GrowthStarts

1 Timothy Index

I thought it might be helpful to have a handy reference post that lists all the links for the 1 Timothy study we recently finished here on the blog, so...here it is! Enjoy.

• Adventures in 1 Timothy (introduction to series)
• 1 Timothy background & setting

Chapter 1:

• 1 Timothy 1:1a -- Hey, y'all, it's Paul!
• 1 Timothy 1:1b -- I command you!
• 1 Timothy 1:1c -- Our Savior and our Hope
• 1 Timothy 1:2a -- Son, I am your father
• 1 Timothy 1:2b -- 3 things a leader continually needs
• 1 Timothy 1:3-4a -- I urge you
• 1 Timothy 1:3-7 -- Top 10 things about false teachers, part 1
• 1 Timothy 1:3-7 -- Top 10 things about false teachers, part 2
• 1 Timothy 1:3-7 -- Top 10 things about false teachers, part 3
• 1 Timothy 1:3-7 -- Top 10 things about false teachers, part 4
• 1 Timothy 1:3-7 -- Top 10 things about false teachers, part 5
• 1 Timothy 1:3-7 -- Top 10 things about false teachers, part 6
• 1 Timothy 1:3-7 -- Top 10 things about false teachers, part 7
• 1 Timothy 1:3-7 -- Top 10 things about false teachers, part 8
• 1 Timothy 1:8-11 -- Using & abusing the law
• 1 Timothy 1:10b-11 -- A sacred trust
• 1 Timothy 1:12-17 -- Giving thanks & praise
• 1 Timothy 1:12-17 -- Giving thanks & praise, part 2
• 1 Timothy 1:12-17 -- Giving thanks & praise, part 3
• 1 Timothy 1:18-20 -- Prophecies once made
• 1 Timothy 1:18-20 -- Leadership lessons

Chapter 2:

• 1 Timothy 2:1-7 -- Paul's urge
• 1 Timothy 2:1-4 -- Pray for the king
• 1 Timothy 2:5-6 -- Accepting your ransom
• 1 Timothy 2:7 -- The leader's mission
• 1 Timothy 2:8 -- Leading with uplifted hands
• 1 Timothy 2:9-10 -- Dressing modestly
• 1 Timothy 2:11-12 -- Directions to women, part 1
• 1 Timothy 2:11-12 -- Directions to women, part 2
• 1 Timothy 2:13-15 -- "Saved through childbearing"

Chapter 3:

• 1 Timothy 3 -- Outline
• 1 Timothy 3:1 -- The noble task of leadership
• 1 Timothy 3:2a -- Leadership quality #1: above reproach
• 1 Timothy 3:2b -- Leadership quality #2: husband of but one wife
• 1 Timothy 3:2c -- Leadership quality #3: well-balanced
• 1 Timothy 3:2d -- Leadership quality #4: self-controlled
• 1 Timothy 3:2e -- Leadership quality #5: respectable
• 1 Timothy 3:2f -- Leadership quality #6: hospitable
• 1 Timothy 3:2g -- Leadership quality #7: able to teach
• 1 Timothy 3:3a -- Leadership quality #8: not given to drunkenness
• 1 Timothy 3:3b -- Leadership quality #9: not violent
• 1 Timothy 3:3c -- Leadership quality #10: gentle
• 1 Timothy 3:3d -- Leadership quality #11: not quarrelsome
• 1 Timothy 3:3e -- Leadership quality #12: not a lover of money
• 1 Timothy 3:4-5 -- Leadership quality #13: manage his own family well
• 1 Timothy 3:6 -- Leadership quality #14: must not be a recent convert
• 1 Timothy 3:7 -- Leadership quality #15: good reputation with outsiders
• 1 Timothy 3:8a -- Servant leadership
• 1 Timothy 3:8b -- Servant leadership quality #1: worthy of respect
• 1 Timothy 3:8c -- Servant leadership quality #2: sincere
• 1 Timothy 3:8d -- Servant leadership qualities #3 & 4: not indulge in much wine and not pursue dishonest gain
• 1 Timothy 3:9 -- Servant leadership quality #5: keep hold of the deep truths of the faith with a clear conscience
• 1 Timothy 3:10 -- Servant leadership quality #6: first tested
• 1 Timothy 3:11a -- Leader's spouse qualities #1 & 2: worthy of respect and not a malicious talker
• 1 Timothy 3:11b -- Leader's spouse qualities #3 & 4: temperate & trustworthy in everything
• 1 Timothy 3:12 -- Servant leadership qualities #7 & 8: husband of but one wife & manage his children and his household well
• 1 Timothy 3:13 -- Leading is all about serving
• 1 Timothy 3:2-13 -- Review of leadership qualities
• 1 Timothy 3:14-15 -- Why the Bible? Why the church?
• 1 Timothy 3:16 -- The secret to becoming godly, part 1
• 1 Timothy 3:16 -- The secret to becoming godly, part 2
• 1 Timothy 3:16 -- The secret to becoming godly, part 3
• 1 Timothy 3:16 -- The secret to becoming godly, part 4
• 1 Timothy 3:16 -- The secret to becoming godly, part 5
• 1 Timothy 3:16 -- The secret to becoming godly, part 6

Chapter 4:

• 1 Timothy 4 -- Outline
• 1 Timothy 4:1 -- Beware of being deceived in the "later times"
• 1 Timothy 4:2 -- The enemy of the "best" is the "good"
• 1 Timothy 4:3 -- For your enjoyment
• 1 Timothy 4:4-5 -- Received with thanksgiving
• 1 Timothy 4:6 -- Are you nourished?
• 1 Timothy 4:7-9 -- Training for eternity
• 1 Timothy 4:10 -- Spiritual trainer
• 1 Timothy 4:11 -- Insist on these things
• 1 Timothy 4:12 -- Set an example
• 1 Timothy 4:13-14 -- Don't neglect using your gift
• 1 Timothy 4:15 -- Be diligent in these matters
• 1 Timothy 4:16 -- Watch your life & doctrine closely

1 Timothy 5:

• 1 Timothy 5 -- Outline
• 1 Timothy 5:1-2 -- R-E-S-P-E-C-T
• 1 Timothy 5:3-4 -- Take care of widows
• 1 Timothy 5:5-6 -- Are you the living dead?
• 1 Timothy 5:7-8 -- Don't deny the faith
• 1 Timothy 5:9-10 -- Are you on "the list"?
• 1 Timothy 5:11-15 -- Little things matter!
• 1 Timothy 5:16 -- Don't burden the church
• 1 Timothy 5:17-18 -- Don't muzzle the ox
• 1 Timothy 5:19-21 -- Entertaining accusations
• 1 Timothy 5:22-25 -- Part 1: Take care of your body (v. 23)
• 1 Timothy 5:22-25 -- Part 2: Don't be hasty (vv. 22, 24-25)

Chapter 6:

• 1 Timothy 6 -- Outline
• 1 Timothy 6:1-2 -- Serve them even better
• 1 Timothy 6:3-5 -- Part 1: Understanding nothing
• 1 Timothy 6:3-5 -- Part 2: Guarding against becoming a false teacher
• 1 Timothy 6:6-8 -- Be content
• 1 Timothy 6:9-10 -- Beware the trap of greed
• 1 Timothy 6:11-12 -- Action!
• 1 Timothy 6:13a -- Making the good confession--part 0 (intro)
• 1 Timothy 6:13a -- Making the good confession--part 1
• 1 Timothy 6:13a -- Making the good confession--part 2
• 1 Timothy 6:13a -- Making the good confession--part 3
• 1 Timothy 6:13a -- Making the good confession--part 4
• 1 Timothy 6:13b-15a -- Keep this command
• 1 Timothy 6:15b-16 -- Immortal, Invisible
• 1 Timothy 6:17-19 -- Laying up treasures
• 1 Timothy 6:20-21 -- Final words

1 Timothy 6:20-21 -- Final words

To catch up on our adventure through 1 Timothy, click here and read from the bottom post up.

1 Timothy 6:20-21 (NIV) :

"Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to your care. Turn away from godless chatter and the opposing ideas of what is falsely called knowledge, [21] which some have professed and in so doing have wandered from the faith.

"Grace be with you."

Paul closes this letter similar to the way he started it (1 Timothy 1:3-6). He drives home a couple of his themes one more time:

1. Guard "what has been entrusted to your care" (v. 20). Paul is asking Timothy to keep the deposit or trust that Paul had passed on to him. He is talking about the truth as represented in God's Word. As a leader, I have been given a sacred trust to faithfully obey and teach God's Word without error.
2. "Turn away from godless chatter and the opposing ideas of what is falsely called knowledge" (v. 20). Paul says to turn away from "godless chatter" (literally, profane empty utterances) and from "opposing ideas" (antithesis or counter-assertions). This knowledge he talks of was the supposed key to the mystery religions which were starting up and would eventually become Gnosticism. As a leader, I need to be very careful to stay grounded in God's Word.
3. Some "have professed" these opposing ideas "and in so doing have wandered from the faith" (v. 21; literally, concerning the faith missed the aim). This does not suggest that they lost their salvation, but that they turned away from the content of their faith to false doctrine. As a leader, I need to take care because my wandering from the truths of the faith can cause others to wander as well.
4. Paul closes with the simple benediction "Grace be with you" (v. 21). The word "you" is in the plural. Paul seems to know that although he's written this letter to Timothy, others will read it as well. As a leader, I need to be aware that people are constantly listening to me and watching my life even when I don't think they are.

This concludes the study of 1 Timothy that we started 10+ months ago! I hope you have enjoyed the journey!

1 Timothy 6:17-19 -- Laying up treasures

To catch up on our adventure through 1 Timothy, click here and read from the bottom post up.

1 Timothy 6:17-19 (NIV):

"Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. [18] Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. [19] In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life."

Most of us wouldn't consider ourselves "rich." People that I would consider rich would not consider themselves rich. The thinking is: If I just hoard a little more, I would be rich. They get that "little more," and then they have another goal: Well, if I just had a little more, I would be rich. It's a never-ending, elusive goal.

The fact is that if you live in the U.S., even in the very lower ranges of the income bracket, you are rich compared to the entire world. If you have a roof over your head, you have great wealth.

It's easy to dismiss this passage near the end of 1 Timothy because it is for the rich, not for me. But consider yourself rich, as 90% of the earth considers you, and take to heart what this passage says to you.

1. Don't "be arrogant" (v. 17). Don't act as if you deserve your wealth. You don't. It is a gift from God. (And He can take it away if He wants to.) Everything belongs to Him, and He's just letting you manage it for a short time. (See also 1 Corinthians 4:7-8; 1 Samuel 2:7.)
2. Don't put your "hope in wealth, which is so uncertain" (v. 17). Wealth is so transient. We all know stories of people who have lost it all. With the downturn in the economy, we know several people we might have considered rich who have lost so much. You can't depend on riches. But you can depend on God.
3. Put your "hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment" (v. 17). God is the only One we can depend on. We can put our hope and trust in Him and not be disappointed. He is the Source of all we have, and He has given it for our enjoyment.
4. Do "good," "be rich in good deeds," and "be generous and willing to share" (v. 18). Paul tells us all to not be rich in money, but to be rich in good deeds, doing good, being generous, and sharing. That's where true wealth comes from.

Paul says that if we do these things, we "lay up treasure" (v. 19) for ourselves in heaven. (See also the teachings of Jesus in Matthew 6:19-21; Luke 12:33-34; 18:22.)

This eternal treasure becomes "a firm foundation" (v. 19) for the future. (See also Matthew 7:24-27; Luke 6:47-49.) Jim Elliot said, "He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose."

This enables us to "take hold of the life that is truly life" (v.19; see also v. 12). When we stop hoarding and start giving, we start to find out what life is really all about. It shifts our focus away from this short physical life to the eternity of heaven and hell. And we begin to become more like Christ, who gave away His very life for us and who loved us when we were unlovable.

1 Timothy 6:15b-16 -- Immortal, Invisible

To catch up on our adventure through 1 Timothy, click here and read from the bottom post up.

1 Timothy 6:15b-16 (NIV):

"God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords, [16] who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see. To him be honor and might forever. Amen."

Paul breaks into praise with a doxology here towards the end of his letter.

• He praises God as "the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords." God is the ultimate Ruler of the universe and He is King over all other kings. (See also Revelation 17:14; 19:16.)
• God "alone is immortal" or eternal. You and I will live forever. (If you are a Christian you will live forever in heaven after your physical body dies; if you are not a Christian you will "live" forever--better way to say it is you will die forever--in hell.) But our lives began at a certain point in time. God existed before time began. He always was and always will be.
• God "lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see." He dwells where no man can survive or approach or even see. (See also John 1:18.)
• "To him be honor and might forever. Amen." A God like this deserves total reverence and complete humility from us. (See also Job 42:1-6.)

So Paul closes this letter the same way he opened it. Compare this passage with 1 Timothy 1:17 (NIV):

"Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen."

I love the way Paul has these little praise breaks in the middle of his instructions. It's like he's just suddenly overcome with the greatness of God and he just has to express it!

These two passages--1 Timothy 1:17 and 6:15b-16--remind me of one of my favorite old hymns. The lyrics were penned by Walter Chalmers Smith in 1867.

Immortal, invisible, God only wise,
In light inaccessible hid from our eyes,
Most blessed, most glorious, the Ancient of Days,
Almighty, victorious, Thy great Name we praise.

Unresting, unhasting, and silent as light,
Nor wanting, nor wasting, Thou rulest in might;
Thy justice, like mountains, high soaring above
Thy clouds, which are fountains of goodness and love.

To all, life Thou givest, to both great and small;
In all life Thou livest, the true life of all;
We blossom and flourish as leaves on the tree,
And wither and perish—but naught changeth Thee.

Great Father of glory, pure Father of light,
Thine angels adore Thee, all veiling their sight;
All praise we would render; O help us to see
'Tis only the splendor of light hideth thee!

1 Timothy 6:13b-15a -- Keep this command

To catch up on our adventure through 1 Timothy, click here and read from the bottom post up.

1 Timothy 6:13b-15a (NIV):

"I charge you [14] to keep this command without spot or blame until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, [15] which God will bring about in his own time."

The "command" here probably refers to the entirety of Paul's teaching in this letter of 1 Timothy, rather than a single commandment.

Paul is solemnly charging Timothy to follow his teaching and to preserve it from stain or reproach.

Do I have that much reverence and respect for God's Word? Not reverence for it like it's a museum piece and I'm afraid to touch it. But appreciation and love for it like I can't wait to dive into it and find out what it says to me today. And respect for it so that I immediately obey whatever it tells me to do.

Or is my life a reproach because I rarely open the Bible up? or because I misinterpret it to fit my own selfish needs and sin nature? or because I simply don't obey what it says?

And do I realize that "the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ" can come about at any time? And at that point in time my lukewarmness will be self-evident. And I will be so ashamed. And the time for seeking will be over.

Father, help me to revere Your Word. Help me to love it and cherish it and preserve it from stain and reproach in my life. Make Your Word more alive to me than ever before.

1 Timothy 6:13a -- Making the good confession--part 4

To catch up on our adventure through 1 Timothy, click here and read from the bottom post up.

1 Timothy 6:13a (NIV) :

"In the sight of God, who gives life to everything, and of Christ Jesus, who while testifying before Pontius Pilate made the good confession."

We've been looking at this verse and asking how Christ "made the good confession" while "testifying before Pontius Pilate."

And that leads to the bigger question for us: How do we make a good confession before a watching world?

Or to make it even more personal: How do I share my faith with those who don't know Christ?

So we went back to the interaction between Christ and Pilate as recorded in John 18:33-38 and 19:9-11 and we're breaking it apart and looking at each interaction one by one over several posts.

To catch up on this mini-series, check out these links:

• Intro
• 1. Make it personal
• 2. Make it surprising
• 3. Make it revealing

Today let's look at the last interaction between Jesus and Pilate in John 19:9-11:

• Pilate: "Where do you come from?"
• Jesus: [says nothing]
• Pilate: "Do you refuse to speak to me? Don't you realize I have power either to free you or to crucify you?"
• Jesus: "You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above. Therefore the one who handed me over to you is guilty of a greater sin."

This brings us to the last point about our "good confession":

4. Make it spiritual.

Jesus points out the unseen spiritual dynamics of the situation. While Pilate revels in his own power, Jesus reveals the real, unseen power. Jesus points out that even Pilate's power would not be possible if the Father didn't allow it.

Most nonChristians are oblivious or indifferent to the spiritual world. They may give a nod to it, but by and large they are not aware of the unseen realm. It's the job of the Christian to give them a glimpse of it, not in a spooky way, but in a way that shows them that there's more to life than just physical existence on this planet. Whet their appetite for more.

The easiest way to do this is when the nonChristian encounters some sort of trouble (losing a job, facing tough exams, etc.) or tragedy (death of a loved one, cancer, etc.). At that point, you an offer to pray for them. In fact, ask if you can pray right then and there, with them. This is a nonoffensive and non-pushy way to reveal the spiritual right at their point of need.

So to recap, the way we make the good confession before a watching world is to:

1. Make it personal.
2. Make it surprising.
3. Make it revealing.
4. Make it spiritual.

1 Timothy 6:13a -- Making the good confession--part 3

To catch up on our adventure through 1 Timothy, click here and read from the bottom post up.

1 Timothy 6:13a (NIV) :

"In the sight of God, who gives life to everything, and of Christ Jesus, who while testifying before Pontius Pilate made the good confession."

We've been looking at this verse and asking how Christ "made the good confession" while "testifying before Pontius Pilate."

And that leads to the bigger question for us: How do we make a good confession before a watching world?

Or to make it even more personal: How do I share my faith with those who don't know Christ?

So we went back to the interaction between Christ and Pilate as recorded in John 18:33-38 and 19:9-11 and we're breaking it apart and looking at each interaction one by one over several posts.

To catch up on this mini-series, check out these links:

• Intro
• 1. Make it personal
• 2. Make it surprising

Today let's look at the next interaction between Jesus and Pilate in John 18:37:

• Pilate: "You are a king, then!"
• Jesus: "You are right in saying I am a king. In fact, for this reason I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me."

This brings us to the third point about our "good confession":

3. Make it revealing.

In another place Jesus says He is the truth. If you want to know what truth is, just look at Jesus.

Jesus reveals truth wherever He goes. He both reveals the truth of who He is and the truth of who you are. In fact, the closer you get to Jesus, the more beauty is revealed to you, and, many times, the more ugliness is revealed in your own life. The truth Jesus reveals is quite clarifying sometimes.

The good confession we make to a watching world ought to reveal the beauty of Jesus. Make Jesus attractive to them. In the process, it ought to also reveal the ugliness of mankind, not pointing a finger at them, but pointing a thumb back at ourselves.

In our next 1 Timothy post we'll wrap up this mini-series on making "the good confession."

1 Timothy 6:13a -- Making the good confession--part 2

To catch up on our adventure through 1 Timothy, click here and read from the bottom post up.

1 Timothy 6:13a (NIV) :

"In the sight of God, who gives life to everything, and of Christ Jesus, who while testifying before Pontius Pilate made the good confession."

We've been looking at this verse and asking how Christ "made the good confession" while "testifying before Pontius Pilate."

And that leads to the bigger question for us: How do we make a good confession before a watching world?

Or to make it even more personal: How do I share my faith with those who don't know Christ?

So we went back to the interaction between Christ and Pilate as recorded in John 18:33-38 and 19:9-11 and we're breaking it apart and looking at each interaction one by one over several posts.

To catch up on this mini-series, check out these links:

• Intro
• 1. Make it personal

Today let's look at the next interaction between Jesus and Pilate in John 18:35-36.

• Pilate: "Am I a Jew? It was your people and your chief priests who handed you over to me. What is it you have done?"
• Jesus: "My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jews. But now my kingdom is from another place."

This brings us to the second point about our "good confession":

2. Make it surprising.

The world will want to throw you in with all the "crazy Christians" like the guy with the blowhorn and the homemade sign that says in big letters "Turn or BURN," or the people who try to burn Harry Potter books. Notice what Pilate said: "It was your people and your chief priests who handed you over to me."

(Interesting that Jesus doesn't really answer Pilate's question here, but reveals some surprising information about His kingdom instead.)

This is your chance to surprise them. Turn the tables. Show them that your Jesus is about love and concern, not about judgment and condemnation.

That's what I love about my church. We really live this out. It's even embedded in our mission statement:

"NorthStar Church exists to show God's love in such a way that people would exchange ordinary living for an extraordinary life through the transforming power of Jesus Christ."

To me the key word here is "show." Not tell, not teach, not preach, but show. This means that anybody can do it, not just professional Christians (preachers).

Show them God's love and surprise the hell out of them. Literally.

1 Timothy 6:13a -- Making the good confession--part 1

To catch up on our adventure through 1 Timothy, click here and read from the bottom post up.

1 Timothy 6:13a (NIV) :

"In the sight of God, who gives life to everything, and of Christ Jesus, who while testifying before Pontius Pilate made the good confession."

In our last 1 Timothy post we began looking at this verse and asking how Christ "made the good confession" while "testifying before Pontius Pilate."

And that leads to the bigger question for us: How do we make a good confession before a watching world?

Or to make it even more personal: How do I share my faith with those who don't know Christ?

So let's go back to the interaction between Christ and Pilate as recorded in John 18:33-38 and 19:9-11 and break it apart. Let's look at each interaction one by one over the next few posts.

First we'll look at John 18:33-34.

• Pilate: "Are you the king of the Jews?"
• Jesus: "Is that your own idea, or did others talk to you about me?"

From this first interaction we can come up with our first point about our "good confession":

1. Make it personal.

Shift the focus from what others say about Jesus (or how others live the Christian life) to: "What do you say about Jesus?"

People will base their opinion of Jesus on what they've seen or heard from others. They'll talk about Christians who are hypocritical. They'll talk about child-molesting priests and greedy televangelists and megachurch pastors who see male prostitutes. They'll talk about the Crusades and slavery and many other topics.

But Jesus turns Pilate's question around and says: But who do you say that I am?

We would do well to follow Jesus' example here. He is not antagonistic. But He gently turns the question around and makes it personal. He basically says: Yes, I now what everyone else is saying about me. I know what's been done "in my name" that isn't right. But what about you? Who do you say I am?

I don't want to make this too simplistic, but I do think we can argue all day with people about these issues and it gets us nowhere. There are many people in the world smarter than me who can argue better than me. But you cannot argue with my personal experience.

Avoid the arguments and bring the conversation back to what God has done in your life and what God can do in the other person's life. Make it personal.

1 Timothy 6:13a -- Making the good confession--part 0 (intro)

To catch up on our adventure through 1 Timothy, click here and read from the bottom post up.

1 Timothy 6:13a (NIV) :

"In the sight of God, who gives life to everything, and of Christ Jesus, who while testifying before Pontius Pilate made the good confession."

In order to understand this verse, we need to look and see how Christ Jesus made a "good confession" while "testifying before Pontius Pilate."

Matthew, Mark, and Luke all give a terse summary of the interaction between Jesus and Pilate. But John gives us the extended version in John 18:33-38 and 19:9-11.

John 18:33-38 (NIV):

"Pilate then went back inside the palace, summoned Jesus and asked him, 'Are you the king of the Jews?'

"[34] 'Is that your own idea,' Jesus asked, 'or did others talk to you about me?'

"[35] 'Am I a Jew?' Pilate replied. 'It was your people and your chief priests who handed you over to me. What is it you have done?'

"[36] Jesus said, 'My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jews. But now my kingdom is from another place.'

"[37] 'You are a king, then!' said Pilate.

"Jesus answered, 'You are right in saying I am a king. In fact, for this reason I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.'

"[38] 'What is truth?' Pilate asked. With this he went out again to the Jews and said, 'I find no basis for a charge against him.'"

John 19:9-11 (NIV):

"And he went back inside the palace. 'Where do you come from?' he asked Jesus, but Jesus gave him no answer. [10] 'Do you refuse to speak to me?' Pilate said. 'Don't you realize I have power either to free you or to crucify you?'

"[11] Jesus answered, 'You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above. Therefore the one who handed me over to you is guilty of a greater sin.'"

I pull at least four themes from here that show how Jesus made the good confession before Pilate, and, therefore, shows us in the 21st century how to make a good confession to a watching world. We'll look at these four themes over the next four 1 Timothy posts.