1 Timothy 1:3-4 3As I urged you to remain in Ephesus after I came into Macedonia, so that you may instruct certain people not to teach false doctrines, 4nor to pay attention to myths and endless genealogies, which promote speculation rather than furthering the stewardship of God which is by faith.
The body of the letter begins without a typical thanksgiving section. The issues were dire in Ephesus, and so Paul gets right into the key theme. Even the grammar is difficult, with no finite verb in verse 3. Most translations will turn the infinitive to remain into a command. Verse 3 gives important information about the contents and purpose of the letter. We find out that Timothy was in Ephesus where Paul had directed him to return to deal with some problems. There are many unanswered historical questions about the situations of Paul, Timothy, and the Ephesian church when this letter was written. Paul was going into Macedonia, which was across the Aegean Sea from Ephesus. According to 3:14-15, Paul planned to visit Ephesus again. During his final visit to Ephesus in Acts 19-20, Paul predicted that “savage wolves” would cause problems there.
Another important background issue introduced in this verse is the problem of false teachers. There was a group of people who were teaching a different version of the gospel than what Paul taught. This teaching is described in more detail in verse 4 as myths and genealogies and speculation. The infinitive to teach false doctrines is made of two parts. False (hetero) is brought over into English as “heresy.” Heresy is teaching (the second part didaskalein) that is different than what has been accepted by the church. Paul’s letters had a significant effect of bringing the early church together under a common faith.
The problem teaching focused on opinions and speculations. The false teachers had two errors, given in two infinitives: to teach falsehood and to pay attention. They lost their focus on the true gospel and got caught up in stories and fables that do not matter. Jews gave special attention to genealogies and tracing their heritage. These investigations could become endless and only led to more speculation (ekzētēseis) or controversies. These people were not passively dabbling in interesting but useless hobbies but were actively pursuing false teaching. The verb promote (parechousin) is present tense suggesting on-going and habitual activity.
Paul gives the better alternative as the stewardship of God. Stewardship (oikonomian) refers to how someone manages a household. Paul used this word in his letters to indicate how believers ought to carry out God’s plan to reach the world with the gospel (Ephesians 3:2). The church is God’s household, and the leaders, especially those who preach and teach, must make sure that their message is accurate and leads to the grow of people’s faith.
There are two choices highlighted in this verse. One is to follow the way of humanism by trying to figure out religion by human thinking, which will lead to empty speculation. The other is to seek the truth by developing one’s faith in God. This route recognizes the importance of growing in one’s understanding of the gospel and the responsibility that comes with it.
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