Paul had traveled to Ephesus to visit the local church there, possibly after he had been released from his two year imprisonment in Rome which is where the closing of the book of Acts leaves Paul. He found the church steeped in false doctrine being promoted by men who had lost sight of the purpose of the church or had become interested in personal gain. Since Paul was on a tour visiting the churches he had started, he left Ephesus and moved on to Macedonia (Thessalonica, Philippi, Berea), but Paul had left Timothy behind in Ephesus to follow up on the corrective measures Paul had implemented there:

“As I urged you when I went into Macedonia, stay there in Ephesus so that you may command certain people not to teach false doctrines any longer or to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies.” – First Timothy 1:3

(Paul did the same thing with Titus when he left him with the church on the island of Crete:

“The reason I left you in Crete was that you might put in order what was left unfinished and appoint elders in every town, as I directed you.” – Titus 1:5)  

Paul tells Timothy to “command certain people not to teach false doctrine.” The word “command” is the same word used by the Sanhedrin in Acts 4:18 when they commanded the apostles not to speak or teach in the name of Jesus. “Command” (parangello) is a strong word in the Greek which is a military term for giving strict orders and to pass those orders from one to another with an emphasis on giving those orders with strict authority.

Timothy was to pass on Paul’s orders to “certain men” whose names and identities Paul had previously marked for Timothy. Two of these men will be named later in this opening chapter of this letter to Timothy (Hymenaeus and Alexander, 1 Timothy 1:20)

Paul says the reason he wants the false teaching to be stopped is because only the truth of God can produce the faith in believer’s lives. This is the faith that will be able to produce the genuine love of God that cannot be defeated. False doctrine and speculative teaching is like clay in the foundation of a building. False teaching creates a false philosophy/worldview (similar to the philosophies of the OT idols) that will collapse when believers are forced to deal with reality (which is every day!). False truth is followed by fake faith and imitation applications such as pseudo-love that cannot endure the stress test reality will bring. But, truth will produce faith and a love that will remain:

"False prophets are to be found in the circles of the most orthodox, and they pretend to have a fervent love for souls, yet they fatally delude multitudes concerning the way of salvation. The pulpit, platform, and pamphlet hucksters have wantonly lowered the standard of divine holiness and so adulterated the Gospel in order to make it palatable to the carnal mind."
- A. W. Pink

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