Lord Jesus Christ in 1Timothy

Verses within this Study.

1:1, 1-LJC, 1-Saviour, 2, 2-Son, 12, 14, 1:15, 16, 1:17, 18; 2:2, 3, 5, 2:7; 3:13; 4:6, 4:10; 5:11, 21; 6:3, 13, 14, 6:15, 15.

Click on the following links to jump to a section within the study of this Bible Book: Lord only, Jesus only, Christ only, Jesus Christ, Christ Jesus, Lord Jesus, Lord Christ, Lord Jesus Christ, King, Son, Saviour

Study Overview.

This book is well-known to be instructions to the pastor, deacon and, in general, instructions on running the church. It is concentrating on practical matters and not teaching about our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, references to our Lord Jesus Christ are secondary to the main subject of this book. While these references are analyzed in this study, the main subject of the book itself is not presented because that subject is outside of the scope of this study. For example, three times (1:1, 2:3 and 4:10) we are told that God (the Father) is our Saviour. However, this study is not about God the Father and, therefore, this subject is not explored in this study. In addition, Paul often cites God as the authority behind his instructions. Timothy was a half Jew and would be dealing with Jews. Many of them would have recognized the authority of God the Father as being above that of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, Paul cited the authority that they would accept. As almost the last thing in this book (6:13-16), Paul presents the Lord Jesus Christ as our final authority and doctrinally states that He God and equal to God the Father. In addition, Paul states this fact in a way that even the Jews can not mistake the authority that Paul attributes to our Lord Jesus Christ.

Seven of the verses referenced in this study use Lord Jesus Christ. There are only 16 verses in 1Timothy that use Lord or Jesus or Christ or some combination of them. With the main emphasis being on Lord Jesus Christ, it should be apparent that the preacher has to deal with the Son of God in all of His roles and teach the people to do the same.

Lord Only

1Timothy 6:15.

This verse makes it clear that Jesus Christ is Lord of lords and God. Click here for all of the Verses that use Lord and here for the Summary on the name / role of Lord.

1Timothy 6:15 Which in his times he shall shew, who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords;

6:13through 6:16 form a single sentence that is divided by punctuation in the note for this sentence within the Book Study on 1Timothy. In the case of this sentence, four different sets of titles for the Lord Jesus Christ, Each of which has a different meaning and the part of the sentence it is in must be considered, along with the message of the entire sentence, in order to properly understand the usage of each title. Please also see the notes for 6:13 and 6:14 for how the other titles are used.

There is no way that I can match the much preaching about the phrase the King of kings, and Lord of lords, so I won't even try. Anything good that can be said about a King or a Lord is far truer about the Lord Jesus Christ. As this sentence shows, He is God and our best description falls far short of truly describing how He fulfills both of these roles. If you look at all of the verses and related notes for King and Lord in this study, you would still be far short of explaining what this phrase means. Therefore, I will provide only a simple explanation and leave the presenting of significance to preachers.

This site has notes on every place in the New Testament where we find the word King and where we find the word Lord. (Click here for all of the Verses in the New Testament that use King and here for the Summary on the name / role of King. Click here for all of the Verses in the New Testament that use Lord and here for the Summary on the name / role of Lord.) Therefrore, the following statements are based upon how the Bible actually uses these words and are not based upon any religion's doctrines.

There are many kings in the Bible but only our Lord Jesus Christ, Who is God, gets the capitalized King within the Bible. In addition, there are many lords in the Bible but only our Lord Jesus Christ, Who is God, and God the Father, gets the capitalized Lord within the Bible. Thus we see that the capitalization is only applied to God. Our phrase of King of kings means that God, as King, will rule human kings. Likewise, our phrase of Lord of lords means that God, as Lord, will rule human lords.

In the Bible, a king puts his character on his kingdom. Satan is evil and a king. Therefore, his kingdom is evil. The Bible also names other men as king and we see their kingdom reflect their character. Our sentence tells us that our Lord Jesus Christ has not yet revealed Himself as King of kings, and Lord of lords, but will do so in the future. Therefore, we do not yet see His character in all kings. However, during His 1,000 years reign we will see this truth. Within the Bible, we see the phrase king of kings, with different types of capitalization, in: Ezra 7:12; Ezekiel 26:7; Daniel 2:37; our current sentence; Revelation 17:14 and Revelation 19:16. In the Old Testament it is applied to men but in the New Testament it is only applied to our Lord Jesus Christ.

In addition, within the Bible we read about the kingdom of God and the kingdom of Heaven. The kingdom of Heaven is the kingdom that 'belongs to' Heaven and is applied to beings, and things, which reside in Heaven. The phrase kingdom of Heaven is only found within the Gospel of Matthew and is often, but not always, used for salvation because all saved will become part of the kingdom of Heaven. Please see the note for Matthew 3:2 about this phrase.

Please see the notes for Mark 12:34-LJC; Romans 14:17; 1Corinthians C4S20; 1Corinthians C15S46; Galatians C5S20 and Revelation 12:10-LJC about the phrase kingdom of God. Please also see the note for 1Corinthians C6S16 about the kingdom of God rejected by lifestyle sins. In particular, please note that Romans 14:17 gives us a definition of the kingdom of God and tells us that it is righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. These are things which we are to have in us while we live in this world.

In the Bible, we find lord associated with government, laws, judgment and all associated items. (Please see the links already provided above to access all of the verses in the New Testament which use the word lord and to access the Overview of how this word is used within the New Testament.) In general, a lord is under a king and is supposed to implement laws which cause people to accept the character of the king. In a hierarchy we have many lord of lords at different levels but there is only one top Lord of lords. The word the, as seen in our verse, means 'there is only one and here it is'. There is only one true Lord of lords and He is our God.

Lord of lords occurs in Deuteronomy 10:17; Psalms 136:3; our current sentence; Revelation 17:14 and Revelation 19:16 which clearly limit this phrase to God Himself. Please also see the note for Revelation 14:14-LJC about the phrase Lord of lords.

What we really see in this phrase of the King of kings, and Lord of lords is: 'There is only one God-King Who will put His chartacter into all other kings and have them put their changed character into all of the people within their kingdom. He is also the God-Lord who will rule a government which makes laws to control the laws made by all other lords and the one true God-Lord will judge them for how well their govbernment, laws and judgments conform to His government, laws and judgments. All of these governments, laws and judgments are aimed at making all of the people have the character of the God-King. There is only one God-King and God-Lord and He is our Lord Jesus Christ. This will happen until He returns to rule and reign this world as foretold in the Revelation'.

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Jesus Only

Jesus is not used by itself in this book. Click here for all of the Verses that use Jesus and here for the Summary on the name / role of Jesus.

Christ Only

1Timothy 2:7; 5:11.

These two verses that use Christ by itself both speak of items given to saved only, but not to all saved. Click here for all of the Verses that use Christ and here for the Summary on the name / role of Christ.

1Timothy 2:7 Whereunto I am ordained a preacher, and an apostle, (I speak the truth in Christ, and lie not;) a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and verity.

This verse starts with Whereunto, which links it to the prior sentence where we are told For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus. Please see note on 2:5 under Christ Jesus for more details on that sentence. Here, Paul is telling us that he is ordained a preacher, and an apostle. As a preacher, and an apostle, Paul represents God to men. He is telling us that the only way (exact meaning of one mediator) to get to God the Father is through the man Christ Jesus. Paul is telling us that he has this message directly from Christ for a couple of reasons. The first relates to Paul's positions which allow him to speak for God. Both positions as a preacher, and an apostle require the person to be saved and then matured by the ministry of Christ. However, not all saved and spiritually mature people are given these positions. Since this is a gift given to only some saved, it is given through Christ. The second reason that Christ is used by itself is because Christ is the role that the Son of God uses to have a personal relationship with the saved between the time of their initial profession and when they leave this world.

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1Timothy 5:11 But the younger widows refuse: for when they have begun to wax wanton against Christ, they will marry;

5:11 and 5:12 form a single sentence which is divided by punctuation in the note for this sentence within the Book Studt on 1Timothy.

Chapter 5 is instructions to the pastor on how to deal with people in the church, including widows. This sentence which starts out with a But, which means it is continuing the subject of the prior sentence while going in a different direction. In 5:9-10 Paul instructs the pastor about providing for the needs of older widows. In 5:11, Paul says But the younger widows refuse, that is, refuse to provide for their physical needs.

If the younger widow is spiritually mature in Christ, then Christ will meet their needs and they won't ask the church to provide for them. If they are spiritually immature and not growing, then Christ won't be providing for them and they will want to find someone else to provide for their needs. Further, the service of Christ can get very hard at times and serving a husband can become very attractive. A widow who is at least threescore years old has a very little chance of finding some man to provide for her. In addition, any that are that old and have also met all of the other requirements that Paul specifies in 5:5-10 truly knows the blessings of serving Christ and will not leave His service for any man because she will know that she is giving up reliable eternal rewards for unreliable rewards here in this flesh that will last for a very short time at most. Any widow who meets all of Paul's requirements will not be so foolish.

What is assumed (not said) is that many of the younger widows are looking for an easy way to provide for their needs. Otherwise, they would have sought for Christ to meet their needs another way and would not seek provision from the church. Many of these younger widows will have refused the spiritual maturity from Christ that would have provided for them.

In Romans 16:1-2 Paul commends unto you Phebe our sister and tells the church to assist her in whatsoever business she hath need of you. At a time when the only women who owned businesses were single and faced great prejudice, we read about Phebe our sister who is a servant of the church which is at Cenchrea...[and] hath been a succourer of many, and of myself also. She was the missionary that Paul trusted with his epistle to the Romans. She is the example of a younger woman who has her needs met by Christ and does not need the church to provide for her. She is different from younger widows who want the church to provide for them. That's why Paul says when they have begun to wax wanton against Christ. We are told that the spirit fights against the flesh (Romans 8, etc) and Paul is saying when these younger widows cast off their first faith and stop following the spirit, they will fall back on their flesh and get some man to marry them and provide for them. When they choose serving a man in the flesh over serving Christ in the spirit, they have cast off their first faith. Those that have not cast off their first faith will have their needs met by Christ and it's only the older widows that Christ says for the church to provide for. Only the saved get their needs provided for by Christ and not all saved do. That's why Christ is used by itself in this verse.

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Jesus Christ

1Timothy 1:1, 16; 4:6.

Paul uses Jesus Christ to tell us about things that are offered to all saved people which will lead to their spiritual maturity, but which they can refuse to accept. That is, longsuffering and nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine are offered to all saved but some saved don't receive them because they refuse to mature spiritually. Click here for all of the Verses that use Jesus Christ and here for the Summary on the name / role of Jesus Christ.

1Timothy 1:1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the commandment of God our Saviour, and Lord Jesus Christ, which is our hope;

Verses 1:1 and 1:2 form a single sentence which is divided by punctuation within the Book Study on 1Timothy. That note also provides the contextual considerations. Please also see the other notes for this sentence within this Study as they are related and provide details not found here. They include: 1:1 and 1:2 under Lord Jesus Christ and the note for 1:1 under Saviour and the note for 1:2 under Son.

The first thing that we read in this epistle is the salutation and the reason for Paul writing this epistle. He wrote it to tell Timothy, and us, that the gifts from God that are available from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord. Paul starts this letter naming himself and saying that he is an apostle of Jesus Christ by the commandment of God our Saviour. It should be obvious that as Saviour, God has the right to tell us what to do. Further, he also has the right to choose representatives and specify their authority, which he did when he made Paul an apostle of Jesus Christ.

Hebrews 5:4 And no man taketh this honour unto himself, but he that is called of God, as was Aaron when Hebrews is speaking about the office of a high priest (Hebrews 5:1). However, the same thing applies to the office of apostle of Jesus Christ. If a man could taketh this honour unto himself, as many have tried to do, then it would not require the commandment of God our Saviour and God our Saviour does not waste His time doing things that men can do. That's why the church decision in Acts 1:13-26 was ignored by God. We never hear again about their choice (Matthias). We do read about a Barsabas and about a Justus, although they may be different men tan the man rejected by the church in Acts 1. However, the point is that God made sure that Matthias was never mentioned again in His Bible so that men would know that being made an apostle of Jesus Christ requires the commandment of God our Saviour and not even the church is allowed to give this office to men.

Once Paul has established who he is and by what authority he is speaking, he next tells us who he is writing to. Here, Paul says Timothy is my own son in the faith. (Please see the note for 1:2 under Son.) Paul could promise Grace, mercy, and peace, from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord to Timothy because Timothy was a true son in the faith. Just as Paul had personally experienced Grace, mercy, and peace, from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord because of the way he lived his personal faith, he could promise the same to all who are truly a son in the faith. This is part of the authority which Paul had as an apostle of Jesus Christ. However, this promise is not made to those who refuse to live as a true son in the faith.

As an apostle of Jesus, Paul would have to live as personal examples of Jesus more than any other men. Few people can live to that level of a standard in their personal life on so consistent of a basis. In addition, Christ spiritually matures us. Peter and Paul would have to be the top examples of spiritual maturity in order to qualify as an apostle of Christ.

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1Timothy 1:16 Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting.

This sentence / verse starts with the connecting word of Howbeit because it is part of a small section (1:12-17) where Paul is testifying of The Son of God's ministry in his personal life and, as we see in this verse, uses that testimony as a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting. Please also see the notes on 1:12, 1:14 and 1:15.

Here, Paul switches from using Christ Jesus as he did in other verses of this section and uses Jesus Christ for the very reason that we see Christ Jesus or Jesus Christ used. Specifically, Paul is talking about spiritual maturity that is provided to all saved people but where salvation is more important than the spiritual maturity because some saved refuse to mature, but still are offered the ministry of Christ. For example, notice that this sentence says that...Jesus Christ might shew forth all longsuffering. That means that the longsuffering is done by Jesus Christ and is not dependent upon anything from us.

However, Paul says I obtained mercy and we have seen that the mercy which we receive through Christ is in addition to that mercy which we receive through Jesus. So, there is a difference based upon levels of spiritual maturity, but the greatest amount of longsuffering was done by Jesus when He agreed to save us in spite of the fact that He knew that we would continue to act in our prior sinful nature (to some extent) for the rest of our physical lives. In addition, Paul starts this sentence with Howbeit for this cause. Well, the cause is the cause from the prior sentence, which is salvation (that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners).

Putting it all together, we have salvation by receiving Jesus Christ. That salvation is an ongoing relationship that shows the longsuffering of Jesus Christ. God put Jesus Christ in Paul to show His longsuffering through Paul's life and for Paul to draw others which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting. And, since Paul was a pattern to them which should hereafter believe, God puts Jesus Christ in us to show His longsuffering through our lives that so He can draw others which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting. However, it must be noted that the pattern which God provided (Paul) also obtained great personal spiritual maturity after his initial profession. While Jesus Christ is longsuffering and knows that some will refuse to mature spiritually, He also expects most of the saved to follow the pattern which He provided. That pattern includes great personal spiritual maturity after initial profession.

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1Timothy 4:6 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.

This verse starts out with If thou put the brethren in remembrance of these things. The things referred to are the doctrines mentioned in 4:1-5. The doctrines mentioned in those verses are to be taught to all saved and are often not understood by the lost. These doctrines are not the most basic and require some spiritual maturity to be understood, but still must be taught to all saved. Salvation is really more important than spiritual maturity in order to understand these doctrines. Therefore, Jesus Christ is used and not Christ Jesus or just Christ or just Jesus.

The first sentence of this chapter in 1Timothy warned 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... It went on to describe people who taught doctrinal error from educing spirits, and doctrines of devils and gave two specific doctrines taught by false teachers. (Please see the notes for these sentences within the Book Study on 1Timothy for the details.) Thus we see that the first thing that a good minister of Jesus Christ must do is warn the saved about doctrinal error and those who teach it. Next, a good minister of Jesus Christ must teach the saved how to identify doctrinal error. Then we see that a good minister of Jesus Christ must teach the saved to have an attitude of thanksgiving. Finally, he must be sure that the saved will believe and know the truth.

The second sentence of our chapter tells us why the saved need all of these things, especially having the attitude of thanksgiving and the actions of studying the word of God and of prayer.

Finally, our current sentence tells the good minister of Jesus Christ his own reward when it says thou shalt be...nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine. He will be because he must find the words of faith and of good doctrine in order to teach others and he will provide for his own spiritual needs and he ministers to others. That is what is meant by the last phrase of whereunto thou hast attained. Thus we see that a good minister of Jesus Christ not only provides for the spiritual needs of God's people but he also receives his own provision while providing for others.

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Christ Jesus

1Timothy 1:15; 2:5; 3:13; 6:13.

Three out of four of these verses use Christ Jesus to tell us about things given to all saved where spiritual maturity after salvation is more important than salvation in receiving them. The fourth verse is talking about when the man Jesus fulfilled the role of Christ when He fulfilled prophecy. Click here for all of the Verses that use Christ Jesus and here for the Summary on the name / role of Christ Jesus.

1Timothy 1:15 This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.

This sentence is part of a small section (1:12-17) where Paul is testifying of The Son of God's ministry in his personal life and, as we see in 1:16, Paul uses that testimony as a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting. The context is the error of those who teach sanctification by keeping religious rules versus the truth of sanctification through the personal relationship with Christ Jesus. That's why Paul uses Christ Jesus in this verse and the prior. Please also see the notes on 1:12, 1:14 and 1:16.

Here, Paul is telling everyone that Christ Jesus will work in the life of every believer like he did in Paul's life (This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation,) if they respond like Paul did. Specifically, Paul is claiming that he used to be the chief of religious people who believed in salvation and sanctification by keeping the Law. The major change that was brought into his life came because of salvation, but more than that, it came through the spiritual maturity that is the result of the Ministry of Christ. That makes the ministry of Christ after Paul's initial profession more important than the initial profession when we look at the change in Paul's personal life, which is the context of this verse.

However, this verse and Paul's personal life are being used as examples in a message to a young preacher about how he is to lead a church. The church is mainly filled with people who have already made their initial profession, which makes the ministry more concentrated on the ministry of Christ than on salvation (ministry of Jesus). In addition, Timothy has to deal with false doctrine by religious leaders who are fighting against the ministry of Christ and teaching sanctification by works, which also makes the role of Christ more important than the role of Jesus. (look at the usage of each role in the book of Galatians, which is our main text for this doctrinal error.) In every way possible, what Paul is dealing with here involves all saved, involves the ministry of Christ and the ministry of Jesus, but the ministry of Christ is more important than the ministry of Jesus. That's why Paul uses Christ Jesus and not Jesus Christ here

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1Timothy 2:5 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;

Verses 2:5and 2:6 form a single sentence that is divided by punctuation in the Book Study on 1Timothy.

This is a single sentence that starts out with For, which means it is another reason for what was said in before. In fact, it is the latest in a series of reasons given after Paul's commandment in 2:1-2. That commandment was based upon what was said in chapter 1 (therefore). In verses 2:1-2 Paul tells us how to pray and who to pray for. God won't listen to the prayers of lost men unless they are prayers for salvation. Therefore, all godly influence on this world is dependant upon true Christians because Christ Jesus is the only mediator and He is only listening to true Biblical Christians. Verses 2:2-3 tell us that God wants all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. Verses 2:5-6 tell us why / how God will do these things. God wants us to pray to God the Father through Christ Jesus because Christ Jesus is our only mediator and God is our Saviour. God wants to save all men but they have to come through Christ Jesus because He gave himself a ransom for all. As Jesus, He paid the price for our sins when He gave himself a ransom for all. As Christ He will testify in due time of the spiritual maturity that we receive after salvation. As seen in other notes of this study, some references in the Bible to being saved not only include getting into Heaven but also include the rewards after we get there that are dependent upon our response to the ministry of Christ. Part of that ministry is the ability to pray for wicked political leaders, as we are instructed in these verses to do. Please also see the note on 2:7 under Christ.

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1Timothy 3:13 For they that have used the office of a deacon well purchase to themselves a good degree, and great boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus.

This verse starts out with For (Here's why). It is giving the reasons for deacons to obey all of the commandments given in 3:8-13. In this verse Paul says they purchase to themselves a good degree which reminds one of the gospels where Jesus told us to lay up Treasure in Heaven. I believe that Paul is saying that deacons who used the office of a deacon well have laid up treasure in Heaven. In addition, Paul says that they purchase...great boldness in the faith. Both of these things are available to all saved, but the amount of boldness and treasure in Heaven that each receives is directly related to their spiritual maturity by the ministry of Christ. If we look at the requirements for a deacon, it should be obvious that only people who have spiritually matured well beyond the level of their initial profession meet these requirements. Therefore, Christ Jesus is used instead of Jesus Christ. However, while this type of faith requires spiritual maturity after initial profession, it is not limited to a few saved but God expects all saved to have this type of faith. Therefore, Christ Jesus is used instead of Christ by itself.

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1Timothy 6:13 I give thee charge in the sight of God, who quickeneth all things, and before Christ Jesus, who before Pontius Pilate witnessed a good confession;

Here, we are only going to deal with the phrase before Christ Jesus, who before Pontius Pilate witnessed a good confession. In this phrase, Paul uses Christ Jesus as the role of the Son of God Who shows the mature saved person how to face difficult circumstances, even when those circumstances include a beating like the Son of God received and a death on the cross. Paul also uses Christ as the role of the Son of God Who fulfilled prophecy (Isaiah 53:7). Paul uses Jesus as His human name because, as a human being, He shows us how to act in the flesh using the power of the Holy Spirit. That is, the man Jesus fulfilled the role of Christ when He kept His mouth shut before Pontius Pilate and witnessed a good confession.

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Lord Jesus

Lord Jesus is not used in this book. Click here for all of the Verses that use Lord Jesus and here for the Summary on the combination of role called Lord Jesus.

Lord Christ

Lord Christ is not used by itself in this book. Click here for all of the Verses that use Lord Christ and here for the Summary on the combination of role called Lord Christ.

Lord Jesus Christ

1Timothy 1:1, 2, 12, 14; 5:21; 6:3, 14.

Paul uses Lord Jesus Christ in this book where he means each and every role of The Son of God. In one verse Paul says Jesus Christ our Lord and in two verses he says Christ Jesus separate from Lord in order to emphasize the authority of our Lord (God) who is Jesus Christ. Click here for all of the Verses that use Lord Christ Jesus and here for the Summary on the name / role of Lord Christ Jesus.

1Timothy 1:1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the commandment of God our Saviour, and Lord Jesus Christ, which is our hope;

Verses 1:1 and 1:2 form a single sentence and the opening of this letter. It is divided by punctuation in the Book Study on 1Timothy. Please also see the other notes for this sentence within this Study as they are related and provide details not found here. They include: 1:1 and 1:2 under Lord Jesus Christ and the note for 1:1 under Saviour and the note for 1:2 under Son.

As in other books, Paul says that he is an apostle of Jesus Christ, Paul represented the Son of God in both of His roles as Jesus and as Christ and these are the two roles that are personally involved with the saved. Paul goes on, as he also does in other books, to say that he has his commission from God (the Father) and from the Lord Jesus Christ because some recognized God (the Father) as the ultimate authority and some recognized the Lord Jesus Christ as the ultimate authority. Paul made it clear that there was no division between the two and he had the backing of the ultimate authority, no matter who you claimed that was.

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1Timothy 1:2 Unto Timothy, my own son in the faith: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord.

Verses 1 and 2 form a single sentence which is divided by punctuation in the Book Study on 1Timothy. Please also see the other notes for this sentence within this Study as they are related and provide details not found here. They include: 1:1 and 1:2 under Lord Jesus Christ and the note for 1:1 under Saviour and the note for 1:2 under Son.

Notice the colon within this verse. The first part of this verse is the second step of the First Equivalent Section of this sentence. The colon makes the last part of this verse equivalent to the comination of 1:1 and the first part of this verse. That, is, Grace, mercy, and peace, from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord is only available to those who meet the qualifications which are explained in the notes for 1:1 under Jesus Christ.

The second part of this sentence very clearly tell us that Grace, mercy, and peace come from both God our Father and from Jesus Christ our Lord. While Grace and peace are in the opening of every epistle from Paul and Peter and in 2John and Revelation, mercy is included in the opening only in 1Timothy, 2Timothy, Titus, and 2John. Each of these epistles are to a person who was personally taught by the person writing the letter. For example, Paul calls Timothy my own son in the faith within this verse. In addition, Lord Jesus Christ is used in most of these epistle openings except for this one (which uses Jesus Christ our Lord) and 2Timothy (which uses Christ Jesus our Lord) and 1Peter (which uses Jesus Christ) and 2 Peter (which uses Jesus our Lord) and Revelation (which uses Jesus Christ). While Peter and John are different authors and have specific reasons for their choice of roles they mention in their openings, we can say that Paul deviated from his standard only for Timothy, whom he called my own son in the faith. In other books Paul uses Lord Jesus Christ to emphasize the authority (Lord used first) right from the beginning of the epistle. In this epistle, Paul knows that there is no problem with Timothy submitting to authority. Therefore, Paul uses Jesus Christ our Lord because he is still recognizing the authority but providing a more personal approach to the Son of God.

It has been noted in many places that Grace, mercy, and peace come from God the Father and from each of the major roles of The Son of God, but the specifics of each varies depending upon the source. For example, the peace from Jesus is mainly the peace that comes from initial profession while the peace from Christ comes from obeying Him and allowing Him to change our life and bring spiritual maturity through the ongoing personal relationship. We have peace because we know that our sins (done after our initial profession) are forgiven and that God will provide all of the other things which come through spiritual maturity. In addition, our personal spiritual maturity teaches us that most of these blessings which come from God the Father come only through Jesus Christ.

With the consistent use of the colon in the Bible to provide equivalency, we can say that Paul was made an apostle of Jesus Christ by the commandment of God our Saviour, and Lord Jesus Christ so that we could receive Grace, mercy, and peace, from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord. For example, those who are not saved don't receive these blessings. Paul was made an apostle to us Gentiles and without that ministry; we wouldn't have ally of the blessings that come through salvation because we would not have the blessings which only come through obeying the commandment of God our Saviour. Simply put, no one can obey a commandment that they don't know and we only know about many of the commandments of God our Saviour through the ministry of Paul as an apostle of Jesus Christ.

In this part of the verse, we read that Grace, mercy, and peace come from Jesus Christ our Lord. Yes, we have a personal salvation because of Jesus and our personal record of sin was blotted out (Colossians 2:14) because of Jesus. Yes, we have an ongoing personal relationship with the Son of God through His role as Christ and as Christ He died for our personal sins committed after our initial profession (Mark 15:32; Romans 5:6, 8; 8:34; 14:9, 15; 1Corinthians 1:17; 8:11; 15:3; 2Corinthians 5:14; Galatians 6:12, 14; Philippians 3:18;). But for all of that personal stuff, we still have to remember that he is also our Lord and we will face our Lord when He judges our obedience at the judgment seat of Christ (Romans 14:10; 2Corinthians 5:10-11). We might enjoy Grace, mercy, and peace from the Son of God through His roles as Jesus and as Christ while we are on this Earth. However, whatever Grace, mercy, and peace that we enjoy for eternity will come through His role as our Lord. Therefore, we had better obey the commandment of God our Saviour, and Lord Jesus Christ. As pointed out in the related notes, we are specifically told that our hope is this commandment and not just our personal relationship.

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1Timothy 1:12 And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry;

The exact phrase of Christ Jesus our Lord only occurs 5times in the Bible. It would be a worth-while exercise to look at each of these occurrences, but be sure to consider the context of each. The following links to notes within this Study should Help. The other occurrences are in: Romans 8:39; 1Corinthians 15:31; Ephesians 3;11 and 2Timothy 1:2.

After opening the letter (1:1-2) and identifying the wrong doctrine that some people were teaching and that Timothy was to correct (1:3-11), Paul identifies Christ Jesus our Lord as the one who enabled him and put him into the ministry. Verses 1:12 and 1:13 form a single sentence, that is divided by punctuation in the Book Study on 1Timothy. In it we have two Equivalent Sections which tells us about the mercy that Paul received. In the First Equivalent Section we are told the mercy that Paul received from Christ Jesus our Lord and why he did not deserve that mercy. In the Second Equivalent Section we are told that Christ Jesus our Lord gave this mercy because Paul had acted ignorantly in unbelief.

While Paul did many of the things which were also done by the people in the prior sentence, the major difference between their result and Paul's was that they acted knowing they were doing wrong while Paul could say but I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief. Paul's life before salvation was considerably different from his life when he wrote this letter. That's why he said that Christ Jesus...enabled him. While Paul was enabled by Christ Jesus, he still had to chose to act upon that enabling while others chose to not act.

Christ Jesus enables all saved people. That enabling emphases the ministry of Christ because it is done after the initial salvation provided by Jesus. Notice that Paul said that he was enabled because Christ Jesus our Lord counted me faithful. Lots of people want to obtain mercy like Paul did in the Second Equivalent Section of this sentence, but they don't want to fulfill the requirement found in the First Equivalent Section of this sentence. That is, they won't do what is needed for God to count them as faithful. One of the first requirements for receiving a ministry from Christ Jesus our Lord is to be faithful.

Our sentence tells us that Paul was faithful before he was enabled. He was also faithful after he spiritually matured by using that enabling through the ministry of Christ Jesus. Only after that did Christ Jesus our Lord put (Paul) into the ministry. Please also see the verses and associated notes for Colossians 1:21-29, which tell only a little about the personal cost of being in the ministry.

It is the Lord that gives positions to men. Paul is expressing thanks for two main things done for him. First, Christ Jesus enabled him then the Lord put him into the ministry. This sentence is the start of a small section (1:12-17) where Paul is testifying of The Son of God's ministry in his personal life and, as we see in 1:16, the Son of God uses that testimony as a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting.

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1Timothy 1:14 And the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.

This sentence / verse starts out with And, which links it to the prior sentence (1:12-13). It is part of a small section (1:12-17) where Paul is testifying of The Son of God's ministry in his personal life. Also see notes on 1:12, 1:15 and 1:16. Romans 5:20-21 ends with even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord. Here we have the grace of our Lord and Lord is the role of God that he uses to rule and reign. In Romans 5:20-21 we have grace reign, so we know that Romans is talking about grace that belongs to our Lord (the grace of our Lord). Hopefully everyone agrees that this is the same grace. This grace was exceeding abundant with faith and love and it might reign through righteousness unto eternal life. We know that we receive eternal life by grace through faith from God, Who is love. So, no one should have a problem accepting that the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love in that it might reign unto eternal life. However, the truth that a lot of people want to ignore or deny is that reign deals with Lordship, rules, judgment and punishment for breaking the rules. Romans tells us that this grace might reign through righteousness, which means that eternal life is only available through righteousness. Yes, it is through faith but faith is an action verb according to James 2. As for those that want to claim that God's love saved them, our context (1Timothy 1:12 related to Colossians 1:21-29) definitely shows that true godly love leads to righteousness.

In this verse, Paul says that the faith and love that the world can see come from Christ Jesus because the more that we mature spiritually the more that we realize how much faith and love have increased since the time when He saved is. And, in fact, this leads into our next verse, which Paul intended. Paul already warned about false religious leaders teaching wrong doctrine and trying to get people to follow religious rules (Law) instead of a personal relationship with the Son of God through His role as Christ. Paul used to be the chief of these people, and he already referenced to that time in 1:12-13. The context is the error of those who teach sanctification by keeping religious rules versus the truth of sanctification through the personal relationship with Christ Jesus. That's why Paul uses Christ Jesus in this verse.

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1Timothy 5:21 I charge thee before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, and the elect angels, that thou observe these things without preferring one before another, doing nothing by partiality.

Here Paul is calling every spiritual witness that he can that he gave this charge to Timothy and to all pastors. As part of that witness, he is referencing every role of The Son of God because the ministry of the Son of God is involved in running the church and the Son of God uses every role he has for this purpose.

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1Timothy 6:3 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;

Verses 6:3through 6:5 form a single sentence that is be divided by punctuation in the note for this sentence within the Book Study on 1Timothy. In addition, C6-S4 through C6-S7 are a sub-unit which deal with the doctrine and attitude that saved people are to have about the things of this world. The note for this sentence within the Book Study on 1Timothy also explains the contextual considerations.

The note for this sentence within the Book Study on 1Timothy has titles for the two Equivalent Sections and the two Steps within the First Equivalent Section which match the context and general considerations of this sentence. However, when we consider this sentence from the perspective of what it says about the Lord Jesus Christ, we can use slightly different titles.

The First Equivalent Section can be titled: 'How to use the words of our the Lord Jesus Christ to identify a false teacher in the church' with the First included Step titled: 'Any who do not consent to the words of our the Lord Jesus Christ, (literal interpretation of the Bible) is a false teacher in the church.' and the Second included Step titled: 'How false teachers display thinking and actions which oppose the words of our the Lord Jesus Christ'. The Second Equivalent Section can be titled: 'How to deal with a false teacher in the church'. Thus we see that we are to compare the doctrine, attitudes and actions of all preachers and teachers to the words of our the Lord Jesus Christ.

There could be much said about this verse but the simple point, for this study, is that the words of The Son of God are wholesome words and the doctrine which is according to godliness regardless of which role He uses to deliver those words. In John 6:60-66 we read Many therefore of his disciples, when they had heard this, said, This is an hard saying; who can hear it? From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him. We don't want to be like them and end up losing our place in His kingdom. In this sentence, Paul uses Lord Jesus Christ because he is including each and every role of the Son of God and he is using all considerations of those roles (used separately or in any combination).

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1Timothy 6:14 That thou keep this commandment without spot, unrebukeable, until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ:

In this verse, Timothy is told to keep all of the responsibilities mentioned in this chapter that are given to a man of God. He is to keep these until his death or the 'Rapture' (until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ). He is also told to keep these commandments without spot, unrebukeable. There are a lot of men claiming the position of pastor who have not, and can not, meet this requirement.

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King

1Timothy 1:17; 2:2; 6:15.

This verse uses king for a person who can make whatever he wants to be law. The first use of King is for God and properly capitalizes King to show that he is the only true King. The second verse uses king for men on this Earth and does not capitalize it. The third verse uses King of kings to show that evenly Earthly kings have a King that will judge them. Click here for all of the Verses that use King and here for the Summary on the name / role of King.

1Timothy 1:17 Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen.

This verse starts with Now, which means after establishing the basis for this statement. Paul has been talking about religious leaders who teach false doctrine and how Timothy is not to be caught up in their error. Paul also used himself as an example of someone who was in that error but had been saved and, as a result of true salvation, had been changed and sanctified. Based upon that, he makes this statement. A kingdom reflects the character of the king because a true king can make and enforce whatever laws he wants. The kingdom of Satan reflects the character of Satan. The Kingdom of God reflects the character of God. In 1:12, Paul used Christ Jesus our Lord. In 1:14 and 1:15 he used Christ Jesus. In 1:16 he used Jesus Christ and in 1:14 he also used Lord. In every one of these sentences we see the character of God in the way that He has the Son of God represent Him in all interactions with men.King

Within the Bible we see the capitalized word King used for God the Father and for God the Son. The lower-case word of king is used for men. While it can be argued that the King is God the Son, we know that it is God the Father because we are also told that He is invisible. God the Son is a visible King.

That said, this is a minor point that is not worth arguing over. It doesn't matter because both God the Father and The Son of God have the same character and when we honor the Son of God we also honor God the Father according to many verses in the Bible. The message is clear, we are to honor the true King by keeping the true doctrine that is from Him and not follow religious men into wrong doctrine.

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1Timothy 2:2 For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.

1Timothy 2:1 and 2:2 form a single sentence which is divided by punctuation in the Word Study for 1Timothy. That note also has word definitions and provides the contextual considerations.

This sentence should be clear to everyone who reads it. We are to first pray for all men and then we are to pray for kings and for all that are in authority. The only thing that we need to do is obey our command to pray and reject all of the objections from the world, our flesh and religion that claims to be godly while representing the desires of the devil. There is no place in this verse that allows for not praying for the worst government leader in all of history. If God's people really prayed, God would save those leaders or kill them, like He did Pharaoh in Exodus. Jesus did not get into the face of Pontius Pilate. Paul only objected to the ruling of political leaders when it interfered with the gospel.

There is a lot that I could say here about dealing with governments and officials, but won't because it is outside of the scope of this study. It is my simple conviction that we have the government leaders that we deserve because we have stopped winning the lost and have allowed carnal people to claim to be Christians and dragging the standard of acceptable behaviour down from what Gives God glory to what pleases the world (Romans 3:23). As bad as Hitler and other political leaders might be, according to Paul, they aren't as bad as the religious people preaching heresy. (Please see the verse and associated note for 1:15).

If we look at the very next sentence (2:3-4), we see that it starts with For, which means it is giving the reason for this command. God wants His people to recognize that He is their Saviour (2:3), which means that these kings can't do anything to God's people unless God allowed it (John 19:11). God our Saviour wants His people concentrating on having all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. Please also see the note on 2:3 under Saviour.

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1Timothy 6:15 Which in his times he shall shew, who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords;

Please see the note for this verse under Lord.

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Saviour

1Timothy 1:1; 2:3; 4:10.

Every one of these verses tell us that God the Father is our Saviour. We find verses that tell us that God the Father, the Holy Ghost and The Son of God in each of His main roles (Lord and Jesus and Christ) are involved in our salvation. Each had a different part and our salvation requires all parts. The basic concept that I've found in my study of the Bible is that God the Father planned salvation before the foundations of the world, The Son of God did what God the Father planned and the Holy Ghost puts up with our ongoing sinful nature so that we can be connected to Christ while He spiritually matures us and helps us become fit for Heaven while we are still in the flesh. While I would like to claim more knowledge than this, I will not. Click here for all of the Verses that use Saviour and here for the Summary on the name / role of Saviour.

1Timothy 1:1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the commandment of God our Saviour, and Lord Jesus Christ, which is our hope;

Verses 1:1 and 1:2 form a single sentence that is divided by punctuation in the Book Study on 1Timothy. Please also see the other notes for this sentence within this Study as they are related and provide details not found here. They include: 1:1 and 1:2 under Lord Jesus Christ and the note for 1:1 under Jesus Christ and the note for 1:2 under Son. In addition, please see the general note above for the explanation of how the Bible uses Saviour. That usage is different from what is commonly believed.

In the other notes about 1:1, it was explained that our hope is the commandment of God our Saviour. A basic lesson of this book is that if we are going to claim God as our Saviour we had better be obeying His commandment and not the opposing commandments of religion. As explained in the general note for the Study on Saviour, The word Saviour is like the word parent. It takes more than one parent to create and to raise a child with each parent having different tasks to do. Likewise, the Bible teaches that our Saviour is God the Father, the Holy Spirit, The Son as Lord, the Son as Jesus and the Son as Christ with each having different roles in our salvation. Our verse uses the phrase God our Saviour because this epistle, among other things, deals with God the Father's authority and role within our salvation.

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1Timothy 2:3 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour;

2:3-4 is a single sentence which can be divided by punctuation as:

Here is why we should pray for all men.

For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour;

Here is why these prayers are good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour.

Who will have all men to be saved,
and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.

Please see the general note above for the explanation for Saviour. This verse starts with For, which means it is giving the reason for the command found in 2:1-2 (pray for all men). Please see the note for 2:2 under King for further details. God wants His people to recognize that He is their Saviour (2:3), which means that He saves them from everything that He doesn't want in their lives. Therefore, men can't do anything to God's people unless God allowed it (John 19:11). People get mad at other men and don't pray for them because of what they do. However, that's the wrong perspective. Whatever they do, it is allowed by God. Therefore, God's people need to keep their eye on God and seek the best from God. It doesn't matter what the men are like. God can use Satan to do His will. Therefore, if God decides to let a devil controlled man bless us, it will happen. We need to get our eyes off of men and what they are like and obey our God. That way, we will be blessed regardless of what the man is like. We are commanded to pray for all men because (For) this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour and His opinion is the only opinion that matters. Look at Hebrews 4 and what it teaches about God's rest. Those who trust God to provide for them and concentrate upon doing God's work can rest from their own worries in this world. That is what this sentence is teaching. When we really realize what it means when the Bible says God our Saviour (and we obey His commands to His saved); we can enter God's rest. Please also see the note for 2:5 under Christ Jesus for more details on this subject. That verse also starts with For, which means it is giving the reason for what is said here. That is, it provides the next reason in sequence.

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1Timothy 4:10 For therefore we both labour and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, specially of those that believe.

Please see the general note above for the general explanation of the use of Saviour in this epistle. Notice that this verse tells us that God is (present tense) the Saviour of all men, specially of those that believe. This refutes the doctrine that salvation is a one-time religious event because God would not be the Saviour in present tense if salvation was a past event. Further, we find here that God is (present tense) the Saviour of all men. However, not all men are eternally saved. That is because God gave us a free will and can not take it away and remain righteous (Ezra 9:15; Psalms 7:9; 116:5; Daniel 9:14; Romans 2:5; 2Thessalonians 1:5, 6; Revelation 16:7). Therefore, as we saw with the doctrine of predestination, God is the Saviour of all men in that He created and maintains a plan of salvation for all men (1Peter 3:9).

While God has predestined and elected all men for His salvation, men can choose to refuse His salvation (Matthew 24:22, 24, 31; Mark 13:20, 22, 27; Luke 18:7; Romans 8:29, 30, 33; 9:11; 11:5, 7, 28; Ephesians 1:5, 11; Colossians 3:12; 1Thessalonians 1:4; 1Timothy 5:21; 2Timothy 2:10; Titus 1:1; 1Peter 1:2; 2:6; 5:13; 2Peter 1:10; 2John 1:1, 13). God's salvation is present tense because it includes an ongoing personal relationship whereby we increase the amount of God's life working in our like (Biblical salvation). The functional definition, of the word elect, is: 'saved and living a life that is a testimony of the changes which the ministries Jesus Christ cause'.

Since those that believe can have this part of God's salvation while the lost can not, this verse tells is that God is the Saviour of all men, specially of those that believe. God the Father is the Saviour of all men in that He made salvation available to all men but did not take away our free will when He limited our receiving His salvation to those who received His Son (John 1:12-13). He is our Saviour even while He allows us to reject His salvation. Look at 1Timothy 4:16 which tells us Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee. 1Timothy 4:16 clearly says that we shalt...save ourselves and others that hear thee by doing and continuing in the doctrine. Careful consideration of the verses in this chapter and especially of 1Timothy 4:16 should help the reader understand what I have said about God the Father being our Saviour but our receiving the results of that salvation requires our exercising our free will by doing and continuing in the doctrine.

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Son

1Timothy 1:2, 18.

Paul uses son in reference to Timothy because Timothy had the same spirit, character and faith as Paul had. This usage of son is consistent with what we see everywhere else in the Bible. Click here for all of the Verses that use Son and here for the Summary on the name / role of Son.

1Timothy 1:2 Unto Timothy, my own son in the faith: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord.

Timothy was not Paul's physical son (Acts 16:1) but was Paul's own son in the faith because he learned to act in the same faith as Paul had, just like we are 'to become the sons of God (John 1:12-13) when we get saved. We read about Timothy / Timotheus in Acts 16:1; 17:14, 15; 18:5; 19:22; 20:4; Romans 16:21; 1Corinthians 4:17; 16:10; 2Corinthians 1:1, 19; Philippians 1:1; 2:19; Colossians 1:1; 1Thessalonians 1:1; 3:2, 6; 2Thessalonians 1:1; 1Timothy 1:2, 18; 6:20; 2Timothy 1:2; Philemon 1:1; Hebrews 13:23. Without going into all of these references, we can see that Paul trusted Timothy to be his personal representative and sent him to many of the churches that he started. Just as God sent His Son and He was faithful to present the image of the Father (John 5:37; 14:9; 15:24; 1John 1:2-3; 4:14), and as Timothy was a faithful son to Paul, so also are we to be faithful to the image of God when we claim to be the sons of God (Exodus 20:7; Deuteronomy 5:11; John 1:12; Romans 8:14, 19; Philippians 2:15; 1John 3:1-2).

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1Timothy 1:18 This charge I commit unto thee, son Timothy, according to the prophecies which went before on thee, that thou by them mightest war a good warfare;

1:18 through 1:20 form a single sentence which is divided by punctuation in the Study on 1Timothy.

This sentence gives the charge from Paul to Timothy that is based upon all that Paul has already said in this chapter and based upon Paul's knowledge that Timothy will act the same way that Paul would act. Paul calls Timothy son because Timothy learned to be like Paul so much that Paul considered him to be his own son in the faith. Notice that Hymenaeus and Alexander were not that way and they had a different result. All throughout this epistle we see different results that are based upon different actions. Many people get carried away with trying to separate our work from God's work that they end up denying that our work has any consequences. However, this book teaches differently. While there is a definite difference between our work and the work of God in our life, it is a doctrinal error to deny the need for our own work and for the consequences of that work in our lives.

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