- Speculators
- Stewards
- Stewards Confront Speculators
- Big Picture Applications
Summary: False teachers had swerved from the truth and were leading people astray. They were poisoning the church with their bad doctrine and worthless speculations. Therefore, Paul dispatched Timothy to Ephesus in order to protect God's flock by confronting and exposing the wolves that had got into the sheepfold. How would Timothy do this? He would confront and expose these speculators by being a faithful steward of truth whose constant effort was to love God and others out of pure motives.
Main Point: Stewards must confront and expose speculators by fulfilling the aim of their charge.
Main Point: Stewards must confront and expose speculators by fulfilling the aim of their charge.
Discussion Questions:
- Why did Paul urge Timothy to remain at Ephesus? (v.3)
- Name some characteristics of false teachers. (1:3-4, 6-7; cf. 1:19-20; 4:2-3, 7; 6:2b-5, 20-21).
- What is the aim of the a faithful steward? (v.5)
- What is the relationship between love and pure motives (i.e. a pure heart, good conscience, and a sincere faith)?
- How is Jesus the ultimate steward?
- How does the gospel create stewards? (cf. vv.12-15)
- According to Paul, what is a lawful use of the law? (vv.8-11)
- Why is it so important that stewards confront speculators?
- What does this call for stewards to confront speculators say about God's care for His Church?
- Am I fulfilling the aim of my charge, that is, am I marked by love for God and others? If so, praise God and humbly ask for grace to grow all the more. If not, take time to test and examine the purity of your motives in light of God's word, confessing any impurity, anything that is tainting your conscience, any way that that your interests are out of sync with Christ's interests. Receive forgiveness (1 Jn. 1:9) and start focusing on loving God and others with fresh vigor.
- Praise Jesus for being the ultimate steward who always operated out of pure motives and for dying on the cross so that I could too be a good steward marked by love and pure motives.
- Confess to God ways that you have failed to fulfill the aim of your charge.
- Ask the Holy Spirit to help you love God and others out of pure motives.
