1 Timothy 5 Lesson

PHILIP AND THE ETHIOPIAN EUNUCH

Our focus verse for today’s lesson is from the Book of Acts:

• “Philip ran up and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet, and said, “Do you understand what you are reading?” And he said, “Well, how could I, unless someone guides me?” – Acts 8:30.

This interaction between Philip and the Ethiopian eunuch is a powerful example of how much we need the help of others.

There is no place in Christianity for “going it alone.”

We do better when we understand how much we need each other, and how much they need us.

That is God’s plan for us. To help each other.

GOD WANTS US TO HELP EACH OTHER

The Bible is full of verses on the importance of helping one another.

For today’s lesson, we have selected the following five:

1. “Do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.” -Philippians 2:4,
2. “Do not neglect doing good and sharing, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.” -Hebrews 13:16,
3. “Bear one another’s burdens, and thereby fulfill the law of Christ.” -Galatians 6:2,
4. “One who is gracious to a poor person lends to the Lord, and He will repay him for his good deed.” -Proverbs 19:17,
5. “You must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He Himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’” -Acts 20:35.

THE NEED FOR SPIRITUAL MENTORS

Just like the Ethiopian eunuch in the above scripture, we all need people to guide us and teach us. 

As we get older and mature in our faith, God wants us to share what we have learned and to teach others about Christ. 

In other words, we all need mentors !

Mentoring is defined as:

“A relationship in which a more experienced or more knowledgeable person helps to guide a less experienced or less knowledgeable person.” (Source:Google Dictionary)

THE APOSTLE PAUL MENTORED TIMOTHY

Paul was a mentor to Timothy.

He provided instructions and advice on how Timothy was to deal with situations that Paul thought were likely to occur. 

Mentors play an important part in the spiritual development of others. 

Over the course of our lives, we will have opportunities to learn from those who have gone before us, and later in life, Lord willing, we will also have opportunities to share our experiences and mentor others. 

CHARACTERISTICS OF A GOOD MENTOR

A good mentor is four things:

1. Somebody who believes in us,
2. Somebody who encourages us, 
3. Somebody who teaches us,
4. Somebody who shows us how to grow in Christ. 

FOLLOWING GOD’S PLAN

The Prophet Jeremiah wrote: 

• “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” –  Jeremiah 29:11. 

This scripture tells us that God has a plan for all of us.

And part of His plan is to help each other get to Heaven.

As God unveils His plan for us, we need to be receptive to the spiritual mentors that God brings into our lives.  We also need to look for the opportunity to mentor others who can benefit from our experiences. 

In submitting to God's plan, we need to be aware that God does notbring people into our lives by accident.

When a new person enters our lives, we should consider the possibility that God has brought them to us for a reason.

Perhaps there is something that we can learn from this individual, or that they can learn from us? 

BIBLE VERSES ABOUT MENTORING

There are several scriptures that talk about mentoring in the Bible.  Today, we will look at three of them:

1. “Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.” - Proverbs 27:17, 
2. “Older women likewise are to be reverent in their behavior, not malicious gossips nor enslaved to much wine, teaching what is good, so that they may encourage the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, to be sensible, pure, workers at home, kind, being subject to their own husbands, so that the word of God will not be dishonored.” - Titus 2:3-5, 
3. “Therefore, I exhort the elders among you, as your fellow elder and witness of the sufferings of Christ, and a partaker also of the glory that is to be revealed, shepherd the flock of God among you, exercising oversight not under compulsion, but voluntarily, according to the will of God; and not for sordid gain, but with eagerness; nor yet as lording it over those allotted to your charge, but proving to be examples to the flock.  And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory.  You younger men, likewise, be subject to your elders; and all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, for God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” - 1 Peter 5:1-5.

CONCLUSION

All of us need mentors to help us navigate through life and mature into the Christians that God created us to be. 

And later in life, as we gain experiences and knowledge, God wants us to share that with others and help them develop.

That is what mentoring is all about. 

In Forbes’ article “What Makes A Great Mentor,” we read the following statement:

“ Generally, a good mentor is someone who is motivated and energized, cares about developing others, and is willing to commit their time .  At the same time, if you are a mentee, make sure to dedicate the time and energy necessary to be mentored properly. It’s most effective when there is a good match between the mentor and mentee—whether that be in backgrounds, skill sets, experiences, roles or facing similar challenges.” (Source: Forbes)

Over the course of our lives, we will interact with many people. 

Some will mentor us, and others will be mentored by us. 

We will end today’s lesson where we began, with the example of Philip and the Ethiopian eunuch:

• “Philip ran up and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet, and said, ‘Do you understand what you are reading?’ And he said, ‘Well, how could I, unless someone guides me?’ And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him.” - Acts 8:30-31.