Science mentioned in 1 Timothy

[awelight]

In 'Chapter 6, verse 20 - 21, Paul talks to Timothy of 'oppositions to science falsely so called'.

Can anyone clarify what the meaning of this is? I really can't understand it at all.

Okay Mary, let's break it down.

First of all, let's notice the two different translations of this verse. The KJV: 1Ti 6:20 O Timothy, keep that which is committed to thy trust, avoiding profane and vain babblings, and oppositions of science falsely so called: The ASB: O Timothy, guard that which is committed unto thee, turning away from the profane babblings and oppositions of the knowledge which is falsely so called;
Note the changes in RED. Particularly the change from "science" to "knowledge". In this particular case, the ASB does a better job than KJV. The Greek word here, is the word translated into the English "to know" or "knowledge".

However, to give this verse an even better understanding, in our modern English, I would translate it like this: O Timothy, keep safe that which is committed to you, turning away from useless discussions and opposition from so-called knowledge which is untrue; In the next verse, we can see that this false or untrue knowledge concerns the faith. So these useless discussions have led some to heretical beliefs and this is why Timothy is being admonished to keep the True Gospel, as Paul and others had given it to him, safe.

This false knowledge, would be considered everything, from worldly philosophy to scientific arguments, as directed against or opposed to, the Truth of God's Word. For example, in todays world, many may believe a certain thing but a show of hands does not make it true. In another example, a popular bumper sticker used to say: GOD SAID IT - I BELIEVE IT - THAT SETTLES IT. This is a sly but untrue statement. The truth, that in this case needs to be guarded is this: GOD SAID IT - THAT SETTLES IT. God's Truth is God's Truth regardless of who does or does not believe it.

Hope this helps.

 

[Webers.Home]

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● Jas 5:14 . . Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the
church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of
The Lord

Religious fanatics here and there are allowing their underage children to
suffer and even die from treatable medical conditions on the basis of Jas 5:14.
Christ addressed this issue indirectly by means of his teachings at Matt 12:11-12
which say:

"What man shall there be among you, that shall have one sheep, and if it fall
into a pit on the sabbath day, will he not lay hold on it, and lift it out? How
much then is a man better than a sheep? Wherefore it is lawful to do good
on the sabbath days."

In other words: the sanctity of human life trumps the sanctity of the
Sabbath. So then, hospitals, doctors, nurses, firemen, law enforcement,
soup kitchens, rescue missions, Red Cross, disaster emergency workers, etc.
who are busy on the Sabbath do not sin. Do they break the Sabbath? Yes;
but the sanctity of the seventh day is secondary to the sanctity of human
life. (cf. Luke 13:15 & Luke 14:5)

So then, I would have to say, in principle with Matt 12:11-12, that people
who deny their children adequate medical care in the name of religion regard
the value of their own flesh and blood as something less than that of a
beast.

It's okay to have elders pray for a child, and it's okay to anoint them with
oil. But after that, parents really should take their children to a doctor
because medicine today is far and away superior to the practices available to
Christians back in James' day when oil, prayer, and wine were just about the
best there was.

There used to be an old saying going around in Christian circles that went
something like this: When a farmer prays for a crop, he should say amen
with a hoe. In other words, Christian parents shouldn't sit back and wait for a
miracle when it's in their power to take some action; and if they don't, then in
my opinion, they deserve to be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law
when a child in their care dies from a treatable condition.

● 1Tim 5:8 . . If any provide not for his own, and especially for those of his
own house, he has denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel.
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[Webers.Home]

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● 1Tim 5:23 . . No longer drink only water, but use a little wine for the sake
of your stomach and your frequent ailments.

In the days prior to the proliferation of antiseptics, antibiotics, inoculations,
and a host of other mass-produced treatments; wine was an important
remedy for just about everything from tummy aches to open wounds. (e.g.
Mark 15:23, and Luke 10:34)

Medicine has come a long ways in the last 2,000 years so that even if a little
wine would still help whatever ailed Timothy, there's probably much better
over-the-counter, non-alcoholic remedies available for his condition in our
day.

Paul mentioned that his friend had other problems too. I have no clue what
those might have been; but I have to ask: Why didn't Paul utilize his
apostolic gift of healing to cure his friend? My answer is: probably because
Timothy's problems didn’t require a miracle. For example Mark 16:13 where
Christ' men utilized oil to treat certain people rather than miracles.

In many, many cases; people don't need a miracle; they just need medicine.
For example: yours truly takes pills for thyroid, blood pressure, cholesterol,
acid reflux, and kidney function. That's not counting vaccines for tetanus, flu,
pneumonia, and shingles, etc, etc.
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