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admonition to Timothy to take a little wine for his stomach's sake, and to refuse nothing
that God has given, would be looked upon as pandering to the flesh. What would have
been said of the word, "richly to enjoy", we cannot imagine. Here is the source of
apostacy that shall arise as the apostle warned the Ephesians, "out of your own selves".
The source from without is dealt with in other parts of the epistle, which combine
together in the dark picture of the latter times. We must deal with these features in their
turn. For the moment we seek guidance for the tried and troubled servants of God. What
is to be his attitude towards this subtle error? Surely the Scriptures are plain! "Avoid".
"Shun", "Refuse". "Withdraw thyself", "Purge himself". What has been given to the
ministry of truth as a sheet anchor in the day of stress? Two passages in I Tim. 6: seem
to provide the necessary answer:--
"If any man teach otherwise (same word as in I Tim. 1: 3), and consent not to
wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is
according to godliness, he is blinded with pride, and understands nothing" (vv. 3 & 4).
"O Timothy, keep that which is committed to thy trust, avoiding profane and vain
babblings, and the antitheses of falsely-named `knowledge', which some professing have
erred concerning the faith" (verses 20 and 21).
We here approach the positive side of Paul's instructions to Timothy. Up to this point
we have dealt with that which is negative in character--"Avoid", "Shun", etc., and a
description of the teaching that was "other" or heterodox. We must now consider the
other side of the question, and as it is so important to us, and demands careful attention,
we will do this in our next article. Meanwhile let the servant of God give heed to this
"Charge". To indulge in conflicts, "gallings one of another", and disputations, is to
depart from the position given us by the Word. Many a meeting which has split up into
useless fragments might have been giving an undivided witness to-day had the one in
charge given heed to the warning of the apostle to his son in the faith:--
"Charge some that they teach no other doctrine" (1: 3).
It will be observed by reading verses 10 and 11 that this "doctrine" covers the
"gospel". "No other doctrine" includes "no other gospel" (Gal. 1:, 2:). It is not for us to
judge another man's servant. The Lord may have sent some to preach the gospel of the
Kingdom or the gospel of the Circumcision--we do not know. What we do know is that
so far as we are concerned the edifying of the body of Christ cannot be accomplished by
"other doctrine", and the "Word of truth, the gospel of your salvation" is none other than
that preached by the apostle Paul.