I Timothy 1

“But the goal of our instruction is love from a pure heart and good conscience and a sincere faith” (v5).  Paul warned Timothy that certain leaders in Ephesus were speculating about “strange doctrines” (v3), and they had wrong motives.  They were not working toward the goal of love from a pure heart and good conscience, but instead were spending time in “fruitless discussions” in order to make themselves look like teachers (v6-7).  They were trying to raise their own status, rather than serve others.

In the church, all leadership is based on serving others as Christ did.  Anything less is not “the glorious gospel” (v11).