Author: Jeff Englund

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1 Timothy 1:18b – Personal Prophecies

“Pentecost” by Sandro Botticelli (c. 1490s), Public Domain
“Pentecost” by Sandro Botticelli (c. 1490s), Public Domain

… in keeping with the prophecies once made about you …

Summary: Paul’s reference to the “prophecies once made about you” leads us to wonder what they might have been and how they came about.   

To understand what Paul is saying in this passage, we really need to talk about personal prophecies. 

In Old Testament times, prophets were people who were selected by God to speak to the people of Israel. Some of the big names included: 

  • Moses — Deuteronomy 34:10, Numbers 12:6–8
  • Aaron — Exodus 7:1
  • Miriam — Exodus 15:20
  • Deborah — Judges 4:4
  • Samuel — 1 Samuel 3:20, Acts 3:24
  • Nathan — 2 Samuel 7:2, 1 Kings 1:8
  • Elijah — 1 Kings 18:36, 2 Kings 1:8
  • Elisha — 2 Kings 3:11, 2 Kings 5:8

While there were sometimes hundreds of false prophets (1 Kings 22:6) the Lord would choose one person to speak for him at a time. When the prophet spoke, whether to one person or many, it was generally about something that affected the whole of Israel. 

After Jesus lived, died, rose, and went up to heaven, something very important changed. The prophet Joel, speaking for God, says: 

“And afterward,
    I will pour out my Spirit on all people.
Your sons and daughters will prophesy,
    your old men will dream dreams,
    your young men will see visions.
Even on my servants, both men and women,
    I will pour out my Spirit in those days.” (Joel 2:28-29)

Jesus speaks to this directly when he says:

“But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.” (John 14:26)

In his first letter to the Corinthians, Paul writes about the “manifestations of the Spirit” and how they are given for the “common good.” Then Paul describes what these look like. Some he calls a “message of wisdom,” while others are a “message of knowledge.” He also explains that one of the manifestations of the Spirit is “prophecy.” (1 Corinthians 12:7-11)

Before Jesus, God used Israel as a “light for the Gentiles” (Isaiah 49:6). After Jesus fulfilled the law (Romans 13:8), God changed tactics. He pours out his Spirit on “all people.” First to convict (John 16:8), and then for those who acknowledge Jesus as Lord, to “teach you all things” (John 14:26). 

It would appear that “all things” includes the prophecies made about Timothy. 

Application: Learn to listen to the Holy Spirit’s teaching.  

Food for Thought: Where would Christianity be without the Holy Spirit? 

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1 Timothy 1:18a – Fighting God

Cartoon picture of a man using a hammer on the foot of the statue "David." The statue says "Ouch!"

Timothy, my son, I am giving you this command …

Summary: The reason for Paul’s command to Timothy is that others were teaching false gospels. Why they were doing this is open to speculation, so let’s speculate!  

“As I urged you when I went into Macedonia, stay there in Ephesus so that you may command certain people not to teach false doctrines any longer or to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies.” (1 Timothy 1:3-4a) 

It is helpful to pause once more and reflect on Paul’s “command.” 

As we have discussed in prior meditations, there was a problem with people teaching “false doctrines.” Why would anyone do this? 

The answer, it turns out, is as old as humankind itself. 

The Tenth Commandment gives us a clue: 

“And you shall not covet … anything that is your neighbor’s.” (Deuteronomy 5:21)

People covet. They are often envious and jealous of what others have or have accomplished. When people feel this way, their expression of envy can be ugly. 

In doing research for our recent meditation, “Glory” (1 Timothy 1:17f), I was shocked to read that when the statue “David” was moved from  Opera del Duomo, where Michelangelo did his work, to the Piazza della Signoria, where it was displayed, it was attacked by envious artists. 

Apparently, a guard had to accompany the giant statue during its four-day journey “to protect it from violence by other artists … who had hoped for the commission.”*

They actually threw stones at it! To this day, there are marks on the statue’s back where stones flung at the statue chipped the marble. 

Even as recently as 1991, a deranged artist snuck a hammer into the museum and started banging on David’s left foot. Before guards could stop him, he had broken off several chunks of marble (some of which were later recovered from tourists trying to sneak them out of the museum!). 

Envy is an ugly thing, and jealousy is an evil master. 

We don’t know exactly why people pushed false doctrines, but it is not hard to imagine that they were envious and wanted to “throw stones” at the work Paul had done. 

What they failed to see was the man behind Paul — Jesus. They weren’t fighting against Paul; they were fighting against God.

Application: Guard your heart against coveting.  

Food for Thought: What message does tearing down what others have built send to the world? 

*Wikipedia. “David (Michelangelo)” Wikipedia, 18 February 2026, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_(Michelangelo)

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1 Timothy 1:17g – Perspective

 … for ever and ever. Amen.

Summary: This is a good point to step back from our detailed examination of the text and regain a bit of perspective.   

Paul’s letter, so far, consists of a greeting (vs 1-2), Paul’s command against false teaching (vs 3-7), and a discussion of the proper use of the law (vs 8-11). In the last section (vs 12-17), Paul has given Timothy a brief review of his personal testimony. 

Paul’s story is not really that unusual. He is grateful for being chosen to serve the Lord, even though he was formerly disrespectful, accusatory, and violent. He remembers how God showed him mercy and how now he realizes he was ignorant of God’s true nature. Can we relate? I can!

At this point, he begins to wax poetic, visualizing God’s grace being “poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus” (v 14). 

He pauses for a moment to give Timothy a “trustworthy saying.” At first, it sounds like “I am the worst” is part of his personal testimony, but on reflection, we realized that it applies to all believers. Then he continues describing how God not only showed mercy on him, but also how he used Paul as an example for others so they might be encouraged and believe as well. 

Finally, we are at the climax of Paul’s praise. 

“Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory…”

How should he finish?

Is it enough to ascribe honor and glory to the King eternal for only a moment? 

No. 

Paul wants Timothy (and you and me) to know that God, the King eternal, deserves glory and honor for … ever and ever. 

There. 

If you could praise God only “for ever,” that would not be enough. Praise him “for ever and ever,” and you are beginning to get a perspective on how much praise God deserves from us. 

Finally, Paul adds, “Amen.” 

“Amen” is a word that can mean “So be it!”* To say “Amen” at the end of a sentence like this is to join with the one who spoke the words and agree with them. 

Before closing, we should add a historical note. 

The Greek word for “glory” is “dóxa.”† If we put “dóxa” together with the Greek word for “something said,” “lógos,” we have our modern word, “doxology.” Several centuries after Paul wrote his letter to Timothy, the church decided to start calling passages like this, passages that glorify God as Paul has here, doxologies. 

Application: Praise God for ever and ever.  

Food for Thought: If you were to write a doxology, that is, a sentence or two praising God, what would you include in it? 

*”G281 – amēn – Strong’s Greek Lexicon (NIV).” Blue Letter Bible. Web. 17 Feb, 2026. <https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g281/niv/mgnt/0-1/>.

†”G1391 – doxa – Strong’s Greek Lexicon (NIV).” Blue Letter Bible. Web. 17 Feb, 2026. <https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g1391/niv/mgnt/0-1/>.

**”G3056 – logos – Strong’s Greek Lexicon (NIV).” Blue Letter Bible. Web. 17 Feb, 2026. <https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g3056/niv/mgnt/0-1/>.

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1 Timothy 1:17f – Glory

A picture of King Solomon sitting next to the statue of David. (Grok)
Screenshot

Now to the King [be] … glory…

Summary: Understanding Paul’s meaning requires digging into the language he used. While not the same as an exhaustive study, this meditation gives us a peek at what Paul might have been thinking.   

It is unfortunate, and a little confusing, when Greek and English word meanings don’t exactly line up. It is kind of like trying to mix real LEGO™ blocks with generic lego-like ones. They look the same, but they don’t quite fit together. 

In our last meditation,* we looked at the Greek word “timḗ” and why the Bible uses the English word “honor” for it. In this meditation, we look at the Greek word “dóxa” (dox’-ah) and wonder if it should be used for “honor,” too. 

Sometimes it is! 

But, most of the time, “dóxa” is translated as “glory.” 

Why?

The concept of honor, both in the Greek “timḗ” and the English, has to do with how someone is valued. Just like we “pay” respect, we “pay” honor, too. When we honor God, we acknowledge his infinite value and worth because he is the source of our lives and all that is good. 

Glory is a bit different. 

We can give glory to God in the same way we give honor, but with the word “glory,” there is a sense that the value is within the person or being. 

Consider the statue “David,” by Michelangelo. If you have ever seen it, you know that it is an enormous marble statue standing seventeen feet high. It is on display at Galleria dell’Accademia, Florence, Italy. If you ever take the time to travel to Italy and make your way to the Galleria dell’Accademia, then pay the admission fee and endure the wait and the crowds to catch a view of the famous statue, you are paying the statue honor by coming to see it. 

The glory you see is different than the honor you pay. 

There is a certain glory to the statue because of its history, the artist, and its amazing size and faithful rendering of the human body. That glory exists whether anyone is looking at the statue or not. At night, when the museum is closed and all is dark, the statue remains the same. 

The glory of God is similar but on an infinitely grander scale. 

When the Queen of Sheba came to see Solomon, and was confronted with all his glory, the Bible says that there was “no more breath in her” (2 Chronicles 9:3-6, ESV). 

God is like that, but more, far more. Confronted with the living God, John says, “When I saw him, I fell at this feet as though dead” (Revelation 1:17), and that is what it is like to be in the presence of God’s glory. 

Application: Take time to appreciate God’s glory!  

Food for Thought: How does paying attention to God’s glory change our relationship with him? 

*”1 Timothy 1:17e – Paying Honor”

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1 Timothy 1:17e – Paying Honor

 Now to the King … be honor…

Summary: We owe our king everything.   

Have you ever heard the expression, to “pay someone honor?” 

When you come before a king and bow down, you are literally “paying” with your life. A person whose face is to the ground cannot see to defend themselves. Their necks are exposed, too. This is the exact posture a person would be forced to take if they were going to be beheaded. 

The Greek word Paul used is “timḗ” (tee-may’). It is a word that is often translated as “honor,” but is also used to express value or cost. It can literally refer to the price paid for something, even a person’s life.*

When Paul writes, “To the King be … honor…” he is describing the value we attribute to our God. 

Think about that for a moment. 

What value do we attribute to God, and how do we do it? 

With an earthly king, the real moment of danger is when we are physically in his presence (Esther 4:11). When we are out of sight, we are, generally speaking, out of mind — and safe. 

With God, our heavenly King, we are never out of sight or out of mind. God is omniscient (Hebrews 4:13) and omnipresent (Proverbs 15:3). We are always before our King. 

If we want to pay God honor, no time or place is not the right time or place. By the same token, there is no place to hide. If we dishonor God, he will know.

So what should we do?

Fortunately, Scripture provides us with an answer. In fact, Scripture provides us with an array of answers. 

1. God says, “You shall have no other gods before me,” (Exodus 20:3). 

2. His Word also says, “Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father, who sent him” (John 5:23b).

3. “Love your neighbor as yourself.” (Matthew 22:39)

4. “He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” (Micah 6:8)

5. “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.” (James 1:27)

When we do these things, and all the other things that please our King, we pay him honor. 

Application: We owe more than we can pay, but we can pay honor out of gratitude.  

Food for Thought: What is the difference between paying honor and a righteous “work?”

*”G5092 – timē – Strong’s Greek Lexicon (NIV).” Blue Letter Bible. Web. 15 Feb, 2026. <https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g5092/niv/mgnt/0-1/>.

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1 Timothy 1:16c – The Way Home

Picture of St. Paul standing by the side of the road with a sign that says "This Way Home." (Grok)

…and receive eternal life.

Summary: Taking a closer look at Paul’s words, we take a moment to review what it means to have eternal life.   

Jesus called Paul to be an Apostle — one who is “sent” to teach others about the kingdom of God. We might not ever be called to appear before a king in this life, but we will in the next, and we need to understand what is involved so that we can be prepared. 

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