I repeat the request I made of you when I was on my way to Macedonia, that you stay in Ephesus to instruct certain people not to teach false doctrines 4 or to concern themselves with myths and endless genealogies, which promote speculations rather than the plan of God that is to be received by faith. 5 The aim of this instruction is love from a pure heart, a good conscience, and a sincere faith. 6 Some people have deviated from these and turned to meaningless talk, 7 wanting to be teachers of the law, but without understanding either what they are saying or what they assert with such assurance. 8 We know that the law is good, provided that one uses it as law, 9 with the understanding that law is meant not for a righteous person but for the lawless and unruly, the godless and sinful, the unholy and profane, those who kill their fathers or mothers, murderers, 10 the unchaste, sodomites, kidnappers, liars, perjurers, and whatever else is opposed to sound teaching, 11 according to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, with which I have been entrusted.
St. Paul first met the disciple Timothy, the son of a Jewish mother who was a believer and a Greek father, while he was travelling through Lystra on his second missionary journey (Acts 16:1-3). Timothy traveled as Paul’s apprentice and Paul became his spiritual father. Tradition holds that Timothy became the first Bishop of Ephesus.
St. Paul’s pastoral letter to Timothy directed him not to tolerate heretical teachers and to instruct and strengthen the community of believer about God’s plan of salvation which can only be understood and accepted by one’s faith. Some of the leaders were teaching false doctrines such as improper asceticism (1 Tim. 4:1-5) and using myths and genealogies to misinterpret the Torah. Christians must demonstrate their faith by their behavior grounded in love from a pure heart. His opponents missed the goal of Christian instruction and were teaching about the law without understanding what they were teaching.
Some of the teachers lacked true knowledge of God’s plan of salvation and were focused on the Mosaic Law. The law condemns sin and rewards justice, but the law, which is good for moral instruction, cannot overcome sin. The righteous do not need a law to guide their conscience; “The demands of the law are written in their hearts (Rom. 2:15)”. The vices Paul listed are contrary to the Ten Commandments. Paul stated that he could instruct Timothy because he had been entrusted with the responsibility of transmitting the Gospel (Titus 1:3).
Almighty God, let your
Holy Spirit come down upon us like the dewfall and set our hearts ablaze with the
fire of your divine love. Inspire us to live your commandments and to teach
your Gospel in accordance with your will.
This we pray through Christ our Lord.
Amen!
Chiu, José Enrique Aguilar, et al. The Paulist Biblical Commentary. Paulist Press, 2018.
Brown, Raymond Edward, et al. The New Jerome Biblical Commentary. Upper Saddle River, NJ, United States, Prentice Hall, 1990.
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