Imagine training a young man or young woman to do your job. What would they need to know? What pitfalls should they avoid? What kind of pep talk would you give? In two New Testament letters, the Apostle Paul gives Timothy and Titus his guidance on how to pastor a church. (We'll talk about 2 Timothy in a different post.) The different tones in the letters reflect the personalities of the young men receiving the letters and the churches they were leading, but there are similar themes.
Look for the following things as you read these short letters –
1. What qualifications should a leader have? Do your leaders have them? Do you?
2. What are the marks of false doctrine and sound doctrine?
3. How should our beliefs impact our daily life?
4. What specific groups or situations are addressed? What guidance does Paul give for each one?
Both books have great verses and passages worth noting or even memorizing. I love the summary of the gospel in Titus 3:4-7 – " But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life."
Do you have a favorite piece of advice in 1 Timothy or Titus?