THE FIRST EPISTLE OF PAUL THE APOSTLE TO Timothy Chapter 1 "Practical Admonition [Reproving and Correcting]." This Bible Study is
written by Roger Christopherson, and made available with
written permission by http://www.theseason.org Timothy was one of Paul's converts, and it is taught that Timothy had a Hebrew mother, while Timothy's Gentile father is never mentioned in the Scriptures. It is more than likely that his father was an Hellenist, of the Grecian religion. It doesn't matter what ethnic background Timothy had, for in Christ we are all one in finding and receiving eternal salvation. This is what the purpose of this letter of salvation is, to open the gospel of salvation to all that by faith in Jesus Christ, will repent in Jesus name and receive salvation and eternal life. Paul was a zealous person, and when he was a Pharisee and well taught under the law, he went out to persecute Christians. When God struck him down on the road to Damascus, God changed Paul's will to kill Christians, and chose Him to be a witness for Him. In due time, Paul becomes one of the strongest leaders in the Christian church, establishing many, and in his letters or epistles back to the churches that he established, we have our instruction as to what God expects of us. Paul has written about half the books in the New Testament that we get our instruction from today. This letter that Paul wrote to Timothy is considered one of the first Pastoral letters, as they are termed. It was written about 67 A.D., but it is not known where Paul was at the time of this writing. However, Paul was in either Troas, or Macedonia at this time. Paul was very dedicated to Timothy, and when Paul talks about Timothy he calls Timothy his own son. Paul was Timothy's spiritual father, and he was very pleased with the progress of Timothy. The book of Timothy is a doctrinal letter to the churches, and it lays out for us what we should expect and acquire from a church. It gives instruction to the Pastor how to operate the church under the laws of God. It teaches the pastors how they should teach and what they should teach. This makes the Books of Timothy very important letters, for if you are not building of your faith from the church as Paul teaches, than you are not going by Christ's doctrinal instructions. Paul sets the example as to what churches should teach and how the Christians should be taught. This standard that Paul is writing is as good for our churches today, as it was for the churches of Paul's day. If your church is not teaching according to Paul's letter than you are getting robbed, and you are not receiving the knowledge that God would have you know. Paul is teaching Timothy as to how he should function as a minister and teacher of God. I Timothy 1:1 "Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the commandment of God our Savior, and Lord Jesus Christ, which is our hope." Paul was an apostle, or "one sent forth" by God. Paul's conversion was directly by God when He struck Paul down on the road to Damascus. While Paul was blind and helpless, God sent Ananias to Paul through a vision and told Ananias to go and put his hand on Paul that he might receive his sight. Acts 9:13 "Then Ananias answered, "Lord, I have heard by many of this man, how much evil he hath done to Thy saints at Jerusalem:" Acts 9:14 "And here he hath authority from the chief priests to bind all that call on Thy name." The fear and torment that Paul had brought on the Christians of his day, was well known everywhere. Paul was a feared man that carried out the orders of the Kenite chief priests to bind all Christians that called on the name of the Lord. Acts 9:15 "But the Lord said unto him [Ananias], "Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto Me, to bear My name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel:" Though Ananias thought that Paul should be left blind, God revealed to him that Paul was a chosen vessel unto Him. We know that Paul suffered many persecutions, beating, and stoned to the point of death for his ministry of the Gospel. Yet God used Paul to establish many churches, and Paul's letters back to those churches to instruct them in their difficulties is where many of the books of the New Testament came from. Acts 9:16 "For I will shew him how great things he must suffer for My name's sake." God revealed may of the mysteries of the Bible that were hidden to God's people before this. Paul was a Hebrew scholar of the law, and God revealed to Him the truths that we now can understand. The message that Paul brings to us, is that there is no other hope than the hope that we have in Jesus Christ. Let's take the name "Jesus" back into the Greek for a better understanding of the meaning of the name Jesus. In Strong's Greek dictionary # 2424; "Iesous, ee-ay-sooce'; from the Hebrew [3091]; Jesus (i. e., Jehoshua), the name of our Lord Jesus." So we have to go to # 3091 in the Hebrew dictionary to get the full meaning. # 3091; "Yehowshu'a, ye-oh-shoo'-ah; from 3068 and 8199; Jehovah-saved; Jehoshua (i. e., Joshua)." In # 3068 we read; "Yehovah, yeh-ho-vaw'; From 1961; (the) self-Existent or Eternal; Jehovah, Jewish national name of God, -Jehovah, the Lord." Within the name of Jesus exist all three of the offices of the God head. but specifically the name of Jesus is to say, "Yeh" or "Je" which is the Father, and "Christ is to say, "the anointed one". I Timothy 1:2 "Unto Timothy, my own son in the faith: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord." So here we have the three things that God gives to us, Grace, mercy and peace. We receive them when we by faith trust on Jesus and repent of our sins. I Timothy 1:3 "As I besought thee to abide still at Ephesus, when I went into Macedonia, that thou mightest charge some that they teach no other doctrine," Paul is telling us that there should be no other doctrine than the doctrines set forth by our Heavenly Father through His Word. Those doctrines were given by Jesus Himself through His apostles, of which Paul was one of them, or through the prophets. All history is an example for the things to come, so the stories that we have in the Old Testament concerning God's people are as Paul tells us in I Corinthians 10:11; "Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come."
This is written to the man in the flesh body, the man that walks under the sun here on earth. Don't spiritualize it away for it is simply saying that what has happened in the past and is history to us today, is going to happen again, for the nature of man doesn't change. Paul is saying that the traditions of men fall by the way side, our Heavenly Father said it, it is written and that should be sufficient. There is no other doctrine that is important, other than the Lord God Almighty, and the Word that He gave though His Son, by the ones that He sends forth that are His apostles. I Timothy 1:4 "Neither give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which minister questions, rather than godly edifying which is in faith: so do." When you bring up endless genealogies, and fables about peoples, it causes questions to rise that just doesn't matter, concerning salvation. Many people when you speak of genealogies concerning the tribes of Israel and Christ, go into a fantasy world. The word "endless" in the Greek manuscripts, is "foolish" genealogies and fables. This causes the conversation to go on and on into all sorts of things that just do not matter. It gets you off the subject of the Gospel of Christ. A person should be proud of their heritage, and understand where they came from and the roots to where their heritage is derived. However to allow man's traditions to work into God's Word is not good. Some genealogies are important for us to discuss in detail such as the genealogy listed in Luke 3:23-38. Which is the Genealogy of Mary, the mother of Jesus. Though it says "Son of Joseph", we know that Jesus' true Father was the Heavenly Father Himself. Luke 3:22 "And the Holy Spirit descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon Him, and a voice came from heaven, which said, Thou art My beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased." Luke 3:23 "And Jesus Himself began to be about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph, which was the son of Heli," Luke 3:24 "Which was the son of Matthat, Which was..." Many think that this is Joseph's genealogy, where as it has nothing to do with the lineage of Joseph. In the phrase, "as was supposed", in the Hebrew manuscripts reads, "as reckoned by law". It is to lay down something and make it a fact by the law of the land. This is a term used today amongst our people, and today we call it our "in-laws". "Mother in law", "Father in law", "brother in law" and so forth, for it is the linage and family of the spouse. The one named here is Joseph, and the in-laws of Joseph were Mary's lineage or genealogy. This genealogy is important because it proves the Word of God to be true, all the way back to Adam, and his son Seth. Another reason that this is important is that it lets us know that Christ's birth is the fulfilling of all the prophecies concerning the coming Messiah in the Old Testament by God's prophets. All of the promises had come to pass concerning Christ's lineage, just as it was written. God doesn't write foolishness, so the genealogies given in the Word of God are worth paying attention to, however, those that are not, deal only with the person effected. Don't allow any endless genealogies to draw you away from the doctrine of God, when you are trying to study His Word. I Timothy 1:5 "Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned:" The "end" is the "end accomplishment of Christ's instructions" and it is love out of your pure heart, and of a good conscience. That "love in Christ" for others must be "unfeigned" which means it is genuine. True "charity" is love given expecting nothing in return. If you love the doctrine of Christ and you spread that Word and doctrine abroad to others, you don't expect to get anything in return for yourself. However within your conscience, your desire is to have that seed of the truth grow in the minds of others that they may also come to know Jesus Christ as their personal savior. Sometimes when you love someone, it takes a backbone and force to back your love up. this is called "hard love". Our Heavenly Father uses hard love many times. It is the correction that comes when one of His own steps out of line and needs some correction. We even may have to use some hard love on our own children where they step out of line and need correcting. Hard love is force that causes the unruly to see the truth and come to their senses. On a national scale it may even cause one nation to war against another. Correction is a part of love, and when you love your own, you want them doing what is right and sometimes it requires hard or tough love on your part. So what Paul is saying here is that any time someone drifts away from the Gospel, unless they are corrected, they will not come back to it, and that is why our love should be with a pure heart and a good conscience. Sometimes you have to cut the disorderly one loose and send them to Satan so that he can rough them up a bit, before they come to their senses and come back to God. That is all done in love. Rather than letting one that is out of order cause trouble for the whole congregation, it is better to put them out for a time, until they come to their senses. In time, they may or they may not, want to come back home, but it must be done and it shows love for them. In the case of an drug addict or an alcoholic they will lie to you, and steal what is necessary to get their fix, and do it because they do not have control of themselves. Love for them is letting them go to the bottom to where they will finally recognize the losing place they are in, and seek help. Giving them money before that time is a waste of time for they will only use it to advance their habit. They must hit the bottom and seek help for themselves before you can give it to them. Genuine love on your part is to bring them to the realization that they have to face life in reality. Christianity is a reality and when they come to reality, then they have come to the point where you can help. The ultimate end of the Gospel of Christ is to do all things in love. I Timothy 1:6 "From which some having swerved have turned aside unto vain jangling;" vain jangling ~ 3150 mataiologia- vain talking, empty talk, babble This word "jangling" in the Greek is what we call "a babbler" in the English. Have you ever been in a church where there was a babbler, and all they could do is talk, talk, talk and their words had no meaning? It happens in many churches every Sunday, where one verse is read, and then the pastor goes off into all sorts of tangents and never seems to bring any of those things together with meaning. I like to call them "one verse babblers". They sound like chip monks, sitting on their stump yakking away and not saying a thing worth while. At the end of the sermon, you leave without the slightest idea what the man or woman was talking about. In fact, you can't even remember the verse that started on that whole mess. Paul is telling us to stay away from those that do this type of teaching. We are to seek meaningful help, wisdom and knowledge that comes from God's Word. The Word of God will give us all the help we need to be successful in all that we do; in the family, on the job, or in our everyday lives. If your pastor or teacher is not instructing you according to the Word of God, then you are being robbed. The Word of God will assure you that God is in control of your life. I Timothy 1:7 "Desiring to be teachers of the law, understanding neither what they say, nor where of they affirm." Paul is addressing those teachers of the laws of God, that spout out all sorts of things and they simply don't know what they are talking about. Though they shape their voice to sound like they have great authority, it is nothing more than a garbled mess. This type of teacher or preacher likes to sound off their slogans and special sayings that come from a certain person they think is of authority, and all those words are is trash and tradition. They get, in time, to where just because they have muttered some words, it must be true because they said it. These chumps like to quote one another, and give each other positions of authority, and what they say has completely gone against what God's Word teaches. Paul is telling us to beware of this kind of person. Get in the habit of checking out what a man says with the Word of God, and use your Greek and Hebrew numbered dictionary to prove what is said, before you accept it as fact. What we are suppose to receive in the house of God, is not man's Word, but God's Word, and when man's word is taught, it is called man's traditions. God's Word is the Holy Scriptures as they are written and properly interpreted. It is rightly dividing the Word of God. Studied chapter by chapter, verse by verse, line upon line, that you follow the subject and object of each book, with the Holy Spirit guiding you. I Timothy 1:8 "But we know that the law is good, if a man use it lawfully;" Paul is telling us that the law is good, if a man use it lawfully. "Lawfully" means to use it as it should be used, and parcel it out with good judgment. The law can be very good to help keep order within a community or group, and it allows each person to know what is expected of him or her. To say that the law is not good, is to deceive yourself, for the law was given by God to man to let him know how to live with and amongst each other in a community. If you never broke a law then you would never be in trouble, for to break a law is to transgress God's advice to you as to how to stay out of trouble. It is important that you know the difference between statutes, ordinances, and the law. In the case of "ordinances", all blood ordinances were fulfilled in the shed blood of Jesus Christ. The ordinances of the Scripture dealt with the set times of the Lord, and the instruction that were required by God at those set times. How the lambs and sacrifices were to be killed and what was to be done with the blood. It also had to do with the all the sacrificial rituals which were required of the Levitical priests, even down to the fire that was allowed on the altar of God. A statute is an ordinance, but an ordinance deals with a specific set of instructions for a specific duty. God instructed Moses what to tell the Israelites, while they were in Egypt, just before the death angel passed over. Those instructions were to kill the lamb, but to mark the blood over the door post, and eat the rest of the lamb, for their strength in the coming journey that would start the next day. Exodus 12:14 "And this day shall be unto you for a memorial; and ye shall keep it a feast to the Lord throughout your generations; ye shall keep it a feast by an ordinance for ever." God then laid out to Moses the conditions, set times, places customs that were to be followed during the feast of the Passover. We call it "The Passover". Until the time of Christ's death on the cross this was to be followed in detail, and it was even followed by Jesus, for that was the purpose of Jesus going to Jerusalem during the Passover time, when the Kenite Jews took His life. All the details of the Passover were fulfilled in the death of Jesus, and Paul tells us that Jesus became our Passover. I Corinthians 5:7 "Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us:" When Jesus Christ died on the cross, he ended the need for those blood ordinances that were commanded to Moses by God. Those old ordinances were an annual covering for sin, however, Christ innocent shed blood is a covering once and for all times. Jesus instructed us how our passover ordinance should be given when he took the cup and the unleavened bread that we use for our Communion table. I Corinthians 5:8 "Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth." The "feast" is the "Passover", and Christ is our Passover. Jesus Christ is the foundation of our faith that we build our hope upon. Within our Passover there is no room for the leaven of impurities of the things of the world, not even in the divisions of the denominations that are going on today. Paul is telling us to be honest and truthful in our worship and lives. You find that truth and honesty in the Passover, which is the body of Christ when we repent of our sins. So we see that those old blood ordinances do not apply to us today, because Christ became those blood ordinances dealing with blood sacrifices for the covering of sin to please God, when He went to the cross. Let's go to the Strong's Hebrew dictionary to understand what ordinances were and how they were used. In the Strong's it is number #2706. # 2706; "choq, khoke; an enactment hence an appointment (of time, space, quantity, labor or usage): appointed, bound, custom, decree (-d), due, measure, X necessary, ordinance, portion, set time, statute, task." Then there are the statutes that are to govern us also. Christ did not fulfill, which is to say end any of the statutes of the law, for the statutes are still there just as it always has been. Today we have city codes, state codes, and federal codes whereby all the statutory laws are of a general nature. These statutes are considered as of a permanent character are from time to time gather and put under a set of codes. For example we have the tax codes number 26 that the internal revenue uses to determe what money we owe for our taxes at the end of each hear. We have city codes that regulate where and how we can build a building within a city, state codes also regulate the lives of those living within each state. Do you get the picture. A code in one state may not be in affect in another state, for they regulate uniformity within the community, or entity that they are over. There are many types of statutes that are very common to us today such as offences against the Government and against Public Authority and Justice, such as treason, extortion, perjury and bribery. Offences against Public Peace, deals with unlawful assembly and rioting and causing trouble in the community. Offences against the Public Safety, Health and Morals, deal with adultery, incest, sodomy, and abortion. And Offences against Property protects your property against larceny, embezzlement, forgery, robbery, burglary and so on. These are statutes. Statutes regulate everything from the hospitals and nursing homes, debt regulation, schools, cars and their use, and the food you buy. Statutes are fulfilled in that they are changed by the boards or regulating agencies that control whatever it is that they regulate. Horse and buggy laws are out today, but statute codes regulating you and your car on the road is in. Statutes change with the times, however certain statutes concerning health laws are just as good today as they were when the Children of Israel were wandering around in the wilderness some thirty five hundred years ago. Statutes that God gave our forefathers concerning morals are on the books today just as they were given Moses on mount Sinai. So this gets to the Law and the Commandments, that God gave His people through Moses on mount Sinai. These laws and statutes are just as true today as they were then. If you committed adultery, there would be a price to pay. Thou shalt not steal, murder, and so on is just as true today as it was for Moses and the Israelites. Jesus said he came not to do away with those laws, not one jot or tittle of the law, but to fulfill the law. Matthew 5:17 "Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil." Matthew 5:18 "For verily I say unto you, till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled." All societies from the most primitive to the most advanced have a set of laws that control their communities. Any time the law does not exist there is massive confusion. When you break any law, you can expect to pay the price of breaking that law; for that is what the jails and prisons are for. When you cause harm to another, then they can take you to court under another set of laws and force you to pay for the harm that you have caused. This exists in the jungle law as much as in the highest courts of our land. Renegade law breakers are just not welcome in any community. You may get away with it for a while, but in time you will pay for it, and if not here on earth, God will hold you accountable when you are called to stand before Him. The law is good, and man is bad at times. When we break the law, that is the time for repentance to the Father in Jesus name, and it is also time to make it right before you fellow men here on earth. We are to use the law as God had intended it to be used. It is good and keeps people out of trouble. I Timothy 1:9 "Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers," The law doesn't have any thing to do with a righteous man. A righteous man that never breaks the law will never stand in judgment by the law. The law was given to show us our shortcomings and to allow us to judge ourselves. And when we have violated the law, then it is time to get right with God, through repentance. There are many ways to murder someone, and in the word "murder", which is "phonos" in the Greek and it is to premeditate to do murder to a human being. I Timothy 1:10 "For whoremongers, for them that defile themselfes with mankind, for menstealers, for liars, for perjured persons, and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine." Those that "defile themselves with mankind", are those that participate in sodomy which is unnatural. "man stealers" are those that put people in bondage in usury, or by whatever means. The law itself is all wrapped up in sound doctrine because it is all part of God's Holy Word. God's Word protects you from destruction, just as the lighthouse protects the ship from the rocks on the shore line. Then when you follow God's Word, God blesses you in your life, and things go well for you. When you live a righteous life, it reflects not only on you, but on your family. I Timothy 1:11 "According to glorious Gospel of the blessed God, which was committed to my trust." God committed that glorious Gospel of the blessed God to Paul on the road to Damascus. This commitment was given to him in Acts 9:15, 16; "But the Lord said unto him, "Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto Me, to bear My name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel:" [15] "For I will shew him how great things he must suffer for My names sake." [16] God commissioned Paul with His law and the Gospel of Christ. That Gospel is that Christ through His mercy, gives us forgiveness upon our repentance in His name when we break one of His laws. Then upon repentance, He makes us as though we were perfect in His sight, and that is the only place where it counts. I Timothy 1:12 "And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord Who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry;" To fully translate Christ Jesus, "Christ means "the Anointed one of God". The Anointed one brings us the Anointed Word of God. The word "Jesus" from the Hebrew means "YHVH's Savior". We know that Paul's desire from his youth was not to preach the Gospel, but Paul was chosen from before the foundations of this earth age. There wasn't a tent revival, or an altar call, but zap, there Paul stood blinded and struck down on the road to Damascus, and God ordered Him into duty. Jesus then told Paul, "this is what you are going to do", and Paul followed Christ's instructions. Paul knew the law and was trained under the best teacher of His day. Paul was not short on either knowledge or wisdom concerning the law, it is just that Paul did not recognize who the Messiah was. Once Paul knew that Jesus was the Messiah, than all those teachings took on a completely different meaning of understanding. So the sin that Paul did against the Christians and the church was done in ignorance. I Timothy 1:13 "Who was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious: but I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief." Paul did what he did in ignorance in unbelief, because what he did was in ignorance of who the Messiah was. Paul took the law to the extreme, to the point that he used the law of God to punish and persecute the Church. In fact, the purpose of Paul for going to Damascus, was to carry the authority of the high priest, to chain and bind the Christians and bring them to Jerusalem for threatenings and slaughter. Everyone in that day knew of Paul and the evil that he brought against the disciples of the Lord, but it was all done in ignorance. I Timothy 1:14 "And the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus." Our grace that we receive from God is only through our Lord Jesus Christ. It is through His sacrificial innocent blood shed on the cross that we can be saved. I Timothy 1:15 "This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief." Every act that Paul did in ignorance against God and Christians was not accountable for those things, but we know that in the first earth age, Paul earned the right to be one of God's remnant or elect. This is the very foundation of our Christian faith, "Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners." Today many believe that Christ came into the world to the religious peoples, to the Church itself, but He came to save sinners. To call them to repentance for their sins, and to pay the only price that can be paid for any sin, and that is the shedding of the innocent blood of Himself. Our only salvation and righteousness is the righteousness that we have in Christ. That is "anointing". To become righteous by the righteousness of Christ makes us perfect, however to become righteous by the acts of ourselves makes us self-righteous, and that is repugnant to our Heavenly Father. Self-righteousness makes us a liar and a hypocrite, for he says he is something that he is not. Christ did not come to those that were well but to those that were sick spiritually. Christ is the blessing to the righteous, and just as Christ came to you when you were a sinner, if you are honest with yourself, you still need repentance for yourself after you became saved on occasion. We all do when we are honest with Him, and Paul reminds us that even He needs repentance. Most sin is committed in ignorance, in the first place, and there is only one sin that is unforgivable, and that sin cannot be committed until Satan is here on earth in the role of Antichrist. That sin is your refusal to allow the Holy Spirit to speak through you, when you are delivered up in those days. All sin that is committed today is forgivable when by faith it is repented to our Heavenly Father in Jesus name. When we pray in Jesus name we are saying that we believe that Jesus is the only begotten Son of God, born in the flesh, and that he paid the price for our sins with His innocent blood on the cross. We are saying that we accept that gift for the remission of our sins, and that is the only way that God will accept our forgiveness. That is why we say "in Jesus name" as the authority for our approaching the throne of our Heavenly Father in repentance. The unforgivable sin can only be committed by God's elect after the Antichrist is here on earth, as the blasphemy of that act is nailed down in Luke 12:10; "And whosoever shall speak a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but unto him that blasphemeth against the Holy Spirit it shall not be forgiven." It is directed to those that would knowingly turn their back on the Holy Spirit to give Him the opportunity to witness against Satan. For our witnessing should be as written in Mark 13:11. Mark 13:11 "But when they shall lead you, and deliver you up, take no thought beforehand what ye shall speak, neither do ye premeditate: but whatsoever shall be given you in that hour, that speak ye: for it is not ye that speak, but the Holy Spirit. [Spirit]." To deny this with knowledge is unforgivable. I don't think that this is possible and it will not happen, because God's elect will know better. To deny the fact that Christ can forgive sin is to deny the power of the Holy Spirit. Though we are not worthy of His love, it is by God's love for you and I that He was willing to give the sacrifice of His blood for our sins. I Timothy 1:16 "Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on Him to life everlasting." "It was for this cause [Howbeit]", that I was the chieftest of sinners and for your sins, that Jesus Christ showed forth His patience and love, for an example to each of us that will repent and believe on Him. When by faith and through our repentance we come to Him, He offers us everlasting life. The elect of God are those that are chosen from the first earth age, prior to this age of the flesh. Those that are saved that are not of the elect, are saved by their own "free will". Paul's free will, of himself was to kill and enslave Christians, however Paul was chosen of God from the world age that was, before this age. As we read earlier from Acts 9, Paul was God's chosen vessel. Ephesians 1:4 "According as He hath chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world [this world age], that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love:" What does it mean to be "chosen"? It means that there are certain people that God chose in the first earth age to do a task for Him in this age of this flesh earth age. This is not reincarnation, for it is appointed for each of us to go through this earth age in the flesh but once. Hebrews 9:27: Hebrews 9:27 "And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment" "It is appointed unto men once to die [in the flesh], but after this the judgment." This appointing and choosing took place before the foundation of this earth age, which is the second earth age [cosmos] that we are now living in. "Without blame" refers to the fact that God intercedes in certain people's lives. Certain people have free will, while certain other are of God's election, however, God does not play favorites. All sin must be repented to be forgiven, of the elect or the free will children of God. Ephesians 1:5 "Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will," "Predestined" means "from a prior time", or "required to do a certain thing" in the Greek text. You have a choice of loving God, or loving Satan. God will not interfere with your free will choice to chose Him or Satan. However, those people that proved themselves during the overthrow of Satan in the first earth age, were "justified", or earned the right to be called "saints", from that prior age. Each soul comes from God, and enters an embryo at conception. This is why Jeremiah was a chosen one. "Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee, and before thou comest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet of nations." Jeremiah 1:5. Ephesians 1:6 "To the praise of the glory of His grace, wherein He hath made us accepted in the Beloved: When Paul was brought to his knees and blinded, God gave him a three leveled ministry, and when he taught he always taught on all three levels. When you read Paul's teachings, you will understand on the level where you are spiritually. If you don't understand this, just don't worry about it, but this is why when you go back later to study something that you have already studied, the Holy Spirit will reveal something the second or third time through. God's Spirit will teach and instruct you right on the level where you are suppose to be. I Timothy 1:17 "Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen." I Timothy 1:18 "This charge I commit unto thee, son Timothy, according to the prophecies which went before on thee, that thou by them mightest war a good warfare;" There is a great war that has gone on since the beginning of our age, and it is between good and bad, between the forces of God, and the forces of Satan the enemy. Our warfare is against evil, conspiracy and controversy, and it has existed since Satan's overthrow in the first earth age. That war will continue right through this age, and will not end until Satan and all that follow him are cast into the lake of fire after the Great white throne of judgment. Sometimes this warfare is not delightful, but it must be done by the children of God. The armor that prepares you for this warfare is the doctrine of God as written in His Word. It is not done by those with their "jangling" jaws of verse six. Words are important when it is the absolute truth from God's Word. Words are our armor, for they will instruct and warn us of the dangers and events of our day so that we will not become deceived by Satan and his realm. God had a purpose for placing us here on earth, just as Jesus had. Jesus went among the sinners, and they listened to him and their lives were changed. We are not too good to go amongst sinners with the Word of God. Our ministering to the sinners should be in our humility, and not self-righteous hypocrites, for we are to bring the love of God to them. I Timothy 1:19 "Holding faith, and a good conscience; which some having put away, concerning faith have made shipwreck:" "Faith" is the shield of our armor. Ephesians 6:16; "Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked [one]." We put the shield on by taking the Word of God and placing it in our minds with understanding. Our shield of faith is the knowledge that we have in our minds to alert us to the lies and deceptions of Satan, his children, the Kenites, and any one that would pollute the Word of God. "A good conscience" is also part of our armor of spiritual protection. Ephesians 6:14; "Stand therefore, having you loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness.." . Righteousness starts in the mind, and that is where a good conscience is derived from. The Word of God protects our minds from spiritual attacks by Satan, and it is a must for that day when he arrives in the role of the false christ. Those souls that do not hold fast to the faith of God's Word, and protect their good conscience with the breastplate of righteousness are heading for the rocks, and their lives are are going to pe spiritually worthless. I Timothy 1:20 "Of whom is Hymenaeus and Alexander; whom I have delivered unto Satan, that they may learn not to blaspheme." The sin of Hymenaeus and Alexander was that they denied the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Paul talked of Hymenaes in II Timothy 2:16, 17; "But shun profane and vain babblings: for they will increase unto more ungodliness. And their word will eat as doth a canker; of whom is Hymenaeus and Philetus. " Paul sent these two men over to Satan to educate them, for there is nothing like hard times to teach one when their minds are closed. When people think that they can fool around in drugs, alcohol, and all sorts of evil devices and it will not hurt them, and at the beginning it is even fun and good times. However in time, the health goes, the money and reputation, and even the destruction of the family. It takes a complete fall for many to come to their senses before they finally realize that those delightful things that Satan offers only lead to death and destruction, both in the flesh and to the soul. How many people have allowed the pleasures that Satan offers to take their home and wealth, turn their children against them, and even their wives have left before the will stop and take inventory of their lives. Paul then is asking you, why would you allow Satan to do that to you? Once Satan has destroyed you, Satan has no use for you either, and you are worthless to him or his work. Paul is telling us to grow up to where we don't need the lessons of Satan before we come to our senses. God loves us and is waiting for our repentive heart to come to Him, and then He will bless us and make somebody out of each of us. We become a child of God then to where He can use us for His service. This is a doctrinal book, and the outcome of those doctrines is love. Which one is the greater love? To leave one in the gutter and walk away from him? or to preach firmly the Gospel of Christ that saves souls and redeems lives? You can't help anyone until they finally understand how low they have sunk, and have a desire to do something about it. You can encourage others, but it takes the desire to want to change your life, before the change will come. It is your choice as to who you are going to have for your teacher, God through His Word, or Satan and the death and destruction that he causes.
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