(Read 1 Timothy 1)
False teaching is far more dangerous than none at all. As a second-grader, my teacher told my Mom I had an “intellectual disability.” Google it; they called it something else when I was a kid. That classification alone could have jetted me out of public school and permanently changed my life opportunities. I had to undertake cognitive testing to determine the level of my “diminished capacity.” The sweet woman who tested me basically told my Mom and the school that the testing revealed the truth – it was the teacher who had capacity issues. I laugh at this now, but it could have had damaging effects.
Worse than my second-grade experience is false teaching and leadership in a Christian setting. Church teaching is supposed to be a byproduct of God-breathed doctrine. Anything less is blasphemous to God and fuel to unbelievers of Christian hypocrisy. Wrongful mentorship orphans those with the greatest needs. It goes against everything Jesus commanded and is disgusting.
I am writing to Timothy, my true son in the faith.
May God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord give you grace, mercy, and peace.When I left for Macedonia, I urged you to stay there in Ephesus and stop those whose teaching is contrary to the truth. Don’t let them waste their time in endless discussion of myths and spiritual pedigrees. These things only lead to meaningless speculations, which don’t help people live a life of faith in God.
1 Timothy 1:2-4
1 Timothy may have been written sometime after Paul was released from Roman imprisonment. Upon the Apostle’s return to Ephesus, he discovered the city had become a cesspool of moral behavior and a beacon of false teaching. For whatever reason, Paul suddenly found it necessary to leave the city and the church there, in Timothy’s care. While Timothy might not have personally encountered misguided doctrine, Paul recognized the need to equip him for various challenges he would encounter.
Paul reminded Timothy, his “true son in the faith,” of his task in Ephesus: to confront individuals spreading false teachings. Paul warned against “myths” and “endless genealogies” that distracted from the core message of faith. His biggest concern was that such teachings promoted controversy rather than spiritual growth and edification that comes from faith in Christ. Paul’s emphasis remained rightly fixed on the foundational truths of the Gospel, steering clear of distractions that undermined the unity and spiritual growth of the church body. Essentially, he sought to prevent anything that would veer people away from Christ-centered teachings and conduct.
“I’m struggling with being grateful, with being alive, healthy, and frustrated enough to complain about the physical results,” my wife’s cousin recently texted us. In October of 2022, in the matter of 10 days (J) went from feeling a walnut-sized lump in her breast, MRI, biopsy, and chemo port to her diagnosis of TNBC (Triple Negative Invasive Ductal Carcinoma). “There was divine intervention,” she said. “All my doctors told me I was their favorite, and none of them could figure out how they could all clear their schedules to make this happen so quickly.”
After two chemo treatments, the tumor hadn’t shrunk enough, so she had to have eight more treatments before her double mastectomy. “Following that was reconstructive surgery and a surprise appendectomy. With everything settling in, it’s not pretty.” (J) has always been committed, independent, and upbeat, so this more somber demeanor was a shock for my wife and me to witness.
During our text chat, my wife asked how she was coping with things; she replied, “I laugh or cry, girl… laugh or cry.”
This is what the LORD Almighty says: “Do not listen to what the prophets are prophesying to you; they fill you with false hopes. They speak visions from their own minds, not from the mouth of the LORD.
Jeremiah 23:16
Jeremiah, known as the weeping prophet, denounced false prophets, leading the people of Israel astray with their deceptive messages. God called him to deliver messages of warning and judgment to the people of Judah. In this particular passage, he addressed false prophets who claimed to speak on God’s behalf but delivered messages that originated from their own intentions. Listening to false prophets leads people away from God’s truth and into spiritual destruction.
The messages of these false prophets were not only misleading but detrimental to the spiritual well-being of God’s people. False teaching serves only its human masters. It speaks a vision of selfish hearts instead of delivering messages inspired by God’s Spirit.
(J) grew up in suburban Pennsylvania with an older sister and a wonderful, caring, but religiously strict Mom. “My Mom forced her religion on me, and her church was far from welcoming,” she admitted. To hear someone say that about their childhood church is heartbreaking. Sadly, the peace and love from Christ in (J)’s life didn’t originate from her church. “The Youth Pastor was mean. In more recent years, Mom’s Pastor didn’t acknowledge me when my husband and I attended a service. His excuse was that he didn’t realize it was me, which is even worse because he was ignoring a potential prospective member — a child of God.”
(J) follows Jesus despite her rough Christian upbringing. The scars are visible, reading between the lines. Only the Holy Spirit does the final work of conversion those God has called but the job of fellow believers, teachers, mentors, leaders, and disciples is to lay the seeds. I could feel the uneasiness and tension in (J)‘s responses.
There’s foundational teaching and fundamentalist teaching. The former nourishes, encourages, and prospers, and the latter isolates by rules, fear, and punishment. “Sometimes, I waffle a bit if I’m being 1,000% honest. Mom forced religion — there was no choice in the matter. So, my direct relationship with God is on my own terms. One on one.” As an adult, (J) doesn’t wait for interpretations or appropriateness in her prayers; she talks with God intimately from what the Holy Spirit has shown her. “I fall asleep at night praying to God for those I love.”
Therefore, my brothers and sisters, you whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm in the Lord in this way, dear friends!
I plead with Euodia and I plead with Syntyche to be of the same mind in the Lord. Yes, and I ask you, my true companion, help these women since they have contended at my side in the cause of the gospel, along with Clement and the rest of my co-workers, whose names are in the book of life.
Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
Philippians 4:1-6
I love the way Paul begins this chapter in Philippians with such an intense level of shared exhortation. Like Christ in our lives, Paul showed his brothers and sisters how he stands with them. What a valuable lesson for teachers of all shapes and sizes: be relatable, not distant; be actual, not theoretical; be joyful, not passionless. No one knew more than Paul that misguided zeal, even with the best intentions, could end up working against God. “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” (Acts 9:4)
In Philippians, Paul reminded his brothers and sisters not to avoid or be surprised by struggles but to pray through them. He inspired them to handle all things with joy. In every situation, pray expectantly, persistently, and thankfully. When we approach God with our needs and our gratitude, we gain the tools to face our struggles and, with the right thinking, walk with God.
“My husband always chaffed against rules or religion. I’m not sure where he falls now, but I hope his path solidifies his faith in God. I’m a closet God-lover. Not that I am in any way unabashed about my faith, but I live with a family who hasn’t experienced or believed in God’s grace. I know their time of faith will come.” (J) exhibits mature faith and humor in her faith journey. “One of my favorite memories is when my husband and I walked through the snow to church, wondering if we would have to wrestle with snakes there.” She has gently introduced her son to Jesus Christ and attends church with him.
Hearing (J)’s shaky church experiences and her triumphant outcome motivated me to write this devotional. Not all churches are the same. But in some ways, many are tragically the same. I have been to services and masses at traditional denominational churches and large, splashy contemporary ones that were equally unfriendly and unwelcoming. The job of Christian leaders is to love, to gather, to lead, and to teach. Church is the house of God, open to all who want to come and worship. It is not a community organization or neighborhood social club. When we’re not discipling other Christians and those who seeking Jesus, what are we doing?
(J) explained her God relationship to me. “I just talk to God like a friend. I admit my faults, ask for guidance, and ask for His love and a blanket of care and protection over those I love. I ask for His love, grace, protection, and guidance for my immediate family. Then I gradually move further out, requesting the same for friends, extended family, neighbors, clients, and random people I know or meet until my circle of prayer is so broad I (hopefully!), despite my insomnia, I fall asleep.”
My wife, another cousin, and I visited with (J) this past weekend. She looks terrific, uplifted, and joyful. “I am actually good. This afternoon, I started feeling better. I felt the beginning of a lightness in my soul. Pain and treatments have been such a part of my life these past 16 months that it’s inadvertently become my daily existence. I hope to start taking steps to put this behind me and move forward. God gives you a path. Make the most of it,” her infectious smile widened with her blue eyes shining.
I was disheartened to hear the difficulty and isolation of her early Christian story. She was let down by the very people God put in place to build up. Yet, I’m delighted that in spite of her challenging path, Christ’s grace and love shine brightly in her daily walk. Despite the damaging effects of false teaching, she’s bearing good fruit, yielding, and even sowing seeds herself. Laughing or crying, she’s not doing this alone.
As for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it. He indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty.”
Matthew 13:23
Key Application:
- Recognize God’s desire is for all people to be saved. Fuel your prayers for the lost. Pray fervently for the salvation of loved ones, communities, and people worldwide who have yet to hear the Gospel. Prayer is a powerful tool for interceding for those who have not yet come to know Christ.
- Teach others about the grace of God.
Where else in your life can you live out the teachings of Christ? Look for next week’s Devotion.