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From 1 Timothy 5

These verses pass along wisdom to the congregation that Timothy serves. First is that the congregation should show patience and honor to those who are in need, especially the elderly and the widow. Part of the church’s responsibility as a community is for the members to support one another as they are able – whether that is through encouragement or through material means.

This connects to the second piece of wisdom in these verses, to treat leaders in the church the honor they deserve based on good leadership. There is a logic in some parts of the church today, especially towards pastors, that it is acceptable to underpay them because they aren’t in it for the money – as if creating hardship somehow validates their call. Paul warns against that here, telling the congregation that “the laborer deserves his wages.” This is something that is becoming more and more evident in the American church today because of the growing pastor shortage – if one church will not pay a pastor enough to take care of his family, another one will, and the pastor can do faithful ministry in either place.

Taking these two pieces of wisdom together, the message is simple – the community of the church should take care of one another, from the lowliest member to the leadership.

Focus on God

We are reminded in these verses that God graciously puts people in our lives to help support us.

Function in Our Lives

We are encouraged to encourage and support one another as we are able.

Topics to Pray About                                                              

• Thank God for His providence.
• Confess to God the times where you don’t seek to take care of the people around you with your abilities.
• Ask God to bless His church and its mission.

In His Service,

J. LeBorious

From 1 Timothy 4:1-5

There are two separate threads in these verses from Paul written to Timothy.

First is insight into what it means to be a good servant of Jesus. The first think he puts in front of Timothy is “being trained in the words of the faith and of the good doctrine.” There are some voices in Christianity that avoid doctrine and theology; however, that misses out on the wisdom of those Christians who have gone before us and thought seriously about these things. Doctrine matters, and knowing good doctrine is important – especially in a world where there is so much corrupt and misguided doctrine. Being resolutely faithful and clearly communicative of our good theology is a worthwhile thing for us to do. Paul goes on to note that bodily training (taking care of God’s gift of our bodies) is of some value, and striving to be obedient to God’s Law is of surpassing value. In short, if we want to be good servants of Jesus, we should take care of the gifts He has given us and obey the things He told us.

There is then a shift into a commentary on Timothy’s leadership specifically. Paul encourages him and tells him to keep up doing good things for the community – reading the Word, teaching, and encouraging people to be good servants of Jesus. He instructs the church where Timothy is a pastor to respect Timothy for the quality of his actions and the gifts he has received, not based on his youth.

Focus on God

We are reminded in these verses that God graciously gives us the gift of good doctrine, of wisdom from our predecessors.

Function in Our Lives

We are encouraged to immerse ourselves in good doctrine and in obedience to Christ.

Topics to Pray About                                                              

• Thank God for His Gospel and good doctrine.
• Confess to God the times where you don’t take the time to hear about deeper parts of faith.
• Ask God to bless His church and its mission.

In His Service,

J. LeBorious

From 1 Timothy 4:1-5

This is a good place to remember that Paul writes this epistle to Timothy, a young pastor in one of the churches Paul had established. Paul is warning Timothy that some of the people in his congregation are going to fall away from the faith. When something like that happens, when someone leaves the faith, many pastors will internalize that and the negative emotions that come with it. There will be fear about the future of the congregation, sadness for the lost person, insecurity about the job he is doing, anxiety for the conversations with others that will follow, among other emotions. Paul is preparing Timothy for that eventuality and, perhaps, giving him some reassurance that those who fall away are not his fault.

Instead, Paul points to a variety of things that can draw people away from faith. There can obviously be an element of spiritual warfare present, but Paul also warns about the influence of people. People can lie and their insincerity can draw people away, people can attach other things to the Gospel and to church that drive people out, and people can fall away when they fail to recognize the gifts that God has given them. The pastor and other leaders of a congregation can strive to combat these voices, but there is only so much they can do. So we give thanks to God for our faith, we put ourselves in positions to strengthen it, and we avoid those voices that could lead us astray.

Focus on God

We are reminded in these verses that God graciously creates all good things.

Function in Our Lives

We are encouraged to do everything we can to strengthen our faith and the faith of those around us.

Topics to Pray About                                                              

• Thank God for His Gospel.
• Confess to God the times where you don’t take care of your faith as the gift it is.
• Ask God to bless His church and its mission.

In His Service,

J. LeBorious

From 1 Timothy 3:14-16

The Lutheran Study Bible notes that these verses conclude the section on the Church’s organization. Specifically that “we are not free to amend or depart from God’s revealed will concerning the outward organization of His Church, because it is a pillar and buttress of the truth – the Church of the living God that confesses the Gospel of Jesus Christ to a fallen world.” We are called to live in a way that reflects our way because we, as the church of God Almighty, are the only thing lifting the truth of the Gospel out into the world. We share the mystery of godliness, the mysterious work of Jesus with a world that wouldn’t be able to find it on its own.

Paul recaps that mystery. That Jesus came as a person, was vindicated by the Holy Spirit, testified by angels, glorified in His ascension, and proclaimed by His church. That taking care of sin’s hold over us, making us holy and godly, doesn’t make perfect sense from a worldly perspective, hence the title of mystery.

Focus on God

We are reminded in these verses that God graciously saves us through the Gospel.

Function in Our Lives

We are encouraged to live as examples of the faith as much as we possibly can.

Topics to Pray About                                                              

• Thank God for His Gospel.
• Confess to God the times where you don’t live according to what you believe.
• Ask God to bless His church and its mission.

In His Service,

J. LeBorious

From 1 Timothy 3:8-13

Yesterday’s devotion talked about the office of overseer, and I remarked that I haven’t been to a church with that title. The title of deacon, the subject of today’s verses, and this is a title that is used in many churches today with a variety of definitions. Probably the best way to understand the role as Timothy would have understood it is simply as someone to assist the pastors in the congregation especially in caring for those in need and taking care of the place of worship.

The standards for behavior are similar for the deacons, even if they do have a more limited role.  This makes sense, because anyone in a position of authority or leadership within the church will potentially be looked at as an example. For people outside the church, it is natural to look at leaders in the church to get a sense of what it means to be a Christian. For people inside the church, it is natural to look at leaders in the church as role models. It’s very similar to how we might evaluate any other organization, you don’t look at the intern, you look at the CEO.  This means that, if you want to be a leader in your church, you should live up to that title. And if you aren’t currently living up to the way that Christ has called you to live, that’s okay – you can (and should) always continue to grow; however, until you can be a faithful role model for others, you maybe shouldn’t step into positions of leadership.

Focus on God

We are reminded in these verses that God graciously sets expectations for the quality of those who lead His people.

Function in Our Lives

We are encouraged to live as examples of the faith as much as we possibly can.

Topics to Pray About                                                              

• Thank God for the wisdom in His Word.
• Confess to God the times where you don’t live according to what you believe.
• Ask God to bless the people He has given authority in this world with wisdom and righteousness.

In His Service,

J. LeBorious

From 1 Timothy 3:1-7

In the all the churches I’ve been to, I’ve never met someone with the title of overseer.  In fact, when I picture an overseer, I picture someone on a construction site, overseeing the work being done. Obviously, that isn’t what Paul is talking about here. The role that Paul is setting out guidelines for is probably best understood as the role pastors fill in most Christian congregations today.

The task of pastoral ministry is not one to be taken lightly, something to be kept in mind for anyone in your life who aspires to this vocation. The standards for behavior and thoughts are high, just look back at 1 Timothy 3:2-7.  And the reason for this is that the pastor in many ways sets the standard, sets the example. If a pastor does not live up to the way that God has called Christians to live, it communicates to anyone watching that it’s really okay to do that. That isn’t to say that pastors are perfect, but they are called to do their best to set an example.

Now you may be reading this devotion and thinking to yourself, “I’m not a pastor, nor do I have any intention of becoming one.” That’s fine, but the thought I would impart to you is this. Even if you aren’t a pastor leading a congregation, are their people in your life who look to you for an example? Maybe it’s your siblings or your kids, maybe it’s other people at your job, or maybe it’s your friends. Regardless, if you are being looked to as an example, these verses give you an idea of what kind of example you should be.

Focus on God

We are reminded in these verses that God graciously sets a perfect example for us in the earthly ministry of Jesus.

Function in Our Lives

We are encouraged to live as examples of the faith as much as we possibly can.

Topics to Pray About                                                              

• Thank God for the wisdom in His Word.
• Confess to God the times where you don’t live according to what you believe.
• Ask God to bless the people He has given authority in this world with wisdom and righteousness.

In His Service,

J. LeBorious

From 1 Timothy 2:8-15

These verses contain a message that has been dismissed by some and misused by others. It also might be difficult to adequately address in a single devotion, but we’re going through Timothy and I don’t want to skip it, so we’ll give it a try.

These verses speak to how Christians should engage in worship. It begins by saying that men should pray in a peaceful and sanctified man – which doesn’t inspire much disagreement. It then says that women should dress respectably and modestly in church – again, I don’t think there is much disagreement there, both men and women should dress modestly and respectfully in general. Then Paul writes the verses that are more controversial for some. He writes that women should learn quietly and gives the role of spiritual leadership to men. The following verse points back to the order of creation and the fact that Adam came first.

Part of the reason people sometimes get upset by this comes from the idea that men and women are the same. That’s not true though, whether from a scientific or biblical or experiential point of view. Men and women are different and God has given them different, complementary roles. This isn’t a burden or a tragedy, but a blessing! Men are called to spiritual leadership, and women have other callings in their lives. This is part of the reason that the LCMS (our church body) does not ordain women into pastoral ministry, because we trust in God’s design for the relationships between men and women, we trust that He knows what He’s doing when He puts men in this role. That isn’t to say anything negative about men or women, just an acknowledgement that we are different and that God has given us different roles in His community.

Focus on God

We are reminded in these verses that God graciously blesses us with different people to fill different roles.

Function in Our Lives

We are encouraged to live with modesty and respect for one another.

Topics to Pray About                                                              

• Thank God for the wisdom in His Word.
• Confess to God the times where you don’t live with modesty or respect.
• Ask God to bless the people He has given authority in this world with wisdom and righteousness.

In His Service,

J. LeBorious

From 1 Timothy 2:1-7

Paul challenges Christians to pray for all people in these verses. Specifically, he mentions kings and people who are in high positions. It is helpful to keep in mind that, at the time, most of the rulers and authorities did not treat Christians with kindness or mercy – they were much more likely to choose violence. We should include in our prayers people in authority over us – whether that be council members, mayors, governors, presidents, members of congress, bosses, HOA presidents, or judges. We should pray for them even if, maybe especially if, we disagree with them. We pray for peace and the ability to lead a quiet, godly life.

Another thing to note in these verses is the rationale that Paul gives for praying for all people. He says that it is good and pleasing in the sight of God because He “desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” We pray for all people because God cares for all people, we pray for all people because God wants them all to be saved, and we pray for all people because they are all a part of His plan for creation – whether they acknowledge it or not.

Focus on God

We are reminded in these verses that Jesus graciously hears our prayers.

Function in Our Lives

We are encouraged to pray for others, especially people in positions of authority.

Topics to Pray About                                                              

• Thank God for the freedom to go to Him in prayer.
• Confess to God the times where you don’t pray for others like you should.
• Ask God to bless the people He has given authority in this world with wisdom and righteousness.

In His Service,

J. LeBorious

From 1 Timothy 1:12-20

Paul’s point in these verses is simple. Christ came to save sinners and shows His “perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life.” We are all sinners and Christ came for us – so it seems appropriate for us to be a little more patient and gracious with one another and to help each other cling to the faith.

That’s all folks.

Focus on God

We are reminded in these verses that Jesus graciously came to save us sinners.

Function in Our Lives

We are encouraged to be gracious to one another and supportive of one another’s faith.

Topics to Pray About                                                              

• Thank God for His Son.
• Confess to God the times where you don’t reflect the grace and patience He showed you.
• Ask God to bless His church with good, faithful leaders.

In His Service,

J. LeBorious