I preach regularly and as a preacher and a pastor I have spent a lot of time in the books of 1 & 2 Timothy. 1 Timothy is a book that not many people jump to that easily because it has verses in it that have caused a bit of controversy in the church. But people are much more happy to dive into 2 Timothy.
However, our comfort or our lack of desire to be challenged on particular topics (teaching, roles of men and women in the church, eldership, etc.) should not stop us from listening to God’s Word. Also, we shouldn’t let our culture translate the Bible for us, after all it is God’s Word that should be our foundation of doctrine and our understanding of how to live out our faith.
Philip Jensen has written a great book that you can use in your own Bible reading, in one to ones and in small group settings called 1 & 2 Timothy for you. I spend a lot of time reading commentaries, Bible study notes and study Bibles at work. Every time I preach I do my text work first, then look at commentaries to make sure I’m on the right track. I do this because 1) I am and always will be a student of the Bible, I will never know and understand it all; and 2) The Word of God is important and the teaching of it is a huge responsibility, my job is to carve it up well for people to understand and not to butcher it. Therefore, some more experienced brothers and sisters help me along the way.
I’ll look at at least 1 (if not 2) academic commentaries that discuss the original languages of the text, the linguistic structures and details. I’ll look at 2 preaching commentaries, these are usually written by and for pastors to help us all grow in our preaching. To finish off I’ll look at 1 or 2 expository guides or devotional books. 1 and 2 Timothy for you falls into the last category.
Jensen’s new book is really helpful, it deals with the seemingly difficult verses within the two Epistles, it is practical and asks reflection questions after each chapter, it is well written, easy to read and it has a helpful glossary at the back with definitions of words.
This is the kind of book that will help you understand the general message of the book of the Bible and will help you think through the applications of it for your own life. If you want to read these books in your devotional times and want to understand them a bit better, buy the book here and get reading!
This book will not answer all of your questions, and that isn’t the point of the book, but it will give you a better grasp of these 2 Epistles and will help you understand the logic of them more.
I do not agree with everything that Jensen says about these 2 books, but there are very few people in the world that I would agree 100% with on everything. This book is really good book that is just one in the really helpful series.
Here is a wee bonus for you, if you follow this link it will take you to The Good Book Company’s free ebook of the month which is Ephesians for you another book in this series of study guides.
The Good Book Company have created this great series which helps Christians think through, wrestle with and apply books of the Bible. Jensen’s addition of 1 & 2 Timothy for you is well worth a read and it will definitely help you grow in your understanding of God’s Word, grow in your love for the Lord and His Church.
Rating 4/5
Philip Jensen was the Dean of Sydney’s St Andrew’s Cathedral, and an outspoken leader of evangelicals in Australia and throughout the world. He is married to Helen and they have three children and 13 grandchildren. Phillip is Founder of Two Ways Ministries and the author of many books, including By God’s Word, The Archer and the Arrow and the world-famous Two Ways to Live evangelistic resource.
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