Original Broadcast: October 2011
Monthly Theme: 1 Timothy
The Spirit clearly says that in later times
some will abandon the faith
and follow deceiving spirits
and things taught by demons.
(1 Timothy 4:1)
St. Paul warns Timothy this morning that there will be a time when people will abandon the Christian faith. They will follow deceiving spirits. They will believe things taught by demons. They will abandon what the Apostles and the Prophets teach about Jesus. They will go after meaningless and trivial things like eating only certain foods or abstaining from marriage to make yourself more holy in God's eyes.
Certainly God forbade certain foods from Israel in the Levitical system. But that was taken away by Jesus and His fulfilling of the Law for us. St. Peter had to learn this before he could minister to Cornelius. There is nothing unclean any more because Jesus has made all things clean (Acts 10:15).
But the other side, forbidding marriage, is something that God has never taught. God instituted marriage to be the institution through which children may be brought into the world with a mother and a father. God created marriage. Why would He go back on His own creation? It makes no sense.
That's why St. Paul has these words of warning for St. Timothy. It's an abandonment of the faith "once for all delivered to the saints" (Jude 3). Stand firm in the faith that has been delivered to you and you will stand forever. Amen.
