Page 21 - October 2025 - Truth & Tidings

(Outlines from Romans to Hebrews by A.J. Higgins can be found on truthandtidings.com,
published from 2012-2015)
Origin

Written by the apostle Paul, probably after release from his first imprisonment. May
have been written from Macedonia. Written to the assembly at Ephesus. Trace the wealth
of insight we have into Ephesus from Acts through Revelation 2.
Paul’s epistles can be divided into three groups:
1. Preaching Epistles: Romans, Corinthians, Galatians, Thessalonians
2. Prison Epistles: Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, Philemon
3. Pastoral Epistles: Timothy and Titus (The reason for their being so called is not that
Timothy and Titus were pastors in the modern sense of the word, but that the epistles
contain much instruction for local church activity and for the care of local assemblies.)

The Church at Ephesus:
Its Planting (Acts)
Its Protection (the elders in Acts 20)
Its Progress (Ephesians letter)
Its Pastoring (1 Timothy)
Its Peril (2 Timothy)
Its Problem (Revelation 2)
Occasion

This epistle deals with godly order. Its theme is “how one ought to behave in the
house of God” (3:15). There were things which needed to be rectified in the assembly
at Ephesus, and Paul is giving Timothy both the authority to deal with the problems
and the instruction on how to deal with problems.
The House of God – A look at the Lord’s cleansing of the Temple gives principles
which are the backbone of 1 Timothy:
John: Make not My Father’s house (2:16) a house of merchandise – 1 Timothy 6
John: The zeal of thine house hath eaten me up (2:17) – 1 Timothy 1 and 4
Matthew: My house shall be called a house of prayer (21:13) – 1 Timothy 2
Luke: He taught daily in the Temple (19:47) – 1 Timothy 4
Mark: House of prayer ... for all nations (11:17) – 1 Timothy 2:1
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