SUMMARY CHART OF 1 TIMOTHY The identification of the underlying (implied) problem or contradiction to which Paul is actually responding.

Transcription

1 SUMMARY CHART OF 1 TIMOTHY The identification of the underlying (implied) problem or contradiction to which Paul is actually responding. Scripture Surface Barriers Paul s Solutions (Addresses the Deep Problem and not the Surface Barrier) The Deep Underlying Problem (These are always implied and reveal new information) Session 1 1: 1 to 2:7 Kylee: The surface problem is that people are placing too much emphasis on the law and using it incorrectly. The leaders may be targeting the Christians and using the law as a weapon against them. WS: Kylee, you've provided helpful information. The associated verses are Vs. 1: Kylee: Paul suggests prayer for the leaders so that everyone can live in peace. He wants more people to understand the truth of his message and become followers. WS: Kylee, say more about how this is the deeper problem that supports the surface problem. The IHOPers shared the following reflections: Vs. 1: 3 11, The IHOPers reported that the Deep Problem, or the Underlying Contradiction, was those in Ephesus living contrary to sound doctrine. The evidence is the Timothy is to command certain men not to teach false doctrine any longer nor to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies. Kylee: It seems prayer and conversation are the solutions. identified authentic teaching as Paul s solution to solve the Deep Problem of the Ephesian Church. Timothy is commanded to teach boldly, Session 2 2: 8-3: 15 Kylee: There needs to be guidelines about the proper way to behave in the house of God. WS: There was a chance that Paul would be delayed in returning to Ephesus where Timothy was assigned as an Overseer. These instructions were sent forward to give him the guidelines and the authority of his office. Kylee: The community of God is divided and needs guidance to be able to come together in worship without conflict. WS: Kylee, you ve hit the nail on the head. Thanks! Kylee: Paul is trying to eliminate the things that get in the way of real worship. It seems that there are a lot of smaller things that cause division among the church. If you get rid of the distractions then you can get your heart in the right place for worship. WS: One of our IHOPers noted that John writes in Revelations 2: 1 7 concerning the Church at Ephesus. This early church was faced with

2 false apostles and had endured the hardship of persecution for the sake of the Gospel. The deep problem was that they had forsaken your first love, and fell away from living the humane and gracious life. John calls for them to be reawakened (i.e., to repent). Much of this could be behind Paul s instructions in these verses. Session 3 3:15 4:5 Kylee: Some will abandon their faith to follow something different that doesn't lead them where they really want to be. added False Teachings, denial of the Good News (the apostasy), an attitude of This is the way we ve always done it. Kylee: Godliness is difficult to understand. WS: Kylee, you ll note that the IHOPers changed the scripture verses on you from 3: 16 to 4: 1-5. Sorry about this, however it was the consensus that these verses represented the Deep Problem. However, for your consideration I share with you a Gut Trip Analysis of what Godliness is. First, in traditional terms Godliness is difficult to understand. But why? We ve all have spent our lives hearing thousands of sermons, attending hundreds of Sunday School lessons and camp experiences where this word was kicked around. What makes it difficult to understand? The answer is that we never got around to asking the Gut Trip question of, How do we experience Godliness? My answer is that when I WS: Kylee, the verses were changed by the IHOPers. The first reference was 4: 1 and 5, and now it is Vs. 3: 16. Again, the IHOPer s consensus was that the Solution Paul offered concerned Godliness and the Mystery of Christ. One IHOPer pointed to verse 4: 4. For everything God created is good and nothing is rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, because it is consecrated by the word of God and prayer. Note the qualifications that we humans are in charge of taking a relationship to our circumstances that is thankful and then pulled through the experience of the Good News of God. (See Image above) ** WS:The IHOPers chose Utilize Consciousness Raising to emphasize the need

3 am fun to live with, when others affirm that I am charitable, and when I feel good about myself then I am experiencing Godliness. Really, it s not difficult at all! Godliness is everyday. Godliness is all the time. It is a shame that for over 500 years we got so into Head Trip Analysis that we made this difficult. What do you think? for the Ephesian church membership to wake up! Kylee chose Create Authentic Ministry maybe because it matched what she read in Vs. 4: 4 and 5. Sorry for jacking you around this way, Kylee. As always you give us such refreshing points of view. WS Session 4 4:6-5:2 See 4: 12 Kylee: The younger leaders are not getting the respect they should. WS: The focus of this scripture in on the youth of Timothy who was timid. The IHOPers believed that the surface problem was how to get rid of Jewish legalism. Also, the Gnostics did not have a high value on discipline. See 5: 3 16 Kylee: The church has so many people to help that they must determine who most needs and wants the help. speculated on what Paul was driving at. Apparently, according to the Interpreter s One-volume Commentary, an Office of Widow as a liturgical office. There was no consensus on this matter. See 5:22 Kylee: Some are turning away from God. agreed with Kylee on this point, but clarified the issue was on ordination. See 4:7 Kylee: Instead of following godless myths and tales, train yourselves to be godly. WS: The godless myths and tales were associated with Gnosticism. (See image elsewhere in this lesson.) To be Godly is experienced as living the humane and gracious life. The IHOPers suggested that Paul was overcoming the Gnostic lifestyle and teaching the new disciples the life of discipline. Concerning physical training, the IHOPers suggested that the spiritual is not affected by the physical. I m not certain that I agree this last idea. See 5: 5 Kylee: Some are turning away from God. agreed with Kylee on this point. See 5: 20 Kylee: Sinners should be rebuked publicly so others will be warned against such behavior. See 4:8 Kylee: Physical training is limited in it's value because it is temporary. Training yourself to be Godly is more valuable because it is good for everything and lasts forever. WS: Physical training has its place because leaders need to take care of themselves in order to take care of others. Concerning Paul s statements about The present life represents the natural or human side of us. The Life to come represents the Awakened or Spiritual life for which we are created. (See image elsewhere in this lesson.) See 5:4 Kylee: A good way to put your faith into practice is by caring for your family. agreed with Kylee on this point.

4 Session 5 5: 23 to 25, and 6: 3 to 6:10 Kylee: People are interested in things that don t bring them peace. Money, controversies, quarrels. WS: As I see the surface barrier it is the teaching of false doctrines, and the nature of the money to become an idol for all of us. agreed with Kylee on this point. I ve added that the experience of SIN is that of living in separation from our neighbor, self and finally our intended creation. Kylee: There is friction between those living godly lives and those who are corrupt and are looking at godliness as a means to financial gain. WS: Kylee is correct in identifying the deeper contradiction. Friction between people is a demonstration of the antithesis of At-One- Ment. The curious item here is that some seek godliness to become wealthy. The IHOPers were more than willing to point to several TV evangelists whom they suspect as doing this very thing proven by their lavish life-style and ostentatious use of wealth. See 5:21 Kylee: Don t be partial to anyone or use favoritism. agreed with Kylee on this point. Kylee: I think he is saying we should continue to strive to live Godly lives and know that others can see our example. Try to be content with what you have. WS: Paul recommends we demonstrate the humane and gracious life by doing good deeds, and live the godly life. Paul identifies this life as living simply, and in contentment with what we have. The IHOPers struggled to answer the questions, If I was walking down the street and I saw someone living the godly life what would I be seeing? My answer to this question is that we will be seeing a person living self-less-ly by doing good goods for others, and has the demeanor of contentment and joy about them. Recently, I had a continuing dialogue with an agnostic friend. Regularly he challenges me to clarify various Christian theological issues. One of his persistent challenges concerns the moral twist many Christians

5 put into their theology; that is, categories of good and bad. Since he has a science background I usually write in secularreligious terms. Usually, I address his issues by pushing him into the indicative mood, or that Reality is experienced as The Way Life Is. One of my persistent themes is that religion is inescapable whether we use these terms or not. It is when we live in At- One-Ment so that we transform our human limitations and natural inclinations into living the humane and gracious life. Our human limitations can be characterized as our death; the final limitation. Also our penultimate limitations are our genetic makeup such as our gender, height, baldness, etc. Our natural inclinations are experienced in the statement, If it feels good, do it, an element of selfness and selfsatisfaction. It is when our neighbor comes to us and thanks us for shoveling the snow off their walks, or our spouses thank us at the end of the day for being fun to live with. These are the times when we are affirmed that we ve lived the humane and gracious life.

6 There is nothing religious about these statements, while at the same time they represent the best Christianity has to offer. This is a secularreligious explanation. Is it necessary to name these experiences as being Christian? No, not at all. However, unless we can name them, these same experiences can drift off into irrelevance because they do not represent the heart. The Christian story is helpful because there is a 2,000 year history behind it. Has Christianity hurt people? Unfortunately it has. However, it is my contention that when Christianity hurts other people it is no longer the Church. My axiom is, The Church is what the Church does. Ah, well. Think about it. Pastor Bill Session 6 6: 11 to 6: 20 Kylee: People are looking for happiness and security in the wrong place. They are focusing on money rather than righteousne ss, godliness, faith, love, endurance, and gentleness. WS: I Kylee: Paul wants us to pursue eternal life (My note: the synthesized life) rather than worldly things that are temporary. WS: Please refer back to Section I, D: Vs.16 A, for the summary that was Kylee: I said this before but I think it is the answer here too. Be rich in your life and not in your pocket.

7 6: 11 to 6: 20 noted that a summary of all my sexual education was given me on our wedding night as my wife and I left on our honeymoon. My mother said, Bill, be gentle! Another IHOPer reported that his sexual education was different as it was given to him by those in the men s locker room at the YMCA. However, my mother s admonition is appropriate for promoting authentic happiness. Righteousne ss can be transliterat ed as living so as to achieve At- One-Ment with neighbor, spouse/signi ficant other and God; godliness is living the started here at the beginning of this lesson. Vs. 16A, God as immortal Kylee: God as immortal means that God is different than me (a mortal). This makes God seem unapproacha ble in some ways but it is also comforting because I think of immortal as being better than mortal. Stronger and more stable I guess. Having a strong God seems like a good thing but this makes God seem out of reach. WS: This reference was first discussed in Section II, C. To make sense of the statement, God as immortal, it is necessary to use Gut Trip Analysis; How do we experience immortality? Using the chart above is helpful. God is experienced as the

8 fulfillment of our intended creation as humane and gracious people working for justice and mercy; faith is surrendering our human/natur al selves to fulfill our soul-fullness; love is living in At- One-Ment with all things and all other creatures; endurance is being in for the longhaul; gentleness is fulfilling the surrendered life. Not bad definitions for living the synthesized life. One of the IHOPers noted that the city of Ephesus was a wealthy city. Much of the medicines were manufacture d here, as well as the area being in the bread basket of the significance of our soul. It is as we awaken and surrender to live as soul that it can be said we are living in God. Only God is soul, and God s image is imbedded in us. We know this to be the case when we live the awakened life that synthesizes our human/natura l experiences and our humane and spiritual experiences.

9 Roman world.