Supposed teachers of the Law

I haven't expounded on my study of late, so today I hope to clear up a very important issue for some people. The issue is the teaching of the Law (which for ease of understanding, the Ten Commandments can be seen as the example of the Law) to Christians for application. I'll be looking primarily at 1 Timothy 1:2-11. I encourage all to study the Scriptures and see if what I say here is true. I strongly encourage you to reference the Greek instead of some "modern" translations.

As I besought you to abide still at Ephesus, when I went into Macedonia. That you might charge some that they teach no other doctrine. Neither give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which minister questions rather than godly edifying which is in faith: so do.

It's amazing to me how quickly we turn to our own understanding. We want things to be "safe". We want things to be in our control. News flash! The world is neither safe, nor at all in our control. Paul gets to this point next;

Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned: From which some having swerved have turned aside to vain jangling;

We see here Paul tells us that even just "swerving" from the basis for our faith is the same as turning aside from it and going on to "vain jangling". But what is Paul getting at? He makes his point clearly next.

Desiring to be teachers of the Law; understanding neither what they say, nor whereof they affirm.

Paul explains the "vain jangling" to be teaching Mosaic Law without understanding it or even understanding what they use to affirm their supposed teaching. Now these people were "teaching" Christians at Ephesus to "follow" the Law and Paul was writing to Timothy instructing him to deal with them.

But we know that the law is good, if a man use it lawfully.

Paul is clear to say that the Law has it's place, it's "Lawful" use. He also explains it's use in Gal 3:23-25 saying "But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed. Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster." Paul explained there that the Law is not for a Christian. The Law is useful only to condemn and thereby bring us to knowledge of our need for Christ.

Paul, leaving nothing to guess, then explains who the Law is actually for. Watch this closely as his teaching will come full circle giving Timothy the authority he needs to confront the supposed teachers of the Law.

Knowing this, that the Law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawlesss and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers, and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, for whoremongers, for them that defile themselves with mankind, for menstealers, for liars, for perjured persons, and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine;

Paul names sinful nature and finishes with "if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine;" What is "sound doctrine"? Paul explains in the next verse;

According to the glorious Gospel of the blessed God, which was committed to my trust.

We need to look at what the "glorious Gospel" is that God entrusted to Paul. The Glorious Gospel entrusted to Paul is found in I Cor 15:1-8. The fact that it is by Grace ALONE and not works is found in Eph 2:8,9. This is the basics of what the Apostle Paul tells the Pastor Timothy is "sound doctrine"

Now getting to the point of this short study, in verse 5-6 Paul tells of these people turning aside from an "unfeigned" faith to teaching the Law without understanding. The Pharisees used the Law to "feign" righteousness. They kept commandments visibly so people would see just how "holy" they were. Now Paul tells Timothy to "charge" these people who would teach Christians to do the same.

The Law is comprised of God's "moral absolutes", and therefore is good. But it's use is to bring the sinner to knowledge and understanding of the need for the Cross. It's been said, and I agree, the Law takes a man to the foot of the Cross but can take him no further. Grace and Faith is what saves him from that dreadful position and his just fate.

So, Brethren (if you ARE a believer), the next time someone says "Thou Shalt Not" to you in order that you might change your behavior encourage that person to "check themselves to see if they be in the faith". Then take their admonishment to heart and do the same for yourself. If you are not submitting to the Spirit it will be "visible" by things in your life which are contrary to God's "moral absolutes". Get yourself straight and get on with it. But don't try to obey Mosaic Law, it's impossible for one thing and worse - if you try to keep even just one part of it you are bound to keep all of it. That's 613 rules you'd have to follow because the Law is indivisible.