Sunday, July 11, 2010

I Serve Truth

1 Timothy 1:1-11
" 1Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the command of God our Savior and of Christ Jesus our hope, 2To Timothy my true son in the faith: Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord. Warning Against False Teachers of the Law 3As I urged you when I went into Macedonia, stay there in Ephesus so that you may command certain men not to teach false doctrines any longer 4nor to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies. These promote controversies rather than God's work—which is by faith. 5The goal of this command is love, which comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. 6Some have wandered away from these and turned to meaningless talk. 7They want to be teachers of the law, but they do not know what they are talking about or what they so confidently affirm. 8We know that the law is good if one uses it properly. 9We also know that law[a] is made not for the righteous but for lawbreakers and rebels, the ungodly and sinful, the unholy and irreligious; for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers, 10for adulterers and perverts, for slave traders and liars and perjurers—and for whatever else is contrary to the sound doctrine 11that conforms to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, which he entrusted to me.
Footnotes:
1 Timothy 1:9 Or that the law"


Paul, who is writing to Timothy, introduces Timothy as, "my true son in faith." Ponder for a moment. What is this suppose to mean? Paul was expecting to visit Timothy in Ephesus in order that he may give the life of the churches there Godly order; however, until Paul could arrive Paul was giving regulation to Timothy so that Timothy might be able to regulate the churches until Paul's arrival. Therefore, Paul, who was teaching Timothy in Faith acted like the father who teaches his son to walk in his footsteps. Paul even used his introduction to teach Timothy and the churches that God is the provider of Grace, Mercy, and peace.

Paul also warns against false teachings. Paul points out that false teachings are teaching false doctrines, myths, and endless genealogies. According to Paul the overall goal is to teach Love. When doctrine has been proven against God's teaching and the teaching of the Apostles, love is taught. There are consequences to these false teaching, Paul reminds the churches. Consequences of death, bondage, and fruitless labor.

How is the church to know the differences. Test one: Faith. Faith, in and around itself, is doctrine received by God. Test two: Love. Love simply builds up the church. The judgement should reign from that which promotes the glory of God and the good of the Church.

The Church is one body- the doctrine of absolute Truth for the church remains the Ten Commandments. Whit this as my case the moral standards of the gospel do not differ from the moral standards of the law. Being free from the law we have been released from the law's condemnation. That is way Christ died.

God sent his son, Jesus, to dies for us and has given His spirit within us in order that the righteous requirement of the law would be fulfilled in us. In the path of salvation, what the law condemns, the gospel justifies. Sinners, because of Christ's pain, are redeemed through their faith in the gospel. No condemnation, only grace.

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