Paul warns Timothy that there will be people who teach false messages and place unnecessary restrictions on people. Timothy is to combat this by continuing to teach the truth and living a godly life.
We can recognize false teachers in two ways. One is to know the truth of what the Bible says and compare that against a person’s teaching. Another is to look at the person’s life. If the teacher is not living a life in obedience to God, his or her teaching is not to be trusted.