THE FIRST EPISTLE OF PAUL THE APOSTLE TO TIMOTHY

          When I went into Macedonia, I asked you to stay in Ephesus so that you would instruct the people not to teach any other doctrine or listen to any other fables and endless stories which cause disputes rather than godly edifying in Faith. Now the end (goal) of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of Faith unfeigned (with no pretending ... in other words, sincere faith).

          Take a minute here to notice something. THE commandment that Paul is speaking of is what Jesus said was the most important of all ... Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind and to love your neighbor as yourself. You’ll notice in the New Testament, that the Apostles wrote about THE commandment in a singular sense, which is exactly what God intended. The commandments of the Old Testament are replaced by THE new commandment and the New Testament. Old laws, replaced by A new promise. If you follow THE commandment, if it is written in your heart, then you will want to follow all of God's laws. The Apostles talk about it as though it’s understood that they are referring to The Greatest Commandment (Matthew 22:36).

          And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has made it possible for me, because He considered me faithful, putting me into the ministry. Before that, I was a blasphemer, a persecutor, and insulting, but I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly, in unbelief.

          Now, if humility was what Jesus was looking for when He chose Paul to be the Apostle to the Gentiles, you’ll see by the next four sentences that Paul certainly filled that requirement.

          We should all strive to be so humble. Next Paul says, This responsibility I give to you, son Timothy, according to the prophecies told before, that by remembering them you might fight a good fight, keeping faith and a good conscience. I have delivered (handed over) Hymenæus and Alexander to satan, so they’ll learn not to blaspheme (speak evil) because they have rejected their faith and become ruined.

FIGHT THE GOOD FIGHT BIBLE INFORMATION WITH FIGHT THE GOOD FIGHT BIBLE MEANING

          So, here Paul is warning Timothy, because their acquaintances had turned away from the Faith and ruined their lives. This is the first we’ve heard of Hymenæus, but you remember Alexander from the book of Acts 19:33-34, standing up for the cause of Christians. Well, apparently now Alexander had turned away from the Faith, and Paul didn’t want Timothy to be influenced by that in any way.

          My friend ... There are many things that will become as obstacles as you fight the fight of Faith, too. Your peers, your age, your lack of age, your ethnicity, your attire, your family, your economic standing, time, sometimes even those within the Church, you name it. Paul knew that Timothy would be faced with obstacles too, and being a prominent leader in the infancy of Christianity, he would no doubt be a prime target for evil to try and rear it’s ugly head at, to try and stop all TRUTH from spreading. So do as Paul taught and FIGHT THE GOOD FIGHT.

          We’ll continue with Paul’s letter to Timothy next time, so be sure to come back soon and find out what’s next, right here at Daily Bread.