Monday 20th March - 1 Timothy 4

Today’s chapter is 1 Timothy 4

Tom writes:

There are some verses in here that are so good you could put them in a cape and mistake them for a superhero.  4:4 is enormous in its scope.  4:8 could inspire a life-time of value.  Verses 9 and 10 are obviously important because they are flagged up in Paul’s little way “here is a trustworthy saying...”. But I want to focus on 4:13 because I think it has something prophetic to speak into the broader church today and, possibly, into our own church. “Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of scripture, to preaching and to teaching”.  I fear that preaching and teaching and the bible in general is in danger of being maligned today.  I fear that we have begun to think that being Spirit-led walks us away from sermons and that being Spirit-filled means to prioritise spontaneous surges in our soul over the steady staple of scripture. God is not against the former. Even in this section Paul references a ministry time - a spontaneous surge of prophecy - that changed Timothy’s life forever. What we are talking about is “both, and”. We want both powerful ministry and precise preaching. And we are at risk of losing the latter.

I fear that so many “talks” these days pay only passing reference to a passage penned by Providence. I worry that much popular preaching is so light on bible. (And on the flip side I worry that much of the more considered biblical preaching is just a bit empty of doing what the bible actually says.) So that is why 4:13 feels so important today. It tells us that the first priority of a leader is to make sure the bible is read and preached. The bible tells us who God is and how we all find life in him. The bible urges us to continue to make space for the giving of prophecies and the laying on of hands. The bible commands us to worship and take especial care of the poor. The bible points beyond itself in so many ways… and that is why we must keep the bible primary. I wonder if you are doing that? Is the bible getting a good portion in your life? Is the bible getting much time in your small group?  The bible is what leaders are called to promote.  Because it is Spirit-inspired and Spirit-filled and it is the only true authority on how the Spirit brings life.

Question for reflection

What has Jesus been saying to you through the bible recently?