Wanna be a Servant? Know the Truth!

Wanted to share some insights i've been learning from my pastoral epistles class. Let me ask you, what does it mean to be a servant?I believe in 1 Timothy Paul brings to light an aspect of servanthood that we don't usually think of.

1Tim. 4:6 ¶ In pointing out these things to the brethren you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, constantly nourished on the words of the faith and of the sound doctrine which you have been following.

The "these things" Paul is telling Timothy to point out in this verse are the false doctrines he just mentioned in 4:1-5. But what's interesting is that in v.6, Paul makes a connection between pointing out false doctrine and servanthood. Now typically, when someone mentions the word servant, we think of things like washing eachother’s feet, putting the interest of others ahead of ourselves, or Christ Jesus who came to serve and not be served. We think of setting up chairs, or sound equipment, or going out of one’s way to help another, and these are all definitely characteristic of a servant.

But another part of being a servant is being sound in doctrine. For a servant, needs to be able to point out those things that hinder the faith and growth of others. A servant has to be able to see the truth and know it well enough so that when a counterfeit comes along, he or she can point it out. A servant of Christ Jesus has to be doctrinally discerning. And looking at the 2nd half of v.6, in order to be doctrinally discerning, we have to be constantly nourished on the words of the faith and of sound doctrine. In other words, we need to be in the word of God, nourished by it. The word “nourished” can also mean feed upon, to live off of.

And when we are individually saturated in the word of God, I believe that we will also be on our way to fulfilling the purpose statement of this letter in 3:14-15 where Paul says…

1Tim. 3:14-15 ¶ I am writing these things to you, hoping to come to you before long; but in case I am delayed, I write so that you will know how one ought to conduct himself in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and support of the truth

If we want to be the church of the Living God, we need to be the pillar and support of the truth, and in order to do so, in order to be a people who can dispense and proclaim God’s truth, we need to know God’s word well, and in doing so we will benefit ourselves, benefit others, and also be good servants of Jesus Christ.