Sunday June 22nd
A Paul and Timothy Style of Living​

Welcome to The Journey Church. I'm Pastor Paris Pasch.

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Pastor Ben and I keep stressing this issue of mentorship, discipleship and sharing your faith story.  It’s all the same message, but are you getting the magnitude of this command of God yet? 

Matthew 28:19–20 (NIV) Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Last week I encouraged men to mentor as fathers the next generation or else we will have more men sewing their wild oats, abandoning their offspring and abdicating their responsibility to carry their own weight of fatherhood.  So, this week, I thought maybe a look into a great example might be helpful.  I want to reveal the life of two very significant bible characters that many of you have heard of “Paul and Timothy”.  They were not biological father and son yet lived as vitally related.  My hope is to inspire you into a Paul and Timothy style of life.  So, let’s investigate their lives as we start with the man named Saul.

SAUL/PAUL

Paul had the Hebrew name “Saul of Tarsis” (his homeland) but his Greek name was Paul.  His name wasn’t changed as some espouse, just spoken in a different culture as he was called to reach Greek speaking people, so his Greek name was more prevalent.  Apparently, he was an unassuming figure without stature or physical charisma who later became the greatest leader to the gentiles that Jesus would ever enlist. The Apostle Paul is credited with having written or dictated a vast amount of the New Testament.

Saul was a citizen of the Roman empire, raised in the Greek culture with a Jewish faith.  He was very well educated and well bred.  As a Roman citizen he had privileges his Jewish heritage couldn’t afford him, like voting and reduced punishments for crimes.

He was the son of a Pharisee and grew to become a Pharisee or ruling spiritual leader himself.  He would have attended the best synagogue schools.  At roughly 28 years old he went into theology training under Gamaliel, a member of the Sanhedrin, another high-ranking class of Jew.  He was probably single his whole life because no mention of a spouse was known.  At the young age of 30 he was busy persecuting the new sect of Christianity with great zeal the scripture says.  Listen to his own description of his lineage.

Philippians 3:4–6 (NIV) … If someone else thinks they have reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more: 5 circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; 6 as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for righteousness based on the law, faultless.

Saul was no simple fisherman or profit seeking taxpayer, he was in an elite class of religious learders who fully rejected Christ’s claims.  Saul was an on purpose, fully committed member of his synagogue willing to do whatever it took to further the cause of his sect of Judaism.

1 Timothy 1:13 (NIV) Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief.

Acts 9:1–2 (NIV) Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord’s disciples. He went to the high priest 2 and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any there who belonged to the Way, whether men or women, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem.

Sual was an intelligent leader whom God chose to confront as he traveled to Damascus. God blew him off his donkey and when he hit the ground he was blinded.   Then God a couple of days later opened his eyes to the truth about Jesus.

Acts 9:3–6 (NIV) As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. 4 He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?”

5 “Who are you, Lord?” Saul asked.

“I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,” he replied. 6 “Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”

Saul probably never met Jesus personally in the flesh but was at least very familiar with his ministry of which he had waged war against for years.  Once he met the Lord Jesus, he then completely reversed everything he had been skillfully trained.  God changed Saul and Jesus became everything and all things to Him for the rest of his life.  Ironically Paul would set the tone for the structure and advancement of the Church of Jesus Christ among the unbelieving gentile community and eventually even the Jewish community.  Today we might say that the church went viral.  Paul’s influence would become extraordinary as it would reach the entire known world.

1 Timothy 2:7 (NIV) And for this purpose I was appointed a herald and an apostle—I am telling the truth, I am not lying—and a true and faithful teacher of the Gentiles.

Paul took all his preparation for ministry and began to rattle government leaders, church leaders and everyday people because of how persuaded he now was about the Savior Jesus Christ.  Being a trail blazer, he was met with severe consequences for disrupting the religious status quo, however nothing stopped him as he wrote even from the confines of prison walls and fought his whole adult life to help the new family of God.   In the end, he was eventually martyred in Rome around AD 67, but not before he had mentored other future leaders like young Timothy. 

Paul was a senior member of the developing church – Timothy was a young pastor who was being mentored by Paul.  Many believe Paul was around 50 years old when he started to mentor Timothy, who was probably 30 years his junior.  Paul was a powerful persuader of truth – Timothy a beginner who needed to hear of the basics of being a Pastor.  Mentoring is discipleship at its best.  Paul was the spiritual parent and Timothy and Titus his spiritual children.  Great examples of Paul’s mentoring are the three pastoral epistles that bring correction to the practices of the young church. 

1 Timothy 1:2 (NIV) To Timothy my true son in the faith: Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.

Titus 1:4 (NIV) To Titus, my true son in our common faith: Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior.

TIMOTHY

Lert’s shift and look at Timothy.  History tells us that he was Paul’s young protégé for 17 years of Paul’s ministry walk.  Later in Timothy’s life Paul’s mentorship after assigning Timothy the role of pastor didn’t stop as Paul would write letters to Timothy to charge him to lead well in his pastorate and not be hesitant.  Timothy initially was a shy, timid person, but later grew to sit as a fellow guide to the churches of his day.  Listen to the relationship words.

Philippians 2:19–24 (NIV) I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, that I also may be cheered when I receive news about you. 20 I have no one else like him, who will show genuine concern for your welfare. 21 For everyone looks out for their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ. 22 But you know that Timothy has proved himself, because as a son with his father he has served with me in the work of the gospel. 23 I hope, therefore, to send him as soon as I see how things go with me. 24 And I am confident in the Lord that I myself will come soon.

Timothy had probably been a witness to the stoning of Paul in Lystra when Paul was running with Barnabas, so he would have learned early the cost of serving God.  In addition, Timothy was raised in a very devout home where scripture was prevalent, and God was honored.  Timothy’s mother and grandmother had apparently become Christians but had influenced Timothy in a Jewish heritage and educated him in Jewish faith.  He was raised in a mixed race home and learned to be a follower of Jewish faith like all the other kids around him, however Timothy’s father was known to be a Greek gentile, so Timothy understood both worlds and could relate to Paul’s mission calling.  Timothy became to Paul, more than just a colleague or friend; he became a son in the faith.  Do you have a spiritual child yet?  You should!  Listen to what a mentor relationship sounds like.

2 Timothy 1:1–5 (NIV) Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, in keeping with the promise of life that is in Christ Jesus, 2 To Timothy, my dear son: Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.

3 I thank God, whom I serve, as my ancestors did, with a clear conscience, as night and day I constantly remember you in my prayers. 4 Recalling your tears, I long to see you, so that I may be filled with joy. 5 I am reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also.

2 Timothy 1:6–9 (NIV) For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. 7 For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline. 8 So do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord or of me his prisoner. Rather, join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God. 9 He has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time,

Are you a Timothy?  Maybe you’re a Paul?  When Timothy gained a spiritual father, it launched him into the annuls of history.  Maybe your next spiritual child will become a world changer.  Our world is waiting for spiritual fathers and eager Timothy’s to emerge.  Don’t take your life to its conclusion without affecting someone else or being affected yourself. 

Next week we will investigate more of this union of a giant of faith and a student of faith and see what can happen.  My hope is to help you pursue a Paul and Timothy style of life with someone soon, before it’s too late.

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Next week Pastor Paris will speak more on the relationship of the two together

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      Message Questions

1. Why did Paul have two names?

2. What was Saul’s background like

3. What was Timothy’s background like?

4. Why was Saul so angry with Christianity?

5. What was likely the age difference between the two men?