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Sunday 28 April 2013

1 Timothy 1:5-11 - False behaviour

Paul's command to Timothy to put a stop to false teachings is not doctrinaire, but is motivated by love. False teachings do matter, they are not just matters of opinion, they affect people's lives. What we need is a pure heart, a good conscience and a sincere faith. The man of God does not harbour impure motives, he or she is not wracked with guilt, and has a sincere faith in Christ. False teachers have turned away from these things, they are no longer motivated by God. They may sound confident, but in reality they know nothing and do not know what they are talking about.
The place and role of the Law was a key issue in Paul's day, right from the beginning of the church. The problem was not with the Law, but with the use to which people were putting it. The Law was good, but is designed for lawbreakers. Ie it is designed to show us what sin is, and to restrain the ungodly.
We then get a list of various categories of "rebels" or "lawbreakers". This is not meant to be read as an exhaustive list, but does show clearly what some of the sins are, and there are some interesting entries. Given today's debates, those who practice homosexuality are listed. The Bible is clear that homosexual acts are sinful, and those who argue otherwise "have turned to meaningless talk", to use Paul's phrase from v6. "Slave traders" is also in there, which rather counters the oft heard claim that the Bible condones slavery.
Overall, notice that behaviour clearly matters. The notion that the fact that the gospel is about forgiveness clearly does not mean it does not matter how we live. Wrong actions are contrary to sound doctrine. This also shows that "doctrinal soundness" requires "godly lives", not just saying the right thing.

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