That is an extremely difficult commitment to make. There are things that we can understand today that were not known 20 years ago. There will be things that can be understood in twenty years that we do now know about today. The more that is discovered about Greek and Hebrew, the basic languages of the Bible, the more accurately we can translate the emphasis and the meaning of the texts. The more we can know about the worlds, the times, and the historical context of the writings, the better we can understand the message of the author.

1. In my understanding and judgment, the accuracy of our understanding of and use of the material in the letter we call 1 Timothy should be significantly influenced by our understanding of the situation in the city of Ephesus.
   1. When Paul left Ephesus for Macedonia, he left Timothy in Ephesus.
      1. This letter was intended to remind Timothy of his focus among the Christians in that city.
      2. Paul may have written this letter shortly after Acts 20:1 when Paul left Ephesus for Macedonia.
      3. The riot that occurred in Ephesus marked the end of Paul's stay.
         1. The circumstances created by the riot may have left Paul too little time to give full instructions to Timothy.
         2. Or, Paul may have thought about things he needed to tell Timothy after Paul left.
   2. Ephesus was the most important Asian city in the Roman empire.
      1. In every way, from architecture to business, it was a very impressive city.
      2. At that time its population is estimated to exceed 300,000 people, almost four times the size of Fort Smith.
      3. Its amphitheater located in the middle of the city could care for approximately 25,000 people.
      4. It had three temples that were built for the purpose of worshipping the Roman emperor.
         1. In fact, Ephesus was the center for emperor worship and strongly promoted the practice.
         2. The book of Revelation was addressed to seven congregations in this area when emperor worship was a major threat to Christians.
   3. Paul had an important relationship with this city.
      1. He made a brief stop in Ephesus in Act 18:18-21.
         1. On that visit he left Aquila and Priscilla there.
         2. He also briefly studied with receptive Jews in the synagogue.
      2. In Acts 19 Paul returned as he promised the Jews and continued studying in the synagogue with them.
      3. In Acts 20:17-38 he met with the elders of the congregation in Ephesus.
         1. Paul had serious concerns about the future of the congregation.
         2. They would be successfully invaded by savage people who would destroy Christians.
         3. Some of the elders themselves would teach perverse teachings in order to create their own disciples.
   4. Acts gives us a lot of insight into the complex religious situation in Ephesus.
      1. Paul baptized twelve men who had been baptized with the baptism practiced by John the baptizer but who had never heard of the Holy Spirit (Acts 19:1-6).
      2. The Jews in the synagogue hardened against Paul's teachings and Paul left the synagogue (Acts 19:9).
      3. Paul spent two years teaching his disciples in the school of Tyrannus which resulted in the message of the gospel being shared with all Asia (Acts 19:20).
      4. Paul performed so many miracles that people brought pieces of cloth for Paul to touch, and when those cloths were used with the sick, the diseased, or the demon possessed, these people were cured (Acts 19:12).
      5. Some Jewish exorcists figured that if Paul could use Jesus to do this, they could use Jesus to do this (Acts 19:14-16).
         1. They tried to cast the demons out of a possessed man by invoking Jesus.
         2. The spirits said they knew Jesus and Paul, but not them.
         3. The men were attacked, stripped naked, and fled wounded.
      6. People who had magical arts books for spiritual practices burned those books--the books were worth 50,000 days wages (Acts 19:19).
      7. Christianity was growing so fast that it cut into the living being made by those who profited from the temple of Diana, and they started a city wide riot (19:23-41).
   5. Religiously, these are the key factors we need to remember about the city.
      1. The temple of Diana was a powerful religious force in the world.
         1. The temple building itself was the largest single building in the Greek world.
         2. It was one of the seven wonders of the world.
         3. It also functioned as a wealthy banking institution.
      2. This area served as the core area for supporting and advancing emperor worship.
         1. Many years later, the book of Revelation was addressed to seven of the congregations in this area.
         2. The first congregation mentioned is Ephesus (Revelation 2:1-7).
         3. It sounds like they got a great report card: they worked hard and persevered, they did not tolerate evil men, they tested false apostles, they endured without getting tired, and they hated the evil works of the Nicolaitans.
         4. But they did not love Jesus as they did at first, and if they did not restore their love for Jesus, they would be removed.
      3. Jewish Gnosticism seemed to be a religious influence.
         1. It stressed the importance of genealogy.
         2. It could easily get Christians to focusing on the kinds of speculations that would hurt the congregation.

2. With that background in mind, I call these things to your attention in 1 Timothy 1.
   1. Timothy was urged to stay in Ephesus for these specific reasons:
      1. To instruct certain Christians not to teach strange doctrines (verse 3).
      2. Or to pay attention to myths--myths (legends or fables) played an important role in idolatrous teachings as well as Jewish teachings.
      3. Or to pay attention to endless genealogies which played an important role in one of the early heresies.
      4. These things encouraged Christians to devote their thought and spiritual concerns to speculation instead of building faith in God.
   2. Paul reminded Timothy of the goal of their teaching (verse 5).
      1. The goal of their teaching was to produce love.
      2. The love their teaching produced came from:
         1. Pure hearts.
         2. Good consciences.
         3. Sincere faith.
      3. It was when Christians stopped pursuing the love that came from pure hearts, good consciences, and sincere faith that they turned to the fruitless discussions of strange doctrines, myths, and endless genealogies (verse 6)
      4. It was the desire to speculate that created a desire to turn to the law [as opposed to Christ] (verse 7).
         1. These people made confident assertions, but did not understand what they taught.
         2. They did not even understand the purpose of the law.
         3. The law did not exist to direct the righteous man but to control the evil, lawless man.
      5. Paul had been entrusted with the glorious good news of the blessed gospel--God's power to use Christ to rescue sinners from sin.
   3. Paul clearly understood the purpose of creating love through understanding the power of Jesus' crucifixion and resurrection to rescue the evil person.
      1. What God did to save him was proof positive.
      2. Only God's mercy and grace could serve a person like him.
      3. God had a special reason for saving an evil man like him--to prove that God could save anybody.
      4. That is why Jesus Christ came--to save sinners.
   4. Paul trusted Timothy enough to give Timothy "this command."
      1. What command? In my judgment, the urging to stay in Ephesus and pursue the goal of their instruction: teaching people to love from a pure heart, a good conscience, and a sincere faith.
      2. In doing this, Timothy was to care for two things.
         1. Take care of your own faith.
         2. Keep your good conscience.
         3. Anyone who fails to do this will spiritually shipwreck.

In some ways, little changes through the centuries. In every generation, in every century, Christians spend more time promoting speculations than in creating love from pure hearts, good consciences, and sincere faith.

The consequence is that too many Christians do not know how to love. Not their families, not their friends, not their neighbors, not those who have not escaped evil, not their brothers and sisters in Christ. Too many Christians see love from pure hearts, good consciences, and sincere faith as either weakness or as being of minimal importance.

Love sent Jesus to this world. Love put Jesus on the cross. Love kept Jesus on the cross. Love raised Jesus from the dead. Love shared the gospel with the world. Is that weakness? Is that unimportant?

If Paul left a preacher in Fort Smith to spend time teaching and working with us, what would he command him to do?