Skip to main content

Sound Instruction


          These are the things you are to teach and insist on. If anyone teaches otherwise and does not agree to the sound instruction of our Lord Jesus Christ and to godly teaching, they are conceited and understand nothing. They have an unhealthy interest in controversies and quarrels about words that result in envy, strife, malicious talk, evil suspicions and constant friction between people of corrupt mind, who have been robbed of the truth and who think that godliness is a means to financial gain. (I Timothy 6:2-5)

          Uh oh. “Unhealthy interest in controversies and quarrels about words…” But, I have to say in my defense that I try to make sure that my teaching agrees to the sound instruction of our Lord Jesus Christ and to godly teaching. Post Modernism, on the other hand, maintains that words have only the meaning that the hearer attaches to them – which is a slap in the face to every writer even though it’s true in a sense. Most readers aren’t interested or disciplined enough to research the meaning of a word in the mind of the author or of the society in which the author lived.
          For example, how many people would examine the culture of the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries to understand that when Jefferson wrote of the “pursuit of happiness,” he was referring to the pursuit and attainment of virtue not the mere feeling we call “happiness” or the American Dream of a cottage with a white picket fence?  I can’t blame them – as much as I love words, I’m often no better.
          No, the more I look at this morning’s passage, the more I find myself thinking that Post Modernism and socialism are precisely what Paul was describing. Socialism is built on class and group conflict, with those who don’t have rising up (strife) in envy to demand their “fair share.” If you listen to those who adhere to these philosophies, while you hear talk of tolerance, it is tolerance only for those who agree with them.      Anyone who disagrees with them can expect to be treated maliciously and suspiciously. Within socialism, there is constant friction. Add Liberal Theology (which, as I understand it, is socialistic in nature) and you have the “godliness” as a “means to financial gain.”
          It could be that I’m deceiving myself, so here’s my challenge to you. You’re welcome to disagree with me, and I challenge you to do so – but if you’re going to disagree with me, make sure that the teaching you insist on is based on the sound instruction of our Lord Jesus Christ – not pulled out of context in the same way you’ll probably claim mine is.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Think About These Things

                 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. (Philippians 4:8) This passage is a major challenge for me. Like everyone else, I struggle to keep my thoughts from wandering off into the weeds, then wondering what possible benefits those weeds might have… Sigh. But as a writer, I have to delve at least a little into the ignoble, wrong, impure, unlovely, and debased. After all, there’s no story if everything’s just as it should be and everyone’s happy. As Christians, there are times when we need to deal with all the negatives, but that makes it even more important that we practice turning our minds by force of attention to what is noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and praiseworthy. It’s just too easy to get stuck in a swamp. With my...
1 comment
Read more

Higher Thoughts

  “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the  Lord . “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. (Isaiah 55:8-9)           The person with the Spirit makes judgments about all things, but such a person is not subject to merely human judgments,   for, “Who has known the mind of the Lord      so as to instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ. (I Corinthians 2:15-16) If you read about the ancient gods of the various peoples, you’ll find that they think just like people. In fact, they think just like the sort of people we really wouldn’t want to be around. They think like the most corrupt Hollywood producer or, like hormone overloaded teens with no upbringing.   It’s embarrassing to read. I have a friend who argues that because God is not just like us, He is so vastly dif...
2 comments
Read more

Pure...

            The goal of this command is love, which comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. (I Timothy 1:5)   I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth. (Revelation 3:15-16) I’m probably cheating - or mishandling the Bible, but earlier I was thinking about love being pure and purifying. And hatred being pure and purifying. And anger…joy…patience… fear… jealousy… courage…lust… and other strongly felt feelings, attitudes, and beliefs. Today’s verse brings purity and love together, so it’s the verse of the day, but it’s not really the focus. That means my motive for sharing it with you probably isn’t pure. As you read through my list, you   probably thought, “Yeah” about some, and “What’s she on?” about others. But consider how much hatred, a...
Post a Comment
Read more