The Law reveals Sin but doesn’t take it away
December 30, 2022
Commentary
In the opening lines of his letter to Timothy, Paul addresses him (1) as an apostle & (2) as a spiritual father. While we might immediately associate apostleship with authority, Paul here associates it with obedience and patience. Paul was under the command of God, and his hope was in Jesus (v.1). Paul was a spiritual father to Timothy (v. 2). And as a father wants what is best for his son, Paul desired three good things for Timothy: (1) Grace, (2) Mercy, & (3) Peace. Grace is receiving what you don’t deserve. Mercy is when what you deserve is withheld. Peace is completeness. These are gifts that only God can supply.
Timothy was in Ephesus, a city given over to the worship of a heathen goddess, Diana (Artemis), the Greek goddess of love. Therefore, Paul’s first commanded for Timothy was to oppose false teachers (vv. 3-4) with real love being the end goal. Real love is synonymous with purity, goodness, & sincere faith (v. 5). When you leave love out of your gospel presentation, all you are left with is law, and law alone is not able to convince or save anyone (vv. 6-7).
“We know that the law is good if one uses it lawfully” (v. 8). How then do we use the law lawfully? We use the law with love (remember v. 5) & by applying it towards sinners. “… the law is not laid down for the just but for the lawless and disobedient …” (v. 9). Trying to apply the law to those saved by grace through faith in Christ is like demanding cancer treatment or open-heart surgery for those with a clean bill of health and no symptoms.
God’s law is very good at pointing out what sin is. It is God’s prescription to show us that these kinds of activities are morally wrong. But God’s law is powerless to bring about the spiritual and moral transformation we need to be delivered from sin. For that we need what we call the sound doctrine that conforms to the gospel (vv. 10-11). The phrase “sound doctrine” here uses a medical word to convey the idea of beliefs and teaching that promote spiritual health. While wrong beliefs and false doctrine produces spiritual sickness, true beliefs and sound doctrine produces spiritual health in our lives. It comes from the good news that our blessed God has given to us (v. 11).
Application
A no smoking sign does not affect me because I do not smoke. However, it is designed to restrain the person who does smoke and in effect helps me to stay healthy.
1 Timothy 1:1– 11 (NET)
1 From Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the command of God our Savior and of Christ Jesus our hope, 2 to Timothy, my genuine child in the faith. Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord!
3 As I urged you when I was leaving for Macedonia, stay on in Ephesus to instruct certain people not to spread false teachings, 4 nor to occupy themselves with myths and interminable genealogies. Such things promote useless speculations rather than God’s redemptive plan that operates by faith. 5 But the aim of our instruction is love that comes from a pure heart, a good conscience, and a sincere faith. 6 Some have strayed from these and turned away to empty discussion. 7 They want to be teachers of the law, but they do not understand what they are saying or the things they insist on so confidently.
8 But we know that the law is good if someone uses it legitimately, 9 realizing that law is not intended for a righteous person, but for lawless and rebellious people, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers, 10 sexually immoral people, practicing homosexuals, kidnappers, liars, perjurers—in fact, for any who live contrary to sound teaching. 11 This accords with the glorious gospel of the blessed God that was entrusted to me.