One thing we have talked about a lot throughout this series is our desire to be “good tourists” as we study the book of 1 Timothy. What do we mean by that? We want to take the time to understand the context and culture in which these words were written so that we can better understand the heart behind what Paul is communicating.

We believe that everything in the Bible is true and good, but that does not necessarily mean every instruction was intended to be applied in exactly the same way to every culture and situation throughout history. Understanding what a passage meant to its original audience is critical to understanding how it should speak to us today.

The verses we are studying this week begin with some direction regarding slavery. Rather than directly addressing slavery as wrong or immoral, Paul gives instructions to slaves about how they should treat and respect their masters.

This is a passage that has unfortunately been misinterpreted and misapplied in many ways throughout history. So, what do we do with a passage like this? How do we understand Paul’s words without overlooking the difficult realities of what he is addressing?

We believe that being “good tourists” means taking a step back and looking at the bigger picture. What was happening in the world when Paul wrote these words? How did slavery function within Roman culture? How does this passage fit within the larger narrative of Scripture? And ultimately, what do these instructions reveal about the heart of Paul’s message?

When we take the time to peel back those layers, we can begin to better understand what Paul was communicating to his original audience and how those truths should shape the way we live today.

We hope you will join us this Sunday at 10:00 AM as we work through some of these questions and study 1 Timothy 6:1–10 together!