This is often the case on MU campus outreaches with people who want nothing but arguments
1 Timothy 1:3-7:
"As I urged you when I was going to Macedonia, remain at Ephesus so that you may charge certain persons not to teach any different doctrine, nor to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies, which promote speculations rather than the stewardship from God that is by faith. The aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. Certain persons, by swerving from these, have wandered away into vain discussion, desiring to be teachers of the law, without understanding either what they are saying or the things about which they make confident assertions."
Jews coming with a lot of myths that they're trying to introduce to Christianity
Genealogical distinctions had been done away with in Christ
-They're just not pertinent anymore
-the result of these is speculation rather than edification
--they don't promote true religion or anything good in the soul
--misses SALVATION
Verse 5 here: "The aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith."
-this is a foundational principle for the Christian life
--love to God from a pure heart that's been cleansed by the regeneration of the Holy Spirit so that we have a clean conscience, all through the conduit of faith in Jesus Christ
Verse 7 is talking about proud, ignorant men without knowledge of what they're talking about or the ramifications of that knowledge
1 Timothy 6:3-4:
"If anyone teaches a different doctrine and does not agree with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the teaching that accords with godliness, he is puffed up with conceit and understands nothing. He has an unhealthy craving for controversy and for quarrels about words, which produce envy, dissension, slander, evil suspicions"
advocating a different doctrine that doesn't agree with sound words - i.e., Christ's teaching
-doesn't accord with godliness
"values himself superior"; ignorant and puffed up with conceit
-often ignorance and conceit go together with "confident assertions"
"sick interest in controversy"
-nothing good comes from these conversations since their only aim is the argument itself rather than Truth-seeking
the closing of the letter is the same a the opening in that it's a strong warning
-guard the Gospel; the teaching entrusted to you
"irreverent babble" - the result of argument rather than informative conversation
"knowledge" -> science
-again, many Speaker's Circle conversations about this kind of false science
--the word science comes from the same Greek word from which we get knowledge
2 Timothy 2:14-17a
"Remind them of these things and charge them before God not to quarrel about words, which does no good, but only ruins the hearers. Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth. But avoid irreverent babble, for it will led people into more and more ungodliness, and their talk will spread like gangrene."
avoid quarrels about words - explain the Truths
-does no good - useless; leads to the ruin (catastrophe) of the hearers
diligently being accurate with the Word of Truth
-unashamed workman; conjures the image of a man adept at the use of tools, like a craftsman
"irreverent babble" comes up here again
-further ungodliness; will spread like a debilitating infection
refuse to engage in foolish and ignorant controversies and speculations
-one is not in a right mind when arguing in this way
--calls people starting these conversations fools
Titus 1:13-14
"This testimony is true. Therefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith, not devoting themselves to Jewish myths and the commands of people who turn away from the truth."
commandments from men who've turned from the truth
-yet another warning against foolish controversies and genealogies
--"morose" in Greek - where we get "moron" in eng; lit., stupid controversies
--blunt descriptions of apostatizing; knowing and seeing some Truth - even giving a mental assent to it for a season - but not living life according to those Truths because of the lack of the Holy Spirit's work on one's soul
People are perishing! Devote yourself to heeding these exhortations!
-be praying that you wouldn't be drawn into these conversations
-The account of John 4:1-42 where the Lord is talking with the woman at the well is an example of how best to guide conversations towards things of merit - there is discussion about what seemed to be the woman's concerns, but as a whole the conversation is geared toward the salvation of her soul.
"The bible is a proclamation, not an argument - you can't argue someone into the Kingdom." -Clint Leiter
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