“Keep a close watch
on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by doing so you will save
both yourself and your hearers” (1 Timothy 4:16, ESV)
This last verse of chapter 4 is a very powerful reminder for us today – preachers and teachers, especially and all Christians, generally. Previously, the apostle Paul tells Timothy to “devote [himself] to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching” (v.13, bracket mine) and do “not neglect the gift” (v.14) that God has given to him. And now, Paul wants him to “keep a close watch” or “take heed” (NKJV) these two things:
1) His Life, and
2) His Teaching or Doctrine
Nowadays, people are so fearful of the word ‘doctrine.’ Currently, I’m reading Charles C. Ryrie’s A Survey of Bible Doctrine, and one of my friends who saw the book asked me during our coffee hang out if I’m thinking of applying for a pastoral position. I said no and he replied, “Then why are you reading on Bible doctrine?” Once I heard a preacher said to the congregations that he just wants to share ‘practical’ lessons from the Bible and not about ‘theology’ or ‘doctrine.’ Again, during Bible Study, a student shared in the big group that she doesn’t like to study Bible doctrine because “I’m just a regular Christian, not a preacher.” You can find these examples everywhere in Christendom. To most people, the word ‘doctrine’ conjures up visions of technicality, difficulty, and dogmatism. Maybe it’s our fault – preachers and teachers – that give people bad or negative impressions about the word in the pulpit, writings, or social media.
“Far from being dry and abstract,” explains Millard J. Erickson in his well-known book Introduction to Christian Doctrine, “Christian doctrine deals with the most fundamental issues of life: who am I, what is the ultimate meaning of the universe, where am I going?” As such, good doctrine is very essential, critical, and important because it will influence how we answer these fundamental questions. Christian doctrine “deals with general or timeless truths about God and the rest of reality” added Millard. Where to get a sound, healthy and life-giving doctrine? Only in one chief place: The Holy Scripture, the perfect written Word of God. It is God’s special revelation of Himself and the reality of everything in life. Elsewhere Paul wrote: “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16). What happened if we don’t “keep a close watch” on the doctrine? It may cause us and our hearers to “depart from the faith” (4:1a). Instead of devoting ourselves to reading and teaching the Scripture (4:13), we may unintentionally devote ourselves to “deceitful spirits and teachings (or doctrines) of demons” (4:1b).
But don’t forget this: “Keep a close watch on yourself” too. If Timothy only keeps a close watch on the doctrine and not himself, he is a hypocrite. And there were a lot of religious hypocrites during Paul’s time… not to mention ours’ too. Our doctrine can be God-centred, Christ-exalted, and Spirit-filled but if it doesn’t match with our actions, we are deceiving ourselves, being deceived and a stumbling block to others. Preacher’s Homiletical Commentary puts it this way: “1. Actions are more intelligible than words; 2. The language of life is more convincing than the language of the lip; 3. The teaching of the life is available in many cases in which the teaching of the lip cannot or ought not to be attempted.” So, take heed of these two things, don’t separate the two, “persist” or “continue in them” (KJV), for “by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers.” It’s not just about you.
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