Bible in One Year Day 357 (2 John, 3 John, 1 Timothy 4-6, Proverbs 30: 29-33)

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Agape Bible Study 2 John 

THE SECOND LETTER OF SAINT JOHN
The Truth of the Son of God Who Dwells Within Us

PART I: Greeting

The identity of the sender and receiver of the letter were matters of controversy in the early Church; for some, doubt continues over these issues today. Even though the majority opinion eventually decided that the "presbyter/elder' was St. John Zebedee, the Evangelist and "beloved disciple" (Jn 13:23; 19:26, 20:2; 21:7) and that the "chosen/elect Lady" was a church, neither view can be regarded as settled then or now. However, St. Paul, a Jewish-Christian, envisioned the universal Church as feminine and maternal that was also a Jewish tradition (Is 61:10-11; Jer 2:2; Ez 16:4-14; Eph 5:23; CCC 2040).

Like the First Letter, John is concerned with "truth," a term that appears five times in the first four verses of the Second Letter. The Greek word for "dwell" (meno) can also be translated as "remain" or "abide." It is a keyword throughout the works of John, occurring twenty-four times in the First Letter and forty times in the Gospel of John. It is especially noteworthy in Jesus' Last Supper Discourse where He speaks of His disciples abiding/remaining in Him and His love repeatedly, seven times in 15:4 (three times), 6, 7 (twice), and 10 (twice).

In the Old Testament and the New, "walking" with God means to be in fellowship with God by following His commandments just as walking with other gods referred to the sin of idol worship. The Old Testament praised the Patriarchs for "walking with God (c.f., Gen 5:22,  24;  6:9), and the phrase continued throughout the Old and New Testaments for those who fulfilled with their covenant with God required. For example:

• Therefore, keep the commandments of the LORD [Yahweh], your God, by walking in his ways and fearing him. (Dt 8:6).
• But if you forget the LORD [Yahweh], your God, and follow [walk after] other gods, serving and worshiping them, I forewarn you this day that you will perish utterly (Dt 8:19).
• So, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, walk in him, rooted in him and built upon him and established in the faith as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving (Col 2:6).
• Nothing gives me greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth ( 2 Jn 4).
• However, you have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their garments; they will walk with me dressed in white, because they are worthy (Rev 3:4).

In 2 John 4, John rejoices that "some" of the "children" walk in the truth of Christ. Other professed Christians in the community are not "walking in the truth" but have stepped off the "narrow path" (Mt 7:14) to salvation. They are in danger because they are not keeping the commandments and could forfeit their eternal salvation. 

PART III: Avoiding False Teachers and Their Doctrines

Verses 7-11 are warnings that are a summary of what John wrote in the Letter of First John (c.f., 2:18-29; 4:1-6; 5:1-50. He shows the clearest way to recognize these heretics, which is that they do not acknowledge the Incarnation and divinity of Jesus Christ (c.f., 1 Jn 4:2-3). He warns his readers that anyone who rejects sound teaching on this subject is abandoning the Father and the Son (c.f., 1 Jn 2:22-25). In verses 10-11, John advises what precautions Christians need to take in dealing with heretics.

7 Many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh; such is the deceitful one and the antichrist [antichristos].
Perhaps this verse indicates why St. John wrote that only "some" of the "children" in the Elect Lady's family are "walking in the truth" (verse 4). In the New Testament, only the First and Second Letters of John mention the evil entity who is the enemy of Jesus and His Church, calling him the antichrist and those influenced by him "antichrists" (1 Jn 2:18 antichrist and antichrists; 2:22 antichrist; 4:3 spirit of antichrist, and 2 John 7antichrist).

The Greek word antichristos means one who stands in opposition to the Christos, the Greek word for Messiah.

St. Paul refers to this evil being as "the lawless one" in 2 Thessalonians 2:3-12.
Question: In 2 Thessalonians 2:3-12, how does St. Paul describe the individual who will appear at the end of time to stand in opposition to God and His divine plan for humanity?
Answer:

1. The lawless one desires to be revered and to receive the worship of humanity above the True God (verse 4).
2. At present, God restrains his appearance on the stage of human history until the appointed time when he will be revealed (verse 6).
3. The apostasy/rebellion of the lawless one is already at work (verse 7).
4. Satan is the origin of his power (verse 9).
5. God will reveal the lawless one, and Jesus will destroy him when He returns (verse 8).
6. The lawless one will deceive many (verse 11).
7. Those who believe the lawless one above God will be doomed to God's divine judgment and condemnation (verse 12).

The one Antichrist who will appear at the end of human history and all antichrists that come before him are agents of Satan. 

PART IV: Benediction

Unlike the Letter of First John that ended in an epilogue, but like the Letter of Third John, St. John ends his letter with a benediction. "Epilogue" is a Greek word meaning "words attached (at the end)." An epilogue wraps up or summarizes what came before to bring closure to the document. The word benediction is from the Latin word bene, meaning "good," joined to dictio, that means "to speak," making the word "to speak good" or "good-speaking;" some might say a "well-wishing." In the Bible, it is a short statement in the form of a blessing offering a petition, assurance, or promise suggesting protection or comfort.

Agape Bible Study 3 John 

 

Part I: Greeting

In verse 1, the word "presbyter" is from the Greek word presbyteros, meaning "older man/elder" but referring to one in charge of a clan or tribe and a term of authority familiar to both Gentile and Jewish converts. St. Peter used the same designation in First Peter: Likewise, you younger members, be subject to the presbyters [presbuteros] (1 Pt 5:5; IBGE, vol. VI, page 631). In the Church, it came to be the term for an ordained shepherd of a community (1 Pt 5:10) or a priest (Acts 14:23). John was both an Apostle and elder, serving as the sumpresbuteros, "chief elder/presbyter" (2 Jn 1) of communities under his authority. Concerning John's use of the term, St. Jerome wrote: "Originally presbyters and bishops were the same. When later on, one was chosen to preside over the rest, this was done to avoid schism. For apart from ordination, what function is there which belongs to a bishop which does not also belong to a presbyter?" (Jerome, Letters, 146).

Part II: The Godliness of Gaius

Some of the Christian envoys John sent to Gaius' faith community earlier to deliver a letter to the pastor (verse 9) and probably to give a true doctrine preaching to the congregation returned with news concerning the problems in the community. They also came back complimenting Gaius for his piety. 

Part III: The Pride of Diotrephes

9 I wrote to the church, but Diotrephes, who loves to dominate, does not acknowledge us. 10 Therefore, if I come, I will draw attention to what he is doing, spreading evil nonsense about us. And not content with that, he will not receive the brothers, hindering those who wish to do so and expelling them from the church.
Diotrephes is probably the leader of the community.
Question: What five faults does John list concerning Diotrephes?
Answer:

1. He did not acknowledge the letter John wrote earlier.
2. He is refusing to accept John's authority over him.
3. He is spreading lies.
4. He refused to welcome John's emissaries.
5. He excommunicated any members of the community who gave hospitality to John's missionaries.

That he is "spreading evil nonsense about us" may not only refer to John personally but the teachings of the hierarchy of the Christian faith, meaning he was engaging in teaching heresy. Heresy is a doctrinal belief held in opposition to the recognized standards of the Church by a baptized Christian. We do not know if Diotrephes expelled Gaius from the community.

Part IV: Benediction

Unlike John's Gospel that ended in an epilogue (concluding statement) concerning the writer's testimony or the First Letter that ended in an epilogue, the Third Letter, like the Second Letter, ends with a promise to visit instead of delivering his message with "pen and ink" (2 Jn 12; 3 Jn 13-14). He also ends both the Second and Third Letters with a benediction. The word "benediction" is from the Latin bene, meaning "good," joined to dictio that means "to speak," making the word "to speak good" or "good-speaking;" some might even say a "well-wishing." In the Bible, it is a short statement in the form of a blessing offering a petition, assurance, or promise suggesting God's protection or comfort. In this letter, John's "good-speaking" is to bless Gaius with peace, referring to God's peace, which Paul wrote passes all human understanding (Philippians 4:7).

Agape Bible Study 1 Timothy 4 - 6 

Chapter 4

1 Timothy 4:1-5 ~ Warnings of Apostasy and False Asceticism

Question: When can we expect "the last times"?

Answer: We are living in "the last times" and have been ever since Christ's Ascension.

Paul preached that those of us living in the Age of the Messiah and His Church stand at the "end of the ages" (also see Peter's declaration in Acts 2:17). The historical ages of humanity have been moving toward this last period in time, and the divine judgments in the Old Testament should serve as warnings: These things happened to them as an example, and they have been written down as a warning to us, upon whom the end of the ages has come (1 Cor 10:11; CCC 672).

In this passage, Paul refers to Christian apostates who abandon the true faith to follow after demonic false teaching. He says the Holy Spirit has warned the Church concerning these doctrinal deviations, although he does not identify the origin of the prophecy. 

1 Timothy 4:6-16 ~ Paul's Counsel to Timothy

Question: Paul urges Timothy to remain faithful in what two ways as he leads the Ephesian Christian community and looks only to God for his salvation?
Answer: He is to remain faithful both in his teachings and in the practices of his personal life.

₇ Avoid profane and silly myths. Train yourself for devotion [eusebeia]...
Paul is probably referring to myths and speculations about Old Testament heroes and the Parousia of the Christ. He referred to the same problem in 1:4. The word translated as "devotion" in 4:7 is eusebeia which means "piety," "goodness," "devotion," or "holiness." Paul uses this word ten times in the Pastoral Epistles (1:2; 3:16; 4:7, 8; 6:3, 5, 6, 11, 2 Tim 3:12; Titus 2:12) to express the sense of serious devotion for the things of God. For Paul, it sums up what should be the Christian attitude connected with the knowledge of faith that is the core of Christian life.

Chapter 5

In this part of his letter, St. Paul instructs Timothy on how to interact with seven groups of people within the faith community according to age, gender, and position. A different approach to each group is necessary to achieve the best result for the individual and the unity of the church:

1. Older men: treat as fathers
2. Men who are the same age or younger: treat as brothers
3. Older women: treat as mothers
4. Younger women: treat as sisters
5. Widows: assist according to their circumstances
6. Community elders/presbyters: treat with honor the honorable but rebuke the sinners
7. Slaves: encourage to treat their masters with respect

Paul does not include children because their parents and other relatives are responsible for their needs.

Part I: Duties toward Members of the Church in Ephesus (5:1-6:2a)

1 Timothy 5:1-2 ~ Duties toward Older Members

Paul reminds Timothy that every person under his care is a spiritual child in the "household" of the Church and a member of God's covenant family. To the Roman Christians, Paul wrote: Let love be sincere; hate what is evil, hold on to what is good; love one another with mutual affection; anticipate one another in showing honor (Rom 8:9-10). 

1 Timothy 5:3-16 ~ Rules for Widows 

The Greek verb timeo (verses 3 and 17) and the Hebrew verb kavad both have the meaning "to honor" as in showing respect and "give material help to" (Navarre Bible: Letters of St. Paul, page 577; Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, page 62). Paul is alluding to the fourth commandment of the Law: "Honor your father and your mother (Ex 20:12; Dt 5:16) which included the material responsibility for elderly parents. Under the Law of the Sinai Covenant, the Lord God executes justice for the widow and orphan, He is the "father of the fatherless," and "the defender of widows" (Dt 10:17-18; Ps 68:6). 

Question: How did Jesus demonstrate concern for widows during His ministry? See Mk 12:41-44; Lk 7:11-15, and Jn 19:25-26.
Answer: He praised the charitable generosity of a poor widow, He raised to life the dead son of a poor widow, and He assigned the care of His mother (probably a widow) to the "beloved disciple" from the altar of the Cross as He was preparing to give up His life.

Widows had special needs since there were no established economic or government programs to assist them. Paul suggests different support systems for different classifications of widows:

1. Widows with families should receive assistance from their relatives and older children and grandchildren (5:4).
2. Young widows should remarry (5:14).
3. Older widows without families or wealth should receive material support from their local faith communities (5:16).

The duty of family members to respect and support elderly parents or a widowed mother or grandmother falls under the commandments of the Sinai Covenant (Ex 20:12; 21:17; Dt 5:16; Lev 19:3; also see Prov 20:20; Sir 3:1-8, 12-16). Jesus made this a continuing obligation under the New Covenant by condemning those who fail to honor their parents by failing to support them in their old age (Mt 15:4-9; Mk 7:9-13). Paul repeats the command, writing, 8 And whoever does not provide for relatives and especially family members has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.

1 Timothy 5:17-20 ~ Rules for Presbyters 

"Double honor" probably refers to both the respect due their office and their material support since the Greek verb for "honor" has the double meaning of both showing respect and giving material aid (see verse 3). 

18 For the Scripture says, "You shall not muzzle an ox when it is threshing," and, "A worker deserves his pay." 19 Do not accept an accusation against a presbyter unless it is supported by two or three witnesses.
The first Scripture verse Paul quotes in verse 18 suggests this interpretation. Paul quotes from two Old Testament Scripture verses in 5:17 and 19, giving them equal value in association with providing for presbyters. The quotes are from the Deuteronomic Code.

• You shall not muzzle an ox when it is treading out grain (Dt 25:4).
• One witness alone shall not take the stand against a man in regard to any crime or any offense of which he may be guilty; a judicial fact shall be established only on the testimony of two or three witnesses (Dt 19:15).⁽²⁾

The third quote from Scripture in verse 18b is not from the Old Testament: "A worker deserves his pay." Paul links this saying to Deuteronomy 25:4. It supports the underlying principle in Deuteronomy 24:14-15, and it is a teaching Jesus gave in Luke 10:7 when He instructed the disciples on how to behave on their first missionary journey: Stay in the same house and eat and drink what is offered to you, for the worker deserves his payment(underlining added; also see Jesus' same instructions to the Apostles in Mt 10:10). This instruction is, then, more evidence that the early Christians communities were already familiar with passages from the Gospels. 

1 Timothy 5:21-25 ~ Personal Recommendations for Timothy

In verse 21, Paul is putting Timothy under a solemn oath in the presence of God, Christ Jesus, and the elect angels of the heavenly court. In the Final Judgment, Timothy will appear before God's throne in the heavenly court where Jesus is the divine Judge and the angels are the witnesses (Mt 24:31; 1 Thess 4:16; Heb 12:1). 

Question: What are Paul's series of seven recommendations in verses 21-25 and what is the focus of the recommendations?
Answer: Paul focuses his series of recommendations on ordaining men to the ministry except for verse 23:

1. Treat everyone the same: do not favor some or have prejudice against others (verse 21).
2. Carefully decide to ordain presbyters so as to not share in continuing sin by ordaining an unfit candidate (verse 22a).
3. Do not ordain men complicit in another's sins (verse 22b).
4. Maintain internal purity through righteousness behavior (verse 22c).
5. Drinking a little wine is healthier than water (Verse 23).
6. Acknowledge that the sins of some people impact the community (verse 24).
7. Acknowledge good works that impact the public good whether obvious or not (verse 25).

22 Do not lay hands too readily on anyone, and do not share in another's sins. Keep yourself pure.
Verse 22 refers to the transfer of religious authority through the laying on of hands and provides the background for the New Covenant rite of priestly ordination. Timothy's consecration as a bishop gives him the fullness of apostolic authority to ordain others. The Apostles ordained the Church's first deacons by the laying on of hands in Acts 6:1-7. See 4:14 in the previous lesson concerning the various reasons for the laying on of hands in the Bible. 

Chapter 6 

1 Timothy 6:1-2a ~ The Conduct of Christian Slaves

Slaves are the seventh land last group of people within Timothy's faith community about whom Paul offers advice. What Paul writes concerning slaves is similar to what he wrote in Ephesians 5:22-6:9 and Colossians 3:22-25. Paul does not endorse slavery. In his letter to Philemon, he tried to convince Philemon to embrace his slave Onesimus as a Christian brother, giving him his freedom. However, Paul recognizes slavery as an established institution in the Roman Empire. Historians have speculated that approximately half the 250,000 population of the city of Ephesus were slaves (Navarre Bible Commentary: The Letters of Paul, page 581).

However, this time St. Paul is not advising a slave owner but Christian slaves who may or may not have a Christian master.
Question: What guidance does Paul tell Timothy to give Christian slaves?
Answer: He provides two criteria to guide slaves in their dealings with others: apostolic and fraternal:

1. A non-Christian master, a Christian slave becomes Christ's witness to the pagan master and his household.
2. A Christian slave should treat a Christian master like a brother.

Part II: Warnings Concerning False Teaching, Defining True Wealth, and Paul's Final Exhortations to Timothy (6:2b-21)

1 Timothy 6:2b-10 ~ False Teaching and True Wealth

"These things" refers to everything Paul has related to Timothy in his letter. In verses 3-10, Paul resumes his warnings concerning false teachers in Ephesus. Anyone who teaches something different than the "sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ" and His "religious teaching" is a false teacher. 

Paul describes the motive of the false teachers as excessive pride and a desire to promote themselves by causing controversy in an attempt to gain influence and leadership over the community.
Question: How does Paul characterize these false teachers in verses 4-5?
Answer:

1. They are conceited.
2. They understand nothing (about the Gospel of salvation).
3. They have a morbid disposition disposed to arguments and disputes.
4. They inspire envy, rivalry, insults, and evil suspicions.
5. They promote mutual friction among people with corrupted minds.
6. They are people deprived of the truth.
7. They suppose religion to be a means of material gain.

1 Timothy 6:11-16 ~ Exhortations to Timothy as a Man of God

Paul calls Timothy "man of God," reminding him of his divine call to serve the Lord. It is a title in Scripture applied to Moses and the prophets (Dt 33:1; 1 Sam 2:27; 1 Kng 12:23; 13:1; etc.).

Question: What does Paul urge Timothy to pursue in verses 11-12?
Answer:

1. Righteousness
2. Devotion
3. Faith
4. Love
5. Patience
6. Gentleness 
7. Eternal life

12 Compete well for the faith. Lay hold of eternal life, to which you were called when you made the noble confession in the presence of many witnesses.
Timothy's "noble confession in the presence of many witnesses" might refer to Timothy's ordination (2 Tim 1:6). However, it is more likely that Paul is referring to Timothy's profession of faith at his Baptism. If so, Paul urges Timothy to demonstrate his baptismal promises to the fullest extent in his ministry and in this daily life (see CCC 2145). 

1 Timothy 6:17-19 ~ Right Use of Wealth
Question: What warning does Paul tell Timothy to give the wealthy in the Christian community concerning the wrong and the right use of wealth?

Answer: He addresses both the negative and positive use of wealth.

The negative use of wealth:

1. Do not let your material wealth make you proud.
2. Do not let your material wealthy make you rely on it instead of relying on God who provides what is truly valuable in a person's life.

The positive use of wealth:

1. Do good works and be generous in sharing your wealth.
2. Good deeds store up a heavenly reward for eternal life.

1 Timothy 6:20-21 ~ St. Paul's Final Recommendation and Warning

Paul's final exhortation is for Timothy to guard the truth of the Gospel of salvation entrusted to him when he was baptized and later ordained into the ministerial priesthood. Those who have professed false teaching have deviated from the path of the true faith.

Bible in One Year Day 356 (1 John 4-5, 1 Timothy 1-3, Proverbs 30:24-28)

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Day 356 God is Love 

Agape Bible Study 1 John 4-5 

The Antichrist – detail from a fresco by Luca Signorelli

CHAPTER 4

1 John 4:1-6 ~ Testing the Spirits: The Spirit of God Versus the Spirit of Antichrist

In this passage, John returns to a theme he raised in 2:15-17. He is drawing the contrast between those who belong to the world and the spirit of antichrist versus those who belong to God. His teaching concerns the distinction between the opposing "spirits" of those who are false and the need to discern which spirit is of God.

1 John 4:7-12 ~ God Is Love and the Christian Life

1 John 4:7-12 repeats Jesus' teaching on love in the Gospel of John 15:9-17. In His Last Supper Discourse, Jesus told His disciples:
9 As the Father loves me, so I also love you. Remain in my love. 10 If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and remain in his love. 11 I have told you this so that your joy might be complete. 12 This is my commandment: love one another as I love you. 13 No one has greater love than this, to lay down one's life for one's friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command you. [...] 16 It was not you who chose me, but I who chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit that will remain, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name he may give you. 17 This I command you: love one another.
Notice the progression of "to love" that developed from the Gospel of John 15:9 and then expands in verses 12 and 17:

1. The Father loves Jesus (verse 9).
2. Jesus loves His disciples (verse 12).
3. The disciples must love one another (verse 17).

In John 15:10, Jesus told the Apostles that they would remain in His love IF they kept His commandments, a theme the Letter of 1 John repeated in 3:21-24.

1 John 4:13-21 ~ Remaining in God's Love

This passage is a summary on the love of God and returns to the incompatibility between claiming to love God and refusing to love others. In His Last Supper Discourse in John's Gospel, Jesus repeatedly spoke of remaining/abiding in Him and in His love.

In verse 17, John returns to the theme of love from verse 12 on how God brings His love to completion in us.

CHAPTER 5

PART III: Love for One Another Concluded
1 John 5:1-5 ~ Loving God Means Keeping His Commandments

John returns to the central theme of his Letter: the unshakable bond of love between God and His children, begotten by Him in the Sacrament of Baptism, and who obey His commandments. In addition to what he wrote in chapter 3 concerning the command to believe in the Son of God (3:23-24), John offers 4 more variations of this call in chapter 5:

• Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is begotten by God, and everyone who loves the father loves also the one begotten by him. (5:1).
• Who indeed is the victor over the world but the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God (5:5)?
• Whoever believes in the Son of God has this testimony within himself. Whoever does not believe God has made him a liar by not believing the testimony God has given about his Son (5:10).
• I write these things to you so that you may know that you have eternal life, you who believe in the name of the Son of God (5:13).

For John, belief in Christ is the foundation of love. Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Messiah begotten by God, and everyone who loves God the Father also loves the Son begotten by Him (Jn 1:14, 18; 3:16, 18; 1 Jn 4:9).

Question: How are the two statements, "everyone who believes" and "everyone who loves" related? How is John unifying two of his major themes in verses 1 and 2?
Answer: John is unifying the two themes of belief in God's only begotten Son and love for one another in the covenant family. The one who genuinely believes that Jesus is the Redeemer-Messiah and only-begotten Son of God shows that he/she has also been begotten by God.

1 John 5:6-12 ~ The Testimony of the Spirit of Truth

In this part of his Letter, John leaves revisiting the main themes from earlier in the Letter to take up a testimony of three witnesses.
Question: What are the three witnesses that testify, and to what do they give their witness?
Answer: The three are the water, the blood, and the Spirit, intended to confirm the physical death of Jesus Christ.

Water alone or water and the Spirit can refer to Jesus' baptism by St. John the Baptist and the descent of the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove with God's announcement from Heaven that Jesus is His "beloved Son." However, this is not only what John wants his readers to recall. In John 19:30, 34-35, John wrote concerning Jesus' death on the Cross: and bowing his head, he handed over the spirit ... but one soldier thrust his lance into his side, and immediately blood and water flowed out. An eyewitness has testified, and his testimony is true; he knows that he is speaking the truth, so that you also may come to believe (bold added for emphasis). 

John wants those who receive his Letter to connect verses 6-8 not only with Jesus' baptism but also with His death when He breathed out His Spirit upon the earth (Jn 19:30), and water and blood flowed from His pierced side, imaging the Sacraments of Baptism and the Eucharist. The three: the Holy Spirit, water (baptism), and blood (Eucharist), symbolize the birth of the New Covenant Church.

1PART IV: The Epilogue

1 John 5:13-21 ~ Having Confidence That God Protects Us From Evil

In these verses, John gives a summary of what he has covered in his Letter. He concludes his message with his concern that his readers know the truth of God and His gift of eternal life that comes from the knowledge of God through the shared communion of their covenant relationship with the Most Holy Trinity. John will use the Greek verb "to know" seven times (1 Jn 5:13, 15 twice, 18, 19, 20 twice.

As children of a Divine Father, we have confidence in our prayers because of our intimate relationship with our Lord. Earlier, John assured his readers that they could approach God confidently in prayer; however, like what he wrote in 2:22, he adds a qualification in verse 14. Earlier he wrote: Beloved, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence in God 2:22 and receive from him whatever we ask because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him (1 Jn 2:21-22).
Question: What two conditions does John list in 2:22 and 5:14?
Answer: We must live in obedience to God's commandments (2:22) and make our petitions "according to His will" for our lives (5:14).

By asking according to God's will and purpose for our lives, John means we should pray for those things that are consistent with His commandments and what He has revealed as right and just in our lives. We can ask Him for assistance with necessary material needs (Mt 6:11), but not for extravagant desires. We should also ask for Him to strengthen our faith, holiness, knowledge, unity with Him and His Church, and for the salvation of others (Jn 17:9-21.Here is the crux of our faith: Jesus is God, and He possesses the power to forgive sins and give the gift of eternal life. As St. Peter told the Sanhedrin at his trial: There is no salvation through anyone else, nor is there any other name under heaven given to the human race by which we are to be saved" (Acts 4:12).

Agape Bible Study 1 Timothy 1 - 3 

Chapter 1: Greeting and Sound Teaching

1 Timothy 1:1-2 ~ Paul's Greeting to Timothy

The letter begins with Paul identifying himself as the author of the letter and as an apostle, "one sent" or "an emissary," of Jesus the Messiah. He is "an apostle" by the divine command of God the Father and God the Messiah, God the Son. It is significant that the Greek word Paul uses for "command" (epitage) means more than the "will" (thelema) of God, a word Paul uses in other letters to ground his apostolate (1 Cor 1:1; 2 Cor 1:1; Eph 1:1; 2 Tim 1:1). The word epitage "connotes a published decree, command, or injunction that countermands any other custom or order, used often in secular Greek for a mandate of the highest authority" (Montague, Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture: First and Second Timothy, Titus, page 31).

1 Timothy 1:3-11 ~ Sound Teaching and a Warning against False Doctrine

Paul sent Timothy to Ephesus sometime before he left to visit churches previously founded in the Roman province of northern Greece. He first visited Ephesus toward the end of his second missionary journey in the mid-fifties AD (Acts 18:19-21). After his departure, the Christian preacher Apollos and Paul's good friends Aquila and Pricilla established a church home in Ephesus. Paul returned to Ephesus on his third missionary journey and remained with the community for a long time before being forced to leave (Acts 19-20). 

Question: What is St. Timothy's first assignment?

Answer: He must halt the spread of false teaching in Ephesus.

1 Timothy 1:12-17 ~ Paul's Past and Gratitude for God's Mercy

Question: How is Paul a living example of the redeeming work of Jesus Christ? See the story of Paul's conversion experience in Acts Chapter 9.
Answer: He is an example of how God can transform a sinner into a saint! He went from Paul the persecutor of Christians to Paul, apostle of Jesus Christ, destined to bring salvation to the Gentiles!

1 Timothy 1:18-20 ~ Timothy's Special Commission

The "prophetic words" spoken about Timothy may refer to a prophetic revelation during his ordination associated with his gift of preaching and leadership. Paul makes a similar reference in 4:14 where he writes: Do not neglect the gift you have, which conferred on you through the prophetic word with the imposition of hands of the presbyterate.

Hymenaeus is probably the same false teacher in Ephesus mentioned in 2 Timothy 2:17. Alexander may be the same Jewish Christian from Ephesus mentioned in Acts 19:33 and 2 Timothy 4:14-15 who cause Paul "much harm."

Chapter 2: Public Prayer and Women in the Liturgy

This section of Paul's letter concerns prayer in the Liturgy of worship:

• The first half concerns intercessory prayer for civil and ecclesial leaders (2:1-7).
• The second half concerns the attitude of men and women in liturgical worship (2:8-15).

1 Timothy 2:1-7 ~ Prayer to God for Civil and Ecclesial Leaders

5 For there is one God. 
There is also one mediator between God and the human race, 
Christ Jesus, himself human, 
6 who gave himself as ransom for all. 
This was the testimony at the proper time. 7 For this I was appointed preacher and apostle (I am speaking the truth, I am not lying), teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth. 

In the Liturgy of worship, Paul asks for four forms of intercession:

1. Supplications: the action of asking for something earnestly and humbly.
2. Prayers: the response to the awareness of God's presence.
3. Petitions: a request for God's intervention in human affairs.
4. Thanksgivings: the act of giving thanks for God's intervention.

2 for kings and for all in authority, that we may lead a quiet and tranquil life in all devotion and dignity.
Question: Paul requests prayers for what two groups in authority over the Ephesian Christians?
Answer: He requests prayer for the pagan civil rulers and for the Christian religious authorities.

Since God governs every aspect of human history, even secular rulers exercise authority only because God allows it. Therefore, secular rulers will govern more effectively if we appeal to God for their guidance.

That Jesus is the "one mediator between God and the human race" (verse 5) declares that the gift of eternal salvation is through Jesus and no other. As St. Peter professed at Pentecost, There is no salvation through anyone else, nor is there any other name under heaven given to the human race by which we are to be saved (Acts 2:12, also see Acts 4:12). Moses was the covenant mediator between Israel and God in the Sinai Covenant, but only Jesus has the power to reconcile the world to the Father in the bonds of the New Covenant:

• And all this is from God, who has reconciled us to himself through Christ and given us the ministry of reconciliation, namely, God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting their trespasses against them and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation (2 Cor 5:18).
• Now he [Jesus] has obtained so much more excellent a ministry as he is mediator of a better covenant, enacted on better promises (Heb 8:6).
• For this reason he [Jesus] is mediator of a new covenant: since a death has taken place for deliverance from transgressions under the first covenant, those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance (Heb 9:15).

6 who gave himself as a ransom for all.
This verse repeats Mark 10:45 when Jesus said, "For the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many." Some misinterpret the "all" and the "many" to mean all people of every human condition are saved through Jesus sacrifice whether they believe in Him or not. To come to salvation is the destiny for which God created us. St. Peter wrote that God is not wishing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance (2 Pt 3:9b). While it is true that Jesus offered up His life as a sacrifice for all sinners, not all sinners will "come to repentance," confess their sins, and accept His gifts of forgiveness and eternal salvation. 

Chapter 2 Continued: 2:8-15

1 Timothy 2:8-15 ~ The Role of Men and Women in the Liturgy of Worship

In the Sinai Covenant, for the first time in salvation history, God established a corporate covenant with a united people, an ordained priesthood, The Law, and a liturgy of worship. It the desert Sanctuary and later in the Jerusalem Temple, the God-ordained liturgy of worship and sacrifice continually renewed and strengthened God's relationship with His covenant people generation after generation. 

The New Testament tells us that Jesus Christ fulfilled and transformed the institutions of the Sinai Covenant entrusted to Israel. This fulfillment and transformation included the hierarchy of religious leadership. In the Sinai Covenant, God established three tiers of ordained ministry to lead the offering of sacrifice and praise in the Sanctuary and later in the Jerusalem Temple (Ex 28:1-3; Lev 21:10; Num 3:9-10). Babylonians destroyed the Jerusalem Temple in the 6^th-century BC and exiled the people to Babylonia. During the covenant people's 70 years of captivity in Babylon, they continued to meet in their communities to study the Scriptures. After they returned from the Babylonian exile, they rebuilt the Temple. The people went to live in their villages throughout the land and continued the custom they started in Babylon of established local Synagogues where they could study the Scriptures. The prescribed liturgical sacrifices, however, were only offered in the Temple (Ex 29:38-43; Lev 23; Num 28-29; Dt 12:4-14). Both the Temple and the Synagogues reflected a three-part hierarchy: 

Temple Hierarchy	Synagogue Hierarchy
High Priest	President of the Synagogue
Chief Priests (descendants of Aaron)	Elders
Levitical ministers	Servants

The early universal Church of Jesus Christ and the local church communities also adopted the traditional three-part hierarchy:

Universal Church	Local churches
Vicar of Christ (Pope)	Episcopal (overseer)
Apostles and their successors (Magisterium)	Presbyters (elders)
Lesser ministers (presbyters and deacons)	Deacons (servants)

11 A woman must receive instruction silently and under complete control. 12 I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man. She must be quiet.
Paul has received extensive criticism for this instruction. A similar teaching appears in 1 Corinthians 14:34-36. However, it is necessary to remember the topic concerns the conduct of women in the liturgy of worship. Paul warns that women in the community must not interrupt the liturgical worship with comments or other disruptions. 

Women held important positions within the communities of the early Church and were active in the spread of the Gospel. However, women were not ordained to ministerial service like men. Paul's point is that women should not teach from the pulpit, nor should they lead a congregation in offering the sacrifice of Christ in the Eucharist, or have authority over the men in religious leadership roles.

Chapter 3: Qualifications for Ministerial Service

1 Timothy 3:1-8 ~ The Qualifications for Bishops 

Paul now addresses the co-workers Timothy will need to accomplish his mission to the Church in Ephesus and their necessary qualifications. At the end of this chapter, Paul presents what could be considered the doctrinal centerpiece of the letter: a hymn that is a beautiful summary of the mystery of salvation in Christ Jesus.

The word Paul uses in the Greek is episkopos (singular) and episkopoi (plural), meaning "overseer." Our word "bishop" derives from the Old English word bisceop. The leadership in the early local churches appears to have been modeled on the organization in the local Jewish Synagogues while the Universal Church hierarchy was modeled on the Temple hierarchy and the Davidic Kingdom. Jesus is both the High Priest and the Davidic King while His second in command is His chief minister and the Vicar, high steward, of His earthly Kingdom.

Question: What are the qualities Paul lists as necessary for a bishop with an irreproachable character?
Answer: 

1. married only once
2. temperate
3. self-controlled
4. decent
5. hospitable
6. able to teach
7. not a drunkard
8. not aggressive
9. gentle
10. not contentious
11. not a lover of money
12. a good manager of his household 
13. not a recent convert
14. have a good reputation among outsiders

Paul provided similar lists in Romans 12:8 and 1 Corinthians 12:28 where he put pastoral oversight as the second to the last in his lists and Ephesians 4:11 where he placed that qualification last. For Paul, the most valued gifts were pastoral and not administrative.

1 Timothy 3:9-13 ~ The Qualifications for Deacons 

The word "deacon" in Greek is diakonos (diaconus in Latin) and means "servant." The Church's first "deacons" were selected for service to assist the Apostles. The Apostles ordained them by the Apostles by the laying on of hands in Acts 6:1-7.

Question: What are the necessary qualifications for deacons?
Answer: 

1. dignified
2. not deceitful
3. not addicted to drink
4. not greedy for sordid gain
5. holding fast to the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience.

He concludes his list by advising: they should be tested first; then, if there is nothing against them, let them serve as deacons.

11 Women, similarly, should be dignified, not slanderers, but temperate and faithful in everything.
It is unclear if this verse refers to the wives of deacons or the women who held the office of deaconess. In Romans 16:1, Paul identifies his co-worker Phoebe as a deaconess of the church at Cenchreae (the harbor city of Corinth). Women in service to the Church never had in a ministerial role but assisted in the baptism of women and children and in caring for the sick and the poor. The Council of Nicaea in 325 counted deaconesses among the laity and not among the ordained clergy (Council of Nicaea, canon 19).

1 Timothy 3:14-16 ~ Serving in the Household of God

Paul still plans to join Timothy in Ephesus; however, he has confidence that, should he be delayed, Timothy will know what is expected of him as a member of God's "household" of the Church.

Question: In what two ways does Paul define the Church?
Answer:

1. It is the "household ...of the living God."
2. It is the "pillar and foundation of truth."

The terms pillar and foundation refer to the structural support of a building. Christ established His Kingdom of the Church and set it firmly in place to support the edifice of the Gospel of truth (who Christ is) and salvation (what He does). The Holy Spirit secures the Church's future through the disciples and successors of the Apostles, like Paul and Timothy.