Knowing How One Ought to Behave in the Household of God

Before unpacking today’s text, I want to say just a word about the title and word  “behave” as found in 3:15. The term “behave,” doesn’t fully translate the meaning of the Greek word “ ἀναστρέφομαι” because it might suggest the need to obey a handful of rules at certain times. Instead it is referring to a prescribed manner of living (i.e. Christian living), in which “conduct” is to assume a specific shape because of theological realities upon which it’s based.

Paul has already stated some principles that should typify the Christian lifestyle in the first two chapters. Now he is going to become more specific and pervasive in answering how now should we live.

He begins chapter 4 by telling Timothy to pay attention to the “wolves” that have crept into the church at Ephesus with the intention of drawing away others into following their false doctrine. Timothy must go on the offensive and expose them and protect the rest of the fellowship.

Note that Paul’s warning about coming apostasy follows on the heels of that beautiful hymn of six solid points of Christology! (1 Tim. 3:16) Here’s a certainty - Wherever the light of the gospel shines, the shadow of false doctrine lurks closely behind.

I. We Must be Discerning of Error in the Church 

A. The Source of the Errors Must Be Known – 4:1

1. Demonic teaching - “Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons,” (NKJV)

Paul had warned the Ephesian elders in Acts 20:29-30, “I know that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves men will arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them.”

This text gives us a behind-the-scenes glimpse and reveals that the real perpetrators of heresy are not only the heretics but the evil spiritual forces that deceived and taught them. This recalls Ephesians 6:11, which informs us that our spiritual battle is not against human beings but against unseen spiritual powers. The word "deceive" {planao} occurs several times in the Pastoral Letters. We get our word planet from it. It means to wander.

Those who depart from the faith, i.e., “apostates” are not actually the victims of sophisticated university professors, false religious leaders, or wickedly clever writers or speakers. They are the victims of demonic spirits, spreading lies through such humans. False teaching is thus something far more than a human deviation, it is nothing less than the doctrines of demons. The subjective genitive indicates this is not teaching about demons, but teaching done by them. Satan and his agents have concocted all manner of lying theologies to confuse and deceive. To sit under false teaching that contradicts the truth of Scripture is to be taught by demons, and to put one’s mind and soul in jeopardy. It is no wonder, then, that the Bible cautions against exposing oneself to false doctrine.

The phrase "latter times" (husterois kairos) means a little later on, not far out in the future. That is, false teachers were to arise within the church almost immediately.

Dispensationalists insist that Paul's "apostasy" in 1 Timothy 4:1 is an end-time event that takes place in the "last days." But this raises the question, when are the last days? At least three views have been offered: (1) a concentrated period of time just prior to Jesus' second coming, making the time yet future; (2) the period of time between Jesus' first coming and second coming, what is typically and erroneously called the church age; and (3) the forty-year period from a point in time just prior to Jesus' death, resurrection, and ascension to the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70, what the Bible describes as a generation (forty years).

In my opinion, the best explanation of the latter times and "last days" is the time period between Jesus' earthly ministry and the end of the old covenant order leading up to the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70.

The technical theological term for abandoning the faith is "apostasy," which comes from the Greek noun “apostasia”. Here the related verb appears: to "depart from the faith" is to apostatize (1 Tim. 4:1). Apostasy does not mean that believers who have saving faith can lose it. This would be an impossibility, since every sinner who receives the gift of saving faith is preserved by the Holy Spirit until the day of Christ (see John 10:28; Phil. 1:6).

What apostasy does mean, however, is that someone who once claimed to be a Christian has renounced the gospel. Here again, as he does throughout this epistle, Paul refers to Christianity as "the faith." He has in mind those central doctrines that rest on the solid foundation of Holy Scripture and are necessary to saving faith: the sovereignty of God the Father, the deity of God the Son, the reality of God the Holy Spirit, and redemption through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, received by faith. Sad to say, some who profess to believe these doctrines later deny them.

2. Deceptive teachers – The Message – 1 Tim. 4:1-3, “The Spirit makes it clear that as time goes on, some are going to give up on the faith and chase after demonic illusions put forth by professional liars. These liars have lied so well and for so long that they've lost their capacity for truth. They will tell you not to get married. They'll tell you not to eat this or that food—perfectly good food God created to be eaten heartily and with thanksgiving by Christians!”

While the source of false teaching is supernatural, those who proclaim are natural. The phrase the hypocrisy of liars translates two nouns in the Greek text and could be rendered “hypocritical or deceitful lie-speakers.” To purvey their hellish teachings, demons use human deceivers who speak their lies. They may be religious leaders and appear outwardly good and devout. They may teach in an ostensibly Christian college or seminary. They may pastor a church or write theological books or commentaries. Though they wear the mask of religion (even Christianity) and wear a mask of piety, they do not serve God, but Satan. They blaspheme God. Sitting under such teachers has no redeeming value, and it results in being exposed to spiritual gangrene (2 Tim. 2:17-18).

Pastor David Platt was correct in observing that “false teaching was rampant in the first century, and it is rampant now. The world and the church are full of theology that is unbiblical. For example, prosperity theology says that if you trust Jesus, He will give you health and wealth. Cult theology, on the other hand, typically says that Jesus is not who you thought He was. An alternative is offered, which always turns out to be an unbiblical picture of the Son of God. And then there's what we might call popular theology, a theology consisting of ideas about life and possessions and heaven and the afterlife that comes more from best-selling books than from God's Word. Be on guard against such errors.”

3. The Horrible Sequence of Events in the Career of the False Teachers is Revealed.

First, they turned a deaf ear to their conscience, until it became cauterized.

Secondly, they felt no misgiving in becoming hypocritical liars.

Thirdly, they thus exposed themselves to the influence of deceiving spirits.

Finally, they led their listeners to abandon the faith. It is a perilous downward path from the deaf ear and the cauterized conscience to the deliberate lie, the deception of demons and the ruination of others. It begins when we tamper with our conscience. Instead, we need to say with Paul: “I strive always to keep my conscience clear before God and man.” (Acts 24:16).

1 Tim.1:5  The aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. Perhaps the most important thing to understand in this verse is that commandment does not refer to the Law of Moses or the Ten Commandments, but to the charge of verses 3 and 4. This is brought out clearly in the NKJV: Now the purpose of the commandment is love. ... Paul is saying that the goal or aim of the charge which he has just given Timothy is to produce not just orthodoxy but love from a pure heart, from a good conscience, and from sincere faith. These things always follow when the gospel of the grace of God is preached.

1 Tim.1:19  holding faith and a good conscience. By rejecting this, some have made shipwreck of their faith,

1 Tim.3:9  They must hold the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience. We aren't to let our conscience be our guide by our natural birth. But by the new birth, reprogrammed and guided by the Spirit of God and governed by the Word of God, it's God's primary avenue of communication with us. Watchman Nee said, "If a child of God desires to be filled with the Spirit, to be sanctified, and to lead a life wholly after God's will, he must adhere to the voice of conscience. Being faithful to one's conscience is the first step toward sanctification. Following its voice is a sign of true spirituality."

2 Tim.1:3  I thank God whom I serve, as did my ancestors, with a clear conscience, as I remember you constantly in my prayers night and day.

The word conscience is referred to by name 31 times in 29 verses in the New Testament.

What is this alarm system like and how does it work? Someone said our conscience is “that still small voice that makes you feel smaller still." One little boy said, "Conscience is the thing that makes you tell your mother before your sister does."

Conscience is the vocal cord of the human spirit. It's the eyes of the spirit, the windows or skylight of the soul. It's every person's companion forever! It always warns us as a friend before it punishes us a judge. It has something to say about every decision, invitation, thought, word, and deed of any significance at all.

Conscience is that God-given ability to evaluate one's own actions and respond emotionally to that action - either commending or condemning, accusing or excusing. It tells me that the highest I know demands that I do what I know. It may be wrongly informed or poorly informed and hardened or deadened. It can be seared and temporarily silenced.

A part of a good conscience is to be in touch with our failures - our inability to live up to the best that we know. Since the gospel of God's grace has everything to do with forgiveness, we need not pretend that we have no sin. The good conscience comes not from being perfect, but from having nothing hidden from God. Our consciences can rest in God's forgiveness in and through Jesus Christ.

B. The Substance of the Errors Must be Shown – 4:3-5

“who forbid marriage and require abstinence from foods that God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, for it is made holy by the word of God and prayer.” 

How does the word of God make food holy? Probably in the sense that God gave two general commands to mankind to eat the good things of the earth. (1) And God said, “See, I have given you every herb that yields seed which is on the face of all the earth, and every tree whose fruit yields seed; to you it shall be for food.” (Gen.1:29)(2) “Every moving thing that lives shall be food for you. I have given you all things, even as the green herbs” (Gen. 9:3).

But before moving on, don’t miss this truth, “Anything contrary to Scripture can be the entry point of demonic teaching.” We might have expected the apostle to follow his severe comments about demon doctrine with examples like denying the Trinity or the deity of the Christ or rejecting salvation by grace. But Satan is so subtle and seeks to gain a foothold on territory more easily yielded. Paul gives a sample of what was being taught at Ephesus. The deceivers there were focusing on two seemingly minor teachings: marriage and meat! They were teaching that spirituality demanded avoiding marriage and abstaining from foods. As is typical of satanic deception, both of those teachings contain an element of truth. There is nothing wrong with singleness, and such a state may aid spiritual service. First Corinthians 7:25-35 honors those designed by God to be single. Nor is fasting wrong; it is an important accompaniment to prayer (cf. Matt. 6:16-17; 9:14-15). The deception comes in seeing those as essential elements of salvation. The devising of human means of salvation is a hallmark of all false religion.

Paul is describing to Timothy the legalistic teaching of those who have departed from the faith. They taught that it was by following this list of man-made rules that one was justified in God’s sight – that you would be more holy to God if you didn’t marry, and if you did not eat certain foods. There have always been those in the church who regard themselves as more spiritual than God Himself and have a stricter set of rules for living than God does. 

In order to discern when error is being taught in the church, we need to consider the substance of what is being said. The way Paul addresses the specific false teachings in Ephesus applies to the church in all ages, including our own. Addressing the root of the false teaching, the apostle mentions two specific errors:

1. They deny the goodness of God.
   2. They distort the Word of God.

When we put these two characteristics together, we're reminded of how sin entered the world. The serpent emphasized God's power and greatness, while minimizing His love and goodness. He tempted Eve to doubt that God had her best interests in mind. He asked, "Did God really say, 'You can't eat from any tree in the garden'?" (Gen 3:1). He was leading her to question God's goodness and distort God's Word, and Eve bought into the lie and sinned.

Something similar was happening in Ephesus in Paul's day. If you move forward from Genesis 3 to 1 Timothy 4, you see that some teachers were teaching that certain foods should not be eaten and that people should not get married (1 Tim 4:3). Paul countered these claims by saying marriage and food are both good gifts from God's hand, gifts to be received with gratitude to God in prayer (vv. 4-5). God's people need to watch out for teachers who deny the goodness of God and distort the Word of God, either by adding to it or by taking away from it. We in the church need to be able to detect this kind of error.

The emphasis on externalism that marked the Ephesian apostates is typical of all satanic false religion. From the animism of primitive tribes to the sophistication of major world religions, men rely on good works, outward ritual, and self-denial.

Leland Ryken, in his book Worldly Saints, notes: “The dominant attitude of the Catholic church throughout the Middle Ages was that sexual love itself was evil and did not cease to be so if its object were one’s spouse.” The early church fathers Tertullian and Ambrose believed that the extinction of the human race was to be preferred to the sexual relationship within marriage. Ambrose wrote that “married people ought to blush at the state in which they are living.”

Augustine argued that sexual relationships were innocent in marriage, but the passion that accompanies it is always sinful. He frequently counseled married couples to abstain.

Albertus Magnus and Thomas Aquinas objected to marital intimacy because it subordinates the reason to the passions. The church fathers are virtually unanimous in praising virginity as superior to marriage. This culminated in the Council of Trent in the sixteenth century, which denounced those who denied that virginity was superior to the married state. The Roman church kept adding days in which marital intimacy was prohibited until more than half the days in the year were excluded.

No wonder there was a Reformation!

The Shakers, officially the United Society of Believers in Christ's Second Appearing, were a Protestant sect known for their communal living, celibacy, and unique worship practices, including ecstatic dancing and singing, founded in England and later organized in the United States. In 1774, Ann Lee and a small group of followers emigrated to the United States, settling near Albany, New York. Shakers lived in communal villages, sharing property and resources. They practiced celibacy, believing that sexual temptation was a major obstacle to spiritual perfection. Guess what? There aren’t very many Shakers today. Why? No mating no propagating!

II. We Must be Declaring the Truth in the Church

1Tim. 4:6, “If you instruct the brethren in these things, you will be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished in the words of faith and of the good doctrine which you have carefully followed.”

1Tim. 4:13, “Till I come, give attention to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine.” 

Along with discerning error, it is also crucial that we declare truth to the church. In verse 6 Paul said to Timothy, "If you point these things out to the brothers, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus." In other words, put truth before the church. Let it permeate and saturate the church. The Word of God should resound from the pastor's lips. Read the Bible. Explain the Bible. Exhort from the Bible. Teach the Bible. And teach the church how to read and understand the Scriptures themselves.