1 Timothy 6:2b-5: The Importance of Teaching the Truth

Preached on June 11, 2006, by Eric Schumacher.

Topics: 1 Timothy From The Archives

©Eric Schumacher – Preached June 11, 2006 – Northbrook Baptist Church, Cedar Rapids, Iowa

God exists, and he has spoken. God’s Word is the means by which God creates and sustains life. In the very beginning, we read in Genesis 1, that God spoke and what he willed came to be. In Hebrews 1:3, we learn that Jesus Christ “upholds the universe by the word of his power.”

Since life is created and sustained by the Word of God, it follows that where God’s Word is despised, denied or departed from there follows decay and death. This principle is well illustrated in the Old Testament. When the Lord placed Adam in the Garden of Eden, he gave Adam his word so that Adam would know how to live. When that word was disobeyed, death entered the world. God’s word brings life; departure from it brings death.

Throughout the remainder of the Old Testament, we see the Lord sending prophets to his people. The central role of the prophet was to deliver the word of the Lord to the people and to call them back to obedience to it. This is so important that we read in Proverbs 29:18, “Where there is no prophetic vision the people cast off restraint, but blessed is he who keeps the law.” In other words, when the people do not have someone to proclaim God’s Word to them and to call them to obey it, someone to rebuke sin and encourage obedience, or when they ignore the revelation that they have, then they cast off all restraint and freely indulge themselves in sin. And we know that sin brings death. On the other hand, blessing comes to the one who keeps God’s word. We see this principle illustrated time and again in the Old Testament, whether it is Adam and Eve ignoring God’s Word to the peril of the cosmos or it is Ezekiel saying (Ezek 37:4) to valley of bones, “O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord” and then watching as they took on flesh and began to breath. God’s word brings life; departure from it brings death.

Jesus Christ came to earth as the great prophet. In fact, he is not simply a prophet. The Gospel of John tells us that he is the eternal Word that “became flesh dwelt among us” (John 1:14) As the Word, he came that his sheep might have “life and have it abundantly” (John 10:10). Whoever believes in this Word has eternal life, while whoever does not receive the Word does not have life (John 3:16-18; 6:53). We see supremely in Jesus Christ, the Word-made-flesh, that God’s word brings life; departure from it brings death.

At the beginning of this book, 1 Timothy, Paul speaks of how the Lord Jesus Christ has entrusted him with the message of the gospel (1:11-12). Jesus Christ appointed his apostles to be his authorized representatives who would authoritatively speak for him, calling people to believe their message, which is his message given to them. The message of Jesus Christ crucified for sins and raised from the dead is a message that Paul, in Philippians 2:16, calls “the word of life.” On the other hand, Paul says that anyone who preaches a gospel other than the one he received from Christ and preached is to be “accursed” (Galatians 1:8-9, 12). God’s word brings life; departure from it brings death.

As the Apostles prepared to die, they entrusted their message to faithful men like Timothy. Paul says in 1 Timothy 1:16, “This charge I entrust to you, Timothy.” And in chapter 6:20, “O Timothy, guard the deposit entrusted to you.”

Now, Timothy is not an apostle, he is a pastor. He does not receive his message directly from the Lord Jesus Christ. He receives the word of Jesus Christ through the Apostles teaching, which is preserved for us in the New Testament. Nevertheless, pastors, such as Timothy (or me or Joshua) stand in a long line that stretches back to Adam and continues through the prophets, the Lord Jesus Christ and the apostles. These are people whose calling it is to proclaim the Word of the Living God to his people and to call upon them to believe it and to obey it.

This brings us to our passage this morning—“Teach and urge these things,” a charge that Paul repeats in various forms at least six times in one letter.

The central task of a pastor is to instruct his listeners in the truth and to urge them to obey it.

"These things" refers to everything that Paul has written in this letter, all of which revolves around “the mystery of godliness,” his term for the gospel at the end of chapter 3.

A church’s pastors are to teach these things. “Teach” means to instruct someone, to communicate the truth to someone so that they learn it.

Pastors are not only to teach, but also to “urge” theses things upon their hearers. Some translations use “preach” or “exhort” instead of urge. The idea is an appeal, an earnest call to accept and apply the truths being taught.

Therefore, a pastor should be doing two things in a sermon. First, he should explain the passage. Secondly, while he explains the meaning of the passage, he should be urgently appealing to his listeners to accept what is taught as truth and to apply it to their lives.

Seeing that Paul stresses teaching and urging the truth multiple times, we might ask a question:

Why is Teaching and Urging the Truth So Important?

When I was in high school, I made pizzas on the weekends. Next to our dough-rolling machine, there was a sign on the wall that gave instructions on how to safely clean the machine. Below the instructions, there was a picture of a mangled hand that was missing some of its fingers. The hand was an example of what happens to those who failed to follow the instructions. It was an ugly picture meant to encourage employees to pay careful attention to safe dough-rolling machine cleaning procedures.

I believe that Paul answers our question by doing something similar in this passage. Paul is painting a picture of false teachers that is spiritually ugly. He exposes the unhealthy nature of their doctrine and the morbid truth about their sick desires and ungodly behaviors. Anyone who genuinely loves Jesus Christ will take one look at this description and want absolutely nothing to do with such people.

I describe these people as “false teachers” because Paul says that they “teach a different doctrine.” A doctrine that is different than the one delivered by Jesus’ Apostles is necessarily a false doctrine. As I mentioned earlier, the Apostles were Jesus’ handpicked, authorized agents, who delivered his message to the churches with his authority. If you disagree with the apostles, the you disagree with Jesus. Jesus speaks truth. Therefore, to teach something different than what is found in his apostles’ letters is to teach what is false, to promote a lie. This is dangerous because:

To teach a “different doctrine” is to:
1) teach what is unhealthy.
Paul says that the one who teaches a “different doctrine” “does not agree with the sound words.” The word translated “sound” is a word that is used in the gospel of Luke and in 1 John to refer to good physical health. It means to be “healthy.” It is one of Paul’s favorite words for referring to correct doctrine and to the spiritual condition that results in those who adhere to the truth.

This should remind us that the teaching and believing the truth is not simply about being right. It is about being healthy. As I stated at the beginning of this message, God’s word brings life; departure from it brings death.

The truth of God’s word is healthy for us. When someone teaches something different, they are promoting something that will ultimately bring a person and a church decay and death. We will see this illustrated as the passage continues. For now, it is enough to say that if you want to be healthy, if you want life, then learn and apply the healthy truth of God’s word.

2) disagree with the “words of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

The “words of our Lord Jesus Christ” refers to message that Paul has passed along to Timothy—a message which is both about the Lord Jesus Christ and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

As I mentioned earlier, the apostles are Jesus’ authorized representatives, who declare the Gospel by his authority. They received their calling and their message directly from the risen Lord.

We cannot choose which parts of the New Testament we like. We cannot pit Paul against Jesus—“The Jesus I know would never teach what that Paul teaches!” To disagree with an apostle is not to disagree with a man; it is to disagree with “the words of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Likewise, this is an encouragement to Timothy to be bold in his teaching and urging. If he is teaching and urging “these things,” then he is proclaiming the word of the Lord Jesus Christ! This is why Paul will write to Titus, “Declare these things; exhort and rebuke with all authority. Let no one disregard you.” (2:15).
On the other hand, those who reject and despise his teaching are not rejecting and despising the words of “youthful” Timothy. So long as he is proclaiming “these things,” they are rejecting and despising “our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Paul uses a strong title for Jesus here. He is Lord and Christ (God’s anointed King), which stresses his authority. The heart of false teaching is not intellectual error but rebellion against the Lord.

3) fail to promote godliness.
Paul says that false teachers disagree with “the teaching that accords with godliness.” Godliness is a life of love for and obedience to God.

Christianity is a life-changing message. The gospel is a call to forsake sin in repentance in order to run to Jesus Christ in faith, to be born again into a life of holiness.

Right doctrine is designed to produce right behavior. This is why when Paul tells us in Romans 12 to present our bodies as “living sacrifices, holy and acceptable to God,” he follows it by instructing us to “be transformed by the renewal of your mind.”

The gospel is, as Paul described it in chapter 3, “the mystery of godliness.” In the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, we discover how to be dead to sin and alive in Christ. We learn to be godly.

The truth promotes a life of godliness. Error does not accord with godliness. Any “gospel” that allows for, encourages or comforts a person who remains in willful and unrepentant sin is no gospel at all.

Notice the words that Paul is using: “doctrine, sound words, teaching.” Paul is very concerned with ideas, with absolute truth. Paul understands that what you believe affects how you behave; it determines the condition of your soul.

There is a spiritual battle to be fought on the level of truth. We dare not say, “I don’t care about doctrine, I just care about Jesus.” For the apostle, genuine adherence to the truth is inseparable from proper love for and obedience to Jesus Christ.

From these three observations, we can make an educated prediction about false teachers and those who listen to them. If these three things are true, then false teachers will be unhealthy, rebellious and ungodly, as will be those who accept their false teaching. This is exactly what we will find in the verses that follow, where Paul describes one who teaches a “different doctrine.”

One who teaches a “different doctrine”:
1) is proud without a reason to be so…
Paul’s first description is that they are “puffed up with conceit.” Pride is the producer of false doctrine. It is pride to think that you know better that the Lord Jesus Christ.

False teachers believe that in their studies, their experience, their intellect they have found better answers than those revealed in the word of God. It is pride to refuse to bow to God when he speaks. It is pride to refuse to be corrected and guided by the word of God. If pride produces error, then error should frighten us, for "God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble." (James 4:6)

It requires humility to receive and obey the “wisdom of God” when the world considers it to be foolishness. Only the humble will submit their minds to that of the All-Knowing Lord.

The irony that Paul reveals is that not only are they proud, but they have no reason to be proud. He says that they are “puffed up with conceit, understanding nothing.” When you disagree with God, you are wrong. Therefore, these teachers, thinking that have discovered something new and wiser, have discovered nothing at all. Thinking that they know better than God does, they know nothing at all. Their pride has all the substance of hot air.

2) …and has unhealthy desire to debate.
Pride is a love of self. Pride often propels us to defend ourselves (especially when we are wrong) and to promote ourselves (especially over others). In the realm of ideas, especially with teachers, this can show up in a love for controversy and argument. Controversies, debates, arguments, quarrels are opportunities to show off our intellectual arsenal. It is an opportunity to display our quick-wit and mental sharpness. Therefore, these proud teachers develop a love for investigating and debating issues that really do not matter and, even worse, are opposed to the truth.

I think that these two attitudes—pride and the craving for controversy—are excellent examples of why we must be careful in whom we encourage to pursue vocational ministry. Without genuine humility, their pride will propel them to continue looking for new and better things to debate, distracting them from the gospel. An unspiritual and proud person, pushed into the ministry of the Gospel will far too often turn away from the gospel and take others with them.

These attitudes produce qualities that are opposed to love, the aim of the Gospel (1:6; 1 Co 13:4-7).
In chapter 1, Paul wrote, “the aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.” The aim of the gospel is love. Yet, what these false teachers and their different doctrine produce is anything other than love.

In 1 Corinthians 13, Paul gives his famous description of love:
Paul writes, “Love does not envy.” Yet, these attitudes produce envy. These people are angry to see someone else have what they do not have.

Paul writes, “Love does not insist on having its own way.” Yet, these attitudes produce dissension, which is conflict and division resulting disagreement. These are the type of people who will leave a church if they do not get their own way.

Paul writes, “Love rejoices with the truth.” Yet, these people slander. That is, they verbally assault and insult those that do not agree with them. They tell lies and bring down the reputation of others to get their own way.

Paul writes, “Love believes all things, hopes all things.” That is, love gives other people the benefit of the doubt, believing the best about them unless there is solid reason not to. These false teachers produce “evil suspicions.” That is, they tend to conjecture, guess and assume the worst about other people’s actions and motivations, especially when that helps them to slander someone.

Finally, Paul writes, “love is not irritable.” Yet, these attitudes produce “constant friction.” That is, wherever these false teachers go, as they bounce from church to church, they always seem to end up in an argument, mad at someone and someone mad at them.

Paul writes that this happens “among people who are depraved in mind and deprived of the truth…” The worst part of the ungodliness that comes with false doctrine is that it spreads.

This sickness spreads, particularly among those who:
1) have corrupted minds,
Behind ungodly behavior is an ungodly mind. Rotten trees produce rotten fruit. Rotten, corrupted minds produce rotten, corrupted desires, behaviors and doctrines.

2) have been robbed of the truth,
Trees shrivel and rot when they are deprived of proper nutrition. Minds grow corrupted and rotten when they are deprived of the truth. It is the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ that renews our minds and transforms our souls. In these people 2 Corinthians 4:4 has become true: “…the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.”

3) and have worldly goals.
Because their eyes have been blinded, they are incapable of seeing Jesus Christ as a glorious treasure. They are incapable of seeing the Kingdom as a pearl of great price, worth giving up every earthly possession in order to possess. Instead, they see godliness as a means for gain. They turn religion, ministry, service into a path to gain material wealth and worldly reputations.

Now, think about these people that Paul has described. What would such teachers do to a church if they were left unchecked? They would absolutely destroy it!

We absolutely do not want these type of people in our churches! So, we should ask this question: How do we prevent it from occurring and cure it if it does? The answer: “Teach and urge these things.”

The preventative and the cure for such disease is the proclamation of the truth, which renews the mind, thus transforming the soul. (1 Tim 1:3, 18-20; 4:6-16; 2 Tim 2:2, 14-15; 4:1-4; Romans 12:1-2)

God’s word brings life; departure from it brings death. Therefore, whether we are looking for the new life of converts to baptize, or the life that remains healthy as a believer is taught to obey all that Christ commanded, we will look to and cling to the Word of God.

As your pastors, Joshua and I will give ourselves to accurately teaching God’s Word and urging you to obey it. You, in turn, will give yourselves to sincerely learning God’s Word and applying it to your lives.

We will do this as we plead with God to gracious bless the ministry of his word with the power of his spirit, so that we might be full of health and life.