1 Timothy 6:3-5

The Identity and Teaching of False Teachers

False teachers can be identified through their teaching, which is different from the true words of Jesus. Any modification of Christ's teaching makes it different and unacceptable in God's eyes (Galatians 1:6-9). Paul uses the word "wholesome," which is similar to our word “healthy,” to describe spiritually healthy words about Jesus which would urge the hearers to godliness. In contrast, the false teacher is so conceited as to believe his reasoning and words are better than the Lord's. In reality, he does not know anything he needs to know. The false teacher's greatest pleasure was not in teaching the truth but in arguing about words and questions with which the Lord had not dealt.

Unfortunately, that kind of discussion only leads to envy, angry contention, speaking evil of others and sick imaginations of minds weakened by sin. Such discussions also lead to incessant quarreling and bad feelings that go on and on. Once one has corrupted the word of God it is easy to go on and allow one's own mind to be corrupted. They had possessed the truth but had allowed their own speculations and arguing to rob them of the truth. They then began to preach things that would produce great personal wealth without regard to the truth. They called their preaching godliness only to make the best possible profit (1 Timothy 6:3-5).