Please turn with me to Paul’s first letter to Timothy, chapter 1 and verse 3. It reads: As I urged you when I went into Macedonia-remain in Ephesus that you may charge some that they teach no other doctrine.
Paul started the church at Ephesus, stayed there for 3 years ministering to the needs of the people there; expounding God’s word and performing mighty miracles in the name of Jesus. Everyone around heard the word of God, repented and became followers of Christ. But the Ephesians’ church slowly slid away from the true gospel entrusted to them…they began embracing strange doctrine and spending time in useless teachings.
Paul is concerned about the state of affairs at Ephesus and asks Timothy to stay there and make sure that they teach no other doctrine than what Paul had taught them. In his second letter to Timothy, Paul confesses that he prayed for them night and day (2 Tim. 1:3). Paul himself is a prisoner in Rome; 4 years after he left Ephesus, he writes a letter to the church at Ephesus. We find it in the Bible-the book of Ephesians; a unique letter of Paul, thanking God for the faith and love growing in the Ephesian church (Eph 1: 15, 16).
The book of Epheisans is unique in the sense that there are neither any admonitions by Paul; nor any difficulty or problem, in the church, being addressed (as is the case of other letters of Paul)… but Paul shares the glorious gospel of the Lord Jesus to the church at Ephesus; he starts with a prayer for them to have spiritual insight and ending with assurance on the believer’s armor. The 6 chapters of Ephesians is a treasure-house of spiritual understanding-the first 3 chapters talks about our tremendous position in Christ; and the next 3 about how our performance should match our position in Christ.
There is little doubt that the church in Ephesus was nothing short of a vibrant and growing Church. Yet, four years later (after his letter to Ephesians), Paul writes to Timothy urging him to stay in Ephesus. The slide had started…The church at Ephesus had a good start-founded by Apostle Paul himself; they had a good run-when Paul was present during the initial three years and later with other leaders in the church. But then, slowly they slid down from their exalted position…
Today, its my burden to share how we ought to be careful as a church, not to stray from the FAITH.
1. Do not stray towards idle talk
Life here is a journey; if you do not know the final destination you are in danger of losing your way… if you do not know the purpose of God’s word, you are in danger of straying away…from the true gospel.
1 Timothy 1:5, 6 says, “Now the purpose of the commandment is love from a pure heart, from a good conscience, and from sincere faith, from which some having strayed, have turned aside to idle talk”
Idle talk, useless talk, controversial questions and answers, fruitless discussions-they all lead to one thing-false doctrine. Paul’s instruction to Timothy is clear and straight – “O Timothy! Guard what was committed to your trust, avoiding the profane and idle babblings and contradictions of what is falsely called knowledge-by professing it some have strayed concerning the faith…” (1 Tim. 6:20, 21).
2. Do not stray towards a ‘dead’ conscience
‘…wage the good warfare, having faith and a good conscience, which some having rejected, concerning the faith have suffered ship-wreck…’ (1 Timothy 1: 19)
Paul likens the Christian life here on earth to a journey by sea; and you are on a ship. There is no sight of land…deep waters surround you. It is then, we must have faith AND a good conscience. God has promised that He will protect us all the days of our life. The fight for faith must be fought and won with a good conscience!
3. Do not stray towards the love of money
‘For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.’ (1 Timothy 6:10)
Ephesus was a commercial city, maybe much like the city of Mumbai now. Trade and commerce filled the minds of the people and there was always the temptation to have more and more… I can imagine the people at Ephesus being careful with money consciously, as long as Paul was there; and even later-for you find no reference to greed and money and mammon in the letter of Paul to Ephesians.
But sure enough, the warning from Paul came at the right time through Timothy who counsels them that ‘Godliness with contentment is great gain’ (1 Tim. 6:6). Jesus says, No one can serve two masters…You cannot serve God and mammon. (Matt. 6:24). This is the chapter where Jesus says, ‘Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness…’ (Matt 6:33).
So we have a choice-choose mammon, or choose God; hold on to God, or pursue after money… to seek first God’s Kingdom; to seek first His righteousness, or to follow after all ‘these’ things… to keep our heart free from greed, or to grab and grasp even what is not ours! The choice is ours! If you cannot be trusted with worldly riches, who will entrust to you the true riches?
4. Do not stray towards false doctrines
‘Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons’ (1 Tim. 4:1)
The church at Ephesus had a problem of ‘too much’ doctrine – they began giving heed to strange knowledge about marriage, eating habits and holiness. Paul judges them thus: hypocrites ; men with a ‘dead’ conscience-having their conscience seared with a hot iron (v2). These ‘teachers’ taught that to be holy, one should not marry, and must abstain from certain foods, ‘which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth’ (v3). There were some who propagated the idea that resurrection of the dead had already taken place...
Do not be deceived by the doctrines of demons! We do not judge anyone right or wrong according to world’s standards; but we judge ourselves against the revealed word of God in our hearts. The kingdom of God is not in eating and drinking; and man is not defiled by what goes into his mouth. The Kingdom of God is righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Ghost.
Finally, Paul implores Timothy to guard himself against straying. ‘O Timothy! Guard what was committed to your trust,…’ (1 Timothy 6:20,21). Sadly, the church at Ephesus did not ‘get’ what Paul was talking about! They kept on straying and sliding…
Apostle John in the Revelation of Jesus Christ, prophecies again to the church at Ephesus! This was some 40 years after Paul’s letters… Jesus speaking to the church at Ephesus “…I have THIS against you, that you have left your first love” (Rev. 2:4). Indeed they had STRAYED!
The Ephesian church had a wonderful start and great teachings. They persevered and had patience; did not tolerate evil, but labored for His name’s sake…yes, these are some good things Jesus appreciates about the church at Ephesus (Rev. 2: 2, 3). Yet when it came to ‘FIRST’ – they had other things in mind! A warning and an opportunity is given again to the church:
- Remember from where you have fallen
- Repent and do the first works
Friends, it does matter how we start the race…but it matters much more how we finish it. Paul urges Timothy to fight the good fight of faith. Paul himself triumphantly declares, ‘I have fought the good fight, I have kept the faith…now a crown…’
Even Paul foretold what will happen to the church at Ephesus. ‘For I know this, that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. Also from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves. Therefore watch, and remember that for three years I did not cease to warn everyone night and day with tears.’ (Acts 20: 29, 30, 31)
The church at Ephesus had it all – a good start, solid foundation of God’s word, good works and patience, commendations and exhortations, warnings and call to repentance; from Paul, from Timothy and from Jesus Christ, through the prophecy of Apostle John; yet they would squander all by continuing to stray away. Finally their lamp-stand was taken away…
We too are warned that in the end times there will be people who are not lovers of God, but lovers of themselves, lovers of money, lovers of pleasures… Let us take heed to these warnings; take time to be holy…let us be steadfast in our faith and keep a good conscience; let us not fall into any kind of deception…Let us not deceive ourselves by thinking we will never be deceived… ‘let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall’ (1 Cor. 10:12). It is time now to think and choose…
‘He who has an ear, let him hear…’ (Rev. 2:7); the choice is ours-to hear and obey; or to turn a deaf ear and stray… You know, we can read from Genesis to Revelation and still miss the message… The last chapter in the Bible has this warning: ‘He who is unjust, let him be unjust still; he who is filthy, let him be filthy still; he who is righteous, let him be righteous still; he who is holy, let him be holy still.’ Rev. 22:11
He is the Alpha and the Omega – the First and the Last, the beginning and the end. May God help us to guard what has been committed to each one of us; help us fight the good fight of faith. May God bless each one of you and make you a blessing. Amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment