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1 Timothy 4

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Warning Against Future Apostasy 1–5

1
But the Spirit saith expressly, that in later times some shall fall away from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of demons, ​
2
through the hypocrisy of men that speak lies, branded in their own conscience as with a hot iron; ​
3
forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God created to be received with thanksgiving by them that believe and know the truth. ​
4
For every creature of God is good, and nothing is to be rejected, if it be received with thanksgiving: ​
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for it is sanctified through the word of God and prayer. ​

Instructions for a Good Minister 6–11

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If thou put the brethren in mind of these things, thou shalt be a good minister of Christ Jesus, nourished in the words of the faith, and of the good doctrine which thou hast followed until now: ​
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but refuse profane and old wives’ fables. And exercise thyself unto godliness: ​
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for bodily exercise is profitable for a little; but godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the life which now is, and of that which is to come. ​
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Faithful is the saying, and worthy of all acceptation. ​
10
For to this end we labor and strive, because we have our hope set on the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, specially of them that believe. ​
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These things command and teach.

Charge to Timothy: Practice and Perseverance 12–16

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Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an ensample to them that believe, in word, in manner of life, in love, in faith, in purity. ​
13
Till I come, give heed to reading, to exhortation, to teaching. ​
14
Neglect not the gift that is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy, with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery. ​
15
Be diligent in these things; give thyself wholly to them; that thy progress may be manifest unto all. ​
16
Take heed to thyself, and to thy teaching. Continue in these things; for in doing this thou shalt save both thyself and them that hear thee. ​

Bible text: American Standard Version (1901) · Public domain

Study Notes for 1 Timothy 4

Verse 1

the Spirit speaketh expressly — Rhetos, 'distinctly', occurs only here in the New Testament, as does hysteros, 'latter'. The warning matches 2 Thess 2:3, the 'falling away', and 2 Tim 3:1, 'in the last days perilous times shall come'. 'Devils' is daimonion; the 'seducing' spirits are planos, wandering deceivers.

Verse 2

seared with a hot iron — Kautēriazō, to brand or cauterize, occurs only here in the New Testament. A seared place has lost feeling, as with those 'past feeling' in Eph 4:19. 'Hypocrisy' (hypokrisis) is the acting of a part: the lies are told by men whose own conscience (syneidēsis) no longer registers them.

Verse 3

Forbidding to marry — The verse names two prohibitions, marriage and 'meats' (brōma, foods). Both contradict the Creator: marriage 'is honourable in all' (Heb 13:4), and 'Every moving thing that liveth shall be meat for you' (Gen 9:3). The food is given 'to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth'.

Verse 4

every creature of God is good — Ktisma, a created thing, answers the 'which God hath created' of v.3. 'Good' (kalos) echoes Gen 1:31, 'behold, it was very good'. Nothing is 'to be refused' (apoblētos, cast away), on one condition: 'if it be received with thanksgiving' (eucharistia).

Verse 5

sanctified by the word of God and prayer — Hagiazō, to set apart as holy. The 'word of God' is God's own declaration that his creation is good and given for food (Gen 1:31; Gen 9:3), and 'prayer' is enteuxis, a supplication addressed to him (the word of 1 Tim 2:1). Food so received needs no further ceremonial purifying (cf. Titus 1:15, 'Unto the pure all things are pure').

Verse 6

a good minister of Jesus Christ — Diakonos, servant or attendant. 'Put… in remembrance' (hypotithēmi) means to lay before, to suggest; the church is addressed as 'the brethren'. 'Nourished up' (entrephō) is fed continually on 'the words of faith and of good doctrine, whereunto thou hast attained', that is, followed closely.

Verse 7

old wives' fables — Graōdēs, 'old-womanish', occurs only here in the New Testament; muthos is a tale. 'Profane' (bebēlos) is what lies outside the holy. Such 'fables' were named in 1 Tim 1:4 and are to be shunned in 2 Tim 2:16. 'Exercise' is gymnazō, to train as an athlete, aimed at 'godliness' (eusebeia).

Verse 8

bodily exercise profiteth little — Gymnasia, training, set against 'godliness', which is 'profitable unto all things'. 'Little' can mean small in degree or brief in time. The promise (epangelia) covers 'the life that now is' and 'that which is to come'; compare 1 Tim 6:6, 'godliness with contentment is great gain'.

Verse 9

a faithful saying — The same words stand in 1 Tim 1:15, 'This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation', where the saying was that 'Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners'. Here it attaches to the promise of v.8 and the hope of v.10. Apodochē is welcome, full acceptance.

Verse 10

the Saviour of all men, specially of those that believe — 'Labour' (kopiaō) is toil to weariness; 'suffer reproach' is oneidizō, to be taunted. God is Saviour of all in that he 'will have all men to be saved' (1 Tim 2:4) and Christ gave himself 'a ransom for all' (1 Tim 2:6); malista, 'specially', marks those who trust him.

Verse 12

Let no man despise thy youth — Kataphroneō, to think down on. The remedy is not rank but pattern: 'an example' is typos, the stamp or mould, the word Paul uses again in Titus 2:7, 'a pattern of good works'. The six spheres run from speech and conduct to love, spirit, faith and 'purity' (hagneia), chastity.

Verse 13

give attendance to reading — Anagnōsis is public reading aloud, here of Scripture, followed by paraklēsis, 'exhortation', and didaskalia, 'doctrine', teaching. 'Give attendance' is prosechō, the verb of 'giving heed' in v.1: heed paid to the Scriptures instead of to seducing spirits. It lasts 'till I come'.

Verse 14

the laying on of the hands of the presbytery — Presbyterion, the body of elders, occurs in only three places: Luke 22:66, Acts 22:5 and here. In 2 Tim 1:6 the gift is 'by the putting on of my hands', so Paul himself took part. 'Prophecy' recalls the utterances 'which went before on thee' (1 Tim 1:18).

Verse 15

Meditate upon these things — Meletaō, to ponder and practise, occurs only three times in the New Testament: here, Mark 13:11 ('premeditate') and Acts 4:25 ('imagine'). 'Give thyself wholly to them' is literally 'be in them'. 'Profiting' (prokopē) is forward progress, which is to 'appear to all'.

Verse 16

thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee — Epechō, 'take heed', is a watchful holding to: first 'unto thyself', then 'unto the doctrine'. 'Continue' is epimenō, to remain. God is the Saviour (v.10); the minister is the means, as Titus 1:9 describes him 'holding fast the faithful word'.