O TIMOTHY

1 Timothy 6:20-21

O Timothy, keep that which is committed to thy trust, avoiding profane and vain babblings, and oppositions of science falsely so called:

Which some professing have erred concerning the faith....

I tried to point out last week that, although last words tend to be the most urgent words a person says, and we know that a second letter from Paul to Timothy is coming, Paul doesn’t “let down” at the end of this first letter to Timothy. He maintains urgency and intensity to the very last word.

Notice the phrase, “O Timothy”.

He is indicating the importance of this final topic of the letter.

And I think it is interesting that it is a topic that he has already addressed three times previous.

1 Timothy 1:3-4 (KJV)

As I besought thee to abide still at Ephesus, when I went into Macedonia, that thou mightest charge some that they teach no other doctrine,

Neither give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which minister questions, rather than godly edifying which is in faith: so do. 

1 Timothy 4:6-7 (KJV)

If thou put the brethren in remembrance of these things, thou shalt be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine, whereunto thou hast attained.

But refuse profane and old wives' fables, and exercise thyself rather unto godliness.

1 Timothy 6:3-4 (KJV)

If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness;

He is proud, knowing nothing, but doting about questions and strifes of words, whereof cometh envy, strife, railings, evil surmisings,

1 Timothy 6:20-21

O Timothy, keep that which is committed to thy trust, avoiding profane and vain babblings, and oppositions of science falsely so called:

Which some professing have erred concerning the faith....

You will notice, I think, that in every one of these the first verse is personally addressed to Timothy and the following verse has something to do with topics that have no value – they distract from the true work of the preacher.

Looking more closely at the closing verses of 1^st Timothy I see

*I. THERE IS A TRUST

1 Timothy 6:20 KJV 

O Timothy, keep that which is committed to thy trust, avoiding profane and vain babblings, and oppositions of science falsely so called:

One commentary notes that the phrase "O Timothy," "...marks at once his affection for Timothy and his prescience at the coming heresies." 

A. Paul knew that the ministry was going to get more difficult as time when on and that it would become increasingly important to focus on the faith once delivered.

The word, keep means to isolate and guard - maybe lock up what has been committed to us. 

While we must go into the world with the gospel we must also carefully protect ourselves from those who would take what was committed to our trust and pervert it in our lives.

And 

B. We are to avoid, which means to deflect, to turn or twist out

"profane and vain babblings and oppositions of science falsely so called." 

When people try to get us to hear these “vain babblings”  the Bible tells us to twist away. 

Don't listen even if it means wrestling yourself out of their grasp so you don't have to. 

Secondly

*II. THERE IS A TRUTH 

1 Timothy 6:20 KJV

O Timothy, keep that which is committed to thy trust, avoiding profane and vain babblings, and oppositions of science falsely so called:

Science falsely so called… 

I listened to an interview on the radio with two men, who recently wrote a book, attempting to reconcile the two supposedly opposing worldviews of science and spirituality. 

Of course the man representing spirituality was not a Christian but someone involved in an eastern religion of "consciousness." 

As the interview progressed the radio personality asked the scientist, a physicist if he had come to believe in God. 

The scientist acknowledged that it is impossible to prove there is no God but then said that he definitely did not believe in the Biblical God because the Bible teaches too many things that scientists know are wrong. 

Let me just give a couple of thoughts concerning this idea that, “the Bible teaches things that scientists know are wrong.”

A. I have discovered that too much of what science professes to know is not knowledge at all but theory. 

1. They begin all of their studies on the premise that the God of the Bible does not exist and try to find answers to their questions that do not include that God. 

2. They propose theories and study one another's theories. 

The science of today is not based upon knowing truth but knowing their own theories. 

*B. If there is a scientific fact that the Bible apparently contradicts, 

I would suggest that the problem is with their understanding of the Bible and not with the truths that exist either in science or the Bible. 

People who begin by doubting the Bible look for things that they believe are contradictions in the Bible. 

I don't pretend to have all of the answers to all of their contradictions but I am confident that when God reveals all truth to us (when we get to heaven) every scientific contradiction (falsely so called) to the Bible will be perfectly reconciled. 

• I believe the Word of God. 
• I believe God Himself, and not 

science falsely so called.

Finally

*III. THERE IS A TASK 

1 Timothy 6:20-21

O Timothy, keep that which is committed to thy trust, avoiding profane and vain babblings, and oppositions of science falsely so called:

Which some professing have erred concerning the faith....

A. We, who are the children of the Living God, have been given a wonderful treasure in the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. 

It is this treasure, committed to us, 

• which we are to keep, 
• which we are to preach and 
• around which we are to serve the Lord

There are many other philosophies, ideas and movements that a man might get himself involved in but, 

*B. To do so would be to err concerning the faith. 

• Our task is not to politic
• Our task is not to reform 
• Our task is not to indoctrinate into our way of life
  

*C. Our task is to keep the Gospel, to preach it in its purity and to see that it is spread throughout the world. 

If we will stick with that, we will not go wrong.

The truth is so important that we must not allow ourselves to be turned from that which is committed to our trust. 

We must keep and guard it at all costs.