In
chapter 4, Paul turned to deal with two issues that Timothy was confronted
with. First, the young Timothy had to contend with people who were leaving the
faith due to the erroneous teachings propagated by the false teachers. Second,
he had to deal with those who questioned his teachings because of his age.
Thus, Paul wrote to teach him how to detect and deal with false teachings, and
also how to get the truth accepted and endorsed despite his age.
In
verses 1-6, Paul spoke of ways to deal with false teachers and their teachings.
He began by painting the picture that some would fall away from the faith
although the church had been made the custodian of the truth. Here we are told
that this fall away had been foretold earlier. Paul was possibly referring to
what he had told them earlier concerning the savage wolves. By saying that it
was the Holy Spirit who explicitly said this, Paul was suggesting that the
source of his prediction was the Holy Spirit Himself. At the time when Paul
talked about the savage wolves, the fall away had not taken place. This
accounts for why when he referred to the fall away, he spoke of it as a future
happening. But time had lapsed and what he had predicted was happening to the
believers in Ephesus, so he used the present tense in verses 3-6, to talk about
the signs of the false teachers and their erroneous teachings.
In
verses 1-2, Paul also gave the reasons why some believers fell from the faith.
Firstly, he said that those who abandoned the faith had paid actual attention
to the deceiving spirits, and gave ears to doctrines that came from the demonic
forces. He was pointing to the source, the diabolical work of demonic spirits.
Secondly, he revealed that while the source was demonic, the means by which the
errors were propagated were human channels. The false teachers, referred to as
hypocritical liars, lent themselves as evil instruments to spread the errors.
In calling them hypocritical liars, Paul was implying that they themselves did
not believe in their own teachings. Yet they would teach those errors as if
they believed in them. Here was a clear reflection of their moral decadent. The
conscience of these false teachers was seared as if with a branding iron.
In
verse 3, Paul further revealed that what the false teachers propagated was a
form of asceticism. They advocated celibacy and abstinence from meat. While sex
and food could be abused, they are nonetheless basic biological needs of the
human body. In advocating that the body be denied these needs in order to
attain holiness, the false teachers were carrying their teachings too far. They
have failed to see the purpose and intention of God. Hence, Paul showed Timothy
the first thing to look for was to differentiate truth from errors. He directed
him to consider God’s original intention and purpose for marriage and for food.
So from verses 3-5, we are told that God has instituted marriage and also given
food and all created things for man to share, enjoy and celebrate life. To
reject them would be to insult the One Who said He has created everything good
for our enjoyment. Once marriage and food has been set apart for its intended
purpose by prayer and the Word of God, they should be gladly and gratefully
acknowledged, accepted and celebrated.
We
must live a life of thankfulness to God. We thank Him for creation and for everything
in life: for food, for marriage, for home, for children and even for sex.
Recognizing God for His provision of all the good things in life can inoculate us
against drifting away from Him, and embrace needless asceticism. Living a life
of constant thanksgiving to God for things big and small, help us to bring Him to
bear to all that we encounter in life. It helps us to know that He is in charge
and we are thankful that He is. This will glorify God!
No comments:
Post a Comment