Apostasy Series: Paul Describes the Apostasy of Many Ephesian Pastors in 1 Timothy 1:3-11 Lesson # 4
Apostasy • Sermon • Submitted • Presented • 1:07:30
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The apostle Paul in 1 Timothy 1:3-11 describes the apostasy of many Ephesian pastors.
The prohibition in Second Timothy 2:16 echoes Paul’s orders to Timothy in First Timothy 1:3-11.
Both are related to the false doctrine related to the Judaizers and those apostate pastors who adhered to their legalistic teaching.
Like Titus 3:9, First Timothy 1:3-11 gives us insight as to what exactly Paul is referring to when he speaks of “the words lacking content which are worldly” that appear in Second Timothy 2:16.
First Timothy 1:3-11 also alludes to the contentious behavior of the Judaizers and those Christian pastors who adhered to their legalistic teaching.
First Timothy 1:3 Since I requested you to stay on in Ephesus when I myself was about to depart for Macedonia in order that you may command certain individuals not to teach at any time, false doctrine….continue making it your habit of performing this task. (My translation)
This verse is an urgent request for Timothy to fulfill the task of confronting the false teachers in Ephesus and presents the basis for Timothy commanding certain Ephesian believers to stop teaching false doctrines.
The emphasis is not upon a comparison between Paul urging Timothy when leaving Macedonia to stay on at Ephesus in order to instruct certain men not to teach false doctrines and Timothy doing exactly that now that Paul has left him in Ephesus.
Rather, his emphasis is that he wants Timothy to continue commanding certain Ephesian believers to not teach false doctrines because he commanded him to do so upon leaving for Macedonia.
His emphasis is as to why he wants Timothy to confront these false teachers.
This is to help support Timothy in this task since he is emphasizing in this causal clause his apostolic authority that he received from the Lord Jesus Christ Himself.
To reject Paul’s instructions was to reject the Lord Himself.
“In order that you may command certain individuals not to teach at any time, false doctrine” is a purpose clause that indicates that Paul’s purpose for urgently requesting that Timothy stay on in Ephesus was so that he could command certain Ephesian believers not to teach false doctrine.
The purpose is further described in verse 4 indicating that Paul wanted these Ephesian believers who taught false doctrines to also not occupy themselves with myths and interminable genealogies.
It implies clearly that Paul has delegated authority to Timothy to rebuke and hold these false teachers accountable since this word indicates that the false teachers in Ephesus are under Paul’s apostolic authority and are thus Christians.
The fact that Paul is commanding these unidentified individuals to stop teaching false doctrine clearly implies that they are believers since Paul would not have authority over a non-believer.
It also indicates that they were pastors since Acts 20:28 records Paul predicting to the pastors in Ephesus that some of them would become apostates.
“Certain individuals” refers to unidentified Christian pastor-teachers who taught false doctrines in fulfillment of Paul’s prophesy recorded in Acts 20:28 and means that there was more than one pastor in Ephesus who was teaching false doctrines.
However, it does not mean that all the pastors were doing so.
“Not to teach at any time, false doctrine” speaks of the act of teaching that which is contrary to the apostolic teaching of Paul.
It does not refer to the style of teaching or manner of teaching but the content of teaching.
It describes the content of the teaching of these pastors in Ephesus as fundamentally and essentially different than Paul’s apostolic teaching.
This prohibition denies any idea of these Christian pastors in Ephesus teaching heretical doctrines.
First Timothy 1:4 Nor, at any time be occupied with myths as well as useless genealogies because the nature of which, promotes pointless arguments rather than the administration of God’s household, which is through faithfulness. (My translation)
This verse is connecting Paul’s prohibition that certain Ephesian pastors were not to teach at any time, false or heretical doctrine with the prohibition for these same pastors to not pay attention to myths and useless genealogies.
It makes clear that Paul does not want these unidentified pastors in Ephesus to at any time “occupy their minds” with myths.
First Timothy 1:5 However, the result, which this command produces is divine-love from a pure heart as well as a conscience that is divine good in quality and character and in addition a sincere faith. (My translation)
This verse is contrasting the negative ungodly results of some unidentified pastors in Ephesus teaching false doctrine and being occupied with myths and useless genealogies and the positive results if they are faithful in administrating God’s household.
The negative result of the former is that the church in Ephesus will be involved with pointless arguments.
The positive result of the latter is the church will function in God’s love for one another since the result of obeying Paul’s apostolic teaching is love for God and love each other.
First Timothy 1:6 Certain individuals, because they have deviated away from these things, turned aside to pointless talk. (My translation)
The causal clause “because they have deviated away from these things, turned aside to pointless talk” means that the reason why these pastors turned aside to pointless talk was because they deviated from practicing God’s love in the power of the Spirit from a pure heart, a good conscience and a sincere faith.
First Timothy 1:7 by desiring unsuccessfully to be teachers of the Law, even though they do not understand either the things which they are making a habit of communicating or the things concerning which they make a habit of confidently asserting for the benefit of only themselves. (My translation)
In this verse, he identifies this particular group of pastors as wanting to be teachers of the Law but yet they don’t understand what they are saying or the things they confidently affirm.
This further indicates quite clearly that these pastors had fallen victim to the Judaizers who dogged Paul throughout his ministry.
Therefore, the heresy in the Ephesian church was of a Jewish nature.
First Timothy 1:8 But we affirm as a confirmed and accepted fact that the Law does exist in the state of being useful, if one at any time does for their own benefit make use of it lawfully. (My translation)
The apostle is contrasting the misuse of the Law by these pastors in Ephesus who aspired to be teachers of the Law with the correct application of it, which he and Timothy and the other apostles taught and was accepted by the Christian community throughout the Roman Empire in general.
First Timothy 1:9 For you see, one must affirm this fact, namely that the Law is by no means established for the benefit of the righteous but in fact, for the benefit of those who break the Law, for the benefit of those who are insubordinate, for the benefit of those who are irreverent and for the benefit of those who are sinful by nature and practice, for the benefit of those of those who are unholy and for the benefit of those who are worldly, for the benefit of those who murder their father and mother, for the benefit of murderers, 10 for the benefit of those who are fornicators, for the benefit of those who are homosexuals, for the benefit of those who are kidnappers, for the benefit of those who are liars, for the benefit of those who are perjurers and in addition, if, and let us assume that it is true for the sake of argument that any other does oppose itself to that which is sound doctrine and we agree that there is. (My translation)
So in these verses he teaches that this moral code does not apply to the Christian who has been declared righteous through faith alone in Christ alone.
Rather, it is for those who are non-Christians who need the Law to show them their sinful nature and that they don’t measure up to God’s perfect standards and that they are in need of the Savior.
Therefore, those pastors emphasizing obedience to the Ten Commandments to live righteously are missing the point or misapplying the Law.
The Christian’s lifestyle is to be governed by walking by faith in the Spirit’s teaching in the Word of God and in particular obeying the Lord Jesus Christ’s command to love one another as He loves through the power of the Spirit and not simply by obeying the Ten Commandments.
These apostate pastors in Ephesus were following the Judaizers’ doctrine and were being selective with regards to their obedience to the Law by emphasizing strict observance to the Ten Commandments.
So Paul is teaching in verses 9-10 that the Decalogue is not for the “righteous,” i.e. the sinner justified through faith in Christ, i.e. the Christian but rather for those who are unsaved since this moral code is designed reveal God’s holy character, man’s sinful nature and lead the sinner to Christ for salvation.
These pastors were teaching in error that observance of the Law is to govern the Christian’s lifestyle.