Daily Devotion

 

Seven years before Paul wrote this letter, he warned the Ephesian elders that false teachers would try to distort the true message of Jesus (Acts 20:29). Now that this was happening, Paul exhorted Timothy to confront them boldly. This young pastor must not compromise with the false teachings that were corrupting both the law and the gospel. He must faithfully fight a good fight against them (v18) by proclaiming the original faith as taught by Jesus and the apostles.

 

So, Timothy is warned against "godless chatter and contradictions of what is called knowledge" (1 Timothy 6:20). He is warned against a religion of speculative questions instead of humble faith (1 Timothy 1:4). He is warned against the man who is proud of his intellect but really knows nothing and dotes about questions and conflict of words (1 Timothy 6:4). He is told to shun "godless chatter," for it produces only ungodliness (2 Timothy 2:16). He is told to avoid "stupid, senseless controversies" that in the end can only engender strife (2 Timothy 2:3). The Pastoral Epistles go out of their way to stress the fact that this idea of an intellectual aristocracy is wrong, for God's love is universal. God wants all men to be saved and all men to come to a knowledge of the truth (1 Timothy 2:4).