I am amazed at what we call “Christian” today. Paul would turn over in his grave if he saw what was called “Christian”. The persecutions he went through, the sufferings, the depravations and the sacrifices he made in his life would seem all for nothing.
He spent his converted life teaching people how to live the Christian life. If he wrote what is taught in our churches today, you would have only half a page and all it would say is, “You are saved by grace and the Ten Commandments are all abolished and you can eat anything you want. We are under no laws and you are free to live as you please because Jesus’ blood saves you.” But none of that is correct. It is all a lie. Paul wrote long and extensive letters explaining how to live the Ten Commandments. He wrote letters explaining how to live as Jesus lived: the perfect, sinless and Commandment keeping life.
However, the churches today surgically remove texts from their context and make them say whatever will bring the people, along with their money, into their fold. Paul “speaks in them of these matters. There are some things in them that are hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do the other Scriptures.” 2 Peter 3:16. Paul worked and sacrificed and consumed his own fortune until he had nothing left; to promote living the Ten Commandments. Just the opposite of churches today.
Let us listen to Paul as he explains how a Christian is to live.
1 Timothy 2:1 to 1 Timothy 3:16
First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, . . .
“For all people”. Not just your family or friends or close relatives or the church but “for all people”. That is hard. Our emotions are so wounded and out of control that we are not able to wrap our minds around the “all people” part. Pray for those we hate? Pray for those who have hurt us? Pray for the government we can’t stand? Pray for those paganistic leaders that are trying to destroy Christianity? YES!
. . . for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way.
So what are we to be praying for when we pray for those in government? “That we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way.”
Sure, but we want to get out and riot, protest and cancel those we don’t like. Oh, we, the Christians, are to lead a peaceful, quiet life, godly and dignified in EVERY WAY. Not much of that going on today in our churches. Actually, I think our churches would rather “get out the vote” instead of praying for our leaders.
For some reason, we Christians forget that God is still in control. We think that we must “help Him” to bring about what we think should be. However, the same God who set up kingdoms and removed them in the Old Testament, has not gone to sleep. He is still setting up and bring down governments as He sees best for our character development as Christians.
This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, …
You see, Paul didn’t say pray so you could know all the truth or a certain set of doctrine. He didn’t say pray that you would become wealthy or get a promotion, etc.. Most prayers in our churches are selfish and against the character of Jesus. But when we pray for others, our lives are changed into the character of Jesus.
. . . who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.
By praying for those you can’t stand or who hurt you or are driving the nation to the brink of destruction, you open up the door for the change you want God to correct. Jesus wants all your enemies to be saved. He wants all those who hurt you to be saved. He wants all people to be saved. That went against the Jewish church of his day. They thought you could only be saved through their church. That is why they hated Jesus who told the people to come to Him for salvation. Same today in our churches.
For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, . . .
Not your church. Not your pastor. Not your denomination. Not anyone. Only Jesus! Go to Jesus and let Him be your Savior.
. . . who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time.
Not just for your church, denomination or religion. He “gave Himself as a ransom for all”. Paul wanted to make very sure that Timothy understood that the church was not the only people Jesus died for. He died for the pagans also. He died that they might have eternal life. The Jews were to take that message to them, but became bigoted and self-righteous and closed salvation to the pagans.
For this I was appointed a preacher and an apostle (I am telling the truth, I am not lying), a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth.
Yes He was. The “Messiah” was for everyone. Paul was appointed a preacher and an apostle by Jesus Christ Himself. That is how we know there is no separate or different gospel preached to the Gentiles. Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever. (Hebrews 13:8). He and His gospel has not changed since Adam and Eve were kicked out of the Garden of Eden.
I desire then that in every place the men should pray, lifting holy hands without anger or quarreling; . . .
The church members then were doing what church members are doing today. Quarreling about who had the truth, who was of God, who had the proper rituals and rites and traditions. Paul was telling them that they “should pray, lifting holy hands”. And what were they to be praying and lifting holy hands about? Praise and thanksgiving that everyone could be saved! Wouldn’t that just be awesome?
. . likewise also that women should adorn themselves in respectable apparel, with modesty and self-control, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly attire, . . .
The devil is turning womanhood into a joke. Now a man can claim to be a woman. Drag shows are definitely anything but modest, respectable or under self-control. And look at the hair, gold and pearls with their costly attire! If we deny Jesus in this world, He will deny us. Stand up against sin.
. . . but with what is proper for women who profess godliness—with good works.
“What is proper for women”? The devil, starting with the “Women’s Rights” movement, has been destroying women and the family unit in our modern society. Society has been drastically declining since that movement. God set up the system necessary to produce humility and self-sacrifice in our lives in order to prepare us for Heaven. That system also produces the greatest good in humanity on earth.
Let a woman learn quietly with all submissiveness.
Starting with the woman, Eve, then migrating to her son, Cain, the attitude of rebellion against God became ingrained and passed down from generation to generation. A woman is more easily deceived than the man. Therefore, she needs to be in submission to her husband to learn self-control and humility.
I have found this concept in this prison ministry. At this point, 26 years in the ministry, only a very few women inmates take the book, “Change Your Life Biblically” seriously. I think two actually accomplished to the point of a certificate.
I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; rather, she is to remain quiet.
Following the command of God, Paul simply continues the admonition God gave to Eve with regards to her husband. The woman is more controlled by her feelings than a man. A man is more in control of his feelings. This also has to do with “authority”. There were women prophets in the Bible, but they did not have “authority” over a man. Our modern day prophet also was without authority over man. They simply spoke for God, yet, men could do what they wanted with that truth.
For Adam was formed first, then Eve; and Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived and became a transgressor.
Truth is always hard to accept. We are selfish people, born into sin. God knows what is best. But even Christians are not living in obedience to Jesus. Money and power are far more important to churches and denominations. Unless we live in obedience to God, and not to social norms, we will die eternally.
Yet she will be saved through childbearing—if they continue in faith and love and holiness, with self-control.
Paul now switches from discussing the role a woman is to act in her life and discusses the man. What is his role as husband?
The saying is trustworthy: If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task.
Substitute “overseer” for “man” or “husband”. The rules apply to all men. From the earliest days of a child he is to be taught these rules through example and instruction.
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.
There are a lot of husbands with a failing grade. We men need to pick up the banner that has fallen, trampled upon and torn, and lift it high in our lives for all to see.
He must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive, for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God’s church?
There a prisons full of men who can testify to the truth that their fathers did not manage “his own household well”. How sad. The sins of the fathers travel down to the third and fourth generation. And, of course, there goes the church. Since the parents are not submissive to Jesus, children are not taught to be submissive to the parents or society. All society is falling apart as we see today.
He must not be a recent convert, or he may become puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil.
It is really easy for a church to uplift a recent convert and tout them to show what their church can do. But after all the noise and show, the recent convert returns to his filth. Why? He was not taught to submit to Jesus.
Moreover, he must be well thought of by outsiders, so that he may not fall into disgrace, into a snare of the devil.
Christianity isn’t just to be flouted in church. It is to be lived in the midst of everyone you meet, work with and live with. But most Christians put on their “Christian” façade for church and then remove it when they get home.
Deacons likewise must be dignified, not double-tongued, not addicted to much wine, not greedy for dishonest gain.
Again, just replace “Deacons” with “men” and you get the point. I wonder how dignified men act at home? Are they “double-tongued”? How about that alcohol, drugs, sports and other selfish hobbies? Is work more important than family?
They must hold the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience.
That “mystery of the faith” is obedience. (Romans 1:5). Not much of that going around in our families and among men.
And let them also be tested first; then let them serve as deacons if they prove themselves blameless.
Few of us like “tests”. We don’t like being tested by others. An airplane pilot must be tested before receiving his license to fly passengers. They must “prove themselves blameless” in their flying. After all, you don’t want a pilot flying you and your family who is not perfect. So in our Christian lives. God expects us to be perfect in our lives so we don’t ruin the lives of others.
A young man used to have to prove his worth before a father would give his daughter in marriage to him. The young man had to prove that he could hold down a job and support the wife and family to be. That is why few families were divorced or separated in the “old” days. Now, a lot of marriages are “forced” because of an “oops”.
Their wives likewise must be dignified, not slanderers, but sober-minded, faithful in all things.
Back to wives. My mother was dignified. She fit all these points. Unfortunately, my father failed in all of them. Because of his example, so did I. Just to be fair, the attributes mentioned above for men is also applicable for women. It is about character building. In order to get to heaven we must have those attributes in our lives.
Let deacons each be the husband of one wife, managing their children and their own households well.
Back to men. Not much of that “one wife” thing going around. Remember, the moment you have intercourse you become “married” to that woman. We have a way to go in our lives, don’t we?
For those who serve well as deacons gain a good standing for themselves and also great confidence in the faith that is in Christ Jesus.
That they do. Do you want a “good standing” in Jesus? Now you know how to do it.
I hope to come to you soon, but I am writing these things to you so that, if I delay, you may know how one ought to behave in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, a pillar and buttress of the truth.
Of course the “church of the living God” back then is not in our churches today. We need to get back to “the household of God”, gathering in homes and helping each other to become men and women in the truths Jesus taught. You see, to be the “church of the living God”, you have to be living in the pillar and buttress of the truth Jesus taught: perfect, sinless and keeping the Ten Commandments for your eternal life.
Great indeed, we confess, is the mystery of godliness: He was manifested in the flesh, vindicated by the Spirit, seen by angels, proclaimed among the nations, believed on in the world, taken up in glory.
What a mystery! Jesus, the God who created the universe and everything in it, “was manifested in the flesh, vindicated by the Spirit, seen by angels, proclaimed among the nations, believed on in the world, taken up in glory.” Will you let Him manifest Himself in you?