Paul had just told Timothy to command false teachers to stop polluting the church with their ideas (1 Timothy 1:3-5).  In Ephesus, it seems that every public forum encouraged different ideas to be taught and explored.  But that must not be true of the church.  Church leadership is not primarily about creating a loving community, but creating a community in which God and His truth is loved and honoured; a community where error is hated and rebuked (2 Timothy 4:1-5).

Paul’s command to Timothy was not motivated by power politics, but by love.  The most loving thing to say to a person is that they are walking into danger and they need to turn around.  Faith in Jesus is grounded on truth held in good conscience.  There cannot be any true faith in Jesus without believing the apostles’ teaching (Acts 2:42).  Having started believing the truth we must not wander off and believe half lies or fantasies (Galatians 1:6-9).

False teachers who are ‘successful’ in dragging people away from the simple truth of Scripture always appear sincere, earnest and committed to what they teach.  But they are wrong, and Jesus calls them hypocrites (the theatre actors of Greek tragedies who only care about the applause they receive).  Their teaching leads others astray and they do not even understand the spiritual significance of the lies they are spreading.  They all want to be ‘big people’, noted for their wisdom and passionate zeal.  Satan’s ancient temptation, “… your eyes will be opened and you will be like God knowing good and evil” (Genesis 3:5) has seduced them into a proud power-lust over undiscerning people.

False teaching continues to be a major problem.  Yet gentle-hearted church leaders often feel that they cannot do anything about it for fear of upsetting people.  They may have little appetite for confrontation, but it is still true that the most loving thing to do when people are caught up in error, is to rebuke what is false and teach what is true.  As parents we know that if we do not do that in the family, with our children, then they may fall into all kinds of wrong and painful lifestyles and relationships.  Love that never challenges what is wrong is not love at all: it is a lifeless sentiment without any power to draw people into the truth of Jesus.  So, pray for church leaders, Christian business leaders, and family leaders - and for all who know the truth and have the authority to lead others – that they may be bold in the truth.