They Swerved and Broke God's Law

I. Paul gives the false teachers a chance to return to the true Gospel by having Timothy remain at Ephesus to provide instruction. (1 Tim. 1:3)

A. Paul encourages Timothy through the pastoral letter to stay on at Ephesus with a purpose in mind indicated by the conj. "so." (v.3)

B. Paul's objective for Timothy is to instruct individuals he does not want to name as they might have been apparent when Paul identified their false teachings.[1](v.3)

C. Their teachings, if followed, would set believers on a different path as their teachings were contrary to the Gospel of Christ as it was a "different doctrine."[2](v. 3)

II. The false teachers did not have to continue the diverging path from Christ's Gospel to another place where one falls under judgment. (1 Tim 1:3-4,8)

A. Paul's instruction for Timothy to the false teachers was they were not to teach or continue believing said false teachings. (Vv. 3-4)

B. The problem was that their teachings were different doctrines, myths, genealogies that had no end and were empty, lacking any substance that could produce salvation. (v. 4)

III. The differences between the true Gospel and their false teachings were as different as inhaling water or inhaling air, and consequently, inhaling air results in death. (1 Tim. 1:4-6)

A. The true Gospel and work of God is by faith in the completed work of Christ, not one's relation to another, made-up stories, or anything that departs from the true Gospel. (v. 4-5; Jn. 10:1; 14:6)

B. Paul’s motive was love as the true Gospel is motivated by the love of God (v.5; 1 Cor 13:13; 1 Jn. 4:10)

C. Teachers of the true Gospel teach from a pure heart, whereas a heart that teaches a different doctrine is not pure as only the Gospel of Christ can purify man's heart. (v. 5; 2 Tim.2:22; Titus 1:15)

D. Only the true Gospel from the resurrected savior can give a man a good conscience having nothing to do with one's connection to the physical because Christ alone has given us a clear conscience toward God. (v.5; 2 Tim. 2:22)

IV. To swerve from the Gospel is to be condemned by the Law, and even teachers may become lawless when they teach the necessity of a different gospel. (v.6; Gal. 1:6)

A. Paul clarifies to Timothy, regarding the persons he would not name, that they had lost their way, wandering from the truth, teaching contrary to God's Gospel what was empty of salvation. (v.6)

B. The false teachers wanted to teach Moses's Law incorrectly as needed to bring about salvation, thereby teaching a works-based salvation. (v.7)

C. Paul shines the light of the true Gospel onto this false teaching by explaining the true purpose of the Law being to judge the lawless, including those whose teachings were contrary not conforming to the Gospel of Christ our God as they too were lawless. (v.8)

Conclusion

I am reminded of an incident where my looking back at an individual on a motorcycle making a wild turn resulted in my swerving. After swerving, I noticed a State Trooper pull behind me wherein I was followed by the trooper who was making sure, I could only imagine, that I was not a drunk driver for some time. The trooper eventually turned around, leaving me alone. I am reminded by this event of God's Law and how when man swerves from the truth, Christ teaches teaching a different doctrine, how the Law is there pursuing him ready to judge.

Finally, what if Paul were to ask the same question posed by the Lord God in the garden to man, "where are you?" (Gen. 3:9) to those who were departing from genuine faith, would it have applied? If anything, more is needed, other than the Gospel of Christ to bring about salvation, one cannot have genuine faith, nor is this God's true work. Instruction that deviates from the sound Gospel by faith in Christ causes a departure first for the teacher and second for the audience who holds to and continues in a false belief. Moreover, if one should depart, to where does he depart? He has departed to a place of judgment by the Law! (v.8)

[1] τὶς tis; neut. ti, gen. tinós; enclitic indef. pron. One, someone, a certain one.(I) Particularly and generally of some person or thing whom one cannot or does not wish to name or specify particularly. It is used in various constructions: S. Zodhiates, The complete word study dictionary: New Testament electronic ed. (Chattanooga, TN: AMG Publishers 2000). [2] ἑτεροδιδασκαλέω (s. ἕτερος, διδασκαλία; only in Christian wr.) to teach contrary to standard instruction, give divergent, i.e. divisive, instruction 1 Ti 1:3; 6:3 (cp. 1QH 4, 16); IPol 3:1.—DELG s.v. διδάσκω. TW. W. Arndt, F. W. Danker, W. Bauer, & F. W. Gingrich, A Greek-English lexicon of the New Testament and other early Christian literature 3rd ed p. (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2000) 399.