Post # 147 – Week # 42 – Come Follow Me – 1 and 2 Timothy; Titus; Philemon -- “Be Thou an Example of the Believers”
Dear Family and
Friends
In this week’s study
we are headed to the first and second books of Timothy, and through Titus and
then on to the book of Philemon😊It is sometimes helpful to share with
one another your successes and your challenges that you have had during your scripture
study, both individually and as a family. You should share with one another
what is going well with your scripture study and what seems to be challenging
for you.
By sharing these
things with your family members and your friends they too will be more inclined
to share with you knowing that your scripture study is not always going
smoothly😊 Then too, they may have some ideas to
share that may be helpful to you that you have not tried as yet😊
In First Timothy we
are taught to teach only the true doctrine
In the
epistles Paul wrote to Timothy, Titus, and Philemon, we get a glimpse into the
heart of a servant of the Lord. Unlike Paul’s other epistles to entire
congregations, these were written to individuals—Paul’s close friends and
associates in God’s work—and reading them is like listening in on a conversation.
We see Paul encouraging Timothy and Titus, two leaders of congregations, in
their Church service. We see him entreating his friend Philemon to forgive a
fellow Saint and treat him like a brother in the gospel. Paul’s words were not
addressed to us directly, and he may never have expected that so many people
would one day read them. Yet we find in these epistles counsel and
encouragement for us, whatever our personal ministry in the service of Christ
might be.
Understanding true doctrine will help us avoid
being deceived.
·
You do realize that you and I, all of the members of your family and your
friends are living in a time when many false doctrines are being taught.
Timothy and Titus also lived in such a time, so perhaps Paul’s counsel to them
could benefit you and I, your family members and friends as well. Some passages
containing Paul’s counsel are found in the following verses of scripture:
Paul’s counsel about true
doctrine.
You might want to ask different members of your family and your
friends in your study group to read a set of verses and then share what they
have learned from their verses about the
importance of true doctrine with the rest of the group when they have finished
reading their selection. You could also read Alma 31:5 for more insight
1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the commandment of
God our Saviour, and Lord Jesus Christ, which is our hope;
2 Unto Timothy, my own son in the faith: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God our Father and Jesus Christ our
Lord.
3 As I besought thee to abide still at Ephesus, when I
went into Macedonia, that thou mightest charge some that they teach no other doctrine,
4 Neither give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which minister questions, rather than godly edifying which is in faith: so do.
5 Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good
conscience, and of faith unfeigned:
6 From which some having swerved have turned aside unto vain jangling;
7 Desiring to be teachers of the law; understanding
neither what they say, nor whereof they affirm.
\
1 Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;
2 Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron;
6 If thou put the brethren in remembrance of these
things, thou shalt be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished up in the
words of faith and of good doctrine, whereunto thou hast attained.
3 If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesome words, even the words of
our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness;
4 He is proud, knowing nothing, but doting about questions and strifes of words, whereof cometh envy, strife, railings, evil surmisings,
5 Perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the
truth, supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw thyself.
20 O Timothy, keep that which is committed to thy trust, avoiding profane and vain babblings,
and oppositions of science falsely so called:
21 Which some professing have erred concerning the faith.
Grace be with thee. Amen.
13 But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being
deceived.
14 But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and
hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them;
15 And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
17 That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.
2 Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.
3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;
7 For a bishop must be blameless, as the steward of God; not selfwilled, not soon angry, not given to wine, no striker, not given to filthy lucre;
8 But a lover of hospitality, a lover of good men, sober, just, holy, temperate;
9 Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught,
that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers.
7 In all things shewing thyself a pattern of good works:
in doctrine shewing uncorruptness, gravity, sincerity,
8 Sound speech, that cannot be condemned; that he that is of the contrary part may be ashamed, having no evil thing
to say of you.
·
5 And now, as the preaching of the word had a great tendency to lead the people to do that which was just—yea, it had had
more powerful effect upon the minds of the people than the sword, or anything
else, which had happened unto them—therefore Alma thought it was expedient that
they should try the virtue of the word of God.\
Ideas
for Personal Scripture Study
Who were Timothy and Titus?
Timothy and Titus
had served with Paul on some of his missionary journeys. During their service,
they earned Paul’s respect and trust. Timothy was later called as a Church
leader in Ephesus, and Titus was called as a leader in Crete. In these
epistles, Paul gave the leaders instruction and encouragement regarding their
responsibilities, which included preaching the gospel and calling men to serve
as bishops.
See also Bible Dictionary, “Pauline Epistles,” “Timothy,” “Titus.”
Bishops are called to provide spiritual guidance to ward members.
Pauline Epistles
Paul’s 14
epistles found in our present New Testament were written to members of the
Church who already had some knowledge of the gospel. They are not evangelistic;
rather, they are regulatory in nature. The arrangement is neither
chronological, geographical, nor alphabetical, but by length, in descending
order from the longest (Romans) to the shortest (Philemon). This is the case
except with the epistle to the Hebrews, which was placed last because some have
questioned whether or not it was written by Paul.
Timothy
Honored
of God. The son
of a Greek father and Jewish mother (Eunice) living at Lystra https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/bd/timothy?lang=eng
Titus
Apparently
converted by Paul, perhaps at Antioch https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/bd/titus?lang=eng
If we are “example[s] of the believers,” we
can lead others to the Savior and His gospel.
·
Did you know that it is totally possible that your family
members and friends may not realize the power of the good example that they are
setting for others.
You might want to have a discussion with them about how they and
they people that they know, have been examples of disciples of Christ. Look in
verse 12 and make a list of words that describe how we should be an example:
Let’s read verse twelve again:
12 Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in
charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity.
No matter your age/ or
just because you are young – you should do your best to be an example of the
believers in:
WORD --
CONVERSATION --
CHARITY --
SPIRIT --
FAITH --
PURITY --
After making this list
you may want to take your discussion a step further by asking your family
members and friends to help you come up with examples of how we can each be
examples of the believers in each of these ways😊
Ideas
for Personal Scripture Study
If I am “an example of the believers,” I can lead others to the Savior
and His gospel.
Timothy was relatively young, but Paul knew that he could be a
great Church leader despite his youth. What counsel did Paul give to Timothy in 1 Timothy 4:10–16? How can this counsel help you
lead others to the Savior and His gospel?
See also Alma 17:11.\
11 And the Lord said unto them also: Go forth among the
Lamanites, thy brethren, and establish my word; yet ye shall be patient in long-suffering and afflictions, that ye may
show forth good examples unto them in me, and I will make an instrument
of thee in my hands unto the salvation of many souls.
“God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but
of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.”
Let’s look together in 2 Timothy for
the counsel Paul gave Timothy to encourage him in his ministry. Be sure to
share any insights you found with your family members and friends, or maybe you
could give them a few minutes to find and share some of Paul’s counsel in 2
Timothy chapter you, your family members and friends could also share an
experience of a time when God helped them to overcome their fears and gave them
“the spirit of … power, and of love, and of a sound mind” as mentioned in 2 Timothy 1:7.
Ideas
for Personal Scripture Study
“God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love,
and of a sound mind.”
2 Timothy is believed to be the last epistle Paul wrote, and
it seems that he knew his time on earth was short (see 2 Timothy 4:6–8). As you read this epistle, think
about how Timothy might have felt knowing that he might soon be without his
trusted mentor and leader. What did Paul say to encourage him? What do Paul’s
words teach you about facing your own trials and fears?
Studying the scriptures can help us overcome
the perils of the last days.
Paul warns Timothy about
“perilous times” to come in 2 Timothy verse 1. Paul then testified to him of
the power and importance of the scriptures in verses 14 – 17.
·
14 But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and
hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them;
·
15 And that from a child thou hast
known the holy scriptures, which
are able to make thee wise unto salvation through
faith which is in Christ Jesus.
·
16 All scripture is given by inspiration of
God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for
correction, for instruction in righteousness:
You could review with your family Paul’s
description of the perils of the last days which are found in 2 Timothy 3:1-7 and
this would be a good way for you to discuss with your family members and friends
the importance or studying your scriptures during difficult times😊
then you or they could search for and share scriptures that have helped them
guard against perils like these:
Scriptures that protect
us against the perils of the last days described in 2 Timothy 3:2.
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Perils
of the Last Days
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Scriptures
That Protect Us
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Lovers
of their own selves
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12
This is my commandment, That ye love one another, aa I have loved you.
13 Greater love hath no man than this,
that a man lay down his life for his friends.
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Covetous
|
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See that ye love one another; cease to be covetous;
learn to impart one to another as he gospel requires
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Boasters
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24 And secondly, he doth require that
ye should do as he hath commanded you; for which if ye do, he doth
immediately bless you; and therefore he hath paid you. And ye are still
indebted unto him, and are, and will be, forever and ever; therefore of what
have ye to boast?
25 And now I ask, can ye say aught of yourselves? I
answer you, Nay. Ye cannot say that ye are even as much as the dust of the
earth; yet ye were created of the dust of the earth; but behold, it belogeth
to him who created you
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Blasphemers
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27 Have ye walked, keeping yourselves
blameless before God? Could ye say, if ye were Called to die at this time,
within yourselves, that ye have been sufficiently humble? That your garments
have been cleansed and made white through the blood of Christ, who will come
to redeem his people from their sins?
Behold, are ye stripped of pride? I say unto you, if
ye are not e are not prepared to meet God. Behold, ye must prepare quickly;
for the kingdom of heaven is soon at hand, and such an one hath not eternal
life.
64 Remember that that which cometh from above is sacred,
and must be spoken with care, and by constraint of the Spirit; and in this
there is no condescension, and ye receive the Spirit through prayer;
wherefor, without this there remaineth condemnation
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Disobedient
to parents
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1 Children obey your parents in the
Lord; for this is right.
2 Honour thy father and mother; (which I
the first commandment with promise;)
3 That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live
long on the earth.
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Unthankful
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And he who receiveth all things with thankfulness
shall be made glorious, and the things of this earth shall be added unto him,
yea an hundred fold, yea, more.
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Unholy
|
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For thou art an holy people unto the Lord thy God:
the Lord thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto himself, above
all people that are upon the face of the earth.
|
How do you think our study of the scriptures has protected us from troubles in today’s world?
In studying Paul’s counsel about the power of the scriptures
could be an opportunity for your family members and friends to encourage one another
in their personal efforts to study the word of God. Perhaps your family members
and friends could read 2 Timothy 3:14–17 and identify the blessings
and protections that come from studying the scriptures.
14 But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and
hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them;
15 And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through
faith which is in Christ Jesus.
16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for
correction, for instruction in righteousness:
17 That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.
Then you and / or they could share experiences of a time or
times when these blessings were fulfilled in your and / or their lives because
of your /their scripture study. You could also give your family members and
friends a little bit of time to ponder what they can do to have more meaningful
experiences with the scriptures as they study them, both individually and as
families. You can find some more ideas to add to the ones you and your family
members have come up with here:
here you can find a family home evening on how to have
meaningful scripture study: https://www.ldsdaily.com/home-and-family/fhe-lessons/scriptures/meaningful-scripture-study/
https://www.ldsdaily.com/home-and-family/fhe-lesson-on-scripture-study-reading-the-scriptures-daily/
Ideas
for Personal Scripture Study
Living the gospel provides safety from the spiritual dangers of the last
days.
We are living in “the last days” that Paul spoke of, and the
“perilous times” have come (2 Timothy 3:1). As you read 2 Timothy 3, write down the perils of the
last days that are mentioned (see also 1 Timothy 4:1–3):
Can you think of examples of these perils in the
world around you—or in your own life? How do these perils, like
the people described in verse 6, “creep into [your house], and lead [you]
captive”? What counsel do you find in 2 Timothy 3, and elsewhere in these epistles, that could keep
you and your family safe from these spiritual dangers? (see, for example, 1 Timothy 1:3–11; 2 Timothy 2:15–16; Titus 2:1–8).
Followers of Christ forgive one another.
·
It may be helpful for you to share a
little bit about Philemon and his servant Onesimus before you discuss the book
of Philemon
here is a brief description from this
week’s outline in Come, Follow Me—For Individuals and Families:
Who was Philemon?
Philemon was a Christian who had been converted to the gospel by
Paul. He owned a slave named Onesimus, who escaped slavery, met Paul, and
converted to the gospel as well. In a letter to Philemon, Paul encouraged his
friend to forgive Onesimus and receive him “not now as a servant, but above a
servant, a brother beloved” (verse 16).
·
Then if you have enough family members
and friends you could divide into two groups and give each group one of the
following questions:
What similarities do you see between what
Paul was willing to do for Onesimus and what the Savior willingly did for us?
While it was likely hard for Philemon to
forgive his slave who ran away, how would the gospel of Jesus Christ have made
forgiveness easier?
(If you do not have enough family members
and/or friends or you only have young ones at home, you could study the chapter
and answer the questions together😊 Have them draw pictures in their
scripture journals about the lesson – don’t forget to label their drawings)
When
you are through with your reading of Philemon you could have the two groups share
what they have learned😊 you could then ask your family members
and friends to share scripture passages or experiences that have helped them to
understand forgiveness. The following message by Elder Kevin R. Duncan’s may
help with this discussion:
The healing ointment of
the Savior’s Atonement helps us forgive others.
Elder Kevin R. Duncan taught:
“There is not a soul alive who will not, at one time or another,
be the victim to someone else’s careless actions, hurtful conduct, or even
sinful behavior. This is one thing we all have in common.
“Gratefully, God, in His love and mercy for His children, has
prepared a way to help us navigate these sometimes turbulent experiences of
life. He has provided an escape for all who fall victim to the misdeeds of
others. He has taught us that we can forgive! …
“Many years ago, while I was mending a fence, a small sliver of
wood entered into my finger. I made a meager attempt to remove the sliver and
thought I had done so, but apparently I had not. As time went on, skin grew
over the sliver, creating a lump on my finger. It was annoying and sometimes
painful.
“Years later I decided to finally take action. All I did was
simply apply ointment to the lump and cover it with a bandage. I repeated this
process frequently. You cannot imagine my surprise when one day, as I removed
the bandage, the sliver had emerged from my finger.
“The ointment had softened the skin and created an escape for
the very thing that had caused pain for so many years. Once the sliver was
removed, the finger quickly healed, and to this day, there remains no evidence
of any injury.
“In a similar way, an unforgiving
heart harbors so much needless pain. When we apply the healing ointment of the
Savior’s Atonement, He will soften our heart and help us to change. He
can heal the
wounded soul (see Jacob 2:8)” (“The Healing Ointment of Forgiveness,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2016, 33).
8 And it supposeth me that they have come up hither to
hear the pleasing word of God, yea, the word which healeth the wounded soul.
Ideas
for Personal Scripture Study
Followers of Christ forgive one another.
Have you ever been
in a situation when someone sought your forgiveness? Think about that situation
as you read the epistle to Philemon. What did Paul teach Philemon about why he
should forgive Onesimus? Are there any messages to you in this epistle?
16 And it came to pass that when I, Nephi, had spoken
these words unto my brethren, they were angry with me. And it came to pass that
they did lay their hands upon me, for behold, they were exceedingly wroth, and
they did bind me with cords, for they sought to take away my life,
that they might leave me in the wilderness to be devoured by wild beasts.
17 But it came to pass that I prayed unto the Lord,
saying: O Lord, according to my faith which is in thee, wilt thou deliver me
from the hands of my brethren; yea, even give me strength that I may burst these bands with which I am bound.
18 And it came to pass that when I had said these words,
behold, the bands were loosed from off my hands and feet, and I stood before my
brethren, and I spake unto them again.
19 And it came to pass that they were angry with me again,
and sought to lay hands upon me; but behold, one of the daughters of Ishmael, yea, and also her mother, and one
of the sons of Ishmael, did plead with my brethren, insomuch that they did
soften their hearts; and they did cease striving to take away my life.
20 And it came to pass that they were sorrowful, because
of their wickedness, insomuch that they did bow down before me, and did plead
with me that I would forgive them of the thing that they had done against me.
21 And it came to pass that I did frankly forgive them all that they had done, and I did exhort
them that they would pray unto the Lord their God for forgiveness. And it came to pass that they did so. And after
they had done praying unto the Lord we did again travel on our journey towards
the tent of our father.
31 And ye shall also forgive one another your trespasses; for verily I say
unto you, he that forgiveth not his neighbor’s trespasses when he says that he repents, the
same hath brought himself under condemnation.
For next week ask your family members and
friends if they know someone who feels that God is distant, impersonal, or
unapproachable. Tell them they will find verses in Hebrews 1–6 that
they could share with someone to show that God the Father and Jesus Christ are
compassionate Beings who want to help us when we suffer.
The following ideas for family scripture
study and family home evening come to you directly from the Come, Follow Me for
Individuals and Families manual:
Ideas
for Family Scripture Study and Family Home Evening
As you read the
scriptures with your family, the Spirit can help you know what principles to
emphasize and discuss in order to meet the needs of your family. Here are some
suggestions:
While aspects of
Paul’s counsel for women to dress modestly do not apply to our time, we can all
learn from his counsel to “adorn [ourselves] … with good works.” Your family
might enjoy putting together a fashion show, with family members dressing up in
clothing or jewelry labeled with different kinds of good works. What are some
good works your family could do this week?
To help your family members desire to be “an example of the
believers,” consider inviting them to draw pictures of how people have been
good examples to them. How have these people inspired us to follow Jesus
Christ? President Thomas S. Monson’s message “Be an Example and a Light” (Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2015,
86–88) might give some ideas.
Why do you think
“the love of money” is considered “the root of all evil”? What are the dangers
of focusing our lives on money? How can we be content with the blessings we
have?
According to these
verses, what blessings come to those who know and study the scriptures? Perhaps
family members could share scriptures they have found to be especially
“profitable.”
What was Paul willing to do for Onesimus? How is this similar to
what the Savior willingly did for us? (see also 1 Timothy 2:5–6; D&C 45:3–5). How can we follow the examples of Paul and
the Savior?
My dear Family and
Friends what will you be doing this week to follow the examples of Paul and the
Savior? Is there someone that we ( you and I) need to forgive? Do you need to forgive
yourself? Sometimes it is the most hardest (excuse my grammar here) thing for
us to do is to actually fully and completely forgive ourselves☹ I hope and pray that you will forgive yourself and anyone in your life that you need to forgive.
I promise that as you forgive others your life will change for the better. You will find that you have been carrying around such a burden.! And when the forgiveness is given te burden seems so much lighter or it may be completely gone! and please forgive yourself for ant thing that you need to let go. I promise that you will notice a huge difference in the weight of your burdens, you will find peace ans you will sleep so much better.
Speaking of sleep, I certainly hope that each one of you are able to sleep a whole lot better than I do☹ The neuropathy in my hands and my feet is awful, sometimes the nerves seem to work over time all day long. I think sometimes that maybe they need to make a medication that actually puts the nerves asleep for a while, so I can get some sleep.
Or so I can walk around the block without pain😊 I don’t think that I am asking for very much am I??? it seems some nights the nerves in my hands and my feet are so wound up throughout the day that they have a hard time settling down when it is time for me to sleep☹
I can lay here and be so tired I am falling asleep reading or watching a television show or working in my computer but when I put everything away and try to seep my nerves begun to hurt. who knows, maybe they have been hurting all along, but I have been just busy enough not to really notice it until I am laying quiet and still??? What do you think??
I promise that as you forgive others your life will change for the better. You will find that you have been carrying around such a burden.! And when the forgiveness is given te burden seems so much lighter or it may be completely gone! and please forgive yourself for ant thing that you need to let go. I promise that you will notice a huge difference in the weight of your burdens, you will find peace ans you will sleep so much better.
Speaking of sleep, I certainly hope that each one of you are able to sleep a whole lot better than I do☹ The neuropathy in my hands and my feet is awful, sometimes the nerves seem to work over time all day long. I think sometimes that maybe they need to make a medication that actually puts the nerves asleep for a while, so I can get some sleep.
Or so I can walk around the block without pain😊 I don’t think that I am asking for very much am I??? it seems some nights the nerves in my hands and my feet are so wound up throughout the day that they have a hard time settling down when it is time for me to sleep☹
I can lay here and be so tired I am falling asleep reading or watching a television show or working in my computer but when I put everything away and try to seep my nerves begun to hurt. who knows, maybe they have been hurting all along, but I have been just busy enough not to really notice it until I am laying quiet and still??? What do you think??
Well folks, as always
please keep saying your prayers every day, keep a prayer in your heart, keep studying
your scriptures with us😊 and if you are sick, I hope you get
well real soon😊 Please, always remember who you are – You are each a
child of God. =Remember that He loves you. Remember that He knows you. He knows
your needs before they become a need to you. He will answer your prayers😊
He is there for you always!!! Until mu next post, please make it a great week😊
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