The path of faith is often blocked by the fallen rocks of doubt about doctrine. Sometimes we struggle so hard to understand the truth, we wonder if we can really "know the truth"
Three principles from
Firstly Paul tells Timothy, "Continue in the things you have learned, and become convinced of, knowing from whom you learned them"
Timothy was very fortunate as a child in having been grounded in the truth by his grandmother Lois and his mother Eunice
Now, what if Timothy had said, "I'm going to mistrust, even forget, everything I have been taught, and go back to scratch; I'm going to search it all out for myself". This might sound very noble, but it is actually very foolish. If we were taught rubbish when we were young, or (God forbid) taught wickedness, then of course we must repudiate that teaching. But those of us who were taught accurately and faithfully the word of Christ, should continue in those things and be good stewards of the blessed legacy passed down to us by a previous generation
By all means, of course, go back over what you have been taught. Study it again, convince yourself again of its value and truth. But do not repudiate it, thinking that because it is old it has lost its value and you can find something better in this modern age. When we have had good teachers to guide us, our response should be to "esteem them very highly in love"
Secondly, Paul tells Timothy, "From childhood you have known the holy scriptures which are able to make you wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus... All scripture is inspired of God... that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work"
Here is a blessing many of us share with Timothy. We have the scriptures, inspired of God, to teach and guide us. We have learned to read and write. We have a mind able to think. We have a Bible of our own to examine and study. Not everyone has this blessing, but most of us do and it is by no means as rare as the first blessing we considered. Even if for the present we lack good teachers, we have the inspired word. Paul would say to us, "I commend you to God and to the word of his grace which is able to build you up and give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified"
Now, what if Timothy had said, "I don't think anybody has got all the answers; things are not all that straightforward and clearcut. It's not possible to have so many documents from so long ago and so well copied that we can trust them." This might strike you as plausible. Nobody respects a simplistic
Of course there are some statements in the Bible that seem quite arcane. I've never understood what is meant by "the sons of God saw the daughters of men"
Thirdly, Paul tells Timothy, "The time will come when people will not endure sound teaching, but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will gather teachers for themselves as they desire, and they will turn away their ears from the truth, and be turned aside to fables..."
We can be so blessed, and so confident in our blessedness, that we forget that there are also likely to be problems down the track. We can get so warm and comfortable in our blessings that we are not watchful and prepared for the problems. So we are finishing this lesson by noting how Paul includes, in his encouragement to Timothy, a stern warning not to allow his blessings past and present to make him complacent about problems in the future. When we have this warning, when we know that sooner or later doctrinal errors will arise, how
Now, what if Timothy took a soft approach when new strange doctrines arose? What if he said, "Well I think it's only fair to accommodate every point of view, and let every one put his or her case." This might sound very fair and grown up. But it's assuming an environment full of love for the truth. In such an environment it is safe and even gainful to allow this open approach. However, when there are liars, hypocrites and deceivers doing the talking, how foolish to let yourself and others be indoctrinated and seduced by them? Although I say, "new doctrines" they only seem to be new. In most cases they are old doctrines dressed up in new clothes. They have been examined already, and found to be false. So before they turn up again, we should have prepared ourselves and others to recognise and to answer them, to show their error, and to get rid of them before they lead
We must protect each new generation from future error, by laying again a strong foundation, supplied by the sound doctrine taught us in the past, and from the ever present and unchanging scriptures with their