What's the Good in Godliness? Studies in First and Second Timothy: Search For Truth Bible Series

By Brian Johnston

Only in Paul's letters to Timothy do we find the expression 'Man [or Woman] of God' in the New Testament – such a person would be characterized by godliness; but what is it and how do we become godly? Brian answers these vital questions across 11 engaging chapters:

1. The Law and Godliness - why the Old Testament law could never make a person godly.
2. A Life of Godliness - how both men and women can lead lives that are godly.
3. The Evidence of Godliness - what is the proof that we're godly people?
4. The Mystery of Godliness - how Jesus is our ultimate example of godliness.
5. The Discipline of Godliness - what it's going to take for us to become godly
6. The Doctrine of Godliness - the connection between godliness and the truth of God's word.
7. The Gain of Godliness - the reward in store for those that are godly
8. The Pursuit of Godliness - fleeing, following and fighting in order to be godly
9. The Language of Godliness - making sure what we say is godly
10. The Power of Godliness - avoiding having a form of godliness but denying its power
11. The Desire and Trials of Godliness - overcoming the obstacles that inevitably come with godliness.

Also included are a series of Supplementary Study Questions on 1 & 2 Timothy under the heading "Dealing with the Local Church"

 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Hayes Press
• Release date: Jan 2, 2023
• ISBN: 9798215161319

Brian Johnston

Born and educated in Scotland, Brian worked as a government scientist until God called him into full-time Christian ministry on behalf of the Churches of God (www.churchesofgod.info). His voice has been heard on Search For Truth radio broadcasts for over 30 years (visit www.searchfortruth.podbean.com) during which time he has been an itinerant Bible teacher throughout the UK and Canada. His evangelical and missionary work outside the UK is primarily in Belgium and The Philippines. He is married to Rosemary, with a son and daughter.

Book preview

Brian Johnston

What’s the Good in Godliness?

Studies in First and Second Timothy

First published by Hayes Press 2022

Copyright © 2022 by Brian Johnston

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning, or otherwise without written permission from the publisher. It is illegal to copy this book, post it to a website, or distribute it by any other means without permission.

Unless otherwise stated, all Bible references are taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE(r), Copyright (c) 1960,1962,1963,1968,1971,1972,1973,1975,1977 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. https://www.lockman.org.

Bible references marked NKJV are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

First edition

This book was professionally typeset on Reedsy

Find out more at reedsy.com

Publisher Logo

Contents

1. The Law and Godliness

2. A Life of Godliness

3. The Evidence of Godliness

4. The Mystery of Godliness

5. The Discipline of Godliness

6. The Doctrine of Godliness

7. The Gain of Godliness

8. The Pursuit of Godliness

9. The Language of Godliness

10. The Power of Godliness

11. The Desire and Trials of Godliness

Supplementary Study Questions on 1 & 2 Timothy - Dealing with the Local Church

More Books by Brian Johnston

About the Author

About Hayes Press

1

The Law and Godliness

It’s good to study the theme of a pair of letters and that’s what we hope to do in this series of studies. We’ll have a look at the two pastoral letters that the Apostle Paul wrote to Timothy. The theme we find there is one that’s focused on godliness. Paul especially emphasizes godliness in his first letter to Timothy. We’re to pray for those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. We’re to train ourselves to be godly. We’re to pursue godliness with unrelenting, persevering effort. Godliness with contentment is promoted as great gain; and finally, godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.

The other topics are like beads or pearls strung out on this thread of godliness that runs through both these letters. As we pick up on this theme, we’ll be asking ‘What’s the good of godliness?’ Much in every way, I suspect is what Paul would say. Elsewhere in his writings, when Paul wants to capture the essence of the Christian life in one brief paragraph, he focuses on godliness. He tells us that God’s grace teaches us to say ‘No’ to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives as we wait for the return of our Lord Jesus Christ (Titus 2:11-13).

Godliness can be thought of as a Godward attitude – definitely an attitude of reverence or piety. Only in Timothy in the New Testament do we find the expression ‘Man of God’ – such a person (and we’re not to limit it to males) would be characterized by godliness. In both these letters to Timothy, Paul begins by emphasizing ‘sound or healthy doctrine.’ It’s called that because it should lead to healthy Christian living that results in pure-hearted love, good conscience and genuine faith. These are, of course, the indicators of a Christian life well-lived.

First, what about a little background as to how the first of these letters came to be written? The Apostle Paul spent two periods of arrest or imprisonment in Rome. The Bible letters he wrote to Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians and Philemon were written during the first of these two periods. Upon his release after the first time, Paul proceeded to visit Ephesus (where he left Timothy); he then visited Crete (where he left Titus). Next, he proceeded to Colosse (where he visited Philemon); then he spent time in Macedonia (from where he wrote to Titus and from there also he wrote his first letter to Timothy). After that, he wintered at Nicopolis (likely with Titus); and then he possibly made a Spring visit to Spain. Paul had certainly expressed a desire to go to Spain, but we don’t get any biblical confirmation that he actually got there. It’s the early Christian writer, Clement, who tells us that Paul reached ‘the extreme limit of the west’ – and that’s how the Roman world once thought of Spain. They coined the expression ‘non plus ultra’ or ‘no more beyond’ and this was with respect to Spain in their understanding. In any case, Paul’s freedom came to an end when he was finally re-arrested at Troas – that’s an assumption, by the way, based on the haste with which he implies his departure from there occurred, as described in his very last biblical letter, his second one to Timothy.

So, we see that Timothy was at Ephesus when Paul wrote these letters to him. It seems that more letters in the New Testament were written to Ephesus – or to people stationed at Ephesus – than to any other location. It’s relevant then to ask: ‘What were the particular challenges facing the Church of God at Ephesus?’ The Apostle had certainly foreseen a major challenge on his last meeting with the Ephesian church elders (Acts 20). The New Testament church history book, the Acts of the Apostles, records