Fables or Edification?
I Timothy 1: (KJV)
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,
4 Neither give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which minister questions, rather than godly edifying 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:
Paul the apostle is talking to Timothy under the inspiration and revelation of The Holy Spirit. Paul knew a place of abiding at times like this, at times when the tongue of his pen became that of a ‘ready writer’ (Psalm 45/1).
This place of abiding is described by The Lord Jesus:
I John 15/5
“I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.
Everyone who enjoys blogging knows what it is to be ‘on form’ or not – as the case may be – when writing their blog.
But the place of inspiration enjoyed periodically by the chosen disciples and apostles of Christ is not the place of some kind of emotional high, or ‘all right’ day. This is a place that is/was specially set aside by God in the human spirit.
A place in which He has taken up His dwelling, bringing peace, joy, forgiveness, spiritual strength, – I could list the attributes, all of which are the fruit and gifts of The Holy Spirit.
In this place at a deeper level than any other Christians can experience, the chosen Apostles penned scripture – out of their treasury of God-given insight and revelation, acquired by the constant working of the Holy Spirit in their lives.
Everything in this world today cries out with a rasping voice against Holy Writ, cries out in it’s behaviour, mentality and attitude against any attempt to suggest that the Bible is the solid foundation of an upright society.
A falling away from God – just as it was in the days of Noah.
Unfortunately this biblical solid foundation can be mis-represented by some who claim to agree with it, but in works they deny it.
Titus 1/
16 They profess to know God, but in works they deny Him, being abominable, disobedient, and disqualified for every good work.
This adds the more to the confusion in the minds of those who are genuinely searching for the affirmation of their suspicions that indeed, the Bible does hold the only answers to the need of a lost and dying world.
If you are one of the discouraged seekers-after-God – I quickly direct you away from false disciples and confusion – to the book itself, and to God who gave it to his chosen servants.
Paul had left Timothy, even before this address, with a solid foundation of what was of God, and now he exhorts him to teach and tell others that they, in turn, teach nothing outside this framework: charge some that they teach no other doctrine. i.e. the doctrine or truths, Timothy was already established in.
The world is a hodgepodge of doctrines and philosophies all vying for the attention of men and women’s minds.
It is not amazing, but it is a maze, a maze of contradictions and voices telling us how to live our lives. And some might even tell us what they suggest is even pleasing to God. When in fact it is abhorrent to Him.
Fables wrapped in sophisticated language but which espouse and seek to excuse things that clearly contradict The Word of God.
Paul asks Timothy to love out of a pure heart.
We can espouse love out of an impure heart, a bad conscience, and void of faith. It will sound good, but without these other ingredients of purity, faith and a good conscience, it will not bake a good cake.
Instead with regard to believers in Christ, Paul both exhorts and reminds us that ‘…godly edifying which is in faith…’ is what awaits all believers hungry for true fellowship with each other in the gifts and fruits of The Holy Spirit.
It is a great joy to love and be loved in the purity of Christ. It is a wonderful, wholesome and exhilarating experience to worship The Lord Jesus, being edified in our faith by the mutual contribution of other true believers.
Often we get a foretaste of heaven, strengthened in the inner man to rise in expectation of meeting fully and completely the One who laid down His life for us.
There was a veil in the temple, that The Lord ripped from top to bottom through His own flesh on the cross – this veil no longer hinders our faith, as by that same God-given faith through His Word, we enter into fellowship daily with the Altogether Lovely One.
As we turn from the beggarly elements of man-made philosophy that man would offer us – and embrace the true riches of Christ.
Are you on board? What part of the journey are you on? Look unto Jesus the author and finisher of faith! (Hebrews12/2).