O Timothy, guard the deposit entrusted to you. Avoid the irreverent babble and contradictions of what is falsely called “knowledge,” for by professing it some have swerved from the faith.
Grace be with you. 1 Timothy 6:20-21
I read this passage this morning and immediately I was intrigued … again. It is such a good passage to explore with the Holy Spirit. What is the ‘deposit’ Paul is talking about? What was the irreverent babble and contradictions Paul was referring to? And how did that ‘knowledge’ cause people to ‘swerve’ from the faith? So let’s dig a bit and see where He leads.
The ‘deposit’ is the Greek word parathéké meaning a deposit or trust. The word ‘guard’ in Greek in this instance is phulassó meaning properly, preserve by “having an eye on”, referring to the uninterrupted vigilance shepherds show in keeping their flocks. So the mystery of this ‘deposit’ still remains deeper. Reading through all the ‘professional’ theological commentaries on this passage left me still wanting, for it seemed there was still more meant by the idea Paul was conveying to Timothy. I think Timothy ‘knew’ what his ‘deposit’ was as I’m sure it was part of the conversation Paul and Timothy had before. Several ideas come to my mind. Paul in 2 Timothy 1:5 talks about a ‘faith’ that dwelled in his grandmother and mother before him, that Paul believed was also deposited into Timothy. Faith.. we know is given by God, it is not a human construct, but a divine gift. The other thing ‘entrusted’ to Timothy was the indwelling Presence of the Holy Spirit. That ‘gift’ / seal is a precious treasure / relationship that needs to be nurtured and ‘guarded’ in our hearts. What can chip away at that spiritual ‘gift’ / deposit? Intellectual arguments. The enemy is a master of persuasion and argument. Which is what is talked about with Paul’s next words to Timothy.
Could Paul be referring to Gnostic teachings saying “babble and contradictions”? The strategy of the enemy of making up ‘new’ words, or the twisting of definitions of the current words is one of his markers. The enemy wants confusion and misunderstanding, so arguments and debate for the sake of persuading someone away from the truth has been and always will be the enemy’s strategy till he is put away in the ‘bottomless pit’. So many claim they have ‘knowledge’ because they have ‘academic training and certificates’. That somehow since they’ve been through the hoops of academia they ‘know’ the truth better than anyone else. The real Truth of things is revealed by the Holy Spirit — not by humankind’s limited perspectives. So you can be highly academically degreed and still not know the Truth. But because you can be taught to be highly persuasive and convincing — so that people will believe you, and people can become deceived by listening to the falsehoods. Many of these academically trained individuals have learned to first deceive themselves in believing the lies. But by what did Jesus and the apostles (including Paul) convince people with? Their great words? OR by the power of the Holy Spirit through miracles that could ONLY come by the hand of God?
The word ‘knowledge’ in this passage in Greek is gnósis meaning (“applied-knowledge”) is only as accurate (reliable) as the relationship it derives from. For example, the Gnostics boasted of their “applied knowledge” gained by their personal spiritual experiences – and it was (is) disastrous! “Gnosticism” is literally, “the cult based on having special, personal knowledge”. So we can fairly assume Paul was intimating to Timothy the Gnostic teachings and their dangers.
The relationship with the Holy Spirit will never contradict the “inspired scriptures”. He will only ‘highlight’ and help you understand in your heart and mind. So much of the Gnostic teaching was about convincing others that only a ‘certain’ human individual had ‘special knowledge because of their experiences’ kinda like Joseph Smith in the early 1800’s. There will always be people who state “they” only know what God wants because of their ‘personal experiences’. There will always be those people who try to convince others that they only have the ‘special personal knowledge’ that can guide people to the truth. The question that needs to be asked is one of ‘fruit’, and what ‘fruit’ is being ‘yielded’ from those individuals. So much wrong ‘fruit’ is described in Galatians 5:17-21. And eventually that ‘bad fruit’ almost always leads to sexual immorality.
Something we need to remember.
we know that “all of us possess knowledge.” This “knowledge” puffs up, but love builds up. 1 Corinthians 8:1
Pride in our ‘knowledge’ can so easily lead us away from the fruit of the Holy Spirit in which He is so diligently trying to instill, plant, and grow in us. True humility is a marker of the ‘right’ spirit and wisdom.
Who is to be our Teacher? Who is the one who will bring us the Truth? Who is the one who leads us to Jesus and teaches us about Him? Who is our Mentor and Comforter? Who is the one who convicts us of our sin?
Simply … the Holy Spirit.
What has God deposited into you? What are you to ‘guard’ within your heart and soul?