James 4:11-12

None of us who are Christians would ever dream of setting ourselves up in the place of God; of trying to assume the role of God. None of us would be so arrogant as to think that we could do a better job than God at laying down moral rightness and judging the hearts and actions of men and women. Yet that is what James warns us about. He warns us that my smallest criticism of someone else is my biggest attempt to supplant the Lord. He does this by making two assertions, and then demonstrating the arrogance of our attitudes.


I) Our attitude to God’s Word is reflected in our attitude toward others

The first assertion that James makes is that our attitude toward God’s WOrd is reflected by our attitude toward others. He uses two separate but related ideas to prove his point. Notice the parallel statements he makes in verse 11:
He who speaks against a brother… speaks against the law; He who… judges his brother… judges the law.
He asserts that there is a direct correlation between how we relate to our fellow Christians and how we relate to God’s Word. In order to better understand James’ meaning, it would be helpful to examine the words ‘speak against,’ ‘judge’ and ‘law.’ We’ll do this in the sub-points for roman numeral 1 on your outline.

A) Contempt for a brother indicates contempt for God’s Word

During my preparation for this sermon, a brother made a request that I clarify why James uses the term ‘law’ in his epistle. I’ll do my best.

i) law

In order for us to understand this, we really need to make a few contextual and historical considerations. The first consideration is contextual. Turn to James 1:21.
James begins speaking of the word. He references the word in 1:21, 22 and 23. Then, unexpectedly he shifts to referring to the Word of God as the law in 1:25. Verses 22-24 are parallel to verse 25. From 1:25 on, he no longer makes reference to the Word, but continually utilizes the term law. It’s clear that when he makes reference to the Law, he is actually speaking about the Word of God - Scripture. 1:22-25 has set the precedent for defining the term in the epistle. The question remains though, as my brother asked me, ‘ why does James use the term Law?’
To answer this question we turn to some historical considerations, namely the date and intended recipients of the epistle.

a) date

Remember at the beginning of our study we made reference to the fact that this was probably the earliest book written in the NT? It came before the council at Jerusalem which discussed whether or not new converts to Christianity needed to be circumcised and observe the Law of Moses (Acts 15:5). This is an important point. The Church still had not fleshed out exactly what was required in Christianity. The law of Moses apparently still played a significant role in the lives of some of the early Christians, especially those who were converted Pharisees. Indeed we know that this was a major struggle of the early Church from other books of the NT.

b) recipients

Also knowing that the recipients were Jewish Christians, we should understand the significance of the term for them. The Jewish Scriptures consisted of what were called ‘the Law and the Prophets.’ The Law was the first five books of the Bible, know by Christians as the Pentateuch. The Prophets consisted of the Major and Minor Prophets. There was also a third category called the Writings, which would include the historical books, psalms and wisdom literature. The Old Testament Canon was generally referred to as the Law and the Prophets. The term Law was sometimes used exclusively for the Pentateuch and sometimes for the entire OT Scriptures.
Keeping in mind that James’ epistle was the first book written from the NT canon, his usage of the term ‘law’ would have been a clear statement to his recipients that he was referring to the revealed Word of God up to that time. His readers would have easily understood this. Not only this, but his readers would have understood the esteemed position the Law had among the Jews. The Jews took great pride in the fact that the Law was revealed to them. They took great care in studying it and held it in high esteem. Because of the esteemed place it held on the Jewish people’s hearts and minds, James was able to elicit more notice to what he was saying. The statements that he makes about the Law would have been very provocative to his readers. In today’s passage, for example, his readers would have been horrified to be considered as a judge of the Law. So it seems that for the purposes James had in mind, he used the term ‘law’ because of the effect it surely would have had on his readers.

Which brings us back to our first point in 4:11, that when you ‘speak against’ a brother, you ‘speak against’ the law, the Word of God. What does the term ‘speak against’ entail? Most translations translate this word as ‘speak against,’ ‘speak evil of,’ ‘slander,’ or ‘backbite.’ The word is also used in 1 Pet. 2:12 and 3:16 and is translated in the NASB as slander.
These translations give us a good view of what James has in mind. The word literally means ‘speak against.’ I think that with the context of this passage, that translation, speak against, is best. Our passage is found in a book that speaks in detail about sins of the tongue. More specifically, our passage, as well as the passage immediately following, are meant to amplify what James said in the beginning of Chapter 4 and earlier. In 4:1 he notes that these believers were quarrelling. I personally feel that they were quarrelling over matters of wealth and possessions, but that is just speculation, and so we won’t spend any time developing that thought. In 3:14, James talks about bitter jealousy and selfish ambition, which leads him into his exhortation to humility and now in our passage to some examples of jealousy and selfish ambition, in 4:11-16. The issue is quarrelling, and quarrelling arises from jealousy and selfishness as seen in 3:14,16; and 4:1-4. So to speak against is something that arises from these evil motives.
If we were to amplify the word we might say that to speak against is ‘to speak against the interest of another,’ or ‘to talk degradingly about them when they are not present.’ Some translations, as we mentioned before, translate the word here as ‘slander.’ Slander means to make false statements about someone. For that reason I would avoid using that word in our passage, because it is too restrictive. James doesn’t simply have in mind a lying tongue, although that is included. He has in mind a derisive tongue; one which shows contempt for another person. This can be done through false or true statements.
In order to understand this more clearly, let’s take a look at some illustrations. First, let’s take a look at a possible illustration from the Book of James itself. In 2:2-4 James gives us a scenario. This scenario may actually have been occurring among these early Christians or it may have just been an exaggerated example. Regardless, we could see that it would be a strong temptation for the poor man who was dishonoured to speak derisively about the rich man, or the people who treated him badly. You thought I was going to talk about the rich man, didn’t you? James’ very point is that when we speak degradingly of other people, we reveal a proud, jealous heart; certainly not one that is humble before the Lord.
Let me give you a second illustration that comes from my own life. A few years ago, I found out from a friend that one of the elders’ wives at the church I had been attending made some malicious statements about me. She had made the statements to my friend’s mother. While you may think I’m intending to use her as an example, which I certainly could have, I’m actually not. The illustration comes from the way I reacted.
I carried a wounded pride with me for a couple of years. I was actually quite stunned by the incident. I didn’t react favourably, though at the time I thought I did. I talked about it with other people trying to get their ‘advice’ on how to handle it. The truth is, however, that in reality I was hoping that these other people would know how ungodIy this woman had acted, and that they would see how godly I was trying to handle the situation. I would ‘decide’ before talking people that I would not mention her name, and that this would be okay. Had I really wanted to talk about the issue with people to gain advice on what to do, I could have done so by speaking generally and not allowing a clue about who I was talking about. Every time I talked about it though, I gave enough hints that people would inevitably guessed who it was, and then we could talk about it more freely. By making people guess who it was, I alleviated my conscience at the time, because I wasn’t actually telling them. By feigning humility and godliness, however, I was in actuality maligning this lady. I wasn’t slandering her, because what I was saying was true, but I was speaking truth about her behind her back with the intent of damaging her reputation.
That’s what James is telling us not to do. In order for us to avoid this, we need to check our motives when we talk of other people when they’re not around. This is such a dangerous sin, because it seems so innocent. It is not. It reveals an arrogant heart which is not submissive to God (4:7). In fact James says that if we speak derisively against a brother, we are in fact speaking derisively against the Word of God. He already told us in 2:8 that the royal law is loving your neighbour as yourself. He is most assuredly making reference to his half-brother who is quoted in Mk. 12:29-31 as saying that loving your neighbour as yourself is one of the two greatest commandments. By speaking against our neighbour, as James broadens his application in verse 12 to include our neighbour, we are in fact displaying contempt for this ‘greatest’ commandment of God. That is a serious charge which would have certainly captured the attention of his readers. That is why it is so important for us to be careful of what we say about others, and how we say it.

B) Judging a brother indicates judgement of God’s Word

As we said earlier, James uses parallel ideas to amplify his thought. He doesn’t only have in mind the words we say, but also the attitude of our hearts.
He who… judges his brother… judges the law.
The idea of judging is so confused in our generation. We’re taught by TV and movies not to judge people in any capacity. The cries can be heard calling out everywhere: “Don’t judge me!” The application has been made in today’s church that for us to confront someone else about sin is entirely unbiblical and contrary to the loving nature of God. Oh, how misguided we are!
In the first place, it’s clear that James is not saying ‘don’t make any judgements on other people at all.’ He is not forbidding confronting, or making ‘judgements’ about people’s sin outright. This is clearly observed by even the most casual reading of the letter. The whole tone of our passage today is judgemental! Look at the end of verse 12: ‘But you, who are you…?’ The construction in the Greek is very emphatic and very pointed. In verse 8 he calls them sinners; in verse 4 he calls them adulteresses! He uses harsh and pointed words throughout his letter, and takes a judgemental tone towards them. That then does he mean by the term ‘judge?’
The key to understanding the Biblical teaching on judging others is to understand the criterion for judging. In 2:12 James tells them to speak and act as those to be judged by the law of liberty; that is, the Word of God. The closing of James’ epistle (5:19-20) cannot be done without passing judgement on sin. In 1 Cor. 5:3 Paul tells us how he has already judged a sinning brother. Jesus himself tells us how to confront a sinning brother. The act of judging is not the problem here, rather it is the criterion by which we judge, as vividly illustrated in our passage today. Our criterion for judging sin and confronting it is the Law, the revealed Word of God. James is forbidding passing judgement on someone for something outside of the Word of God.
Let me give an illustration. There has been, and unfortunately still is in some circles, a ridiculous debate about whether or not translations other than the KJV are acceptable. There was an incident at a church I attended where a man actually preached against the NIV from the pulpit. This was an unfortunate incident, and it ultimately resulted in a divide in the church. It would have been one thing if this man had held his own conviction quietly and not spoken out against his brothers and sisters who believed and acted differently than him on this issue. By speaking out against the NIV, he had gone farther than the Word of God has in explaining what the Word of God is. All of the strife and division that resulted was completely unnecessary, but came about because a man was passing judgement on something that the Bible itself doesn’t speak to. We actually see this quite often, sadly. Someone gets a ‘hobby horse,’ a topic that they begin to be so consumed with that they start treating people harshly and judging them because they don’t conform to their standard.
Personal preferences are not a valid criterion for judging others. In fact, James tells us that when we do pass judgement on people for things outside of Scripture, that we are actually passing judgement on the Word of God itself. We’re showing that we don’t think the Word of God went far enough. Again, something that would have been shocking to James’ readers. Who in their right mind would possibly say outright that the Law revealed to the OT prophets wasn’t adequate? James tells us that we then are no longer doers of the law, something he’s already commanded us to be (1:22), but judges of it.

So by these two examples (speaking against and judging our brother) James shows us that our attitude toward God’s Word is reflected by our attitude toward others. Having pointed this out, he then really drives the point home by showing that...

III) Our attitude toward God is reflected in our attitude towards His Word

James immediately points out how preposterous it is for us to consider ourselves as judges of God’s Law. He points out emphatically that there is only one Lawgiver and Judge. ‘One’ is placed first in the Greek, giving it strong emphasis. He is contrasting us with God. God is the only one who can rightfully command His creatures. He is the only one who sits in the office of Judge. James gives us 4 qualities of God with which He wishes to contrast the person who speaks against his brother: Lawgiver, Judge, able to save and able to destroy.

A) God as Lawgiver

Something which is almost uniformly rejected by today’s generation is God’s role as Lawgiver. The Lord who created us has the right to dictate what our conduct should be, but today men tend to reject any authority outside of themselves. They trash the Church of God because we make judgements on sin, and say that certain things are true and binding. They characterize us as intolerant. If we are intolerant, that is simply because God’s Word is intolerant.
The Church says that homosexuality is wrong not because we simply ‘don’t like it,’ but because God has authoritatively decreed in His Word that it is wrong. We believe the wife should be submissive to her husband, not because we are chauvinists, but because God has authoritatively declared it to be this way in His Word. The fact is that if we ‘don’t like’ something in Scripture, or simply choose not to obey it, we are actually rejecting God and assuming that we are wiser than He. How foolish!

B) God is able to save

Related to Lawgiving is the fact that He is able to save. God has declared in His Word that there is only one way to be saved, through repentance of sins and faith in Jesus Christ! If we reject this we again are sitting in the absurd position of assuming to be wiser than God.

C) God as Judge

The Lord is also the only one able to Judge rightly. He is the only One with the authority to judge. James uses this thought in chapter 5 to encourage believers to patiently endure suffering. God will judge the wicked. He will deliver justice. Today it seems that people don’t really believe this to be true. ‘God is love,’ they say, ‘He won’t really judge the wicked.’

D) God is able to destroy

But James indicates otherwise and affirms that He is able to destroy. He has the power to destroy, and He has the authority. Hell is real. Judgement is real. God has revealed these things to us in His Word. He is the only One with the power to judge, and the wisdom to judge rightly.

After saying this James contrasts the power and true office of God with the pathetic man or woman who tries to usurp those offices from the Lord. He makes a very sarcastic contrast to show how outrageous it is for us to speak against or judge other people.

Conclusion

How then can we respond to James’ warning? We need to keep it in our minds that the way we treat others is reflective of the way we relate to God. We need to be careful to watch our tongues and examine our motivations. We need to, as James just finished saying in the previous section, humble ourselves and submit ourselves to God.

James 1:26-27

Today we’ll be continuing to look at the book of James. In order for us to understand today’s context, I’d just like to review the previous two passages that we looked at, in order for us to gain a better understanding of today’s passage.

In verses 19-21, James told us that we are to receive the Word. James (Howard) had talked about how we needed to put ourselves in the position of being exposed to the Word, whether by reading it or hearing sermons, etc. We were able to see from that passage the importance of receiving the Word.

In verses 22-25, James told us that receiving the Word doesn’t mean merely hearing, or coming in contact with the Word. He qualified his statement by saying that we need to be doers of the Word. We talked about the importance of spending time in the Word - that we must first meditate on the Word of God before we can do the Word of God.

Today we’re going to learn what it means to ‘do’ the Word of God. We’ve established the great importance in taking in the Word of God through meditation, but today we’re going to learn what doing the Word of God is and isn’t.

JAMES 1:26-27

I) Religion - what is it?

In studying this passage, I have to admit that I was perplexed as to why James would use the word ‘religion’ here. I grew up in an environment where that word was almost a dirty word. I was always taught to juxtapose religion with faith. I’d hear people saying about others that such and such a person wasn’t a Christian, they were merely religious. Due to this prevalent attitude in my upbringing, I find myself becoming uncomfortable with this word ‘religion.’

But what is it that James is talking about when he says ‘religion,’ and why is it that he uses this word instead of a more spiritual word like ‘faith.’ In order for us to answer that question, we need to take 2 things into consideration: the meaning of the word religion, and the context in which it’s placed.

The meaning of the word ‘religion’

This word caused me all kinds of problems in my study of the passage. It’s only found 5 times in the entire NT - 3 of those in this book! The other 2 passages are Acts 26:5 and Col. 2:18.

ACTS 26:5

Take notice here that he is identifying the Jewish belief system as a ‘religion.’ What was it about the Jewish belief system that qualifies it as a ‘religion?’ What united the Jewish people? The centrepiece of Jewish worship was the temple in Jerusalem, and the extensive list of practices that they had to perform. Males had to be circumcised. They had to rest on the Sabbath. They needed to remember the festivals. They needed to offer sacrifices in a certain way. It can be said quite concretely that the Jewish people were united in certain rites/practices which were used in worshipping the God they believed in. The Pharisees, of which Paul was a part, was the strictest sect of that religion. They adhered to the most rigourous of external practices.

COL. 2:18

Notice in this passage that the word ‘religion’ is translated as ‘worship.’ This passage speaks of those who are given to asceticism and worshipping angels. Their ‘worship’ is actually a series of rites and practices in which they show their devotion to angels.

The lexical definition of the word is this:
expression of devotion to transcendant beings, esp. as it expresses itself in cultic rites

The word itself, then, is representative of a system of practices intended to show devotion to a particular being. Now that we have a good understanding of what the word means, let’s look into the context of how James uses it.

The context of James’ usage of the word ‘religion’

Remember that in verse 22 James tells us to be doers of the Word, and not merely hearers. Verses 23-25 show the importance of meditating on the Word and taking it into our hearts. Verses 26-27 continue the thread of ‘doing’ the Word. James is writing to primarily Jewish believers, and so they would have a natural respect for the rites/traditions of the Jewish belief system. We saw in the book of Acts what a struggle the early Church had with severing the old way of doing things. James is now using a word which very deliberately and pointedly highlights the external, visible mode of worship, and he will contrast that with what God says is true religion.

II) What religion is not

As we move into our next consideration, I have to confess that I’ve always been baffled at the Christians I was taught to look up to. I grew up in a conservative church, and the lives of most of the leaders were squeaky clean. That’s not a bad thing. What always baffled me though, was the favourite past-time of those who were supposed to be spiritual giants. It seemed like there was always whispering going on. ‘Did you hear about so-and-so?’ Gossip. Non-stop gossip. Praising the God of heaven with a loud voice while whispering about His children out of the side of their mouth.
It seems to me that this is a serious problem within the church. The classic, caricature of the ‘preacher’s wife,’ is that she’s the town’s gossip. It just doesn’t make any sense; and James is telling us it shouldn’t. He says quite clearly (1:26).
Admittedly, he’s not simply talking about gossip. He’s talking about all kinds of sins. Lately God has really been working on my heart over my attitude while driving. I get angry when I drive. Really angry. And that anger sometimes works itself out in unkind words.
Col. 3:8-9 give a pretty good list of these kinds of sins.

These are the kinds of things that show us the inner character or a man or woman. What’s sad, and a little frightening, about this is that this is a test for people who think they are walking closely with the Lord. If they find themselves not able to have a command over their tongue, James says that they are deceiving their own hearts.
Here, I’d like to offer a very clear explanation of a very difficult statement. James is not saying that a slip of the tongue is an evidence that you are not a Christian. He’s saying that a regular habit of being given to gossip, slander, etc. is an evidence that your external practices don’t emerge from a heart close to God. A person who regularly is given to such things is not a ‘doer’ of the word, and is deceived. Remember in 1 John we learn that Christians will sin, and that includes sins of the tongue, but it’s if we find ourselves in the regular habit of sinning that we ought to start examining ourselves and see if we really are in the faith.
This really is the point that James is making here, is that we needn’t look solely to the practices of prayer, meditation, singing praises, fasting, etc. to show us where we stand in the sight of God. Simply doing these external ‘spiritual’ practices, doesn’t mean that we are children of God. If there is evidence to the contrary, if we notice that we’re really critical of people, ungracious, quick to anger and so on, then we ought to examine ourselves and see where we really stand before the Lord. Our belief in the Lord will ultimately show itself not only in the ‘spiritual’ rites/traditions that we perform (the use of the word ‘religion’), but that ultimately our faith will work itself out in very particular ways. In verse 27, he gives us 2 things which show ‘pure and undefiled religion in the sight of God.’

God’s view of religion

Notice that he’s careful to point out that this is God’s view. It’s not his own desire of what his Christian brothers’ lives would look like, it’s God’s view on the matter. Whenever we see in Scripture how God views something, we should always pause and listen carefully to what he has to say. And what does God have to say?

Caring for the needy

He says that a true Christian will ‘visit orphans and widows in their distress.’ This statement really hits home. God says that if we truly are affected by the Word of God, that we’ll visit orphans and widows in their distress. This is something that I haven’t done a whole lot in my life, and quite frankly I don’t know many Christians who do. If we really are in the Word of God though - if we really know the Word of God intimately - we won’t be surprised one bit by this statement.

JOB 31:16-17; PSALM 146:9; ISAIAH 1:17,23

This is a recurring theme in the Word of God. The fatherless and the widow have a special place in the heart of the LORD. Certainly this call is to be literally fulfilled by us, however, we understand that orphans and widows are a picture of the needy. James is talking about these two classes of people in a way that is inclusive of more than just these two classes. He’s not saying that true religion cares only for orphans and widows, but is using orphans and widows to represent the needy. And who fits that category? This is the question that we need to answer. Certainly orphans and widows are in this category, and so we should be looking to care for them. ICC has an orphan ministry that goes once a month to visit with the orphans. This is an important ministry and truly faithful to the Word of God. What are some other types of needy people, though, and why does James use orphans and widows to represent the needy?
It’s hard to think of a more desperate situation than being either without parents, or being a woman without a husband. This is highlighted much more when we think about what the life of an orphan or widow would’ve looked like in James’ time. Widows wouldn’t have had access to pension funds. They would be on their own to provide for themselves. Having relied on their husbands to provide for them before they died, more than likely they wouldn’t have acquired any kind of craft/skill with which they could earn a decent wage. It would be hard living as a widow at the time this letter was written.
Orphans are probably in a much more desperate situation. This has become emphatically illustrated to me by the birth of our daughter. She depends on us for everything! Sometimes when we’re not in the room with her she’ll start to cry. Her crying won’t cease until she sees either her mother or I’s face, which upon seeing, she smiles. It’s amazing to me that she already seems to know love and recognizes those who are there to comfort and support her.
An orphan is not only bereft of material provisions, but they also lack the comfort, guidance and spiritual care that a parent provides. There’s nobody for them to teach them. No one to point them to the Word of God and teach them how to walk in His ways.
These people are truly needy. They really are in need of the love, care and comfort of righteous people. Recently my wife and I were part of a Truth Project small group study. In the last episode, we talk about community. Without giving too much away, I’d like to talk about an important concept that we learned. God’s commands stem from His nature. His actions as well stem from His nature. He says that He supports the fatherless and widows. It’s part of His very nature to care after those who need it. This is the reason He saved us - because we needed it. He works patiently with our broken and battered souls, and He has compassion on the lowliest of people. This is exactly why we should also care for the needy around us. God’s nature is compassionate, and we also should be compassionate to widows and orphans.
Not only widows and orphans, but also all others who have real, felt needs. The sick, the lonely, the outcast, the person nobody wants to talk to. What does it say about our character when we exhibit an aversion to these kinds of people. Are we comfortable when we’re these people? I referenced George Muller last week. George Muller was a man who devoted his life to helping orphanages. He opened 4 orphanages and cared for more than 1,000 fatherless children. He wasn’t naturally disposed to be with the truly needy; if you read his autobiography he talks about how he spent his youth in selfish sin. But God changed Him, and that change worked itself out in his life.
One final thought on this subject. A lot of people have the idea that if they give their money to organizations which help the poor or to their churches to help the poor that they are fulfilling God’s command. Nothing could be further from the truth. While giving to the poor is a good thing, it doesn’t replace spending time with those who have a poverty of spirit. Notice that James says visiting orphans and widows in the time of their distress. That means spending time with them when they need it. There is more to be done than just giving from your wallet. This may be why the poor are left off of this list, because James is not speaking of finances. We need to give of ourselves to these people who need it. Recognize the needy around you and visit with them… tend to their needs.
I used to visit nursing homes with an elder at the church I grew up in. I never really put much weight into going, because the people we met with never really engaged in great conversation. I never really realized how much it meant for them that I was there, spending time with them. We need to think very seriously about how we can reach out to the needy around us - not just financially.

Keeping free of the world’s mindset

There are a lot of people though, who feel a sense of responsibility for the needy, but who are certainly not regenerate Christians. This is why God tells us that we also need to be ‘unstained by the world.’ What He’s telling us here is that we need to live holy lives and have a mind that is filtered through the Word of God, and not tainted by worldy viewpoints. The holiness aspect of this is something that we’ve talked about many times in our church, and it’s really something that we ought to know. We need to live lives of holiness and purity. We are called to live by a higher standard than the culture around us.
But this passage is saying more than just that. James is also telling us that our minds need to be free from worldly influence. In our day we’re seeing a real battle of worldviews, and I have to admit that I’m sometimes very pessimistic about our generation of Christians. There have been many times that I’ve been talking with a Christian about social issues or moral issues and just thought to myself, ‘What are you saying!?!?! You’re supposed to be a Christian!!!’ It’s puzzling to me how a generation of people who say they believe the Bible and all that’s written in it, are so apathetic towards knowing what’s written in it, and towards shaping their worldview by it. The Bible speaks to every major area of our lives, and we need to be careful to form our ideas of the world based on what we see in Scripture.




If you’re sitting here today and are under the conviction of the Holy Spirit by His Word, that’s a good thing. Do not let this opportunity pass. Submit to the Holy Spirit and seek out those areas in your life which need to be changed. Seek out the areas of your thinking which is not in line with the Bible. Seek out the areas of your life that are impure and unholy. Seek out ways in which you can help the needy around you. Pray for the grace of God to have a controlled tongue. If you’re unconfident about your spiritual position before the Lord, or are feeling guilty about the way you live your life, I challenge you today to take time to think about these issues. These are the things that God says are the marks of pure and undefiled religion; true faith. If these things are missing from your life, I challenge you to seek out the reason why.

Colossians 2:1-5

Introduction
A) Background - Where are we?
The Colossians were a church that Paul had never met before.
Although a strong church, they were being confronted with heretical teaching about Jesus.
The theme of the book is found in 1:9-12: an increase of knowledge, wisdom and understanding which produces righteousness in the believer enabling him to live a victorious life. (to encourage them to maturity in thought and practice)

B) Chapter 1
Theological treatise about Jesus Christ and salvation (1:13-23).
Defense of Paul’s ministry (1:23-29)

The Big Idea: Maturity in Thought and Practice

Remember that the theme of Colossians is maturity in thought and practice. In Chapter 1, we had the setting up of the book. Chapter 2 is primarily maturity in thought, followed by maturity in practice in chapter 3. The book closes out with some final encouraging thoughts and instructions in chapter 4. The question we’re going to deal with today is ‘how do we as Christians become spiritually mature.’

A) Maturity is found where believer’s are praying for it (2:1)
i) Paul is having a spiritual struggle concerning believer’s he’s never met.
That Paul is concerned that the Colossian believers come to spiritual maturity can be seen quite easily from the context of this passage. The word translated struggle here is from the same root as striving in 1:29. There is a definite connection here which gives us the key to what Paul is struggling over. He says in 1:28-29 that he’s struggling for the purpose of presenting every man complete in Christ. His desire is to see Christians come to maturity. You will find that this desire is echoed in many, if not all of Paul’s writings. Here, however he is using a very strong word to describe his ministry. The word striving, as Pat mentioned last week, has the connotation of agonizing. Paul agonized over the spiritual health of these believer’s.
The example in Paul’s life shows us the actions of a mature believer. A mature believer will pray for the spiritual health of other believers (cf. Epaphras 4:12-13; 1:4, Phil. 1:3-4, Eph. 1:15-17, Rom. 1:8-10, 1 Thess. 1:2, 1 Tim. 2:1, Phm. 4-6)
B) Maturity is forged through unity (2:2)
i) Paul is writing to ‘comfort’ their hearts.
a) The word translated ‘encourage’ is better rendered ‘comfort.’ (cf. 1 Thess. 4:18)
- they were being attacked by heresy, and he wanted to let them know that they were correct in their belief of the gospel
- when we see our fellow Christians struggling with things, we need to offer them solace
b) Their hearts had been knit together in love.
- the bond that we have in Christ is a deep testimony to the truth of the gospel
- Paul repeatedly exhorts churches to live in unity (cf. Phil. 2:1-2, Rom. 14:7-8)
Unity is perhaps the most important thing to the corporate church. It’s also one of the greatest things lacking in the contemporary church.
My story. Been burned, slandered, and treated harshly by people in the church. It was so bad that I stopped going to church and would rather hang out with unbelievers rather than believers. I spent most of my time reading the Bible and talking about the things of God, and I actually had a few friends that I met with regularly for prayer together. I didn’t like people, didn’t want to be around people, and found great joy in being alone. I justified to myself that this was, in fact, what God had meant for us as Christians. I soon came to realize however, that it was not what God meant. I was not practicing church, but rather escape. I withdrew from the assembling together with an active church not because of a desire for something more, but for something less. I wanted to escape contact with certain people, because they had hurt me and I didn’t like them. It’s important for us to be able to meet with and be active in a local church. There will always be people who rub us the wrong way and even people who will hurt us in astonishing ways. The test for us, however, is how to achieve unity with those people as brothers and sisters in Christ. The answer is found in Christ. We love them as Christ loved us, forgiving the terrible wrongs they’ve done, and actively seeking their good.
Soren Kierkegaard:
With (Christ) it is not as with a man who by the injustice of his age was not permitted to be himself or to be accounted for what he was... for Christ Himself willed to be the humble man, this is just what He would be accounted.

Maturity comes through understanding (2:2)
Paul now talks about the wealth that comes from the full assurance of understanding. What is the object of understanding that Paul is talking about? He’s talking about the truths of the gospel, the truths about Jesus Christ on which the hope of the Colossian believers is fully resting on (cf. 1:27).
i) Understanding brings assurance
The idea of this word full assurance is the idea of certainty. The truths of the gospel bring to us a sense of certainty as to our standing with God. Knowing that I am justified by Christ’s blood, reconciled through His death, and saved by His life (Rom. 5:8-11), brings me hope in a New Testament sense about my future. In New Testament Greek the word translated hope carries with it a connotation of confident expectation with a good foundation for that expectation. It’s not the ‘wishful thinking’ that we often use the word hope to express today. There is a confidence that comes from my understanding the truths of the gospel, and Paul speaks of this as being wealth. And we wouldn’t trade the hope we have in Christ for any riches in the world, for Christ is far more valuable to us than anything (Phil. 3:7-11).
ii) Understanding results in a true knowledge of Christ
No one can come to truly know Christ without first understanding and believing the gospel.
Christ is God’s mystery. The Jews didn’t expect the Messiah to come the way He did, even though it was written in their Scriptures (cf. Isaiah 53). The Gentiles who believed in some sort of God/gods thought that their philosophy could get them there. Paul writes about this in 1 Corinthians 1:18-25. He says there that the gospel is a stumbling block to the Jews and foolishness to the Gentiles. He says further that Christ is both the power of God, and the wisdom of God. It is a common theme with Paul that the gospel has relevance in both the practical and theoretical. That is to say that the gospel has power to change our lives and wisdom to enlighten us with the truth. This is all found in Christ, God’s mystery, the object of our belief.
Ravi Zacharias gives a profound illustration of the mystery of Christ in this way:
The pursuit of the Hebrews was idealized and symbolized by light:
‘The Lord is my light and my salvation’
‘The people that sat in darkness have seen a great light. This is the light that lighteth every man that comes into the world.’
The pursuit of the Greeks was symbolized by knowledge. That’s why the Biblical writers say:
‘These things are written so that you might know that you have eternal life.’
So the Hebrew ideal was light, the Greek ideal was knowledge. For the Hebrews it was light, for the Greeks it was knowledge, but for the Romans it was glory.
‘The glory of the city of Rome.’
‘The glory of the city that wasn’t built in a day’
And here we have it, the Apostle Paul – a Hebrew by birth, a citizen of Rome, living in a Greek city – had to give to [the Corinthian believers] the ideal of his ethic. And he says this:
‘For God, who said, “The Light shall shine out of darkness,” has caused His light to shine in our hearts to give to us the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ Jesus our Lord.’
For the Apostle Paul, the ultimate ethic was not an abstraction, not symbolized merely by light, not merely by knowledge, not merely by glory; but in the very face of our Lord.”
D) Maturity comes through knowing Christ
Perhaps the most important mark of a spiritually mature Christian is that they know Christ. In Christ is hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. Knowledge meaning truth and wisdom meaning its practical application.
Heb. 12:2

The Signs of a Mature Church (2:5)
A) A Mature Church is Orderly (2:5)
The NIV captures Paul’s thought best: delighting to see how orderly you are.
Order was something that Paul stressed, and while he commended the presence of it in the Colossian church, he urged the Corinthian church to be orderly (cf. 1 Cor. 14:40).

B) A Mature Church is Rooted Firmly in the Gospel (2:5)
Church leadership must have a firm grasp on the truth of the gospel.
Individual believers must have a confident knowledge of the truth of the gospel.

Application
Am I praying for the spiritual maturity of my brothers and sisters in Christ?
Do I feel united with the believers I meet with every week?
Do I understand the spiritual impact the gospel has on me? If not, how can I learn?
Do I know Christ? Do I seek to know Him better every day?

1 Timothy 1:8-11

1 Timothy 1:8

νομιμωσ - pertaining to being in accordance with normal procedure
cf. 2 Timothy 2:5
There are a set of rules by which the person competes. Here there is a set of rules by which to use the Law.

χραομαι - make use of, employ
cf. Acts 27:17; 1 Cor 7:31, 9:12,15; 1 Tim 5:23; 1 Cor 7:21
To make use of something for the purpose of obtaining a goal.

In this passage we come across a curious phrase. He says that the Law is good, if one uses it lawfully. At first glance this seems redundant, so in order to understand what is being understand, we must first answer the questions, what is the Law, and how is it used lawfully?

In the previous 2 verses we understood the Law to be the Scriptures. This would most likely be a reference to the Old Testament and specifically the Pentateuch, but we can also apply it to the New Testament, the Word of God as a whole. Not only that, but I think there is good reason to say that Paul is appealing to the unwritten Law of God as well, as explained in Romans 2:14-15. We see that the Law is equated with correct doctrine in verse 10. Here Paul is saying that the Law is a good thing, even though we’ve been saved from the consequences of it. The provision of grace through Jesus Christ has saved us from any judgement on the basis of the Law of God, because Christ has fulfilled that Law (Matt. 5:17-18).

But even though Christ has fulfilled the Law and it no longer applies to us in a judicial sense, it still does serve a purpose. In 1 Corinthians 15:55-57, Paul comments about sin, death and the Law. He says that the sting of death is sin; that death is brought in because of sin. He also says that the power of sin is the law. The law gives sin its binding power, because there is no escaping what has been revealed to us in the Law. Sin brings death, and that is revealed to us in the Law.

How is the Law used lawfully? That word lawfully means pertaining to being in accordance with normal procedure. So when something is used in this sense, it is being used in accordance with the purpose for which it exists. What then is the purpose of the Law? We see from Romans 7:7-12 that the purpose or goal of the Law was to awaken a sense of sin in the ungodly. It was intended as a means to which sinners would be confronted with their sin. When we compare our lives to the Law, we see how we fall short and really begin to comprehend our sin. The goal of the Law is to instruct us of our sin, while the goal of New Testament doctrine is to produce love (1:5). So the meaning here is that the Law is good if you use it for obtaining the goal for which it was given, namely conviction of sin. It is not meant to bind people into a set way of living for which there is no compromise. It is not meant to create slaves, but rather to show people their own wickedness for the purpose of producing love from a pure heart, good conscience, and sincere faith.

1 Timothy 1:9-10

αντικειμαι - be opposed to

υγιαινω - to be sound or free from error, be correct
cf. 1 Ti 6:3; 2 Ti 1:13, 4:3; Tit 1:9, 13, 2:1, 8;

Law is not made for people who are living righteously - if one is not inclined to steal, it is unnecessary to tell him not to steal. The law is given to those who practice things contrary to sound teaching. Paul gives a list of some of the things which are contrary to sound teaching. This list then, would be a list of objective moral wrongs, not culturally conditioned but wrong even if no one believed them to be wrong, based on the fact that Paul says they are contrary to sound teaching. If something is contrary to sound teaching, then it is unsound. Paul is saying that these things are contrary to correct teaching. They are then, by way of contrast, incorrect or wrong practices.

In today’s society we have seen an incredible number of people become swayed by the incorrect doctrine that there is no objective moral standard. This doctrine has led to all sorts of evil in the world, and has diminished the value of man greatly. Man is no longer intrinsically valuable, rather he is only valuable so much as he can be a tool for society. The abandonment of objective moral values allows people to be free from judgement and free from wrong. Paul says that the Law is made so that sin is evident (Rom 7:7-12), and he calls it good, implying that it remains relevant in a post-law era. The Law is given so that those who sin have a standard by which to judge their actions. They have a standard which tells them their actions are wrong. The idea that the Old Testament Law is no longer valid is contrary to the teaching of the Scriptures. The Law is still valid in its primary function - the revealing of sin. Remember in Romans how Paul says that he would not have known about sin except through the Law? He is saying that the Law is still a fundamental Christian tool in helping to reveal sin to sinners. In order to come to Christ for salvation, one first has to recognize the fact that one needs saving. A person first has to recognize that they are a sinner before they can come to faith in Christ. This is the purpose of the Law. (Gal. 3:23-25)

How can we apply this to our situation today? We’ve talked about the fact that people today no longer believe in an objective moral standard. Since this is the case, we first need to give good reasons for believing in an objective moral standard, and then we need to be able to show that the Bible is consistent with that standard. When the Bible says that all have sinned, we use the Law to show how that is true. When Paul makes the claim that all are under sin in Romans 3, he follows it up by appealing to the Old Testament. So when we are talking to people about sin, it is important for us to be able to appeal to the Law of God as explained in the Bible to show the reality of sin.

We can also apply this another way. Oftentimes we become clouded in our own justifications of our actions, and therefore minimize our sin. The Law does not allow us to do this. It convicts us of our sin, and shows us that we are wrong in our actions. We are to use the Law properly to show people that their actions are wrong, or to allow ourselves to be convicted of wrong in our own lives.

1 Timothy

1 Timothy 1:3-7


1 Timothy 1:3-4

This verse is appealing to a historical event. Paul was urging Timothy previously to do something. He was urging him to stay at Ephesus for the purpose of doing 2 things laid out in verses 3-4. Those 2 things are: 1) instructing certain men not to teach strange doctrines
2) intructing them not to pay attention to myths and endless genealogies

The time that Paul’s request took place was recorded in Acts 20. From this passage we can see that Paul loved the Ephesian church, and that they in turn loved him. Their hearts were closely bound together. He left Timothy there as a safeguard for the church, so that they would not wander into bad doctrine, and thereby suffer the effects of believing untruths.

urge - παρακαλεω - to urge strongly, appeal to, urge, exhort, encourage
Paul did not command him to do this, although he could have. Instead he asks him in a way that gave TImothy an understanding of how important it was for him to stay on and fulfill this role. If we are leaders in the church, sometimes it’s easier for us to just boss people around and tell them what to do. It is better for us to appeal to people, and let them know how important the role they should fulfill is to the church.


Timothy’s role

Timothy was to be in charge of looking after the doctrine of the church. He was in charge of making sure that everyone was on the same page in Ephesus as far as their beliefs about Christ. Apparently there were some in Ephesus who were prone to dwell on new teachings, and ‘fresh’ approaches to old ones. This was a serious threat to the health of the church. Timothy was to instruct men first of all not to teach strange doctrines. I can remember when I was about 12 or 13 going to church and hearing a message about why the NIV was a poor translation, and only the KJV should be used in our church. A man in our church actually used the privilege of being allowed to speak God’s Word to God’s church from the pulpit to teach this doctrine which was certainly not biblical, and could only cause division. He was dealt with afterwards by the elders of the church who I guess reprimanded him. The elders of the church were in charge of maintaining sound doctrine and did so by confronting the man after he had abused the position granted Him by God. Timothy was in charge ofmaking sure that only sound doctrine would be preached at the church in Ephesus. But is this verse saying more? Is he only in charge of keeping the preaching pure? No, he is in charge of making sure that no impure doctrine is taught at all in the church. Translated to today, this would mean that no man given the privilege to teach within the setting of the church - be it sunday school, or an outreach program, or conference - is to teach a contra-biblical doctrine.

How was Timothy able to fulfill this charge given him by Paul? He would have first needed to be aware of what the truth of Scripture is. He cannot guard against strange doctrines unless he was aware of proper and true doctrine. This seems to be the role of theology in the believer’s life, especially of the church leader. We should have some understanding of how the Bible works together, and this is the function of theology, to bring the teachings of the Bible into one consistent worldview. To unify the whole of Scripture. This doesn’t mean that we should spend all our time studying theology. Far from it, we should spend the majority of our time poring over the Scriptures, but we should have an understanding of certain theological issues, and how the passages of the Scriptures relate to one another.

Timothy was not only to look after the doctrines that people were teaching, but he was also to know what people were thinking about. I’m not saying that he was to be some sort of thought police out of the pages of 1984, but that he was to be in a position where he knew what people were thinking about, and steer them in the right direction. How would he have done this? I believe that Timothy would have had to remain in close contact with everyone in the church, and be of the disposition that people would come and ask him the questions that they had. He would have had to have been available to everyone in the church and he would have had to have been relatable to everyone in the church. Thus, I believe that two important factors in being able to guard against false doctrine in the church is accessibility and relatability. He was not to guard against false doctrine with an iron fist like the Inquisition, rather to be accesible to the church and instruct them in right thinking.

He was to see that people weren’t spending undue time discussing extra-biblical stories about Jesus, for example the childhood of Jesus, or the discussion of endless genealogies, for example the proof of the world being 6000 years old by the genealogical record first put forward by the JEWISH scholar Ibn Ezra in the 10th century AD. These things are of no benefit to the church. While it is okay to determine whether things we encounter are truth or not, it is not a good thing for us to maniacally devote our time to finding new, obscure teachings and creating dogma from it. Timothy could not have possibly been able to know exhaustively everything that he would have encountered in the church, so he would have had to have devoted himself to the study of the Scripture, and know the truth of the Scripture. When we really know what the Scripture has to say about subjects, it’s easy to see the falsity of things by how they don’t agree with the Bible. We must make sure though, that our understanding of doctrine and theology comes from the Scripture and not extra-biblical sources.

What does he mean by the administration of God which is by faith? The word οικονομια usually means responsibility of management, arrangement, order or plan. Here it probably means program of instruction, or training. So the force of the verse would be something like this: make sure people aren’t teaching false doctrine and spending there time discussing obscure things as if they’re biblical, because it hinders the training that God gives through faith. When we spend our time talking about obscure things, we tend to lose the ability to really guard our convictions, our faith. And so as a result we lose the teaching of God in our own lives, because we’re really not looking to hear what He’s saying to us, but instead concerned with understanding the truth of peripheral things.

1 Timothy 1:5

While our focusing on obscure doctrine and ideas hinders the training of God in our lives through faith, the attention to true doctrine has the practical goals of fostering love from a pure heart, good conscience and sincere faith. Paul is telling Timothy that his role of guarding doctrine and studying truth is not meaningless. It is not some abstract activity which has no translation in real life. The opposite holds true. The study of truth leads us to very practical ends. Doctrine develops love. The more we know of the Bible, and believe it, the more we will love. Because when we really study the Bible, we are really working to develop a pure heart, and a good conscience and a sincere faith. This is surely by the work of the Holy Spirit in our life, that as He teaches us the truth of the Word of God, He convicts us as to how we are to respond to it. (John 16:7-15) Christ has promised us that the Spirit will disclose the things to us that we could not know otherwise. He convicts us and teaches us. So our study of the Scripture and our quest for a pure and true doctrine works in us because the Holy Spirit uses it to work in us. Our understanding of the Scripture allows us to worship Christ in truth, which is what He is looking for, worshippers who worship in spirit and in truth (John 4:23-24).

The three things that the Spirit cultivates in us are a pure heart, a good conscience and a sincere faith. A pure heart is so important for us. It enables us to see God (Matt 5:8). When we have a pure heart we know who God is, and we know what He wants us to do. When we have a pure heart, we can love purely, without impartiality, without hidden motives. The word purity indicates that there is nothing hidden. For something to be pure it is free from impurities. For our hearts to be pure they will be free from impurities such as selfishness, greed, anger, malice, and so on. We can be humble only when we have a pure heart. So having a pure heart is a prerequisite to being able to love people in a godly way.

The second thing that the Spirit cultivates in us is a good conscience. This good conscience is not found in liars who pay attention to false doctrine. They are seared in their conscience (4:1-2). Paying attention to truth cultivates a good conscience. A good conscience really seems to be one of the things that Paul is concerned about in this book. He mentions it again at the end of this chapter in verse 19. We can see the impact that having a good conscience has in our own lives. It is extremely difficult for us to be active in church when there is something that we have between us and God. It’s hard for us to pray when we have something that is bothering us about our own actions or thoughts. We feel like hypocrites and so, as said in chapter 4, our conscience is seared. A bad conscience weighs heavy on us, and paralyzes us from being able to serve God properly. It also keeps us from being able to love the way that we should, since we have something keeping us from having a good relationship with God. This is why the doctrine of the propitiation of Christ is so important to us. We saw in our study of 1 John that Christ’s sacrifice for us was for our sin. Our sins have been paid for in Christ, and we were told in 1 John 1:9 that if we confess our sins He will cleanse us from all unrighteousness, based on the propitiation of Christ. So our understanding of doctrine allows us to come freely to God with the admission of our guilt before Him, know that we are forgiven and function with a clear conscience based on our standing in Christ. This clear conscience allows us to serve properly in the church, and to really love our brothers and sisters in Christ.

The third thing that doctrine works to develop is a sincere faith. This is pretty self-evident, since it’s hard to believe in something that we know nothing about. As we learn more about Christ and God through the Scripture, it’s easier for us to believe because we have a fuller understanding of the truth. Not only that, but the study of theology helps us to see a consistent truth in the Word, and makes it even easier for us to believe. But the idea here is not just of our belief growing, but our faith growing more sincere. As we learn more about the truths of Scripture, our faith tends to permeate all aspects of our lives. The more I know about the Word of God, the more I understand of how it applies to my life. This knowledge will be a sort of guide as to how I respond to situations that I encounter. Having a sincere faith based on Scripture will show me the importance of prayer, for example, and so I can love those around me by praying for them with confidence that God hears me in my prayers. Our understanding of true doctrine cultivates a sincere faith through the administration of God by the Holy Spirit, enabling us to love more wholeheartedly.

1 Timothy 1:6-7

Paul tells Timothy that some of the men in Ephesus have abandoned the desire to know for the sake of improving their daily lives. Their desire to learn was an end in itself. They no longer thought of knowledge as being a means to an improvement in their character, a means to godliness, rather they only sought the puffing up of their pride. What is fruitless discussion? It is something which has no purpose to it. Something which has no impact on how we live our lives. Something which does not cultivate a pure heart, good conscience and sincere faith. On Sunday my friend Joshua asked the question ‘What good is it to study philosophy and theology at the higher level?’ These two areas of studying have been a danger to many men who have studied them. A lot of people have engaged in these academic pursuits for the sake of knowledge. This is what Paul is talking about.

I was able to give Joshua some examples of how the pursuit of higher philosophy and theology have had huge impacts on our lives as Christians recently. One of the examples that I gave was the answer which the contemporary Evangelical philosopher Alvin Plantinga has provided us to the question of the problem of evil. The problem of evil could be stated like this: if God is all powerful, and all loving, then He could eradicate evil, but evil exists, therefore God does not exist. Many Christians have stumbled over this question, and it does indeed seem difficult to answer. Alvin Plantinga has given us this answer. That the conclusion to the problem is illogical. We don’t only believe that God is all powerful and all loving, but that He is all knowing. Therefore God could have a good reason for allowing evil to remain. It is impossible to show that God could not have a good reason for allowing evil, therefore it is impossible to prove that God does not exist through evil. Rather the fact that we recognize that there is something wrong indicates that we acknowledge an absolute moral ideal, and if there is an absolute moral ideal, then there must have been someone who gave us that absolute moral ideal. Therefore, the fact that evil does exist actually does more to speak of God’s existence then it does His non-existence.

This statement of Paul’s is not saying that pursuing the answers to serious questions which lie in the realm of higher philosophy and theology is wrong. Rather he is addressing the motivation for our pursuit of knowledge. We should pursuing knowledge, but our pursuit should be toward a pure heart, good conscience and sincere faith. In the example given, our faith is strengthened because we have a good answer to give to skeptics.

These men wanted to be teachers of the Bible, and Paul says that they speak confidently about things they have no understanding of. Their wrongly motivated pursuit of knowledge has given them the arrogance to think that they understand Scripture, when really they do not. We have seen this time and time again throughout the church’s existence. I’ve encountered many people who had a problem with Christianity based on the incorrect teachings of people who claimed to be Christians. Mormonism and Jehovah’s Witnesses are often lumped in with Christians, and it’s clear that they teach false doctrine. But men like Pat Robertson and others who are associated with Christianity give weighty claims to their speculations about what the Bible teaches. This kind of teaching is what Paul is warning about. We should know the Bible well enough to be able to discern the falsity of their teachings.

In our day we have a new movement within Christianity. This movement is called the Emergent movement. There are many, many popular teachers that are coming from the ranks of the Emergent church. People like Rob Bell, Richard Kearney, and Brian MacLaren are having a huge influence on people within the Church, who are unable to understand the fallacies in their teaching because they are not familiar enough with the truths taught in Scripture. Rob Bell’s book Velvet Elvis was recommended me to my sister as a book I ‘had to read.’ In his book he makes the statement that Christianity is like a trampoline, and all the doctrine of Christianity are like springs on the trampoline. So the virgin birth, the Incarnation, the Resurrection are all like springs on a trampoline. If one of those springs breaks, he says, you can still keep jumping. In other words, you don’t have to believe in the virgin birth, the Incarnation, or the Resurrection of Christ in order to still be a Christian. My sister had no clue that he had made that statement, and didn’t realize that a lot of what he was proposing in his book was based off of that way of thinking. This is obviously not good teaching, and has no place in Christian thought. Unfortunately we are now living in the postmodern age, and the Church has begun to think in postmodern terms. One of my favourite bands Thrice has written a song which speaks of the dangers of believing false doctrine, and living in this postmodern mindset of downplaying truth. The song’s name is Lost Continent:

Was there a time that we knew peace;
when all the children had a place to sleep;
when rhetoric was not enough?

Was there a time we weren't at war;
when we knew what our hearts and hands were for?
I don't believe there ever was.

It's always been a lie,
a soothing lullaby;
we'll soon be swallowed by the sea.

Was there a time we looked around,
and do we really even want to know what's going down?
Well I think no one really does.

We'd rather close our eyes;
sing soothing lullabies.

It's always been a lie,
a soothing lullaby;
we'll soon be swallowed by the sea.

The water's rising now;
and we will surely drown,
if we don't turn around.


There is a real danger in not clinging to the truth of Scripture. There is a real danger in desiring knowledge for knowledge’s sake. Timothy is charged by Paul to guard against this in the church. We should be doing this in our own individual lives, seeking to understand the truth of Scripture so that we are able to avoid false teaching, for the purpose of cultivating a pure heart, good conscience and sincere faith.

1 Timothy

1 Timothy 1:1-2

1 Timothy 1:1
Paul is writing the letter. He calls himself an apostle of Jesus Christ. What is an apostle?
Paul calls himself an apostle of Christ Jesus, one sent by God. The term designates an office that he held by the command of God and the choice of the risen Christ (1:11; 2:7; Rom 1:1; 1 Cor 1:1; 2 Cor 1:1; Gal 1:1). This was not simply biographical data that might interest the readers. Rather, Paul's reference to his office signifies the authority from God by which he preaches, teaches and writes. Although he did not need to convince Timothy of this, the letter was meant to be aired before the whole church (see on 6:21). Paul wanted his hearers/readers to know that his teaching is authoritative, and the delegate who administered it to the community, Timothy, was to be regarded as an extension of the apostle himself. In view of the difficult task that faced him, this may have been an encouraging reminder for Timothy as well.
But this reminder is also a timely one for us today. Questions have arisen within the church concerning the authority of Scripture. Cults and sects continue to multiply, and their ability to confuse the unwary with their doctrinal subtleties is as threatening to the church today as it was when Paul wrote. It falls to ministers of the gospel and church leaders to guide the church through this murky water, while at the same time attempting to address issues like those Paul addressed through Timothy centuries ago. Where does our authority for this task come from? Like Timothy, we depend on the apostle whose writings are invested with the authority of God.
--- Bible Gateway.com commentary on 1 Timothy, IVP

Paul says that Christ Jesus is our hope. Sometimes we forget this. We tend to live our lives with the security of our salvation, smugly taking for granted the fact that it is only in Jesus Christ that we have gained this expectation of future salvation. I believe it is a key aspect to our remaining humble before God; remembering that in Christ alone we have our salvation. There is nothing wonderful about me because I accepted the amazing gift that God provided me in Jesus. There is everything wonderful about Him in His obedience to the Father, His love for mankind, and humble existence on this earth.

1 Timothy 1:2
He is writing to Timothy, and calls Him his true child in the faith. He had exhibited a genuine response of faith in Jesus, and had learned from Paul as a child from his father. In our own lives we should have spiritual children. Just as a father learns and desires to share his knowledge and experience with his sons and daughters, so we should be seeking to continually grow in the faith in order to raise spiritual children of our own. We should have a real concern for the next generation of Christians, and we should be doing everything we can to deal with real issues of difficulty in our own age to provide the next generation with the answers to those questions, as well as ready them for dealing with the questions that will arise in their age. We should also be seeking to constantly grow in the knowledge of Christ and daily practice of living for Him, so that we can train the next generation to be able to walk daily with Christ, and live a truly consistent spiritual life.
He wishes them grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord. Deeply embedded in the Christian faith is the concept that we are nothing without the grace, mercy and peace of God. The grace of God has been shown by His providing His Son for us. The mercy of God has been shown through His Son receiving the penalty for our sin, and our receiving no punishment. The peace of God allows us to live secure in our salvation; peace being given through the Holy Spirit and His constant testimony in our spirits. It’s easy to see through the writings of Paul that he always had these concepts at the forefront of his mind, since they were so important to his life. We too should keep constantly be remembering these things, thanking God continually for His provision of them to us, and humbly allowing them to take their proper place in our lives. They are essential to our being obedient to God, and our living a consistent Christian life.