It appears that Paul left Timothy in Ephesus with the responsibility to “charge some that they teach no other doctrine (than the gospel)”. 1 Timothy 1:3 Just who would these teachers, be?? Mentioned were Hymenaeus and Alexander, preachers in the churches of Christ. Timothy was to do the work Paul had assigned him and that he was one of the most effective workers of this team of servants is told us by Paul. Paul and Timothy saw the gospel spreading at an almost unbelievable rate during this time, but while the gospel had the potential to spread as never before, it also came under attack by heretical doctrines that threatened to force their way into the churches and destroy the progress that had been made! That Paul would devote letters to brethren made responsible by the apostles of whom they were personal representatives, shows the kind of leader God had made of His apostles. Timothy was a kid, we do not know how old some of the preachers in that area were, but some had “mocked” Timothy’s preparation and authority. Paul told Timothy: “let no man despise thy youth”. One just does not walk into an area, call down other preachers (it would not matter if they were right or wrong) UNLESS they had authority over them!!
Paul’s description of the deceivers who were teaching “false doctrines” is very striking. It suggests they were teaching something “other” than what the Holy Spirit had delivered and no one was correcting the situation!! What they were teaching was probably speculation and was even outside the realm of common sense. Latent in it’s “stupidity’, therefore, was a kind of impenetrable nature (you know, something you can’t just put your hands on). Fighting against speculation with common sense and logic is often useless; the very premise of reason is foreign to those obligated to their own speculations. Both Greek and Hebrew thought agree: one argues in vain with stupidity!! Proverbs 27:22 Any cogent response to speculations such as these is only wasted; thus, the very system supporting them must be rejected. Some false teaching deserves no other acknowledgement. The system that seemed to support these false teachers was the Church of Christ. Paul HAD to resolve that problem!!
Paul passed on to Timothy a commandment, an order (paragelian: 1 Timothy 1:18 The term fits with Paul’s military imagery: the higher ranking officer was passing on a command to those under his command, or lower ranking officers assigned with responsibility of seeing the senior officers commands strictly carried out!! Officers are different than enlisted men (regulars as they sometimes are called). Their “rank” is not assumed, it is sometimes NOT earned. They just start at that positon/station. No enlisted man is their commander. The command or the task to which Timothy was entrusted was first and foremost to guard the truth of the gospel against the false teachers, (preachers unrestrained by their desires, motivated by their on aggrandizement).1 Timothy 1:3 Timothy’s orders involved supervising the conduct of these believers in the house of God (what they were teaching the Church), 1 Timothy 3:15. Doctrinal instruction and practical teaching thus are joined in these epistles as integral components of Timothy’s success. Timothy was NOT just an itinerant evangelist whose only qualification was that he was special to Paul!! He was NOT just an enlisted man, Timothy, Titus, Demas (for a while), Luke, and Mark were junior officers with orders to obey and be carried out!! Titus 1:5 Did they wear a “special” name (like reverend), clothing (wear their shirts with collars on backward), or not be married?? As I know it, Timothy may have had a misses, could have had children, it was not a qualification!!
