Overview:
1 Timothy 5:21–25
Like a chronic illness, a persistent falsehood often lingers in the minds of believers and unbelievers alike: God is a cosmic killjoy, and the Bible is His ruler to whack anyone having a good time. It’s a lie, of course. God is the giver of abundant life (John 10:10), and His Word enables us to live fulfilling lives. It’s true that the Bible is filled with thou shalts and thou shalt nots, which serve as a sort of preventative checkup. But it’s also a book of “hints” rather than commands, kind of like when our mothers tell us when us when we have a cold to get plenty of rest and to eat your chicken noodle soup. Our doctors and mothers are necessary, but life is happier with chicken noodle soup . . . and in heeding Paul’s hints found in the last five verses of 1 Timothy 5.
