May 12 – Timothy – I Timothy 3-4
Timothy joins Paul and Silas on a missionary journey to Lystra in 50 A.D.. Timothy continues to travel with Paul to Philipi, but keeps serving in Thessalonica when Paul escapes later in the same year. Timothy will stay in Thessalonica for two years before joining Paul’s church planting in Ephesus. Thru the many more missionary adventures Timothy experienced, we know Timothy was no novice when Paul wrote to Timothy from prison right before Paul died in 66 A.D.. By this time Timothy has settled in Ephesus. One of Timothy’s purposes in going to Ephesus was to address the false teachings that plagued the church at the time. In chapter 1 Paul addresses the effects of false teaching using words like “fables” (fanciful or untrue), “vain jangling” (random talk or useless babbling), and “genealogies” (speculative interpretation of the Scriptures). In chapter 4 Paul is giving Timothy more personal helps. Paul tells Timothy not to get sidetracked, but to focus on godliness (verse 7). In verses 12-16 Paul highlights Timothy’s gift of prophecy and challenges him to continue to improve himself in the knowledge and practice of the doctrine (scriptures).
What verse jumped out at you today? What thought can you meditate on throughout this day? One of the many verses I enjoy in the Bible is chapter 4 verse 12. It sure gives packs a lot of thoughts in one verse!
