FIRST TIMOTHY PART 7

A STUDY IN FIRST TIMOTHY

Chapter One:

“But we know that the law is good, if a man use it lawfully; Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, For whoremongers, for them that defile themselves with mankind, for menstealers, for liars, for perjured persons, and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine;” (Verses 8, 9, & 10; KJV)

The Bible is the scalpel that God uses to correct sinful men and to expose flaws in their lives. It is God’s intent to bring man back to Him.  It is through the Scripture that God shows how man has separated himself from Him.  It is through this Holy Book that God shows how we may be reunited with Him through Jesus Christ.  Some people use the Word of God to support their theories of life and carnal understanding of Scripture. Almost all the false doctrines and teaching comes from taking Scripture out of context.  Anyone can stretch Biblical truths to the point that it supports their misconceptions.  Paul acknowledged that religious traditionalist were taking the Law and using it in a way it was not meant to be interpreted.  All false doctrine starts with Biblical truth, but is quickly distorted to support the purpose and goal of the ignorant.  There has always been an epidemic of wrong teaching because many in leadership have volunteered for ministry, instead of being called.  The Bible can be a dangerous book if the Scriptures are taken out of context and interpreted for self serving purposes.

The church at Ephesus was using the Law in an unlawful way.  It was through the carnal leadership that the real truth was being overshadowed with traditional Judaism.  Paul wanted Timothy to reiterate that the Law was not made for Believers, but for the unrighteous.  He was to lay out in simple terms those to whom the Law would apply.  As one reads over the list of those eligible to receive correction from the Law, we are immediately struck by the total depravity of man.  Jesus came to save man from a life of chaos, but man rejected the Way, the Truth, and the Life.  Nearly two thousand years after Paul wrote to Timothy, there is still the same list of those who have failed to come under the authority of the Word.  Why has the Church failed in evangelizing our own Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and the uttermost parts of the world?  The Word “sinners” is from the Greek word meaning to be “devoted to sin.”  The world seems more dedicated to rejecting God than many Believers are in serving Him.  One would think that after all these years, we could eradicate some of these violations against God.  After Paul mentioned in an abbreviated list the transgressions of man, he adds, “Anything contrary to sound doctrine.”  False teaching and doctrines are just as much of a sin as murder, defiling with mankind (homosexuality), lying, and the rest of Paul’s list.  The only difference is that false teaching will affect untold numbers.