Page 52 - Pastoral Epistles I & 2 Timothy, Titus

Remember – it is one thing for a false teacher to come into our community and begin teaching false doctrine
without ever claiming to be a Christian or a part of Christianity. But it is something else entirely when someone
comes into our church or our community and, after claiming to be a Christian or claiming to be part of a Christian
group, they begin teaching false doctrines.

We need to be spiritually mature because there are people in both groups in our
communities.

We need to be on our guard always, and yet at the same time, I do not want to give
Satan credit for things he is doing when he is in fact not doing them!
1 Timothy 4:6-16.
6 If you point these things out to the brothers and sisters, you will be a good minister of Christ
Jesus, nourished on the truths of the faith and of the good teaching that you have followed.
7 Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives’ tales; rather, train yourself to be godly.
8 For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for
both the present life and the life to come. This is a trustworthy saying that deserves full
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acceptance. That is why we labor and strive, because we have put our hope in the living God,
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who is the Savior of all people, and especially of those who believe.
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11 Command and teach these things. Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young,
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but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity. Until I
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come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching. Do not
neglect your gift, which was given to you through prophecy when the body of elders laid their
hands on you.
15 Be diligent in these matters; give yourself wholly to them, so that everyone may see your
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progress. Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will
save both yourself and your hearers.

In contrast to the false teachers, the good teachers are followers of Jesus and they
adhere to correct / true doctrine. We teach it to others as we lift high the name of Jesus

and we discipline ourselves to be a model for godly living.

7 Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives’ tales; rather, train yourself to be godly.
8 For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for
both the present life and the life to come.

Physical training is limited to just that – the physical dimensions of life. Godliness, on the other hand, penetrates
every aspect of life. Godliness affects everything: our view of self, marriage, parenting, work, business,
community responsibilities, the way we care for the environment, and the way we treat and interact with our
neighbors. Nothing escapes godliness; it covers everything.
The Greek word used in 1 Timothy 4:7-8, which is translated into English as train is the word
gumnazo or gumnadzo. It is where we get the English word gymnasium.
In the same way that being in a gymnasium involves hard work, the type of training Paul
is talking about is also hard work. Becoming a mature follower of Jesus is not easy.

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