If we were to take a poll of modern Christians and ask them what they think are some of the key issues facing the church today, what would be on that list? Certainly it would include things like, what is at the heart of the ministry of the church? How should women participate in the church? How important is the preaching ministry of the church? What is the church’s responsibility to the poor? What type of leadership should the church have? What should the worship of the church entail?

The questions of today are not all that different from the questions the church wrestled with in the middle of the first century. And the good news is that Scripture has answers to these questions. In particular, the apostle Paul deals with these issues as he writes his two letters to his friend and co-worker, Timothy.

Dr. William Barcley is senior pastor of Sovereign Grace Presbyterian Church (PCA) in Charlotte, North Carolina, and adjunct professor of New Testament at Reformed Theological Seminary. He earned a BA in Biblical Studies from Gordon College, a MA in Theological Studies from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, and a PhD in New Testament from Boston University.