Through the eyes of a three-year old

 

 

 

Oftentimes, I stare with amazement at my son, Conner.

 It is so much fun watching him grow, watching his mind grow.

 He is such a thinker (I'm not sure where he got that from),

and is always analyzing things. The things he is fascinated

by humble me at times. You know, the little things I always

look past, he always takes a second look at. Sticks, toys, ants.. etc. 

He looks with amazement a things I deem worthless,

because he can make use of them. He can make a stick

become a train track, or an arm off of a

 ninja turtle become a flying saucer that will hit me

in my happy place.

Nonetheless, its his imagination I am speaking of.

What happened to my imagination? I

 know all the obvious answers to that

("growing up", "responsibilities", "maturity"),

but in a real sense I believe it would help us all if we

revamped our imaginations, or rediscovered them for that matter.

Have you ever thought about how for the most part, children by

and large are usually the most happy, joyous, and smile-full?

 I would argue that they are that way because of their

amazing imaginations. They can forget about problems,

tragedies, and monsters, just by remembering that they

can make a mighty castle with some blankets and chairs.

 I believe God gave us our imaginations so we could

use our imaginations, not so we could give Adderall to

 people who use their imaginations to the fullest.

Think big, make up crazy stuff in your head, be weird,

and then your problems might not seem so bad anymore.

You might just find a solution to your problems by using your imagination.

Sometimes, I think it would help if we saw through the eyes of a three-year old.

 

 

My First-Born

In light of the fact that my wife is

pregnant with our son, Chase,

 I would like to express my love

for my first-born son, Conner.
 Does that statement puzzle you?

"Caleb, you are not his biological father"

True, however, I adopted Him.

Maybe, you are unaware of what all that entails.

Let me explain.

 

I am a Christian, therefore, I believe I have been adopted

into God's kingdom that was believed to be only for

God's chosen people, the Jews. I am a gentile, you see.

 I was also adopted, The One who adopted me was The God-man.

His name is Jesus. He died on a cross,

and was resurrected on the third day, and by doing so,

He satisfied justice on my behalf, Imputed His righteousness

unto me, paid my sin debt, cleared my dirty record,

and declared me righteous.
 By doing all of that, I am now His son. 

God the Father now looks at me, and sees His Son's righteousness.

His precious blood paid for all of my sins.

 I did nothing to deserve it,

 I was not born into it, but I was brought into it.

Want to know the cool thing?
I get to reap all the benefits,

everyone of them, because I was adopted by Jesus.

 

Now, when I see my adopted son, I see me.

He is not less than,

 a hand-me-down, or not good enough.

His name is Conner Ryan Cole!!
He is more than good enough!!
I am not worthy of Him!!!

I am his father, and I will always be his father.

I love him very much, more than I even know.

I will never show any favoritism, nor will I be partial

 to any of my children. 

He is my son, and he always will be.

He will reap all the benefits. All of them.

 

The only difference is that I am not God, so

I am not a gift to Conner, but He is a grace-gift to me,

and I treasure Him, very, very, very much.

 

 Now, before that time comes when Chase arrives,

and when family and friends

begin saying things like,

"congratulations on having your first-born son!"

I hope you will understand why
 I am a bit direct in saying

"Why are you congratulating me now?

My first-born has already been here for a while,

 his name is Conner....

Put that in your pipe and smoke it."

"He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself,
according the kind intention of His will,
 to the praise of the glory of His grace,
which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved." -Ephesians 1:5-6
 

Don't rule her out

Maybe you are a loner. Maybe you are heartbroken.
Maybe you just don't care.
 Maybe you just want to have sex with any girl you see.
I would like you to listen to a story of mine,
 a story of how my life drastically changed.
I went from being a loner, heartbroken, uncaring, and a player
to a family man.

A few years ago, I thought I had it all together.
 I met this girl , and I thought I was in love.
I had it in my head, that God's will for me was to marry her.
I changed my whole life for her. Basically I changed who I was.
I left my hometown and moved up to where she lived.
 I started seeing, however, that it wasn't going to work out.
 We were two totally different people, and we split up.
 It broke my heart. I was so sure she was the one.
Depression starting kicking in, and I crawled up into my shell.
 I blocked out the world. I felt like a complete failure.
 I couldn't understand what went wrong! I kept saying
"God, what did I do wrong! Why did you bring her into my life??"

I grew up in a broken home. I wasn't  able to see my dad much,

only about every other weekend.
I never know what it was
like to be in a home where my mom and dad lived together, and
loved each other. That's all I ever wanted. I just wanted a family.
I wanted to be in love, and happy. I wanted children, and I wanted
them to know that their daddy loves them. I could care less about
riches, or fame. I just wanted love, real love.
 I had dreamed about it since I was born.

I thought I had found it, and I was wrong.
I was so devastated. Heartbroken to be exact.
 I couldn't see how any girl would ever want me again.
 I hated feeling this way, but I couldn't help it. I tried and tried.
 I remember friends telling me "cheer up man, you'll find the
right girl eventually". I thought to myself, "eventually? really?".

Well, I didn't stay heartbroken for long.
I basically stopped caring about everything except
one thing, sex. I decided to start sleeping around.
I felt that I was being a "man". That's the American way, right?
I went to bars, clubs, and parties. Drinking my life away,
and having sex with as many girls as possible.

One day I remember getting a text from one my ex-girlfriends
from high school, her name was Jessie.
We dated on and off since middle school, but we
always remained friends. I just remember she always
 used to be head over heals for me.My mom used to tell me
"She is the one for you, son". At this point, She was a single mom.
 She had a one year old son. The biological dad ran out. I thought,
"there's no way". I'm supposed to have the "perfect family".
I couldn't see myself being a dad yet, I had lost my dreams.
I was so blinded by my "new life".  Ever so often, however,
 a part of me screamed, "Stop, Caleb! You are ruining your life!"
That was soon forgotten by the next party, the next girl.

Eventually , I went out on a date with Jessie.
 It was like old times.
She was very reserved, and very beautiful.
I was amazed at how selfless she was.
 I met her son, Conner. He was so much fun.
I was still very cautious. I wasn't sure if I could do this.
We dated for a little while, and I was falling in love.
Not only with Jessie, but with Conner also.
It was awesome and beautiful. This love kept growing,
and I got scared. I remembered what happened the last time
 I thought I was in love. So I bolted.
I broke up with Jessie, and left Conner.
"What was I thinking!, I can't be a good man,
much less a good father. I guess
I'm just going to end up like my dad."
 I destroyed Jessie's heart, and walked out on Conner.
 I kept justifying it, "I'm not the dad, that's not my responsibility."
"I'm just not ready".

I tried to move on , and attempted
to get them out of my head.
 I tried to go back to the parties and bars.
I tried to go back to my "new life".
 One night, at a party, as I was drinking away,
I kept getting pictures in my head of Jessie and Conner.
 I kept feeling the pain I had as a child of having no Father.
I kept feeling Jessie's pain. I kept seeing them playing,
 seeing them laughing. It was like God himself said to me,
 "Caleb! All you have ever desired was a family!
All you have ever wanted was love!
 There is a woman who loves you deeply
 and a boy who wants a daddy, what are you doing??"
It was like a light went off in my head,
and this time,
 I bolted from the right place.

And the rest is history....

Jessie and I are married, and Conner is
legally my son. My dream came true.
I am madly in love with my beautiful wife, and
my son is my joy. Oh, my wife is pregnant too :-)
I actually have the "perfect" family,
and I feel like the richest man in the world.

You think you have it all figured out, single man?
 Do you enjoy ruining your life? Here is some advice,
don't rule out single moms.
 In fact, go for the single mom. It might just changed your life.
It might be the best Christmas ever.
Merry Christmas, from me to you.

The Pauline Pastor

"Give me a man of God - one man,
Whose faith is master of His mind,
And I will right all wrongs
And bless the name of mankind.

Give me a man of God - one man,
Whose tongue is touched with heaven's fire,
And I will flame the darkest hearts
With high resolve and clean desire.

Give me a man of God - one man,
One mighty prophet of the Lord,
And I will give peace on earth,
Bought with a prayer and not a sword.

Give me a man of God - one man,
True to the vision that he sees,
And I will build your broken shrines,
And bring the nations to their knees."

-George Liddell


Today, it seems, that a successful Christian pastor looks like this :
Going to Seminary, Growing a church in number and baptisms,
preaching motivational sermons, leading a  church like a CEO,
Having good Sunday School and VBS programs,
 going and visiting the sick, and being culturally driven.
No doubt some of these things are good,
but are they characteristics of a biblical pastor?
 Is this what God's messenger should look like?

Most of the Biblical teachings regarding pastors come
 from the God-inspired words of the Apostle Paul.
 Paul's teaching can be summed up as the pastors' :
Purpose, Call, and Character.

For the Pauline pastor, the purpose for everything
 is that Christ would be glorified.
 "For what we proclaim is not ourselves but
 Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as
your servants for Jesus' sake"(2 Cor. 4:5).
He will not be focusing on glorifying Himself,
but on proclaiming the glories of Christ.
"But we have this treasure in jars of clay,
to show that the surpassing power belongs
to God and not to us" (2 Cor. 4:7)
His purposes are to glorify God by building up the Church.
The is spelled out very clearly in Ephesians 4:11-14.
"And He gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists,
the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the
 work of the ministry, for the building up of the body of Christ,
until we all attain to the unity of faith
 and of the knowledge of the Son of God,
to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature
of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children ,
tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every
wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes."

So the Pauline pastor will watch over and nurture
God's Church for God's glory.
"By ruling and teaching, elders supervise the
spiritual lives of the church. They look after things
on God's behalf" (Philip Graham Ryken).
The ultimate responsibility of the pastor is to lead by preaching and teaching.
"But we will devote ourselves to prayer
and the ministry of the Word" (Acts 6:4).
"Until I come devote yourselves to the public reading
of Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching" (1 Tim. 4:13)
This preaching and teaching will flow from the Gospel
of Jesus Christ. It will be the center of preaching for
the Pauline Pastor. "Now I would remind you brothers,
of the gospel I preached to you, which you received,
in which you stand, and by which you are being saved,
if you hold fast to the word that I preached to you, unless
you believed in vain. For I delivered to you as of first importance
what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in
accordance with the Scriptures" (1 Cor. 15:1-3, emphasis added).
In the context 1 Corinthians 15, Paul had already preached
the gospel to the Corinthians, but he chose to preach it again
as of "first importance"!
The gospel is everything to the Pauline pastor.

For the sake of clarity the words used in the
New Testament for "Pastor", "Bishop", and "Elder"
are often used interchangeably.
The calling of the pastor is very important.
The pastorate is not a second-option to another career.
God specifically calls some to be pastors.
 "And He gave the apostles , the prophets,
the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers" (Eph. 4:11, emphasis added).
Notice here in Ephesians that this giving of the leaders of the church
is God's work! No man can make himself a pastor. According to Paul,
the pastors' calling is important because it is a work. "We request
of you brethren, that you appreciate those who diligently labor among you,
and have charge over you in the Lord and give instruction, and esteem
them very highly in love because of their work " (1 Thess. 5:12-13).

"The saying is trustworthy : If anyone aspires to the office of overseer,
he desires a noble task (or work)" (1 Tim. 3:1).
"Practice these things, immerse yourself in them, so that all
may see your progress" (1 Timothy 4:15).
The pastorate is a sobering responsibility!
This responsibility involves an eternal list of things,
 but one huge one specifically applicable today is
protecting the flock against false doctrine.
"As I urged you when I was going to Macedonia,
 remain on at Ephesus so that you may charge certain persons
not to teach any different doctrine" (1 Tim. 1:3, emphasis added).
"He must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able
to give instruction in sound doctrine and also rebuke those who contradict it"
(Titus 1:9, emphasis added).
 God has chosen men to preach, teach , and lead by the gospel of Jesus Christ!
This is no small task! The office of the pastor should be held in high honor!
"It is no light matter to represent God's Son, in such a great task as erecting
and extending God's Kingdom, in caring for the salvation of souls whom the
Lord Himself has deigned to purchase with His own blood, and in ruling
the church which is God's inheritance" (John Calvin).

"The saying is vtrustworthy: If anyone aspires to wthe office of overseer,
 he desires a noble task. 2 Therefore xan overseer1 must be above reproach,
ythe husband of one wife,2 zsober-minded, self-controlled, respectable,
 ahospitable, bable to teach, 3 not a drunkard, not violent but cgentle,
not quarrelsome, dnot a lover of money. 4 He must manage his own household well,
with all dignity ekeeping his children submissive,
5 for if someone does not know how to manage his own household,
how will he care for wGod's church? 6 He must not be a recent convert,
or he may fbecome puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil.
7 Moreover, he must be well thought of by goutsiders,
so that he may not fall into disgrace, into ha snare of the devil".
-1 Timothy 3:1-8

"if anyone is above reproach, the husband of one wife,1
and his children are believers2 and not open to the charge
of rdebauchery or insubordination. 7 For an overseer,3
sas God's steward, must be above reproach.
He must not tbe arrogant or quick-tempered
or a drunkard or violent uor greedy for gain,
 8 but hospitable, a lover of good, self-controlled, upright, holy,
 vand disciplined. 9 He must whold firm to the trustworthy
word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction
 in xsound4 doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it".
- Titus 1:6-9

The man called by God to lead His church will have
the character to back up that call.
The Pauline pastor is a pursuer of Holiness.
First Timothy chapter three and Titus chapter one give a set
of qualifications of a pastor (or elder/overseer).

While it is true that all leaders that all leaders should be
upstanding individuals , pastors are God's representatives.
Nowhere in Scripture does it say that secular leaders will be
held to a higher standard, but it does say that about pastors.
"Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers , for you
know we who teach will be judged with greater strictness" (James 3:1)
These men will be "above reproach". The Greek term for
"above reproach" means "not to be held". The Pauline pastor
"cannot be arrested and held as he were a criminal: there is nothing to
accuse him of " (John MacArthur). David Dickson wrote, "The office and
work being spiritual, it is necessary that elders be spiritual men.
 It is not necessary that they be men of great gifts or worldly position, of wealth
or high education; but it is indispensability necessary that they be men of God,
at peace with Him, new creatures in Christ Jesus."

People's idea of Christ mostly based on pastors. "Pastors are special targets of Satan,
and he will assault them with more severe temptation than others" (John MacArthur).
This is no job for ordinary , upstanding men, but only for God's men.
These men will be exemplary husbands.
"The husband of one wife" (1 Tim. 3:2, Titus 1:6). It literally means a
"one-woman man". He will passionately love her and desire her. He will love
her as Christ loved the church. He will be a faithful father.
"Manages his household well, with all dignity keeping
 his children submissive" (1 Timothy 3:4). "And his children are believers
and not open to the charge of debauchery or insubordination" (Titus 1:6b).
He will be involved with his children (if he has them), and discipline them and
nurture them in the Lord. He will be well-disciplined in his mind and life.
"Sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable.."(1 Tim. 3:2a). "Self-controlled,
upright, holy, and disciplined" (Titus 1:8b). He will be a good teacher of God's truth.
"Able to teach" (1 Timothy 3:2b). He will proclaim the glories of Christ. He will
love the truth. "He must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught,
so that he may be able to give instruction in sound
doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it" (Titus 1:9).
He will love people! "Respectable, hospitable" (1Tim. 3:2b).
He will not be in ministry for money, but, instead God will be his master.
"Not a lover of money" (1 Tim.3:3b).
Lastly, the Pauline pastor will be spiritually mature.
 This man will know God. "He must not be a recent convert,
 or he may become puffed up with conceit and fall into the
condemnation of the devil." (1 Tim. 3:6).

This man Paul paints in his epistles looks quits different than
today's understanding of what means to be a pastor.
 The fact is that is not popular
to follow God's word. They are , however, just as
sufficient today as when they were fist written.

According to Paul,
a successful pastor will live for the glory of God,
will be called of God, and will have the character
to back up that calling of God.

Be thankful for your pastor

Biblical love

1 Thessalonians 3:12-13

"and may the Lord cause you to increase and abound in
love for one another, and for all people, just as we also do for you;
so that He may establish your hearts without blame in
holiness before our God and Father at the coming
 of our Lord Jesus with all His saints."

Context- Acts 17:1-14

• Paul and Silas traveled to Thessalonica
• Paul preached the Gospel for three straight Sabbaths at the local Jewish Synagogue
• Some Jews were saved, and a vast number of Greek men, and prominent women.
• Some Jews got jealous, and started an uproar in the city, and attacked Jason's house.
• The church sent Paul and Silas away at night to Berea.
• Paul preached at Berea as well (same results).
• Some Jews were saved, but a large number of Greek women and men.
• The Jews in Thessalonica heard about what was happening in Berea.
• They came and started and uproar there as well.
• The church sent Paul out to sea, while Silas and Timothy stayed in Berea.

-The book of 1 Thessalonians was written in Corinth around A.D. 53
-It was written by Paul, Silas and Timothy
-It was written to a local church (1:1-10) who knew what true love was (1:3,3:6,4:9-10).
-Possible temptation /struggle with sexual sin ,
or maybe in an environment where it was rampant (4:1-5).

There is so many applications for my life (and yours)
in this great book.
 This local church dealt with some very hateful Jews,
who wanted them either dead or imprisoned,
 and with the temptation to commit sexual sins.
This is very applicable in our day.
Although we don't necessarily deal with hateful Jews,
 but likely there are people in or around
 your life who have been very hateful to you.
This is very difficult to go through, so many times in my life
I have responded the wrong way to hatefulness,
and began being hateful myself.
This world is full of lust.
 All you have to do is turn on the television,
 open up a magazine, get on the internet,
or go to the mall and with one glance lust could destroy you.
Lust is everywhere and is a definite enemy for
those of us who are striving to live for Jesus.

So what are we supposed to do?
How can we combat these sins?

  The way we can combat this is to love everyone fiercely.

"and may the Lord cause"

Love is from God, and in fact, God is love. It can only come for Him.
It is a gift of God, and not man....

"you to increase and abound in love for one another, and for all people."

"Increase" and "abound" are Greek synonyms (they mean the same thing)
-To be in excess, in number or measure, to be or have more than enough.

"Increase and abound in love in such a way that this ocean of love,
being full, reaches to the top edge of its borders round about
 that it reaches not only Christians, but it also spills over to the lost."

But what kind of love?

 Are we just supposed to be nice to people and say "God bless you"?

NO

"'just as we also did for you:"

Show love the way Paul, Silas and Timothy showed toward the Thessalonians.

But how did they show love to the Thessalonians?

-They preached the Gospel constantly (1:7-8,2:1-6)
-They showed Godly affection (2:7)
-They gave up their lives for them (mortal life,money, time, hobbies, etc.) (2:8-9)
-They lived upright and blameless toward them (2:10)
-They exhorted and encouraged from God's Word (2:3-6,11-12, 5:14)
-They esteemed the preached word of God (2:13,5:12-13)

"so that He may establish your hearts without blame in
 holiness before our God and Father at the
 coming of our Lord Jesus with all His saints."

This kind of love is not the cause of being blameless in holiness before God.
 In other words, doing good deeds will not put you in heaven.
It is not the cause, but it is the evidence that God has
established your heart without blame in holiness before God.
God put that love in you. You didn't somehow conjure it up.

"The Lord by means of love strengthens the inner purposes and desires.
Hearts that are strengthened by this love are less prone to
 crave the unseperated life, the life of the world.
 They will tend in the direction of wholly separated life,
 so that, trusting entirely in Christ and His redemption and
experiencing the transforming influences of His Spirit,
they will be blameless, in a state and condition of holiness
 (separated from sin, consecration to God)."

In short, preach the gospel, esteem the Word,
 love one another with a deep affection, follow Christ,
exhort and encourage from the Word,
 and lay down your whole life for everyone.

This is what it means to love fiercely.
Do it, and see what happens.

You might just start loving sin a little less
and Jesus a lot more.

Don't Swerve

1 Tim. 1:6-7
Certain persons, by swerving from these, have wandered away into vain discussion, desiring to be teachers of the law, without understanding either what they are saying or the things about which they make confident assertions.

It is easy to judge people. It is not hard to look on another's sins and look down upon them. I used to do this as a sport. I desired to be a preacher, but I was much like the "certain persons" in this passage. I had no understanding regarding what I was saying or the things about which I made confident assertions. I was soiled with pride, and I would easily rebuke someone in their sin. Years later, having been through many sins, struggles, and failures, consequently, I am much more sympathetic and gracious knowing that I am not saved by good deeds, but am saved by God's grace. I sympathize with the "certain persons" in this passage and  a question arises in me while studying it. How can I keep from "swerving" from the gospel? I am not talking about losing my salvation, because I believe that to be an impossibility.I know first hand, however, a Christian can fall off of Christ path and stumble into a hole of sin where it seems there's no way to get out of it. In this case, these people, like myself, fell into a whole of legalism. How can I keep from letting this happening to me again? The answer seems simple, but very complex. I can keep from swerving away from the gospel by: Staying closing to the gospel, steering away from temptation, and satisfying myself with what God has sovereignly called me to do on this earth.


Certain persons,..

Anytime there is truth, there will be lies
Anytime there is happiness, there will be sadness
Anytime there is sanity, there will be madness
Anytime there is peace, there will be war
Anytime there is life, there will be death

God's truth is being proclaimed in Ephesus, and there are some straying from the gospel, and attempting to corrupt it with legalism.
Satan is always trying to distort the gospel.

 
 ...,by swerving from these,...

What were they swerving from?
The "these" is referring to verse 5 of this chapter, "Love from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. As discussed in my last blog...

They swerved away from:
Love from a pure heart
Love from a good conscience
Love from a sincere faith

Simply put, they swerved away from the gospel of Jesus Christ

 ....,have wandered away....
It is a scary thing to wander. Most of the time, however, you don't realize you are wandering until after the fact. These people wandered away from the gospel, which much scarier. I have wander from the gospel as well. It is such a horrifying and miserable place to be wandering from Christ.

..into vain discussion..
They left the gospel for legalistic conversations and arguments. This is like choosing to no longer eat food and choosing rather to eat cardboard instead. It is beyond insane to leave Christ for anything.
Pride boils up and wants to voice its opinion on topics that are so stupid and meaningless compared to the gospel.
I used to live in an two bedroom apartment with one bathroom, and 6 roommates. I remember heated arguments, very heated arguments over pointless things: hair length, tattoos , holidays, what to eat or drink, what to wear, etc. They would go to the Bible and try to find a passage that would fit their argument. All the while, there was a world outside that needed Christ, but not a argument about food.


 ...,desiring to be teachers of the law, without understanding either what they are saying or the things about which they make confident assertions.

It is a wonderful thing to desire to be a preacher of God's word, however, consider James 3:1, Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness.

We are not all called to be pastors. Even if you are very good teacher, or public speaker, that doesn't qualify you. In the third chapter of 1st Timothy we a find a strict set of qualifications for pastors and deacons. God is very serious about who preaches and who does not.

These false teachers had good intentions, but good intentions do not make the actions good. They were not qualified by God to teach His word, yet they taught anyway. That is a very scary place to be.

I see many young men who have been saved and have a excitement about them. They want to share the gospel with everyone, and these young men believe because of that, consequently, they must be called to preach. NO. It might be that they are just Christians. As if that is not as awesome. They're are so many young men who are chasing after the wind. Have you considered that God might just have created you to be the teacher/leader of your household? He might have just called you to raise your children and to lovingly lead your wife in the ways of the Lord. Is that any less of a calling? No!! In fact, I believe there are too many men seeking to be preachers, and neglecting to teach their children and love their wife in truth.We are all called to be proclaimers of the gospel, but we are not all called to shepherd a flock of believers.

 Remember this, and also learn to respect, love, and pray for your pastor more. Realizing that he will "be judged with greater strictness".

Remain

1 Timothy 1:3-5

 As I urged you when I was going to Macedonia, remain at Ephesus so that you may charge certain persons not to teach any different doctrine,  nor to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies, which promote speculations rather than the stewardship from God that is by faith.  The aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.

 

It is unusual for Paul to have begun his message to Timothy with out any expression of gratitude. Romans, 1st and 2nd Corinthians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1st and 2nd Thessalonians, 2nd Timothy, and Philemon all include a salutation, expression of gratitude, and then the body of the letter begins. In Galatians, Titus, and here in 1st Timothy, strangely, Paul moves from the salutation to the body of the letter excluding any expression of gratitude.

The description of life in Ephesus (Acts19:1-40;20:17-38, Rev. 2:1-7) portray a Church tempted by the occult , enticed into error by savage heretics, and finally, abandoning its first love, that is, Christ.

 

What was happening in the church of Ephesus left Paul no basis of gratitude. He had previously warned the Ephesians that some of their own members would draw them away (Acts 20:29-30). Later in this chapter he mentions two of them by name (1Tim. 1:20). The heresy in the church had arisen from within, and Paul is urging Timothy to act on Paul's behalf to thwart the advance of this false teaching.

 

As I urged you when I was going to Macedonia, remain at Ephesus....

 

Remain

Calvin said that Timothy must have been excited about this task, but consider the term "urge"(parakaleo), which means "to beg", "beseech", "entreat", or "implore". Why did Paul have to beg Timothy to stay? This is likely because Timothy was reluctant to remain, and possibly considered leaving, even though he was Paul's "true child in the faith". Paul pleads with Timothy to stay at Ephesus. Timothy was vulnerable to timidity (2 Tim.1:7), and intimidation by those who looked down upon him because of his youth (1 Tim. 4:12). He may have felt inadequate to handle the arguments of the false teachers. 

 

I sympathize with Timothy, and understand why he was reluctant. He is a young man at this point and there are a lot of issues he has to address at this church. It is no easy task, and a huge burden for young Timothy. Throughout my life, consequently, I have had situations like this. I was ready to give up, and quit. It was too much of burden for me. At the opportune time, however, someone who I greatly respect would come beside me and encourage me, and help carry my burden. God the Father will always come to our aid, and sovereignly place mentors in our path to help us along the way. He did so here in Timothy's life by placing the apostle Paul as his mentor. Isn't that awesome?!!

 

Herein I urge older men and women to help the younger generation. We need more mentors in our day. We need men and women who have been through the fires and struggles of this life to help us get through it as well. We have never been through it before, but you have, and fought through it. We need your wisdom, encouragement, and experience.  I am urging you to urge us to remain on Christ's path.

 

Refute:

 

 - Different Doctrines

....so that you may charge certain persons not to teach any different doctrine....

 

Timothy here is given apostolic authority, and definite commission to hold the false teachers at Ephesus in check. Paul wants Timothy to come down hard, and take a strong line with these false teachers.
The term "charge" (parangello) is a military term which means to pass commands from one to another. It demands obedience from an inferior to an order from a superior.
The term "certain" implies that these teachers were few in number. But they had a wide influence , not only in Ephesus, but also in the surrounding region. They were not outsiders, as in Corinth and Galatia, but probably elders in the Ephesian church and surrounding churches.

 

Paul pleads with Timothy to remain in Ephesus in order to refute different doctrines. Paul calls it "heterodidaskleo" , a verb Paul might have created. It means to teach that which is "heteros" , which means different from the teachings of our Lord and His apostles.

Paul complained to the Galatians that they had deserted the grace of Christ for a "different gospel" (Gal. 6:1). He said that the Corinthians were led astray by a "different Jesus", "different Spirit", and a "different gospel" from what they had first received (1 Cor.11:4).

 

Paul's preoccupation in this chapter is with sound doctrine being maintained and strange doctrine being refuted. This contrast strikes a clashing note today. Not only are most societies pluralistic (holding to more than one religion), but pluralism as an ideology ( a set of theories and beliefs held by an individual or group) is advocated and viewed as being politically correct. This affirms that religions today, except Christianity, are an independent-conditioned phenomenon that frown on any attempt to convert people.

 

One of the main principles of "post-modernism" is that there is no objective truth, let alone eternal truth. "You have yours, and I have mine. Even if our views diverge widely from each other and contradict each other". The outcome of this, consequently, is the most prized virtue being tolerance. Tolerating everything and everyone except those of us who insist that certain ideas are true while others are false, and certain practices evil and others good.

I cannot embrace this, because I believe Jesus Christ is the only truth. He said that He was the truth, and that He came to bear witness to the truth , that the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of truth, and that the truth would set us free. The truth matters. Truth which God revealed through Christ and by The Spirit.

 

Jesus told us to beware of false teachers, and Paul had already warned this congregation. Now, Paul is begging Timothy to take a stand, and refute their "strange doctrines". He warns Timothy ton not allow any new form of teaching to be introduced that does not line up with the pure and true doctrine of Christ and His apostles.

The truth of God is one, therefore there is one plain manner of teaching it, free from adding to it. Seeking to be filled with majesty of Spirit, rather than human eloquence. Whoever departs from that, disfigures and corrupts the Gospel. We should openly refute and fight everything that is belittles the pure and majestic Gospel of Christ, and everything that corrupts it by new and borrowed inventions, or obscures it by ungodly speculations.

The doctrine of the Ephesian false teachers, therefore, is entirely opposed to the Word of God, and to that purity of doctrine which Paul commands the Ephesian church to continue in.

 

Fruitless discussion

 

   nor to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies......

What specific myths were being taught here, or how exactly these false teachers were using genealogies is not clear. Whatever form it took, this teaching was contrary to the truth. The exact heresy at Ephesus is unknown, but some of its general features can be pieced together from this letter.

The term "myths' is used in  a very unfavorable way to contrast the legendary character of many of these stories to historical truth. Many commentators agree that these "myths" go back to an apocryphal work from second century B.C., The book of Jubilees, and it has a number of additions to the O.T. , which might be what Paul is writing about. These stories are patriotic legends that are similar to such American traditions as the story of George Washington and the cherry tree. This term "myths" also appears in 1 Tim. 4:7, where Paul calls them "old wives tales". They were godless legends that were a waste of time and breathe. In 2 Tim.4:4, Paul pictures them as enticing and attractive because they snared the attention of the listeners away from the truth and toward these fables.
The damage of these "myths" came from their empty content, their attractiveness, and their general uselessness. It seemed to have reflected Jewish interests, in legends with a hint of Hellenistic influence but not full-blown Gnosticism. There was also some small hints of Judaism, because these teachers "wanted to be teachers of the Law" (1:7), but not the same Judaizers from Galatia, who taught salvation by Law-obedience.
In 1 Tim. 4:3 we read that the heresy involved a false asceticism. They "forbid marriage and advocate abstaining from foods" in hopes to obtain divine acceptance through legalistic attention to self-deprivation. They were allegorizers and speculators. They treated the O.T. as a happy hunting ground for their opinions. To Paul, their whole approach was worthless. God had given the O.T. to His people for a much more serious purpose.

The term "genealogies" also appears in Titus 3:9, where the results of reflecting on these genealogies were "unprofitable and useless". We do not really know what these genealogies were, but they might have been expansions of biblical genealogies, Jewish novels, or false post-biblical contributions of ancestry. We do know however that  Paul's references suggest a teaching which combined Jewish and Gnostic elements. Commentator J.N.D. Kelly suggests that these myths and genealogies "must have to do with allegorical or legendary interpretations of the O.T. catering on the pedigrees of the patriarchs. Much of the rabbinical Haggadah consisted of just such a fanciful rewriting of Scripture; the Book of Jubilees and Pseudo-Philo's  antiquitatum biblicarum, with its mania for family trees, are apt examples. It also has been shown that in postexilic Judaism there was a keen interest in family trees, and that these played a part in controversies between Jews and Jewish Christians."
Worthless and irrelevant junk can quickly crowd the gospel. Religious speculation and theological arguments about small details may not seem harmful at first, but they have a way of sidetracking us from the person and work of Jesus Christ.

 

 Results

-of false teaching

..,which promote speculations...

Their preoccupation with myths and genealogies resulted not in edification , but speculation. Paul wrote in 1 Tim. 6:4-5 that the result was "controversial questions and disputes about words , out of which arise envy, strife, abusive language, evil suspicions, and constant friction between men of depraved mind and deprived of truth, who suppose that godliness is a means of gain". Their teaching was nothing but "worldly and empty chatter" leading to "further ungodliness" (2 Tim. 2:16). This talk "will spread like gangrene" (2 Tim.2:17), leading people "astray from the truth" (2 Tim. 2:18). The teachers "foolish and ignorant speculations " would only "produce quarrels" (2 Tim. 2:23). It all came from failure to accurately handle the Word of truth (2 Tim.2:15), and to examine everything carefully (1 Thess. 5:21). This teaching promoted questions and controversies , and the false teachers paid close attention to what did not need to be a focus. It only led to fruitless discussion and strife.

The result of false teaching is speculations and controversies.


-of true teaching

...rather than the stewardship from God that is by faith...

True teaching furthers the administration of God, which is by faith. Some translations put it , "God's work, which is by faith". Paul here is referring to God's saving plan, which we are stewards of, and which we must respond by faith, by His grace. Paul feared the Ephesians might spend so much time in fruitless discussion of these doctrines that they would lose sight of the glorious gospel of Jesus Christ.
Getting involved in controversies might heighten someone's ego, but it quickly becomes a substitute for the work that matters, that is, work done by faith. The false teachers heresy attempted to strike a blow at the gospel. These teachers were not like the Galatian heretics who taught Law-obedience unto salvation. These guys, however, were teaching Law, a bunch of other stupid stuff, and obedience unto salvation.

All religions can be put into two categories: religions of works, and a religion of grace. Religions of works, where men attempt to gain salvation by their own efforts in good deeds, ceremonies, or rituals. Every religion to one extent or another fits into that category, except one, the great religion of grace. That God in Christ accomplished salvation on the cross. Our debt is paid.

True teaching furthers the gospel of Jesus Christ, which  saves souls from wrath and unto grace.


The Goal

- Love
..The aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.

The goal of the false teachers is controversies, but the goal of gospel teaching is love.
False teachers are motivated by mere curiosity and desire to gain prestige. True teachers are motivated by love.

Such love , coming from the inner springs of our heart, conscience and faith is uncontaminated by false or even mixed motives. The goal of Timothy's instruction to the false teachers is love which can only come from a real experience of the grace of God. The goal was that these false teachers would not just stop spreading lies, but that they would be saved by God's grace.
Instead of pointing to the divine origin of love, Paul gives three descriptions of the source of it.

-Love from a pure heart
In biblical thought, the heart is the seat of the mind, the emotions, and the will. It is the seat of spiritual experience from which moral conduct springs. Taken from the O.T., the word "heart" stands for the totality of man's moral affections, and without purity, nobility of character is impossible. Jesus gives a special promise for the pure in heart (Mt. 5:8), and spoke of the pruning of the vine as an illustration of the cleansing of believers through the Word (Jn. 15:3).

The psalmists asks, "who may ascend into the Hill of the Lord, and who may stand in His holy place?" He answers his question, "He who can clean hands and a pure heart" (Ps. 24:3-4). After his sin with Bathsheba, David cries in Psalm 51:10, "create in me a clean heart, O God". Psalm 73:1 exclaims , "Surely God is good to Israel , to those who are pure in heart!" A heart washed by the grace of regeneration (Titus 3:5), and an obedient heart (Rom. 6:17) make a pure heart.

-Love from a good conscience

The Greek word for "good" (agathos) means that which is perfect, producing pleasure, satisfaction, and a sense of well-being. The Greek word for "conscience" (syneidesis) indicates literally "joint knowledge" , and came to be used of the facility to distinguish between right and wrong. The conscience is the God-given self-judging facility of man. It either affirms or accuses a person (Rom.2:14-15). The mind knows the standard of right and wrong. When that standard is violated, the conscience reacts to accuse, producing guilt, shame, doubt, fear, remorse, or despair. Those who with pure hearts will not be condemned by their conscience. Paul's goal was to maintain a blameless conscience. Free of offense against either God or man (Acts 24:16). Peace, confidence, joy, hope, courage, and contentment are the results of a conscience that is non-accusing, and love will flow forth. In order for Christians to have this "good conscience" we must fill our minds with God's word and obey it (1 Cor. 8:7; 1 Peter 3:15-15).

-Love from a sincere faith

A sincere faith is one without any pretense. A un-hypocritical faith that does not wear a mask. It is a trust in God that Paul believed Timothy possessed (2 Tim.1:5). The hypocritical faith of these false teachers will not produce this sincerity. It is having simplicity of aim. Faith is "sincere" only when it is not mere talk, but genuine trust and confidence in Christ (2 Cor.5:7).

False teachers have dirty hearts, un-cleansed by the gospel, having guilty condemning consciences triggered by their dirty hearts. They have a hypocritical and false faith. False teachers could never produce these things which Paul lists.

 This is not surprising, for it is only the Gospel of Jesus Christ that produces pure hearts, good consciences, and sincere faith!!