The Gospel According to Cheap Trick

“This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth” (1Tim 2:3-4).

“I want you to want me.” Any Cheap Trick fans out there? If you love the 70s like I do, you can sing this little ditty from memory. (As a matter of fact, it’s probably running through your head right now.) This track is all about some dude’s desperate crush on a girl who simply doesn’t feel the same way he does. It’s what literature calls unrequited love. 

So what in the name of pop rock does this Cheap Trick tune have to do with Paul’s first letter to Timothy? Here in chapter two, the apostle tells his spiritual son just how much God desires a relationship with the people He made in His image. “This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth” (v3-4). Let me be clear. I’m NOT saying God has some desire to sing lead for a rock band. But it doesn’t take much imagination to hear the song of His heart for those who are far from Him. He wants us to want Him. Call it the Gospel according to Cheap Trick.

Before anybody freaks out over this comparison of Almighty God and a random rock song, let me be clear. God may want us to want Him, but He certainly does NOT need us to need Him. He doesn’t need anything. As God, He’s absolutely satisfied in Himself. For heaven’s sake, the Godhead is made up of the Trinity. The Father, Son, and Spirit have the most awesome relationship the universe will ever know. God didn’t create the human race out of some dysfunctional loneliness. Far from it. He created us as an act of overflowing goodness. End of disclaimer. We now return you to your regular programming.

Paul begins the second chapter of his letter to the pastor of the Ephesian megachurch with an encouragement for us to pray. Pray in every way possible for every person you can think of (1Tim 2:1). Use every tool in the prayer tool box. Use every club in the bag. The best thing you can do for someone is to talk to your Heavenly Dad on their behalf. More specifically, let’s lift up our governmental leaders (2Tim 2:2). The purpose is so we can be good citizens and be a blessing to our community. 

The apostle goes on to say, “This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior” (v3). He uses the Greek word apodektos which the ESV translates as “pleasing” (v3). It only shows up twice in the entire Bible, both right here in this epistle (1Tim 5:4). The term literally means to gladly receive something from another. When we pray for others, God doesn’t begrudgingly take these petitions like kid getting a pajamas on Christmas morning.

We need to remember that God is particularly pumped to get prayers for others, especially for our leaders. He loves to see His people living peacefully, quietly, godly, and dignified lives. Or in the words of The Message, “This is the way our Savior God wants us to live” (v3 The Message). What do you get the God who has everything (and I do mean EVERYTHING!)? How about prayers for others?!? The Lord is excited to receive them! They’re always the perfect size and always the right color. Unlike that frightfully ugly sweater you opened last Christmas. No, really. I love it. I’ve always wanted a pullover with a cat wearing a Santa Claus costume. Really.

Paul then drops the same title he used in the opening line of the letter. “God our Savior” (v3, 1Tim 1:1). It’s a powerful reminder that we desperately need outside intervention in order to be saved. Let’s be clear. We can’t save ourselves. I can’t. You can’t. Neither can Billy Graham. Just in case you’d like to give self-salvation a shot, all you have to do is obey every single law in the Bible. Every. Single. One. You see, God set a standard of spotless perfection. Despite this impossible goal, just about everyone one of us gives it a go at some point in our lives. Some of you are STILL trying. In the words of the great philosopher and theologian Dr. Phil, “How’s that workin’ for ya?”

That’s where “God our Savior” comes in. We can’t save ourselves. As the sinless Son of God, Jesus left the comforts of heaven to perform the ultimate search and rescue mission. He dove into the dumpster of sin we made of God’s perfect paradise. He lived the perfect life that we failed to live. He died the death for our sin that we should have died. He rose to new life that we don’t deserve. “God our Savior” came to our rescue. He did for us what we could never dream of doing for ourselves. 

Our Savior God “desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth” (v4). The key word here is “desires,” which is the Greek term thelo. It describes a desire, a wish, or a want. If you asked God what He really wanted, this would be at the top of the list. In His heart of hearts, He desires that every single person would turn to Him for salvation. Or in the words of Cheap Trick, He wants us to want Him.

And God wants ALL of us to want ALL of Him. Before you think we’re going all Calvinistic or Arminian, just stop right there. Save that debate for another day. Later in this very letter, Paul tells Tim, “We have our hope set on the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially this who believe” (1Tim 4:10). His heart is to rescue everyone. Every. Single. Person. It’s only those those who place their trust in Jesus who realize His grace. The Message has an awesome take on this truth. “He wants not only us but everyone saved” (v4 The Message). Every. Single. Person.

This all ties into the timing of Jesus’ spectacular encore. Who wouldn’t love be alive to see that?!? Paul’s buddy Peter says it’s Christ’s heart of compassion that delays His return and final judgment of sin. “The Lord is not slow to fulfill His promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance” (2Pet 3:9). He’s not late. He’s simply waiting for every person possible to turn to Him. He wants ALL of us to want ALL of Him. 

That’s not all. God wanted you to be saved more than you did. He wants your friends and family to be saved more than you do. He cares for people more than you do. He loves people more than you do. You might think the Old Testament is all about a wrathful God who just can’t wait to fling one of His supernatural lightning bolts when we mess up. Far from it. “Have I any pleasure in the death of the wicked, declares the Lord GOD” (Ezek 18:23, 32). Our disobedience absolutely breaks His heart. He wants us to want Him but there’s just on problem. We continually reject His offer of the everlasting life preserver.

So why doesn’t God the Savior simply save everyone? He IS God after all. If He’s almighty and wants everyone to be in His kingdom, why doesn’t He just do it? It all goes back to the beginning. And when I say “beginning,” I mean “in the beginning” (Gen 1:1). When He made us in His image (Gen 1:26-27), He gave us the ability to choose. Now our sin has horribly corrupted our choices. Inherent in that choice is possibility to NOT choose God.

You see, He didn’t make us robots who are programmed to follow and obey Him. He wants us to want Him. How cruel would God be if He rescued those who don’t want any part of Him? It’s said that the gates of Hell are locked from the inside. Those who reject Jesus actually choose to be there. To drag everyone who turns their back on Christ to spend eternity with Him would be brutal. The best way to understand what this is the Gospel according to Cheap Trick. He wants us to want Him. 

God saves us when we “come to the knowledge of the truth” (v4). Not just the facts, but the truth. You don’t experience His rescue by simply memorizing historical data about the existence of some radical Rabbi/Carpenter from the boondocks of Galilee. We trust in who He is and what He’s done for us. We trust in THE Truth with a capital T. As Henry Blackaby says, Truth is a Person. 

Jesus Himself left no doubt about it when He boldly told His disciples, “I am the Way, and the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (Jn 14:6). Not a truth. THE Truth. Christ is the wisdom of God in human flesh (1Cor 1:24). We experience that Truth when we follow Him obediently. Or as the Amplified Bible says, that’s when we “perceive and recognize and discern and know precisely and correctly the [divine] Truth” (v4 AMP).He wants us to know the Truth. He wants us to want Him.

So what does God want us to want to do with this? You and I need to realize that there’s no one in the universe who desires for people to be saved more than God. You may have a white hot burning passion for certain people in your life to know Jesus. But that’s a smoldering cinder compared to the fire in the heart of Christ for them. And His love isn’t limited to just the folks on your list. His heart is for very single person you lock eyes with to step under the waterfall of His grace. 

Remember, He loves the entire world so much He sent His Son to the rescue (Jn 3:16). Whatever you do, don’t stop praying for them. Don’t stop telling them about our Savior. Don’t stop loving them. He doesn’t. Don’t give up on them. He doesn’t. He won’t force them using some sort of supernatural submission hold. He longs for every one of us to willing desire a relationship with Him. He wants them to want Him. He wants you to want Him. He wants us to want Him. It’s the Gospel according to Cheap Trick.

Religion and Politics

“for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way” (1Tim 2:2).

If you want to stir up a boring conversation, toss these two handy dandy grenades that are guaranteed to get folks fired up. Politics and religion. If you’re like me (and that’s not necessarily a good thing!), your Facebook and Twitter feeds are chockfull of one or the other, if not BOTH. And it’s coming from both sides. (Insert elected official’s name here) is the antichrist and has a secret plan to steal all your money and give it to (insert a demographic group you’re not a part of here) and turn our country over to the (insert your worst nightmare nation here). If that’s not bad enough, everybody you know is more than happy to tell you who’s headed straight for heaven or hell. Sometimes I feel like Stealers Wheel got it right. “Clowns to the left of me, jokers to the right.” 

Well, our old buddy Paul wasn’t afraid to toss BOTH at the SAME TIME! In his first letter to Timothy, the apostle fires both barrels. He tells Tim that we should pray “for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way” (v2). He’s encouraged his spiritual son that we should use every kind of prayer to pray for every person we can think of (1Tim 2:1). Now he gets more specific. Pray for those who are in charge. The purpose? So that we can give God glory by being good citizens. Let that sink in for a minute.

Our prayer list of political leaders starts at the top. We’re to pray “for kings and all who are in high positions” (v2). Chances are if you’re reading this, you don’t live under the reign of a king or queen (if you do, I’m pretty stoked that someone from another country actually took the time to read this!). Here in the good ol’ U.S. of A., the President is our highest elected official. It’s no tough stretch to understand that Paul call us to pray for the POTUS. But wait just a New York minute. Am I saying we should pray for our President even if you didn’t vote for him? If that’s the case…ESPECIALLY if you didn’t vote for him! 

This is where you try to argue with the apostle that he really doesn’t have a clue what kind of Commander-in-Chief we have right now. Pray for him? You’ve GOT to be kidding me! If I’m praying anything, it’s that God will supernaturally impeach the Prez. Here’s the dealio. We’ve got a little problem. It’s called the Bible. According to Scripture, it doesn’t matter. Conservative. Liberal. Republican. Democrat. Red state. Blue state. Pray for your President. No exceptions. No loopholes. 

Here’s the little fact-a-rooni that shuts up any argument you throw Paul’s way. The apostle calls his Ephesian brothers and sisters to pray for Nero. Yes, THAT Nero. One of the most corrupt and bloodthirsty dictators in human history. The ruler of the Roman Empire didn’t exactly have a soft spot in his heart for the followers of Jesus either. At more than one instance, Nero slaughtered countless Christians. Yet, the man from Tarsus tells his readers to pray for their king. 

Nero may have been ruthless and wicked but he rules over Rome because God has placed him there. As a result, we’re to do what our government leaders tell us to do. “Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God” (Rom 13:1). Again, Paul writes these words to the followers of Jesus who are living in the capital of the empire. If anyone knew how awful Nero is, it’s the church in Rome. So here’s the deal. If first century believers can pray for this vicious emperor, I’m pretty sure can ask God to bless whoever is in the Oval Office. Besides, we place our trust in the King of ALL kings!

So how do we pray for our President and other governmental leaders? Pray that God would bless them. Pray that He would provide them with the wisdom needed to make difficult decisions. Pray that He would keep them healthy. Pray that He would provide them with level heads. And of course, pray that He would save them. We see in the very next couple of verses how our Savior “desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth” (1Tim 2:3-4). It’s happened before. Ever heard of Constantine? If not, take a moment to Google the guy. We’ll wait for you.

The point in praying for kings and other leaders in authority is so we can lead a “peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way” (v2). Peaceful. Quiet. Godly. Dignified. THIS is what good citizenship looks like for believers. It’s another way of describing the life Paul states back in chapter one. “The aim of our charge is love, that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith” (1Tim 1:5). The bottom line is that God’s people should be a pleasure to govern. They shouldn’t be loud, annoying, obstinate, and a pain in the neck.

Check out the adjectives the apostle uses to describe Jesus’ followers as citizens. Peaceful. Quiet. Godly. Dignified. Who wouldn’t love neighbors who are like that? “Peaceful” (Gr. eremos) describes a lack of external disturbances. All is calm on the outside. He’s talking about someone who isn’t loud and obnoxious. Nobody’s calling the cops because the party’s still cranking at 3am. Are you living in a constant state of drama and continually dragging others into your hot mess? This doesn’t mean believers don’t need others to come alongside when life gets tough. And be sure that God’s people know how to party. Oh, we can celebrate with the best of them. But God calls us to be peaceful people.

Upstanding citizens of Christ’s kingdom should also be “quiet” (v2). No, this isn’t somebody who always talks in a whisper or thinks life should be like a library. While the previous word described what’s going on outside, hesuchios pulls the curtain back on an inward tranquility and rest. We’re “peaceful” on the outside because we’re “quiet” on the inside. Once we place our trust in who Jesus is and what He has done for us, a supernatural calm. We’re not continually anxious and constantly freaking out…especially when it comes to politics! 

An important characteristic for every Jesus follower everywhere is to be “godly” (v2). Paul uses a compound word here (Gr. eusebeia) that literally means “good worship.” It’s reverence toward God in all that we do. Everything we do is an act of worship to Jesus. It’s living life with our eyes on heaven. You’ve probably heard about someone who was so heavenly minded that they were no earthly good. Nothing could be farther from the truth. We become effective spreaders of His salt and shiners of His light when we remember all that He’s done for us that we could never do for ourselves. We need to pray for those in authority so that we can continue to be a blessing to our neighbors and coworkers.

The idea of godliness is one of the really big ideas in this letter. Women who love Jesus should “profess godliness” (1Tim 2:9-10). Even Paul can’t wrap his brain around the “mystery of godliness” (1Tim 3:16). As followers of Christ, you should “train yourself for godliness” because “godliness is of value in every way” (1Tim 4:7-8). The adult children and grandchildren of widows are “to show godliness” to these ladies (1Tim 5:4). What we learn about Jesus must always encourage us with a lifestyle “that accords with godliness” (1Tim 6:3). Spiritual hucksters have cook up a scheme to make a fast buck because they think that “godliness is a means of gain” (1Tim 6:5). What they’ve missed is “godliness with contentment” is the key to true success and satisfaction in life” (1Tim 6:6). Instead chasing the almighty dollars, we should be sprinting after “righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness” (1Tim 6:11).

Paul also tells Tim that we’re to be “dignified (Gr. semnotes)” (v2). It’s the idea of being honest, honorable, and respectable. Before you think you need to wear a monocle and start acting all snooty, think again. The Pharisees nailed the whole holier-than-thou deal and it went very badly for them. The apostle is describing someone who doesn’t take themselves seriously but takes Jesus VERY seriously. A little later, Paul applies this idea as a key trait for an elder. “He must manage his own household well, with all dignity (Gr. semnotes)” (1Tim 3:4). He tells Titus to be a teacher who demonstrates “integrity, dignity (Gr. semnotes), and sound speech that cannot be condemned” (Titus 2:7-8). Do you treat those around you with dignity and respect? Remember, EVERYONE you meet is made in the image of our Creator. As hard as it is to believe at times, that includes politicians and our elected officials.

God calls us to be good citizens. Jesus’ church isn’t to be a team of agitators who make life miserable for our fellow citizens. We’re to be God’s firehose of blessing to our neighborhood, our community, our state, and our nation. That’s independent of what kind of government ruling over us. Do you follow the laws and ordinances? Are speed limits simply a suggestion? Do you fudge on your taxes? Remember, how we live is a direct reflection of the One we worship. 

Maybe living under what you consider to be a godless government gives you a free pass. Folks like Joseph, Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego all thrived under governments who didn’t exactly fit the label of Christian nations (whatever THAT means!). Were there times they had to take a stand to follow God when a law was leading them into sin? You betcha. But you didn’t see them going off the grid and living in some remote compound to keep themselves far from the filth of the fallen world.

As a matter of fact, God specifically tells His people to be good citizens while they’re prisoners in Babylon. “Build houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat their produce. Take wives and have sons and daughters; take wives for your sons, and give your daughters in marriage, that they may bear sons and daughters; multiply there, and do not decrease. But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the LORD on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare” (Jer 29:4-7). Did you catch that last part? Seek your city’s welfare. Pray for your city. When things go well for your city, they will go well for you.

While Paul mixes religion and politics, he never tells Tim to force anyone to follow God’s rules. There’s no ramming of godliness down the throat of a nation. That’s just not how the kingdom of Christ works. In the same way that God changes us from the inside out, He does the same with society. When He changes our hearts, our lifestyle will follow. But that’s another discussion for another day.

In the meantime, let’s make a point of praying for our governmental leaders. Yes, that means the President, whether you voted for him or not. Pray that God blesses them. Pray that God saves them. Pray that He uses them to bring glory to His name. At the same time, let’s be a blessing to our friends and neighbors. Being citizens of God’s kingdom means being good and godly citizens of your city, state, and nation. See, you CAN mix politics and religion.

The First Resort

“First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people” (1Tim 2:1).

You’ve heard it before. “All we can do now is pray.” Heard it before? Shoot, we’ve all said it before! You’re familiar with the situation. Things are dark and desperate. We’ve exhausted all other options. We’ve knocked on every door. We’ve tried everything else. We’ve done everything humanly possible but nothing has changed. At this point, we turn to God and plead for Him to come to the rescue. We pray as a last resort.

But Paul reminds Timothy that prayer should be at the top of our to-do list when life goes spinning out of control. ESPECIALLY when it does. The apostle writes to the Ephesian pastor, “First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people” (v1). Before you do anything else, pray. Cry out to God. First and foremost. Use every kind of prayer you can think of on behalf of every person you can come up with. Pray as a first resort.

Had the Ephesian church stopped praying? Sure seems to be the case. At the very least, their prayer life was on life support. John MacArthur has a sneaking suspicion that was the fallout of the counterfeit gospel being sold by the false teachers (1Tim 1:3-7). According to their not-so-good news, we’re responsible for our own salvation. When that’s the case, we focus on ourselves and stop praying for everyone else. With Paul on divine assignment somewhere in Macedonia, he tells Tim to get believers’ knees on the floor and their eyes off themselves.

Are sure sign of trouble in your relationship with God is a nonexistent prayer life. Or maybe you pray, but it’s kinda “meh.” It’s just something you’re supposed to do. Like flossing. I write because I know. For whatever reason, I don’t pray like I know I should. For heaven’s sake, Jesus has granted me the incredible privilege of speaking directly with the Creator of the universe. Almighty God will make all the time for me at any time. What’s my response? A little prayer here. Another over there. Pray first? Some days, I’m lucky to pray at all. Like I said, I write because I know. Let’s just say the Ephesian megachurch isn’t the only one with a mega-problem with prayer. 

Paul then gives us a a pretty awesome inventory of the different types of prayer available to us. “Supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings” (v1). Whatever your prayer need, there’s a kind of prayer ready for you to use. Specialized tools for every kind of situation. Pretty cool, huh? Talking to God isn’t like trying to get in touch with a customer service rep for the cable company. If my call really is important to them, why am I do I have to wait 47 minutes to speak with somebody who won’t really help me in the first place? Prayer is NOTHING like that. When I pray, there’s not “press 1 for supplication, press 2 for prayer, press 3 for intercession, and 4 for thanksgiving.” You just pray. All flavors are readily available. All kinds are happily received.

So let’s take a quick look at our prayer options. First of all, there are “supplications” (v1). This Greek word (Gr de’esis) describes a plea, a request, or something asked with urgency base on a need. It comes from a term that means to lack, be deprived, or be without. We’re to ask God to meet the obvious needs in the lives of others. Because of what Jesus has done for us, we can make a beeline “to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Heb 4:16). God has the vast resources and is more than ready to meet “every need of yours” (Phil 4:19). When we see a need, let’s ask Jesus to meet that need. By the way, often times He uses you and me to do it!

The next tools in the prayer tool box are, not surprisingly, “prayers” (v1). The meaning of the term (Gr. proseuche) in the original language is…drum roll, please…prayer. It’s calling on God to help. In other words, talk to the Lord about the people in your life. Remember, He already knows all about them. Tell Him how much you care for them. Tell Him how much you struggle with them. Tell Him that you love them. Tell Him that you don’t. Whatever you do, pray for them. Join them in their prayers. Ask Jesus to show up in a big way in their lives. Ask Him to absolutely bless their socks off. 

Paul encourages us to make “intercessions” (v1) for folks. The idea here is actually a one-one-on meeting with a person. It’s an intimate conversation with someone in authority on behalf of another. You’ve done this before from a friend or family member. You make a quick phone call to get them some help. The apostle urges us to do the same thing but to go a little higher up the org chart. Tell God. Talk to the One who really can make a difference. Hey, you’re just doing what some other really powerful people are doing for you. Jesus is personally interceding for you with His Dad at this very moment (Rom 8:26). As a matter of fact, it’s a huge part of His mission in life (Heb 7:25).

And don’t forget to tell God just how cool it is that He’s placed these people in your life. Make sure to offer “thanksgivings” (v1) for them. What a great reminder that we’re not flying solo as we follow Jesus. The Lord surrounds us with others for a reason. We need each other. He continually uses the people in our lives to bless us, guide us, encourage us, and correct us. Remember, it’s a two-way street. They need God to use you just as much as you need them. Paul gently taps us on the shoulder to thank our Savior for others. King David even saw God using his worst enemies and biggest critics (2Sam 17:11-12). Thank Jesus for the people who surround you. Even your enemies.

How are we to use all these kinds of prayers? There must be some sort of special list of people we’re supposed to pray for. The apostle encourages us that these prayers are to “be made for all people” (v1). As someone once said, “All means ‘all’ and that’s all ‘all’ means.” Jesus doesn’t have a “no pray” list. Take a look around. Who do you see? Who do you not see? Now, pray for all of them. Every. Single. One. We’re not to limit who we pray for or about. “All people” (v1). In other words, use every kind of prayer for every kind of person. That’s what happens when the Gospel gets ahold of us. Slowly and steadily, we take on a “Me Third” attitude. God first. Others second. Me third. As a result, go to God first about the other people in your life. And here’s a little secret. Our prayers for others doesn’t so much change God’s mind about someone. He already loves them. It softens my heart for them. 

So when it comes to prayer, don’t wait until your back is against the wall. Don’t get me wrong. Pray when your between a rock and a hard place. God certainly does some of His best work just before the clock runs out. But pray early. Pray often. Pray for others. Use every club in your bag. Supplication. Prayer. Intercession. Thanksgiving. I love how the Message puts it. “The first thing I want you to do is pray. Pray every way you know how, for everyone you know” (v1 The Message). Every way you know how. For everyone you know. Pray as the first resort.

The Despicable Duo

“Among whom are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan that they may learn not to blaspheme” (1Tim 1:20).

There have been some great two-man teams in history. The Muppets have Bert and Ernie. Stars of the cartoon world are Tom and Jerry, Fred and Barney, Bugs and Daffy. Musically there’s Lennon and McCartney. Hey, where would Oates be without Hall or Garfunkel without Simon? The list goes on. Thelma and Louise. Captain Kirk and Mr. Spock. Holmes and Watson. Mantle and Maris. And of course there’s the Dynamic Duo of Batman and Robin. 

But allow Paul to introduce you to a pair you may never heard of before. Meet partners in crime who did quite a lot of damage to Ephesian church. “Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan that they may learn not to blaspheme” (v20). You can add them to the list of folks like Bonnie and Clyde, Frank and Jesse James. Call them the Despicable Duo.

Paul has already kicked these two goobers to the curb but their influence remains at the church in Ephesus. With the apostle on the road to Macedonia, he installs his spiritual son Timothy as pastor of this growing megachurch. At the top of Tim’s to-do list is cleaning up the theological mess made by a team of false teachers (1Tim 1:3-7). They’ve spread a false gospel that’s really no gospel at all. Anything less than the Good News is bad news. 

Tim is just the man for the job. Back in the day, people actually prophesied and predicted a day like this would come for the young man from Lystra (1Tim 1:18). Hymenaeus and Alexander failed to pay attention to the warning lights on the dashboard of their consciences and slammed their faith on the rocks (1Tim 1:19). Think the Titanic was a tragedy? Forget Jack and Rose. James Cameron make a disaster flick about Hymenaeus and Alexander.

So just exactly who are these guys? And why did Paul give them the right foot of fellowship out the front door? John MacArthur believes this not-so-dynamic duo were actually pastors or at least prominent leaders in the fellowship. The first step in extinguishing the Ephesian dumpster fire required removing these knuckleheads from their position of influence. Why else would Paul leave Tim specific instructions and qualifications for new leaders in the church (1Tim 3:1-13)? Clearly, the Despicable Duo would not meet this biblical standard of leadership. Not even close.

So just what did Hymenaeus do to get tossed? Paul links this rascal with another false teacher named Philetus in his second letter to Tim. They messed with people’s heads by  “saying the resurrection has already happened. They are upsetting the faith of some” (2Tim 2:17-18). Imagine you’re a brand new believer and someone says you’ve missed the resurrection of the dead. You’d be upset. VERY upset! 

While we don’t have the audio recording or a podcast of what these guys were saying, it’s yet another VERY loud warning about handling God’s Word. To manipulate His truth is to speak ill of our holy God is blasphemy. Just so you know, this kind of goofball teaching is still out there today. Crap like blood moons. The end of the world is next Tuesday. Jesus wants your pastor to have a new private jet. That garbage needs to be stopped. Right here. Right now. You see, there’s still a need for 21st century Timothies.

While Hymenaeus gets top billing, don’t forget his slimy sidekick Alexander. You can bet this is the very same malicious metalworker the apostle mentions over in 2 Timothy. “Alexander the coppersmith did me great harm; the Lord will repay him according to his deeds” (2Tim 4:14). He may have been part of the original attack on Paul and his team in Ephesus. Craftsmen who made big bucks in the pagan idol business freaked out when people stopped buying their products and started worshiping Jesus (Acts 19:23-27). It was a whole scene. Riots. Mob violence. Think Ferguson or Baltimore. Dr. Luke mentions a man named Alexander who tries to speak, but the protestors will have nothing of it (Acts 19:33-34). Is it the same dude? We really don’t know. 

One thing we do know is these two were “handed over to Satan that they may learn not to blaspheme” (v20). Don’t misunderstand what’s going down here. Paul hasn’t sent them to Hell for the devil to torture them for eternity. God is still in complete control of Satan. Remember how the prince of darkness had to ask God’s permission to target a human (Job 1:6-12). The Almighty isn’t freaking out about what Satan is going to do to Hymenaeus and Alexander. 

That’s because this is all about restoration. This is all about hoping these men wake up and smell the coffee. It’s the point of church discipline. A lot of people get their undies in a bundle when someone even mentions it. That’s not to say some churches aren’t heavy handed with their authority. You may have heard recently of the ridiculous story where a pastor with an itchy trigger finger kicked out a bedridden 92-year-old woman for not attending or tithing. You can be sure that picking on MeMaw when she’s down and out is NOT what Jesus has in mind. If you’ve been on the receiving end of spiritual abuse by a church, that’s wrong. WAY wrong. 

Meanwhile back in Ephesus, Paul ultimately leaves it to Christ to judge and punish the Despicable Duo. The purpose isn’t punishment. God says that’s His job (Dt 32:25; Rom 12:19). The goal isn’t a life sentence hoping you never see their ugly mugs again. It’s not “get out and stay out.” It’s restoration. Being excommunicated from the church clearly leaves us exposed to Satan’s attacks. 

The apostle has talked about this before. In one of his notes to the Corinthian church, Paul busts their chops for tolerating some guy sleeping with his stepmom. Instead of looking the other way, he tells them, “You are to deliver this man to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord” (1Cor 5:5). Did you see that? “So that his spirit may be saved.” There’s hope that he’ll return to the fellowship in the end. There’s still hope for these Ephesian blasphemy brothers. And there’s always hope for anyone being disciplined. Being handed over to Satan can do that.

The apostle is also protecting the church. A key part of a shepherd’s job description is dealing with threats. Believers are always better off without troublemakers like Hymenaeus and Alexander spewing their spiritual snake oil in Sunday school and small group Bible studies. It’s addition by subtraction. Listen, I dread church discipline like a root canal. BUT root canals are still necessary for good oral health. There are times when church discipline is necessary for good spiritual health. 

When the doctor finds cancer, he must cut it out. Paul had to surgically remove the tumor of these two from the church before it spread any further. The Despicable Duo was getting in the way of Jesus’ followers being able to, well, follow Jesus. They were unable to keep the main thing the main thing. We need to be VERY careful not to Bogart the Lord’s spotlight for our pet projects. 

So what does this distant dustup in a first century Asian church have to do with you and me? Everything. Have you ever needed to correct anyone? Better yet, have you ever been corrected? Spiritual brothers and sisters must be able to have hard conversations with each other, especially when they see someone speeding toward danger. The Bible calls it “speaking the truth in love” (Eph 4:15). Many times speaking the truth is the most loving thing we can do. I’m really hoping someone will say something to me long before I get thrown out the front door like the Despicable Duo.

Gilligan's Island and Spiritual Shipwrecks

“holding faith and a good conscience. By rejecting this, some have made shipwreck of their faith” (1Tim 1:19).

It’s a familiar tune with legendary lyrics. Let’s all sing along…

Just sit right back and you’ll hear a tale, a tale of a fateful trip, 

that started from this tropic port, aboard this tiny ship.

Now that I’ve got that ear worm crammed deep into your consciousness, you may be wondering what in the wide world of sports does the theme song from “Gilligan’s Island” have to do with our faith in Jesus and Paul’s letter to Timothy? So glad you asked. 

One is a cheesy 60s sitcom and the other a first century tragedy of epic proportions. But they both tell the story of tragedy that could have been avoided. The Skipper and his little buddy thought they were taking folks for a three-hour tour but clearly failed to check the forecast. Meanwhile, the apostle tells his sidekick the importance of listening to warnings. He encourages Timothy to continue “holding faith and a good conscience. By rejecting this, some have made a shipwreck of their faith” (v19). Paul describes the inevitable result of hurtling toward disaster while ignoring the alarms going off in our conscience. (That song is still running through head, isn’t it? For that, I’m sorry. Well, sort of.)

There’s quite a mess in Ephesus. While God has given Paul his next assignment somewhere in Macedonia, the apostle has left his protege to pastor the megachurch in the big port city. His assignment: to stuff a sock in team of false teachers who are distracting believers from the message of Jesus with a counterfeit gospel (1Tim 1:3-7). Paul reminds Tim that this is exactly the kind of confrontation people prophesied to be in his future back home in Lystra (1Tim 1:18). Apparently God has this showdown circled on His divine calendar for quite some time. 

Before we compare the Minnow with the Ephesian spiritual shipwreck, Paul points out just how critical it is for Timothy to be “holding faith and a good conscience” (v19). We must do the same. Let’s be clear about what sort of faith we’re talking about here. This is NOT gritting your teeth, clinching your fists, and working up some sort of I-believe-this-will-happen-with-all-my-heart kind of wishful thinking. No matter how strongly you believe in something, it doesn’t mean it’s trustworthy. Faith is all about the object. It’s ALL about what or whom you’re placing your trust. 

When the writers of the Bible talk about faith, they’re talking about trusting in the goodness of God. In the New Testament, the specific object of our trust is Jesus Christ. We believe in Him when we place our trust in who He is and what He’s done for us. We’ve completely failed to live up to God’s perfect standard. Jesus nailed it. We totally deserve divine punishment for our rebellion and disobedience. Jesus took the full brunt of that for us. And there’s no way we earned resurrection life. But once again, Jesus handled that for us. He’s the ultimate object of faith. He did for us what we could never dream of doing for ourselves. We can’t buy our way of our situation just like Mr. and Mrs. Howell couldn’t buy their way off the island.

That’s the reason Paul tells Tim to hold onto his faith in Christ. Never forget who He is. Never forget what He’s done. Never forget where we would be without Him. “Holding faith” (v19) is putting a death grip on “the Way, the Truth, and the Life” (Jn 14:6). One of the subtle tricks spiritual con artists have up their sleeves is making folks put their faith in themselves. We mistakenly believe it’s up to us to keep ourselves in God’s kingdom by following a list of religious rules. 

Here’s the big idea. Once Jesus saves you, you’re saved. Future failure does NOT disqualify you and me from salvation. Jesus died for ALL our sin. Past, present, and future. That’s the whole reason He shouted from the cross, “It is finished!” (Jn 19:30). There’s nothing left to do but trust in what He’s done. That’s what it means to be “holding faith” (v19). We’re NOT trusting in the Professor’s ability to turn a coconut into a shortwave radio.

Once you’ve placed our faith in Jesus, it’s important to pay close attention to your “good conscience” (v19). Throughout the Bible, we see the conscience serving as a sort of God-given warning system (Acts 23:1; 24:16; Rom 2:15; 9:1; 13:5). Combined with the supernatural guidance of the indwelling Holy Spirit, God enables us to look out for trouble through our conscience. We’re to help out our friends who have what Paul calls a weak or malfunctioning conscience (1Cor 8:7-12). Paul instructs the followers of Jesus in Corinth to use this internal radar to determine what foods to eat (1Cor 10:25-29). Just to be clear, this had more to do with whether to eat meat used in idolatry than to going gluten-free.

A properly functioning conscience is key to keep us from slamming our faith on the rocks. So how do we make sure our warning system is tuned up and ready to go? That happens through simple the two-step process of confession and repentance. Notice that I said it was “simple” and not “easy.” First, we need to run TO Jesus and not away from Him when we sin. Go to God and admit your failure. There’s no reason to run and hide. Remember, He’s God. He already knows. And if you’re a follower of Jesus, He’s already forgiven you. 

Step two is just as important. I must repent from what I’ve done. That’s more than just “I’m sorry I got caught.” This is doing a 180 away from my sin and heading back to my Savior. When we regularly confess and repent, we’re much more likely to pay attention to the blaring siren of our conscience. John MacArthur provides a powerful illustration, saying, “A good conscience serves as the rudder that steers the believer through the rocks and reefs of sin and error.” If only the Titanic’s captain wasn’t so cocky. If only the fearless crew of the Minnow had been paying attention.

Paul says ignoring the warning lights on the dashboard of their conscience got certain folks into what was certainly an avoidable accident. “By rejecting this, some have made shipwreck of their faith” (v19). Apparently, all the alarm bells were going off. These people simply ignored them. That’s the meaning of the Greek word behind “rejecting” (Gr. apotheomai). It means to push aside, use force to thrust off, or shove away. In Stephen’s sermon just before he was stoned, he told his killers about the time their ancestors rejected Moses and the Ten Commandments and “thrust him aside (Gr. apotheomai)” (Acts 7:39). Paul knows personally the pain of a spiritual stiff arm. During his first world Gospel tour, the Jews living in Pisidia totally freaked out when he and Barnabas told everyone that Jesus is Messiah. The apostle responds to them, “It was necessary that the word of God be spoken first to you. Since you thrust it aside (Gr. apotheomai) and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, behold, we are turning to the Gentiles” (Acts 13:46). Don’t make the same mistake and give your conscience the Heisman.

The result of shaking off these obvious warnings was spiritual carnage. They’ve “made shipwreck of their faith” (v19). Paul uses the same Greek verb here (Gr. nauageo) that he does when describing his rather sketchy seafaring history. “Three times I was shipwrecked (Gr. nauageo); a night and a day I was adrift at sea” (2Cor 11:25). So if anybody knows about shipwrecks, it’s Paul! I’ll be honest, if I saw the apostle walking up the gang plank to board my ship, you can bet I’m getting off! Ancient Greek authors outside the New Testament also use this term to describe a nasty chariot accident. Think plane crash. Train wreck. This is no little fender bender. When we ignore our God-given warning system, it’s going to be bad. Very bad.

This is a self-inflicted wound. When I reject what Jesus has done for me and stop listening to the alarms, I’m headed for the rocks. It’s not a question of if I’ll crash but when I’ll crash. But just because we’ve driven our faith off a cliff, it’s NOT fatal. Jesus will NEVER let you go if you’re truly His. There’s absolutely NOTHING that cuts us off from His love (Rom 8:31-39), including our own mistakes! Now that doesn’t mean there won’t be consequences and terrible damage. I’m not sure about Ginger and Mary Ann, but we can be sure our Savior will come to our rescue.

Take it from Paul and Gilligan. There's a big difference between a three-hour tour and a lifetime of pain. In the meantime, let's all sing a long...

Running toward Danger

“This charge I entrust to you, Timothy, my child, in accordance with the prophecies previously made about you, that by them you may wage the good warfare” (1Tim 1:18).

It’s a classic scene in every movie trailer. The hero running toward the camera as the building explodes behind him. But shouldn’t a real hero be sprinting the other way? Should they be heading toward danger? That’s exactly what Chris Mintz did when a gunman started shooting at an Oregon community college. He ran TOWARD danger, taking bullets himself and saving the lives of others. 

Here in his letter to Timothy, Paul encourages his protege not to run away from the fight but do just the opposite. “This charge I entrust to you, Timothy, my child, in accordance with the prophecies previously made about you, that by them you may wage the good warfare” (v18). Years ago, God revealed to Tim how one day the young pastor would courageously head toward the fight. Now that day is here. There are problems in Ephesus. Big problems. A gang of spiritual hucksters are stirring up trouble and it’s Timothy’s job to shut them down (1Tim 1:3-7). It’s time for Tim to run TOWARD danger, not away from it.

The apostle has special instructions for this special young man. “This charge I entrust to you, Timothy, my child” (v18). The word the ESV translates as “child” doesn’t describe a little boy. It’s teknon, which can mean someone with whom you have close relationship and is your descendant. Paul addresses this letter “To Timothy, my true child in the faith” (1Tim 1:2). They’re not genetically but spiritually father and son. The apostle isn’t married and doesn’t have any kids of his own, but Tim is his direct spiritual descendant. Paul leaves a spiritual legacy in the young pastor of Ephesus. 

Chances are somebody was a Paul to your Tim. Now it’s time for you to pull on your big boy pants and be Paul yourself. So who’s your teknon? What spiritual legacy are leaving? Who are you encouraging? Who are you building into? One important thing to remember when it comes to leaving a legacy. It’s NOT about making a name for yourself. It’s about making Jesus famous. It’s ALL about impacting lives to give God glory. 

Paul then walks down memory lane as he looks at the present situation. His spiritual son is to lean into his next task by looking back into the past “in accordance with the prophecies previously made about you” (v18). Somehow, someway, God pulled back the curtain on Tim’s life and made some rather startling predictions. In case you’re wondering, when God makes a prediction about your future, you can pretty much take it to the bank! 

Let’s be clear on this. Jesus has never physically appeared at my kitchen table and personally clued me in on what’s going to happen. I’m NOT saying He couldn’t. I’m also NOT saying He hasn’t done something crazy like that for you. But there have been numerous times when He’s used others to encourage and challenge me to step into something I otherwise would have avoided. And more than once, I get the strong sense I’m supposed to deliver a specific message to someone. Ever happened to you? God’s Spirit can do some rather crazy stuff when we’re simply willing to do what He lays on our hearts. 

Paul recalls these specific “prophecies previously made” to Timothy. The Greek verb here is proago, which certainly can mean to precede or happen before. But it also can mean leading the way to something, going in front of, inducing, or bringing about a result. As his spiritual dad, the apostle implies that God used someone (probably Paul) to deliver prophecies about Tim about using his spiritual gift in the future. A little later in this letter, he reminds Timothy, “Do not neglect the gift you have, which was given you by prophecy when the council of elders laid their hands on you” (1Tim 4:14). Paul constantly encourages his spiritual son to “fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of hands” (2Tim 1:6). 

Long before he was Pastor Tim, he found all about his gift in a direct revelation from God through others. There’s a good chance this went down just before he joined Paul’s posse in Lystra during his second Mediterranean tour (Acts 16:1-3). Like Queen Esther, God put Tim in specific time at a specific place “for such a time as this” (Est 4:14). One day he run TOWARD danger, not away from it.

Just in case there’s any doubt about which direction Tim’s to go when disaster strikes, Paul says these previous prophecies were delivered “that by them you may wage the good warfare” (v18). It’s time for an assault, big boy, not retreat. “Wage” (Gr. strateuo) means to perform military service, fight like a soldier, make war, go into battle. “Warfare” (Gr. strateia) pictures a military campaign, an assault or a battle. The original language here is just a wee bit awkward. You can literally translate “wage the good warfare” as “war the good war.” Both of these terms are military terms from a root word meaning soldier. It’s where we get our English idea of strategy.

But wait a second. As followers of Jesus, are we supposed to go picking fight? Does the Prince of Peace really approve of me punching somebody in the nose? Doesn’t all this talk of going to war sound rather, I don’t know, Old Testament? Where’s the grace of Jesus? Where’s the love of the Lamb of God we read about in the New Testament? So glad you asked. Don’t make the mistake looking at the Bible that way. God’s grace drips from the pages of the OT. How else is a philanderer/murderer king also “a man after God’s own heart” (1Sam 13:14; Acts 13:22)? 

Meanwhile God’s justice a mega-theme in the NT.  Jesus goes all Jason Bourne on the money changers and vendors in His Father’s house not once, but twice (Jn 2:13-22; Mt 21:12-17). And don’t forget the description of Christ at His second coming (Rev 19:11. He has fire in His eyes. His tongue is a sword. His robe drips with blood. He’s leading an angel army. He’s got a wicked tattoo on His leg that says, “King of kings and Lord of lords.” I certainly don't want to be on the receiving end of THAT!

What’s the big idea? The writers of the NT paint a portrait of Jesus that’s anything but two-dimensional. He has a gentle, loving touch to the broken and humble. He’s ready and willing to open up a can on bullies and thugs. That’s what it means to be our Good Shepherd. He tenderly guides and cares for His flock. But when predators threaten, He’ll come to their defense. Christ is both tender and tough. It just depends on the situation at the time.

That brings us back to the clear and present danger Timothy faces in Ephesus. Don’t miss that Paul describes this as “good warfare” (v18). These false teachers and their spiritual snake oil are tearing this church apart. The Gospel must be defended. The people must be protected. This means war! It’s time for Tim to war the good war. Later in this letter, the apostle doesn’t pull any punches.“Fight the good fight of the faith” (1Tim 6:12). In a sequel to this note written just before his death, Paul looks back on his life and writes, “I have fought the good fight” (2Tim 4:7). When the Gospel is threaten and the church is terrorized, it’s time to run INTO trouble. It’s time to run TOWARDS danger!

It’s exactly what Jesus did for you and me. Our Hero ran into trouble to save us. Instead of kicking back in the heavenly palace, Christ sprinted into the disaster (which WE made, by the way!) to save our bacon. Like a soldier running toward the battle. Like a firefighter racing toward the blaze. Like a police officer speeding to the scene of the crime. Like Chris Mintz at the college, He put His life on the line for those in deep trouble. He “came to seek and to save the lost” (Lk 19:10). Jesus ran INTO trouble. Our Savior ran TOWARDS danger! In a similar way, it’s time for Timothy to do that for the believers in Ephesus. And there are times we need to do the same. 

A Human Torch of Worship

“To the King of the ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen” (1Tim 1:17).

Sometimes it just hits you and you never saw it coming. You can’t contain yourself and you can’t stop. Something you didn’t expect happens on the field or the court and sends the crowd into craziness. An unexpected rally in the bottom of the ninth. A frenetic fourth quarter comeback. A half court heave at the buzzer. You and the rest of the fans jump from your seats in unrestrained enthusiasm! Sometimes all want to do is celebrate!

That’s exactly what’s happening here in Paul’s first letter to Timothy in chapter one. The apostle has very specific and important instructions for the pastor of the Ephesian megachurch. First and foremost, stuff a sock in the team of false teachers who are selling a snake oil gospel that’s really no Gospel at all (1Tim 1:3-7). Paul takes a moment to recall just how crazy good God has been to him despite his rap sheet as a killer and torturer of Jesus’ followers (1Tim 1:12-14). Despite being the first of the worst of sinners, our Savior came to his rescue (1Tim 1:15). God uses His incredibly Good News through Paul’s bad example to spread His message of eternal life (1Tim 1:16). 

Suddenly the apostle can’t hold back. He explodes in worship to the One who has done so much for him and through him. “To the King of the ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen” (v17). I have to say that I’m a little disappointed in our good friends translating the ESV in their lack of exclamation points here. In case you didn’t know, the original Greek text of the New Testament didn’t contain any chapter breaks, verse numbers, or punctuation. Given all of his excitement over what he’s just written, I just don’t see Paul quietly dropping a period here. Exclamation points!! Lots of them!!!!! ALL CAPS!!!!!! Is it too crazy to see him putting down his quill and running around the room in celebration at this point?!?!? I think not! Sometimes all you want to do is celebrate!

Theologians have a fancy schmancy word for these passages in the Bible. They call them doxologies. Ooo, looks like somebody has been using their Word-a-Day calendar! This is a $10 term that simply means “glory words.” You’ll find them all throughout the pages of Scripture like volcanos unexpectedly erupting in praise to God (1Chr 29:10-13; Is 6:3; Mt 6:13; Heb 13:21; 1Pet 5:11; 2Pet 3:18; Jude 25). It probably comes a no shock that a lot of them are song lyrics (Ex 15:18; Ps 41:13; 72:19; 89:52; 106:40; 146:10; 150:1; Lk 2:14; Rev 4:8; 5:13; 7:12). Paul is particularly prone to these sudden explosions of God’s glory (Rom 16:25-27; Gal 1:5; Eph 3:20-21; Phil 4:20). In fact, he cuts loose again a little later in this letter (1Tim 6:16)! He’s a Human Torch of spontaneous worship combustion!

Near the end of this very same letter, Paul busts loose in unbridled worship of God one more time. “He who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone has immortality, who dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see. To Him be honor and eternal dominion” (1Tim 6:15-16). Sometimes all the apostle can do is celebrate…not once, but twice!

After talking about God’s gift of eternal life to those who trust in Jesus in the previous verse (1Tim 1:16), it’s probably no surprise Paul immediately applauds “to the King of the ages” (v17). Make no mistake about who’s in charge. It’s not me. It’s not you. It’s not even Donald Trump. God is King. He’s in total control of the universe. Every bit of it. This has a couple of implications. One, relax. God’s got this. Two, He’s the Boss. The apostle wants us to now that God’s reign will never end. Don’t worry your pretty little head about divine term limits. 

The idea of God as King Eternal is all over the place, biblically speaking. The prophet Isaiah talked about a Baby who would come one day to rule forever. “For unto us a Child is born, to us a Son is given; and the government shall be upon His shoulder, and His name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over His kingdom to establish and uphold it with justice and righteousness from this time forth and forevermore” (Is 9:6-7). To put it in the words of Ricky Bobby, eight pound six ounce Baby Jesus is also King Jesus, King of the ages. 

But wait, there’s more! We see God as a nonstop ruling Machine all throughout the Bible (Ex 15:18; Ps 10:16; 29:10; Jer 10:18; Lam 5:19; Rev 11:15). And check this out. Two different pagan kings were in such awe of Yahweh that they even gave Him His props. Babylonian dictator Nebuchadnezzar may have been the baddest man on the planet at the time, but he was blown away by God’s eternal kingdom (Dan 4:3, 34). One of his successors was a dude named Darius. He might have ruled the world’s top superpower at the time, but he knew he was a short-timer compared to heaven’s eternal King (Dan 6:26). 

One reason that God is the perfect King eternal is because He’s also “immortal” (v17). Paul uses a Greek word here (Gr. aphthartos) that means imperishable, not subject to death or decay. The apostle writes how rebels against God’s kingdom “exchanged the glory of the immortal (Gr. aphthartos) God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things” (Rom 1:23). Earthly athletic champs win “a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable (Gr. aphthartos)” (1Cor 9:25). Our God is immortal, imperishable, and indestructible. 

Another interesting aspect of the term is how it describes something or someone unpolluted or incorruptible in an ethical sense. In other words, we can always trust in the goodness and purity of God’s rule. He’s not subject to bribes. He’s not on the take. He won’t be influenced by lobbyists or special interests. Kind of different from that bunch we’ve sent to Washington, don’t you think? He will He never die. He’ll never become corrupt. He’s immortal.

The cool thing is that God can’t wait to share His immortality with us. That happens when we trust in who Jesus is and what He has done for us! For instance when the heavenly horn section blows its final solo then “the dead will be raised imperishable (Gr. aphthartos), and we shall be changed” (1Cor 15:52). God also promises us “an inheritance that is imperishable (Gr. aphthartos), undefiled, and unfading” (1Pet 1:4). God brings us to eternal life when we are born again, “not of perishable seed but of imperishable (Gr. aphthartos), through the living and abiding Word of God” (1Pet 1:23). Can you start to see why Paul is peeked? I thought so!

Speaking of seeing, Paul makes the point that we can’t see God. He’s “invisible” (v17). You may have an image of God the Father as this wise old grandpa with a long white beard. Well, you would be wrong. Moses put in a request to see God but was denied (Ex 33:20). But when the Big Mo hit the road out of Egypt, he wasn’t afraid of pharaoh who he could see. He had a glorious vision of God, “seeing Him who is invisible” (Heb 11:27). Job knew that catching a glimpse Yahweh wasn’t happening for him (Job 9:11; 23:8). 

The writers of the New Testament continue this theme. “No one has ever seen God; the only God” (Jn 1:16). Jesus tells a Samaritan woman that His Heavenly Dad is Spirit (Jn 4:24). The Apostle John makes the blanket statement that “no one has ever seen God as any time” (1Jn 4:12). Just because you can’t see God, doesn’t mean He’s not in control. You can’t SEE gravity but you’re not flying off the planet into space. You can’t SEE oxygen but you’re still breathing. You ARE breathing, aren’t you? (If not, stop reading right now tell somebody RIGHT NOW!) 

You can see how this whole invisibility deal could be a bit of a problem. But it should come as no shock that God has this all taken care of. That’s where the our Savior comes in as the Second Member of the Trinity. The Son of God make it clear that His Dad sent Him as His visible rep to a lost and dying world (Jn 5:37). Paul confirms that Jesus “is the image of the invisible (Gr. aoratos) God, the firstborn of all creation. For by Him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible (Gr. aoratos)” (Col 1:15-16). As a matter of fact, the author of Hebrews tells us to never take our eyes off “Jesus, the Founder and Perfecter of our faith” (Heb 12:2). So if you want to see God, take a look at His Son.

Don’t get the idea that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are three different deities. God is “the only God” (v17). I admit it. The Trinity makes my head hurt. The best way I can figure out how to describe this mystery is One What and Three Whos. How does it work? I have no idea. What Paul wants us to know is that our God is the one and only God. The rest of the contenders are just pretenders. Moses didn’t want the Israelites to be confused. “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one” (Dt 6:4). Paul had the same message for Corinthian believers. “There is one God” (1Cor 8:6). And that’s a big reason why the apostle so giddy.

Just in case you had any doubt what to do with these glory words, the man from Tarsus tells Tim that there should “be honor and glory forever and ever” (v17). God is so good, so awesome, so wonderful, so gracious that the applause never stops. The worship never ends. The spotlight never fades. God is the ONLY who deserves this kind of adulation and attention. Not Kim and Kanye. Not The Donald. Not the biggest stars. Not the greatest athletes. God and God alone. A big part of being a follower of Jesus is to make God famous. Tell folks how amazing He is. Tell them how much He’s done for you. Tell your friends. Tell your family. Start making Him famous and don’t stop. He’s really that awesome. Because of that sometimes all you can do is celebrate.

That’s when we come to Paul’s big finish with a simple and emphatic word “Amen” (v17). If you’re like me, you probably were under the mistaken impression that this was just a way of saying “over and out” at the end of prayer. Not so much. It’s powerful word that’s the equivalent of a first century mic drop. It’s like shouting, “Truth!” In other words, truer words have never been spoken. The apostle can’t say it any better than that!

Doxologies like this one don’t just give God the glory, they are also very good for us. They get my eyes off myself as well as my issues and worries. When I set my mind on my VERY big God, suddenly my big hairy problems don’t seem so…well, big and hairy. So when you’re up against it, when you’re between a rock and a hard place, when life smacks you up the side of the head, make God famous. Try some of these glory words. You never know what will happen. You may even spontaneously combust like the Human Torch of worship. Because sometimes all you can do is celebrate. Flame on!