Since Timothy is Paul’s protege, having accompanied him in ministry (e.g. Ac 20.4) and having been sent by him to take care of matters in various churches (e.g. 1Ti 1.3), Paul begins his first epistle with some ministry overview. His first point—a fundamental one—is that the ministry is not about the minister, but about those being served
The minister is not looking to promote himself and gain followers; he doesn’t depart from the old doctrinal standard (“teach no other doctrine,” 1Ti 1.3) or come up with creative new takes (1Ti 1.4), stirring up believers to discontent with what they’ve learned so far. His goal is to edify, or build up, the believers he interacts with.
My primary goal in this series, as I noted last time, is to encourage and equip believers who have never thought of themselves as “ministers” to reorient their thinking, to embrace their opportunity to serve others in the body. Paul notes that all believers are to “edify” one another by what proceeds out of their mouth (Ep 4.29).
Get on board.
Make your communication about serving and strengthening other people, not promoting yourself. A braggart, or a manipulator, has not evidenced the first thing about living as a follower of Christ.
Paul provides here two separate lists of the characteristics of such people (1Ti 1.9-10, 13); he makes the contrast stark.
So is this a matter of simply choosing to do better, turning over a new leaf?
Not at all.
God is the one who has chosen Paul and “[put him] into the ministry” (1Ti 1.12), and he is the one who has chosen every believer in the same way (Ep 1.4). Paul, and we, have received the abundant grace of God to empower us to accomplish this astonishing ministry (1Ti 1.14). We do it with his help and empowerment, and despite the fact that as sinners we are utterly undeserving (1Ti 1.15-16).
What a magnificent thing it is to serve such a merciful and powerful and gracious God! (1Ti 1.17). Beginning with praise will set us on the path to effective service.
In chapter 2 Paul extends his teaching. Once God has called us into his service, he gives us access to himself and all that he provides. He does this, Paul says, through a specific avenue: he has appointed a mediator, his Son, by whom we have free access to him (1Ti 2.5). And this makes sense; since Christ is God the Son, he of course has full access to the Father; and since he is the Son of Man, everlastingly incarnate, he can “be touched with the feeling of our infirmities,” having been “in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin” (He 4.15).
This is not to say, of course, that the omniscient Father is somehow limited in his understanding of us due to lack of shared experience, but creatures like us are reassured when someone has walked in our shoes.
So we all have a calling to serve, and we all have access to the one who has called us. What’s the next logical step?
Paul devotes much of this second chapter to the logical follow-up: prayer. Prayer, what the author of Hebrews calls “the throne of grace” (He 4.16), is the avenue by which we access that heavenly power through the mediation of Christ. And this prayer is comprehensive; we pray for “all men” (1Ti 2.1). I should note that the word “men” in this verse is not gender-specific; it’s anthropos, “human being,” rather than andros, “male.”
The structure of this passage is tight. He gives the responsibility of intercessory prayer to the men (the word in 1Ti 2.8 is gender-specific). This is not to say, of course, that female access to the power of prayer is somehow limited. The Scripture is replete with examples of women praying powerfully; for particularly noteworthy examples, see the prayers of Hannah (1S 2), Mary (Lk 1.46-56), and Anna (Lk 2.36-40). But here men are specifically instructed to pray; and it reflects badly on our “Christian” culture that so few do.
Keep in mind the focus of “ministry.” The term is not so much an honorific as a call to servanthood. It calls for humility. When men pray, they are recognizing their own need and inability and begging for help from one far greater than they. Men are to humble themselves (1Ti 2.8).
And so are women (1Ti 2.9-15).
There’s much controversy about this passage these days. I’m convinced that the statements are clear and without need of explanation or apology. I’m not going to spend time on any of that here because it is outside my purpose.
Believers are to serve. With humility. All of us—men and women.
Let’s start there.
Photo by Mélyna Côté on Unsplash
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