Some Changes Coming

“As I urged you when I was going to Macedonia, remain at Ephesus so that you may charge certain persons not to teach any different doctrine, nor to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies, which promote speculations rather than the stewardship from God that is by faith. The aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. Certain persons, by swerving from these, have wandered away into vain discussion, desiring to be teachers of the law, without understanding either what they are saying or the things about which they make confident assertions.” (1 Timothy 1:3–7, ESV)

The Pastoral Epistles

There’s a natural tendency to reflect on life as we wrap up a year (especially a year like 2020). Throughout November and December, I’ve been reflecting and meditating on the pastoral epistles. These books are 1 & 2 Timothy and Titus. They’re called the pastoral epistles because the Apostle Paul wrote these letters to two young pastors—Timothy and Titus. 

Since I am a young pastor, these books are extremely relevant to me personally. Every year I take a month to slowly read, reflect, and meditate on these books of God’s Word. It has become an important part of grounding my pastoral identity in God’s Word. Each year I find God encouraging me in some aspects of pastoral ministry and convicting me in other aspects. 

Engaging False Teaching

This year’s convicting passage came at the beginning of 1 Timothy. The Apostle Paul tells Timothy that he placed him as pastor over the congregation at Ephesus “so that [he would] charge certain persons not to teach any different doctrine” (1 Timothy 1:3). This involves more than teaching right doctrine—which is also necessary. It involves intentional engagement with those teaching false doctrine in the church.

Later in the passage, Paul tells Timothy that there are people in the church who desire “to be teachers of the law, without understanding either what they are saying or the things about which they make confident assertions.” (1 Timothy 1:7). Timothy is charged with correcting these false teachers and showing the rest of the flock their lack of understanding. 

Broader False Teaching

This calling of a pastor—which comes up repeatedly throughout the pastoral epistles—has convicted me. Although, I don’t know of false teaching happening within the congregation of Faith Community Church, there is definitely false teaching spreading like a virus throughout the church in North America. As a pastor, I believe God is calling me to address these false teachings/teachers more directly. Yet, I can’t go around chasing down every false teacher/teaching “out in the world”—and I don’t plan to.

Focusing on the CRCNA

My roots run deep in the CRC—all the way back to the Netherlands—and those who know me well, know that I love the Christian Reformed Church. I love the way we understand God’s Word and seek to apply it to every aspect of our life. I love the way we seek to bring the Gospel into our workplaces and communities. I love the way our confessions are BOTH pastoral AND theological. I’m glad to be a part of this denomination. 

All of that said, there have been a growing number of false teachers in our denomination (trust me, I don’t use that word lightly). It has saddened me to see this happening. Yet, I have written little about these false teachers/teachings. I’ve been pretty quiet—which is why God convicted me when meditating upon 1 Timothy 1:3-7. So, I can’t be quiet anymore. When God uses Scripture to bring conviction to our hearts, we must never ignore Him. We must confess our sin, repent, and listen to Him. 

Some Changes on the Blog

Don’t worry. I will continue to write about other things. I plan to continue writing posts on God’s Attributes and Prayers through the Psalms. These have been fun to write, and our church has enjoyed them. 

There are only three changes you might notice. First, you will begin to see posts where I am actively engaging with an article or presentation by someone within the CRC. Second, you may notice that I’m addressing a broader audience. I’m hoping these posts will reach people throughout our denomination. Finally, I’m unsure whether I’ll stick to my current blogging pattern (Mon posts open, God’s Attributes on Wed, Praying Psalms on Fri). I plan to write posts Mon, Wed, Fri, but need the flexibility to write about certain topics in a timely manner. 

The Goal

It’s my goal that everything I write would meet the standard of Scripture: “The aim of our [instruction] is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.” (1 Timothy 1:5). This is just as true when I write an article correcting false teaching. The goal is to correct false teaching so that God’s people can grow in their relationship with Him and LOVE Him more fully—with a pure heart, a good conscience, and a sincere faith.