1 Timothy by Dennis McCallum (2022)

As Paul commits the leadership of the church at Ephesus to his young disciple, Timothy, he encourages him to guide the discourse away from meaningless myths and unimportant issues. He reminds him that the marks of good teachings are love, a good conscience and sincere faith.

Paul calls out people who want to be teachers of the Law yet they miss the whole point of the Law. It is for the lawless, not for the righteous. Once one becomes a believer in Jesus, they are no longer under the Law. The Law is to teach us of our sinfulness and need for God's forgiveness. It is not rules to live under. The Law is neither focused on love, nor is it life-giving.

Dennis McCallum explains a problem passage that has historically been poorly interpreted by the church. Paul is not forbidding women to teach or lead but he is forbidding them to spread false doctrine and myths that Eve was created first and gave life to Adam. This is the only passage in the whole Bible that appears to forbid women from teaching and leading but when one does an in depth study of the Greek, one discovers things are not as they first seem. The traditional view of this passage violates multiple hermeneutical rules.

In the traditional paradigm of church leadership there is linear; there is God, then the clergy and finally the laity or church members. The biblical paradigm is strikingly different. It is decentralized where Jesus is the head and the overseers/elders and servants/deacons are interconnected by various degrees of relationship. The overseers are actively serving alongside the deacons in what is called distributed ministry. A diagram of the organic model resembles a biological cell which can regularly divide just as a living cell can.

The qualities required of a spiritual leader in the church are good character and spiritual maturity. These are qualities all Christians should be growing in. The Body of Christ is always in need of believers who are willing to serve the Body in leadership whether as an official deacon or elder or as a servant looking for needs to meet.

In the fourth chapter of 1 Timothy, Paul warns Timothy to be on guard against the spreading of false doctrines taught by female pagan religious leaders. Most Bible translation do a poor job translating "But have nothing to do with worldly fables fit only for old women." These female religious leaders were known as "old women" in Timothy's day. These 'old women' taught Ascetism which focused on forbidding things God does not forbid, like marriage, and certain foods. They were known for storytelling where they put the gods in an outrageous light.

Organic leadership in the church is optional in the sense once saved, one is not required to grow or you lose your salvation but it is for your own good and for the good of others. The Christian leader should understand leadership is modeling in such a way that others want to follow your example. Christian leadership is solidly based in the Word of God. It is authentic and dynamic.

Paul continues his instructions to Timothy on leading the church at Ephesus. He advises him how to relate to both older and younger members of the church, but his main focus is on how to serve the poor among them, especially widows. Paul puts conditions on giving to the widows because hand-outs can be harmful. Giving financially to widows was to be after all other avenues failed. If the woman could not remarry, depend upon family or work, then she could ask for help from the church. The goal is to actually help those in need, not inadvertently weaken them.

Paul warns Timothy of the danger of material avarice, which is the extreme greed for wealth or material gain. Instead, Paul encourages the positive values of simple living and the compassionate us of wealth. Paul is not condemning being wealthy, but putting your faith in your wealth instead of God. The problem is not money but the love of money which can lead to conceit and fixing your hope in the uncertainty of riches. There are great riches to be found in contentment and appreciation.