At least it is affirmed: "The author of the Pastorals had no theology of his own." Such an understanding of the nature of the church is reached in the interpretation of 1 Timothy 3:15-16a. Collins, The Many Faces of the Church: A Study in New Testament Ecclesiology (New York: Crossroad, 2003), 1.
The ministry of the Word takes place in the presence of God and Jesus Christ (2 Tim 4:1).
Assembly
All such teaching from the "Sacred Scriptures"46 is "profitable for teaching, for reproof, for reproof, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work" (2 Tim 3:16-17 ).In the same way, the presence of God means that God's family in times of suffering can be assured of his strengthening power and presence and that he will ultimately save his people from the snare of the enemy (2 Tim 4:17). The local meeting of those who worshiped Jesus most likely met in the homes of the wealthy members.
Those in God's assembly were called by God (as opposed to voluntary interest and association) and became a member of God's family. Grudem explains, "The word 'gather' (Hebrew qahal) with the Greek term ekklesiazo, 'to call an assembly,'" is the related New Testament verb ekklesia, church.55 These covenant verses present Israel as God's people in among all the people of the world. Paul understood that the Messiah was the true king of Israel, a royal Messiah and the One who would deliver Israel as well as bring its history to its climax.59 This is the treasure of the gospel that Timothy and the family of God must protect and promote.
Based on the truth of the gospel, the gathered household of God should lift up holy hands in prayer for the salvation of all men (1 Tim 2); arise divine leadership, men blameless (1 Tim. 3; 2 Tim. 2:14-26) who do not dishonor the truth of the gospel; “prescribing and teaching” the truth (1 Tim 4:11; 2 Tim knowing that the salvation of others depends on it; paying proper attention to the needs of family members, also pressing for accountability from them (1 Tim 5; 2 Tim so that a good example is set for the household and the world watching (1 Tim. 2); Towner argues that it is unclear what the term "living God" adds to Paul's language of the church as the household of God. 61 Yet so surely it is the name de.Artemis.66 This is not another religious group, but the house of the one and only God (1 Tim 1:17).
God—The Source and Sustaining Presence of Life
His living vitality will be experienced more fully in the future appearance of the Lord Jesus Christ. As the household of God, the Church is the pillar and support of gospel truth, the custodian and correspondent of the gospel to the . The church is the steward of the truth of God, the pillar and foundation of the truth.
Verner, The Household of God: The Social World of the Pastoral Epistles, SBL Verhandelingsreeks 71, ed. The Pastoral emphasizes that the practice of εὐσέβεια is always in full view of the living God. Therefore, such virtues must be active in the life of God's household so that the mission of the gospel can continue.
The household of God as the protector and promoter of the truth of God rests on the infinite mystery of godliness and the. As the family of God, the church is the mainstay (στῦλος). ἐδαίωμα)96 or bulwark and foundation of the truth of the gospel. Thus the Church and its leadership stand as pillars of the truth of the gospel.
Finally, the church must function in ministry as the pillar and support of the truth. Furthermore, as the truth of the gospel is presented and defended, the ministry of edification, apologetics and missionary-.
The Language of a Father
3"Paul's use of patriarchal language must be understood within the context of the family, the primary social institution in the ancient Mediterranean world." Stephan Joubert, "Paul as Benefactor." Wuest, Wuest's Word Studies: The Pastoral Epistles in the Greek New Testament (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1952), 24. Similarly, Timothy needs to be strengthened and encouraged in the idea that he is able to function as an effective leader within God's family. .
The designation of "son" solidifies in the mind of Timothy a strong emotional connection with the apostle. He is a beloved family member of the apostle and Paul's leadership rhetoric expresses such sentiments. But flee from these things, man of God" (6:11) is the only place in the letter where Paul uses the rhetorical device "but.
"man of God" is an Old Testament term that occurs at least sixty-eight times in LXX,18, which denotes. Likewise, he must have confidence that he is God's man for the occasion and that he stands in the company of God-authorized leaders. To that end, will Timothy remember that he is a steward of God's household and must remain faithful in the pursuit of his task.
Apostolic Resume
Moreover, Paul may have appealed to Timothy's moral principles (a pure heart and a good conscience) to elicit a favorable response.31 Thus, Paul's appeal to Timothy in his leader language may be understood as an appeal to the heart.32 In this, for example, Paul's LL does not fully reflect the Greco-Roman model of the father-child, superior-inferior relationship. So perhaps Paul's words of affection, combined with his apostolic authority, would give Timothy the additional clout needed in the household of God to continue to correct both false teachers and erring behavior in the household of God. No doubt the younger follower of Paul, given the problems to be dealt with, needed the authority (in the eyes of the Church) that Paul's position of honor bestowed on him.
Patrick Gray maintains that 1 Timothy should be rhetorically classified as the mandata principis, a "commandment of the ruler". As has been shown, Paul's conceptual idea of appropriate leadership language is based on his understanding that the church is the household of God.47 This is the logical conclusion of someone with a vested interest in the . 45 It is necessary to remember that the Church met in the home and in many if not most cases the owner of the home would also exercise some measure of leadership responsibility in the household of God.
Paul's LL to Timothy comes from gentle and loving language and expresses the appropriate leadership speech in God's house. In this regard, Patrick Nullens says: "The pastoral epistles are completely immersed in the concept of caring love."51. 49 Jack Barentsen, Emerging Leadership in the Pauline Mission: A Social Identity Perspective on Local Leadership Development in Corinth and Ephesus, ed.
The Language of a Teacher
Likewise, the son who understands the urgency of the moment can be exhorted to follow the voice of his father. Likewise, the household of God is a classroom for teaching the underprivileged as well as the wealthy. Bredfeldt rightly says: "The greatest leaders among us are the great teachers among us."60 Certainly Paul's "greatness" was his.
Verner, The Household of God: The Social World of the Pastoral Epistles, Society of Biblical Literature Dissertation Series 71 (Chico, CA: SBL states, "The education and. Consequently, Timothy is tasked with confronting those who want teachers of the law and to admonish them to stop the charade of pretending to be proficient in dealing with the Word of God. The whole of 1 Timothy, and especially chapters 2 and 3, can be seen as an instructive document is organized in a way that it promotes the health and health of the institution, mission of the family of God.
While the objective is found in the middle of the letter (1 Tim 3:14), the letter itself presents a reasoned and structured argument62 that can more effectively allow Timothy to interpret Paul's words within the mental model he has already constructed. .63 This is the. 62In contrast, the balance of twentieth-century scholarship strongly promoted a rather disappointing evaluation of the Pastorals. Towner, "Pauline Theology or Pauline Tradition in the Pastoral Epistles: The Question of Method," Tyndale Bulletin writes, "The PE is recognized as presenting a coherent theological and ethical argument to a true church or churches sometime in time ."
Rhetorical Strategies
It seems obvious that Timothy is faltering under the weight of the burden of leadership. He must "rekindle" the gift, but "maintain" the sound words of the Gospel and continue in each. However, one must still be aware of the idea that the strategy changes according to the situation and needs.
What specific leader-speak principles does Paul derive in the use of the athletic metaphor. Timothy is therefore told to work hard in the gospel ministry, just like a faithful tiller of the soil. These are simply informative observations of the world in which the household of God is planted.
Through the words of the apostle,148 Timothy is armed with the authority of God's truth. In addition, Paul says that there is an expected and required behavior in the church of the Living God (1 Tim 3:15). Timothy must be faithful, but the success of the mission does not fall on him.
Conclusion
Fiore writes: “The converted Paul is an explicitly marked example of the action of Christ's merciful patience. But even in the light of grace there is an implicit reference to the theme of adversaries in the background of Paul's testimony. In contrast to false teachers who only offer disastrous assumptions, Paul is an example of a gospel that redeems and transforms.
Therefore, Timothy must be a "good servant of Jesus" and "call attention to these things": the actions and teachings of heretics. Accordingly, one of the examples of improper use of language are deaconesses (or wives of deacons), who must not be malicious gossips (1 Tim 3:11). 56 Suffering for the house of God in this context is equal to suffering for the sake of the gospel.
Timothy must expect that the power of the Holy Spirit who lives in him (2 Tim 1:14) will empower him in his labor pain in addition to the assistance provided in the faithful support of the household of God (1 Tim 2:8; 2 Timothy). 4:19). In his life and suffering until death, Paul's example is that of a servant of the Lord. Similarly, the ministry of the Holy Spirit to a suffering saint is divine assistance in suffering.
