Lesson Two of the Letters to Timothy

“For the Sake of God’s Love”

Controversy is the best distracter from what the Gospel is really about. If we spend our time justifying the Word of God or looking into genealogies and things like that, then Satan rejoices that we are not telling others about the saving grace found in repenting of sin and turning to Jesus. We cannot become distracted but we must focus on what God has called each believer to do, which is to serve Him, accept His Son’s sacrifice and spend our lives telling others about Him. This is all for the sake of God’s love and sharing this perfect love with those God brings into our lives.

Read 1 Timothy 1:3-5. What is the command Paul is referring to? (Look back at verse 3).

What is the goal of this “command”?

Where does it come from?

We are commanded to stop false teachers in the Church and turn them around to Jesus and the purpose of the Good News. It’s important to know we should not be caught up in the controversy but rather to point others back to God’s saving grace through His Son Jesus. 

Some of the Jews wanted to focus on the Law and the heritage of their faith. They still relied heavily on the ritualism of the Law instead of finding the true freedom found in the salvation in Jesus. Paul, who was called to bring the Good News (as are we) to the world, knew these Jews and their teachings we causing division and confusion. He wasn’t saying the Jewish faith or the Law was wrong, he was saying the Law was not what makes a person right with God. Rather, the Good News (Gospel) had replaced the Law. This Good News is that Jesus had completed the Law and through faith in Him we have a relationship with the Father. 

Notice in verse five Paul tells us the goal of the command to “not teach false doctrine, devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies,” is love. The Greek word for “love” used in this passage is “agapao” and means to “love, cherish, esteem, favor, honor, respect, accept, prize, relish, to devoted to.” 

In other words, instead of the loveless, ritualism of religion, the goal of the Good News is perfect which is the abiding love found in Christ Jesus. The rest is just a waste of time and causes confusion among the Church. 

Look at verses six through seven. What have these false teachers wandered away from? (refer to verse 5b).

What have they turned to?

What is the goal of these men?

What don’t they know?

These false teachers, Timothy is encountering and Paul is warning him about, are 

so caught up in promoting controversies instead of God’s work, they miss the point. We learn from Paul, that God’s work for each believer is faith. This  means our task, our assignment on this fallen world is to believe God. You see, these controversies are a distraction, used by Satan, to stop God’s work in us...faith...believing God.

False teachers come in all shapes and sizes, who knowingly or unknowingly promoting dissension within the Church. As believers, we need to check our belief s, what we place our faith in and see if it lines up with the Word of God. This means we have to believe, have faith, in His Word as fully and wholly inerrant. Sometimes we just don’t know the answer to our questions about why things happen or how the Bible lines up to what we think we know. This is where faith, believing God, comes into play. It is our job, our task, our goal to believe God in all things.

Read Deuteronomy 29:29. What belongs to the Lord?

What belongs to us?

Somethings we just won’t understand certain things. This is because God reveals only what He wants us to know. In Deuteronomy, there were some things God kept hidden from the Israelites, that He has since revealed to us through His Son. He has revealed that through Christ Jesus we can have a relationship with Him. They could only approach the periphery of God through the Law. 

Read 1 Timothy 1:8-11. How is the Law viewed as good?

What was the Law made for?

What do you think “contrary to the sound doctrine that conforms to the glorious gospel of the blessed God” means?

Without Christ Jesus, we are all in sharp contrast as sinners to the holiness of God. There is no way we can reach Him on our own. No amount of trying to follow a set of rules will get us into relationship with God. The Law only points out how we fail in our feeble attempts to be made right with Him. There is only one way to have a right relationship with our Creator.

Read 1 Peter 3:18. What did Christ die for? Why?

This is the Gospel...Good News...Christ Jesus took our punishment for the sins we committed against our Holy God, Creator of all things. Satan wants us to be distracted and look elsewhere for meaning. Our purpose in Jesus is to have relationship with God through Him. This is the very meaning of life to us. When we focus on stupid things like religion instead of relationship with Christ Jesus, we lose out on the delight we find in the presence of our God.

Are there things that distract you from a full relationship with God? What do you need to lay down in order to place your full attention on righteousness found in Christ? Don’t be distracted by the religious who want to argue and point out things that don’t really matter. If you abide in Christ, be obedient to His Will and Word, righteousness comes automatically. If you try and become righteous on your own by following a list of rules, then you will be sure to stumble out of the presence of the Holy One.

Controversy distracts us from what is from God. He wants to be in relationship with us. Let’s focus on Him alone and believe Him fully. Get rid of those in your life who keep distracting you from righteousness in the presence of God. Watch out for those in the Church who are causing distraction. Avoid them. Point them out to the leadership in your Church. If they are your leadership, then ask God to lead you elsewhere. Seek Him in all things. Don’t get distracted but remain focused on Jesus and His redemption for the sake of God’s love.