Friday, October 30, 2015

A Devotional Thought From 1 Timothy

Now the end of the commandment is love out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned:     1 Timothy 1:5

When I first read commandment I thought of the Old Testament law. After consulting with commentaries, the Greek text, and the Greek lexicon (basically a dictionary of koine Greek [the Greek of the New Testament writers]), and rereading the text I agreed with both Harry A. Ironside and William Barclay that Paul was referring to the commandment that he had just given to Timothy (1:3) that he charge some of the teachers, those who were teaching false doctrine to stop it.

Then Paul says the purpose of that command was to engender love, Christian love which is the identification behavior of true Christians. Paul wants sincere love coming out of a pure heart, a good conscience, and an unfaked faith. I liken it to (if you are living in love) wearing your Christian heart, Christian conscience, and Christian faith on your sleeve.

So a command that orders preachers to teach true doctrine is designed to bring forth true Christian love, which comes only out of true Christian doctrine. The true Christian doctrine, of course, is what God has given in the Bible. And, as Paul says in another place we are supposed to speak the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15), indicating that when we share with others that what they are teaching, or believing, or spreading, is false doctrine and should not be taught, it is an act of love intended to engender Christian love between the two people involved, and in the church as a whole. Naturally, there are differences of opinion and interpretation with regard to the teaching of Scripture, but the foundational truths are indisputable, and while Christians may differ upon a style of worship or a style of baptism or some interpretation, the major foundational truths of Christian faith are stated with absolute clarity in the word of God. For example: the Bible being the inspired word of God; the virgin birth of Jesus; His vicarious death upon the cross of Calvary where our sins were carried in His own body: the physical resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead conquering death forever; the forgiveness of sins and salvation of the soul; the promised second coming of Jesus. That’s what teachers of the word of God should be preaching, not, as Paul says in verse four, fables and endless genealogies which minister questions (1 Timothy 1:4). Not only the six doctrines I have listed here are to be preached, there is so much in the word of God, but preachers today should be preaching the Bible in its fullness because that’s where the doctrine is. That’s where we discover God’s truth. That’s where we discover the doctrines that should be coming forth from our pulpits and our churches. And when we preach God’s truth that preaching will produce and promote real Christian love, even in those areas where we might have family (we Christians of every make and model who trust in Jesus Christ as personal savior and Lord  really are one family in Him) family disagreements regarding interpretation.

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