Jesus Letters

Much can be gained by a study of the personal letters of a first-century missionary to one of his most trusted disciples. Paul wrote almost half of the New Testament, but only four of his letters are written to individuals. Of these four, I’ve chosen 1Timothy to further explore. Thirty years of labor for the gospel took its toll on Paul. His body bore the suffering of a servant of Jesus Christ. The intensity of his sufferings never changed the intensity of his love and concern for the churches etched on his heart. One of those churches was Ephesus. Timothy, his faithful disciple, was pastoring that strategically important church. Possibly concerned that he might be delayed and that Timothy might need something in writing to set before others …show more content…
One item that the Epistles have in common that is crucial to reading and interpreting them: they are all called occasional documents. Each has arisen out of and intended for a specific occasion. They are written out of the context of the author to the context of the original recipient. This also means they should be taken seriously. They were called forth by a specific circumstance, either from the author’s side or the recipient’s side. Paul first met Timothy in the Asia Minor city of Lystra. Timothy was already known and respected by Christians even in his youth. Paul recruited Timothy to travel with him on his second missionary journey. Timothy’s presence met an important need of Paul’s, especially on the heels of Paul’s split with Barnabas, his close friend and partner in missions. Timothy was training to be an elder in the church. Paul loved him like his own son. Paul served Timothy like he was his father. Historically, this book has been called a “Pastoral Epistle” since Timothy is serving as a pastor. Other than Jesus to his disciples, this is the best known example of New Testament mentoring. The relationship between Paul and Timothy stands out because of its depth of passion. At the close of his second letter to Timothy, Paul delivers some of the most poignant expressions of love and encouragement we read from the apostle’s …show more content…
Paul also cautions Timothy against the influence of false teachers who corrupted the purity and simplicity of the gospel. Paul presses upon Timothy constant regard to the greatest diligence, faithfulness, and zeal. These points occupy the first four chapters. The final chapters instruct Timothy to respect particular classes, controversies and disputes that are condemned, the love of money, and the exhortation to good works. In whole, the letter is a private message to Timothy, written to give him guidance and encouragement. It is widely believed that Timothy was expected to share this communication with others in his congregation. However, the style of writing is personal to that of individual to individual. Therefore, the public use would only be found in the teaching of elements written throughout. Ever the theologian, Paul focuses on the problem of false doctrine, especially within the confines of the church. In our contemporary church, much emphasis is placed on relationships at the expense of orthodoxy. This idea would be foreign to Paul. He saw a symbiotic connection between orthodoxy and practice; right doctrine led to healthy