Saturday, November 28, 2015

Proud, Knowing Nothing, Questions and Strife 1 Timothy 6:4


 
Paul the apostle gave Timothy some final instructions concerning those who “teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ”, and in chapter six and verse four of his letter to Timothy, Paul shared the characteristics of those who taught in such a manner. We read:

He is proud, knowing nothing, but doting about questions and strifes of words,
whereof comes envy, strife, railings, evil surmisings,

The verse begins, “He is proud, knowing nothing, but doting about questions and strifes of words,...” Paul began with, “He is proud” which literally means “to raise a smoke or to wrap in a mist” and refers to when a person is “insolent, haughty, blind with conceit, rendered foolish or stupid, beclouded and besotted”. Paul continued, “knowing nothing” or “acquainted with and understanding nobody, no one or no thing”. Paul added, “but” which means what is about to be stated takes precedence over what was just stated, “doting about” or “sick and with an ailment of the mind or to be taken with such an interest in a thing as amounts to a disease and having a morbid fondness” “about questions” or “debate, controversy, disputes and inquiries” “and strifes of words” which means “contending about words and wrangling about empty and trifling matters”. In other words, those who are in opposition to the “wholesome words...of our Lord Jesus Christ” are prideful, without understanding, and consistently sick in their minds about empty matters.

The verse goes on to say, “whereof comes envy, strife, railings, evil surmisings,...” Paul continued his evaluation of these heretics with, “whereof” or “out of, from or by which” “comes envy” or “results in bitterness, gall and rancor” “strife” or “contention and wrangling” “railings” which is the Greek word “blasphēmia” from which we get our English word “blaspheme” and means “slander, detraction, speech injurious to another's good name; impious and reproachful speech injurious to divine majesty” and finally “evil surmisings” which means “bad natured guessing, conjecture, speculation and concluding”. These who do not teach “wholesome words...of our Lord Jesus Christ” produce “bitterness, contention, slander and evil speculation” within those who follow their words.

While we think on these words of Paul, let us allow ourselves to see the importance of following the “words of our Lord Jesus Christ” rather than the teachings of false ideas. Too often the entrance of “worldly” and “fleshly” minded words have influenced people to trust in their own thoughts or the thoughts of a heretic rather than the words of our Lord Jesus. One of the best litmus tests for the words and ideas that are presented to us is to examine the fruit they produce. Do they cause “envy, strife, railings or evil surmisings” or do they produce the fruit of the Spirit, “love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, kindness, faith and temperance”? May the Lord Jesus help us to be good stewards of His words, and may we know the difference between His words and those that lead people astray from a relationship with our Heavenly Father.

Next time Paul shares more characteristics of these who teach “other than the words of Christ”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

Look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, and the new devotional “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at http://www.mrzlc.com/bookstore.





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