1 Timothy 6:3

‘If any man teaches a different doctrine, and does not adhere to sound words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness,’

And the reason that he had to teach them was because if anyone taught anything contrary to ‘sound words’, that is, the recognised teaching of the Apostles (Galatians 2:2), or taught a ‘different doctrine’ (compare 1 Timothy 1:3) from Paul, he was demonstrating that he did not consent to such ‘sound words’, that is, words which truly declared and revealed the truth. He then points out that these are also in line with what our Lord, Jesus Christ Himself taught. His claim is thus that his own teaching, unlike that of these false teachers, is solidly based on that of the Lord, Jesus Christ. The heretics claimed to have advanced on His known teaching by introducing ‘mysteries’, but Paul calls all men back to His known teaching, as known and recorded in all the churches.

‘And to the doctrine which is according to godliness’. And that teaching provides the basis for true piety, for true religion, for being pleasing to God, for truly fulfilling their obligations towards God and man.