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#3. The Doctrine.
The Place of Stewardship.
pp. 65 - 67
In this article we turn from the negative to the positive. Passing by the "other
doctrine", the "fables and the endless genealogies which minister questions", we observe
the sequel--"rather than a godly edifying which is in faith" (I Tim. 1: 4).
As the passage stand "godly edifying in faith" is placed as the goal of the true ministry
of Christ instead of the erroneous teaching so rigorously set aside. A reference, however,
to the Greek text reveals that a yet fuller and deeper meaning was in the apostle's charge
to Timothy. Instead of reading oikodomian, "edifying", the best Greek texts read
oikonomian, "dispensation" or "stewardship". "Godly" is a rather wide rendering of
Theou which should be translated "of God". The passage therefore reads:--
"Rather than that dispensation of God which is in faith."
This is a most important passage for the servant of Christ. To catch the meaning of
the apostle better it will be necessary to be in the same position as Timothy, who
understood to what the "endless genealogies" referred. Quoting from Lewin's Life and
Epistles of St. Paul, Volume II, we find:--
"The Gnostics or men of knowledge (gnosis) were so called from their claiming to be
the sole depositories of the knowledge of the true God. The apostle tells Timothy `avoid
profane and vain babblings, and oppositions of knowledge (gnoseos) falsely so called',
and again `they profess that they know God, but in works they deny Him'. The system of
the Gnostics was compounded of many heterogeneous ingredients. Platonic philosophy,
Cabbalistic fables of the Jews, Oriental philosophy and Christianity.
In the course of time God, called Bythos or Depth, by acting upon His own mind,
which was called Sige or Silence, produced two other beings of different sexes,
denominated AEons or Emanations, and from these two by successive descents sprang a
series of other AEons. It may readily be imagined that when human intellect attempted
by its own efforts to trace the celestial pedigree, there arose infinite disputations as to the
number of the AEons and the order of their procession."
Lewin sets out the fourteen pairs of AEons which we omit here, also a great deal of
information regarding the Gnostic teaching concerning the coming of Christ in the flesh.
The feature of great importance to us is that here is a rival claim to the PURPOSE OF
THE AGES (aeons) and to the dispensational dealings of God with man. Instead of
giving heed to their speculations concerning the ages, their character and purpose, give
heed to that dispensation which is in faith.
Gnosticism may not be professed to-day under that name, but all speculation that
departs from the written Word as to these things is the same in nature and effect. Every
servant of Christ must be prepared to find that as soon as he attempts to unfold the
"dispensation of God", there will at the same time arise those who by superadding their
own speculations to the revealed teaching of Scripture give ground for disputation, draw
aside disciples after themselves and cause the way of truth to be evil spoken of. The