Paul reminds us that people who assert that they know what they are talking about does not mean that they do. You can be confident about something and not know what you are saying. You can have a hunch about meaning, double down on it, and be dead wrong. Paul knew the OT scriptures, their background, context and intent. He saw teachers who knew none of that making bold, but inaccurate, statements. Paul’s goal for teaching was very different. It was not to pile up knowledge and create know-it-alls; he was out to make genuine disciples, laced with real love, heart purity and a good conscience. You might observe that many confident asserters have not produced sincere-pure-hearted-good-conscience disciples; it is impossible for them to produce believers who pursue holiness of heart and life. Our business, as was Paul’s, is to disciple toward holy character.
“But the goal of our instruction is love from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. For some men, straying from these things, have turned aside to fruitless discussion, wanting to be teachers of the Law, even though they do not understand either what they are saying or the matters about which they make confident assertions.” (1 Timothy 1:5–7 NASB).
