Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord. 1 Timothy 1.2
You’ve read and reread the pastoral epistles to learn your craft. They’ve warned of false teachers, instructed you in corporate worship, shown the marks of qualified officers, trained us to shepherd the wayward, given wisdom about the structures and systems of the Church, warned about money, and finally exhorted you to fight the good fight and fulfill your calling. They’re encouraging, exhausting, and essential just like the pastorate itself.
After all, that’s why we all got into this in the first place. We were overwhelmed by the wonder of God’s grace to us.
So, keep reading them, but don’t miss their opening lesson. The first thing Timothy needed to know was that the loving salutations and gracious benedictions in Paul’s other letters were his, too. After all, that’s why we all got into this in the first place. We were overwhelmed by the wonder of God’s grace to us. Unfortunately, how we’re just overwhelmed, and no wonder, the next six chapters pull no punches on the dangers and difficulty of your work. Ultimately, that’s not where Paul started because that’s not where our calling started. The first thing you need to do his job is the thing that moved you to do it at first. The next time you pronounce a benediction, remind yourself that it’s not just for them.
