1 Timothy 1:8-11

Outline (some review):

• The theme
• Titus and Timothy are Pastoral letters
• These letters expound on church order not church doctrine
• The greeting 1:1-2
• Not personal but rather formal
• Emphasizes Paul's authority
• Expectation that the message would be read
• Timothy's Mission 1:3-20
• The task Timothy faced 1:3-11
• He re-iterates his verbal instructions to Timothy (written out)
• Timothy is to charge (parangello--to order or command) certain persons
• Do not teach a different doctrine
• Do not devote to myths
• Do not devote to endless genealogies
• These promote speculations
• Rather than stewardship (oikonomia--good administration)
• Purpose of charge / command
• Love (seeks the best of the other person)
• Pure heart (no selfish ambition)
• Good conscience (knows that he is not speculating or making things up)
• Sincere faith (truly loves God and cares for people)
• Problem
• Certain persons
• Vain (mataiologia - empty) discussions (useless)
• Desire to be teachers without any real understanding (pride)
• APPLICATION: Good teaching should result in application
• See James 1:22-25
• SPECK
• Sin(s) to confess
• Promise(s) to claim
• Example(s) to follow or avoid
• Command(s) to obey
• Knowledge about God to incorporate
• Exhortations 1:12-20
• A positive encouragement 1:12-17
• A negative warning 1:18-20

1 Timothy 1:8–11 (ESV) —
8 Now we know that the law is good, if one uses it lawfully, 9 understanding this, that the law is not laid down for the just but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for those who strike their fathers and mothers, for murderers, 10 the sexually immoral, men who practice homosexuality, enslavers, liars, perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound doctrine, 11 in accordance with the gospel of the glory of the blessed God with which I have been entrusted.

Paul uses a play on words here, law (nomos) and lawfully (nomimos) to make a point. In context with the previously paragraph, what is he saying?

• These teachers were illegitimately applying the OT law
• Endless genealogies
• A result of the genealogies was myths (Jewish apocrypha)
• Probably asceticism too (following Jewish laws as a way of feeling spiritually superior or trying to get closer to God or some magic formula for life)
• What is the lawful use of the law?
• It reveals sin to sinners
• It shows our need for a savior
• 6 doublets are mentioned
• Group 1 - "don't know"
• Lawless - do not recognize a law
• Disobedient - does not apply to them
• Group 2 and 3 violate first through third commandments
• Group 2 - "don't care"
• Ungodly - really don't care about God or anything associated with him
• Sinners - wicked evil men
• Group 3 - "hate"
• Unholy - disregard for what is holy; no respect
• Profane - to treat something sacred with abuse
• Group 4 through 6 violate fifth through ninth commandments
• Group 4 - the violent - "kill people"
• Strike fathers and mothers - patricide and matricide - 5th Commandment
• Murderers - 6th Commandment
• Group 5 - the immoral - 7th
• Sexually immoral - give in to sexual lusts
• Homosexuality - lie with another male as with a female
• Group 6
• Enslavers - man-stealer - 8th commandment
• Liars and perjurers - both deal with falsity - 9th commandment
• Two commands are not mentioned
• Sabbath - 4th commandment
• Coveting - 10th commandment
• But certainly coveting would be covered in previous letters of Paul and in the statement - "and whatever else is contrary to sound doctrine"
• Also Paul points out that he was entrusted with the gospel for the Gentiles
• This section verses 1-13 finish Paul's instruction to Timothy on the task he faced
• We reiterate -- good teaching should lead to application, not vain speculations
• How does this apply to SPECK
• Sin(s) to confess -- expecting others have to follow the OT law like I might have a conviction to follow a certain law
• Promise(s) to claim -- I don't have to please God by obeying all the OT law. It does not increase God's love for me
• Example(s) to follow or avoid -- When I teach, am I ending in practical, specific, and measurable application or are they general, unspecific and not measurable -- If I love people that is what I would want to see from God's word
• Command(s) to obey -- I need to be careful of speculative things. And especially I need to leave teachings that are  contrary to sound doctrine
• Knowledge about God to incorporate -- God tasks teachers to help his children. He does not want them to learn vain things, but things which change them to be like his son