Confront False Teachers - 1 Timothy 1-3

1 Timothy 1:3 (ESV)

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, ...

1 Timothy 1:7 (ESV)

... desiring to be teachers of the law, without understanding either what they are saying or the things about which they make confident assertions.

Ignorance is a terrible quality when it comes to wanting to be a teacher.   People who have confidence, but also ignorance, make for a dangerous combination.    Paul wrote this about the nation of Israel:

Romans 10:1-3 (ESV)

Brothers, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for them is that they may be saved. For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. For, being ignorant of the righteousness of God, and seeking to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness.

Zeal without knowledge is a dangerous cocktail.  Timothy was to have zeal, but with knowledge, as well.  He was instructed by Paul to be ready to correct those who had a zeal for God and teaching but were actually ignorant of the truth they were postulating.   This particular example concerned those in the church who had a zeal for the Law.  They had not understood the purpose of the Law. They were being ignorant.   But he was also supposed to correct anyone who taught a different doctrine.   Doctrine mattered to the church, since the beginning.  Paul is telling Timothy to guard the doctrine and confront those who have false teaching.  That was his responsibility as the pastor of the church he was in.  The pastor of the church has the obligation to correct those who are teaching false doctrine.   We ought not to close our minds or our mouths to false teaching in the church.   No matter if it comes out of ignorance or it comes from strategic deviance.   Later Paul will tell Timothy this about two false teachers:

1 Timothy 1:18-20 (ESV)

This charge I entrust to you, Timothy, my child, in accordance with the prophecies previously made about you, that by them you may wage the good warfare, holding faith and a good conscience. By rejecting this, some have made shipwreck of their faith, among whom are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan that they may learn not to blaspheme.

False teaching is a danger to the church.  The only thing more dangerous is pastors of churches who will not confront the false teachers with truth.