducing spirits of our age. And access to much of that material is right in the palms of our hands, and in our briefcases, and on our desktops. The screens of Sodom are all around us. Now I’m not saying that everything on the Internet and Social Media and Television is all bad. But I’m willing to bet that 90% of what we find in those places fits this description.
APPLY
Q: How much time do I spend in that world?
Q:How much time am I exposed to this sort of contamination?
Q:Am I being slowly poisoned?
Q: What should you do with those things? You tell me! Look at the following verses for your answer:
1 Timothy 6:5 withdraw thyself
2 Timothy 2:23 avoid
2 Timothy 3:5 turn away
WHAT KINDS OF THINGS WILL HELP US ENDURE PERILOUS TIMES
1Timothy
1:3 No other doctrine
1:4 Godly edifying
1:5 Charity, Pure heart, good conscience, faith unfeigned
1:10 sound doctrine.
4:6 nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine
4:12 Be thou an example of the believers in word, conversation, charity, spirit, faith, purity. Be a force for good in the world. Stand as a witness at all times, in all things, and all places.
4:13 Reading, exhortation, doctrine
4:15 Meditate on these things, give thyself wholly to them
4:16 Take heed unto the doctrine
6:3 Wholesome words, words of Lord Jesus Christ, the doctrine which is according to godliness
2 Timothy
1:13 Hold fast the form of sound words which you’ve heard of me (prophets) given in faith and love.
1:14 Keep that good thing which was committed unto thy by the Holy Ghost.
3:10 Fully known the doctrine
3:15-17 THE SOURCE-Scriputres, make you wise unto salvation through faith, inspiration of God, profitable for doctrine, reproof, correction, instruction in righteousness, that we can become more perfect, good works.
4:2 exhort with long-suffering and doctrine
4:3 they will not endure sound doctrine
Titus
1:9 Sound doctrine
1:13 Sound in the faith
2:1 Sound doctrine
2:7 doctrine
2:8 Sound speech
2:10 adorn the doctrine
APPLY
Q: How much time did you spend here? (Things that will not help list)
Q: And then, how much time did you spend here? (Things that will help list)
Q: Do you need to make an adjustment?
Q: Will you make an adjustment?
If you want to endure the perilous times, turn to the right sources. Spend a majority of your time with the right sources.
The words of the prophets, the promptings of the Spirit, and of course, the scriptures. If you stick to sound doctrine over the vain and profane babblings of our age, I believe that you will one day be able to say what Paul said near the end of his life in 2 Timothy 4:6-8:
READ
2 Timothy 4:6-8
HOW TO HANDLE TOUGH QUESTIONS ABOUT PAUL
It may not be translated correctly.
There may be an alternate translation of certain words.
Perhaps we are just misinterpreting the intent of the writer.
We follow a Living Prophet
Don’t judge their age and culture, by our age and culture. Prophets are also a product of their time.
PHILEMON STUDY QUESTIONS
All of the answers can be found in the Book of Philemon itself, or in the Bible Dictionary under Pauline Epistles/Epistle to Philemon on page 746 at the back of your Church edition of the Bible.
Who was Onesimus?
a) A Jewish Pharisee whom Paul had reprimanded for false teaching.
b) A former slave, belonging to Philemon, who had robbed him and run away.
c) A former missionary companion of Paul’s the was sent to deliver his epistle to the Colossians.
d) Timothy’s grandfather who had taught him to love the scriptures
What had happened to Onesimus while away from Philemon’s household?
a) He had met Paul and had been converted to the Gospel
b) He had made a journey to Jerusalem to speak with Peter
c) He had been arrested by the Jewish council and whipped
d) He had testified against Paul, sending him back to prison in Rome
What counsel did Paul give to Onesimus?
a) To give up his false teachings and return to sound doctrine.
b) To flee the Roman Empire and pursue his freedom.
c) To deliver a letter to the Corinthians
d) To return to his master and ask for forgiveness.
What counsel did Paul give to Philemon? (Mark all that apply)
a) To acknowledge that all good things come from Christ
b) To receive Onesimus back as not only a servant, but a brother
c) To receive Onesimus as if he were Paul himself
d) To prepare a room for him in case he got out of prison and could visit
Find all the words suggesting “brotherhood" in the verses below and fill in the blanks
:1 Timothy our _______________
:1 Philemon our _________ ___________
:1 and fellow_____________
:2 Archippus our fellow______________
:7 because the bowels of the saints are refreshed by thee, ______________
:10 I beseech thee for my _______ Onesimus
:16 Not now as a servant, but above a servant, a ___________ ___________
:17 If thou count me therefore a ______________
:20 Yea, _________, let me have joy of thee in the Lord
:23 There salute thee Ephaphras, my fellow______________
:24 Lucas, my fellow_______________.
How do you interpret vs. 8-9?
What was Paul willing to do for Onesimus according to vs :18-19?
What message does the Book of Philemon teach you?
POSSIBLE LESSONS
forgiveness
fellowship and brotherhood
conversion
sacrifice to do the right thing
honesty
giving up personal gain to help another person
God and his prophets care about the ONE
To me, that’s the message of the book of Philemon, God knows you, God loves you, and you are of infinite worth as an individual in Christ’s Church
You just copy and paste it from this page to wherever you want it. Like to a Word document. Then you can print it out.
how do I print a copy of this week's lesson?