Awake & Alive: 1 Timothy Reading Plan
Day 3
8Now we know that the law is good, if one uses it lawfully, 9understanding this, that the law is not laid down for the just but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for those who strike their fathers and mothers, for murderers, 10the sexually immoral, men who practice homosexuality, enslavers, liars, perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound doctrine, 11in accordance with the gospel of the glory of the blessed God with which I have been entrusted. 1 Timothy 1:8-11
Paul, formerly Saul of Tarsus, an elite Jewish religious leader known as a Pharisee, extensively studied the Pentateuch (the first five books of the Bible) throughout his childhood. A portion of these books is commonly referred to as the Mosaic Law. The language Paul uses in the text strongly suggests this is the specific law to which he is referring.
This is an important distinction because it allows for an accurate reading of this passage which does not contradict other statements made by Paul in places like Romans 7:12 or 2 Timothy 3:16-17. To be clear, Paul is not arguing against following the law for those who follow Christ, but he is making certain that the law is not the focal point of Christian faith. The law is the means by which the need for Jesus is revealed. It is never, and has never been, the means by which the believer is justified.
This distinction is also essential as the law is examined through Paul’s anchor statement in 1 Timothy 1:5 (the charge to protect doctrine). The charge is anchored in love, not law. The law reveals a need for grace, and love ushers the believer away from empty debates and into a loving message of repentance, forgiveness, and redemption. In other words, the law is never a weapon to be used against those who don’t believe, but a resource to be utilized to help reveal need and produce repentance.
“Sound Doctrine” is never works-based but does produce works when properly taught and understood. This is the reason that “the law is good.” It is essential to understand that neither Jesus nor Paul abolishes the moral law. Jesus fulfills it, and Paul seeks to ensure that it is kept in its appropriate place as it relates to the Gospel. The law does not save. God’s grace does. It is this unmerited favor that fuels the believer in the pursuit of personal holiness.