For some books of the Bible, we need to read through the entire book to surmise the main theme or purpose of the writing of the book. For other books, the writer states explicitly his purpose in writing. The book of First Timothy is of this latter category. Paul discloses the following: “I write so that one will know how to conduct himself in the household of God” (1 Tim. 3:15). The purpose of First Timothy was so that readers would know (1) that the church is God’s family and (2) how to behave in His family.
Read through First Timothy to see who is in this family and recognize that each family member is equally needed and equally important. In God’s family are “God, Jesus, son(s) in the faith, righteous person(s), former blasphemer(s), those who believe, men [who] pray, women [who] profess godliness, overseers, husbands, wives, fathers, children, deacons, minister, youth, eldership, older men, younger men, brothers, older women, mothers, younger women, sisters, widows, grandchildren, parents, saints, afflicted, gossips, busybodies, elders, laborer(s), sinners, bondservants, masters, brethren, believers, beloved, proud, some [who] have strayed, men of God, rich,” etc. (1 Tim. 1:1, 2, 6, 9, 13, 15, 16; 2:8, 9, 10; 3:1, 2, 4, 8, 11; 4:6, 12, 14; 5:1, 2, 3, 4, 11, 13, 17, 18, 20; 6:1, 2, 4, 10, 11, 17).
Read through that list again. In the family of God, people come in all kinds. Some are expected; some not. Some give us joy; some not. Some give us peace; some not.
Now, let’s read through First Timothy again to see what the family’s responsibility to each other is. Remember, this book was written so that we would know how to behave in the family of God. Our responsibilities toward each other include: “godly edification, love from a pure heart, longsuffering, prayers, intercessions, giving of thanks, speak the truth, teach in faith and truth, adorn in modest apparel, good works, submission, temperate, hospitable, gentle, reverent, faithful, serve, exercise toward godliness, labor, be an example, take heed to self and doctrine, exhort, honor, provide, relieve, do nothing with partiality, keep pure, be content, flee unrighteousness, pursue righteousness, fight the good fight of faith, keep the commandment, do good, ready to give, willing to share,” etc. (1:4, 5, 16; 2:1, 7, 9, 10, 11; 3:2, 3, 8, 10, 11, 13; 4:7, 10, 12, 15, 16; 5:1, 3, 8, 10, 16, 17, 21, 22, 25; 6:2, 8, 11, 12, 14, 18).
Brothers and sisters in Christ, you are part of a glorious family, made up of all sorts of folks (as different as they can be). Nevertheless, we all need each other, we all belong to each other, and we all have responsibilities to each other! Let us conduct ourselves in God’s family as He would have us!