1 This letter is from Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus, appointed by the command of God our Savior and Christ Jesus, who gives us hope.
2 I am writing to Timothy, my true son in the faith.
May God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord give you grace, mercy, and peace.
3 When I left for Macedonia, I urged you to stay there in Ephesus and stop those whose teaching is contrary to the truth. 4 Don’t let them waste their time in endless discussion of myths and spiritual pedigrees. These things only lead to meaningless speculations, which don’t help people live a life of faith in God.
5 The purpose of my instruction is that all believers would be filled with love that comes from a pure heart, a clear conscience, and genuine faith. 6 But some people have missed this whole point. They have turned away from these things and spend their time in meaningless discussions. 7 They want to be known as teachers of the law of Moses, but they don’t know what they are talking about, even though they speak so confidently.
8 We know that the law is good when used correctly. 9 For the law was not intended for people who do what is right. It is for people who are lawless and rebellious, who are ungodly and sinful, who consider nothing sacred and defile what is holy, who kill their father or mother or commit other murders. 10 The law is for people who are sexually immoral, or who practice homosexuality, or are slave traders, liars, promise breakers, or who do anything else that contradicts the wholesome teaching 11 that comes from the glorious Good News entrusted to me by our blessed God.
Tori's Comments:
Terrie's Comments:
I have read through 1 and 2 Timothy a few times lately in preparing for this challenge and in preparing for leading another Bible study in my home. Each time I have read this particular portion of the letter the word "meaningless" stands out to me.
How often do I engage in "meaningless" speculations or discussions that don't help people live a life of faith in God? I seem to be around plenty of people who LOVE to debate and discuss theology and more often than not it is just a waste of time and it hasn't deepened anyone's faith or brought us any closer in relationship with each other. On the other hand I have plenty of people who LOVE to talk about things that are truth and are able to connect me at a deeper level with my Savior Jesus Christ... these are sweet friends and sweet times for sure :-) I hope that I can learn to be more a friend that helps them live a life of faith in God and learn to engage less often in "meaningless" speculations and discussions!
2 I am writing to Timothy, my true son in the faith.
May God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord give you grace, mercy, and peace.
3 When I left for Macedonia, I urged you to stay there in Ephesus and stop those whose teaching is contrary to the truth. 4 Don’t let them waste their time in endless discussion of myths and spiritual pedigrees. These things only lead to meaningless speculations, which don’t help people live a life of faith in God.
5 The purpose of my instruction is that all believers would be filled with love that comes from a pure heart, a clear conscience, and genuine faith. 6 But some people have missed this whole point. They have turned away from these things and spend their time in meaningless discussions. 7 They want to be known as teachers of the law of Moses, but they don’t know what they are talking about, even though they speak so confidently.
8 We know that the law is good when used correctly. 9 For the law was not intended for people who do what is right. It is for people who are lawless and rebellious, who are ungodly and sinful, who consider nothing sacred and defile what is holy, who kill their father or mother or commit other murders. 10 The law is for people who are sexually immoral, or who practice homosexuality, or are slave traders, liars, promise breakers, or who do anything else that contradicts the wholesome teaching 11 that comes from the glorious Good News entrusted to me by our blessed God.
Tori's Comments:
Speculations don't help us in the faith, and I feel like it's because we get into a territory of truths we can't cling to. We should instead invest in a life of love and faith we can count on, faith we know to be true.
This is something that I want to guard against at bible college. I don't want to suddenly start talking about God as if he could be contained in a laboratory to perform experiments on. I want to remember how He pursued me in love. I want to remember just how real He is. How real His love is.
Terrie's Comments:
I have read through 1 and 2 Timothy a few times lately in preparing for this challenge and in preparing for leading another Bible study in my home. Each time I have read this particular portion of the letter the word "meaningless" stands out to me.
How often do I engage in "meaningless" speculations or discussions that don't help people live a life of faith in God? I seem to be around plenty of people who LOVE to debate and discuss theology and more often than not it is just a waste of time and it hasn't deepened anyone's faith or brought us any closer in relationship with each other. On the other hand I have plenty of people who LOVE to talk about things that are truth and are able to connect me at a deeper level with my Savior Jesus Christ... these are sweet friends and sweet times for sure :-) I hope that I can learn to be more a friend that helps them live a life of faith in God and learn to engage less often in "meaningless" speculations and discussions!
WELCOME TO TIMOTHY!
Take our personal comments or leave them. We would love to hear what stood out to you about today`s passage and how it encouraged you. Tell us in the comments below!
Looking forward reading through Timothy. So many truths to try and abide by 💜
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