Reading the Bible confronts us with reality. In a day of mega-pastors, mega-churches and mega-conferences we need to the Bible to gently, or strongly, remind us what the church is for. That was Paul's aim in 1 Timothy. He doesn't give his young charge growth tips or ideas for a more engaging Sunday morning. he tells Timothy what the church is to reject, and what the church is to protect.
The Church, universal and local, then and now, must reject false teaching. Paul makes this very clear as early as verse three. Tell people to stop teaching different doctrines. Paul does tell us what they were teaching, but it was something Jewish, something mythical, something legal. Something that resulted in vain conversation and speculations, rather than the love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience. Reject false teaching. No matter how fashionable, no matter how comfortable, no matter how many people read the books, reject it. Spurgeon said, 'wrong is wrong though all call it right,' or something like that. And the church has to say that as well.
The church must reject false teachers as well. Not just their teaching, but them. Maybe this is who Hymenaeus and Alexander were. Hymenaeus pops up again in 2nd Timothy, so it's a fair guess that he at least was a teacher. Paul doesn't tell us that their popular and he doesn't want to cause a scene, he doesn't tell us we need to wait and see what they say next. He tells Timothy that he, personally, has handed them over to Satan. And this is a mercy! Mercy on false teachers means pointing out their false teaching.
And the church must protect what is true. How can we know what's true? Well does it issue in a deeper love for Jesus? A more whole-hearted love fro the brethren? Does it come from a pure faith and a clean conscience?
Paul's testimony in verses 12-17 are not a digression, he tells us what the church is to teach and protect.
Verse 13 tells us that Paul was a sinner before he was saved. A blasphemer, persecutor and insolent opponent, to use his words. So are we all, to a greater or lesser extent. That’s the bad news before the good news, that we’re all sinners, that we all deserve death. To get the Gospel right, the church must teach that.
Verses 12, 14 and 16 tell us that Paul was a sinner, saved by grace. Paul says that his strength comes from Jesus, that he received grace and mercy from Jesus. Our salvation is all of Jesus, and none of us. Jesus comes, Jesus lives perfectly, Jesus dies instead of us and rose again three days later. All we have to do is open the gift. Paul doesn’t want, or take, any credit for his salvation. And the church must teach that our salvation is all from Jesus, from beginning to end, if we’re going to teach the Gospel right.
Paul shows us in verse 17 that we’re saved to praise Jesus’ glory. Read that with me, because it’s so beautiful. This is what worship is. Recognizing God and giving Him glory. God is immortal, without beginning or end. He’s invisible, you can’t see Him. He’s the King of ages, His reign never ends. He is the only God. The choice is between God and no-god, not one god or another god. You were saved to give Him your attention and your affection.
These truths are the key and foundation of the church. Lose these, or even just assume them, and we lose everything.
The church must reject what's false, and protect what's true, for the sake of it's people. For the sake of every Timothy, every Hymenaeus and every Alexander. That what is beautiful may fill us to the core, and what causes shipwreck may be protected against.
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