SPECIAL TOPIC: THE ORTHODOXY OF THE PASTORALS
By the time of the writing of the Pastoral Letters (i.e., 1 Timothy, Titus, 2 Timothy) in
the mid 60’s (Paul was beheaded in a.d. 67), already a sense of the truths of
the gospel were being developed into a doctrinal sense. Notice the way Paul
refers to this “developed kerygma” (see Special
Topic: The Kerygma of the Early Church), which was the church’s defense against the
false teachers.
1. “sound teaching”
a. 1 Tim. 1:10
b. 2 Tim. 4:3
c. Titus 1:9; 2:1
2. “faithful sayings”
a. 1 Tim. 1:15; 3:1; 4:8-9
b. 2 Tim. 2:11-13
c. Titus 1:9; 3:5-8
3. “the teaching”
a. 1 Tim. 4:16; 6:1
b. 2 Tim. 3:10
c. Titus 2:7
4. “the good teaching”
a. 1 Tim. 4:6
5. “the teaching of godliness”
a. 1 Tim. 6:3
b. Titus 1:1
6. “sound words”
a. 1 Tim. 6:3
b. 2 Tim. 1:13
7. “what has been entrusted”
a. 1 Tim. 6:20
b. 2 Tim. 1:12,14 (i.e., “the good deposit”)
8. “the faith”
a. 1 Tim. 1:5,19; 3:9,13; 4:1,6; 5:8; 6:10,12,21
b. 2 Tim. 3:10; 4:7
c. Titus 1:13; 2:2
This doctrinal formulation of the gospel must be
1. guarded – 1 Tim. 6:20; 2 Tim. 1:14
2. kept – 2 Tim. 4:7
3. held fast – Titus 1:9
4. entrusted to faithful people – 2 Tim. 2:2
All believers have been entrusted with the gospel (the kerygma). We must protect
it, keep it, and pass it on intact!
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