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
Hold on to what you know
Firstly Paul tells Timothy,
"Continue in the things
you have learned,
and become convinced of,
knowing from whom
you learned them"
(2Tim 3:14)
Timothy was very fortunate as a child in having been grounded in the truth by his grandmother Lois and his mother Eunice
I was similarly blessed, having been brought up in a Christian home and then in my youth having had the close daily companionship of mature and sound men of God
Not everyone has benefited from these past blessings. But those of us who have been so blest like Timothy
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
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
When we have had good teachers to guide us, our response should be to "esteem them very highly in love"
Be Bible wise
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"
(2Tm 3:15-17)
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
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 should we do with this blessing? We have the writings of Moses, of the prophets and poets of old, the records of Jesus's life and teaching, the letters of the apostles, and a record of visions
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
This might strike you as plausible. Nobody respects a simplistic
The truth is that someone does have all the answers, and he, Jesus, has not failed to pass them on to us. We can be wise unto salvation and receive light. The gospel dispells darkness. The scriptures enlighten those who search them for the way to
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"
People who study the Bible seriously never claim to have all the answers to every Bible question that could possibly be asked. But they can find the answers to all the
If your car broke down, and you called the Royal Automobile Club for roadside service, would you expect the mechanic who came to your rescue to know the answer to every conceivable question about cars, or be able to find them all in the manuals? No, you'd want, him to fix your car and get you on the road again. Who cares what he doesn't know, if he knows how to do that? Likewise, who cares what the scriptures don't make clear, so long as they clearly show us how to obtain eternal life and joy, and make us
Be wary of new doctrines
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..."
(2Tm 4:1-4)
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
Although we call them "new doctrines" false doctrines 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 recognize 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