Intro:
1. “When it was time, in the gracious plan of God, to proclaim the Gospel throughout the world, Paul was the special instrument chosen by God to lead the way in world missions…Paul’s missionary work made his very prominent in the Bible. In fact, outside of Jesus Christ, no person is more prominent in the NT than the Apostle Paul. [Butler]
2. It is always profitable and a delight to study one of Paul’s inspired letters.
3. The Introductional Lead.
Colossians 1:1 (NKJV)
1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timothy our brother,
I. First, the Testimonial of a man of God. 1:1-2a
A. The Author.
Paul – ðáõëïò a name, Nom, masc.
“At the head of the letter is the name “Paul,” used by the apostle in the Hellenistic-Roman world in place of the Jewish “Saul.” Jews in the Greek speaking areas took names which closely approximated to the sound of their Hebrew and Aramaic names.”
[Word Biblical Commentary]
Saul was his Hebrew name, and Paul was his Roman name, the Latin meaning “small.” This is in line with what we know about him (2 Cor. 10:10).
1. His Race – a full blooded Jew. Ac. 22:3/Phil.3:5
Being from the tribe of Benjamin, the tribe King Saul was from, it is understandable the he would be named Saul. This meant that he was circumcised on the 8th day (Phil.3:5), according to the instructions given to Abraham (Gen. 17:12), at which time he would have been given two names, Saul and Paul.
2. His Region – Tarsus, a city located some 10 miles inland from the Mediterranean Sea in south east central region of the Roman province of Cilicia. The province of Cilicia was located in the northwest end of the Mediterranean Sea (Ac. 21:39).
In the civil wars of Rome the city took Caesar’s side, which resulted in it becoming a “free city” that is, a city which had the privilege of self-government. Favor with Rome resulted in Roman citizenship for those in Tarsus. Thus, Paul could claim Roman citizenship (Ac. 22:25-28).
3. His Raising.
a. His Training – in Jerusalem under Gamaliel (Ac. 22:3)
b. His Trade - that of a tentmaker (Ac.18:3)
Stalker, “It was a rule among the Jews that every boy, whatever might be the profession he was to follow, should learn a trade, as a resource in time of need.
This was a rule with wisdom in it; for it gave employment to the young at an age when too much leisure is dangerous, and acquainted the wealthy and the learned in some degree with the feeling of those who have to earn their bread with the sweat of their brow.”
4. His Religion – he was no atheist; not a superficial religious person but one zealously immersed in Judaism (Gal. 1:14). His father was a Pharisee (Ac. 23:6), of which Paul also became (Phil. 3:5).
5. His Rejection of Christianity.
a. His Consenting – to Stephen’s death (Ac. 7:58)
b. His Condemning – Ac. 8:1-3; 9:1,13-14, 21; 22:4-5, 19-20; 26:10-11/Gal.1:13,23
I Cor. 15:9/I Tim. 1:13).
6. His Regeneration. Ac. 9:3-18
a. The Son of God was manifested to him.
b. The Sun was shinning brightly – it was noon. (Ac.22:6; 26:13) Even the sun shinning in its brilliance was nothing compared to the light of God’s glory!
c. The Sinner was near Damascus. 9:2
d. The Sparing mercy of God – if Paul got what he deserved he would have busted hell wide open!
e. The Speaking of Jesus. 9:4
He Confronted the sinner – “Saul, Saul why are you persecuting me?”
He Comforted the saints – by identifying Himself with the persecuted church.
He brought the sinner under Conviction – 9:4; 22:7; 26:14.
He Converted the sinner from death unto life.
B. The Apostle.
An apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God – the possessive genitive “Jesus Christ” shows who the apostle now belonged to (I Cor. 6:19). The preposition äéá with the genitive “the will” expresses that it was God’s will that Paul be an apostle (Gal. 1:15-16).
He was an apostle – one sent out on a mission by God.
1. Apostles are a Remnant.
a. Quantity – Twelve + 1 Mt. 19:28/Rev.21:14/2 Cor. 11:5)
b. Authority (Mt. 10:1-2)
c. Identity (Mt. 10:3-4)
2. The Requirements to be an apostle. Ac. 1:20-26
a. The Commission – directly from Jesus Himself (Jn.15:16/Gal.1:1)
b. The Resurrection – had to have literally seen Jesus Christ in His glorified body.
3. The apostleship was Reinforced by sign gifts – Ac. 2:43; 4:33; 5:12/2 Cor. 12:12.
4. The Retirement.
a. All apostles have Deceased.
(1) Their ministry and office was NOT Perpetual – this is indicated by the fact that the Epistles lay out qualifications for Bishops and deacons, but none for apostles.
(2) Their message is now Total – it was partial until 95 AD, when the Bible was completed. Paul’s last letter (2 Tim. 3:16); John’s last letter (Rev. 22:18).
b. Therefore, the sign gifts have also Ceased.
• Prohecies…I Cor. 13:8-10
• Tongues…I Cor. 14:20
Even during apostolic times it had to be: An earthly language; a judicial sign of judgment against Israel; with an interpreter; and exercised by men only in the local church.
• Miracles…the average person did not perform miracles – with two exceptions all the miracles done in the book of Acts were done by the apostles.
If miracles were done by everybody how could they be proof of apostleship?
2 Cor. 12:11-12
They were common place only during the Law (Moses and Joshua); the Prophets (Elijah and Elisha); and the fulfillment of the Law and Prophets (Jesus & apostles0.
• Healing….notice the progression.
35 AD – all were healed (Ac. 5:16)
57 AD – Paul could not heal a thorn in his flesh (2 Cor. 12:7)
60 AD – Paul leaves Epaphroditus sick (2 :25-28)
67 AD – Paul left Trophimus sick (2 Tim. 4:20)
History reveals that by the 2nd Century all such signs were completely gone, they did not come back until the cults.
5. Their Replacement.
a. The Message – completed written Word of God. 2 Tim. 3:16-17
b. The Messengers – all Christians (2 Cor. 5:17-21)
C. His Associate – and Timothy our brother.
Timothy reminds me of a postage stamp:
“The postage stamp sticks to its job. It is suck on the envelope and there it stays until it has reached its destination. The person, who lets the difficulties beat him, never arrives anywhere. A good messenger never gives up until he has delivered his message.
Second, the postage stamp goes where it is sent. Stick it on the envelope and it will go to Edinburgh or London or to Paris or Berlin. It did not matter where he was sent – he went. One of the great tests of any person is if he can really put his back into things that he does not want to do.”
I. First, his Conversion.
A. His Parents.
1. His mother was Eunice, a Jewish Christian. Ac. 16:1/ 2 Tim. 1:5
Eunice and her mother Lois were both devoted Jews who raised Timothy on the scriptures (2 Tim. 3:14-15). There is some debate whether they were actually saved or just religious. Did they lead Timothy to Christ or did Paul lead them all to Christ?
2. His father was a Greek. Ac. 16:1,3
Homer Kent, “The use of the Greek imperfect “was” in the indirect statement of 16:3 strongly suggests that his father was no longer alive. Otherwise a present tense would have been used.”
B. His Place – Lystra. Ac. 16:1-2; 20:4
C. The Planter – the apostle Paul.
1. Who? Apparently Paul lead Timothy to Christ ( I Cor. 4:17/I Tim. 1:2/ 2 Tim.2:1)
2. When? Ac. 14:8-28
Paul lead Timothy to Christ on his first missionary journey at Lystra when Timothy was probably a teenager.
II. Timothy’s Commission.
A. The Change – Ac. 16:2
The first mention of Timothy is Ac 16:1-3, he served with Paul from then on. He was with Paul during is imprisonment (Phmn 1). Paul mentions him in all of his letters except Galatians, Ephesians, and Titus. Paul calls him “my fellow worker” (Rom. 16:21); “my beloved and faithful child in the Lord” (I Cor. 4:17); “one of a kindred spirit” and “of proven worth.” (Phil. 2:19-23).
B. The Charge – Timothy was timid and prone to neglect his spiritual gift (I Tim. 1:18; 4:14/ 2 Tim. 1:6
“The function which Timothy fulfilled in the early church, should not be confused with the present-day pastor. Rather, in those formative days of the church, he seems to have been one of several who helped to carry out the transition, from the times of the apostles to the post Apostolic era of the church. In the beginnings of the church the authority of the apostles served to guide and instruct it. Timothy there was an apostolic representative. Thus it is probably not correct to visualize Timothy as a pastor of the local church at Ephesus. Rather he was Paul’s official delegate, to assist the Ephesian Church.” [Kent]
Lenski, “Timothy was not even to be only an elder in some congregation who had received that kind of an office as part of the gift bestowed on him. His charisma [gift] was the ability which he was to exercise as Paul’s assistant and representative for many congregations.”
When and how was this gift bestowed?
MacDonald, “According to the prophecies previously made concerning you” seems to mean, that before Paul met Timothy, a prophet had arisen in the church and announced that Timothy would be used by the Lord in His service. A prophet was a spokesman for God, who received revelations of God’s will, with regard to some particular course of action and then communicated those revelations to the church [this was during the age of the apostles, and before we have the completed scripture].
We are not told exactly what gift had been given to Timothy. However, we do know, that the gift was given to him by prophecy, with t he laying on of the hands of the eldership. First, it was given along with or by prophecy. The prophet did not confer the gift, but announced it. This was accompanied by the laying on of the hands on him, they signified public recognition of what the Holy Spirit had already done.
There is a difference between what happened when the elders laid their hands on Timothy as mentioned here, and when Paul laid his hands on Timothy, as described in 2 Tim. 1:6.
In the latter case, Paul was actually the apostolic channel through whom the gift was imparted. Does this take place today? The answer is that it does not. The power to confer a gift by the laying on of the hands was given to Paul, as an apostle of Jesus Christ. Since we do not have apostles in that same sense today we no longer have the power to perform apostolic miracles.”
III. Timothy was Paul’s Companion. Ac. 16:1-3
A. The Circumcision. 16:3
Circumcision was not for salvation but to make Timothy who was half-Jewish acceptable to a Jewish audience.
“Since he was uncircumcised, Jews regarded him as a Gentile, but Gentiles classed him as a Jew because of his religion and his mother. This rite was performed as an aid to their work in Jewish areas. It should be clearly understood that circumcision was not performed to make him more acceptable to Christians. It was simple following Paul’s principle laid out in I Cor. 9:20.” [Kent]
B. The Circuit.
1. He joins Paul on his Second Missionary Journey – look to the back of your Bibles, in the map section. Ac. 16:1-4; 17:14-15/ I Thess.1:1; 3:2,6/ 2 Thess. 1:1
2. Also with Paul on his Third Missionary Journey. Ac. 19:22; 20:4/ 2 Cor. 1:1,19.
3. He is with Paul in his Roman imprisonment. Phil. 1:1/Col. 1:1/Phmn. 1
C. His special Contribution – as Paul’s representative.
1. Remained in Berea. (Ac.17:13-14)
2. He was sent to Macedonia. 19:22
3. He was sent to Corinth (I Cor. 4:17)
4. He was sent to Philippi (Phil. 2:19)
5. And to Thessalonica (I Thess. 3:2,6)
6. Also to Ephesus (Ac. 19:22)
Barclay, “Timothy’s great value was that he was always willing to go anywhere; and in his hands a message was as safe as if Paul had delivered it himself. Others might be consumed with selfish ambitions; but Timothy’s one desire was to serve Paul and Jesus Christ.”
D. His Condition.
Like all of us, Timothy was not without his problems, he was overly Shy (I Cor. 16:10/
2 Tim.1:7); often Shunned because of his youth (I Tim. 4:12); and Sickly (I Tim. 5:23).
John Pollock, “Timothy was a complicated character. He had a weak stomach, looked very young, nervous, a little afraid of hardship. Though enduring it without flinching, he was occasionally to be ashamed of Paul and the gospel. Paul had to warn him to flee youthful lusts.”
E. His Confinement. Heb. 13:23
F. His Conclusion.
Leslie Flynn, “When Timothy was released from prison, that wasn’t the end of his service. However timid he may have been, he was not a quitter. He came back to face whatever was in store for him. According to tradition, Timothy was martyred in Ephesus about 20 years later, during the reign of Emperor Domitian.”
Johnny Palmer Jr.
www.strugglingthrscriptures.ning.com
www.blogtalkradio.com/strugglingthruscriptures
