The Message of I Timothy & Titus,  The Bible Speaks Today,  Guard The Truth by John R. W. Stott Fighting The Good Fight,  12 Studies with Commentary for Individuals or Groups,  I Timothy & Titus by John Stott with Lin Johnson

In the author’s preface, John R. W. Stott wrote, “But the apostle’s [Paul] overriding preoccupation throughout all three pastoral letters [I Timothy, II Timothy, Titus] is with the truth that it may be faithfully guarded and handed on. The pertinence of this theme, at the end of the twentieth century, is evident. For contemporary culture is being overtaken and submerged by the spirit of postmodernism.” 

The author is a Rector Emeritus of All Souls Church, Langham Place, London. He has made a study of the Pastoral letters since he was a young man. In his commentary on I Timothy & Titus, he makes a case for the authenticity of these letters and then proceeds to expound on what the letters say and what they mean to us today. Where there is disagreement among theologians, he shares the various points of view with the pros and cons for each.

He is knowledgeable on the historical context and does a good job of using the whole of Scripture to expound on these pastoral letters. His university training and excellent language skills may be difficult reading for those with less education. Those readers who are willing to accept the challenge will find a wealth of information and understanding in his writing.
 

Fighting The Good Fight, 12 Studies with Commentary for Individuals or Groups, I Timothy & Titus

This interactive Bible study guide, co-authored by John Stott and Lin Johnson on I Timothy and Titus, is divided into 12 studies which guide the reader to observe what the Bible says and to think more deeply about what it means and how to personally apply it. It can be effectively used by small groups or individuals to further their understanding of these books. 

Interspersed among the questions are comments taken from the commentary on these two books (see the review above) which add to the understanding of the context. For example: “The verb which Paul used both in 1:3 and 6:3 [I Timothy] clearly indicates that there is a norm of doctrine from which the false teachers had deviated.”

Some of the questions from the first lesson, “True or False?,” are: “What false teachings did Paul point out for Timothy?” “How can we live out the goal of love in a society characterized by false and empty teaching?”

In the Apply section, other questions challenge the participant to examine his or her own actions in light of Scripture.