Dear Shepherd Under Christ,

The Grace Notes devotions in 2024 are based on verses from 1 Timothy. Each devotion includes some Greek, touches on the pastoral ministry today, and ends with a prayer. Last month we looked at the salutation in 1 Tim 1:1-2. Paul was Timothy’s spiritual father. Timothy was a true child in the faith. Both of them were serving according to the command of God our Savior and Christ Jesus our hope. Paul began with a word of blessing: Grace, mercy, and peace be yours, Timothy, from God our Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.

In 1 Tim 1:3-11, Paul cuts to the chase. He is writing with a purpose: Timothy needs to remain in Ephesus and to rebuke the people teaching falsely about God’s law. Timid though he may be, Timothy needs to oppose those who are misusing God’s word.

Which law were these false teachers teaching incorrectly?

What is the lawful (proper) use of that law?

How does sound teaching of the law fit in with the gospel?

3 Καθὼς παρεκάλεσά σε προσμεῖναι ἐν Ἐφέσῳ, πορευόμενος εἰς Μακεδονίαν, ἵνα παραγγείλῃς τισὶν μὴ ἑτεροδιδασκαλεῖν 4 μηδὲ προσέχειν μύθοις καὶ γενεαλογίαις ἀπεράντοις, αἵτινες ἐκζητήσεις παρέχουσι μᾶλλον ἢ οἰκονομίαν θεοῦ τὴν ἐν πίστει— 5 τὸ δὲ τέλος τῆς παραγγελίας ἐστὶν ἀγάπη ἐκ καθαρᾶς καρδίας καὶ συνειδήσεως ἀγαθῆς καὶ πίστεως ἀνυποκρίτου, 6 ὧν τινες ἀστοχήσαντες ἐξετράπησαν εἰς ματαιολογίαν, 7 θέλοντες εἶναι νομοδιδάσκαλοι, μὴ νοοῦντες μήτε ἃ λέγουσιν μήτε περὶ τίνων διαβεβαιοῦνται.

8 Οἴδαμεν δὲ ὅτι καλὸς ὁ νόμος ἐάν τις αὐτῷ νομίμως χρῆται, 9 εἰδὼς τοῦτο, ὅτι δικαίῳ νόμος οὐ κεῖται, ἀνόμοις δὲ καὶ ἀνυποτάκτοις, ἀσεβέσι καὶ ἁμαρτωλοῖς, ἀνοσίοις καὶ βεβήλοις, πατρολῴαις καὶ μητρολῴαις, ἀνδροφόνοις, 10 πόρνοις, ἀρσενοκοίταις, ἀνδραποδισταῖς, ψεύσταις, ἐπιόρκοις, καὶ εἴ τι ἕτερον τῇ ὑγιαινούσῃ διδασκαλίᾳ ἀντίκειται, 11 κατὰ τὸ εὐαγγέλιον τῆς δόξης τοῦ μακαρίου θεοῦ, ὃ ἐπιστεύθην ἐγώ.

Which law were these false teachers teaching incorrectly?

In his recent book The Splendid Task of the Ministry, Professor Emeritus David Valleskey helps us see that the false teachers of the law were misusing the law of God revealed through Moses and the prophets. They were reading and quoting the Hebrew Scriptures, passages like Exodus 20 and Exodus 21, and then using those Scriptures to teach myths and genealogies. We don’t know the exact nature of those teachings, but they were meaningless, endless, and harmful to faith. In contrast to such teaching, Paul explains lawful use of the law (notice the play on words: Οἴδαμεν δὲ ὅτι καλὸς ὁ νόμος ἐάν τις αὐτῷ νομίμως χρῆται). The list of sins in verses 9 and 10 follow the order of the Decalog in Exodus 20. God’s commandments belong in our catechism, and we need to read and apply them correctly to ourselves and our hearers. What are people exposed to today? False teachers of the law abound—self-proclaimed teachers of the law who do not know the first thing about God’s law or the work of God’s kingdom in the hearts of people. They are ignorant even of the things they confidently affirm. Sadly, what they teach leads people away from our Lord Jesus Christ.

What is the lawful (proper) use of that law?

Paul explains to Timothy that the proper use of the law has nothing to do with endless myths and genealogies. True teachers use God’s good law lawfully to show people their sins, to lead people to repentance, to curb sin in sinful mankind, and to guide believers in their life of faith. It is vital that spiritual shepherds properly handle the word of truth and that they oppose those who don’t. A teaching of works righteousness opposes the gospel. Equally unhealthy and dangerous is the teaching that this or that sin need not be repented of. God help us to be evangelical in the truest sense of the word: proclaiming sin and grace, law and gospel, repentance and forgiveness!

How does sound teaching of the law fit in with the gospel?

A twisting of God’s law that allows sin—any sin—to go unchecked and unrepented of is extremely harmful to our hearts, our consciences, and our faith. Corrupt doctrine is opposed to sound teaching (τῇ ὑγιαινούσῃ διδασκαλίᾳ ἀντίκειται). I wonder if time spent with Luke the physician influenced Paul’s use of this phrase in the pastoral epistles. Sound teaching makes for sound saints. Healthy doctrine makes for healthy believers. Lawful teaching of God’s law is in line with the gospel of the glory of our blessed God (κατὰ τὸ εὐαγγέλιον τῆς δόξης τοῦ μακαρίου θεοῦ). Paul and Timothy were doctors of souls, leading souls to the Great Physician. By God’s grace, so are we. During this season of Lent we remember that it is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. With focused, yet tear-filled eyes, we follow the redeemer who makes us whole. His sacrificial death in the place of sinners, once and for all, is at the center of the gospel. True teaching of the law leads broken and contrite sinners to Christ. As we lift our eyes to see him on the cross, we are healed and comforted: “For Christ is the end of the law to bring righteousness to everyone who believes” (Romans 10).

Prayer: Dear Father in heaven, be with us as we pray, meditate on your word, and struggle as sinner-saints in this sinful world. Carry on to completion the good work you have begun in us and the people we serve. By your Holy Spirit bestow on us the wisdom we need to proclaim the whole counsel of your word to the precious souls entrusted to our care. Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.