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Guarding the Sacred Trust
1 Timothy 6:20-21
Paul closes the letter by writing, “O Timothy, guard the deposit entrusted to you. Avoid the irreverent babble and contradictions of what is falsely called "knowledge," for by professing it some have swerved from the faith. Grace be with you” (1Ti 6:20-21).
Timothy have been given a sacred trust: the Gospel. He was a steward of the faith. The implications of what God had accomplished through Jesus were to be upheld and uncompromised. False teachers were trying to advance a different message. However, they were only causing Christians to swerve from the faith.
Like Timothy, we share in guarding the same sacred trust. This is a sobering responsibility. Guarding is not a passive action. This letter makes clear that guarding demands love and engagement. Timothy had to keep his life in harmony with the Gospel, but he also had to take care of the church at Ephesus.
Clearly, there were steps Timothy needed to take in guarding the faith within the church at Ephesus. Additionally, there were things he needed to discourage, avoid, and stop within the church. This final passage states that he was to avoid false teaching. This is easier said than done. False teaching is persuasive and plausible. It is a lie wrapped in a truth. It is deceptive. Therefore, the only hope we have in guarding the sacred trust is the trust itself: the Gospel of Christ.
Explain how the following helps guard the sacred trust:
1. Engaging false teachers:
2. Appointing elders and deacons:
3. Keeping close watch on yourself:
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