4:1 Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons,
Paul has just finished speaking of the church being the foundation and pillar of truth.
The Church of Jesus Christ needs to maintain the truth about God.
Since the church needs to maintain truth, God warns about those who spread falsehood.
Paul warns Timothy to be wise concerning false doctrine.
Now the Spirit expressly says- Jesus, Peter, Paul, all warned about false Messiahs, false teachers, which would come in the last days.
It was a matter of regular revelation that was brought forth for the church to understand.
in latter times- yet future in Paul’s day, but casting a shadow backwards to his day.
some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons,
aphistemi, af-is’-tay-mee; to remove, depart, draw (fall) away, refrain, withdraw self.
Paul says that in the latter times, people will depart from sound Christian teaching.
They will withdraw from it, and resist it.
They will also seek to draw others away.
The false doctrine which is promoted is inspired by Satan and his servants, the fallen angels, demons.
The Greek allows for the verse to say two things:
- False teachings inspired by demons.
- False teachings concerning the very demons themselves.
4:2 speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron,
Those who promote such false teachings are used by the Wicked One to spread falsehood.
Satan uses people to introduce and spread his lies, just as God uses people to teach the truth.
These teachers speak lies deceitfully.
1 Tim 4:2 These teachers will tell lies with straight faces and do it so often that their consciences won’t even bother them.
It is often Satan’s design to work through hypocritical and unfeeling men
Eph 4:19 Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, with a continual lust for more.
2 Cor 11:13-15 For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, masquerading as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. It is not surprising, then, if his servants masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron,
having their own conscience seared with a hot iron,
We get the word cauterize from this Greek word.
Like scar tissue, which no longer has any feeling, these false teachers have gone too far in their falsehood, and can no longer discern truth.
This causes them to be ready ministers of Satan’s falsehood.
4:3 forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from foods which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth.
One of the heresies in the early church was that of Gnosticism.
Spirit is good; matter is evil.
One of the ways that this was played out was in forbidding all pleasures related to the physical appetites.
This included normal desires for sexual relations within the context of marriage.
It also included a normal desire for food, and the enjoyment of it.
Col 2:20 Since you died with Christ to the basic principles of this world, why, as though you still belonged to it, do you submit to its rules:
Col 2:21 “Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!”?
Col 2:22 These are all destined to perish with use, because they are based on human commands and teachings.
Col 2:23 Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence.
Paul said that these things forbidden by false teachers were not designed to be forbidden, but rather, enjoyed.
He teaches that in Colossians, that adherence to these kinds of rules lacked any power in restraining true sensual indulgence.
Sexual relations within marriage is good, and to be enjoyed.
Illicit, extra-marital relations are wrong.
The enjoyment of food is good, gluttony, bulimia are wrong.
Satan takes what God intends for good, and tries to twist it, change it, forbid, and overdo it.
4:4 For every creature of God is good, and nothing is to be refused if it is received with thanksgiving;
Gen 1:31 Then God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good. So the evening and the morning were the sixth day.
These false teachers try to reject that which God says is good.
They instead, try to promote that which stands against God’s intentions.
Satan, and man, always try to abuse what God intends for good.
Paul says that we should receive from the Lord all that He has created.
We need to receive it in the right way, for the purposes for which He created it.
4:5 for it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer.
Instead, as we thank God for all He has given us…
As we receive things in the intended purpose for which He has given us…
We can rejoice and worship Him for all things that we have.
A simple meal. A loving marital relationship.
Intended by God to bless, not to be forbidden.
To be treated rightly by us, accepted as God intended.
4:6 If you instruct the brethren in these things, you will be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished in the words of faith and of the good doctrine which you have carefully followed.
Paul told Timothy how to be a good minister.
By instructing the Christians about the truths concerning these things.
2 Tim 2:2 And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others.
Timothy was to teach others by what he himself had received.
He had received the teachings of the faith from his mother and grandmother.
He had also been taught by Paul.
He was now to teach others what he had been taught.
Notice- He was called to teach that which he had followed.
This is what it means to be a good minister.
4:7 But reject profane and old wives’ fables, and exercise yourself toward godliness.
Christians are called to reject some things.
Godless, non-biblical, stories, myths, legends, have no place in our lives.
Christians are not to be so opened minded.
It is not unlovingly to reject that which has no root in God’s word.
4:8 For bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come.
This is not a prohibition against physical exercise.
Rather, it is a comparison between the benefits of physical training, and training for the soul and spirit.
Physical=benefits now. That’s good.
Spiritual=benefits for eternity. That’s better.
Some religions focus more on the body than on the spirit.
The countenance of a godly person shines much brighter than the muscles and fitness of a healthy un-believer.
4:9 This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance.
Pointing back to 4:8
4:10 For to this end we both labor and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of those who believe.
To develop the godliness of verse 8.
kopiao, kop-ee-ah’-o; to feel fatigue; by impl. to work hard:–(bestow) labor, toil, be wearied.
Another athletic term. Godliness is not accidental, but sought after.
Psa 42:1,2 As the deer pants for the water brooks, So pants my soul for You, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God?
oneidizo, on-i-did’-zo; to defame, i.e. rail at, chide, taunt:–cast in teeth, (suffer) reproach, revile, upbraid.
because we trust in the living God- that is why Paul endured such a struggle, such self-denial.
4:11 These things command and teach.
4:12 Let no one despise your youth, but be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, speech and actions
in love, agape
in spirit, the spirit of God working in, thru, the spirit of Timothy
in faith, exhibit the faith once for all delivered to the saints.
in purity. Morality
Be an example- If we asked your spouse, your friends, your neighbors…what would they say about you and the kind of example you are.
Know for certain- You do have a reputation. Is it good or bad?
4:13 Till I come, give attention to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine.
4:14 Do not neglect the gift that is in you, which was given to you by prophecy with the laying on of the hands of the eldership.
Timothy was warned to not neglect the gift that God has given.
This shows that there was definitely the possibility that gifts and abilities in him could be neglected.
As with the parable of the talents, we should not bury what abilities God has given.
NOTE- Why might Timothy neglect the gift, and neglect the ministry?
His age…he was considered young. Maybe about 30.
Elders in the churches that were wolves in sheep’s clothing: opposition.
He was naturally timid and fearful.
4:15 Meditate on these things; give yourself entirely to them, that your progress may be evident to all.
Paul called Timothy to meditation on God’s Word and the work of God in his life.
This is not emptying our minds (the goal of Eastern meditation), but filling our minds with God’s Word.
Give yourself entirely to them: Timothy was encouraged to give it his all, to put forth a maximum effort, and by doing so, his progress would be evident to all. Often, progress is not evident because we do not give ourselves entirely to the pursuit of God and His will.
Often we fall short of all we can be for God because we are passive in our Christian life; we simply do not give ourselves entirely. Jesus warned against this passive attitude in the parable of the talents, where the servant who did nothing was severely rebuked.
Paul could say, in 1 Corinthians 15:10: But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me. Paul knew spiritual growth didn’t just happen; it is the gift of God, but bestowed on those who actively pursue it.
As Alan Redpath observed, you might have a saved soul but a wasted life – but no believer should ever be content with such a place.
4:16 Take heed to yourself and to the doctrine. Continue in them, for in doing this you will save both yourself and those who hear you.
Take heed: Timothy, and every pastor, must examine constantly the two great areas of concern – one’s life and one’s doctrine. Failing to do this would mean peril for both Timothy himself and for those in his congregation.
Without giving heed to his life, Timothy might suffer shipwreck (as in 1 Timothy 1:19). Without giving heed to his doctrine, Timothy might lead others astray or leave them short of God’s salvation.
Those who hear Timothy as a pastor should be hearing doctrine. Timothy’s primary call was not to entertain, amuse, or even help with practical things – it was to present Biblical doctrine, and to give heed to that doctrine.
Save both yourself and those who hear you: “And just as the unfaithfulness or negligence of a pastor is fatal to the Church, so it is right for its salvation to be ascribed to his faithfulness and diligence. It is indeed true that it is God alone who saves and not even the smallest part of His glory can rightly be transferred to men. But God’s glory is in no way diminished by His using the labour of men in bestowing salvation.” (Calvin)
“What a high honour is this to faithful ministers, that they should be styled saviours in a sense!” (Trapp)
“For just as the salvation of his flock is a pastor’s crown, so all that perish will be required at the hand of careless pastors.” (Calvin)
“Years ago Hamburgh was nearly half of it burned down, and among the incidents that happened, there was this one. A large house had connected with it a yard in which there was a great black dog, and this black dog in the middle of the night barked and howled most furiously. It was only by his barking that the family were awakened just in time to escape from the flames, and their lives were spared; but the poor dog was chained to his kennel, and though he barked and thus saved the lives of others, he was burned himself. Oh! Do not you who work for God in this church perish in that fashion. Do not permit your sins to enchain you, so that while you warn others you become lost yourselves.” (Spurgeon)