Download my notes on 1 Timothy 6:11-16 as a pdf

1 TIMOTHY 6:11-16
False teaching had distracted the local church in Ephesus from its mission of preaching the gospel and
making disciples.
So Paul writes to Timothy and the big message of his letter is: “Sort out the church for the sake of the
gospel!”
Chapters 1-2: Fight for the Gospel.
Chapters 3-4: Sort out the Leadership.
Chapters 5-6: Deal with issues of Church Life.
In chapters 5 and 6 some of the issue of church life threaten the gospel witness of the church so need to
be dealt with are: the poor, provision, protection and discipline of elders, attitudes to work and money.
Now in verses 11-16, Paul addresses Timothy directly. Timothy is addresses as a ‘man of God’, only
person in the New Testament given this leadership title (e.g. Moses, David, Samuel, Elijah, Elisha).
Three things Timothy was to set an example for the local church, and what all leaders should set an
example in.
A. Flee
“Flee these things.”
1. The idea of running away from something, like a fugitive.
Putting as much distance between us and the thing we’re running away from.
Like Joseph fled from Potiphar’s wife and refused to be with her.
2. What was Timothy to flee from? What were ‘these things’?
The false teaching and the false living of the false teacher.
3. There should be a noticeable different between Timothy and the false teachers in what they teach and
how they live.
B. Follow
“Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness.”
1. Going hard after, putting our time and energy into these things.
Righteousness and godliness: godly character and conduct.
Faith and love: trust in God’s Word and showing sacrificial love.
Steadfastness and gentleness: sticking to it when the going gets tough and gently dealing with
people.
2. Going hard after a person.
These six characteristics are a picture of Christ.
3. In contrast to the false teachers, Timothy is to set an example of what it means to be Christlike.
C. Fight
“Fight the good fight of the faith.”
1. Like Nehemiah, Timothy is to have a trowel for building in one hand and a sword for fighting in the
other.
Fighting hard, giving all he has to win the battle.
2. The good fight of faith facing Timothy is the fight against the error of false teacher that had infiltrated
the church in Ephesus.
In every generation, church leaders and their churches will have this fight against false teachers.
D. Four Encouragements to Flee, Follow and Fight
1. Remember where you have come from and where you are going.
“Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good
confession in the presence of many witnesses.”
Be who you now are.
2. Remember the example of the Lord Jesus.
“I charge you in the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who in his
testimony before Pontius Pilate made the good confession…”
The Lord Jesus faced these struggles but never once did He back down.
3. Remember that Jesus will return.
“…to keep the commandment unstained and free from reproach until the appearing of our Lord
Jesus Christ, which he will display at the proper time.”
Be ready for it.
4. Remember who God is.
“he who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone has
immortality, who dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see. To him
be honour and eternal dominion. Amen.”
The God who is with Timothy is invincible, immortal, inaccessible and invisible will enable you to flee,
follow and fight.
5. As men of God we are to show the church what it believe the gospel and live in response to the gospel
– we do this by watching our life and doctrine or to put it another way, by fleeing, following and fighting!