Meditation
Good morning Reader,
October is Pastor Appreciation Month, and to mark it, we'll spend the next four weeks copying out Paul's first letter to Timothy.
One of the three letters (the others are 2 Timothy and Titus) known as the "Pastoral Epistles," the letter provides the most complete summary in the Bible of a pastor's ministry, qualifications, and responsibilities.
As we work through this book this month, we'll have time to reflect on the demands on our pastors and their need for encouragement from us.
Paul wrote it to a young leader in the midst of a difficult congregation, and it covers most of what a church asks of its leaders and what a leader asks of his church.
Today's verses introduce the letter's theme, which Paul states in chapter 3: that we should know how people ought to behave in the household of God.
I've added a link to the Bible Project's introduction to 1 Timothy here and also below.
Today's verses are 1 Timothy 1:1-7
1
Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus according to the commandment of God our Savior, and Christ Jesus our hope;2 to Timothy, my true child in faith: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God our Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.
3 As I urged you when I was going into Macedonia, stay at Ephesus that you might command certain men not to teach a different doctrine,4 neither to pay attention to myths and endless genealogies, which cause disputes, rather than God's stewardship, which is in faith—5 but the goal of this command is love, out of a pure heart and a good conscience and sincere faith;
6 from which things some, having missed the mark, have turned aside to vain talking;7 desiring to be teachers of the law, though they understand neither what they say, nor about what they strongly affirm.
Encouragement
13 But now faith, hope, and love remain—these three. The greatest of these is love.
1 Corinthians 13:13
Andy
God's Word In Your Hand