1 Timothy 1:3-7 says,...
Today's verses are 1 Timothy 1:3-7, which read,
v.3, 4 - As I urged you upon my departure for Macedonia, remain on at Ephesus so that you may instruct certain men not to teach strange doctrines, nor to pay attention to myths and endless genealogies, which give rise to mere speculation rather than furthering the administration of God which is by faith.
Paul has left Timothy in the city of Ephesus to pastor the church there. This letter is to instruct him on how to deal with different events that are happening within the church family. This instruction will span the centuries to help us within our church family because there is nothing new under the sun.
There were some strange doctrines that had cropped up. These were things that were added to the gospel message that became the focal point rather than the teaching of Christ's death and resurrection. These teachings are described as doctrines so they are being presented as something of great importance and replacing the doctrines set forth by the apostle's teaching. They are also described as strange or different and both of these are red flags to us about something that doesn't sound right or can't be found in the Scriptures that we have in our hands.
We all love a story and stories were abounding in Ephesus. We love to be seen or know famous people and so endless genealogies were given to attach people to importance and that led to speculation of the greatness of the creature rather than the Creator. The focus on these things took their focus off of God's grace of the gospel through the administration of it by the cross of Christ. God's gospel is not a myth and it is not connected to us by who we know or who we are related to. It is by faith. The Bible is full of genealogies but they cease after the giving of Jesus' genealogy because that is the only one that really means anything when it comes to faith.
v.5 - But the goal of our instruction is love from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.
The false teachers were drawing attention to themselves while Paul's instruction to Timothy is to teach in a way that keeps attention on the One we have faith in. The base of our teaching is love, a love that is coming from three things. A pure heart which means a current right relationship with the Lord; a good conscience which means a current right relationship with others; and a sincere faith which means an authentic connection between what we say and what we do. We speak to others from this base but also to see this reality in the others that we are speaking to. We long to see them also having a pure heart, good conscience, and sincere faith.
v.6, 7 - For some men, straying from these things, have turned aside to fruitless discussion, wanting to be teachers of the Law, even though they do not understand either what they are saying or the matters about which they make confident assertions.
"Fruitless discussion" is an interesting phrase that Paul uses here to describe to Timothy what is going on. Some men have gotten caught up in strange doctrines and myths and endless genealogies which lead to speculation and abandoned the teaching that comes from love to see hearts, consciences, and faith securely on God. What they are presenting now is going nowhere. It is fruitless. It is the fig tree in full foliage but there is no fruit on it. They look like a teacher and sound like a teacher but their teaching doesn't lead to a pure heart, good conscience, and sincere faith. They want to be seen. That is the point. They want to be seen by others rather than wanting Christ to be seen by others.
Here are our devotional questions for the day. Do I live my life and speak my words in a way that others see me or others see Christ? Am I wrapped up in making sure others know something about me and my greatness, my genealogy, or am I wrapped up in making sure to share with others when given the opportunity about the greatness of Jesus, His genealogy? Are my discussions with others really leading somewhere because they are coming from a love of a pure heart, good conscience, and sincere faith in Christ and seeking that for others? This is true fruit by God's standards when it comes to teaching opportunities that He gives to us within our homes, churches, small groups, and spiritual one on one mentoring. Let's pray.
"Lord, how easy it is to get off of You and onto ourselves and stay there for a long time. How easy it is for us to spiritualize something that is not Your gospel of the cross. May it seem strange to us when we hear something that is not Your words and Your ways. May we keep caught up in You and not our ourselves and may we have the opportunity to share You today. Amen."
Pastor Adam
v.3, 4 - As I urged you upon my departure for Macedonia, remain on at Ephesus so that you may instruct certain men not to teach strange doctrines, nor to pay attention to myths and endless genealogies, which give rise to mere speculation rather than furthering the administration of God which is by faith.
Paul has left Timothy in the city of Ephesus to pastor the church there. This letter is to instruct him on how to deal with different events that are happening within the church family. This instruction will span the centuries to help us within our church family because there is nothing new under the sun.
There were some strange doctrines that had cropped up. These were things that were added to the gospel message that became the focal point rather than the teaching of Christ's death and resurrection. These teachings are described as doctrines so they are being presented as something of great importance and replacing the doctrines set forth by the apostle's teaching. They are also described as strange or different and both of these are red flags to us about something that doesn't sound right or can't be found in the Scriptures that we have in our hands.
We all love a story and stories were abounding in Ephesus. We love to be seen or know famous people and so endless genealogies were given to attach people to importance and that led to speculation of the greatness of the creature rather than the Creator. The focus on these things took their focus off of God's grace of the gospel through the administration of it by the cross of Christ. God's gospel is not a myth and it is not connected to us by who we know or who we are related to. It is by faith. The Bible is full of genealogies but they cease after the giving of Jesus' genealogy because that is the only one that really means anything when it comes to faith.
v.5 - But the goal of our instruction is love from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.
The false teachers were drawing attention to themselves while Paul's instruction to Timothy is to teach in a way that keeps attention on the One we have faith in. The base of our teaching is love, a love that is coming from three things. A pure heart which means a current right relationship with the Lord; a good conscience which means a current right relationship with others; and a sincere faith which means an authentic connection between what we say and what we do. We speak to others from this base but also to see this reality in the others that we are speaking to. We long to see them also having a pure heart, good conscience, and sincere faith.
v.6, 7 - For some men, straying from these things, have turned aside to fruitless discussion, wanting to be teachers of the Law, even though they do not understand either what they are saying or the matters about which they make confident assertions.
"Fruitless discussion" is an interesting phrase that Paul uses here to describe to Timothy what is going on. Some men have gotten caught up in strange doctrines and myths and endless genealogies which lead to speculation and abandoned the teaching that comes from love to see hearts, consciences, and faith securely on God. What they are presenting now is going nowhere. It is fruitless. It is the fig tree in full foliage but there is no fruit on it. They look like a teacher and sound like a teacher but their teaching doesn't lead to a pure heart, good conscience, and sincere faith. They want to be seen. That is the point. They want to be seen by others rather than wanting Christ to be seen by others.
Here are our devotional questions for the day. Do I live my life and speak my words in a way that others see me or others see Christ? Am I wrapped up in making sure others know something about me and my greatness, my genealogy, or am I wrapped up in making sure to share with others when given the opportunity about the greatness of Jesus, His genealogy? Are my discussions with others really leading somewhere because they are coming from a love of a pure heart, good conscience, and sincere faith in Christ and seeking that for others? This is true fruit by God's standards when it comes to teaching opportunities that He gives to us within our homes, churches, small groups, and spiritual one on one mentoring. Let's pray.
"Lord, how easy it is to get off of You and onto ourselves and stay there for a long time. How easy it is for us to spiritualize something that is not Your gospel of the cross. May it seem strange to us when we hear something that is not Your words and Your ways. May we keep caught up in You and not our ourselves and may we have the opportunity to share You today. Amen."
Pastor Adam
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