Dear Church,

The Perfect Pastor preaches exactly 10 minutes. He condemns sin roundly, but never hurts anyone’s feelings. He works from 8 a.m. until midnight, and is also the church janitor.

The Perfect Pastor makes $40 a week, wears good clothes, drives a good car, buys good books, and donates $30 a week to the church. He is 29 years old and has 40 years’ worth of experience. Above all, he is handsome.

The Perfect Pastor has a burning desire to work with teenagers, and he spends most of his time with the senior citizens. He smiles all the time with a straight face because he has a sense of humor that keeps him seriously dedicated to his church. He makes 15 home visits a day but is always in his office to be handy when needed.

The Perfect Pastor always has time for church meetings and all of its committees, never missing the meeting of any church organization. And he is always busy evangelizing the lost. The Perfect Pastor is always in the next town over!

If your pastor does not measure up, simply send this notice to six other churches that are tired of their pastor too. Then bundle up your pastor and send him to the church at the top of your list. If everyone cooperates, in one week you will receive 1, 643 pastors. One of them should be perfect. Have faith in this letter. One church broke the chain and got its’ old pastor back in less than three months.

This little letter is obviously an exaggeration, but it does underscore the reality that everyone has expectations for their pastors and church leaders. What kind of expectations do you have for your pastors and church leaders? You all know that there is no such thing as a perfect pastor (or at least I hope you do), but the Bible does set forth some basic character qualifications for anyone who would serve in church leadership.

In 1 Timothy 3:1-7, the Apostle Paul presents a list of specific qualities required for people to serve in the office of overseer, which encompasses the role of both pastors and church elders. The Greek word translated “overseer” is evpiskoph/j (episcopes) from which we get our English word “Episcopal” or “Episcopalian.” It can also be translated as “bishop,” and it is practically interchangeable with the term “elder.” Both terms simply refer to a governing leader in the church.

The reason why Paul gives this list of necessary character credentials for church leaders to Timothy is because some of the previous and current elders had fallen away from the true gospel and had become the very false teachers and were causing problems within the church. Paul is trying to help Timothy change the course of the church by replacing the false teachers with qualified spiritual leaders who exhibit the character of Christ. They will promote sound teaching instead of heresy. The list of qualities, therefore, is to some extent a contrast with the vices of the false teachers.

Paul begins this whole section with the phrase “Here is a trustworthy saying…” This is his way of saying, “Pay close attention! What I am about to say is really important.” The actual saying affirms that the position of overseer is a noble task. The statement implies that there were some in the church who thought it undesirable and this may have been a result of the position being tainted by the false teachers. Since the office of overseer is a noble task, people of noble character must fulfill it. In any organization, it is imperative to have the right leaders in place.

Paul is not saying that these character qualifications are only for church leaders; he is saying that these character traits are absolutely necessary for church leaders. Not everyone here will aspire to be a pastor or elder in the church, but as Christians, we should all be striving for these aspects of Christ-like character. As we look at these thirteen traits, let us make these our life goals.

1.) Above Reproach (2)

The first character qualification for a church leader is to be above reproach. Paul is not suggesting perfection, but he means a blameless life—a person with such observable conduct that no legitimate charge could be brought against him or her, either in legal court or before other people. There should be no grounds for true accusation because this person deals with sin between self and God and others.

If someone falsely accused you of some wrong doing, would people believe it?

2.) Monogamous and Faithful (2)

The next character qualification for church leadership is “the husband of one wife.” Some people interpret this to mean that an overseer must be a married man, but this is probably not what Paul means since neither he nor Timothy were married. A better way to understand this phrase is monogamous and faithful. An overseer is required to live an exemplary married life (marriage was generally assumed but not required), faithful to one’s spouse in a culture in which marital infidelity was common.

For those of you who are married, are you monogamous and faithful to your spouse? If you are not married, is your life marked by relational and sexual purity?

3.) Temperate (2)

The third character qualification is temperance. This term typically used in regard to alcoholic beverages, but since that issue will be specifically addressed in verse 3, Paul is probably using this term figuratively to mean balanced and sober judgment—not given to emotional extremes or rashness.

Are you emotionally stable? Do you think through decisions before you make them?

4.) Self-Controlled (2)

Fourth, the quality of self-control is required for church leadership. This person is able to control his or her words, actions, and passions—not given to anger or selfish ambition.

Are you sensible and in charge of your life? Can you say “no” when you need to?

5.) Respectable (2)

Fifth, a church leader must be respectable, which means to have such a well ordered life that it gains the respect of others.

Do other people respect you? Do they look up to you?

6.) Hospitable (2)

The church leader must also be hospitable, which means “open to strangers.” It reflects a vulnerability to others, a desire to care for guests and those in need.

How hospitable are you? When was the last time you welcomed a non-family member into your home?

7.) Able to Teach (2)

The church leader must also be able to teach. Not every church leader is going to preach sermons or even teach Sunday school lessons (although many will), but they must be able to communicate biblical truth and refute heresy and error

Are you able to teach? Can you distinguish biblical truth from falsehood?

8.) Sober (3)

The eighth character qualification for church leadership is sobriety or “not given to drunkenness.” Drunkenness was a common vice in the ancient world, just like it is today. Leaders that are controlled by chemical substances cannot think clearly or lead with integrity.

How much do you drink? How often do you go overboard?

9.) Gentle (3)

Next, a church leader must be gentle or “not given to violence.” A violent person lacks self-control and is given to emotions that are rooted in selfishness and anger. People with such a turbulent inner spirit would be disqualified from any leadership, especially in God’s church.

Would your family and friends describe you as a gentle or violent person?

10.) Peaceful (3)

The tenth quality is peacefulness or “not quarrelsome.” This describes a person who “calm, cool, and collected”—someone who can listen to others without reacting or arguing. Quarrelers are counterproductive in any group or organization, and they can wreak havoc in a church, like the false teachers in Ephesus.

Are you a peaceful person or do you find yourself constantly fighting with others?

11.) Financial Responsibility (3)

Church leaders must also be financially responsible people. Greed ruins people and greedy people ruin organizations and churches. If someone cannot manage their own money, they should not be managing the church’s finances.

How financially responsible are you?

12.) A Good Parent (4-5)

Likewise, overseers must be good parents. The home is always the true test of a person’s character and leadership abilities. If someone is able to manage their children well (which is an extremely difficult task), then they will most likely be able to shepherd God’s flock well too. But if a person’s children do not respect or obey them, one may wonder about the parent’s shepherding skills.

Do your children respect and obey you?

13.) Spiritually Mature (6)

The thirteenth character trait necessary for leadership in God’s church is spiritual maturity. The person should not be a recent convert to Christianity. Novices that are put in leadership too quickly tend to become conceited with swelled egos and wind up being detrimental to the organization. This is exactly what happened to Satan. He became so conceited that he led a rebellion against God in his attempt to achieve ultimate glory for himself. One must prove their spiritual maturity over time to be considered for spiritual leadership.

How long have you been a follower of Christ? How spiritually mature are you?

14.) A Good Reputation (7)

And finally, a church leader must have a good reputation with those outside the church as well as inside the church. If a church leader does not have a good reputation with unbelievers in the community, the gospel mission of the church will be compromised.

How would your co-workers and community members describe your spiritual life? Do you act one way at church and another way everywhere else?

This list certainly gives us a lot to think about. For one, when we hire pastors and elect church elders, we need to make sure that our candidates meet this list of character qualifications. If we don’t choose the right people to lead our church, we could run into the same problems that the Ephesian church faced—heresy and internal conflict.

Also, as Christians, we should all use this list a standard of conduct. It is true that none of us will ever be perfect, but Jesus calls us to a high standard. He calls us to model our lives after his life. Some of us are weak in some of these areas of character. So then, let us use this list to help us conform to the character of our Savior Jesus Christ. May we become more like him this year than we were last year!

A man and his wife were having an argument about who should brew the coffee. The husband said, “You do all the cooking around here so you should do it.” The wife replied, “No you should do it, and besides it is in the Bible that the man should brew the coffee.” The husband replied, “Yeah, right!” So, she showed him in the Bible where it says: “HEBREWS.”

The battle of the sexes is as old as mankind itself. Men and women have battled over gender roles in the home, workplace, and politics for centuries, and the war rages on today. Some people champion what we might call traditional roles, while others push for more progressive roles. This debate is lived out in the quips and gaffes of famous people all the time. For instance, in recent years, actor and author Michael Caine has said, “American girls are like horses, very independent. They have never been controlled by anyone. But if you can break them in, they are very grateful.” On the other hand, former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher once said, “In politics, if you want anything said, ask a man. If you want anything done, ask a woman.” Sexist comments go both ways!

Perhaps, the debate over gender roles has been nowhere more divisive than in the church. The passage that I just read to you, I Timothy 2:8-15, is one of the most difficult and controversial portions of the whole Bible. These eight verses have been the subject of an inordinate amount of books and scholarly debates. The interpretation of this passage has divided the Christian church right down the middle. Should women serve as pastors and elders in the church? The Roman Catholic Church, the Eastern Orthodox Church, and most Baptist churches do not ordain women. The Episcopal Church, the Methodist Church, and most Congregational churches do ordain women. As for Lutheran, Presbyterian, and Pentecostal churches, some ordain women and some do not.

Before we jump into this text, I want to preface the whole sermon by saying that there good people and good reasons on both sides of this debate. Even the best New Testament scholars in the world disagree over what is going on in this passage. Over the years, I have personally gone back and forth on the issue. This morning, I am going to present my current position, but I want you all to know that I hold it loosely. Some of you may agree with me and some of you may not, but I would ask that we all pray for the Holy Spirit to guide us as we think about this very difficult portion of God’s Word where the Apostle Paul addresses men and women in the church

1.) Men in the Church (8)

The Apostle Paul begins the section by addressing the men, and we need to remember that this whole address is given in the context of prayer in the public worship service. Paul expresses his desire that men throughout the house churches in Ephesus should pray without anger or quarreling, which was one of the problems that arose as a result of the false teachers.

Now the fact that Paul addresses only the men in the proper way to pray does not exclude women from praying in worship services. He is just addressing the reality of the day. Ancient Jewish and Greco-Roman cultures were patriarchal and it was simply more common for men to pray in the worship service. There are clear references in the New Testament where women pray publically (Acts 1:14, 12:12, I Corinthians 11:5), it just wasn’t common in that culture.

The reference to “lifting holy hands” also comes from the culture of the day. This was the assumed posture of prayer in Judaism and carried over into early Christianity. The imagery is that of ritual purity from the Old Testament, where hands would be washed before praying as a symbol of coming before God with clean hands and a pure heart. In this context, Paul did not want their prayers to be soiled by anger and quarrels, which was one of the effects of the false teachers in Ephesus. Prayer is a “holy” activity, and Paul did not want it to be disrupted by anger or fighting.

Therefore, as we think about how this verse applies to our church today, Paul is not saying that only men can pray or that we have to lift our hands while we pray. We don’t even have to wash our hands before we pray, although hand washing is never a bad idea! What he is saying is that when we gather to worship and pray to God, we need to do it with attitudes of love, unity, and forgiveness. There is no place for anger, quarrels, resentment, or bitterness in the church. This verse is reminiscent of Jesus’ words in Matthew 5:23-24, “Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift.”

Are you angry with anyone today? Are you engaged in an argument or dispute with anyone? Are you harboring bitterness toward a fellow church member? If so, let it go! Forgive so that you might be able to pray again!

2.) Women in the Church (9-15)

Paul only uses one verse to address the men, but he uses seven verses to address the women. Was it because he was a male chauvinist jerk who thought women were like horses that needed to be broken? No, that is not the case at all. Paul actually had an extremely high regard for women, especially for the time. Paul uses more words to address the women in this church because they had been more susceptible to the false teachers and were causing more problems. So, Paul speaks to two specific problems: appearance and authority in the church.

Appearance in Church (9-10)

In verse 9, Paul says that women should adorn or dress themselves in respectable apparel, with an attitude of modesty and self-control. Apparently, some of the women in the Ephesian church were “getting all dolled up” for church in ways to “get noticed.” They were wearing elaborate and expensive clothing and jewelry to make a statement to the other women. They were dressing somewhat seductively to “get noticed” by the men. Either way, their attitudes were deplorable and their behaviors were unbecoming of women who claimed to be followers of the Lord Jesus Christ, particularly in the context of the worship service.

The specific prohibition against “braided hair and gold or pearls and expensive attire” seems strange to us in the modern church. What does God have against braided hair and accessorizing? In this culture, braided hair was often adorned with precious metals and was a statement of wealth and status, and women were using these things with the wrong motives. The modern equivalent would be like a women showing up at church today wearing a slinky prom dress, a luxurious hair-doo, and enough BLING to make Mr. T jealous. This type of behavior would be inappropriate for a woman who professes godliness. Paul is essentially saying that Christian women ought to make a statement with their pure hearts and Christ-like deeds.

This discussion reminds me of the preacher who came home one day and saw his wife in a brand new red dress. He looked at her and said, “Didn’t I say that you weren’t supposed to buy any more clothes?” Embarrassed the wife replied, “Yes, but Satan tempted me and told me it looked good from the front!” The preacher, a little startled by what just came out of his wife’s mouth, then replied, “Didn’t I tell you to say, “Satan get thee behind me?” She said “Yes, but when I said that, he said it looks good from back here too!!”

You all know how pastor’s wives can be! In all seriousness, how should this be applied today? I know some churches that interpret this passage without considering its cultural context, and they preach that women shouldn’t wear jewelry, makeup, shorts, or even long pants. But this completely misses the point. Does braided hair or any of these things connote extravagance or seductiveness today? Hardly! The real issue is matching our outward appearance and behavior with our profession of faith in Jesus Christ. If you really want “get noticed,” dress yourself with a Christ-like attitude and good deeds!

Authority in the Church (11-15)

After addressing the Ephesian women’s appearance in the church, Paul speaks to the issue of woman’s authority in the church in verses 11-14. When Paul says that should learn quietly and with all submissiveness and that he does not permit a woman to teach or have authority over a man and that she is to remain silent, he means exactly what he says. Some Bible scholars have tried to rearrange Paul’s words to make them mean something else, but if you want to be honest and consistent, there is no way to change what is said here. But the big question is: Does Paul mean this for all churches at all times or was this meant specifically for the Ephesian church at this time? This is where scholars, pastors, and denominations disagree.

I have personally changed my mind on this issue three times, but for the past 12 years I have been convinced that Paul meant this prohibition specifically for the Ephesian church. I believe this for three main reasons. First, there were definitely problems with a number of women in the Ephesian church at this time. It appears that they had been heavily influenced by the false teachers and it was causing them to act in ways that were contrary to Christianity. Furthermore, it appears that one of the things they were doing was asserting authority over the male leaders and teachers (who were typically the leaders in this culture) in the churches and were being disruptive in the worship services. Therefore, Paul tries to remedy the whole situation by prohibiting women in Ephesus from teaching or having authority over a man. I don’t think that he would have said anything like this to a church that wasn’t experiencing these problems.

This is also why he points to the creation order of Adam before Eve and the fact that Eve was the first one to be deceived and fall into sin. He was simply using these examples to remind these women that they did not have any inherent authority over men. (He was not stating that men have inherent authority over women.)

Second, I believe that this understanding of the passage fits best into the broader biblical context as well. Even though most of Israel’s and the early churches leaders and teachers were men (because it was a vastly patriarchal culture), there are some clear biblical examples where it was clearly God’s will for a woman to have authority over a man and to teach men the Scriptures; we see this with Deborah in Judges 4-5 and Pricilla in the book of Acts 18.

Third, when we think about the lists of spiritual gifts that are recorded in Romans 12, I Corinthians 12, and Ephesians 4, there is no indication that they are gender specific. I have many female friends who possess the spiritual gifts of leadership, preaching, and teaching. The purpose of these gifts is to build up the body of Christ; it seems contrary to the nature of spiritual gifts if that were only meant to be used to benefit small parts of the church.

Well, if all of this wasn’t controversial enough, Paul ends the passage with a another doozy! Verse 15 seems to indicate that women’s souls will be saved from sin and judgment through the act of childbearing, but this would contradict everything that Paul has ever said about salvation: namely that justification is by faith in Jesus Christ; not by doing good works.

Part of the problem is that many Bible translations use the word “women” (plural) here. But in the Greek text the word is singular and is accompanied by the article “the”—“the woman.” This tells us that at the beginning of verse 15, Paul is still talking about Eve, not women in general. After Eve’s transgression of eating the forbidden fruit and bring sin into the human race, God would eventually use her to bring salvation into the world through childbearing (actually “the childbearing” in the Greek). She would produce the seed “the Messiah” who would one day crush Satan’s head and bring salvation to the world. This is exactly what happened when Jesus died on the cross!

In the second half of verse 15, Paul cleverly moves back to the plural “women” when he says that they will experience the salvation of the Messiah if they respond to the gospel in faith and persevere in the Christian life. I believe that Paul makes the change from the singular back to the plural because he wanted this verse to act as a word of grace to the women in Ephesus. He is essentially saying, “Just as God revealed his grace to Eve after she was deceived by the serpent, so God’s grace is still open to you even though you have been deceived by the false teachers. Just come back to a gospel-centered life, evidenced by faith, love, holiness, and self-control.

Now that you see how I see this passage, allow me to briefly apply it to the modern church. Can women be elders, pastors, teachers, and missionaries in the church? I say “Yes!” as long as they are genuine believers, live the kind of lifestyle that God requires, and possess the necessary qualifications.

This whole issue of men and women in the church is much more complex that what I have been able to present to you today, but I hope that I have been able to bring some clarity and cause you to think about it more!

“The proper way for a man to pray,”
Said Deacon Lemuel Keyes,
“And the only proper attitude
Is down upon his knees.”

“No, I should say the way to pray,”
Said Rev. Doctor Wise,
“Is standing straight with outstretched arms
And rapt and upturned eyes.”

“Oh, no; no, no,” said Elder Slow,
“Such posture is too proud:
A man should pray with eyes fast closed
And head contritely bowed.”

“It seems to me his hands should be
Austerely clasped in front
With both thumbs pointing toward the ground,” Said Rev. Doctor Blunt.

“Las’ year I fell in Hodgkin’s well
Head first,” said Cyrus Brown,
With both my heels a-stickin’ up,
My head a-pinting down;

“An’ I made a prayer right then an’ there–
Best prayer I ever said,
The prayingest prayer I ever prayed,
A-standing on my head.”

This little poem is titled “The Prayer of Cyrus Brown.” It was written by the New England poet Sam Walter Foss sometime in the 1890’s.

Please allow me to share another prayer with you. It is the old Celtic prayer:

May those who love us, love us;
and those who don’t love us,
may God turn their hearts;
and if He doesn’t turn their hearts,
may he turn their ankles
so we’ll know them by their limping.

What do these two prayers show us? They show us that many people don’t know much about prayer. This really is true—even longstanding church members and veterans of the Christian faith have a lot of questions about prayer. We contemplate even basic questions like: How should we pray? Who should we pray for? What should we pray for?

It seems like every church tradition and every book written about prayer advocates something different. As in our humorous poems about prayer, some people say you should pray sitting, but others advocate standing, kneeling, or lying down. Likewise, some people say you should pray in solitude while others advocate public prayer. Some say we should only pray prayers of thankfulness while others say you should make requests. Even with all of the information we have about prayer, most of us still have a lot of questions.

In I Timothy 1, the Apostle Paul exhorted his young associate Timothy to remain in Ephesus and continue to stand against a group of rogue church leaders that was spreading heresy. Now here, in chapter 2, Paul begins to set some priorities for Timothy to get the church back on track and advancing the true gospel of Jesus Christ. In verse 1-7, he urges Timothy to make it his first and top priority to reestablish the prayer life of the church. This is why Paul begins with, “First of all, then, I urge…” in verse 1. No doubt, the prayer life of the church was suffering because they had spent so much time battling the false teachers. (Isn’t it interesting how prayer is usually the first thing to go when we face times of difficulty and busyness in our lives?)

As Paul reestablishes the priority of prayer in the Ephesian church, he also answers some critical questions about prayer—some of the same questions that people have about prayer today. This passage is certainly not an exhaustive teaching about prayer, but it does tell us something about how we should pray, who we should pray for, and what we should pray for!

1.) How should we pray? (1a)

In verse 1 Paul answers the question “How should we pray?” by using four different words for prayer—supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings. Although these terms are clearly linked together for emphasis, they each highlight different aspects of prayer. The first word “supplications” means entreaties, petitions, or requests. This is the common facet of prayer where someone asks God to meet a special need or desire in one’s life.

The second term translated here as “prayers” is the Greek word proseuca.j (proseuchas). It is the most common word used for prayer in the New Testament. It too involves petitions and requests, but it typically refers to asking for God’s general blessing and care rather than a specific need.

The third term “intercessions” refers to a bold and urgent appeal on behalf of another person. This is the type of prayer where someone “stands in the gap” or holds someone up before God when they are going through some particular plight or difficulty. It casts the image of one who comes to a king and appeals for the king’s favorable response for the person mentioned.

The fourth term is the Greek word euvcaristi,aj (eucharistias) from which we get our English word Eucharist. These are prayers gratitude and thanksgiving to God for what he has done; the assumption is that, when praying, the congregation remembers with gratitude how former prayers have been answered, and therefore prays with all the more confidence.

The fact that Paul uses four distinct terms for prayer shows that there is more than one right way to pray. He wanted individuals and the church as a whole to be engaged in all of these forms. Also, the plural form of all of these words shows that these types of prayer aren’t supposed to be used just once, but over and over again.

So, when you pray, how do you do it? Do you ever seriously sustain a supplication? When was the last time you uttered an intercession? How often do you pray prayers of thanksgiving?

It is easy for us to get locked into just one or maybe two ways to pray, but we need to keep all of these forms in view. For instance, some people are really good at asking God for specific requests in their lives, but they are not so good about praying prayers of thanksgiving after God has answered their prayers. Other people are really good at intercessory prayers, but they are not comfortable praying for their own needs and desires. As Paul urged Timothy and the Ephesian church, we also need to make prayer a top priority in our lives and utilize all of these forms in our prayer lives.

2.) Who should we pray for? (1b-2a)

Verse 1 not only answers the question “How should we pray?” but it also answers the question “Who should we pray for?” Paul makes it unmistakably clear that he expected Timothy and the Ephesian church to be praying “for all people.” But what exactly does this mean—every single human being on earth? Probably not! It would be virtually impossible for anyone to pray for every person. Paul most likely has in mind here “all [kinds] of people.” This is the typical meaning of the term throughout Paul’s writings and it fits the context best here, where he is counteracting the narrowness of the false teachers.

This point is reinforced further by the fact that Paul immediately highlights one “kind” of people in verse 2—“kings and those who are in high positions.” In the context of this letter, the “king” would have been the Roman Emperor and the civil authorities in Ephesus and throughout the Roman Empire. Now we have to remember that at the time of the writing of this letter, the Roman Empire was starkly opposed to Christianity. Their worldview and values couldn’t have been more different. Many Christians were being thrown into the arena to be eaten by lions, but Paul urged the church to pray for them anyway.

This verse echoes a theme that we see repeated throughout the New Testament about church and state relations. In Matthew 5:44, Jesus told his disciples, “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you. In Romans 13:1, Paul says, “Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God.” It is our Christian duty to pray for our governing authorities, even when we disagree with their laws, policies, and practices.

In our own time and context, it is our duty to pray for our president, our congress (Lord knows they need it), our governor, and our state legislators. We need to pray for the ones we like and dislike—the ones that we trust and don’t trust—the ones who share our worldview, values, morals, convictions, and the ones who don’t. Some of you love Barack Obama—you think he is the best thing since…well, Bill Clinton. That is fine! Make sure you pray for him! Some of you can’t stand him; you hate everything that he represents. That’s fine too! But you better make sure you are praying for him! God calls us to pray for all kinds of people! Will you do it?

3.) Why should we pray? (2b-7)

So, why did Paul want Timothy and the church to pray for the very government officials who opposed them? He gives a clear answer in the second part of verse 2 when he says “that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life, godly and dignified in every way.” Paul knew that the governing officials had the power to make Christian’s lives miserable or peaceable. All Paul wanted was for the government to allow Christians to live out their faith in society, which reveals one of the main reasons why Christians should pray.

Along with this, Paul wanted the church to pray for the governing authorities because they had the ability to change the societal conditions that would enable the gospel of Jesus Christ to move forward. In verse 4, Paul makes a profound theological statement that directly contradicted the heresy that was being spread in Ephesus. The false teachers promoted a religious view that God’s grace and salvation were only for certain types of people, namely those who conformed to their judaizing philosophies. But Paul corrects this view by saying that “God desires all people to be saved and come to a knowledge of the truth.” The term “all” means “all kinds” as it did in verse 1. God desires all kinds of people to respond to the gospel of Jesus Christ; it is not limited by race, ethnicity, gender, background, or occupation.

Paul clarifies the gospel in verse 5 when he says, “there is only one God, and there is only one mediator between God and men, the man Jesus Christ, who gave himself as a ransom for all…” He is saying that the only way to receive forgiveness and get to God in heaven is through the one man Jesus Christ. Jesus is the only one who lived a sinless life and gave himself as a guiltless ransom. He is the only one who could provide atonement for humanity’s sins.

This message is the whole reason why Paul was appointed to be an apostle. It was his God-given mission to proclaim the faith and truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ. This is why Paul wanted Timothy to pray for the civil authorities. This is why he wanted him to pray for all kinds of people with supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings.

Think about this! Paul is saying that Jesus is the only way to get to heaven! There is no other! Mohammed can’t get you there! Buddha can’t get you there! Good works can’t get you there! Being a “good” person can’t get you there! The pluralistic philosophy that affirms many different paths to heaven is false. Jesus Christ is the only way!

Have you put your faith in Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins? Have you responded to the good news of Jesus’ death and resurrection for the redemption of your soul? And if you want to know what to pray for, pray that this message would go forth and transform people’s lives and souls!

In closing, as I mentioned earlier, this passage doesn’t answer all of our questions about prayer, but it does answer some. I hope you will all pray with supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings! I hope that you will pray for all types of people, especially for our governing officials! And I hope that you will pray that the gospel of Jesus Christ would be advanced in our society and around the world!

Most people have heard of John Bunyan’s classic Christian story, The Pilgrim’s Progress. Since its publication in 1678, it has become one of the most read books of all time. But most people haven’t heard of John Bunyan’s earlier book which is entitled Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners. Written during his twelve-year imprisonment in the Bedford County jail for preaching, this book is Bunyan’s spiritual autobiography. It chronicles his spiritual journey from his boyhood in his father’s house, through his conversion and call to ministry, to his imprisonment for not conforming to the official Church of England. Bunyan’s spiritual journey spans a life that was characterized by cursing, blasphemy, and desecration and that was transformed by the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Beginning with guilt and despair and ending with a comforted heart, thankful for the abounding grace of God, Bunyan wrote so that others might be encouraged in their struggles by reading about God’s work upon his soul. He chose this for the title for his book because, as a humble recipient of God’s abounding grace, he felt like he was the chief of sinners.

Now if any of you ever read Bunyan’s autobiography, you would learn that he was in fact a bad man before he became a Christian, but I doubt if any of us would call him “the chief of sinners.” But have you ever wondered who the real chief of sinners is? Have you ever wondered who the evilest person in the history of the world is?

Some people would say that it was Nero, Emperor of Rome from 54-68 AD. He murdered his brother, his mother, his first two wives, and many others who threatened his throne. He used to hang Christians on poles and burn them alive to illumine his garden at night. After setting his own capital city of Rome on fire to clear room for his new palace, he took out his fiddle and harmonized with the screams as he watched the city burn.

Some people would say that it was Vlad III of Romania (also known as Vlad the Impaler) who was Prince of Wallachia three times between 1448 and 1476. Vlad is best known for the the exceedingly cruel punishments he imposed during his reign and for serving as the primary inspiration for the vampire main character in Bram Stoker’s popular Dracula novel. The list of tortures he is alleged to have employed is extensive: nails in heads, cutting off of limbs, blinding, strangulation, burning, cutting off of noses and ears, scalping, skinning, and boiling people alive. There are claims that ten thousand people were impaled in 1460 alone.

Many people would say that it is Adolf Hitler, who was appointed Chancellor of Germany in 1933, becoming “Führer” in 1934 until his suicide in 1945. By the end of the second world war, Hitler’s policies of territorial conquest and racial subjugation had brought death and destruction to tens of millions of people, including the genocide of some six million Jews in what is now known as the Holocaust.

Who is the evilest person in the history of the world? Who is the real “chief of sinners? Some of you might say your mother-in-law. Personally, I would never say that, but someone might!

Paul: The Chief of Sinners (13-15)

So, who is really the chief of sinners? It is hard to say! I do find it interesting that in1 Timothy 1:15, the Apostle Paul says, “The saying is trustworthy and deserves full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the foremost.” The old King James translates the last phrase “of whom I am the chief.” I also like The Message translation which says “I am Public Sinner Number One.” Paul refers to himself as the worst sinner in the history of the world.

What is particularly fascinating about this statement is when Paul makes it. Sure, in verse 13 he openly admits that that before he became a Christian, he was formerly a blasphemer, persecutor, and an insolent opponent of the gospel of Jesus Christ. As a matter of fact, when Paul was blinded by the light and Jesus appeared to him on the road to Damascus, he was on his way to murder Christians. Yes, Paul had been a proud, arrogant, and violent man who hated Jesus Christ, but by the time Paul was writing this letter to Timothy, he had been a Christian for close to 20 years. The persecutor of Christians had become a preacher of Christ. He was a completely different person when he wrote this letter, but he still referred to himself as the chief of sinners. Even though he was a recipient of God’s abounding grace, he never forgot where he came from! He didn’t forget who he was. He never forgot the disgusting acts of his past and he knew his propensity toward sin in the present. Yes, Paul was one of the greatest missionaries, evangelists, and preachers in the history of the world, but he called himself the chief of sinners.

As we consider Paul’s humility in this statement, let me ask you again: Who is the real chief of sinners? I think you know the right answer. You are! I am! Before God’s holiness, we are all the chief of sinners. Can you just pause and think about your life for a moment. How have you sinned against God throughout your life? Sure, maybe you have never impaled anyone or massacred six million Jewish people, but if we added up every instance of bad behavior we have ever done, every vulgar or ungrateful word ever spoken from our lips, and every impure thought that has ever flowed through our mind, you will realize that we have all earned the title “Chief of Sinners.” The Apostle Paul and John Bunyan had enough humility to admit it, how about you?

We can’t be beneficiaries of God’s grace until we have reckoned with the fact that we are dreadful, atrocious, terrible, horrendous, sinners, just like all of these others that I have mentioned. Do you realize how bad your sins really are? I hear people say all the time: “Well, I’m not that bad; I never killed anybody.” Wow, how morally impressive! But it is not true! Every one of us is a murderer! How, you ask? It was all of our sins that nailed God’s perfect son Jesus to the cross. Paul understood what he had done, and that put him in a position to receive God’s abounding grace. How about you? Do you understand what you have done?

God’s Grace Abounds (16, 12, 17)

Once Paul establishes that he is the chief of sinners, he is now highlights the role of God’s abounding grace in his testimony. Yes, Jesus Christ came into the world to die for sinners and verse 16 reveals the reason for Christ’s saving Paul, the worst of sinners, was that he could showcase Paul as an example from other sinners who would believe on him for salvation. Paul is making the point that if God could and would save him that no one is beyond the hope of God’s grace or eternal salvation. If God could redeem his life and change him from a persecutor into a preacher, he can do anyone! If you haven’t noticed, God is in the business of transforming murderers into messengers for his kingdom. Now Paul certainly did not deserve salvation, but God showed him incredible mercy so that his unlimited patience in dealing with sinners would be displayed.

And after God saved Paul’s soul and redeemed his life, he gave Paul the strength and faithfulness to carry the true gospel message all over the ancient world. Today most people think of the Apostle Paul as the greatest preacher and missionary ever, but Paul never forgot who he was. Paul knew who saved him; he knew who gave him strength and faithfulness for ministry; he knew who appointed him to Christ’s service. Paul knew that God’s grace abounds even to the chief of sinners.

And that is why Paul concludes his personal testimony with the beautiful doxology in verse 17. A doxology is an expression of praise and thanksgiving to God, often a short hymn. Reflecting on God’s abounding grace to the chief of sinners compelled him to burst into words of praise and worship about God’s character. This particular hymn praises God for his eternality (his rule in all ages), his immortality (he is unlike any mortal on earth), his invisibility (no one can see him in his holiness), and his uniqueness (he is the only true God; all others are false). Therefore, honor and glory belong to him alone forever and ever!

Have you received God’s abounding grace? Have you believed on the Lord Jesus Christ? Has God transformed your life? Do you express your praise and thanksgiving through doxology?

As I conclude this morning, I want you to be 100% clear about today’s message. This is it: God’s grace abounds even to the chief of sinners! Perhaps you are here today and you never realized that you are the chief of sinners and you feel convicted and guilty. I want you to know that it doesn’t matter what you have done because God’s grace abounds to you. If you believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, his blood atones for your sins, he restores your relationship with God, and he gives you new life now and eternal life forever.

If this message has moved your heart today and you want to know more about this Christ Jesus who came into the world to save sinners or this grace that abounds even to the chief of sinners, then I would like to get together with you and talk about it. May the eternal, immortal, invisible, and only God bless you forever and ever! Amen!

The Importance of Being Earnest: A Trivial Comedy for Serious People is a play by Oscar Wilde that debuted at the St. James Theater in London on Valentine’s Day 1895. The play is a humorous satire that mocks the rather serious social obligations of Victorian society. The story revolves around two young gentlemen who use the same pseudonym (“Ernest”) on the sly, which is fine until they both fall in love with women using that name, which leads to a hilarious mess of mistaken identities. Wilde uses the name “earnest” as a clever wordplay with its adjectival definition of “serious.” Throughout The Importance of Being Earnest, Wilde asserts that being earnest isn’t really all that important.

While Oscar Wilde’s play teaches us that we shouldn’t take our social obligations too seriously, the Apostle Paul’s first letter to Timothy teaches us that we need to take our spiritual obligations very seriously. Paul’s begins this letter like he does most of his other letters: he states his name, his authority as an apostle, the recipient, and the traditional Christian greeting “Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord,” but he omits his typical word of thanksgiving because the Ephesian church didn’t give him much reason for thankfulness.

Instead, Paul launches right into his purpose for writing to Timothy, which was a very serious matter. Paul charges him to remain in the city of Ephesus and continue to oppose the false teachers who were corrupting the church. A group of leaders within the church had been teaching false doctrines and were leading people away from the true gospel of Jesus Christ, and Paul had appointed Timothy to combat the false teachers and restore the church to spiritual health. In the opening passage of Paul’s letter to Timothy, he establishes the importance of being earnest in Christian belief and Christian behavior, which are both necessary for a healthy church. As we look this passage, let us consider our own earnestness in Christian belief and behavior?”

1.) The Importance of Being Earnest in Christian Belief (3-7)

Timothy had already been in Ephesus for some time, but the problem of false teachers within the church was persisting. Therefore, in verse 3, Paul commands Timothy to stay there and continue to fight the good fight of faith against this group of people who were promoting false doctrines. The doctrines that they were spreading were different, strange, novel, and inconsistent with the gospel of Jesus Christ. These church leaders had instead devoted themselves to “myths and endless genealogies.” “Myths” refer to untrue stories or fables that only the gullible would believe or follow, which support nothing of value. “Endless genealogies” refers to wearisome lists of personal origins. Paul doesn’t explain the precise nature of these teachings, but they both seem to reflect some type of Jewish heresy infiltrating the church.

What we do know is that Paul stands boldly against such teachings because they produce speculations instead of God’s work. The Greek word translated here as “speculations” means “pointless controversies, meaningless talk, and worthless arguments.” These false doctrines were distracting the church from real spiritual growth and the ministry of the gospel of Jesus Christ. The teachers did not have pure motives nor did they have the right qualifications to be in church leadership. They desired to be teachers, but they didn’t know what they were talking about.

Paul’s motivation for Timothy to oppose the false teachers was love that is manifested in a pure heart, a good conscience, and a sincere faith. The purpose for ordering the false teachers to stop spreading heresy was to help the church get back to what it is supposed to be doing; that is, making and maturing disciples of Jesus Christ. Paul wanted Timothy to be earnest in protecting the church against false doctrine so that it could stay focused on its true mission.

It is sad to think about how many times throughout the history of the church that false teachers and heretical doctrines have diverted the church from its mission. For instance, I think about the scholastic theologians in the mid-1200’s A.D. who used to sit around and debate how many angels could dance on the head of a needle. (Talk about vain discussions and pointless speculations!) Some historians have linked this debate to the medieval theologian Duns Scotus, from which we get our modern term “Dunce Cap.” If it is true, it is certainly fitting!

Can you imagine sitting around and talking about something like this? What a waste of time! What a distraction from the church’s real purpose! But similar things happen in the modern church all the time. Some false teachers today lead churches into the heresy of legalism, where they spend more time debating how long a Christian’s hair should be than spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ. Other false teachers lead churches into charismatic heresies, where everyone in the church is passed out on the floor and barking like dogs, rather than promoting the real work of the Holy Spirit. Still other false teacher’s side-track the church by becoming political activists—I don’t think protesting outside the funeral services of our fallen soldiers is a part of the church’s true mission! As you can see, it is important to be earnest in our Christian beliefs!

2.) The Importance of Being Earnest in Christian Behavior (8-11)

Now that Paul has established the importance of sound Christian doctrine, he moves on to the importance of being earnest in Christian behavior. In response to the false teachers’ improper use of God’s law (the Old Testament in this context), Paul sets forth its real intent, which is distinguishing between right and wrong behavior. The law is God’s standard of moral conduct for human beings. It was given to show humans that they are all lawbreakers and sinners—the law shows us our need for a savior!

After asserting the purpose of the law, Paul reaffirms some of the foundational parts of the law by including a list of common sins. This list is certainly not exhaustive—that is why it begins with general terms like “the ungodly, sinners, unholy, and profane.” This would include anyone who does something that is contrary to God’s character or moral expectations that are laid out in the Bible.

The second half of the list bears a clear correspondence to the Ten Commandments. “Those who strike their fathers and mothers” is a breach of the fifth commandment to honor your father and mother. “Murders” obviously is a breach of the sixth commandment that you shall not murder. “The sexually immoral and men who practice homosexuality” refers to any sexual activity outside of marriage and to any type of homosexual behavior and it corresponds to the seventh commandment that you shall not commit adultery. “Enslavers” specifically refers to those who are involved in slave trading and human trafficking and breaks the eighth commandment that you shouldn’t steal. “Liars and perjurers” is an obvious breach of the ninth commandment. Paul rounds out the list with the categorical phrase “and whatever else is contrary to sound doctrine” or any other behavior that conflicts with the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Paul includes this list of specific sins because Timothy needed to be reminded of God’s laws as he fought against the false teachers who were trying to change God’s laws. Like Timothy and the Ephesian church, we all need to be reminded of God’s laws. We need to be reminded that it is our duty before God to honor our parent’s, even when that is difficult to do. We need to be reminded that any sexual activity outside of marriage and homosexual behavior is sinful in God’s sight. We need to be reminded stealing, lying, and anything else that is contrary to God’s Word is a breach of his law.

I learned this lesson a number of months ago. I was driving to my in-laws house in St. Albans when I came to the traffic light at the three-way intersection at what is called Gallagher’s Corner. The light was red and I wanted to turn right. After seeing that an oncoming car was still quite a ways off, I turned right without coming to a stop. My wife, who was sitting in the passenger seat beside me, had the audacity to rebuke me for not stopping at the light. Then I began to explain to her that when you are turning right at a red light and there aren’t any cars around that you don’t have to stop at a red light. She objected and we found ourselves arguing about the law.

Our argument was rudely interrupted when I looked into my rear view mirror and saw the flashing lights of a cop car. As soon as I pulled over, I immediately knew that my wife was right. Thankfully, I got off with just written warning and a correct understanding of the law. The kids in the back seat thought the whole ordeal was exciting, but I wasn’t very excited when my in-laws drove passed us at that very moment. I had to deal with the embarrassment the rest of the day. Needless to say, I won’t forget that law ever again.

We all need to be reminded of the law, especially God’s law! That is why Paul reminds Timothy of God’s here. And that is why God is reminding all of us about his law this morning! We need to be reminded that it is important to be earnest in Christian behavior!

In this passage, the Apostle Paul is telling us that it is important to be earnest in our beliefs and our behaviors. We need to take them seriously! Don’t be lured away doctrines and teachings that go against God’s Word. Don’t engage in practices that go against God’s law! God wants us to live lives of purity for him!

But maybe there is someone here today who says to themselves, “Gosh, my beliefs haven’t been right” or “O my, I have broken God’s law.” I want you to know that you are not the only one. We are all law breakers! We are all ungodly! We are all sinners! That is why Jesus died for us on the cross! He died to take our sins away and whenever we repent from our sins and put our faith in Jesus Christ, we are forgiven completely and have the hope of everlasting life. This is the gospel of glory to which Paul refers in verse 11.

As we go from this place, may be all be earnest in pursuing proper Christian belief and behavior, but let us do it with the grace and mercy that we have received through our Lord Jesus Christ!