Timothy was dealing with the headaches of pastoring a church in a place where falsehoods abound. There were false doctrines promoted and misinformation and lies being spread. Timothy was at a place where he had enough. He was tired of dealing with such useless arguments that hindered the church. However, Paul urges Timothy to stay in Ephesus. Paul tells Timothy that God has a purpose for him being there and he needed to stay and deal with the issues that plagued the church. In this passage there are several key phrases that we should study. These statements include warnings and commands that we should take heed to today.

                Teach no other doctrine. In verse three Paul tells Timothy to “charge some that they teach no other doctrine.” There were those in the church that strayed from sound doctrine. Timothy is encouraged to rein them in. I had a church member years ago tell me that I should stop preaching so much doctrine. Another church member told me that doctrine divides. Those who make such statements do not understand what doctrine is. Doctrine is the teaching of the church. It is what we hold to. It is what we believe. It is truth. Our doctrine affects everything we do. J. Vernon McGee said, “Your creed must be right before your conduct is right. It is almost an impossibility to think wrong and act right.”[1] Paul tells Timothy to encourage others to teach no other doctrine than the true doctrine of God’s Word. Many today have caved to the philosophies of men and the ideas of the world. We must hold true to the Word of God. True doctrine comes from a high view of scripture and our Lord Jesus Christ. True doctrine begins with how we approach the scriptures. Some will try to read their viewpoint and ideas into scripture. Some will behave in a certain way that is not right and try to twist scripture to justify their actions. Brothers and sisters, this must not be. We must take the Bible for what it says. If there is an argument, look to the Bible. If the Bible says it, then that settles it. There is no debate when you take God’s Word at face value. Teach no other doctrine.

                Do not give heed to fables. Paul here may have been referring to the philosophies taught by Philo. Philo was an Israelite genius who mistakenly attempted to spiritualize the Old Testament. There are some even today that have proclaimed that the Bible is just a myth or stories with spiritual meanings rather than an actual true historical account. Paul warns Timothy to not listen to the fables of men. Many churches today can attribute their downfall to listening to fables and misinterpretations of the Bible. This is why it is imperative that we are careful students of the Bible and that we know the truth.

                Do not give heed to endless genealogies. This may be a reference to those who tried to lump Judaism into the church. There were those called Judaizers who believed that in addition to faith in Christ, one must also follow the Jewish law. The Bible is clear, however, that Christ is the fulfillment of the law, and the law is not necessary for our salvation for we are not under the law but under grace. Paul may also be encouraging Timothy not to give in to useless and endless arguments. Many a church has missed out on God’s perfect plan. Many churches have fallen into stagnation and little effectiveness due to never ending arguments. We must be careful to stay focused on the main thing and not allow such arguments and debates to hinder the work of the Lord and quench the Spirit.

                Practice Godly edification. False doctrine, fables, and useless arguments leads to disputes and a disruption of God’s purposes for the church. Rather than engaging in such things, it is important that we edify one another. Godly edification is not simply praising others. Godly edification is encouraging and ensuring that the church adheres to the doctrine and to behave in a way that brings greater glory to God.

                Commandment of Love. All that we do should come as an outflow of our deep love for God and for people. Our motivation is not to be for the praise of men or personal gain. Our motivation is to flow out of a heart that is in tune with God. Love should be the force that drives us and moves us toward obedience to the truth.

                Have a Pure Heart. Is your heart pure? Not just morally pure. Is your heart in the right place? If your heart is in the right place it will show in the way you behave. If your heart is in the right place it will show in your adherence to true doctrine and obedience to the Word. If your heart is in the right place your focus will be on Jesus and the furtherance of the Gospel around the world. If your heart is in the right place you will focus on living a missional life.

                Have a Good Conscience. Sadly, many people have a conscience that has been seared. The world has infiltrated their life in such a way that nothing bothers them anymore. There is no conviction. When it comes to staying true to God’s Word and serving Him, we must do so with a pure conscience. We must be in the right mind. There should be nothing in our lives that hinders our walk with God and the Kingdom work to which He has called us. Do you approach the scriptures with a clean conscience? Are you able to serve the Lord in the right mind? Is your conscience pure?

                Have Sincere Faith. Our walk with God must be sincere. It must be real. The manner in which we behave and the works that we do shows the validity of our faith.

                Some have strayed and turned to idle talk. In verse 6 and 7 Paul warns Timothy that there are those who have strayed from true doctrine and right living. This is evident by their idle talk. Gossip is one of the sure signs of spiritual immaturity. Making assumptions and talking about things of which we have no understanding is not only immature but dangerous. Many churches have missed out on God’s plan and purposes because of idle talk. When people engage in conversations about things of which they are not informed or educated in, it produces misinformation and leads to the spread of lies which cause strife and division. Paul warns Timothy to be on guard and to protect the church from those who engage in such idle talk.

                The Purpose of the Law. In verses 8-11 Paul addresses the purpose of the law. There were those that Timothy was dealing with that preached legalism. They endorsed the idea that in addition to one’s faith in Christ one must also keep the law. Paul explains that the purpose of the law is to reveal our sinfulness and need for salvation. The law was never intended to be a means to salvation. We need to take Paul’s warning today. There are those who even today with the complete Word of God in hand will add to the Gospel. The Gospel of Jesus Christ should have preeminence, and nothing should be added to it or taken away from it.

                Paul shares these things with Timothy to encourage him to not allow false doctrine and practices enter the doors of the church. The Gospel is committed to our trust, and it must be obeyed and proclaimed. Don’t get caught up in useless arguments and debates, stand firm on true doctrine and keep it simple, focusing on the Gospel.

[1] J. Vernon McGee. Thru the Bible Volume 5 p. 430