INTRODUCTION: THANK EDWIN FOR TEACHING LAST WEEK. WHEN I WAS PREACHING LAST WEEK I ACCIDENTALLY SAID AT LEAST ONE WRONG WORD. I THINK YOU ALL REALIZED IT BECAUSE OF THE CONTEXT, BUT JUST IN
CASE YOU WERE DOZING RIGHT UP UNTIL THE CRITICAL PART, AND THEN SUDDENLY AWOKE AND SAID, “WHAT IS THAT GUY TALKING ABOUT…?” I MEANT TO SAY THAT MARGIE AND I HAD AS OUR GOAL TO BRING
CIVILIZATION AND SALVATION TO OUR CHILDREN. UNFORTUNATELY, I SAID BRING CIVILIZATION AND SALVATION TO THE CHURCH. NO, I NEVER THOUGHT IT WAS MY GOAL TO BRING CIVILIZATION TO THE CHURCH!
ENOUGH OF THAT. WE HAVE TWO NEW BOOKS TO LEARN ABOUT THIS QUARTER, 1 TIMOTHY (YOU WILL RECALL THAT WE STUDIED 2 TIM IN 1985) AND TITUS. SO LETS GET INTO IT!
I. TIMOTHY’S CHALLENGE
A. READ 1 TIM 1:3-4. WHAT ASSIGNMENT DOES PAUL GIVE TO TIMOTHY?
B. DOES IT APPEAR THAT THIS IS THE FIRST TIME THAT PAUL URGED TIMOTHY
TO STAY IN EPHESUS? (NO, HE SAYS THAT WHEN HE WENT TO MACEDONIA HE URGED
TIM TO STAY.)
C. SO PAUL TALKED WITH TIM ABOUT THIS BEFORE, AND NOW IS WRITING A FOLLOW-UP
LETTER URGING HIM TO STAY IN EPHESUS. WHAT DO YOU READ BETWEEN THE LINES
ABOUT TIM’S DESIRE TO STAY? (IT SEEMS TO ME THAT TIM WOULD RATHER BE DOING
SOMETHING ELSE.)
D. DO WE HAVE ANY HINT WHY IT IS THAT TIM IS RELUCTANT TO STAY IN EPHESUS?
(HE IS GOING TO HAVE TO DEAL WITH PEOPLE WHO ARE SPREADING FALSE DOCTRINE.
SO HE WILL BE WADING INTO A FIGHT.)
1. WHAT IS HE SUPPOSED TO DO ABOUT THESE FALSE TEACHERS? (TO COMMAND
THEM TO STOP TEACHING.)
2. HOW EASY DO YOU SUGGEST THAT WILL BE? (SINCE TIM IS YOUNG, MY BET
IS THAT HE NEEDS THE MORAL AUTHORITY OF PAUL’S LETTER BEHIND HIM.)
3. DO YOU THINK THIS IS THE RIGHT WAY TO HANDLE FALSE DOCTRINE — JUST
TO TELL THEM TO STOP TEACHING? (WE WILL VISIT THIS AGAIN.)
II. THE FALSE DOCTRINE.
A. PAUL SAYS THAT THESE MEN WERE TEACHING “OTHER” (KJV) “FALSE”
(NIV) DOCTRINES AND DEVOTING THEMSELVES “TO MYTHS AND ENDLESS GENEALOGIES.”
ANYONE HAVE ANY IDEA OF THE NATURE OF THESE FALSE TEACHINGS WERE IN EPHESUS?
(WE DON’T KNOW. OUR LESSON AND A COUPLE OF THE COMMENTARIES THAT I READ
HAVE INTERESTING SUGGESTIONS. YOU KNOW THAT THE OT HAS SOME LONG GENEALOGIES.
APPARENTLY AS PART OF THE STUDY AND SPECULATION ABOUT THE OT, THE JEWS
WOULD CONSTRUCT BIOGRAPHIES FOR EVERY NAME ON THE LIST. THE STORIES WERE
SUPPOSED TO BE UPLIFTING – THEY COULD HAVE HAPPENED – BUT THEY WERE IMAGINARY!)
B. REREAD 3 & 4 AND GO THROUGH 7. WHAT WAS THE PROBLEM WITH THESE
PEOPLE WANTING TO TEACH THE SABBATH SCHOOL CLASS? (IT SEEMS THAT THEY WANTED
TO BE INVOLVED IN IRRELEVANT NONSENSE — THAT WAS JUST A BUNCH OF SPECULATION.
IF THE LESSON AND COMMENTARIES ARE RIGHT ABOUT THE NATURE OF THE PROBLEM,
THEY JUST WANTED TO GET WRAPPED UP IN FRIVILOUS DISPUTES. DISPUTES THAT
MAKE NO DIFFERENCE.)
C. WE DO NOT KNOW FOR SURE THE NATURE OF THE FALSE DOCTRINE AND THE
DISPUTES, BUT LETS LOOK CLOSELY AND SEE WHAT WE CAN LEARN ABOUT THE NATURE
OF TRUE vs FALSE DOCTRINE, AND WORTHWHILE BIBLE DISCUSSION vs WASTING TIME.
1. WHAT ARE SOME IDENTIFYING MARKS OF WASTING TIME? (v.4. IT PROMOTES
CONTROVERSIES INSTEAD OF GOD’S WORK; v.6 IT DRAWS OTHERS AWAY FROM SINCERE
FAITH AND INTO MEANINGLESS TALK; v. 7 THE TEACHERS OF THIS STUFF DO NOT
KNOW WHAT THEY ARE TEACHING ABOUT.)
a. HAVE YOU RUN INTO SOMEONE WHO WANTS TO BE INVOLVED IN CONTROVERSY
JUST FOR THE SAKE OF CONTROVERSY? b. WHAT IS THE ATTRACTION TO THIS? (SOMETHING
NEW AND DIFFERENT. AND PEOPLE PAY ATTENTION TO YOU WITH SOMETHING NEW.)
2. WHAT DO THESE VERSES SUGGEST ARE THE IDENTIFYING MARKS OF SERIOUS
BIBLE STUDY?
a. v.4 CONTROVERSY SEEMS TO BE CONTRASTED WITH FAITH. SO ONE IDENTIFYING
MARK OF SERIOUS BIBLE STUDY IS THAT IT INCREASES YOUR FAITH.
b. v. 5 SEEMS TO TELL US THAT LOVE FITS IN HERE SOMEPLACE. HOW DO YOU
THINK IT FITS IN?
(BIBLE STUDY SHOULD PROMOTE LOVE. I DON’T THINK “LOVE” IS
A VERY HELPFUL TERM BECAUSE IT MEANS SO MANY DIFFERENT THINGS — BUT LOOK
AT THE OPPOSITE — v. 9 SAYS THESE FALSE TEACHERS DO NOT KNOW WHAT THEY
ARE TALKING ABOUT, BUT THEY CONFIDENTLY AFFIRM IT. DOESN’T THAT SOUND LIKE
ARROGANCE? DOESN’T IT SOUND LIKE CONTEMPTUOUS THINKING? DOESN’T IT SOUND
LIKE THE DISCUSSION HURTS PEOPLE INSTEAD OF HELPS THEM? DO YOU SEE THE
TWO DIFFERENT PICTURES HERE?)
c. v. 5 SEEMS TO SAY THAT THIS LOVE THAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR IN BIBLE
STUDY COMES FROM:
A) PURE HEART;
B) GOOD CONSCIENCE; AND,
C) SINCERE FAITH.
d. CONSIDER THIS A MOMENT: PAUL SEEMS TO BE TALKING NOT ONLY ABOUT WHAT
THESE FALSE TEACHERS ARE TEACHING, BUT HE SEEMS TO BE TALKING ABOUT THERE
CHARACTER WHEN HE TALKS ABOUT A PURE HEART, GOOD CONSCIENCE AND SINCERE
FAITH: DO YOU AGREE?
e. DO YOU REMEMBER WHEN I ASKED YOU EARLIER ABOUT PAUL’S ADVICE TO JUST
SHUT THESE PEOPLE UP? AND IT SOUNDED PRETTY HARSH. SHOULD WE MAKE A DISTINCTION
BETWEEN FALSE DOCTRINE THAT COMES FROM A PURE HEART AND GOOD CONSCIENCE
AND SINCERE FAITH, AND ONE THAT COMES FROM PEOPLE WHO DO NOT HAVE THESE?
(1) DO WE JUST SAY TO THE PURE HEART PEOPLE: WE HAVE A BIG TENT HERE,
YOU ARE WRONG, BUT WE WILL JUST AGREE TO DISAGREE? (2) AND TO THE IMPURE
HEART PEOPLE: YOU ARE OUT OF HERE? (CONSIDER GAL. 1:9)
f. IT SEEMS THAT v.6 SAYS THAT THE FALSE TEACHERS HAVE WANDERED AWAY
FROM A PURE HEART, A GOOD CONSCIENCE AND A SINCERE FAITH AND TURNED TO
MEANINGLESS TALK.
(1) DOES THAT MEAN THAT WE SHOULD JUDGE OUR TEACHERS FIRST BY THESE
THREE CHARACTER ISSUES BEFORE WE EVEN GET INTO WHAT IT IS THEY ARE SAYING?
(2) SO YOU WOULD SAY, “I DON’T CARE WHAT KIND OF A BIBLE STUDENT
BRUCE CAMERON IS, I DON’T CARE IF HE IS AN INTERESTING TEACHER, THE FIRST
THING I WANT TO KNOW IS ABOUT HIS CHARACTER?
g. OR IS THIS JUST SAYING THAT IF EACH ONE OF US IS CONCERNED ABOUT
HAVING A PURE HEART, A GOOD CONSCIENCE AND A SINCERE FAITH, THAT WE WILL
HAVE MORE POSITIVE BIBLE STUDY AND LESS MEANINGLESS TALK?
III. THE FUNCTION OF THE LAW
A. READ v.8-10a. WHY DO THOSE WHO ARE GOOD NOT NEED THE LAW?
1. HOW MANY OF YOU, IF VIRGINIA REMOVED ITS MURDER STATUTE, WOULD KILL
YOUR SPOUSE?
2. STEAL THE OFFERING AS IT CAME BY?
3. BREAK THE WINDOWS IN MY CAR AFTER CHURCH?
4. DOES THE LAW HAVE ANY BEARING ON WHETHER YOU DO THESE THINGS? (SO
THOSE WHO ARE RIGHTEOUS DO NOT CARE ABOUT THE LAW, THEY DO THE RIGHT THINGS,
AND AVOID THE WRONG THINGS BECAUSE THAT IS WHAT THEY CHOOSE TO DO.)
B. WHAT LAW IS PAUL TALKING ABOUT? (CLEARLY THE TEN COMMANDMENTS. IF
YOU TRACE THE ORDER OF THE SINS THAT HE DESCRIBES AGAINST OUR FELLOW MAN,
THEY FOLLOW THE ORDER OF THE TEN COMMANDMENTS.)
C. SO IF THE LAW IS NOT FOR THE RIGHTEOUS, BUT FOR THE WICKED, HOW SHOULD
WE USE IT? THE WICKED DON’T CARE ABOUT THE LAW, DO THEY?
1. ISN’T SORT OF LIKE THE ARGUMENT ABOUT GUN CONTROL LAWS? THE LAW ABIDING
PEOPLE WILL KEEP THE LAWS, BUT THE CRIMINALS WHO USE WEAPONS TO COMMIT
CRIMES BY DEFINITION ARE GOING TO HAVE NO PROBLEM BREAKING THE LAW TO GET
A GUN?
(I THINK THE POINT IS THAT THE LAW IS THE STANDARD. IF WE HAVE THE STANDARD
IN OUR HEART — AND ARE THE RIGHTEOUS THAT PAUL REFERS TO — THEN WE KEEP
THE LAW AUTOMATICALLY. BUT IF WE DEVIATE, OR FOR OTHERS WHO DO NOT HAVE
A RIGHTEOUS ATTITUDE, WE HOLD UP THE LAW AS THE STANDARD OF TRUTH.)
IV. NEXT WEEK: 1 TIM. 1:12-20. WE WILL LOOK AT THE ISSUE OF GOD’S MERCY
TOWARDS SINNERS. STUDY.
HAVE
A RIGHTEOUS ATTITUDE, WE HOLD UP THE LAW AS THE STANDARD OF TRUTH.)
IV. NEXT WEEK: 1 TIM. 1:12-20. WE WILL LOOK AT THE ISSUE OF GOD’S MERCY
TOWARDS SINNERS. STUDY.
