Teach No Other Doctrine

I Timothy 1:3-7

When people ask me about my horoscope or what my astrological sign is, I have to try really hard to not let my face reveal what my brain is thinking. I am always astounded by how many church people believe that stuff. Many people wouldn't dare have a Buddha statue in their house or a pentagram, yet they will rush every morning to read their horoscope for the day. They trust in planetary alignment more than they trust God.

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“As I urged you when I went into Macedonia—remain in Ephesus that you may charge some that they teach no other doctrine, nor give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which cause disputes rather than godly edification which is in faith. Now the purpose of the commandment is love from a pure heart, from a good conscience, and from sincere faith, from which some, having strayed, have turned aside to idle talk, desiring to be teachers of the law, understanding neither what they say nor the things which they affirm.”

I Timothy 1:3-7

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All throughout the world, and throughout history, people have believed the universe and ancestors had power. Some cultures and religions take this to the level of worship. As Christians, we must remember that the stars, moon, sun, and planets were all created by God. Our ancestors were created by God. We must not fall into the demonic trap of worshipping these things. Even if we do not consider it worship, we should not put faith in them. This is superstition and is completely contrary to what God's Word teaches.

We may downplay this in our modern intellectual thinking, but it was important enough that Paul left his young mentee behind in Ephesus to teach against these practices. He then sent a letter back to Timothy reiterating the importance of his mission. All that follows in this letter are the doctrines that Timothy should teach, as opposed to these myths (the Greek word translated fables) and genealogies. Let me add that there is nothing wrong with studying your genealogy. The Bible is big on genealogy for historical purposes. However, it should not rise to the level or worship or even pride, as though we are somehow better than others because of who our ancestors were.

Paul wanted Timothy to teach the people that they were to "love from a pure heart, from a good conscience, and from sincere faith" (v. 5), but some of them had strayed away from this and were wasting time talking about useless things (v. 6). In other words, if for no other reason, they were wasting time in useless pursuits that did not glorify God. From the outside, these things could even lead people away from God by teaching them to trust those over God.

In verse 7, Paul says that these same people wanted to be teachers, but they did not know what they were supposed to be teaching. I can tell you from experience, it is a dangerous thing to have someone in a classroom that does not know the content. I have had to go behind teachers and correct major doctrinal errors. We eventually ended up with me teaching all ages (ages 8 to almost 70) because of unqualified teachers. If someone wants to be a teacher, they have to put in the study. They must know what they are teaching before they enter the classroom. They must understand it deeper than the level they plan to teach it on. Also, it must be real to them.

The problem today is not that most people would teach these things in a Sunday School class, but that they teach it outside the classroom. They do so by the conversations they have and by their students seeing their interest in them. In other words, their actions speak louder than their words. People speak of their horoscopes with a level of excitement or dread that reveals their passion. One must wonder, do they have the same level of passion in the Sunday School classroom? It is not likely if their passion is so strong for something so unGodly. Students are drawn to our passion because they know our passion is where our heart truly is.

Father, we can all get distracted by things. We can develop interests in things that not only waste time, but actually draw us away from You. If we are not diligent, some of these things are actually of the devil. Help us to be passionate about You, and may others see that passion and be drawn to You as well.