1 & 2 Timothy Part Two Deep Dive

THE IMPORTANCE OF SOUND DOCTRINE | RYAN KERRISON

The notion of sound doctrine or correct teaching, as this week’s Deep Dive endeavours to convey, is an issue that is dear to Paul’s heart, and lies at the center of the Christian life. The Books of Timothy and all their socio-historical context feed into this one idea: whatever the Church believes, it lives. Within Timothy’s commission in the opening chapter, the word ‘didaskalos’ appears. This word carries the implication of instruction or teaching, with the intent to bring about its function. In other words, what is taught is taught in order for it to be practiced. As 21st Century believers, it can be confusing as to where exactly the teachings or instructions for Christian living should come from and how we should implement them. For Paul, this is as simple as one reading the scriptures and interpreting them faithfully within the scope of reason, tradition, and experience.

From this, I want to briefly introduce two words, jammed packed with meaning and implications for faithful Christian living, that help us understand what Paul is getting at when writing this immensely personal letter to Timothy.

‘orthodoxa’

ortho – Right/true/Correct
doxa – Opinion/Belief

‘orthoporaxis’

ortho – Right/true/Correct
praxis - practice/deed/action

As far as these two concepts go, the bottom line is this: let your convictions emulate your actions. If you claim to believe in the Gospel of Jesus, but behave in a contrary fashion, it’s likely you haven’t understood the Gospel. Likewise, if you do good and behave as you think a Christian 'should' behave, but have no personal conviction or notion of faith, this too is a dangerous place to occupy. Paul is encouraging Timothy to stay at Ephesus as well as urging him to keep sound doctrine, to keep a sincere faith. Keep in mind that the relationship that Paul had with Timothy would have given him the right to command him to stay at Ephesus, yet Paul modeled love and simply made an appeal to Timothy. That appeal could be summarised as, ‘stay at Ephesus; lead the church in correct belief and behaviour’. This is not to suggest that every single leader within the church was blatantly teaching false doctrine, though there were some cases of this, rather Paul is encouraging Timothy to bring correction and clarity to the teachings of Jesus.

Let’s unpack some of these examples below:

Strange Teachings

This may be a reference to the pagan philosophies present during this society, and the subsequent attempt by Christians to either fit Christianity into one of these existing philosophical frameworks or even potentially to reinterpret the Law through Hellenistic lenses. This led to many theological debates, arguments, and most of all, the production of a lot of hot air. The art of rhetoric was more important than the discovery of any truth, let alone becoming intentionally pragmatic about that truth. Thus, when Paul writes to Timothy, he reminds them what the Law is for: to expose the sin of humanity and to point to the redeeming work of the Christ.

Wealthy Women & Public Worship

Another issue Timothy faced in Ephesus was the reputation of Christianity. The faith, still in its infancy, could not afford to fall into disrepute for fear of insurrection, persecution, or worse, disunity. So with regard to public worship, there waged a culture war; on one side, the Jewish communities allowed women to adorn themselves for their husbands, and the Greco-Roman culture saw this as a display of temptation. However, both cultures (constituting a significant portion of Ephesus) saw adornment for the purpose of turning other men’s heads as a mockery. In this case, it was the wealthier women of Ephesus doing so in excess which led not only to inappropriateness within the church services but also caused social issues among believers.

It was to these kinds of situations that Paul was encouraging Timothy to speak, to correct inward issues, in love, to bring about lifestyle changes that mirrored those taught by Christ and by Paul. This was the only way Paul could see the survival and propagation of this growing sect. This idea flew in the face of the moralists of the day, most of whom were obsessed with orthodoxy, at the cost of orthopraxy; infatuated by speculations and rhetoric devoid of any practicality. This is not the call of a believer. Every believer is charged with the Great Commission, entrusted with the light of God, equipped with the Word, and empowered by the Spirit for every good work.

Ryan Kerrison, originally from Darwin, came to Sydney to study and hasn’t left. Ryan works at C3 College as the Head of Bible and Theology, and lectures in Advanced Theology, Creation to End Times and many more subjects. As one of the founding writers and team members of TYB, Ryan is one of the smartest people we know. He has his Masters in Theology and will no doubt have his Doctorate and running Academic Colleges around the world in no time!