Sermon Tone Analysis

Completing

The Example of Timothy

Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible

Timothy, Timotheus (Person).

Paul’s convert and companion, whose name means “one who honors God.”

His name is often spelled Timotheus in the kjv.

Timothy first appears in Acts 16:1–3 as Paul’s disciple whose mother “was a believer; but his father was a Greek” (v 1).

He was a third-generation Christian after his mother Eunice and grandmother Lois (2 Tm 1:5).

The apostle Paul, undoubtedly Timothy’s spiritual father, refers to him as “my true child in the faith” (1 Tm 1:2); he perhaps converted Timothy on his first or second missionary journey.

The son of a Greek (or gentile) father, Timothy was yet uncircumcised; however, when Paul decided to take Timothy with him on the second journey, he had him circumcised, so as not to hinder their missionary endeavors among the Jews.

Timothy, who was “well spoken of by the brethren at Lystra and Iconium” (Acts 16:2), became Paul’s companion and assistant on his second missionary journey at Lystra.

He traveled with Paul into Europe following the Macedonian vision.

When Paul decided to go to Athens, he left Silas and Timothy at Beroea to better establish the church there (Acts 17:14).

Timothy and Silas eventually joined Paul in Corinth (18:5).

He next appears with Paul in Ephesus on his third journey (19:22), from where Paul sends Erastus and him into Macedonia ahead of himself.

In the last mention of Timothy in Acts 20:4, he was included in the list of goodwill ambassadors who were to accompany Paul to Jerusalem with the offering for the Christian Jews.

Timothy is often mentioned in the Pauline letters.

His name is included in the introductory salutations of 2 Corinthians, Philippians, Colossians, 1 and 2 Thessalonians, and Philemon.

Timothy’s presence with Paul when he wrote these letters confirms the accuracy of the references to him in Acts.

He was in Corinth on the second journey when Paul wrote 1 and 2 Thessalonians, at Ephesus on the third journey when Paul wrote 2 Corinthians, and in Rome during Paul’s first Roman imprisonment, when he wrote Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon.

He is mentioned in the introductions of 1 and 2 Timothy as the recipient of those two pastoral letters.

In the closing salutations of Romans 16:21, Timothy is listed along with others who send their good wishes to the believers in Rome.

In 1 Corinthians 4:17 and 16:10, Paul speaks words of praise for Timothy as he sends him with a message to Corinth (see also Phil 2:19–23; 1 Thes 3:2–6).

In 2 Corinthians 1:19 Timothy is named along with Paul and Silas as men who were telling about Jesus Christ.

In Hebrews 13:23 the author (Pauline authorship uncertain) tells his readers that Timothy has been released from prison, and hopes to come with Timothy to visit the readers of that letter.

Paul put Timothy in charge of the church at Ephesus and wrote him two pastoral letters addressed with his name to help him perform that responsible task.

Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible

Timothy, Timotheus (Person).

Paul’s companion, whose name means “one who honors God.”

Timothy, Timotheus (Person).

Paul’s companion, whose name means “one who honors God.”

Timothy first appears in as Paul’s disciple whose mother “was a believer; but his father was a Greek” (v 1).

He was a third-generation Messianic Jew after his mother Eunice and grandmother Lois (2 Tm 1:5).

Timothy, who was “well spoken of by the brethren at Lystra and Iconium” (), became Paul’s companion and assistant on his second missionary journey at Lystra.

He traveled with Paul into Europe following the Macedonian vision.

Timothy is often mentioned in the Pauline letters.

His name is included in the introductory salutations of 2 Corinthians, Philippians, Colossians, 1 and 2 Thessalonians, and Philemon.

In the author (Pauline authorship uncertain) tells his readers that Timothy has been released from prison, and hopes to come with Timothy to visit the readers of that letter.

Paul put Timothy in charge of the community at Ephesus and wrote him two pastoral letters addressed with his name to help him perform that responsible task.

(1) Concerning Timothy (2:19–24)

The Sending of Timothy (2:19)

The Commendation of Timothy (2:20–22)

The Importance of Timothy (2:23–24)

(1) Concerning Timothy (2:19–24)

The Sending of Timothy (2:19)

The Commendation of Timothy (2:20–22)

The Importance of Timothy (2:23–24)

The Sending of Timothy (2:19)

The Commendation of Timothy (2:20-22)

The Importance of Timothy (2:23-24)

The Example of Epaphroditus

Epaphroditus.

Leader in the Philippian church.

Epaphroditus was sent to the apostle Paul during Paul’s first Roman imprisonment to deliver gifts (Phil 4:18) and to assist the apostle in his work (Phil 2:25).

While in Rome, Epaphroditus became seriously ill and nearly died.

After a period of convalescence he returned to Philippi with Paul’s letter instructing the church to “receive him in the Lord with all joy” (2:29).

Epaphroditus’ devoted service endeared him to the Philippian believers and to Paul, who termed him “brother, fellow worker, fellow soldier” (2:25).

The Commendation of Epaphroditus (2:25)

The Reason Paul Sent Epaphroditus (2:26-28)

The Command to Honor Epaphroditus (2:29-30)

What are some of your most important goals in life?

Tony Merida and Francis Chan commented on this: ”This passage is also important because it reminds believers of their need to stay focused on the true gospel of Yeshua.

As mentioned, salvation isn’t about knowing some things about Yeshua.

But it’s also not about doing religious things to earn acceptance before Yeshua.

”This passage is also important because it reminds believers of their need to stay focused on the true gospel of Jesus.

As mentioned, salvation isn’t about knowing some things about Yeshua.

But it’s also not about doing religious things to earn acceptance before Yeshua.

This text really speaks against the problem of legalism, that is, the temptation to derive your justification before God, your acceptance by God, and your forgiveness from God by your own religious works.

We’re reminded here that you can’t earn salvation.

It’s a gift to be received.

But even dedicated believers have a tendency to forget the gospel daily.

They have a tendency to revert back to legalism, as the book of Galatians so powerfully points out (see ).

Legalism is self-atonement.

It’s a self-salvation project that only leads to pride or despair.

We must resist the gospel of human achievement.

Tony Merida and Francis Chan, Exalting Jesus in Philippians, ed.

David Platt, Dr. Daniel L. Akin, Tony Merida, (Nashville, TN: B&H Publishing Group, 2016), WORDsearch CROSS e-book, 132.

Exhortation to Avoid False Teachers (3:1–21)

1.Exhortation to Avoid False Teachers (3:1–21)

Paul’s Experience Explained (3:1–16)

Apostolic Safeguard (3:1)

Some suppose from the shift of tone in v. 1 that Sha’ul had planned to end his letter here but was suddenly apprised of new activity among the Judaizers and responded with the sharp warning which follows.

But I think he had already decided to repeat what he had written … before (namely, the exhortation to humility of chapter 2), by restating it negatively as a warning not to boast (v.

3), since humility excludes pride.

Further, just as he used the Messiah himself as the supreme positive example (2:5–11), he uses the boasting Judaizers as a counterexample (vv.

2–9).

Dr. Stern above references that with Chapter 3 Paul does a negative review of the lesson of humility in Chapter 2. In Chapter 2 we see the ultimate example of humility and servanthood in Messiah Yeshua and then in 2 examples of models of Yeshua, Timothy and Epaphroditus.

In verse 3 we see the negative example of the pride of the Judaizers, which we can understand as Gentile converts to Judaism that are seeking to have the Gentiles coming to believe in Yeshua in Philippi to be circumcised to “really be saved”.

As to the need for Gentiles to be circumcised to be Yeshua followers, the Jerusalem Council in was clear that Gentiles can join the Messianic community as Gentiles.

This does not apply to Jewish believers who shall continue to circumcise their sons in accordance with their relationship to Abraham and the Covenant made with Abraham.

was clear that Gentiles can join the Messianic community as Gentiles.

This does not apply to Jewish believers who shall continue to circumcise their sons in accordance with their relationship to Abraham and the Covenant made with Abraham.

True Circumcision (3:2–6)

There is good reason to think that these Judaizers were not Jews by birth but fanatical Gentile proselytes preoccupied with physical circumcision, in which they took inordinate pride, regarding it as the necessary means of initiation into the people of God (see 1C 9:20b; Ga 5:2–4&N, 6:12–13&N).

Those known as Judaizers were commonly Gentiles that converted to Judaism by being circumcised, which was the only way to fully join with the Jewish People before the coming of Yeshua, and they saw themselves as being superior to the Gentiles that were coming to believe in Yeshua and were coming as Gentiles.

They saw their circumcision as making them double saved or a super-believer.

This was the huge problem in Galatia and the main issue for Paul to write his letter to Galatia.

The Judaizers could also be Jews that did not accept the ruling of the Jerusalem Council in and are seeking to require Gentiles to convert to Judaism first before being considered fully saved or fully members of the Messianic community.

Decrying the False (3:2)

Sha’ul is saying that circumcision does not provide the Judaizers with any spiritual advantage but results in their spiritual mutilation (compare Ga 5:12&N).

On the contrary, the spiritually circumcised are we who have “circumcised hearts and ears” (Ac 7:51&N, alluding to metaphors found in the Tanakh; see references there), we who have had the “foreskins of our old nature” removed (Co 2:11–13a&N), we who worship by the Spirit of God and make our boast in the Messiah Yeshua, … not … in human qualifications of any sort (vv.