Introduction:
Welcome to the 2014-2015
Tulsa Bible Church men’s Bible study.
This year we are focusing on three New Testament books written to men
who were leaders in the Church. Paul gave
instructions to two of his fellow pastors who were on his ministry team leading
churches in Ephesus and Crete. He gave them (and us) principles for how they
should conduct their ministries and instructions on the nature and conduct of churches. As we dive into these rich New Testament
letters we are going to learn some important lessons for leaders that relate to
our personal walk with the Lord, our ministry principles, and guidelines for
the churches we attend and serve in.
One of my hopes for this
study is that we will move away from only imitating the style and tactics of
leaders we admire toward a dynamic reengagement with the spiritual leadership
principles that Paul envisioned for Timothy and Titus.
Wired:
A unique feature of this
Bible study is that the Word document has hyperlinks to Bible study tools and
cross references in the questions. Download
the “electronic” version of the lessons from the web site or request one from
your Bible study leader or Pastor Martin at pmartin@tulsabible.org.
The word study questions include the Greek word that usually has a link
to the BlueLetterBible
Greek dictionary. This resource includes
pronunciation of the Greek word, definitions, a link to Vine’s Dictionary, concordance,
and a few other features.
When there are cross references, they are usually linked
to the NKJV in the BibleStudyTools.com Bible. Usually you will notice that
extra verses before and after the verse are there to help you with the
context. There is an option for you to
switch to another version.
Occasionally there are other links to other helpful information. All these links are not intended to change
the way we study a passage, but to
give us quicker access to helpful resources.
Extras:
I have tried to design this
study for both the serious student and participants with less time to
devote. The links will give you a quick
connection to more advanced information that you can review quickly or study in
detail.
1. It is important for us to
have a good grasp on the significance of the Bible we are studying. Most weeks will feature an affirmation and
denial from the Chicago
Statement on Biblical Inerrancy.
Please take a few minutes to think about each article’s affirmation and
denial and read at least the bold portion of the commentary by R.C. Sproul.
2. If you want to give this study more serious
attention, here are some additional
resources.
Offline, The
Pastoral Epistles by Homer
Kent is a solid pastoral commentary that is complete enough to be very
useful (297 pages). The Word
Biblical Commentary on the Pastoral Epistles by William D. Mounce is not too difficult to read and helpful with a
more detailed discussion of issues in the texts of these books (600+ pages).
Online, Thomas Constable’s
Expository Notes on 1 Timothy,
Titus,
and 2
Timothy are available in PDF format and
audio lectures or as part of The NET Bible ™ Learning Environment. Dr.
Bob Utley’s Free
Bible Commentary is also helpful and easy to use as a reference for
specific verses.
Lesson Breakdown
1.
1 Timothy 1.1-11 -
“Right Doctrine & Right Heart” Bible Study: Prayer & Inductive questions
2.
1 Timothy 1.12-20 Paul’s Testimony and Charge to
Timothy 1 Authority
3.
1 Timothy 2:1-8 Prayer in the Church 2. Scripture and tradition
4.
1 Timothy 2:8-14 Women
in the Church 10 Reasons to Believe in a Historical Adam
5.
1 Timothy 3:1-16 Qualifications for Leaders 3.
Revelation
6.
1 Timothy 4:1-11 Apostasy and Godliness 4.
Human Language
7.
1 Timothy 4:6-16 The Servant of Christ 5.
Progressive Revelation
8.
1 Timothy 5:1-16 Honoring Widows 6.
Verbal Plenary Inspiration
9.
1 Timothy 5:17-24 Honoring Elders 7.
Inspiration
10.
1 Timothy 6:1-10 Masters and Money 8.
Human Authors
11.
1 Timothy 6:11-21 The Good Confession 9. Inerrancy
12.
Titus 1:1-16 The
Elder and False Teachers 10.
The Autographs
13.
Titus 2:1-15 What
the Grace of God Teaches 11.
Infallibility
14.
Titus 3:1-15 A
Faithful Saying 12.
Inerrancy of the Whole
15.
2 Timothy 1:1-18 Courage for the Gospel 13.
Truth
16.
2 Timothy 2:1-13 Strong in Grace
14. Consistency
17.
2 Timothy 2:14-26 A Servant of the Lord 15.
Accommodation
18.
2 Timothy 3:1-9 Perilous Times 16.
Church History
19.
2 Timothy 3:10-17 The Man of God and the Word of God 17. Witness of the Spirit
20.
2 Timothy 4:1-8 A Charge and a Champion 18.
Interpretation
21.
2 Timothy 4:9-22 End Notes 19
Health of the Church
Lesson 1 “Right Doctrine; Right Heart” 1
Timothy 1:1-11
ID:
Inductive Questions (Asking the text questions like who, what, where, when,
why, & how?”)
CR:
Cross References (Comparing Scripture to Scripture, understanding the vague by
the clear.)
WS: Word Study
(Understanding definition, theological meaning, and usages in other passages.)
The
WORD: What does the Bible say?
Context: Read all six chapters
in 1 Timothy if you have time. What is
the theme or “melodic
line” for 1 Timothy (especially notice 3:14-16; 6:11-12)? Read 1 Timothy 1:1-11 again in a more literal
or more dynamic translation
than you usually use.
1.
ID/CR (1:1-11) What key
elements of this salutation are common to the salutations in 2 Timothy and
Titus? How would you describe Paul’s
audience? Are they believers or unbelievers? Are they spiritually mature or
immature? What issues are they facing?
2. ID: (1:3-4)
What does Paul want to stop? Do these verses suggest any reasons why?
3. ID: (1:5) What is
the goal of “the command?” What is its
threefold source? What do those things suggest about the nature of this love? (Mathew
22:35-40)
4. ID/WS: (1:6) What is the opposite of “idle talk” (mataiologia)?
5. ID: (1:8-9) Who is the law designed for? Compare the fourteen sinners mentioned in a
couple other translations. Use the BlueLetterBible
or another tool to study two or three of the words further. (Galatians
3:19-4:31)
6. ID: (2:11) What observations
can be made about the Gospel from verse eleven?
(Make use of the "Six Honest Serving-Men" from the article
“Ask Questions.”)
The WALK:
What should I do?
1. Do you have any “true sons in the faith?”
2. What kinds of teachings rise to the level of “other
doctrine?”
3. What are some principles that we can use to evaluate
whether a discussion is fruitless? How/why
do people get caught up in fruitless discussions that distract from the essentials?
4. What is the correct use of the law? Have you seen it misused? Have you see in used well?
5. What did you think about the quote, “Study without
prayer is atheism, and prayer without study is presumption?” What role does prayer have in your personal
Bible study and reading?
Going Beyond: Thinking theologically, what areas of
theology are touched on in this passage?
The Bible
(Bibliology)
God (Theology Proper)
The Father (Paterology)
The Lord Jesus Christ (Christology)
The Holy Spirit
(Pneumatology)
Man (Anthropology)
Salvation (Soteriology)
The Church (Ecclesiology)
Angels &
Satan (Angelology) Future Things (eschatology)
Begin with and maintain an attitude of prayer. Go to the Author of the
Book before you go to the Book. And think about this. How many books have you ever read where you
had the benefit of the author's presence to help you discern his original
intent?!
The Bible is not men's truth but God's special revelation of Truth. We
must always begin by conversing with the Author, beseeching Him to open the
eyes of our heart to see, understand (put together the pieces so to speak) and
illuminate His "love letter" to us. The psalmist recognizing his
dependence on God prayed...
Skip Heitzig, commenting on Psalm 119:18 as it relates to inductive
Bible study, suggests that we might consider beginning our study with a prayer
something like this...
Lord, I submit
myself to You as Your servant (Romans
12:1). I pray that You would speak to me personally as I now open
Your Word. Sharpen my powers of observation and open my eyes to what the text
is saying. Give me wisdom and insight as
I seek to interpret what the text means. And help me to apply Your truth to the
specific areas in my life that need Your touch. Gently convict me of any issues I'm neglecting
or trying to hide. Lord, I give You
complete permission to search my heart to see if there is anything in me that
is contrary to Your will (Psalm
139:23-24). Challenge me with Your
holiness and comfort me with Your promises, in Jesus' name. Amen.
“Study without prayer is atheism, and prayer without study is
presumption.”
As you begin your inductive adventure through the Bible, may you have a
determined effort to stick close to the Author with an attitude of prayer.
We interpret the Bible properly when we learn to ask the right questions
of the text. The problem is that many
people do not know what the right questions are, or they are too lazy to learn.
God feeds the birds, but He doesn't throw the food into their nests. Learning to ask the right questions and
carefully observe the text takes discipline, diligence and practice, because
most of us have never been trained in the "Sherlock Holmes" approach. Please persevere for the reward you will
experience in personal discovery and understanding of the Word of God will far
outweigh the cost!
Kay Arthur reminds us of the importance an interrogative mindset, writing
that, "every part of the entire process of inductive Bible study is based
on asking who, what, when, where, why, and how kinds of questions. This is how
vital the 5 W's and an H are!"
Although he was not referring to Inductive Bible Study when Rudyard
Kipling wrote the poem "Six Honest Serving-Men", the principle is
applicable...
I keep six honest serving-men
(They taught me all I knew);
Their names are What and Why and When
And How and Where and Who.
I send them over land and sea,
I send them east and west;
But after they have worked for me,
I give them all a rest.
(They taught me all I knew);
Their names are What and Why and When
And How and Where and Who.
I send them over land and sea,
I send them east and west;
But after they have worked for me,
I give them all a rest.
Most students of Scripture do not see the "gold nuggets" of
truth in passages and paragraphs, because they do not know what to look for. We
learn what to look for by asking the right questions. Questions bring
details to our attention. preceptaustin.org/observation.htm
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