Tuesday 16th February 2021
GODLY EDIFICATION
Scripture Reading: 1 Timothy 1
As I urged you when I went into Macedonia—remain in Ephesus that you may charge some that they teach no other doctrine, nor give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which cause disputes rather than godly edification which is in faith. (1 Timothy 1:3–4)
The early Church had some of the problems we have in the Church today. Some people taught doctrines that were not centered on Christ Jesus.
Some of the preachers did not take time to understand the message of Christ and went about teaching error. Part of Paul’s charge to Timothy was for him to emphasize the real message of Christ.
The Apostle Paul described some of the wrong messages that were preached as ‘fables and endless genealogies’. The fables mentioned in the passage refer to some of the Greek myths of the time. The endless genealogies had to do with the demands of the Jewish tradition.
Jews were very particular about a person’s ancestry. They used people’s genealogies to determine who was blessed and who was not. Some believed that a person’s lineage could bring them into a curse.
The Gospel makes God the Father of all those who believe in Christ. When we give our lives to the Lord, we are made one with Him and all believers.
In that sense, Christ becomes the head of our genealogy. We came out of Him, belong to Him and live our lives in Him. That is what the Christian faith teaches. We are blessed in Christ, and in Him, all generational curses are broken.
The message of the church should be a message of godly edification. It is a message that builds us up in the Lord and makes us confident of His power at work in us. This is what Paul wanted Timothy to teach in his church at Ephesus.
It is also what the Lord wants us to believe in and practice as our faith in this time. Any message that destroys the believer’s confidence in the finished work of Christ must not be tolerated.
The message of the church must strengthen our faith. We must not accept any doctrine that makes us dispute the sufficiency of our salvation in Christ or the efficacy of the name of Jesus.
Christ is our all in all. He is our completion.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, I reject every doctrine that holds me captive to fear and myths. I trust in the sufficiency of your grace. In Jesus’ name, Amen!
