I Timothy six is a detailed list of things to avoid if we want to keep bad influences out of our church family. It can be summarized with verse 20 — “Timothy, God has trusted you with many things. Keep them safe and stay away from people who talk about useless things that aren’t from God and who argue against you with fake knowledge. Some people who claim to have that special knowledge have completely abandoned what we believe.”
A summary of I Timothy might sound something like this:
God’s family isn’t overly structured, but it isn’t vaguely defined either. Every member has abilities that help the other stay faithful. God has a clearly-defined order to his church, but he also has so much grace. He expects us to keep bad influences out of the church, but he also looks out for those who struggle. Some people will try to teach things that aren’t true, but elders can combat those influences. God wants us to be respectful and submissive to our elders.
No group on this earth is as functional as the church. No community on earth is as selfless as the church. Individually, we are flawed and weak. But with God’s help, we can do so much more with each other than we could ever do alone. We’re all working for the same thing — a life with God forever.
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