John Calvin Commentary 1 Timothy 1:3

"As I exhorted thee to tarry at Ephesus, when I was going into Macedonia, that thou mightest charge certain men not to teach a different doctrine," — 1 Timothy 1:3 (ASV)

As I urged you—Either the syntax is elliptical, or the particle ἵνα is redundant; and in both cases, the meaning will be obvious. First, he reminds Timothy why he was urged to remain at Ephesus. It was with great reluctance and through hard necessity that he parted with such a dearly beloved and faithful companion, so that Timothy might laboriously fill the role of his deputy, a role no other man was competent to fill. Therefore, Timothy must have been powerfully motivated by this consideration, not only to avoid wasting his time, but also to conduct himself in an excellent and distinguished manner.

I wish that you should forbid any.—Thus, by way of inference, he exhorts Timothy to oppose the false teachers who corrupted pure doctrine. In the injunction given to Timothy, to occupy his place at Ephesus, we should observe the holy concern of the Apostle; for while he labored so much to establish many churches, he did not leave the existing churches without a pastor. And indeed, as an ancient writer remarks, “To keep what has been gained is not a smaller virtue than to make new acquisitions.” The word forbid denotes power; for Paul wishes to arm Timothy with power to restrain others.

Not to teach differently—The Greek word (ἑτεροδιδασκαλεῖν) that Paul uses is a compound and, therefore, may be translated either ‘to teach differently,’ or ‘after a new method,’ or ‘to teach a different doctrine.’ The translation given by Erasmus (sectari), ‘to follow,’ does not satisfy me, because it could be understood to apply to the hearers. Now Paul means those who, for the sake of ambition, introduced a new doctrine.

If we read it as ‘to teach differently,’ the meaning will be more extensive, for by this expression he will forbid Timothy to permit any new forms of teaching to be introduced that do not agree with the true and pure doctrine he had taught. Thus, in the Second Epistle, he recommends ὑποτύπωσις, that is, a lively picture of his doctrine (2 Timothy 1:13). For, as the truth of God is one, so there is only one plain manner of teaching it, which is free from false adornment and partakes more of the majesty of the Spirit than of the display of human eloquence. Whoever departs from that, disfigures and corrupts the doctrine itself; and, therefore, ‘to teach differently,’ must relate to the form.

If we read it as ‘to teach something different,’ it will relate to the matter. Yet it is worthy of observation that we give the name ‘another doctrine’ not only to that which is openly at variance with the pure doctrine of the gospel, but to everything that either corrupts the pure gospel by new and borrowed inventions or obscures it by ungodly speculations. For all human inventions are so many corruptions of the gospel; and those who make sport of the Scriptures—as ungodly people are accustomed to do, so as to turn Christianity into an act of display—darken the gospel. This manner of teaching, therefore, is entirely opposed to the word of God and to that purity of doctrine in which Paul enjoins the Ephesians to continue.