They want to be teachers of the law, but they do not know what they are talking about or what they so confidently affirm. We know that the law is good if one uses it properly. We also know that law is made not for the righteous but for lawbreakers and rebels, the ungodly and sinful, the unholy and irreligious; for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers, for adulterers and perverts, for slave traders and liars and perjurers – and for whatever else is contrary to the sound doctrine?that conforms to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, which he entrusted to me. (1 Timothy 1:7-11)

The false doctrines that Paul refers to have to do with “myths and endless genealogies.” It is possible that he has in mind a form of Jewish mysticism that is taken up with elaborate stories and pedigrees. Although these might be interwoven with what they find in the Old Testament, they do not come from the Old Testament, but are constructed by their imagination. Thus their teachings are not based on a straightforward interpretation of the Law, but a dangerous mixture of biblical references and a collection of private, twisted, and speculative claims.

It is unimportant whether this is the exact nature of the false doctrines, since we know enough from what Paul explicitly says in the letter. That is, the false teachers present themselves as teachers of the Law, but they do not use the Law properly. And this improper use of the Law has to do with or is evidenced by the “myths and endless genealogies” in their teachings. Paul’s reply reinstates the correct intent and purpose of the Law – it defines iniquities and condemns transgressors. It exposes man’s rebellion, and uncovers all that is contrary to sound doctrine and all that fails to conform to the gospel. In using the Law as a sourcebook of strange wisdom and to fuel their esoteric fancies, the false teachers enable people to feel and to seem religious without having to confront to true force of its teachings.

This approach to Scripture is attractive to sinners, because it allows them to display some admiration for God’s revelation without having to acknowledge its message. Thus it has continued to this day in various forms. Examples are numerous. Some have made the Law’s dietary regulations into weigh-loss programs. Their materials pay lip service to God’s wisdom throughout, but they refer to the health benefits that they claim these regulations confer rather than the Law’s concerns regarding spiritual cleanliness, sin and atonement, and its foreshadowing of a Savior. Instead of extracting the true value of the Law, they make a mockery of it.

Then, there are those who comb through the Bible in the attempt to discover obscure references to dinosaurs, giants, and aliens, or hidden codes embedded in the text containing predictions about recent and future tyrants, wars, assassinations, tsunamis, and economic collapses. As Paul said, they want to be teachers of the Bible, but they do not know what they are talking about or what they so confidently affirm. Their strange teachings appeal to those who want to give the appearance of being Christians, but who in reality desire a religion that is vastly different from what the Bible teaches.

The proper approach to the Bible is to take it for what it presents itself to be. It is a written record from God, a revelation, about himself and about his dealings with humanity. It is about God’s power and justice, about man’s depravity and failure, and then about God’s grace and Christ’s sacrifice, about sound doctrine and worship, and about the appointed destinies of Christians and non-Christians. The Bible is not a book of strange and esoteric doctrines, written to fuel unhealthy speculations or to amuse men with fanciful tales. It is written to instruct and empower the people of God, and to stand as a witness against those who turn away from him.