Worship Guidelines

March 6, 2011

Background Scripture: 1 Timothy 2
Lesson Passage: 1 Timothy 2

Paul’s first letter to Timothy is a follow-up to the assignment he initially gave him before Paul left Ephesus in route to Macedonia. Paul assigned Timothy to remain in Ephesus and defend the Christian faith against false teachers. Apparently this assignment had lasted longer than expected and Paul wrote to provide additional instructions and guidance. Since the Christian community in Ephesus had apparently grown, it was necessary to provide organizational structure and administration for the infant church. In addition to instructions concerning church officers and guidance concerning various pastoral duties, the spiritual attitude and behavior of the church had to be addressed as well.

Our lesson today is taken from that letter. Here, Paul outlined five things that Timothy should practice and instill in the Ephesian church. Paul told Timothy to pray for everyone. These prayers should cover various areas of need, such as, requests, thanksgiving, and intercession. Special prayers should be offered for political leaders that the every day lives of the citizens may go on quietly and in peace. This is a prayer for external stability in the community and internal peace within each Christian. Timothy was instructed to pray for the salvation of all men. Salvation is desired by God for all. Even the worst of the worst can be changed and saved by God when they turn to him in repentance. They should not simply mouth words and call it prayer. They should pray in expectancy which requires faith. They should pray the prayer of faith. Their faith must be based on the truth that God is one and there is only one mediator between God and mankind and that mediator is Jesus Christ. It is faith in this truth that leads us to salvation through Jesus’ atoning death for our sins. Our prayer should be that all may accept salvation and join in sincere and reverent prayer to God as an expression of worship. Timothy had to also address the behavior of the Christian women. They should be careful not to call attention to themselves by the way they dress or the jewelry they wear. Their work of service or ministry should speak for them. The church is all about Jesus Christ and not about its members. The church should also seek to maintain proper order as modeled by the example of Adam and Eve. The women in the membership should not behave as those in society. They should not seek to be above the men but they should be helpers. This particular instruction appears to point to the matter of the overseers or bishops of the church since it addresses authority. The qualifications for the overseers who were to have authority within the church were given from the masculine perspective which is in agreement with the instruction given here. All of these instructions taken together would establish the proper environment for the Ephesian church. They would not model themselves after the world but rather they would become an example in the community where they lived and assembled for prayer, instructions in the word of God, and worship.

Robert C. Hudson
February 24, 2011