No Other Doctrine
Notes
Transcript
Verses 1-2
Verses 1-2
Structure: Writer > Recipient > Greeting (w/ added depth)
Paul’s Apostleship: By the “command” of God & Jesus (Paul’s message is authoritative)
God our Savior: Typical OT view of God (cf. Ps. 106:21; Isa. 43:3; 45:21; Hos. 13:4)
Psalm 106:21 “They forgot God, their Savior, who had done great things in Egypt,”
Isa. 43:3 “For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior. I give Egypt as your ransom, Cush and Seba in exchange for you.”
Isa. 45:21 “Declare and present your case; let them take counsel together! Who told this long ago? Who declared it of old? Was it not I, the Lord? And there is no other god besides me, a righteous God and a Savior; there is none besides me.”
Hos. 13:4 “But I am the Lord your God from the land of Egypt; you know no God but me, and besides me there is no savior.”
Christ our hope: Resurrection (Acts 23:6; 24:15, 21; 26:6-7; 28:20)
Acts 23:6 “Now when Paul perceived that one part were Sadducees and the other Pharisees, he cried out in the council, “Brothers, I am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees. It is with respect to the hope and the resurrection of the dead that I am on trial.””
Acts 24:1 “having a hope in God, which these men themselves accept, that there will be a resurrection of both the just and the unjust.”
Acts 24:21 “other than this one thing that I cried out while standing among them: ‘It is with respect to the resurrection of the dead that I am on trial before you this day.’ ””
Acts 26:6-7 “And now I stand here on trial because of my hope in the promise made by God to our fathers, to which our twelve tribes hope to attain, as they earnestly worship night and day. And for this hope I am accused by Jews, O king!”
Acts 28:20 “For this reason, therefore, I have asked to see you and speak with you, since it is because of the hope of Israel that I am wearing this chain.””
True Child:
Might indicate Paul and Timothy’s relationship (like a father and son)
Might also be statement granting Timothy authority for situation in Ephesus - Timothy is Paul’s “true” son—the one emulating Paul who represents Christ by command of God.
Grace, Mercy & Peace: Source is God (THE Father) & Christ (not just hope, but also our Lord)
Verses 3-4
Verses 3-4
Timothy’s Job: Stop false teaching
“Different” - some translations “false” or “strange.” Anything different than Christ’s Word is strange and False!
Source: Possibly some of the elders at Ephesus! (cf. Acts 20:29-30 )
I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things, to draw away the disciples after them.
Teach & Devote: false teachers taught strange things because they devoted themselves to strange things (contra devoting oneself to God’s Word (cf. 1 Tim. 4:13 )
Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching.
Myths: legend, fable, fiction (not something real)
Genealogies: Could be hyper-focus on OT genealogies, or could be mythical tales concerning genaelogies.
Speculation: (idle dispute, useless, meanigless) Whatever the details, the “other teaching” did not lead to spiritual growth, but to unknowable speculation that was not fruitful.
Stewardship: arrangement, order, plan
Verse 5
Verse 5
Our Aim (goal, purpose, intent)
Is LOVE (that comes from)
Pure Heart (Mt. 5:8; 2 Tim. 2:22; Tit. 1:15)
“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart.
To the pure, all things are pure, but to the defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure; but both their minds and their consciences are defiled.
Good conscience (1 Pet. 3:21; 1 Tim. 4:2; tit. 1:15; Heb. 13:18)
Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,
through the insincerity of liars whose consciences are seared,
Pray for us, for we are sure that we have a clear conscience, desiring to act honorably in all things.
Sincere faith (genuine, real, unfeigned)
Verses 6-7
Verses 6-7
Swerve/wandered away (false teachers) vs. “aim” (Paul and Timothy in the truth)
Vain Discussion / without understanding
fruitless talk, idle discussion, empty
Without Understanding: Goal of faith is not blind speculation, but fruitful knowledge and thus determined action/obedience
Desiring…Ironically, ignorant false teachers may well “confidently” view themselves as experts and teachers. One reason Timothy must “command” them.
Verses 8-10
Verses 8-10
Excursus: vv. 8-10 are parenthetical divergence for clarification: False teachers may be wrongly using OT or Mosaic Law, or law in general. The problem isn’t their source per se, but how they use it. Paul clarifies the “goodness” of the Law by reminding of it’s actual purpose
IF: misuse can ruin the purpose of Scripture (OT & NT) (2 Pet. 3:16)
as he does in all his letters when he speaks in them of these matters. There are some things in them that are hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do the other Scriptures.
Comparison to The Law:
A clear connection to at least commandments 5-9 of 10 commandments. Possible connection to all 10:
No other Gods: Lawless and Disobedient
No Idols: Ungodly & Sinners
Don’t Take Lord’s Name in Vain: Unholy
Keep the Sabbath: Profane
Honor Parents: Strike father and mother
Do not murder: murderers
Do No commit Adultery: Sexually Immoral & homosexuality
Do not Steal: Enslavers
Do not bear false witness: Liars and Perjurers
Do Not Covet: Contrary to Sound Doctrine
Purpose of the Law: to expose Sin! (Rom. 7:7; Gal. 3:19, 23-26)
What then shall we say? That the law is sin? By no means! Yet if it had not been for the law, I would not have known sin. For I would not have known what it is to covet if the law had not said, “You shall not covet.”
Why then the law? It was added because of transgressions, until the offspring should come to whom the promise had been made, and it was put in place through angels by an intermediary.
Now before faith came, we were held captive under the law, imprisoned until the coming faith would be revealed. So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian, for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith.
Lawless: without law; outside the law; “one who breaks legal restrictions to fulfill their own desires
Disobedient: Not subjected; independent; rebellious; insubordinate
ungodly: irreverent; wicked; lacking proper veneration and practice
sinners: one who deviates from the path of virtue; committed unrighteous acts
Unholy: lacking the characteristics of moral or ritual purity. godless
Profane: worldly; pointless; characterized by violating sacred character of someone or something
Strikes father & mother: Literally “one who kills his father.” Someone who abuses their parents
Murderers: man slayer
sexually immoral: Greek Pornos. fornicator.
men who practice homosexuality: This term is an inclusive term that covers all same-gender sexual activity. It is not just about exploitative acts such as male prostitution or pedophilia.
Enslavers: Kidnappers; Literally “man-stealer;” a slave-trader
Liars & Perjurers: falsehood; one who violates an oath; deliberately gives false testimony.
Whatever else…(cf. Gal. 5:18-21)
But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
Verse 11
Verse 11
Resumes where Paul left off at end of verse 8
Law is good when viewed, understood, and taught in accordance to the gospel.