1 Timothy 1:3-4: No Other Doctrine
2021-08-30
1 Timothy 1:3
Paul left Timothy in Ephesus on his way to Macedonia. Ephesus is in Asia Minor, and Macedonia is north of Greece in Europe. Considering modes of travel for the day, these locations would not be close. The mentor and his apprentice could not visit each other easily. Timothy would not have had the ministry experience that Paul had. It is not clear if Timothy would have had any kind of job as difficult as this, and being in a leadership role in Ephesus, he would have many adversaries facing him. His job is to establish this church with leadership and teaching so it would grow to be an autonomous, mature church.
Timothy is to “charge some that they teach no other doctrine” (1 Timothy 1:3). The core doctrine is not mentioned here, but this is presumably the things of Christ and not of other distracting and speculative issues. In the coming verses, we see there is much misusing of the law.
1 Timothy 1:4
The Spirit here says to us, “Neither give heed to fables” (1 Timothy 1:4). Fables are exactly what they sound like they are. They are falsehoods, tall tales, and uncertainties. The word is used here and four other places (“old wives’ fables” in 1 Timothy 4:7; turning from truth to fables in 2 Timothy 4:4; “Jewish fables” in Titus 1:14; and “cunningly devised fables” in 2 Peter 1:16). Four out of the five mentions of this word are in the pastoral epistles. Leaders, you will be faced with those who want to insert false doctrine into the church. People propagating false doctrine may not be doing this intentionally. Regardless, the element will be there. These are distractions at best and toxically harmful at worst.
Here “fables” are paired with “endless genealogies.” It could be that this is referring to the Old Testament genealogies, but unlikely. Those genealogies are a part of Scripture, and all Scripture is profitable to us. These “endless genealogies” could mean one’s own genealogies to tie one’s lineage to some important person or groups. Since we are about to see a lot of warning about wannabe law teachers, this is likely people who wanted to prove their tie to some Jewish tribe or personage. Paul alluded to the fact that he knew he was a Hebrew, a descendant of Abraham (2 Corinthians 11:22), and of the tribe of Benjamin (Philippians 3:5). These things are mentioned in passages where he is stating what could be considered profitable in the flesh, but he immediately debunks such confidence. In those passages where he defended his ministry, we see he does so to expose false teachers. In Ephesus, just like in Corinth and Philippi, this irrelevant distraction was alive and well. There is no confidence in one’s genealogy in the Adamic race; there is only confidence in Christ’s genealogy. In Titus 3:9, genealogies are referred to as “unprofitable and vain,” and they “minister questions” (1 Timothy 1:4). If it is mere speculation, it must be avoided.
On the contrary, we are to seek “godly edifying which is in faith” (1 Timothy 1:4). Lies and family lineage do not do this. To edify is to stop self-promotion and uplift the other. Interestingly, this word is the same word that is translated “dispensation” elsewhere. It is a pouring out to other people. It is in faith because the flesh does not pour out charity to other people. We must rely on the Lord to truly do this.