April 12th to May 10th

We will be studying three letters of the New Testament over five weeks.

We will cover the three letters commonly referred to as, “The Pastoral Epistles.”  The letters are 1st & 2nd Timothy and Titus. These letters are commonly referenced in defining church structure, church order, and church doctrine (beliefs). 

Authorship is credited to the Apostle Paul as written to coworkers in early church ministry. These letters emphasize the necessity of sound beliefs, qualifications for elders/deacons, and the responsibility to faith the right beliefs on to the next generation. 

At San Pedro we affirm how these letters reflect an evolved view on the original understanding of Jesus’ teachings about salvation, sanctification and pastoral faithfulness to Christ. 

Key Themes we gleaned from these three letters 

Structure and Governance: These letters provide the biblical basis for elder-led church government, emphasizing orderly worship and specific qualifications for leaders (1 Tim. 3:1-13; Titus 1:5-9).

Theological Soundness: Reformed theology emphasizes guarding the truth against false teaching. Paul highlights sound doctrine that accords with the "glorious gospel" (1 Tim. 1:10-11).

The Role of Scripture: 2 Timothy 3:16-17 is foundational for the doctrine of biblical inspiration, asserting Scripture is breathed out by God and sufficient for all pastoral and Christian life.

Grace and Good Works: Titus 2–3 highlights that justification by grace through faith produces a motivation for good works and holy living, rejecting legalism and antinomianism.

Gospel Stewardship: Timothy is urged to entrust the gospel to faithful men who can teach others (2 Tim. 2:2), emphasizing the preservation of orthodoxy.

Focus Points

1 Timothy: Focuses on church order, public worship, and qualifications for church officers.

2 Timothy: Paul’s final letter, focusing on endurance in ministry, faithful preaching, and suffering for the gospel.

Titus: Emphasizes establishing faithful elders in Crete to correct error and promote godly behavior. 

Note: if you do a deep dive into issues of original authorship you’ll find a few modern theologians who argue against Paul's authorship. Based on what we have studied we believe Paul wrote these letters, with dates spread out between his first and last Roman imprisonment. These dates would place the last letter just before his death.

Messages

4/12/26 “Your Essential Foundation” 1 Timothy 1:12-17

4/19/26 “Building God’s House” 1 Timothy 3:1-7

4/26/26 “Endurance” 2 Timothy 3:10-17

5/3/26 “Everyday Living” Titus 2:1-10

5/10/26 “Faithful to Finish" Titus 2:11-14