Warning and Sanctifying Growth

1 Timothy 1:3-7    
3 As I urged you when I went into Macedonia—remain in Ephesus that you may charge some that they teach no other doctrine, 4 nor give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which cause disputes rather than godly edification which is in faith. 5 Now the purpose of the commandment is love from a pure heart, from a good conscience, and from sincere faith, 6 from which some, having strayed, have turned aside to idle talk, 7 desiring to be teachers of the law, understanding neither what they say nor the things which they affirm.

Paul charged Timothy to deal with false teachers in Ephesus who did not stick to biblical doctrine as handed down from Genesis to Christ to the apostles, which we now have as the complete bible.  They were stuck in Old Testament genealogical debates and mandates, missing the larger picture of who Christ is as both son of man and Son of God.  They taught more stories than scriptural truths, and ended up only arguing instead of building each other up in a godly way by trusting God’s words.  He then spells out what God’s commands culminate in and what the ultimate end is - that we love sincerely, purely, in faith and from a clear conscience of motive and action.  Those who miss this and teach otherwise end up as stray sheep, bleating aimlessly away and imagining themselves to be great teachers, but not even knowing what they are saying.  We have a more certain word of hope in the scriptures, and must follow them instead.  That is the warning and guidance for sanctifying growth of God’s church.