SEPTEMBER 23 READING…1 TIMOTHY 1
This book is Paul’s pastoral epistle specifically to Timothy, but also to all pastors. Paul begins by instructing pastors to keep the main thing, the main thing. Pastors are to teach pure biblical doctrine, and to admonish those who do not. Pastors are to stay away from useless and meaningless fables, genealogies…and focus on that which builds the faith of believers. Pastors are to love from a pure heart…that is without ulterior motives…they are to have a good conscience…and they are to live a sincere faith. There are certainly those pastors who have strayed from these things, but that should not discourage those who are genuinely called…they should stay the course, no matter what others might do. Pastors should not only live in righteousness personally, they should not hesitate to call unrighteousness what it is…if the man of God will not call sin what it is, who will? In this world, and even in the church organization, there are the lawless, the insubordinate, the ungodly, the unholy and profane, murderers, fornicators, sodomites, liars, perjurers, and all things that come from being opposed to God’s truth. Who is to speak to these things, without compromise and without favoritism? The biblical pastor! Pastors are to wage the good warfare…particularly against those who would come into the church and spread their false and anti-biblical doctrine. The pastor is the under-shepherd of the church, with Jesus being THE Shepherd. As the under- shepherd, the pastor is to use the rod and the staff of Psalm 23. The rod to protect the sheep and beat off the wolves…and the staff to gently guide and rescue the sheep. For as Jesus our great Shepherd loves His sheep…so the under-shepherd (pastor) should love the sheep (people of the church).
Please share your thoughts.
TOMORROW’S READING…1 TIMOTHY 2
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