What does "oppositions of science falsely so called" mean?

Question

1 Tim. 6:20(KJV) says,

"O Timothy, keep that which is committed to thy trust, avoiding profane and vain babblings, and oppositions of science falsely so called".

What does "Oppositions of science falsely so called" mean, and how are we to recognize them?

Answer 1

The Greek word translated "science" in 1 Tim 6:20 (KJV) is "gnosis". When the KJV was produced this was a good translation, albeit a Latin word. However, "science" now has a rather specialised meaning and Knowledge would be more accurate in modern English.

Here is a sample of modern versions showing this:

• NIV: Turn away from godless chatter and the opposing ideas of what is falsely called knowledge
• ESV: Avoid the irreverent babble and contradictions of what is falsely called “knowledge,
• NASB: avoiding worldly and empty chatter and the opposing arguments of what is falsely called "knowledge "
• YLT: avoiding the profane vain-words and opposition of the falsely-named knowledge,
• ISV: Avoid the pointless discussions and contradictions of what is falsely called knowledge.

The "knowledge" discussed here is obviously false knowledge about God that is peddled as truth. Paul advises Timothy to avoid such false knowledge that comes from "godless chatter" and has led some to depart from the faith.

The faith that we should have is the faith of Jesus (Rom 3:22, 26, Gal 2:16, 3:22, Rev 14:12). Therefore, according to this text, anything religious knowledge that detracts from the faith of Jesus is false knowledge and should be avoided.

Answer 2

'Falsely so-called science' in the KJV translation of I Timothy 6:20 is expressing the words psuedonumou gnosews. Gnosis is more usually translated 'knowledge'.

There are two words for knowing in Greek - oida and ginwskw.

Oida Strong 3609 is a matter of perception, of 'seeing' in the sense of apprehending (I see what you mean), or of intuitive understanding. It is from within.

GnosisStrong 1108 is that which is didactic, it is learned, it is a 'body of knowledge'.

So when Paul writes to Timothy of psuedonumou gnosews it is fairly clear that he refers to bodies of knowledge which are built on false foundations, didactically conveyed constructs that have the pseudonym (a false name) 'knowledge'.

They purport to be genuine bodies of knowledge constructed of true facts and connected by valid reasoning.

But it is false pretences. The label 'knowledge' is undeserved. They are falsely called 'knowledge'.

Because what they convey is not what can be genuinely known by such means.

To 'know' in a genuine sense requires a disciplined, honest, practical, competent setting forth of truth in a construct that may be communicated - sensibly, reasonably and in an organised fashion - from one to another.

Psuedonumou gnosews is that which is another kind of construct and which is, therefore, not a valid way of conveying 'knowledge' at all.

It just has the false label 'knowledge' displayed on it.

Answer 3

First, the Greek text:

^Κʹ ὦ Τιμόθεε τὴν παραθήκην φύλαξον ἐκτρεπόμενος τὰς βεβήλους κενοφωνίας καὶ ἀντιθέσεις τῆς ψευδωνύμου γνώσεως ^{NA28, ©2012}

and my English translation:

²⁰ Timothy, guard the deposit, avoiding profane vain-talkings and antitheses of pseudonymous knowledge.

The King James Version may be the only English translation to translate γνώσεως (γνῶσις) into English as “science.”¹ This is likely due to the influence of the Vulgate which used the Latin word scientiae (scientia). But, when the King James Version was produced in 1611, “science” was often used to refer to “knowledge” in general, not necessarily to the field of study we know today as “science.”

For example, in Paradise Lost (first published circa 1667),² John Milton has Satan referring to the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil as the “mother of science”:

Why did Milton do so? Because the Vulgate referred to it in Latin as lignum scientiae boni et mali, Latin for “the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.”³

In 1 Timothy 6:20, the “pseudonymous knowledge” to which the the apostle Paul urges Timothy to avoid is likely that of Gnostic or proto-Gnostic sects. Just as their name implies, Gnostics professed to possess and be privvy to salvific knowledge (γνῶσις), but their knowledge was neither rooted in faith nor imparted by the Holy Spirit.⁴

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Footnotes

¹ The word “science” only occurs twice, the other verse being Dan. 1:4.
² Book IX, p. 211, Lines 679-683
³ Vulgate, Gen. 2:9
⁴ see The New Testament and Gnosis, Ch. VIII, p. 116

References

Schmithals, Walter. “The Corpus Palinium and Gnosis.” The New Testament and Gnosis. Ed. Logan, Alastair; Wedderburn, Alexander J. M. London: Bloomsbury, 2015.

Milton, John. Paradise Lost. Vol. 1. London: Company of Stationers, 1731.

Answer 4

What does “oppositions of science falsely so called” mean?

Paul wrote his epistle "1 Timothy" about 63-64 C.E. and it is obvious from this epistle and others that even at this early stage of Christianity ,Christianity was influenced by false teachings, and so Paul was moved to caution Timothy from the contradictions and absurdities of so-called "knowledge." And so appealed to his close friend Timothy.

1 Timothy 6:20-21

20" O Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to you, avoiding worldly and empty chatter and the opposing arguments of what is falsely called “knowledge" . 21 which some have professed and thus gone astray from the faith.”—(NASB)

"What is falsely called “knowledge" .

Christians in those days were faced with the Philosophies and the teachings of the famous Greek philosophers such as Plato, Aristotle and Socrates . The elite intellectuals, disciples of such teachers were considered far superior scholarly to Jesus disciples , who were not considered " wise according to the flesh"(1 Cor. 1:26 NASB)

During his visit to Athens ,Paul encountered Epicurean and Stoic philosophers, neither of them believed in the resurrection ,to those philosophers the teachings of Crucifixion and resurrection were "absurd- foolishness." Paul wrote:

Acts 17:18 (NET Bible)

" Also some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers were conversing with him, and some were asking, “What does this foolish babbler want to say?” Others said, “He seems to be a proclaimer of foreign gods.” (They said this because he was proclaiming the good news about Jesus and the resurrection.)

1 Corinthians 1:23 (AMPC)

23 "We preach Christ (the Messiah) crucified, [preaching which] to the Jews is a scandal and an offensive stumbling block [that springs a snare or trap], and to the Gentiles it is absurd and utterly unphilosophical nonsense."

Many people in those days esteemed the Greek philosophies , Paul called such knowledge "false" because it lacked godly wisdom, "but fools despise skillful and godly Wisdom, instruction, and discipline." (Proverbs 1:7 AMPB) Paul further wrote, warning Christians not to be impressed by the persuasive arguments of the intellectuals of the day.

Warnings Against the Adoption of False Philosophies

Colossians 2:4-8 (NET Bible)

4 "I say this so that no one will deceive you through arguments that sound reasonable. 5 For though I am absent from you in body, I am present with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your morale and the firmness of your faith in Christ."

6 "Therefore, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, 7 rooted and built up in him and firm in your faith just as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. 8 Be careful not to allow anyone to captivate you through an empty, deceitful philosophy that is according to human traditions and the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ."

Conclusion:

Today it is no different, we also have elite intellectuals with their theories of evolution, others doubt the "flood", many also question the sun and the moon being motionless in the days of Joshua. (Joshua 10:12-14).

Even today with our progress in science, humans cannot understand the workings of the universe, God asked Job: "Do you know the laws of the heavens, or can you set up their rule over the earth?(Job38:33). The earth and the sun may have continued their motion as usual,is it not possible for the creator of the universe for example, to refract the light in a way we do understand?

The humble will take time to read the scriptures and harmonize their lives with His never changing standards, rather that question the words and works of their Creator. David wrote:

Psalm 8:3-4 (NET Bible)

3 "When I look up at the heavens, which your fingers made, and see the moon and the stars, which you set in place, 4 Of what importance is the human race, that you should notice them? Of what importance is mankind, that you should pay attention to them."

Answer 5

"Knowledge" can be confused with speculations, assumptions, wishful thinking, denial of the unknown etc., etc.--having one tiny speck of knowledge, evidence-- does not give one the right to totally ignore the vast, vast amount of evidence that one does not have of the supposed billions of years of the past. one example---speed of light--right now just on planet earth there are various speeds of light--scientist have even slowed down light to 38 miles per hour. to say that light has been traveling at the same speed over vast amounts of time and space is certainly not sound "science". so proving any point on this premise is impossible.--carbon dating,-some show some material to be 1,000 years in the future.