Have you ever had the experience of retrieving a letter from your mailbox, opening the envelop rather hastily, and then realizing that the note is not addressed to you?  As you read the first line of the letter that identifies the recipient, you realize that your mail carrier has accidentally placed the envelope in the wrong box.  Now, if that has happened to you, were you tempted to keep on reading?  Be honest!

Reading someone else’s mail, even accidentally, leaves one feeling very guilty.  We come into information that was not intended for us, and a certain amount of shame naturally swells within us in that moment.

I bring this up today because this coming Sunday we will engage in a little ‘mail reading’ of our own.  However, there should be no shame involved at all since the author of the letter has penned his note knowing, and even expecting, that we would read it even though it is not addressed to us directly.

I am referring to Paul’s First Epistle to Timothy, one of the so called ‘Pastoral Epistles’ (along with 2 Timothy and Titus).  These three epistles were sent to two young men who were apostolic associates of Paul, each one stationed in a specific location where they would give leadership to the Churches there.

In his first letter to Timothy, Paul gives his young protégé some detailed exhortations and instructions related to the life, health, and faithfulness of the Church at Ephesus. A survey of this epistle will show that Timothy is to take command of a troubled fellowship and courageously deal with such vital issues as 1) the presence of false teachers, 2) proper worship and prayer, 3) the roles of women and men in the Church and in the home, 4) the qualifications for the offices of Elder and Deacon, 5) personal discipline, 6) the practical care of the Church, and 7) the threat of materialism.

This Sunday, we will begin our study of this inspired piece of mail.  And we can look over Timothy’s shoulder with the confidence that the ‘Postmaster General’ Himself, our Lord Jesus Christ, has also authorized us to read it and mine its riches!