Healthy Words (1 Timothy 6:3; 2 Timothy 1:13) Healthy Doctrine (1 Tim. 1:10; 2 Tim. 4: 3; Tit. 1:9; 2:1) Healthy in the Faith (Titus 1: 13; 2:2) Part 1: Healthy Words Introduction: Earlier this month, my son, Gavin read me a line from Mere Christianity where C. S. Lewis tells the story of the English schoolboy who describes God as follows: The sort of person who is always snooping round to see if anyone is enjoying himself and then trying to stop it. Really? I fear many people think this way about God even today and Lewis wrote in the late 1940 s and 50 s. And that s just the proverbial tip of the iceberg ; how about the proverbial description of death (in the hands of some preachers); God needed another rose petal in heaven (or its alternative, God took him home ). This tragic condition abounds because men and women are not being taught rightly about the God of the Bible and they are not grownups about it. To fix this we must teach healthy words, develop them into healthy doctrines and live them outright. For this last term Paul uses the phrase healthy in the Faith. Did God Really say that? A good friend of mine, JAL, has said over and over (and I concur ) that Satan s goal (or purpose if you will) is to relentlessly distort God s Word (and therefore YOUR PICTURE OF HIM remember Not Comin Back Blowin Kisses?). He did that in Genesis 3 with Eve over what God really said and he does it continually today in the battle for the Bible. And truly we are at War with an enemy of well Biblical proportions. If you want peace, love, dove you ll need to go somewhere else than this life to find it. But, Bob, What about our Savior Jesus? He was a peaceful man, eschewed fighting (remember the ear thing?), I forgot we ll see below So, then, the Devil is in the Details?: Another acquaintance of mine once said that it seems like it always comes down to the mindless details. She was talking about the details of doctrine and what appeared as a continual fight between supposed well-meaning Christians over issues of belief and practice. She was put off by that incessant fighting saying, in effect, why can t we all just get along. I will say yes that on the surface there is a fight going on, but behind that struggle there is much more. Further, I ll say, yes we can get along, but I ll add the qualification that
you can t just think about God any way you want ; there has to be a STANDARD. My Dad s wife and the Death Sucks bumper sticker. 1 Corinthians 15: 26 You will remember that phrase, the devil is in the details (a phrase not used until 1975), but God is into details in a much bigger way ("Le bon Dieu est dans le détail" (the good God is in the detail) is generally attributed to Gustave Flaubert (1821 1880) note the s is not at the end ). Jesus was the quintessential non-violent/ non-confrontational man? Jesus was a many-sided man; he said, Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. ( NIV John 14:27). The man knew about peace and just before he left the planet these words were uttered. But he also said, in the context of sending out the 12 (and context is king) Matthew 10:34-36 34 Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword. 35 For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law. 36 And a man's foes shall be they of his own household. And how about another, Luke 12:51-56 51 Suppose ye that I am come to give peace on earth? I tell you, Nay; but rather division: 52 For from henceforth there shall be five in one house divided, three against two, and two against three. 53 The father shall be divided against the son, and the son against the father; the mother against the daughter, and the daughter against the mother; the mother in law against her daughter in law, and the daughter in law against her mother in law. 54 And he said also to the people, When ye see a cloud rise out of the west, straightway ye say, There cometh a shower; and so it is. 55 And when ye see the south wind blow, ye say, There will be heat; and it cometh to pass. 56 Ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky and of the earth; but how is it that ye do not discern this time? So, back to da Devil: NIV Genesis 3:1 Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, "Did God really say, 'You must not eat from any tree in the garden'?" Here, Eve might have been better served to ignore the absolutely startlingly awesome shining Being talking to her, but then he was absolutely, startlingly awesome, shining and I might add eloquent, shrewd, communicative and probably the most handsome creature she had ever met in the Mountain of God (aka Eden). But she did engage the Nachash and it was her downfall. And it was a WAR of WORDS.
How does this play out in our day and time? Well, in one instance and one instance only, we insist that the son of God (a phrase used nearly 50 times in the Christian Scriptures) is not God the Son. Are we mincing over words and causing division or are we just insisting on reading what s written? Personally, I don t engage in Trinitarian Talk any longer. I ve (hopefully) grown up in the Lord. How about Genesis 1, where the earth already exists in verse 2, but Christendom insists that we need 6 days to create it (in the rest of the Chapter). Can we be adults please; can we read what is written and of course that s what these sessions are all about: When for a time ye ought to be Teachers someone needs to teach you again the first principles of the oracles (logion written stuff) of God. These Sessions are for the Mature Believer. The Teaching: Story of the misuse of this 1 Timothy 6:3 (back in 2003 or so): KJV If any man teach otherwise (than verse 1,2 about believing Masters and their slaves), and consent not to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness (or godly teaching NIV) 1. Healthy words ARE the words of our Lord Jesus Christ (all of them; red or otherwise and he s still speaking). The letters of Jesus ARE the letters of Paul to the churches. Read 1 Timothy 1: 1-20: 1 Timothy 1:1-20 KJV 1 Timothy 1:1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the commandment of God our Saviour, and Lord Jesus Christ, which is our hope; 2 Unto Timothy, my own son in the faith: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord. 3 As I besought thee to abide still at Ephesus, when I went into Macedonia, that thou mightest charge some that they teach no other doctrine, 1 4 Neither give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which minister questions, rather than godly edifying ( dispensation of God ) which is in faith: so do. 5 Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned: 6 From which some having swerved have turned aside unto vain jangling; {having...: or, not aiming at} 7 Desiring to be teachers of the law (cf. - Hebrews 5: 12-6: 2 (read this in Bible Works multiple versions)) ; understanding neither what they say, nor whereof they affirm. 8 But we know that the law is good, if a man use it lawfully; 9 Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers Wanting to teach is a noble thing (just read 2 Tim 2: 2), but what to teach a ha!
of mothers, for manslayers, 10 For whoremongers, for them that defile themselves with mankind, for menstealers, for liars, for perjured persons, and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine; 2 11 According to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, which was committed to my trust. (Titus 1:3 - God believed in Paul - Colossians 1:25) 12 And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry; 13 Who before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious: but I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief. 14 And the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus. 15 This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief. 3 16 Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me (the foremost or) first Jesus Christ might shew forth all longsuffering, for a pattern (outline) to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting. 17 Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen. 18 This charge I commit unto thee, son Timothy, according to the prophecies which went before on thee, that thou by them mightest 4war a good warfare; 19 Holding faith, and a good conscience; which some having put away concerning faith have made shipwreck: 20 Of whom is Hymenaeus and Alexander; whom I have delivered unto Satan, that they may learn not to blaspheme. Three phrases showing Jesus activities in our lives as Lord! Review Teaching: 1. Timothy warring a good warfare (point #4) Hellava thing! Why warfare and why our fight is not against the waskily theologians, but they do lie in wait to deceive a. Again: Satan s goal in relentlessly distorting the written Word i. pro.j th.n meqodei,an th/j pla,nhj( systematized method but a wandering one ( planays, where we get the word planet (a wandering star). (Ephesians 4: 14); See October 2012 Research Night (Wind of Doctrine) ii. 2 Corinthians 4:2 not handling the word of God deceitfully iii. 2 Corinthians 11:3 as the serpent deceived Eve by craftiness (read Genesis 3)
iv. KJV Ephesians 5:6 Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience (unbelief refusing to believe - avpei,qeia apeitheia) 2. Paul was the Pattern (Point #3): a. Read his stuff to find out who you are. Identify with Jesus through him, but REALLY, it s not always WWJD (did you want to sacrifice animals in the Temple in Jerusalem?), but WWPD. 3. Talk to Jesus: (Point #2): That s what Paul did Get the red letters hot off the press. In 1 Timothy 1: 12-16 it s Jesus doing not God. He is worthy of worship and BTW YOUR ATTENTION. 4. Don t waste time in the Western World s fables (Ancient Aliens were our ancestors; a la Prometheus Movie) or endless genealogies ( oh, what school did you go to?...i went to Harvard ; what does that mean to God?) - (Point #1): Focus on the Administration of God, the Secret of God, the Administration of the Secret (The Administration of the Grace of God). Next Month
Next Month: Healthy Doctrine/ Healthy in the Faith Wherein we will discuss: 1. Jesus and the doctrine of the Pharisees and the Sadducees (did you know Jesus was trained as a Pharisee hmmm, was he Hillel or Shammai? What the Hell is that?); detailed teaching on the 1 st Century Jewish mindset and how Jesus combated it. Herodians, Sanhedrin and Gamaliel too. 2. Name-calling in the Christian Scriptures (OMG!). Why we cannot all just all get along ; there will always be problems between people; between churches and denominations. How to do your best to be like Christ/ Paul. 3. What exactly is sound (healthy) doctrine? Four good examples: a. "manifestations ended" (Thy Kingdom Come) what s coming? b. "new covenant is now" (Jeremiah 31); to whom is it addressed? c. "Jesus is King now" (Who is on the Throne today? Read Psalm 110) d. Yew are not a Jew (spiritual or otherwise) Ephesians 2 in NIV bad translation 4. It DOES all fit once you are supernatural. The Carnal Mind is enmity against God. Healthy in the Faith assumes a few things a. Surety (Identify with your Salvation) b. Study (This is an expected thing; spouda,zw spoudazo doesn t mean study ) c. Spirituality (All nine all the time) d. Senses exercised (The Walk of Wisdom) e. Sensitivity (Evangelism; God wantse m we want em)