14 Remind them of these things, charging them before the Lord not to strive about words to no profit, to the ruin of the hearers.
Verses 14-16 set forth Timothy’s guidance in approving and disproving those who work for the Lord. Service for the Lord requires sound doctrine.
14 Remind them of these things,
Timothy was to make it a regular practice to remind leaders in his church of what it means to be a faithful minister who is true to Scripture (present tense).
charging [adjuring] them before the Lord
The charge Timothy was to follow was to be done in the presence of the Lord (1 Tim 5:21, 6:13; 2 Tim 4:1). There was a solemnity to the task given to him to warn his church about unnecessary doctrinal disputes. He needed to understand that God was present, watching him care for his church.
PRINCIPLE:
Leadership needs to be conscious of the presence of God while pastoring a church.
APPLICATION:
Conscious awareness of the presence of God in ministry is crucial. Ministry leaders can receive “times of refreshing” from His presence (Acts 3:19).
The church needs constant reminders of truths they may have neglected or forgotten (Jn 14:26; 1 Tim 4:6; 2 Pe 1:12-15; 3:1). They need reminders to exercise selectivity to what they hear or read. Spiritual perception comes from a deep understanding of God’s Word.
