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Commentaries and Other Bible Study Helps - Prayer Tents - Prayer Tents
1:3-20 Confronting the False Teaching. Paul charges Timothy to deal with the false teachers (vv. 3-7), briefly corrects their understanding of the law (vv. 8-11), presents himself as an example of the intended effect of the gospel (vv. 12-17), and restates his basic charge with some specific examples of false teachers (vv. 18-20).
1:3-7 The Charge to Deal with False Teachers. At least one of Timothy's purposes in Ephesus was to deal with false teaching that was troubling the church. Not enough information is given to determine exactly what the false teaching was. The concern here is not so much the identity of the false teachers but their effect, which was in direct contrast to the goal of apostolic instruction. The results of false teaching were "speculations" (v. 4) and "vain discussion" (v. 6) while the result of true teaching is "love" coming from "a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith" (v. 5). The focus of false teaching led to "swerving" and wandering (v. 6) while the focus of true teaching was a steadfast "aim" (v. 5). And regarding the law, the advocates of false teaching were "without understanding" (v. 7) while the advocates of true teaching had correct knowledge (vv. 8-11).
1:4 Myths (Gk. mythos) in the NT is a negative term characterizing beliefs as fanciful, untrue, and even deceptive (cf. 2 Tim. 4:4; Titus 1:14). Such myths were often used to excuse immoral behavior. With the later reference to the misuse of the law (1 Tim. 1:7-10), genealogies here seems to refer to speculative use of OT accounts of biblical characters or family trees. Stewardship from God translates a phrase (Gk. oikonomian theou) that is difficult to capture in translation (Gk. oikonomia can mean "orderly plan" or "household management, stewardship"). In this context it either refers to God's orderly outworking of his plan of salvation in all human history, or to human responsibility ("stewardship") in advancing that plan. In either case, the false teachers produce speculation rather than the advance of the kingdom by faith in Christ.
1:5 The aim of our charge, that is, the goal of apostolic instruction, is love--a clear indication of the intended result of Paul's teaching in 1 Timothy. Whereas false teaching results in meaningless speculation, proper apostolic teaching results in practical good behavior rooted in love. And that love must come from internal, Spirit-worked changes that have produced a pure heart (rather than one filled with sinful desires), a good conscience (rather than one laden with guilt), and a sincere faith (rather than pretense and hypocrisy). This verse is central for the whole letter.
