"These things ..." refers to all of the instruction given by Paul. Now to some Paul's words might seem very rigid, but if we look at what he has been saying we will see things differently. There are some things that he is absolutely clear on, but on others his teaching is against those who are putting wrong restrictions on people, such as forbidding them to marry or eat certain foods.
Today we have a great emphasis on people having a right to their own views (though we tend to become less keen when they disagree with us). However, Paul reminds us that what he is talking about here is the instruction of Jesus Christ and godly teaching. The church is not here to offer human solutions, but to offer Christ to the world. There are some who just want to pronounce their own ideas and thoughts, and they have an "unhealthy interest in controversies ..".
Finally, Paul says they have see godliness as a means to financial gain, and this is the topic of much of the rest of this chapter. There are many today who similarly seem to see the gospel as means to financial gain. We need to beware of such tendencies in ourselves, and to be on our guard against teachers and preachers who seem to have such an unhealthy interest. We also need to pay heed to what Paul is about to say in the next few verses.
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