Suggestions for leading a study:
University of the Enemy
6 If you point these things out to the brothers, you will be a good minister of Christ Jesus, brought up in the truths of the faith and of the good teaching that you have followed. 7 Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives' tales; rather, train yourself to be godly. 8 For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.
Discussion Questions
In regards to spiritual
warfare, what do you think is Satan’s most powerful weapon?
According to verse 1, what
is the primary weapon that Satan is using?
What is the tragic result, according to this verse?
Paul speaks of these
things happening in the “later times” (NIV).
Since he is referring to an issue that Timothy was having to deal with,
can we assume that those times have already begun? Do they continue to the present day?
According to verse 4, what
is Satan’s conduit for these teachings?
What do you think it means that their “consciences have been seared as
with a hot iron” (NIV)?
Do you think there are
people in a position to teach today that would fit that description (you don’t
have to name names)? What context might
you find them in?
Verses 3-5 explain what
the teachings were that Timothy was having to deal with. What might be some contemporary ideas that
Satan is using today to cause people to abandon their faith?
Re-read
verse 6. The instructions Paul has to
Timothy in this verse assumes teaching in the context of the church that is
good and true. What role does the
minister have in the church to watch over the doctrine, and what role does the
congregation have?
Re-read verse 7.
What are we told to avoid? What
are told to do?
Leaders' Guide
This study is intended to teach the principle that Satan’s weapon in
the spiritual battle is false teaching and deceptions, and that our defense is
in following good teaching and developing good spiritual habits.
In regards to
spiritual warfare, what do you think is Satan’s most powerful weapon?
This is a discussion starter. There may be a variety of opinions on this,
depending on the make-up of your group, but one of the points of this lesson is
to remind us that the nature of spiritual warfare is one of ideas and concepts,
not the kind of sensational stuff you can find in books and movies, such as
possession and haunting, etc.
According to
verse 1, what is the primary weapon that Satan is using?
This verse refers to “things taught by demons” (NIV). The means that Satan uses is deceiving
Spirits, but that is the weapon. In other
words, he wages war at the level of ideas and false information. That is the front lines of the battle.
What is the
tragic result, according to this verse?
Paul says that
because of the effective use of false teaching, Satan had enticed people to abandon
the faith. This does not assume that
they lose their salvation, but it certainly makes them ineffective members of
the kingdom, which is certainly the enemy’s desire.
Paul speaks of
these things happening in the “later times” (NIV). Since he is referring to an issue that Timothy was having to deal
with, can we assume that those times have already begun? Do they continue to the present day?
This is simply to make sure that nobody in the group
thinks that this teaching is only for some time in the future, rather than
having a current application. Clearly,
since this is a contemporary issue for Timothy the later times that Paul is
referring to must have already begun.
This is very much in line with his eschatology (the way he thinks about
end times), which assumes that they have already begun with the coming of
Christ, but have yet to be completely fulfilled when he comes again.
According to
verse 4, what is Satan’s conduit for these teachings? What do you think it means that their “consciences have been
seared as with a hot iron” (NIV)?
The conduit is
teachers that are characterized as hypocritical liars (NIV). Paul doesn’t think very highly of them. He sees them as essentially having no moral
grounding, as if their consciences were completely cauterized, the way a hot
iron deadens the skin and makes it useless.
Do you think
there are people in a position to teach today that would fit that description
(you don’t have to name names)? What
context might you find them in?
This is meant to bring
this situation into the present day.
The reminder that names do not need to be mentioned is simply to keep it
from becoming an open forum for people to vent about their least favorite
public figure. The contexts where you
might find such people are certainly educational institutions, but also
sometimes in the political arena and unfortunately, even the church (witness
some of the cults and mis-leading teaching in the church today). This can stray into the area of opinion, and
people’s opinions may differ, so some judicious discussion leading may be
required. Remind your group that
differences of opinion on gray areas is a healthy thing in the church, and that
the standards here are very blunt and extreme: teaching that is inspired by
demons and given through people who appear to be without a conscience. That is much more than just someone you
happen to disagree with.
Verses 3-5
explain what the teachings were that Timothy was having to deal with. What might be some contemporary ideas that
Satan is using today to cause people to abandon their faith?
In that context,
there were legalistic teachings that drew from Jewish tradition which were
confusing people and causing them to abandon the faith. Today we don’t have that kind of problem,
but Satan has any number of false teachings out there that can accomplish the
same thing. It shouldn’t be hard to
identify some: that there are no moral
absolutes (New Age relativism), or we are just natural products of random
chance (Darwinian humanism) might be a couple that could come up.
Re-read verse 6. The instructions Paul has to Timothy in this
verse assumes teaching in the context of the church that is good and true. What role does the minister have in the
church to watch over the doctrine, and what role does the congregation
have?
As the pastor,
Timothy was told by Paul to be sure to point things out to the “brothers”
(NIV), or the congregation. Clearly
there is an important role for the lead teaching pastor to play in guarding the
doctrine of the church. The question
regarding the role of the congregation is not clear, other than the assumption
that they are gathered to hear the teaching and are open and available to be
taught by qualified ministers. A
further role for the members of the church is the point of the next question.
Re-read verse
7. What are we told to avoid? What are told to do?
We are to avoid
“godless myths and old wives tales.”
This clearly refers to the source of the teaching mentioned in verses
3-5. For us, you can just make it clear
that we should avoid whatever source teaching is coming from that we have
identified as being opposed what is true and good. The important thing to underscore is what we are told to do: train ourselves to be godly. It is not enough for members of a
congregation to just sit and soak up the pastor’s teaching. This makes it clear that hard work and
discipline is required from everyone if we are to be able to stand against the
Devil’s schemes in the warfare of false teaching that he wages.
How can we do
this in order to be able to stand against the false teachings that Satan uses
to ensnare us?
Talk in your group about the practical ways
that they can train themselves.
Personal devotions, community group involvement, exposing themselves to
good teaching, solid reading, etc. One
on one discipleship is also a time-honored method of training in
godliness.