1 Timothy 1:3–7:

“As I urged you when I was leaving for Macedonia, stay on in Ephesus to instruct certain people not to spread false teachings, nor to occupy themselves with myths and interminable genealogies. Such things promote useless speculations rather than God’s redemptive plan that operates by faith. But the aim of our instruction is love that comes from a pure heart, a good conscience, and a sincere faith. Some have strayed from these and turned away to empty discussion. They want to be teachers of the law, but they do not understand what they are saying or the things they insist on so confidently.”

While Paul did not mention anything specific here—he did not detail exactly what these people were spreading—he wants them to stop. He is saying they do not know what they are saying. They do not understand what they are saying. They occupy themselves with myths, and they know it is myths. They are occupying themselves with myths. They are occupying themselves with interminable genealogies. And he is saying it is promoting useless speculations. That is it. What is the aim here? What is this leading to?

This exploration, this investigation, this preoccupation “in the name of teaching,” “in the name of the truth”—what is it leading to? Paul is saying it is promoting useless speculation. What are we aiming for here? Are you trying to just say something new for the sake of saying something new so that people will say “wow” to you? Are you trying to say something new so that you will be like the “rev” person—everybody is wrong, and you are the one who is correct?

Such things promote useless speculation. And I want to emphasize that he is not saying what they are saying makes no sense at all. They may couch their words and make you doubt the truth just a little bit. They may couch their words in that way just to create an excitement around something new that they probably read somewhere recently—something they do not fully understand themselves, but it is exciting to them, and they want to push it out.

I am trying to flesh out what I think Paul may be meaning here, but the focus is that such things promote useless speculation. What is it leading to? And you might say, “Why? What is wrong? Let us just explore. Let us just speculate.” But then you go to the next verse: “But the aim of our instruction…” This is what we want to promote. We are not instructing in a vacuum. We are not teaching for teaching’s sake. We are not just talking.

Paul said that everything “must be done for the building up” (1 Corinthians 14:26). He says, “But the aim of our instruction is love that comes from a pure heart, a good conscience, and a sincere faith.” So I ask myself: Is this thing going to help me love God more and love my neighbor?

Somebody asked Jesus, “What is the greatest commandment?” He said, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your mind, with all your strength… and love your neighbour as yourself” (Matthew 22:37–39). That is the law of Christ (Galatians 6:2), and it is not just the law of Christ because it is written somewhere; it is the law of Christ because Christ epitomizes that.

In Philippians 2, Paul says people should not just think of themselves, but of others (Philippians 2:3–4). In another place, he writes, “Do not put a stumbling block in your brother’s way” (Romans 14:13).

He does not want the people to be messed up. If somebody were talking to Paul with all this randomness they are pushing, he is probably equipped enough to put them in their place. But the generality of the people may not be that equipped.

So he is saying, “Look, this is our aim.” “The aim of our instruction…” That is what I want to start talking about from tomorrow—these three things. What is the aim? What are we aiming for? Are we talking for talking’s sake? Are we speculating? Are we taking Scriptures out of their contexts—one strand here, one strand there—rather than pursuing the overall aim of becoming more like Christ?

God bless you.