The following articles are related to the topic of TIMOTHY

What About Moderate Social Drinking?

*"In the 2nd chapter of John, Christ's first miraculous sign was the turning of water to wine at a wedding. We know the purpose of wine at weddings - social consumption. And, if we look at the passage honestly, we know that this is a fermented beverage; for when the host tasted it he was confused that the best wine ... read more »

The Dynamics of the Doxology

The term "doxology" derives from two Greek words, doxa, signifying "praise, honor, glory," and logos, "utterance." A doxology then, is a brief expression of praise. It has been more formally defined in the following way. "The name is given to brief forms of praise to God (or to Christ, or to the Trinity), the models of which were taken over ... read more »

Is Christ’s Coming Very, Very Soon?

A major advertisement appeared a while back in various newspapers throughout the country. It was titled: "Christ Is Coming 'Very, Very Soon.'" The piece begins like this: "The evidence for the soon return of Christ is overwhelming." Several "clues" then were offered whereby one might calculate that Jesus' return is quite near. The advertisement suggested that several "signs" (purportedly found ... read more »

What about Braided Hair?

In Paul's first letter to Timothy, he seems to forbid a woman wearing her hair braided (2:9). Can you comment on this? What would be the reason behind this prohibition? The full context of any passage, plus other relevant information elsewhere in the Bible on the same topic, must be employed to bring any ambiguous passage into clear focus. So ... read more »

Elder Qualifications: What About His Adult Children?

One of the men who serves as an elder in the congregation where I am a member has a son in a distant city. The son, who is in his late thirties, has recently become discouraged and has stopped attending church services. Does this fact disqualify our elder, in view of the Bible stipulation that he is to rule his ... read more »

One of Paul’s Final Prayers

Perhaps the most poignant of all Paul's letters was 2nd Timothy - written from his last Roman imprisonment, and obviously not long before his death (cf. 4:6).This document thus is the concluding literary composition of the noble apostle.The letter embodies words of instruction and admonition for his young friend, Timothy - his "true child in faith" (1 Tim. 1:2). The ... read more »

Did Paul Pray for the Dead?

"Does Paul's prayer for Onesiphorus (2 Timothy 1:18) provide Bible authority for praying for the dead?" Some have sought to argue this position. Roman Catholic theologians frequently appeal to the text in an attempt to establish their case for praying on behalf of the dead. Regrettably, even some Protestants have yielded to this position, in spite of a total lack ... read more »

Acts 18:9 – Paul’s Fear at Corinth

The apostle Paul, as great as he was, was not without his periods of despondency. When he penned First Corinthians, he informed the saints at Corinth that while he was with them, he experienced weakness, fear, and much trembling (1 Corinthians 2:3). This is very consistent with Luke's narrative in the book of Acts. While Paul was at Corinth, the ... read more »

Acts 15:9 — Hearts Cleansed by Faith

In Acts 15 at the conference in Jerusalem, Peter testified as to how God had used him as an instrument for the conversion of the Gentiles. In connection therewith, he declared that the Lord "made no distinction between us [Jews] and them [Gentiles], cleansing their hearts by faith" (15:9). Some religious folks assume this means that salvation is given upon ... read more »

Jehovah’s Witnesses and Armageddon

A quarter of a century ago I filed a copy of the Watchtower magazine (published and distributed by the "Jehovah's Witnesses"). The cover of that particular issue dramatically asked: "Are we nearing Armageddon?" (Watchtower, October 15, 1980). A subsequent feature article by the same name followed (pp. 11ff); it affirmed that Armageddon indeed was near. The misnamed "Jehovah's Witnesses" have ... read more »