So what
is the purpose of the letters which make up most the rest of the New Testament?
Having looked at the Gospels and Acts which tells the story of the beginnings
of the spread of the message, we turn to the early writings of some of the
apostles. Most of the letters are written by Paul but they do not appear in any
particular order. The letter from James
is possibly the earliest document in the New Testament. It is one of the
‘general letters’, so-called because it has no specific audience as far as is
known. It is a very practical letter with an emphasis on the way to lead a life
of faith. As a result, the theology is much simpler which is perhaps why Martin
Luther famously labelled it the ‘Epistle of Straw’.
As usual a cross-reference Bible
may be useful.
Thoughts about 1 & 2 Timothy and Titus
To
Timothy he writes about the need to be firm with those who promoting false
teachings. The command is to focus on ‘sound doctrine’ (1 Tim 1:10). That
doctrine is then expanded in the following verses. His own life is an example
of the purpose of Christ’s coming which is the foundation of the glorious
gospel. Timothy being a young man, Paul was concerned that older people might
seek to intimidate him and cause him to deviate from the path.
Worship
needs to be orderly, calm and above reproach. In Ephesus in particular the role
of women at that time needed to be considered carefully in the light of the
practices in the temple of Artemis where temple prostitutes were prominent. It
is likely that these instructions were not intended for all time and in all
places. For one thing the church in Philippi, from where Paul may well have
written this letter, would appear to have had several women in leadership.
The
choice of elders and deacons should also be governed by a sense of order.
Chapter 3 lays down a list of qualities required of people in such positions.
These are added to in Titus 1, as we shall observe later. He also has
instructions for the role of pastor, returning to the exhortation for Timothy
to remain strong and not be bullied by older men. (1 Tim 4:12) Was Timothy
possibly struggling with his relationships with church members? Were people
trying to pressurise him into favouring some people’s needs over others. That
might explain the explicit instructions in chapter 5. Perhaps Timothy had
written to Paul requesting advice on how to deal with widows, elders, slaves
etc. Timothy is to set an example, exercising restraint in all his actions,
words and attitudes so that all may know and follow the path of godliness.
The task
of Titus on Crete has some similarities. Titus1:5 suggests that Paul and Titus
had been working together on the island. Since the ministry there is not
mentioned in Acts it is likely that Paul returned there after his imprisonment
in Rome, possibly to follow up contacts made when he made a brief visit while a
prisoner under escort to Rome (Acts 27). As with the letter to Timothy, Paul
stresses the need for ensuring the suitability of elders as the new church
seeks to combat the low standards of behaviour which seem to have been the
norm. That phrase ‘sound doctrine’ appears again in Titus 2:1. Here it is not
expanded on, perhaps because Titus was well aware of what was meant. There are,
however, parallels with the words to Timothy in Paul’s instructions to Titus
regarding teaching women, slaves and other groups within the church. ‘Don’t let
anyone despise you’ (Titus 2:15) echoes 1 Timothy 4:12.
The call
to step away from unruliness in chapter 3 is a further clue to the specific
task on Crete. It must have been tough to set an example and raise standards
when there were so many who were ‘foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved’
(Titus 3:3). Yet there is a reminder that ‘we’ (presumably Paul and Titus) were
once like that. Therefore there is hope for those who will follow the command
to ‘do good’. Verse 8 resonates with Philippians 4:8-9.
The
second letter to Timothy, written shortly before Paul was executed, is written
in a different tone. The circumstances are different. Paul was chained in a
dungeon like a common criminal he was lonely – only Luke was with him (2 Tim
4:11) and presumably scribed the letter. Perhaps he had received news of
Timothy’s continuing struggles and was concerned to provide some instruction
and encouragement. Perhaps also Paul was aware that some people were trying to
play down Paul’s imprisonment for fear of undermining the gospel. Paul says
otherwise. We are not given a spirit of timidity (1:7) and so should not be
ashamed to testify or be ashamed of imprisonment for the faith (1:8)
The
instructions set out in the first letter are briefly underlined: Guard the good
deposit (1:14). Be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus (2:1). Then
there is the hint that Timothy should be passing the task of teaching to others
who are qualified to teach (presumably according to the instructions in the
first letter). Although this is a much more personal letter than the previous
one, or the letter to Titus, there are still common themes. ‘Godliness’ is
emphasised in chapter 3 and explained more fully.
Towards
the end of the letter Paul reflects on all that he has gone through, some of
which were witnessed personally by Timothy. There is the feeling that Paul
knows he may not have another opportunity to communicate with Timothy, in spite
of the pleas to get to Rome before winter, and so gives some final words of
advice, one of the most famous being ‘all scripture is God-breathed’ (3:16).
The Word is of greatest importance.