How Can We Detect Truth?
In the height of social media, self-proclaimed teachers, and AI, it may feel as though anyone can do and say and be anything, even in one of the most sacred places such as the Church. Social media influencers, self-proclaimed teachers of the gospel, and others have assumed positions of authority that seem to have more to do with their charisma than character, following than faithfulness, and it can feel quite confusing.
How do we know where to look for Truth and when do we really know that we’ve found it? And when it comes to Monday’s, how do we have the energy to examine what we take in while stewarding the job, family, and responsibilities that have been entrusted to us? These are questions that need answers, but this isn’t the first time they’ve been asked.
The questions we have today based on the rise in false teaching and Truth being harder to detect is exactly why Paul wrote this letter to Timothy. Paul uses 1 Timothy to instruct Timothy on how he ought to help the church in Ephesus detect what is true, disregard what is not, and how to uphold the responsibilities God has given His people.
In 1 Timothy 3 is where our magnifying glass will be today, focusing specifically on verses 1 and 15. They say this: “4 The saying is trustworthy: If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task… 15 If I delay, you may know how one ought to behave in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, a pillar and buttress of the truth.”
Paul begins by letting the audience know the weight one takes on to be a teacher, leader, or elder within a church context and then towards the end he leaves the audience with imagery for how we ought to live as the Church.
And you still may ask, how does this help me detect Truth?
Understanding both of these verses will shape how we approach not only Mondays but our Christian walk, no matter where we work, where we live, or what church we go to.
In a time where everyone has access to the opportunity to be influential, we find that spiritual teachings are easier to come across digitally more than ever before. This isn’t necessarily bad when we consider there was once a time (and for many outside of the US it still is very present) where you could be killed simply for saying you followed Yahweh; however, what happens when anyone can say anything regardless of it having a Biblical backing or not?
Social media has highlighted that this takes place, but this was happening well before people could press record and engage millions of people within minutes.
The false teachers in the mid-60s AD, when this letter was written, also had the ability to share messages and gain influence, even if they had no biblical backing to validate their assertions.
We’re focusing on 1 Timothy 3:1 because it gives instruction not to church members, but to the overseers of the church. These are simply those who are in the office of elder or pastor. These are positions for those who have been called by the Holy Spirit and tasked with overseeing those who are members of the church.
So, how do we determine Truth or recognize when we’ve found it? According to Paul, one of the ways is by the protection of our pastors. You may have thought I was going to give you parameters on how to become good at detecting false doctrine–and yes, I will give you something practical to consider–but the best way to determine what’s true is to be taught it and to learn it in community.
The first way in which we can overcome false teaching is by sitting under biblical, exegetical preaching that points us to Jesus, the living Word.
This is your invitation if you’ve been thinking about attending a local church or becoming more interested in online streaming. There is something deeply spiritual about being connected to a physical, local church, pastor, and community that can help you live out Monday-Saturday as a Truth-teller and detector.
Secondly, what follows your connection to a local church is your ability to be a pillar and buttress of the Truth. In 1 Timothy 3:15 Paul says that this letter gives instruction on how we, the Church, ought to live as pillars and buttresses of the Truth.
A pillar is an architectural term meaning a firm, upright structural support—such as a column made of stone, metal, or wood—used to hold up a building, bridge, or roof.
A buttress is an architectural term meaning an external architectural structure—usually made of stone, brick, or wood—that projects from a wall to give it stability and support against sideways or lateral forces
The imagery Paul uses here is to help us see that as the Church, we are to be firm metaphorical pillars who hold the Church up no matter what comes its way – how can we do that if we are not connected to it in any way? And in the same way, we are to be as buttresses, ready to protect the Church from any type of opposing forces that come, especially in the form of false teaching.
As you approach your Monday today, consider thinking about what it would look like for you to go deeper in your connection to the local Church near you. Maybe that means visiting next Sunday; maybe it means starting to volunteer some of your gifts; and maybe for some of you it simply just means letting your heart build roots there by investing into the local church via tithing or building relationships.
And for some of you, this Monday needs to be the day you take false teaching more seriously. Perhaps you’ve enjoyed being a pillar for so long you’ve never considered being a buttress. Pray and ask God what He’s asking of you this Monday.
We pray that this Monday would mark the day where you began to invest in God’s church in a way that you had not considered before and for that, you would start each week saying, “thank God it’s Monday.”
Talk to you next week family,
The Unapologetically Prepared Team