1Ti 4:7-8 What does 1Ti 4:8 teach us about the nature of the “worldly fables” he mentions in 1Ti 4:7? See also 1Ti 4:3, Col 2:20-23. What does Paul mean that they are “fit only for old women” (KJV and NIV = “old wives’ tales”; literally “profane and old-womanish myths”)? Is it like Paul to…
1Ti 4:3 Through what two desires mentioned in 1Ti 4:3a is the carnal flesh of man made most manifest? Are man’s appetites for food and intimacy inherently bad and something to be avoided? See 1Ti 4:3b-4. How would these longings have led man to fulfill God’s will and intention for his creation? See Gen 1:28-31,…
1Ti 4:1 In light of the godly roles Paul described for men and women in chapter 2 and the qualifications for church leaders in chapter 3, what evidences do we see today that people have fallen away from the faith? Is it significant that it is only here and in regard to apostasy that the…
Wives are the Cornerstone of Their Home: Notice in Eph 5:22-33, Col 3:18-19, and 1Pe 3:1-7 that the role of wives is mentioned before that of their husbands. This wasn’t just because of the seeds of chivalry sown in the Christian gospel that elevated the role of women from chattel to fellow heirs with men…
1Ti 3:16 In the previous verse Paul said his purpose for writing to Timothy and the Ephesian church under his care was so that they might know how one is to conduct himself in God’s household. And yet because Paul had previously spent 3 years ministering in Ephesus and Timothy was one of Paul’s most…
1Ti 3:14-15: What plans did Paul have for the future at the time of his writing this epistle? See 1Ti 3:14. What sort of things might cause him to delay in his return to Asia? What does Paul state as his purpose for writing in 1Ti 3:15? Given the preceding and following contexts and his…
1Ti 3:11 Who are the “women” that Paul refers to in 1Ti 3:11? Note Paul’s progression in describing the qualifications for the Church’s ministers from the first words in each of 1Ti 3:2, 8 and 11. How do the qualifications he mentions for these women in 1Ti 3:11 parallel those he gave for men in…
1Ti 3:8 What does the meaning of the word “deacon” communicate about the role of a deacon? See Mat 20:26, 23:11 for instances of the same Greek word. What early action of the apostles gave rise to the office of a deacon? See Acts 6:1-6. As the role of an elder / pastor was to…
1Ti 3:4-5 In what ways is the family at home a microcosm of the Church? See 1Ti 3:15, 5:1-2, Mk 10:29-30. What does this teach us about the importance of the family at home for the health and strength of the Church? What is the answer to the rhetorical question Paul asks in 1Ti 3:5? …
1Ti 3:1 Does the “trustworthy statement” Paul mentions refer to what precedes or what follows? Note: many Bible versions do refer it to what precedes; recall that chapter and verse divisions were not added until the invention of printing. See also 1Ti 4:9 and Tit 3:8 where the phrase refers to what precedes, but 1Ti…