This charge I entrust to you, Timothy, my child, in accordance with the prophecies previously made about you, that by them you may wage the good warfare[.]

1 Timothy 1:18-20

This charge I entrust to you, Timothy, my child, in accordance with the prophecies previously made about you, that by them you may wage the good warfare[.] 1 Timothy 1:18-20

I continue with my study of 1 and 2 Timothy using DesiringGod.com's Look at the Book video series - picking up with 1 Timothy 1:18-20 - Part 1, with the video entitled Wage War by Faith and a Good Conscience. 

Excerpts from the video:

• V18 is the focus of the video
• John Piper describes how Paul's charge here aligns with previous efforts; refer to 1 Timothy 1:3-6; do not let false doctrine take hold in the church; set yourself as a good steward in God's house to implement God's plan - build faith
• Previous prophecies are less known although referred to vaguely in 1 Timothy 4:14
• These prophecies will be used to wage the good warfare; also having faith and a good conscience enable a good warfare
• We don't know what these prophecies are but faith and a good conscience enable them
• Looking back at 1 Timothy 1:3-6, God's household plan in faith is love that issues from faith and good conscience; see also 2 Timothy 4:6-7 on keeping the faith and keeping the good warfare; the charge to Timothy is to establish God's household plan by faith, to establish a community full of love that exalts Christ.

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My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God that never leaves or forsakes me - giving me power to accomplish things I am unable to do on my own and enabling me to keep the faith.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of how good You are to me and how You save me.  Thank You Jesus.  My sin is great and it continues...daily. Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith. Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

As I urged you when I was going to Macedonia, remain at Ephesus so that you may charge certain persons not to teach any different doctrine, nor to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies, which promote speculations rather than the stewardship from God that is by faith.

1 Timothy 1

As I urged you when I was going to Macedonia, remain at Ephesus so that you may charge certain persons not to teach any different doctrine, nor to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies, which promote speculations rather than the stewardship from God that is by faith. 1 Timothy 1:3-4

I continue with my study of 1 and 2 Timothy, using DesiringGod.com's Look at the Book video series for these books. Today, I look at 1 Timothy 1:3–5, Part 2. Excerpts from the video entitled God’s Household Plan for His Church:

• The core focus of the video is the Greek word oikonomia from v4 which translates to stewardship in the ESV translation used by John Piper; it refers to God's stewardship, or the masters plan for the household or church; see also Ephesians 3:8-10 and 1:9-10 where that same Greek word oikonomia appears (translated to plan in ESV)
  
• Paul then defines the aim of the plan in v5 where he exhorts Timothy, in all matters related to the church, to promote God's stewardship by love; in the previous two verses vv3-4, Paul has warned Timothy that false doctrine does not forward the mission of the church; v5 further defines the aim by describing how love "issues from" three things, a "a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith."  Scripture elsewhere points to the latter of the three as the root (more basic and fundamental) of the other two; see also Acts 15:9 and 1 Peter 1:22 where the text describes how faith (or obedience to the truth) > pure heart > love.
• Summarizing, Piper reiterates how God's household plan (for the church) and love both come from faith; this relationship between faith and love is then described as the core theme in 1 Timothy and this could be the thesis of the entire book, see also Titus 1:7 for Paul's words regarding qualifications for church elders and pastors as stewards of God's plan must demonstrate key attributes of faith, including "hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught" (faith)

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and who gives me faith as a gift - thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of such a gift as I worry and often have anxiety and I know this is sinful.  Forgive me and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul and mind and love others as You love me. Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please continue to heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo. Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.