the years gained the apostle's complete trust. When a volcano of discontent rumbled in some distant church like Corinth or Thessalonica, Paul quickly dispatched Timothy to try and prevent an eruption.
"I have no one else like him," Paul once wrote of Timothy. "As a son with his father he has served with me in the work of the gospel" (Philippians 2:20-22). Through a swarm of controversies, into prison, on the road - wherever Paul went - Timothy loyally followed. Six of Paul's letters begin with the news that Timothy is at his side.
Timothy Becomes a Pastor
Timothy took on, at Paul's request, that difficult job of heading a local church. The congregation at Ephesus, loose and informal, needed order and a more defined structure. To muddle the scene further, certain members of the church had embraced false dostrines. In this letter, Paul advises his understudy on such matters as worship procedures, the control of unruly women, leadership standards, and policies regarding widows, slaves, and rich people.
Although this book addresses a historical situation from the first century, many problems in the early church - underpaid staff members, a generation gap, an integrity shortage, abuse of social aid, love of money - persist today. A pastor's job description hasn't changed much, or grown any easier, over the centuries. |
