Tuesdays with Timothy #2

1 Timothy 1:3-4 As I besought thee to abide still at Ephesus, when I went into Macedonia, that thou mightest charge some that they teach no other doctrine,  Neither give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which minister questions, rather than godly edifying which is in faith: so do.  

Paul, having left Timothy in Ephesus exhorted him to charge some men in the church there that they teach no other doctrine than the true doctrine. Doctrine is teaching and what we teach is not our own but God’s Word. Paul did not mess around when it came to the preaching of the Word of God and the truth of the gospel. He would brand an angel a heretic if he came into God’s house and preached another doctrine. There was no space for exploration. There was no “conversation” to be had or suggestions to be made. Preaching is not a dialogue. Very plain and very simple – no other doctrine. I think it very sad that in these days, you can be cut off and cut out of fellowship for being divisive and a trouble maker for standing for a doctrine or taking a stand on a particular issue, but heretics are giving a pass in the name of love. There are some really nice heretics, who have great personalities and probably a hit a dinner parties. We can’t give place to their teaching, for even an hour.

Neither were they to give heed, or pay attention to fables and endless genealogies. I have noticed this trend recently as well, that many of the big names in evangelicalism are all for stories instead of sermons. Myth instead of ministry.  Tall tales more than truth declared. I may be breaking the rules of the internet, but C.S. Lewis who was not a sound Christian man, and many suggest he may not have been truly converted, but is brandied about as a pillar of Christian thought because of his fables. People love a good story and in order to soothe their conscience, a man can go to “church” and be entertained by stories, or a good fable can get him to think – and he’ll be entertained all the way to Hell.

The genealogies had a purpose, until the time of Christ. Now, the endless searching after family trees to find some secret hidden meaning or some spiritual insight do nothing but start fights and strife. We might not have the genealogies now, but certainly there are silly discussions and questions that are asked that do nothing but start trouble. I’ll die on the hill of orthodox Christianity and doctrines of the Word of God – but I won’t die on a mountain made out of a mole hill, no matter how deep you think the question is, any more than I am afraid to mix my metaphors. 

True preaching needs to edify, or to build up. Sometimes, in order to build up you have to tear some stuff down. You might have to knock down a few walls in order to build up a nicer room. Know down a few trees to build up an addition. Sometimes you have to knock down a few sins before you can build up in the faith – but the purpose is for godly edification. Fables or genealogies do neither. Godly edification, not just edification. Joel Osteen builds people up, but that is not godly edification. This isn't pragmatism, that as long as people are built up in the end, the process doesn't matter. Paul says godly edification

Paul gave a postitive and a negative. Don't preach new doctrine. Don't tell stories instead of doctrine. Don't gender strife by debating and going beyond scripture and twisting scripture with genealogies. Do preach sound doctrine. Do edify the church.