The Truth Matters Series

1 Timothy 6:3-5 The Truth Matters

RECAP: Paul has been talking about relating to different groups in the church (5:1-6:2).

o Treating older men as fathers, older women as mothers, younger men as brothers, and women as sisters.

o Caring for the widows properly.

o Respecting elders, especially those who preach and teach.

o And the need for slaves and servants to respect their masters.

You can see an underlying theme that ties through all these relationships - honour and respect - for the old and young, men and women, slaves and free, leaders and members.

• We are to respect one another IN Christ and because OF Christ.

1 Tim 6:3-5

3If anyone teaches a different doctrine and does not agree with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the teaching that accords with godliness, 4he is puffed up with conceit and understands nothing. He has an unhealthy craving for controversy and for quarrels about words, which produce envy, dissension, slander, evil suspicions, 5and constant friction among people who are depraved in mind and deprived of the truth, imagining that godliness is a means of gain.

In our text today, Paul reiterated his caution for Timothy to guard against false teachers and provided a description of one.

• The false teacher does not have the truth and therefore does not teach the truth.

• He teaches a different doctrine. If we borrow Paul’s word in 1:4 they are speculations and not the sound doctrine that is centred on Christ and which promotes godliness.

• The false teachers teach a different doctrine that “does not agree with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the teaching that accords with godliness.” 6:3

By now, we know that this is not the first time Paul talks about false teachers. He said it in 1:3-11 and 4:1-7, and now the third time in 6:3-5. This is one of his major sub-themes.

• Paul warns Timothy to guard against their teachings because they corrupt the lives of believers and the purity of the church.

What’s wrong with them? Paul highlighted FOUR FLAWS OF FALSE TEACHERS:

• They Teach the Wrong Doctrine – not according to the truth God has revealed.

• They Are Driven by a Wrong Motivation – pride, they are “puffed up with conceit and understand nothing.” 6:4

• They Produce Wrong Conduct – stirring controversy and quarrels, which produce envy, dissension, slander, evil suspicions, and constant friction among people.6:4-5a

• They Seek Gain through “Godliness” – they are depraved in mind and deprived of the truth, imagining that godliness is a means of gain.6:5

• Using their “religion” for selfish gains, motivated by greed.

• KJV has this added line (based on later manuscripts): “From such withdraw yourself.” Stay away from them!

1. THEY TEACH THE WRONG DOCTRINE

Paul has already said what “sound doctrine” is as opposed to their “different doctrine”.

• Back to chapter 1. Timothy was asked to “charge certain persons not to teach any different doctrine.” 1:3 that promotes “speculations rather than the stewardship from God that is by faith.” 1:4

• 1:11 - Timothy must hold on to the “sound doctrine, 11in accordance with the gospel of the glory of the blessed God with which I have been entrusted.” 1:10b-11

It is NOT speculations but the Gospel of Christ revealed to us by God – we are stewards of it and being entrusted with it.

• It’s not a message from Paul or any man, and therefore no one can twist or change it.

• 1:19 - Hence Timothy must “wage the good warfare, 19holding faith and a good conscience” and not be like some who had “made a shipwreck of their faith”.1:18b-19

2:4 – God “desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.”

• What TRUTH? 2:5-6 “5For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, 6who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time.”

• It’s a testimony GIVEN – REVEALED by God – at a proper time – ROOTED in history, concerning the man Jesus Christ and the sacrifice He made for our salvation.

But the CHALLENGE is, Paul said in 4:1 “…in the later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons.”

• Instead of trusting what God has revealed, in the latter times men will be deceived by a “different doctrine” that comes from deceitful spirits and demons.

• Hence, Paul repeats his caution here: If anyone teaches a “different doctrine”, stay away from them!

• They are not teaching the Gospel truth that is centred on Christ and that which produces godliness.

2. THEY ARE DRIVEN BY THE WRONG MOTIVATION