Meditation
Good morning Reader,
In yesterday's introduction to this letter, Paul urges his younger protégé to remain in Ephesus and fight false teaching, despite the difficulties he faces in doing so.
In particular, the fight to teach correct doctrine rather than indulge in contemporary fads, and to maintain a correct understanding of the law and avoid legalism.
Today Paul makes clear that his condemnation of legalists is not a condemnation of the law itself. He writes that it is good when used lawfully, and then lists the people it was written to restrain: the lawless, the ungodly, the profane.
The list reads like a charge sheet, and that is the point. The law shows where people stand with God. The purpose of the law is to show us our sin, not to lead us to righteousness, and Paul measures people's standing against the gospel entrusted to him.
The pastor's first business is to preserve and guard the gospel.
Today's verses are 1 Timothy 1:8-11
8 But we know that the law is good, if a man uses it lawfully,9 as knowing this, that law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and insubordinate, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers,
10 for the sexually immoral, for homosexuals, for slave-traders, for liars, for perjurers, and for any other thing contrary to the sound doctrine;11 according to the Good News of the glory of the blessed God, which was committed to my trust.
Encouragement
12 Therefore the law indeed is holy, and the commandment holy, righteous, and good.
Romans 7:12
Andy
God's Word In Your Hand