False Teaching distorts Gospel Truth (1 Tim 1:3-7)

Sermon Text Introduction

We continue this evening in our series on 1 Timothy. We remain in the First chapter and will pick up in verse 3. After Paul gives his ordinary introduction with a few personal modification. He jumps right into the concerns of the church of Ephesus. Here we have a warning against false teachers and their teaching.

English Standard Version Chapter 1

3 As I urged you when I was going to Macedonia, remain at Ephesus so that you may charge certain persons not to teach any different doctrine,

4 nor to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies, which promote speculations rather than the stewardship from God that is by faith.

5 The aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.

6 Certain persons, by swerving from these, have wandered away into vain discussion,

7 desiring to be teachers of the law, without understanding either what they are saying or the things about which they make confident assertions.

Here ends the Epistle Lesson and this is the Word of God.

Sermon Introduction

False Teaching distorts Gospel Truth. As you often see in your news feed and other means for accessing Christian media. False teachers seem to be at every turn. Since I accepted a call to serve as one of your pastors, I have read multiple accounts of heinous false teach that not only was blasphemous against our God, it was also spiritually and physically harmful against the people of God. But a few months ago, a church in Redding California gave false hope to a family by declaring that God would resurrect their child here and now. We hear messages from the giants in the prosperity gospel movement that if we give to the church we can live our best lives now. We hear of churches that argue that they alone are the true church and that unless we submit ourselves to a separate set of legalistic rules, then we will not see the kingdom of God. As a young boy, i myself was enticed towards a teaching that argued that truth faith was accompanied with tongues, signs, and miracles. It nearly led me to a shipwrecked faith. False teaching in the church of Christ is often much more pervasive than we think. And often, as in Timothy’s case is arrises from within.

And in our text this morning, we see yet another false teaching arise in Paul’s ministry. This time it is not is Corinth or Colossae, but it in the church of Ephesus, Where Pauls beloved Son Timothy serves as a minister. The gospel is at stake in this church and Paul seeks to bulster Timothy and his work to suppress the destructive teaching from those who are within.

What is this teaching. We have good reason to believe it is no different from the teaching in Collosae. A teaching that seeking to synchronize Jewish ritualistic ceremonies with the pagan philosophy of the Land. A philosophy that sharply taught that the physical and material realm is inherently evil and that the spiritual realm was inherently good. This early teaching would lead some to argue that Jesus Christ couldn’t truly become man, because God would never unite himself with material. And some of this might sound partly true. But half truths are whole lies. And the most notorious false teaching within the church of Christ is often branded and sold with Christian language and gospel images. Yet, when you scrutinize these false teaching, it reveals that they are indeed counterfeits. Counterfeits that may from a distance look like gospel truth, but upon further analysis are found to be distortions of Gospel truth.

Proposition: False Teaching distorts Gospel Truth. Why?

False Teaching Teaches a Different Doctrine (3-4)

True Teachers must Remain

False Teachers love worthless Myths

Proposition: False Teaching distorts Gospel Truth. Why? Because false teaching teaches a different Gospel.

False Teaching lacks Genuine Love (5)

Our Charge is Love

A Pauline Triad

A Pure Heart

A good Conscience

A Sincere Faith

Application: Our world thinks its knows genuine love.

Proposition: False Teaching distorts Gospel Truth. Why? Because false teaching teaches a different Gospel. Because it lacks genuine love.

False Teaching wanders in Vain (6-7)

False Teaching swerves from a pure heart, a good conscience, and a sincere Faith

False Teaching warps God’s good law.

Proposition: False Teaching distorts Gospel Truth. Why? Because false teaching teaches a different Gospel. Because it lacks genuine love. Because it Wanders in vain.