June 18, 2021
Scripture: O Timothy, guard the deposit entrusted to you. Avoid the irreverent babble and contradictions of what is falsely called “knowledge,” for by professing it some have swerved from the faith. 1 Timothy 6:20-21 ESV
Observation: Here, Paul addresses particular heretical teaching that was gaining popularity at the time of his writing: Gnosticism. Some who professed to be followers of Christ claimed that salvation came through gaining secret, divine knowledge. They also argued that the physical body was to be rejected in favor of our spiritual being and that Christ merely appeared to dwell in a human body. While this worldview may seem outlandish and irrelevant in modern times, we see threads of its heresy in Christian cults that rise and fall around us.
Takeaway: For our orthodox church, guard the Gospel with grace. When we quarrel over the nonessentials of our faith or split hairs over the essentials, the enemy wins—as evidenced by the multitude of schisms that have given birth to new denominations. Still, we need the likes of Paul to “guard the deposit entrusted to us”, to defend the core tenents of our faith, but with humility and gentleness. When we do, we will turn others toward Christ.
Prayer: Father God, embolden us to guard your Gospel with grace. Amen.
Rev. Gordon Green, M.Div., M.A. Counseling
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