FOLLOW SOUND DOCTRINE

MARCH 3, 2013

·         The scope of this epistles is to direct Timothy how to discharge his duty as an evangelist at Ephesus.

·         Timothy was at Ephesus because Paul, asked him to go there to perfect the good work that Paul had begun there.

·         This chapter will be a warning against false teachers. 

1.     GOAL OF SPIRITUAL INSTRUCTION (1 TIMOTHY 1:3-7)

1 Timothy 1:3-7

3 As I urged you upon my departure for Macedonia, remain on at Ephesus, in order that you may instruct certain men not to teach strange doctrines, 4 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. 5 But the goal of our instruction is love from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. 6 For some men, straying from these things, have turned aside to fruitless discussion, 7 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.

NASB

Verse 3:

·         I realize that our varying interpretations of the Scriptures lead us to disagree on some points of doctrine.

·         However, the basic truths of the faith - the apostle's doctrine - taught the plenary, verbal inspiration of the Scriptures, the integrity and inerrancy of the Word of God.

·         And they taught the deity of Christ.

·         Timothy was to remind the Ephesians to teach no other doctrine. If the teaching of the church is not right, it is not a Gospel Church.

·         Apparently, there were some at Ephesus who had distorted and corrupted the doctrine pertaining to Jesus Christ and God's plan of salvation for those who would believe in His Son.

·         These verses puts us on our guard to be careful of the doctrine that we hear.

·         We should put everything we hear to the test of the Bible.

Verse 4:

·         In that great center there was the temple to Hadrian, the temple to Trajan, and the great temple of Diana.

·         All were based on the mythology of the Greeks, and the Ephesian believers were to shun them.

·         the Greeks were teaching at that time what was known as the demiurge, and this teaching became a part of the first heresy within the church which was Gnosticism.

·         They taught that there were emanations from a divine center. The original crated a being, and that being created another being below him, and he created another, and then another, and so on down the line.

·         They wanted to fit Jesus in somewhere along that line as one of the created beings.

·         These myths concern genealogical narratives that were largely fictitious.

·         Instead of studying the infallible Word, some prefer to see on a movie or TV screen an unscriptural embellishment.

·         Paul is telling Timothy that all these types of false doctrines, or teachings, won't build you up in the faith.

·         Liberal churches have produce a hard core of almost heartless individuals who absolutely lack faith.

Verse 5:

·         This love may be describes as a personal delight in God.

·         There are three things that should be manifest in the church.

1.       The first is faith - faith in God and in His Word.

2.       The second in love. (Active concern for others)

3.       The third thing that should be manifest in the life of a church is a believer ought to have a good conscience.

·         A conscience cleared of guilt and made obedient to God's law will begin to approve only such thoughts, words, and deeds which are in harmony with God's love.

Verse 6:

·         It is empty chatter, beautiful words, and flowery language.

·         There are some people who will butter you up and pat you on the back, but it means nothing. It's all just talk.

Verse 7:

·         He makes it clear that there are those who teach error and they do it with assurance.

·         Yet, they reject the Word of God and actually do not understand what they are talking about.

·         Because their focus is on shining, they want to glory in their teachings! 

VALUE OF SOUND DOCTRINE (1 TIMOTHY 1:8-11)

1 Timothy 1:8-11

8 But we know that the Law is good, if one uses it lawfully, 9 realizing the fact that law is not made for a righteous man, but for those who are lawless and rebellious, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers 10 and immoral men and homosexuals and kidnappers and liars and perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound teaching, 11 according to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, with which I have been entrusted.

NASB

Verse 8:

·         Paul is referring to common knowledge and understanding - a widely recognized principle - something we all know very well.

·         The Law was given:

§  To reveal sin.

§  To show man that he cannot make sufficient satisfaction or atonement for his own sin.

                Verse 9:

·         If the statement is made in reference to a man who turns to the law in search of righteousness then... he has turned to something that cannot be the source of righteousness.

·         For the righteousness of Christ is bestowed as an act of pure grace, not law.

·         The false teachers in Ephesus had never learned recognized or admitted themselves as sinners before God.

·         They lacked humility, the consciousness of guilt, for they could study God's holy law and remain very calm under it all.

·         But these people, the "some," considered themselves to be good by nature.

·         They were righteous in their own eyes.

Verse 10:

·         This does not refer to people who are ignorant of the Law, but to those who lived as if their were no Law.

·         Law less persons are, by nature, insubordinate to God who laid down the Law.

·         Such people are still living in unbelief - they are impious, irreverent, ungodly.

·         By nature they are sinners who have missed the understanding that the objective of all people is the conscious glorification of God.

Verse 11:

·         What a glorious Gospel because it displays Divine attributes.

·         To teach another gospel, or even change the one that God gave us is to rob God of His glory!

2.     EXAMPLE OF TRANSFORMED LIFE (1 TIMOTHY 1:12-16)

1 Timothy 1:12-16

12 I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has strengthened me, because He considered me faithful, putting me into service; 13 even though I was formerly a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent aggressor. And yet I was shown mercy, because I acted ignorantly in unbelief; 14 and the grace of our Lord was more than abundant, with the faith and love which are found in Christ Jesus. 15 It is a trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am foremost of all. 16 And yet for this reason I found mercy, in order that in me as the foremost, Jesus Christ might demonstrate His perfect patience, as an example for those who would believe in Him for eternal life.

NASB

Verse 12:

·         This is an outburst of gratitude, sincere and warm, from a heart that is filled with emotion.

·         Paul combines two ideas here:

                                                                     i.      Though entirely unworthy, he had been commissioned to proclaim the Gospel of God's grace.

                                                                   ii.      God's grace and mercy was most gloriously displayed in my own conversion.

·         Every believer has some service to perform for the Lord.

·         It may appear that Paul has changed subjects here, but he has not.

·         He is still talking about the false teachers/ministers at Ephesus.

·         He is saying that it is God who puts men in the ministry.

·         The ones at Ephesus have unsound doctrine because they were not put into the ministry by God.

Verse 13:

·         Paul had blasphemed the Lord Jesus, and he had hated Him.

·         His conversion shows that the greatness of sin is no bar to salvation.

·         Had not the grace of God been sovereign, it would never have found Paul!

·         In his state of unbelief, Paul had actually thought that he was offering service to God.

Verse 14:

·         Grace kindles faith and love, floods the soul with these Divine gifts. These are the things that will be manifested in the life of a believer.

Verse 15:

·         It is not a mere formula but a considered judgment based on the revealed Word of God.

·         That is, entitled to wholehearted personal appropriation with no reservations of any kind.

·         The Lord of glory entered the sphere in which the curse reigns - and the reason was, "to save sinners."

Verse 16:

·         Paul was a type of all those who through God's longsuffering and mercy was going to be saved through Sovereign grace.

·         He was not only a minister of the Gospel, he was an example of the Gospel. 

3.     PRAISE OF GOD (1 TIMOTHY 1:17)

1 Timothy 1:17

17 Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.

NASB

·         Paul simply could not go any further without sounding out this tremendous doxology.

·         Believing God to be eternal is necessary for anyone to believe that God has the power to give them eternal life through faith in His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.

·         God is invisible to sinful man, not only physically, but spiritually.

·         God is a Spirit and therefore we are not able to see Him.

·         Paul speaks of the essential nature of God; God is adored for what He is.

·         This is the chief end of worship.