BUILT TO LAST: WHAT MUST THE CHURCH THEN DO?

Pastor Jonathan Falwell 

1 Timothy 2:1–3:16 (NKJV) 

1. Be committed to prayer 

Vss 1-7 Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, 2for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. 3For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, 4who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. 5For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus, 6who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time, 7for which I was appointed a preacher and an apostle—I am speaking the truth in Christ and not lying—a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth.

• “first of all” gives us a picture of the order of things, it conveys submission and dependence
• Notice the types of prayers encouraged…supplications, prayers, intercessions, giving of thanks
• Prayer for those in authority is not limited to those we like – For this is good and acceptable…
• Our focus as the church is to be prayer warriors, not only for those within, but those outside
• Jerry Bridges said, “It is impossible to practice godliness without a constant, consistent and balanced intake of the Word of God in our lives.”[i]

2. Walk in humility

Vss 8-15 I desire therefore that the men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting; 9in like manner also, that the women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with propriety and moderation, not with braided hair or gold or pearls or costly clothing, 10but, which is proper for women professing godliness, with good works. 11Let a woman learn in silence with all submission. 12And I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man, but to be in silence. 13For Adam was formed first, then Eve. 14And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived, fell into transgression. 15Nevertheless she will be saved in childbearing if they continue in faith, love, and holiness, with self-control.

• Paul then instructs Timothy (and us) to have a sense of order within the church
• Paul was dealing much disorder in the church in his time, so his instructions were to submit in humility
• Warren Wiersbe writes, “Submission is not subjugation. Submission is recognizing God’s order in the home and the church, and joyfully obeying it. When a Christian wife joyfully submits to the Lord and to her own husband, it should bring out the best in her. (For this to happen, the husband must love his wife and use God’s order as a tool to build with, not a weapon to fight with—Eph. 5:18–33.) Submission is the key to spiritual growth and ministry: husbands should be submitted to the Lord, Christians should submit to each other (Eph. 5:21), and wives should be submitted to the Lord and to their husbands.”[ii]
• This passage is not stating women have no role in the church, just that the role of elder/overseer is reserved for men. He uses God’s order of creation as an instruction and we have the harmony of the Trinity as a model.
• Tony Evans said, “The married couple was to function as an inseparable team, exercising dominion together over God’s creation, with the man exhibiting godly servant leadership. The man’s role as “head” (i.e., governing authority) over the woman (Eph 5:22–23) does not make him superior to her any more than God the Father’s role as “head” makes him superior in essence to God the Son (see 1 Cor 11:3). They are co-equal members of the Trinity, though they have different functions.”[iii]

3. Long to lead

1 Tim. 3:1-13 This is a faithful saying: If a man desires the position of a bishop, he desires a good work. 2A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, temperate, sober-minded, of good behavior, hospitable, able to teach; 3not given to wine, not violent, not greedy for money, but gentle, not quarrelsome, not covetous; 4one who rules his own house well, having his children in submission with all reverence 5(for if a man does not know how to rule his own house, how will he take care of the church of God?); 6not a novice, lest being puffed up with pride he fall into the same condemnation as the devil. 7Moreover he must have a good testimony among those who are outside, lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil. 8Likewise deacons must be reverent, not double-tongued, not given to much wine, not greedy for money, 9holding the mystery of the faith with a pure conscience. 10But let these also first be tested; then let them serve as deacons, being found blameless. 11Likewise, their wives must be reverent, not slanderers, temperate, faithful in all things. 12Let deacons be the husbands of one wife, ruling their children and their own houses well. 13For those who have served well as deacons obtain for themselves a good standing and great boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus.

• Here we find the qualifications for leadership within the church which is something which is good
• Verses 2-10 give an exhaustive view of the leadership role within the church
• W Tozer once wrote, “It is most important for believers to acknowledge the fact that because Christ Jesus came to the world clothed in humility, He will always be found among those who are clothed with humility. He will be found among the humble people.”[iv]

4. Live in holiness

Vss 14-16 These things I write to you, though I hope to come to you shortly; 15but if I am delayed, I write so that you may know how you ought to conduct yourself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth. 16And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifested in the flesh, Justified in the Spirit, Seen by angels, Preached among the Gentiles, Believed on in the world, Received up in glory.

• So that you may know…This is the purpose of Paul’s writing to Timothy
• Paul underscores the importance of the church using pillar and ground of the truth
• As always, he points to the Gospel in verse 16

[i] Jerry Bridges, The Practice of Godliness (Colorado Springs, CO: NavPress Publishers, 1996.)

[ii] Warren W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary, vol. 2 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1996), 217.

[iii] Tony Evans, The Tony Evans Bible Commentary (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2019), 1281.

[iv] A.W. Tozer, The Quotable Tozer II: More Wise Words with a Prophetic Edge (Camp Hill, PA: WingSpread Publishers, 1997.)