Dealing with Errorists. 1 Timothy 1.3-7

Dealing with Errorists.  1 Timothy 1.3-7

Hello. 

Internationally, the world has come to understand that terrorism has invaded.  Americans, I suppose, were the last to come to the table—when our innocence was shattered on September 11, 2001.  We are no longer shocked when we hear of some grievous act of violence perpetrated against humanity, are we?  Sad that.  Interestingly enough, a prayer request just came to the Pastorwoman.com website from Mombasa, Kenya - PRAY FOR US KENYANS, FOR OUR COUNTRY IS NOT SAFE ANY MORE.  The Nairobi mall siege has rocked Kenyans to their core.

For young Timothy, however, it was not terrorists that were his concern—it was ‘errorists’.    Take a look with me, as Paul moved immediately from his warm greeting and blessing to Timothy to the purpose of his letter:  Stay strong, keep the main thing the main thing—oh, and Timothy—you might be young, you might sometimes not feel up to the task, but you are ‘called of God, Man!  Stand tall, and Timothy, in season and out of season, Preach the Word!’

Paul writes:

“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, nor to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies, which promote speculations rather than the stewardship from God that is by faith. The aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. Certain persons, by swerving from these, have wandered away into vain discussion, desiring to be teachers of the law, without understanding either what they are saying or the things about which they make confident assertions.” 

Keep the work of Jesus Christ central.                                                              Maintain a pure teaching about the gospel of Jesus.                                  It appears that elements of the Ephesian culture were influencing the teaching in the church rather than the other way around. To be true to the text, Paul was warning about myths, genealogies and speculations which were common in the ancient world—tales woven about fictitious family lines traced back to some god that did nothing but cause confusion and dissension in the people.  The Greeks as well as the Jews were fond of stirring up endless questions more for the sake of questioning and intellectual stimulation—more for the sake of argument than establishment of truth. 

In strong, almost like military terms, Paul says, charge those individuals not to teach any different doctrine – Timothy, be clear about their motives, and stop them from peddling things that are injurious to the body of Christ.  Friends, Paul knew this would happen when he left Ephesus, after establishing and teaching the church for three years—he knew that ‘wolves’ would come in like predators.¹ ‘But Timothy, keep your people focused on the pure gospel.’

What does the pure gospel of Jesus Christ look like?  It emanates from the heart of a loving God and produces within us a pure heart that loves, not one that wishes to detour, detract, devour, distract or dissent.  The only way we can have a pure heart is to give our lives to Jesus Christ, and in obedience and trust, let the Spirit of God cleanse us … and change us from the inside.  I love how the psalmist said it—“Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.”² Genealogies would puff up and delude, vain arguments would divide and confuse, whereas trust in Jesus produces a pure heart in someone who is humble and teachable and desirous of being more like him.

And indeed from a heart that is made pure by God comes our highest calling which is to love.  “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind; and love your neighbor as yourself.”³ By this all men will know that you are my disciples if you have love for one another.⁴

Errorists—those who take and twist the gospel, those who bring in extraneous thinking—were weakening the Christian church in Ephesus, and without doubt, they present a clear and present threat to the faith and unity of our Christian communities today.

^{2 – Psalm 51.10, ESV}

^{3 - Luke 10.27, NIV}

^{4 – John 13.35}