David Pawson - Timothy & Titus Part 2

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Thoughtful Thoughts 13.3.26 by John Dunning: Timothy Part 2  & Titus

Part A). TIMOTHY

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1). Timothy…Leadership and encouragement

We look at what Paul felt was important to say to Timothy and Titus.

When Paul visited Ephesus, he left Timothy behind to sort out a serious leadership problem. Paul didn’t just leave Timothy without help but wrote to advise him on what to do, next.

2). 1 Timothy… Requirements for leaders

In 1 Timothy Paul addresses the qualities necessary for someone to be a church leader because Timothy had to appoint replacements. (That list of qualities can be viewed in chapter 3.) In addition to selecting leaders for their qualities, Timothy is told to be most careful to appoint people who practice what they preach;- demonstrating correct teaching by living it out in their personal lives. This was because someone’s character is more important than their ability. People will follow what you put into practice, far more than what you teach.

3). 2 Timothy… The importance of encouragement…

Paul didn’t leave his advice to just one letter, (as in 1 Timothy). Paul was concerned enough about Timothy’s situation that he wrote again in order to encourage him, even though it was expensive to write on parchment and courier it. He encouraged Timothy, which could be a useful summary for 2 Timothy. 

Hebrews 10:36 says; “You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised.”

Paul wrote: “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work”. (2 Timothy 3:16-17).

Notice that Paul asks Timothy to bring Mark with him when he returns, (2 Timothy 4:11). Remember how Paul had once washed his hands of Mark because he ran away from the danger that Paul’s preaching brought? When Barnabas encouraged Mark by coming alongside him, by ‘fathering’ him, Mark went on to write the Gospel of Mark and serve Peter. Paul is now asking to see Mark again. You can almost feel Paul’s heart as he knows he has finished the race and he has unfinished business. It is the human touch. Paul signs off as if this is like his last will and testament. He knows his end is near.

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Part B). TITUS

1). Notes for your Bible study on Titus…

When Paul visited Crete he left Titus behind. Paul’s letter to Titus addresses the kind of leaders and members a church should have. They were not to have “open house” for just any old body to be leaders or even for members. There had to be guidelines…

i). You can read the qualities required for church elders, and pastors, etc.  in ch.1;

ii). You can read the qualities required for church membership in ch.2:1-10.

iii). You can read the requirements for saving grace and sanctification in 2:11-3:11.

iv). And read a pastor’s advice about looking after each other in 3:12-15.

Reading Timothy and Titus will be beneficial to get the benefit of these notes! We have free audio of Bible books being read, in our library…

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2). Valuing the cost that others paid, to pass the baton on down to us…

2 Timothy 4:7-8;- “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearance.” 

i). As best we know Timothy and Titus were the last of Paul’s letters before he was martyred under Nero for his faith. Paul’s martyrdom meant that he passed on the “baton” of truth. This summary is rough and ready, but still indicates the spread of both persecution and of Christianity.

ii). Other martyrs passed the truth on from the persecution coming from the entire Roman empire, which covered most of Western Europe. 

iii). After the Roman empire came the murdering of Bible believers by the Roman Catholic Church filling the space inhabited by the Roman Empire, and more, including Britain. Foxe’s Book of Martyrs covers much of the period from the Roman Empire to the so-called “Holy Roman Empire”, (ie. the Roman Catholic Church). All this persecution continued for fifteen hundred years. And as fast as Satan murdered believers in Jesus, the church kept on spreading through the ages.

iv). John Bunyan, imprisoned by the Anglican Church for 12 years for evangelising, wrote about the spiritual warfare of persecution by the Church of England, in “Pilgrims Progress”. One of the visions was a vision of Satan pouring cold water on a fire at the front. The hero in the story asked an angel why the fire did not go out. The angel showed him another angel behind the fire, pouring oil on the from behind, which was a picture of the Holy Spirit. The primary reason why the “Pilgrim Fathers” originally took the risk of sailing across the Atlantic to America was to escape persecution by the Church of England. We can’t go into details here. 

v). After that spiritual battle was won, along came persecution from the ideology of communism for those Christians in the East, where many more Christians were martyred. (We all know of the severe persecution in North Korea still today.) 

vi). After communism came persecution from many Islamic countries for those Christians in the Middle East. (Pray especially for Christians in Iran currently.) 

vii). Other persecution… Even in North East India Hindu extremists martyred 200 Christians in 2024-2025, being helped by Barnabas Aid, (the Barnabas Fund). Open Doors writes that 7,000 Christians were murdered worldwide, in 2025.

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EPILOGUE; Remembering Christians martyrs…

i). Pray for the items for prayer are on the prayer points on our weekly devotional page.

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ii). God’s promise…

So to any reading facing persecution, be encouraged in your faithfulness, because this promise applies to all God’s faithful saints…

Psalm 116:15 says; “Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints.” If you live where Christians are persecuted, remember God sees everything, and “Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints.” (A historian rephrased it as; “The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church”.)

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iii). Be encouraged… We have a future with God…

In his vision, St. John saw the amazing welcome in heaven that God has for his saints. From God’s point of view, the spiritual battle is the winning of souls who will go on to live with Him in His home.

St Paul finished 2 Timothy 4:7-8;- “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearance.” 

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The number of countries where Christians are persecuted, increases, according to the “Open Doors” map of Christian persecution. https://www.opendoors.org/en-US/#

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This is John Dunning signing off from “Thoughtful Thoughts” for another week.

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