In what way do we use the Law lawfully (1 Tim 1.8)?
Paul in 1 Timothy 1.5-11 shows the place of the Law and the gospel. In this section we have the need of a sound gospel. A pure heart, a good conscience, and faith unfeigned are the fruit of the gospel (v.5). The Law shows that man has no pure heart, for it is evil; man has no good conscience, for it is guilty; and man is without faith. In v.7 the teachers of the Law failed to understand the true bearing of the Law and the gospel. They missed the distinction between the two. The Law was very much a part of the revelation of God, but it must not be viewed as superior to the gospel or used as a basis for salvation. No man can be justified by it and no man can obtain life by or through its instrumentality. Hence the purpose for which it was given in regard to transgression is made known in the remainder of the chapter.
In v.8, I judge, Paul is thinking of a right attitude to the Law of Moses. Romans 7 develops the statement of this verse, and in v.12 of that passage we have the best comment on 1 Timothy 1.8: "Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good". So there is nothing wrong with the Law of Moses. Paul is always careful to maintain the essential and inherent perfection of the Law – "the law is…good" - while at the same time declaring its insufficiency as the means of justification and life. The Law is an expression of the character of God Himself. Believers, in contrast to the teachers of the Law in v.7, and taught in Christian truth, know that the Law is good. When therefore Paul says, "If a man use it lawfully", we must not think that he means that as believers we must use the Law in a lawful manner, but rather that the believer uses the Law lawfully in that he regards it or treats it as Law, knowing it is a revelation from God condemning sin, and he knows from Scripture that the Law may expose sin, but it cannot remove it.
John J Stubbs
What is the difference between the evangelist gifted to the church (Eph 4.11) and the call to "do the work of an evangelist" (2 Tim 4.5)? Is this limited to those who are gifted as evangelists, and, although silent in the church, can sisters do this work?
The first-named permanent gifts in Ephesians 4 are evangelists whose proper sphere is the outside world. Bearing in mind that, whilst in Ephesians 4 the gifts are men, the gifts in 1 Corinthians 12 are abilities. This latter chapter enumerates the grace gifts which developed in the local assembly, and it is significant that that of the evangelist is omitted, for his work lies outside the immediate circle of the assembly, though in full fellowship with it. As far as evangelists are concerned, their sphere of service has no local limitation: "the world is their parish".
The gifts have been bestowed by the risen Christ for the edification of His church; thus evangelists are just as necessary for its building up as quarrymen are for the erection of a stone edifice. The evangelist concentrates upon preaching the gospel and planting new assemblies or introducing converts into the fellowship of existing ones. There is a great need for real evangelists; however, a true evangelist is almost as rare as a true pastor.
Part of the charge given by Paul to Timothy in his closing epistle is to "do the work of an evangelist" (2 Tim 4.5); the expression means "let your work be evangelistic in character". Timothy was to continue with the kind of work he began when he was first associated with the apostle. The nature of Timothy’s gift is not referred to explicitly, although he was to care for the people of God and teach the truth of God. The increasing difficulties and troubles of the Ephesian assembly might turn him aside from the work of the gospel. Here we learn that all of God’s servants should remember the importance of evangelism and do the work of such as God enables.
The two women, Euodias and Syntyche, whom Paul exhorts to "be of the same mind in the Lord" (Phil 4.2), had "laboured with (him) in the gospel" (Phil 4.3). Though vocal ministry in the church is not permitted to women, nevertheless there is much that can be done by them to further the work of the gospel.
Let us bear in mind that it is the responsibility of each believer to testify "by life and lip" to the saving and keeping power of the Lord Jesus.
David E West
