In verse 4 Paul continues, “Nor to occupy themselves with myths and unending genealogies, which give occasion for questionings rather than God’s dispensation which is in faith.” The Greek word rendered “myths” in this verse is muthos. The same word is translated tales in 4:7 and fables in 2 Timothy 4:4. It refers to words, speeches, and conversations concerning such things as rumors, reports, stories (true or false), and fictions. It might include Jewish stories of miracles and rabbinical fabrications. They were the profane and old-womanish tales (4:7) and Jewish myths (Titus 1:14). The Jewish myths may have been the seed of Gnostic mythologies.
The “unending genealogies” mentioned in this verse probably refer to Old Testament genealogies adorned with fables (Titus 3:9).
The myths and unending genealogies give occasion for questionings and vain talking rather than God’s dispensation.
The myths and the unending genealogies give rise to vain talking and cause people to misaim from the goal of the charge of love. In verses 5 and 6 Paul says, “But the goal of the charge is love out of a pure heart, and a good conscience, and unfeigned faith; from which things some, having misaimed, have turned aside to vain talking.” The charge in verse 5 refers to the charge mentioned in verse 3. The differing teachings of the dissenting ones in verse 3 caused envy and discord among the believers. Such envy and discord were contrary to love, the goal of the apostle’s charge. To carry out the apostle’s charge, love, which is out of a pure heart, a good conscience, and unfeigned faith, is needed.
A pure heart is a single heart without mixture, seeking the Lord only and taking the Lord as the unique goal. A good conscience is a conscience without offense (Acts 24:16). Unfeigned faith, connected with faith in verse 4, is faith without pretense or hypocrisy, that purifies the heart (Acts 15:9) and works through love (Gal. 5:6). In order to deal with the differing teachings when the trend of the church is toward decline, all these attributes are required. They are necessary if we are to have a pure, true, and genuine love.
In verse 7 Paul refers to law teachers: “Desiring to be law teachers, understanding neither what they are saying, nor concerning what they confidently affirm.” Law teachers, teaching people what to do and what not to do, are different from the minister of Christ (4:6), who ministers His riches to others. According to this verse, those who desire to be law teachers confidently affirm certain things. The Greek for confidently can also be rendered strongly or emphatically. The same word is used in Titus 3:8.
According to verses 8 through 10, the law is good if used lawfully. Paul says that the “law is not enacted for a righteous man, but for the lawless and unruly, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for smiters of fathers and smiters of mothers, for manslayers, for fornicators, homosexuals, kidnappers, liars, perjurers, and if there be any other thing opposed to healthy teaching.”
The words “healthy teaching” imply the matter of life. Anything that is healthy refers to the health of life. The sound teaching of the apostles, which is according to the gospel of the glory of God, ministers healthy teaching as the supply of life to people, either nourishing them or healing them. In contrast, the differing teachings of the dissenting ones in verse 3 sow the seeds of death and poison into others. Any teaching that distracts people from the center and goal of God’s New Testament economy is not healthy.
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