Sermon or Lesson:  1 Timothy 6:4b-5b (NIV based)
[Lesson Questions included]

TITLE:  Compelled To Defend, Propelled To Promote, Corrupted Pervasively
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READ:  1 Timothy 6:4b-5b, with vv.3-4a for context

BACKGROUND:
From the previous study of verses 3-4a, we learned that:
- - People who teach false doctrines can be anyone that has a means by which they communicate religious teaching to people who listen to them.
- - By their nature, teachers of false doctrines typically are un-teachable, stubbornly entrenched in their false doctrine, and oblivious to what godliness truly is.
- - Teachers of false doctrines typically are enabled by their serious deficiency in their knowledge of the Scriptures to erroneously convince themselves that their doctrines are sound, true, and correct.
- - From their obliviousness, pride, and ignorance, teachers of false doctrines convince themselves that they are promoting sound doctrines.
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v.4b - READ

[Lesson Question:  Contemplate and analyze why teachers of false doctrines typically are prone to engage in "controversies and quarrels about words"?]

SECTION POINT:  By their nature, teachers of false doctrines use debating and arguing as a primary means by which to establish themselves as credible teachers of Scriptures.

"He has an unhealthy interest in controversies and quarrels about words"
- - In addition to being conceited and devoid of correct spiritual understanding, teachers of false doctrines also typically "have an unhealthy interest in controversies and quarrels about words".
- - Their grandiose self-assessment carries over no only into them thinking they know everything about what doctrines of the faith are or should be, but it also pervades their conduct, energizing them to seek out, initiate, and pursue controversies and quarrels about the meaning of words that comprise or support their false doctrines.
 - - Because their doctrines are "different" (v.3, Strong's #2085) and because they intensely desire to be viewed as knowledgeable in the Scriptures (v.1:7), these teachers are both compelled to defend their false doctrines and propelled to promote their false doctrines.
- - These compelling and propelling forces naturally create "an unhealthy interest" in engaging in controversies and quarrels about doctrines, a "sick or diseased appetite" for "disputing, debating, and arguing" about various aspects of doctrines.  (Strong's #3552, #2214)
- - Essentially, teachers of false doctrines grow to enjoy debating and arguing about the merits of their doctrines, which then evolves into a skill.
- - Becoming very adept at debating and arguing, these teachers masterfully manipulate words and sentences, and twist their meaning into pronouncing and appearing to verify that their false doctrine is in fact completely true and correct.
- - And just like Satan did in the Garden of Eden to Eve, these teachers invent and wield technicalities to support their contention for their false doctrines.  (see vv.1,4,5 in Genesis 3:1-6)
- - So, their refined skills at masterfully debating and arguing for the merits of their false doctrines feed their conceit and feed their delusion that they understand Scriptures and doctrines, which build, fortify, and project a corresponding aura of glorification for themselves.
- - Thereby, through that glorification derived from the various aspects of their masterful or effective debating skills, these teachers of false doctrines establish themselves as being authentic, credible, and highly-knowledgeable "teachers of the law", when in reality "they do not know what they are talking about or what they so confidently affirm".  (1 Timothy 1:7)
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vv.4c-5a - READ

[Lesson Question:  Define and analyze each of the listed words in verses 4c-5a that describe the results from teachers of false doctrines debating and arguing about their false doctrines.]

SECTION POINT:  Through the debating and arguing about their false doctrines, teachers of false doctrines are responsible for the occurrence of a variety of evils in the churches and ministries that they are in.

"that result in envy, strife, malicious talk, evil suspicions and constant friction"
- - From their motivated and energized activities of seeking out, initiating, and pursuing controversies and quarrels about the meaning of words that comprise or support their false doctrines, the teachers of false doctrines effect and cause the producing of "envy, strife, malicious talk, evil suspicions and constant friction".  (see Strong's #1537 and #3739 and #1096 - "out" "of which" "causes to be")
- - Their teaching, promoting, defending, and proselytizing activities of their false doctrines generate, perpetrate, accentuate, and prolong the occurrence of evil, in a variety of forms.
-- Teachers of false doctrine are responsible for the occurrence of:
- - - - "envy"; "jealousy; ill-will" towards other persons (Strong's #5355); "discontent and resentment aroused by and in conjunction with desire for the possessions or qualities of another person" (AHD - 'envy');
- - - - "strife"; "quarrelling"; "angry and noisy arguing or disputing" (Strong's #2054 with AHD - 'wrangle'); "heated, often violent dissension; bitter conflict; discord; struggle, fight, or quarrel; contention or competition between rivals" (AHD - 'strife');
- - - - "malicious talk"; "evil-speakings"; "making deliberately vicious, harmful, spiteful, and defamatory statements about someone";  (Strong's #0988 with AHD - 'vilification', 'malicious')
- - - - "evil suspicions"; in an evil manner or with evil intentions, and with little evidence or no proof, "suspecting someone of wrongdoing ";  (Strong's #4190 and #5283 with AHD - 'suspicion')
- - - - "constant friction"; "protracted wrangling and wearing (fatigue causing) discussion"; badly or wrongly employed usage of time, effort, and activity; inclined to meddle or interfere in the affairs of others.  (AMP; Strong's #3859 with AHD - 'misemployment', 'meddlesomeness')

- - Certainly, these kinds of sinful and evil activities generated from teachers of false doctrines can occur wherever they are, which would include within churches, ministries, Bible studies groups, and etc.
- - It is interesting to note from these Scripture phrases that while striving to establish themselves as credible "teachers of the law", God says the reality is that teachers of false doctrines are instead actually perpetrators of evil.
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v.5a-b - READ

[Lesson Question:  Contemplate, analyze, and formulate the ramifications for teachers of false doctrines in regard to the effects that having a "corrupt mind" and being "robbed of the truth" have on the other doctrines that they hold.]

SECTION POINT:  Directly correlating to their adopting of false doctrine, teachers of false doctrine are pervasively corrupted in their thinking and pervasively deprived of the truth.

of "men of corrupt mind,"  (Note: A Greek word containing the meaning "between" (NIV) is not in nor implied in the original Greek.)
- - Clearly, God pronounces here that people who teach false doctrines have been corrupted in their "mind" - their "thinking and intellect".  (Strong's #3563)
- - Their thinking has been corrupted pervasively, being "thoroughly rotted; ruined; decayed utterly; and perverted".  (Strong's #1311)
- - Therefore by conclusion, every word, phrase, and sentence about Scriptures and doctrines that come out of their mouths have within them or behind them an ingredient and a taint and an influence of spiritual pollution and corruption and perversion.
- - Teachers of false doctrines may be standing up in front of the crowd eloquently discoursing a sermon or lesson from Scriptures, but God says here that in fact all of the contents of their speaking are in some manner intrinsically corrupted and polluted and tainted.  (cf. vv.11-12 in James 3:9-12)
- - And being the source from which comes "controversies, quarrels", "envy, strife, malicious talk, evil suspicions, and constant friction", then teachers of false doctrines certainly should be halted and prevented from teaching anything within the church or ministry.

"who have been robbed of the truth"
- - God additionally declares here that teachers of false doctrines "have been robbed of the truth".
- - Again, teachers of false doctrines convince themselves that they have a firm grip on the truth and that their doctrines are solidly true, which of course they contend should make them the privileged and highly-knowledgeable dispensers of truth.
- - But as usual, they are seriously in error about reality that God declares is happening, which is that they have been "deprived" of the truth.  (Strong's #0650)
- - Because of their false doctrine, they do not possess truth and instead they possess falseness and error.
- - And because doctrines have to fit together, if they possess falseness in one doctrine, then there has to exist falseness in some of the other doctrines that they hold.
- - So, being allowed to teach in churches and ministries, how can teachers of false doctrine teach the truth when they "have been robbed of the truth" in several and perhaps numerous other doctrines that connect with their false doctrines?  (cf. v.4:6)
- - Their minds have been both corrupted and robbed of the truth, so why allow them to teach anything in the church or ministry?
- - Their corruption is pervasive and their deprivation of the truth is pervasive.
- - Logically then, teachers of false doctrine should furthermore be promptly removed from membership in the church or ministry.
- - And they should only be allow to attend and observe in the church or ministry if they completely abstain from voicing, communicating, and promoting all of their false doctrines.
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BIG IDEA:  From a pervasive corruption of their thinking, teachers of false doctrines perpetrate a variety of evil behaviors in order to establish themselves as credible teachers of Scriptures in the churches and ministries that they are in.

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APPLICATIONS:

-- Do you think that God has extraordinarily gifted and enlightened you in regard to ascertaining correct doctrines, even though you have very little or no formal credible academic training in the Bible and doctrines?
- - - - Are you attracted to and readily drawn into discussions about doctrines?
- - - - Typically, do the doctrine discussions you get involved in prolong?  And escalate?  And turn combative?  Or corrosive?

-- Typically, how do you react to each person who confronts you about your doctrine and contends that your doctrine is contrary to the true and correct meaning of specific quoted Scripture verses?
- - - - Now be honest.  Does some of your response to those persons confronting your doctrine include badmouthing them when they are not nearby?
- - - - And do you try to covertly stir up support in the church or ministry for your position, while simultaneously launching an attack on the character of those persons confronting your doctrine?
- - - - Do you conceive and spread suspicions and accusations about them and their character, their integrity, their motives, their spirituality?

-- Do you hold as a very high priority your reputation in the church or ministry for being a good and gifted teacher of the Word?
- - - - And when someone confronts you about the incorrectness of your doctrine, does that action send you into attack mode in order to protect and preserve your reputation as a good teacher of the Word?
- - - - Do you regard that when someone confronts you about the incorrectness of your doctrine, that person is 'making you look bad in public', thereby eroding and inflicting serious damage on your reputation?  Does that situation make you very upset, and internally angry, and keep you agitated?
- - - - Then after that, does the potential detrimental outcome or fallout from that situation of someone confronting you about the incorrectness of your doctrine consume your thinking, causing you intense and recurring anxiety, agitation, frustration?

- - If deep down inside, the answer is 'yes' to any of these questions, then perhaps you should consider that you are proceeding down the path that the teachers of false doctrines take.
- - Also consider that God strongly disapproves of you proceeding down the path that the teachers of false doctrines take.
- - So, from these verses, take this as a direct warning from God - "Stop teaching false doctrines!" (v.3), "Stop being oppositional to "the sound instruction of our Lord Jesus Christ and to godly teaching."" (v.4), "Humble yourself and be teachable." (v.4)
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[Additional Lesson Questions to ponder (optional, if time allows):
- - What abilities or spiritual gifts are needed to detect and identify false doctrines within teaching?
- - Do the elders, pastors, and ministry leaders in this church or your ministry actively encourage their congregants to discern erroneous or false doctrines within the teaching that is occurring?
- - Or do they covertly intentionally shun, and adversely label, and 'black list' any of their congregants who discern, identify, expose, and confront false teaching within this church or its ministries?]
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Works Cited:
The American Heritage Dictionary (AHD). 3rd ed., ver. 3.6a (CD-ROM). Cambridge, MA: SoftKey International Inc., 1994.

Bible. The Comparative Study Bible: A Parallel Bible Presenting New International Version, New American Standard Bible,
     Amplified Bible, King James Version. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1984.

Bible. “The Holy Bible: New International Version.” The Bible Library CD-ROM. Oklahoma City, OK: Ellis Enterprises, 1988.

“Strong's Greek Dictionary.” The Bible Library CD-ROM. Oklahoma City, OK: Ellis Enterprises, 1988.
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File name: 1Timothy6_4b-5b-SermonOrLesson.___ (.htm, .doc, .pdf)
Translation used: NIV, quoted or referred to in various places within this document
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Updated:  December 23, 2017