How specific do you need instructions to be? For some people it is simply enough to say this or that needs doing and they know what to do. For others things have to be spelled out in great detail. It is said that men are notoriously bad at following instructions because they think they know how something should be done. (washing machine story). If this is the case with simple practical tasks then how about something life-transforming such as living out the Christian life? What kind of detail do we need in order to become better disciples of Jesus Christ?
In this chapter from 1Tim. We firstly encounter 2 features already seen before, combating false teaching and a third trustworthy saying, then a section giving Timothy some fairly detailed instructions.
Here we have more details of the false teaching which was threatening the life of the infant church in Ephesus. Paul characterises this teaching as being demonic, godless myths and old wives tales. He describes the people who peddle such teaching as hypocritical liars with no conscience and encourages Timothy to oppose them. When we come to the specifics of this teaching they seem relatively innocuous: forbidding people to marry and ordering them to abstain from certain foods. Not exactly hot topics in our present age. However as Paul goes on to point out, they deny the generosity of God who has given us all good things to enjoy.
This is the third of five trustworthy sayings in the pastoral epistles. As I indicated last week these sayings take us to the heart of the gospel, here we have “we have put our hope in the living God, who is the saviour of all”. This puts into context what went before – the need to contend against false teaching, and what follows, a list of do’s and don’ts. Central to everything is faith in a living God who is Saviour of all. What follows is the practical outworking of such faith.
The astute will have noticed that I had temporarily skipped over vv.7,8 which are the gymn-goers charter – “physical training is of some value”. This is because it fits in more with vv.s 11ff as part of a list of dos and don’ts or more properly don’ts and dos.
Don’t: have anything to do with godless myths and old wives tales
Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young
Do set an example in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity
Don’t neglect your gift
Do devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching
Then a final “do” with no corresponding “don’t” though implicitly one might insert
Don’t be lazy and give up
Do be diligent in these matters; give yourself wholly to them, so that everyone may see your progress. Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them. – why? Because if you do you will save both yourself and your hearers.
So often we are faced with the question ybh? Yes but how. We know we have come to faith through Jesus Christ. His death and resurrection which we celebrate week by week has set us free from the power of sin and death and we want to live lives that are pleasing to God, but how? Paul gives Timothy and us some clear instruction here. 1. Remember the gift and calling 2. Avoid various things which deny that calling 3. persevere in doing good