This website was developed primarily in response to a request from the many Pastors I have had the privilege of ministering to in foreign countries. I have conducted many leadership conferences in these places and some of my books have been translated and distributed in these areas. As a result, the leaders of the church networks I have been working with requested that I provide these materials and more on a website.
I want to especially thank several people. Joshua Jurgensmeier volunteered many hours and his expertise to develop the website. Nathan Andersen spent hours with me taping videos and editing them. Christina Doehrmann helped with the editing and publishing of the written materials. Maureen Vieth prepared PowerPoint slides for the video sermons. New Life Community Church and my fellow Pastors fully supported me in this project. And my wonderful wife Brenda assisted with a lot of editing. Without the above servants of God, this website would not have been possible.
The Purpose of the Training Timothys website
The purpose of Training Timothys is to help equip the most important men in all the world today: Teachers of God’s truth. There is nothing on Earth more important than God’s truth, and therefore, there are no men more important than those called to the responsibility of teaching God’s word to God’s people.
God greatly desires, and the Church desperately needs, more men like Timothy to whom the Apostle wrote:
In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, Who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of His appearing and His kingdom, I give you this charge: Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction” (2 Tim 4:1-2 NIV).
The Apostle knew that God was watching and aware of this charge to Timothy, it being made in God’s own presence. And the Apostle’s urging was in light of two monumental facts: Our King is returning, and He will hold every human being accountable for what they did, with the word, time, and talents He gave them.
It was in the [very] presence of God and with the end of this world and our life on it, in mind, that the Apostle gave his charge. He could have said a number of things that are vitally important in such a solemn context to such a gifted man as Timothy (cf. 1 Tim 4:14; 2 Tim 1:6). But the one thing the Apostle did say, perhaps mere days before he was executed, was, “Timothy, Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. Evidently, there is nothing more important to being used to fulfill the purposes of God on this planet than to be a man who is prepared to Preach the Word regardless of the season or circumstances, with Christ-like patience and careful instruction.
This is precisely why the Apostle had told Timothy earlier in the letter, Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth” (2 Tim 2:15 NIV). Again, no endeavor undertaken by man is more significant than correctly interpreting, teaching, and applying God’s word, because to do otherwise is to misunderstand, misrepresent, and disobey the Creator and King Himself. As in all human endeavors, not even God expects perfection, but He certainly demands that we do our very best, diligently doing whatever it takes to correctly handle the word of truth.
Again, we do all of this under the watchful eye of the Author Himself to be either approved or ashamed regarding how careful, diligent, humble, and Christ-centered, as opposed to human-centered, we were in working to understand, teach, and apply His word correctly. This is why we read in James, Not many of you should presume to be teachers, my brothers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly (3:1 NIV). It is because of the great potential power of teaching God’s word, that it is so valuable, demanding, and held to such a high standard, all at the same time. Training Timothy’s is offered to help the man called and gifted by God to be one of His Teachers, to obey these awesome and sobering divine commands.
Ezra the priest, of course, is our example, of whom it is written: the gracious hand of his God was on him. For Ezra had devoted himself to the study and observance of the Law of the LORD, and to teaching its decrees and laws in Israel” (Ezra 7:9-10 NIV).
We take comfort in the fact that the gracious hand of [our] God will be on us as well as we answer His call on our life to be His Teachers. But like the Apostle Paul, that grace to [Ezra] was not without effect as he no doubt, worked harder than all (1 Cor 15:10 NIV) and devoted himself, his whole life really, to the study of God’s written word, so that he could obey and teach it in a manner, worthy of the calling [he had] received (Eph 4:1). We would like to help you do the same, and hope that some day we will stand before our God together, rejoicing in how sincerely, lovingly, passionately, and accurately we preached His precious word to His precious people.
More specifically, we are especially concerned for the growing number of Teachers in the Church who are being called into ministry without a seminary education. The reasons for this are many. First, formal theological training is very, very expensive. Secondly, it often requires full-time commitment. Thirdly, many seminaries are dangerously drifting into error and compromise, particularly as they have to be market-driven in order to economically survive. We simply want to be a place where particularly such people can get a very biblical, thorough, equipping, and life-changing theological education in order to fulfill their God-given spiritual gift of teaching (cf. Rom 12:7; Eph 4:11; 1 Cor 12:28).
Obviously, the most important thing for any Teacher of God’s word is not his knowledge, but his character (cf. 1 Tim 3:1-13; Tit 1:5-9). Remember, we are representing Him, not just teaching about Him. Obvious as well, is the fact that an Internet site will not be the primary way in which the King works His character into your life. That will come with your humble and faith-filled response to the responsibilities, challenges, and opportunities God sovereignly brings your way in order to prepare you for what He wants you to do. This is why life is the best seminary.
Along these lines the Apostle Paul told the Teacher Timothy, watch your life and doctrine closely” (1 Tim 4:16 NIV). While we are limited in helping you do the former, we can definitely assist you with the latter, and be a God-given tool to know God and His word better, so that you can help others do the same.
The Resources used in Training Timothys
The primary Bible versions used in the Training Timothys resources include the New International Version (NIV), the New Living Translation (NLT), and the New American Standard Bible (NASB). Sometimes a suggested translation is offered that is often a combination of these. This will also be in bold letters, but will not be followed by a three letter designation as an “official” translation. This is simply offered as a suggested and expanded translation of the original languages to make the meaning more clear for modern English speakers. The goal is to help you understand the Scriptures in modern, everyday English. A thorough explanation of my translation is usually provided in the endnotes for the reader’s consideration.
In the endnotes of the written material you will find numerous quotes from and interaction with the very best Evangelical commentaries, language reference works, and other Bible reference tools. For more information on the reference works and abbreviations used see “Bibliography of Abbreviations and Resources Used in Training Timothys Materials.”May our God and Father bless, instruct, and change you greatly as you seek, study, and worship Him through what you find at Training Timothys.