Watch your life and doctrine closely.
Summary: Paul’s use of Greek once again challenges us to consider the deeper meaning of what he was trying to say.
We often talk about the difference between the meanings of the original Greek words and the English translations, but in this case, we have one more barrier to cross.
When we talk about ‘doctrine,’ we know what we are talking about. A doctrine is a teaching, like Paul’s three “trustworthy sayings” in his letter to Timothy. We can look at what Paul teaches, evaluate it against the rest of Scripture, and, like the Bereans (Acts 17:11), we can test it to see if it is true.
When Paul writes, “Watch your life…” that is not the same as watching someone’s doctrine. The Greek Paul used is “epechō seautou,” which, translated literally, means “watch yourself.”
If you are walking along a mountain trail with friends, and you come to a place where there is danger, you probably call back to your friends, “Watch yourself!” meaning, “Be careful!”
In a sense, Paul means something similar, and in another sense, he does not.
Paul isn’t concerned about Timothy getting hurt. He is concerned about Timothy losing focus on his ministry and allowing others to be hurt spiritually.
Instead of watching out for the safety of his body (flesh), Paul is encouraging Timothy to watch out for the condition of his inner self.
In his letter to the church at Rome, Paul writes, “Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires.” (Romans 8:5)
What Paul is talking about is something inside of himself that decides what kind of person he is going to be. When Paul writes, “Be diligent in these matters; give yourself wholly to them…” (v 15), there is only one person other than God who knows if Timothy actually does it, and that is Timothy himself.
In essence, Paul is telling Timothy not only to make sure his teachings align with God’s will, but that his heart and mind are in alignment with God as well.
Application: Watch yourself.
Food for Thought: In Romans 7:14-25, Paul writes about himself as if he were two people inside. What part of our inner selves controls the doctrines we believe as well as the doctrines we teach?
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