For Those Who Disagree
1 Timothy 6:3-5
June 20, 2010
Tonight it becomes clear that Paul
Is beginning to wrap up his letter to Timothy.
And so it is helpful to remember the main point of this letter.
1 Timothy 3:14-15 “I am writing these things to you, hoping to come to you before long; but in case I am delayed, I write so that you will know how one ought to conduct himself in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and support of the truth.”
And simply by reading that verse, it is clear to us that
Paul’s main area of concern is THE CONDUCT OF THE CHURCH.
This is not a letter about how to act in church.
This is a letter about how the church should act.
And based on what we have studied
We can easily sum up that conduct with one word: GODLINESS
In chapter 2 we saw what godly men and women look like
In chapter 3 we saw what godly overseers and deacons look like
In chapter 4 we heard Paul push Timothy to preach, because it is through preaching the word that godliness is achieved.
In chapter 5 we saw what godly widows and elders look like.
It has been a clear theme throughout the book.
Paul has written this letter to Timothy,
Not only to tell him how important godliness is,
But also to give him a step by step blueprint for what it looks like.
And so godliness is the order of the day.
But you may remember, that when we studied the first chapter, we learned that Ephesus had a false teacher problem.
Ephesus had some there who might not think godliness is important.
And therefore Paul takes a moment here to educate Timothy
In regard to those who might disagree with this letter.
Paul exposes such people in verse 3.
(3) “If anyone advocates a different doctrine and does not agree with sound words, those of our Lord Jesus Christ, and with the doctrine conforming to godliness,”
And in that verse we realize the type of person we are dealing with.
It is a person who:
Teaches heresy – “advocates a different doctrine”
Scoffs at truth – “does not agree with sound words”
Disregards Jesus – “those of our Lord Jesus Christ”
Rejects Godliness – “and with the doctrine conforming to godliness”
In short this is the type of person who isn’t all that fired up
About what Paul had to say in this letter.
They’ve got their own plans for what the church should look like.
They’ve got their own ideas for what the church’s doctrine should be.
They’ve got their own ideas for what the church should value.
And none of those plans or ideas align with
What Paul had to say in this letter.
Now that may sound far-fetched to you that such people would exist,
But let me say that this warning is more relevant than you might think.
I remember being in seminary.
I was there in 2001 & 2002
Sum it all up in two books
Experiencing God
Purpose Driven Church
And I can just tell you that the focus of that book
Is how the church can grow numerically.
(They might not come out and say that, but trust me that is the focus)
• Develop a Mission / Vision Statement
• Survey the community to determine “felt needs”
• Structure your worship services to fit those needs (music important)
And although I was definitely knew to the ministry,
Something continually set wrong with me about all this,
And one day it finally hit me.
Most church guru’s today have a different plan for the church
Than Paul (or God) has for the church.
While most today are seeking ways to make the church more relevant,
Paul just wanted the church to be more godly.
While most today are seeking ways to make the church more influential,
Paul just wanted the church to be more godly.
While most today are seeking ways to make the church bigger,
Paul just wanted the church to be more godly.
Think about what we’ve studied so far in this letter.
Have you read anything here about numbers of people?
Have you read anything here about evangelistic strategies?
Have you read anything here about building gyms or conducting surveys or keeping your eye on Roman culture so as to be more relevant?
NOTHING
YET TODAY THAT IS ALL THE FOCUS IS ON
So although no one is explicitly saying so, it is obvious
That most church growth experts and denominational leaders of our day
Do not agree with what Paul has to say in this letter.
And when I came to that realization in seminary
I raised my hand and asked my professor,
“Why is it that when everyone here wants to talk about church growth they all tell us to survey our community and get a mission/vision statement? Why is it that no one tells us to read the book of 1 Timothy and see what your preachers ought to be or what your deacons ought to be or how to handle money, etc?”
The professor looked at me and said,
“Well do you not think that Timothy knew his community?”
At that moment I knew I was finished with seminary.
And I just tell you all of that because I want you to realize that
The type of people Paul is addressing are still out there today.
We still see those who aren’t concerned about God’s doctrines
But instead preach their own.
We still see those who don’t care about what the Bible says,
But are more interested in what is trendy.
We still see those who do not agree
That God’s main goal for the church is that she be pure and holy.
If you don’t believe me,
This week call a church and ask the pastor his take on 1 Timothy 2 and women preachers.
The overwhelming answer you will receive is this:
“That was a situational problem that occurred at Ephesus,
But Paul’s teaching no longer applies today.”
I know you’ll hear it because I’ve heard it so many times.
Well apparently Paul knew it was coming because he warns Timothy about them before he even has a chance to hear their first argument.
And what Paul does here is tell Timothy
What these people are really all about.
Paul gives five attributes of the person who doesn’t agree that
The church’s main calling is to be holy.
If anyone doesn’t agree with that:
#1 HE IS CONCEITED
1 Timothy 6:4a
“he is conceited”
“conceited” translated TUPHOO
Meaning “to wrap in smoke”
(TUPHOS = smoke)
Today we would say they are
“Puffed Up” or “Blowing Smoke” or “Full of Hot Air”
It is a person who writes checks that he can’t cash.
He speaks confidently but has no clue what he’s talking about.
Paul was referring to these same people in chapter 1:
1 Timothy 1:7 “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.”
Frankly they remind me of Satan.
Genesis 3:2-5 “The woman said to the serpent, “From the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat; but from the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat from it or touch it, or you will die.'” The serpent said to the woman, “You surely will not die! “For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”
It is certainly true of false prophets
2 Peter 2:18-19 “For speaking out arrogant words of vanity they entice by fleshly desires, by sensuality, those who barely escape from the ones who live in error, promising them freedom while they themselves are slaves of corruption; for by what a man is overcome, by this he is enslaved.”
Remember all the Old Testament false prophets
Who assured the people that Babylon would not take over?
They were talking, but they had no clue what they were talking about.
And that is what Paul says about anyone who teaches anything other than
“the doctrine conforming to godliness”
They are full of hot air.
They apparently just like to hear themselves talk,
But their talk is not worth anything.
He is conceited.
#2 HE IS IGNORANT
1 Timothy 6:4
“and understands nothing”
This obviously relates closely to the first point.
Except where as the first point emphasizes their desire to talk,
This emphasizes the worthlessness of what they say.
And the point is clear.
Anyone who doesn’t agree that godliness is God’s desire
Obviously doesn’t understand the message of Scripture.
Let me show you why.
We studied earlier in Matthew why Jesus came:
Matthew 1:21 “She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.”
His Sermon on the Mount
Matthew 5:48 “Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”
Of course the disciples picked up on it, for when Peter wrote his epistle:
1 Peter 1:14-16 “As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance, but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; because it is written, “YOU SHALL BE HOLY, FOR I AM HOLY.”
And beyond them, this is what Paul has said over and over.
Colossians 3:5-11 “Therefore consider the members of your earthly body as dead to immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which amounts to idolatry. For it is because of these things that the wrath of God will come upon the sons of disobedience, and in them you also once walked, when you were living in them. But now you also, put them all aside: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive speech from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, since you laid aside the old self with its evil practices, and have put on the new self who is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created him — a renewal in which there is no distinction between Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave and freeman, but Christ is all, and in all.”
Ephesians 4:22-24 “that, in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit, and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth.”
Romans 6:1-4 “What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase? May it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it? Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death? Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.”
Romans 6:12-14 “Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its lusts, and do not go on presenting the members of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. For sin shall not be master over you, for you are not under law but under grace.”
Romans 8:1-4 “Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death. For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh, so that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.”
Romans 8:29 “For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren;”
If that were not enough,
Listen to what Paul says that Jesus wants from His church.
Ephesians 5:25-27 “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her, so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless.”
Is there really any doubt about what God is looking for from His church?
There shouldn’t be.
And so all this multitude of teachers proves
When they emphasize everything other than godliness
Is that they are ignorant.
That is what Paul says about anyone who advocates a different doctrine.
He is Conceited, He is Ignorant
#3 HE IS IRRELEVANT
1 Timothy 6:4
“but he has a morbid interest in controversial questions and disputes about words”
“morbid” translates NOSEO
“to be sick”
They are demented. They are deranged.
Have you have ever talked to someone like this, who talked about things you didn’t want to hear about?
To which you reply, “You’re sick”
That is what Paul says these men are doing.
They are putting in your mind things that don’t matter.
They have a sick interest in non-essential things.
I had a deacon at one church go on with me for about 30 minutes about the family relation of Herod to Herodias.
Carrie had a Sunday School teacher once talk about whether or not Adam had a belly-button.
WHO CARES?
This is what the Pharisees and Sadducees routinely did to Jesus.
They tried to trap Him with a controversial question or a dispute about words.
TURN TO: Matthew 9:10-17
TURN TO: Matthew 19:1-9
TURN TO: Matthew 22:23-46
I mean, it’s no wonder Jesus was always put out with these people.
They were always focused on the non-essentials.
They had “a morbid interest in controversial questions and disputes about words”
This by the way Paul explicitly told Timothy to stay away from.
1 Timothy 1:3-7 “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.”
1 Timothy 4:7-8 “But have nothing to do with worldly fables fit only for old women. On the other hand, discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness; for bodily discipline is only of little profit, but godliness is profitable for all things, since it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.”
1 Timothy 6:20-21 “O Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to you, avoiding worldly and empty chatter and the opposing arguments of what is falsely called “knowledge” — which some have professed and thus gone astray from the faith. Grace be with you.”
2 Timothy 2:14-19 “Remind them of these things, and solemnly charge them in the presence of God not to wrangle about words, which is useless and leads to the ruin of the hearers. Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth. But avoid worldly and empty chatter, for it will lead to further ungodliness, and their talk will spread like gangrene. Among them are Hymenaeus and Philetus, men who have gone astray from the truth saying that the resurrection has already taken place, and they upset the faith of some. Nevertheless, the firm foundation of God stands, having this seal, “The Lord knows those who are His,” and, “Everyone who names the name of the Lord is to abstain from wickedness.”
And the reason Paul was so adamant about these things
Is because they are irrelevant.
That is actually ironic
Since the main thrust of churches today is to be relevant
By focusing on being relevant to the world,
They actually become irrelevant
Because they don’t make a difference in people’s lives.
THEY DON’T HELP THE CHURCH BE WHAT GOD WANTS HER TO BE
And if they don’t accomplish that, why bother?
Are Conceited, Are Ignorant, Are Irrelevant
#4 HE IS DIVISIVE
1 Timothy 4-5
“out of which arise envy, strife, abusive language, evil suspicions, and constant friction between men of depraved mine and deprived of the truth,”
Aside from ending that phrase by revealing that these men also are
“men of depraved mind and deprived of the truth”
Paul reveals perhaps one of the most alarming attributes of these men.
AND THAT IS THAT THEY CAUSE DIVISION.
Some might say, “Who cares if they talk about nothing, what does it hurt?”
IT HURTS THE UNITY OF THE BODY
WHY?
Because only the truth unifies.
John 17:16-21 “They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. “Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth. “As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. “For their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they themselves also may be sanctified in truth. “I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word; that they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me.”
It is amazing to me how many people read the end of that passage
Without reading the first of it.
They want unity, but they don’t want sanctification.
And you can’t have one without the other.
I wish the church would open her eyes.
We hear more about unity right now than ever before
And the church is more divided than ever before.
It is because people constantly try to unify around the wrong thing.
They want unity around love & tolerance, but it is truth that unifies.
And until the church determines to find out what God thinks
And unify around that she will never unify.
The men who deny godliness do a tremendous disservice to the church
Because they cause men to focus on other things than godliness
And the result is division.
Jude 16-19 “These are grumblers, finding fault, following after their own lusts; they speak arrogantly, flattering people for the sake of gaining an advantage. But you, beloved, ought to remember the words that were spoken beforehand by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ, that they were saying to you, ” In the last time there will be mockers, following after their own ungodly lusts.” These are the ones who cause divisions, worldly-minded, devoid of the Spirit.”
That is why Timothy was charged to silence these men in the first chapter.
Every teacher in the church must have singularity of purpose.
They must be focused on shaping the church
Into what God wants the church to be, and that is a godly body.
When they do that unity is achieved.
Otherwise it only brings divisions.
He is arrogant, he is Ignorant, he is Irrelevant, he is Divisive
#5 HE IS CORRUPT
1 Timothy 6:4
“who suppose that godliness is a means of gain.”
This statement actually answers a great question for us.
If these men aren’t concerned about God’s truth…
If these men aren’t concerned about what God wants…
If these men aren’t concerned about true doctrine…
THEN WHY DO THEY STAY IN THE CHURCH?
They “suppose that godliness is a means of gain.”
They think that the church is a way for them
To get worldly fame or money or something else.
THEY ARE CORRUPT
WHY DID JUDAS STICK AROUND JESUS?
John 12:4-6 “But Judas Iscariot, one of His disciples, who was intending to betray Him, said, “Why was this perfume not sold for three hundred denarii and given to poor people?” Now he said this, not because he was concerned about the poor, but because he was a thief, and as he had the money box, he used to pilfer what was put into it.”
WHY DID THE PHARISEES SEEM TO CLING TO GOD?
Luke 16:14-15 “Now the Pharisees, who were lovers of money, were listening to all these things and were scoffing at Him. And He said to them, “You are those who justify yourselves in the sight of men, but God knows your hearts; for that which is highly esteemed among men is detestable in the sight of God.”
And this is so obvious in our day too.
Godliness is not important to most people.
In fact a godless world vehemently rejects it.
But false teachers have learned that sensuality sells.
So they talk about anything but repentance from sin and godliness
Because it is not beneficial to their cause.
And they go out and survey the community
To find out what the community wants the church to be,
Instead of focusing on what God wants the church to be.
It is all done for faulty motives.
And Paul issues that warning here.
God wants His church to be godly.
And anyone who denies that.
Is Conceited
Is Ignorant
Is Irrelevant
Is Divisive
Is Corrupt
That’s all there is to it.
1 Timothy 3:14-15 “I am writing these things to you, hoping to come to you before long; but in case I am delayed, I write so that you will know how one ought to conduct himself in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and support of the truth.”
