During my theological training, I have witnessed and participated in a lot of theological discussions, many of which devolved quickly into arguments and bitter quarrels. And, I must confess, I was often the cause of these controversies. In my defense, I always wanted to get things right, to be faithful and accurate according to God’s Word. As we have seen in the study of 1st Timothy, holding and maintaining the truth against falsehood is no light matter to our Lord - it is an important part of faithfully serving Christ. Nevertheless, all too often, the manner in which I hold forth the truth is more about me than it is about the faith. Sometimes, I really do want to help others see the truth as Scripture proclaims it, but sometimes, I just wanna win! My pride, my impatience, and my self-confidence gets in the way of true, helpful dialogue.
The biggest challenge in this regard for me, however, is that sometimes both desires are present at the same time. I can easily imagine both wanting to uphold the Gospel truth for God’s sake and wanting to win the argument for my sake—both desires happening during the same conversation. The test then is not to cease proclaiming the truth, but doing so where the “self” is limited and God’s truth is accented, where my pride takes the back seat to God’s designs.
In our study of 1 Timothy, we have that challenge put before us in stark terms. Paul’s warnings about straying from the true Gospel could not be clearer (1:3-7; 4:1-5; 6:3-6); as a Church leader and a follower of Christ, Timothy is to protect, project, and proclaim that which is true, that which is in accord with God’s own Word. Timothy’s job is not to ignore false teachers; but to confront, correct, and even rebuke them, preserving and guarding the truth. And yet. And yet so much of what Paul warns Timothy about is the dissension, the division, the envy and slander of false teaching! A consistent outcome of heretical words is that they lead to discord, disagreement, and disunity in the body of Christ. So, on the one hand, Timothy is to confront and challenge false teaching, and on the other hand, he is not to allow conflict to divide the Church. A tough balancing act if there ever is one!
As we look at 1 Timothy 6:3-10 this coming week, the dangers of false teaching will be evident, as will the need to uphold the truth. Paul’s advice on how we do this will challenge all who desire to be true to the Gospel and seek the unity of the body.
In preparation for worship this week, read 1 Timothy 6:3-10.
1. What might “a different doctrine” refer to? What modern-day examples can you think of?
2. Paul uses two “tests” to evaluate if something is a “different doctrine” or not. What are the two tests as described in vs. 3?
3. List out the qualities a false teacher is going to exhibit. Why are these present in false teachers (see vs 3, and your answer above)?
4. Why would false teaching inevitably lead to discord and “constant friction” (vs. 5) in the church?
5. What is the connection between false teaching and a lack of true contentment (vs. 5-6)?
6. Verse 7 seems like a truism if there ever is one. But how does it advance Paul’s argument?
7. How would you support Paul’s statement that “the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil” (vs. 10)?
