1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by command of God our Savior and of Christ Jesus our hope,
2 To Timothy, my true child in the faith:
Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.
3 As I urged you when I was going to Macedonia, remain at Ephesus so that you may charge certain persons not to teach any different doctrine, 4 nor to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies, which promote speculations rather than the stewardship from God that is by faith. 5 The aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. 6 Certain persons, by swerving from these, have wandered away into vain discussion, 7 desiring to be teachers of the law, without understanding either what they are saying or the things about which they make confident assertions.
8 Now we know that the law is good, if one uses it lawfully, 9 understanding this, that the law is not laid down for the just but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for those who strike their fathers and mothers, for murderers, 10 the sexually immoral, men who practice homosexuality, enslavers, liars, perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound doctrine, 11 in accordance with the gospel of the glory of the blessed God with which I have been entrusted.
(ESV)
STOP! Think a little 🤔 What is God saying to you?
- What is the writer saying?
- How do I apply this to my life?
Paul wrote this letter to Timothy, his true son in the faith. Paul was Timothy’s spiritual mentor and had appointed him to lead the church at Ephesus. When Paul had left Ephesus, he warned them that savage wolves would come in and attack the flock (Acts 20:28) and this letter begins by dealing with that reality.
False teachers had risen up within the church and were teaching a different doctrine. Their teaching was based on myths and speculation rather than the truths that come from God. Paul wanted the believers to produce a pure love that comes from a pure heart and a good conscience that in turn comes from true faith in God, both faith for salvation and faith in all the promises and teachings of God.
These false teachers had wandered from the truth because they desired to be teachers but did not have a solid grounding in the truth. They taught the law of Moses and had elevated it to something that God had not intended. The Christian life is primarily about Christ, not about obeying laws, not even the commands of Christ (while those are important, they are not to be the focus of the Christian life). It is important that if you desire to teach God’s Word, that you have a solid understanding of it first.
The false teachers had incorrectly taught that obedience to the Mosaic law was important for Christians to grow spiritually but Paul points out that the law is only good if it is used the way it was intended. The law exists to show those who live contrary to God’s way that they are indeed sinners. On the other hand, sound doctrine promotes righteousness (Rom 12:2). The Christian life is not about following a set of rules, it is about following Christ. How would you characterise your Christian walk? Are you free as you follow Christ, or do you feel bound as you try to follow a set of rules?