About this sermon
Paul urges Timothy to stay in Ephesus and charge certain men not to teach strange doctrines or devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies. Such speculations, built on names in Scripture, have no redemptive benefit and promote controversy instead of God’s work by faith. God’s word is complete and needs no invented details. The goal of the pastor’s charge is love from a pure heart, a good conscience, and a sincere faith, as he seeks to turn false teachers into true teachers of Christ.
Sermon transcript
Let us turn now in God’s holy, inspired, inerrant word to Genesis chapter 1, and if you would also put your finger in 1 Timothy 1. Genesis chapter 1 and 1 Timothy 1. Just by way of review, our singing has, you may have noticed, a certain theme, that being the Word of God.
We sang from Psalm 40, where we saw that in the volume of the book it is written of me. The volume of the book, basically the Old Testament, it is written of Jesus Christ. How shall a young man cleanse his way? By the Word of God. And the same thing in our reading, our responsive reading, had to do with the Word, the Law, talking about our Old Testament. Let us have these things on our mind as we read and as we listen to the sermon. Here now, Genesis, just two verses. Genesis 1, 26 and 27.
Then God said, let us make man in our image according to our likeness and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth. and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth. God created man in his own image. In the image of God, he created him, male and female, he created them. And then over to chapter two, verses 22 and 23, the Lord God fashioned into a woman the rib which he had taken from the man. and brought her to the man. The man said, this is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh. She shall be called woman because she was taken out of man. And then turning to our New Testament. First, Timothy chapter one, right after the introduction.
Hear now the word of God once again, as I urged you upon my departure for Macedonia, remain on at Ephesus so that you may instruct certain men not to teach strange doctrines, 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. But the goal of our instruction is love from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. For some men, straying from these things, have turned aside to fruitless discussion, 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. That ends the reading of God’s Word. Let us briefly pray. Our Heavenly Father, we thank you for this Word, as we thank you for every Word that comes out of your mouth. May it be a blessing to us today. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
I had a mentor during my internship that took place in Chicago for a year and a half. And in that internship, at two o’clock every Monday, almost every Monday, almost without fail, Ian Wright, my mentor, some of you may have met him or heard him speak at my ordination service, he and I would sip tea, he was a Brit, and we would talk about all aspects of the ministry. prayed on our knees, we laughed, we cried, we had many, many things, many benefits. I was the beneficiary, the lone beneficiary of all of these talks. He should have been talking to a hundred men or two hundred men at one time. I would like for all of you to hear all the things that were told to me, the things I learned, the wisdom that I gained.
But Grace Church, you lack nothing. For you have something even better. You have the Word of God, and in this case, you have 1 Timothy. And 1 Timothy is similar and even far greater because 1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, Titus, these are really inspired versions of things that I received in my internship.
For here we have Paul, an older man, a man further along in ministry, having talked through to Timothy. Here he gives him instructions on how to build up the church. As I thought about this, I wished that you all could have been flies on the wall. during my internship and benefited from all these things. But in a sense you are able to hear what one older man, the mentorship that he gives to a younger man.
Two weeks ago I began to preach through 1 Timothy. We just looked at the first two verses and we talked about the fact that Paul is giving little hints about what goes on in the rest of his letters. We talked about the fact that he’s showing what is going to happen, giving little clues about what it’s going to be all about.
And this letter is all about the building up of the end times temple, that pillar and that ground of the truth, which is the church, built upon the foundation of the prophets and the apostles. We have this church that is building up. And how does the church of Jesus Christ continue to be built up?
Well, the emphasis is going to be upon the Word of God. I hope you will see after this that a loving pastor, in this case Timothy, is to be focused upon the Word of God and feeding the sheep with it. That ought to be his one focus, is to be focusing upon the Word of God and feeding the sheep with it. It’s very simple. Preach the Word. Preach the Word.
But, it’s something that is so easily forgotten, and it was being forgotten in Paul’s day and Timothy’s day in the city of Ephesus. Just for our simplicity sake, if anyone is taking notes, I would break this sermon down and break this text down into three ways.
First, verses three and four is lack, question mark. Lack, question mark. Second, law, verses six and seven. And lastly, three. Love, verse five. So that’s lack, question mark, verses three and four. Law, verses six and seven. And then love, verses, just verse five. So now, looking at lack. Is there anything lacking in the Word of God? That’s why I ask, lack? Now, just at the outset, you might balk at such an idea, and you would be right to do so, to think, God’s Word is not lacking anything.
For God’s Word is sufficient. It is all we need. It lacks nothing. We would say that it is Necessary. It is necessary for the Church. We have to have it. We would not be the Church of Jesus Christ if we did not have the Word. It is authoritative. God has given all that He wanted, all that He desired to give to His Church at this time, in the Word of God itself. So there’s no need for anything else. That’s what we would say, obviously. That wasn’t the view of everybody.
For look what he says just in verse 3. There were people who were not focusing upon the Word. He says, “…remain on at Ephesus so that you may instruct certain men not to teach strange doctrines.” Now, what we ought to see is that when he says instruct, That is, we could say it’s good enough, but it’s actually a little bit stronger. It is charge or command those who are teaching strange doctrines, not to teach those. There were these people who believed that God’s word was not sufficient in and of itself, and that more needed to be added to it. They needed to fill in the gaps, we would say. So they were, he was to, Timothy was to instruct, to charge these people not to do so. And here is what he says in verse four. Look, he gives us a little bit more of the story of what’s going on.
Not to pay attention to myths and endless genealogies. Why not to pay attention to myths and endless genealogies? Because they’re mere speculations. And they further, rather than furthering the administration of God, they lead to speculations. What is Paul talking about here? We could maybe be justified in saying, Timothy, stay away from myths. and stay away from endless genealogies.
These are two separate things. Just don’t be encumbered by them because they’re a waste to you. They’re a waste to your time. But there’s a little bit something more. We ought to see the two coming together. The myths are really genealogies. There’s something specific to that time period that’s going on. I mean, it’s not two separate things. The myths that are genealogies are a waste of Timothy’s time. That’s what Paul is really telling him.
What we understand is that in the first century, there were men who would come along with their Bible, with the Old Testament, And what they would do is they would go scouring through God’s word, looking for something of interest. And sometimes they would find something that was interesting to them, or they would find something that they could tell a little bit of a story about. Why genealogies? You may be familiar with your Bible that if you read certain books, you read 1 Chronicles, or Genesis, or Ezra and Nehemiah, there are other parts of God’s Word that have genealogies.
What these people that Timothy is speaking against, that Paul is speaking to Timothy against, what they’re doing is they go through God’s Word just looking for a name. and they might find a name and then they make a whole story about that person. Have you ever heard of Israel? If not, that is all right. Israel was a man who is mentioned once in God’s word. First Chronicles 7, 3. He’s just one name, just mentioned once. The kind of thing that was going on with these ancient rabbis and even some people who were naming the name of Christ would go through and they’d find a name like Israel and they would say, Let me tell you all about Israel. Let me tell you about his life, his adventures, his faith in God, all of these wonderful things, all these things they would tell him. But where would you find proof of that? How would you verify that Israel did all these things? Well, you wouldn’t. There is no proof because God, in His amazing providence, hasn’t seen fit to tell us anything more than this one name of a man. in a genealogy.
But see, there were those who would see God’s word as lacking and would look at God’s word and say, well let me just fill in the details a little bit. Let me just tell you what happened here and what happened there. That’s just really the method that these people were using. And Paul’s admonition is to focus upon the word and to charge these people not to do such things, because these things are wrong, because that’s not God’s word. These stories that they’re telling are not something that builds up the church.
The same thing, let me just give you an example of the type of exegesis that they were doing. we read in our first reading from Genesis 1, something very interesting. Imagine what some Jewish people came to this text with assumptions and presuppositions looking at verse 1.26, what do we see here?
1.26, God said, let us make man in our image, according to our likeness. And let birds, let them rule over the fish. And it goes on to say, basically, it seems to say that God created man and woman at the same time. That’s the way it seems to look in Genesis 1. But then if you turn the page, you look into the second verse we read, it seems to say that there’s a chronology there.
That first was the man-made, and second is the woman. Now, there were people in that time who would look to this and say, what we need to understand here is that Adam had a first wife who was created at the same time as him. And that first wife, they would say, was named Lilith. And she disobeyed, she wouldn’t obey Adam because she said, we’re equal.
And they have these long stories about what happens to Lilith. She ends up somewhat becoming a demon and strange stories. See, what would you think of someone who does their exegesis like that? Who looks and says, well, it seems like they’re created at the same time here. And then they’re created chronologically here. What are we to make of this? They fill in the details. Let me tell you about Adam’s first wife, then his second wife Eve.
That’s the mentality of these people who Paul is commanding not to teach false doctrines and not to be focusing upon all of these myths. That is the understanding that is going on, what Paul is saying to Timothy. is to charge these people who say such things. I’m just trying to illustrate the mind of the first century people, how they would try to explain what God’s word was. And he’s saying, charge those people. Teach them not to teach these false ideas, these false doctrines.
And then, Moving from lack, verses 3 and 4, with the understanding that God’s Word, in Paul’s understanding and in our understanding, God’s Word lacks nothing. We do not need to fill in the details with fanciful stories about someone who’s only mentioned one time. We move on to law. Law, verses six and seven. And here we would see that Paul is using the word law to talk about the whole Old Testament.
He says, for some men, straying from these things have turned aside to fruitless discussion, 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. What Paul is saying is that there are these people, he’s further explaining what these people are doing. They don’t know what they’re talking about.
They don’t use proper exegesis. They don’t let God’s word speak for itself. And they don’t compare one portion of scripture with another portion of scripture to find that there is no concept of a second wife for Adam. They don’t compare scripture with scripture and find that this person is only mentioned one time. In fact, they’re glad that someone like Israel is only mentioned one time. so that they can fill in the details, so that they can tell you all kinds of fanciful stories. It is fruitless discussion that these people are bringing the people of God into. And what comes about from fruitless discussion? Worthless debates. They don’t understand what they are saying, but they have these confident assertions.
Now, just put yourself into the mind of the first century people. What would you think if one week someone comes to the pulpit and just tells all of these stories, not having anything to do with the Word of God, and saying, this is what happened. And then someone else comes along and tells a story, but their story contradicts just a little bit. And these two get into arguments and debates about what Israel did. And where would these two men who are debating their stories, where would they go?
They have nowhere to go because they’re not standing upon God’s Holy Spirit inspired word. So these confident assertions are nothing. All this talk, all this filling in the details, all of these things are myth. And why are they myth? Well, their myth, first of all, because they’re not true, but also, and I think more predominantly in Paul’s thinking, is their myth and they’re worthless because they have no redemptive benefit. Therefore, they are a waste. And what Paul is doing is he’s charging Timothy to charge these people and to say, do not teach these false doctrines. Do not come making up these stories.
God’s The Spirit Word is perfect, and it does not need you or anyone else to fill in the details, because you stand upon nothing. If you do not stand upon the Word of God, then you have both feet planted firmly in mid-air. Where ought the focus then be? For Paul, saying to Timothy, the focus ought to be upon the Law. And don’t hear me saying just the Ten Commandments.
The New Testament talks about the Law in many different ways, sometimes about the whole Old Testament, sometimes about the Ten Commandments, sometimes about the Ceremonial Law. Here, I think it’s very clear He’s talking about the Law as the full-orbed Old Testament in all of its beauty and glory. For what does the Old Testament teach? The Old Testament teaches Jesus Christ, as we sang Psalm 40. In the scroll of the book, it is written of me. This is Jesus speaking. It is written of me. How do we instruct the people of God? How does a young man cleanse his way? By the Word of God, with the help of the Spirit.
That’s what the focus ought to be, and that’s what Paul is saying. Your focus, Timothy, must be upon the Word of God and not upon myths and genealogies, all these things that can take away your focus. For look at the way that Paul talks about the Old Testament, always referring to it. 1 Corinthians 15, 3, he says, for what I received, I passed on to you as of first importance that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day, raised on the third day according to the scriptures. You hear that? May that ring in your mind, according to the scriptures, according to the word of God. Romans 1, 2. Talking about the salvation which God promised beforehand through His prophets in the Holy Scriptures. That is Paul’s focus. And it ought to be the focus of any biblical pastor. Not stories, not filling in details.
1 Timothy 4.13, no wonder Paul says to Timothy, until I come, give attention to the public reading of scripture, to exhortation and teaching. That is to say, don’t give your time to myths and genealogies and all kinds of fanciful stories, though you may get a great following from that. And think about that.
Men who would come along and tell these wonderful stories. How great it is, these stories they tell. And we don’t want to say anything against fiction. Fiction is helpful. Fiction is useful. But it’s non-redemptive by its very nature. And so are these stories that they tell.
Paul says to Timothy in 3, In 2 Timothy 3 16, all scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training and righteousness, so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work. Notice the focus for Paul. and ought to be for Timothy is upon Scripture, and not anything else, not adding to it.
He says in 2 Timothy 4, I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom. Preach the word. Be ready in season and out of season. Reprove, rebuke, exhort with great patience and instruction. So there you have it. There are the choices.
Myths, fanciful stories, endless genealogies, or the word of God, God breathed, which tells us of Jesus Christ. That is what the focus Paul sees ought to be. The Old Testament is the law, and it is about Jesus Christ. From Genesis to Malachi, it is about Jesus Christ.
We must understand that. That’s how Paul understood it. And any type of filling in the details is not useful. And then lastly, we look at love. Look at this, verse 5. But the goal of our instruction is love from a pure heart, and a good conscience, and a sincere faith. Notice that I did go out of order here. First we look at lack, verses 3 and 4. Then law, verses 5 and 6. And lastly, love.
Is Paul just talking about love in general? Is he just saying something like he says in 1 Corinthians 13? You know, love is patient, love is kind, all those things. Well, that’s how he understands love, but why is it that this talk of love is sandwiched in between these discussions here? These discussions of these false teachers who are filling in the details, coming up with myths, and they’re so sure of themselves. Why is this discussion of love there? Well, the reason is very simple.
What Paul wants Timothy to understand is that a loving pastor preaches and teaches and feeds the sheep with the Word of God and with the Word of God alone. Anything that would be helpful ought to be further expounding or showing of the Word of God. No types of non-redemptive stories.
Understand that Paul’s heart has been changed and Timothy’s heart has been changed from darkness to light. We could say of Timothy what is said in Ezekiel 36, and I will give you a new heart and a new spirit I will put within you and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of gold. Here’s Paul saying to Timothy, the goal of our instruction, and when it says instruction, it’s the same word that he says instruct certain men not to teach strange doctrines. What Paul is saying is that you, Timothy, as one who has a heart that has been changed by God, ought to have the goal to charge these people, to see them to go from being false teachers to true teachers of the Kingdom of God, to being true teachers of the Lord Jesus Christ. Only after Timothy’s heart is understood to be changed, then can he, with a clear conscience and with a changed heart, not saying that Timothy has to be blameless or sinless fully, but he has a heart and a conscience that is clear before the Lord.
And He must charge those people. He must tell them, you must not teach these things. What you’re teaching, as the Word of God, that is really not the Word of God, is destructive to the souls of people. Love desires correct teaching. and love desires correct teaching to come from those who are at right now at this time false teachers. That is what he is saying.
A loving pastor, a loving man will not only feed the sheep, but he will also lovingly go to those who are teaching false things and confront them and saying, do you understand you have missed The grand story. You’re telling us these little stories about one man who was mentioned once, and you can’t even verify what you’re saying.
And you’ve missed the big picture. For the big picture of the Old Testament, the big picture is Jesus Christ. He is the grand narrative of the Old Testament. The Old Testament tells his story from beginning to end. And how much greater to have the New Testament, which continues to tell the story. Preach the Word of God, Timothy. You must preach the Word of God. Timothy loved the people of God. Teach them and understand that they will mock. Some people will mock. They will say to you, Timothy, you’re too focused on the Word. Can’t we have other things? Can’t we look at other things? Can’t we focus on other things that might be useful to us spiritually? No, not at all.
Understand that the more that you focus, as Paul and as Timothy has to do, the more you focus upon the Word of God, the more people will call you narrow-minded. They will say to you, you know, you are so narrow-minded with your Bible that you could look through a keyhole with both eyes. But with love and compassion, teach the Word. Preach the Word, and do not go from it. Do not focus upon anything else in your ministry. Do not presume to feed the people anything else but the Word of God. And then, and only then, as a loving pastor, can they say of Timothy, who faithfully taught the Word of God, can they say, as they did in Isaiah, and it’s picked up in Romans, How will they preach unless they are sent?
Just as it is written, how lovely on the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who announces peace and brings good news of happiness, who announces salvation and says to Zion, your God reigns. This is the need of the hour and it is the need of every hour. It’s men who will come and focus upon one thing, the Word of God, and preach it faithfully. As you see, preachers, many preachers, preach all kinds of strange things, telling all kinds of things, even in our day.
And it’s sad. May we focus upon the Word of God only. and the grand theme of history, especially sacred history, which is Jesus Christ and Him crucified. May we know nothing else. Let us pray. Our Heavenly Father, we thank You that we would not stand with those who would say or even presume to think that the Word of God is not sufficient in our lives. But Lord, we must confess that we do not make use of it enough. Help us to make constant use of Your Word.
And we ask that You would bless Pastor Dan and myself and all pastors everywhere who preach Your Word faithfully to preach the Word to preach faithfully and rightly and focus upon nothing else. To love those who would preach other things, but to charge them to teach that which is true, that which is right, and that which is according to your holy, inspired, and errant word. In Jesus’ name, amen.
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