Online Resource Library
Commentary Index | Return to PrayerRequest.com | DownloadInternational Critical Commentary NT - 1 Timothy 4:1 - 4:99
(Show All Books | Show All Chapters)
This Chapter Verse Commentaries:
4:1-5. Warning against false teaching.
Paraphrase. Yet, though each church has to uphold the truth, and though it knows the secret of the true human life, inspired prophets have given us clear warning that, in after days, some Christians will fall away from the true faith: they will pay heed to evil misleading spirits, to doctrines inspired by heathen deities, embodied in the false teaching of insincere men—men whose own conscience bears the brand of sin upon it, men who teach others that it is a duty not to marry, and a duty to abstain from certain kinds of food. Yet it was God who created those foods, and created them that those who have accepted Christ and come to know His full teaching might enjoy them with thankfulness. For every created thing has the Creator’s stamp of excellence upon it, and there is none that need be cast aside, if only it is accepted with a grateful heart, for then it becomes consecrated by the Divine blessing and our responsive prayer. Cf. Mat_24:11, Act_20:29, Act_20:30, 2Th_2:1-12, 2Ti_3:1-5, Tit_1:14-16, and notice how in the address to the elders at Ephesus the warning against “grievous wolves” follows directly on the duty of feeding the flock and on the mention of “the Church of God.”
The false teaching referred to. The prohibition of marriage and of certain foods finds an exact analogy in the Gnosticism of the 2nd century; cf. Iren. Hœ. i. 28, of the Encratites, ἀαίνἐήυα, ἀεονε τνἀχίνπάι τῦθο . . . κὶτνλγμννπρ ατῖ ἐψχνἀόη εσγσνοἀαιτῦτςτ πναππικτ θῷ ib. 24.2, “nubere et generare a Satana dicunt esse. Multi autem …et ab animalibus abstinent, per fictam hujusmodi continentiam seducentes multos” (both of which passages seem reminiscent of this place). Cf. the Acts of Paul and Thekla, c. 12. If the Epistle is not genuine, this is doubtless the reference. But there is no allusion here to the Gnostic central doctrine of an inferior Demiurge (cf. 3 note), and there is nothing that goes beyond the teaching already denounced in Rom_14, Col_2:16-23, Heb_13:4, Heb_13:9. We may therefore trace it possibly to a Judaism of the dispersion influenced by Essenism (Ἐσίνοδὶ ἄεα γνῖα Philo, p. 633; Josephus, B.J. ii. 8; cf. Ep. Diogn. c. 4), or perhaps more probably (cf. διοίν to Oriental tendencies which developed into Gnosticism. In such a syncretistic city as Ephesus there is no need to assume only one set of false teaching.
On the other hand, the allusions are too definite for it to be merely “an apologetic vade-mecum for all anti-Gnostic controversy” (Dibelius).
1. δ] With slight antithesis to 3:15 and the substance of 3:16.
τ πεμ] The Spirit of the Lord speaking through some prophet, possibly the writer himself, “sibi, ” Ambros.; cf. Act_20:29, but vide next note.
ῥτς] “clearly,” “unmistakably,” or more probably “in express terms,” implying that he is quoting a prophecy (cf. Justin Martyr, Apol. i. 63). If so, the utterance of the Spirit will not have been made to the writer himself, but he is quoting that of some other Christian prophet. The person is ignored: the fact of his inspiration emphasized; cf. Charles, Revelation, 1. p. cix.
ἐ ὑτρι κιος] “In later days,” “at some later crisis” (the plural not being pressed; cf. κιοςἰίι, Tit_1:2 note); cf. ὑτρ χόῳ Plato: ἐ ὑτρι χόος Plut. ap. Wetstein; Acta Carpi, 5, Χιτν. . . τνἐθναἐ ὑτρι κιοςἐὶστρᾳἡῶ. The writer contemplates that this is a present danger, cf. 6-11: hence we may paraphrase, “there is a past prophecy about a later crisis, which is now being fulfilled”; cf. 1Jn_4:1-3.
πεμσ πάοςκτλ] Cf. Mat_24:15, 1Jn_4:6, Rev_16:14 πεμτ διοίνπιῦτ σμῖ, hence probably from some heathen source; cf. 1Co_10:20, 1Co_10:21, Jam_3:15 σφαδιοιδς
ἐ ὑορσι] Insincere, because their own lives are inconsistent; cf. Mat_23:4, Rom_2:17-23.
The clause is connected closely with δδσαίι, teaching embodied in insincere utterances of lying teachers.
κκυηισέω.] Not “rendered callous as by medical treatment,” cf. Eph_4:19, but rather “branded with the brand of slavery to their true master Satan,” cf. 2Ti_2:26, and contrast Gal_6:17 τ σίμτ τῦἸσῦ Claudian in Rufin. ii.504, “en ! pectus inustæDeformant maculæ” and other illustrations of the metaphor in Wetstein here and on Gal. l.c.
3. κλοτνγμῖ, ἀπχσα] Forbidding to marry, bidding to abstain; cf. 2:12. Hort unnecessarily conjectures κὶγύσα or ἢἄτσα, W.-H. note ad loc.
ἅ, i.e. probably βώααonly: it might include marriage also; cf. Apost. Canon 51, ε τςἐίκπςἤπεβτρςγμυκὶκενκὶονυο δʼἄκσνἀλ δὰβευίνἀέεα, ἐιαόεο ὅιπνακλ λα κὶὅιἄσνκὶθλ ἐοηε ὁθὸ τνἄθωο ἀλ βαφμνδαάλιτνδμορινἢδοθύθ ἢκθιεσω so 53 of food only, κθιεσεὡ κκυηισέο τνἰίνσνίηι.
τῖ πσος] those who have accepted the gospel—so not for the Jews on whom the Levitical law was still binding: κὶἐεντνἀθινso not for weak Christians who have till late been used to idol worship or scruple about eating meat; cf. 1Co_8:7, Rom_14, esp. v. 14 οδ κὶππιμιἐ Χιτ Ἰσῦὄιοδνκιό, and 23.
4. πνκ. θ κλν] A reminiscence of the sevenfold refrain of Gen_1, ἴε ὁθὸ ὅικλν Cf. also Ecclus 39:16, 24, 27 τυαπνατῖ εσβσνεςἀαά οτςτῖ ἁατλῖ ταήεα εςκκ.
οδνἀολό had become almost a proverb based on Il. iii. 65, οτιἀοβηʼἐτ θῶ ἐιύε δρ (cf. Field, Ot. Norvic. ad loc., and Wetstein). Both Holy Scripture and Greek proverbial wisdom condemn these teachers.
λμάοεο] If taken as a gift—not treated as a right—and with gratitude. The divine word is constantly λβτ, φγτ (Mat_26:26).
ἁιζτι] It becomes holy to the eater; not that it was unclean in itself, but that his scruples or thanklessness might make it so to him. Possibly there is the further thought, it is protected from the power of evil spirits (διόι) cf. Lake, Earlier Epp. of St. Paul, p. 195.
δὰλγυθο] possibly “by the Word of God” in the Johannine sense, cf. Justin M. Apol. i. 66, δὰλγυθο σροοηεςἸσῦ Χιτς and cf. J. Th. St., April 1923, p. 310: but more probably, as this technical sense seems foreign to our writer, “through God’s utterance,” “with God’s blessing upon it,” referring directly to Gen_1. “God said,” perhaps more exactly to the word implied in πνκίμ θο κλν But this word is thought of as taken up in some word of Scripture used from meal to meal (ἁυζτι not ἡίσα) as grace: e.g. Psa_24:1 τῦκρο ἡγ κὶτ πήωαατς which St. Paul quotes as sanctioning the eating of all food sold in the market (1Co_10:26), cf. Justin Martyr (ubi supra), τνδʼεχςλγυτῦπρ ατῦεχρσηεσντοη. Cf. Sinker, Essays and Studies, p. 115; and for the influence of Jewish forms of grace upon the blessing of the bread and wine and other offerings in the Eucharist, von der Goltz, Tischgebete und Abendmahlsgebete. T. und U., N. F;. xiv., who quotes Athanasius, πρ πρείς c. 13, τ βῶάσυκὶτ πμ συἡισέο ἐτ·δὰγρτνποεχνκὶτνἁίνῥμτνἁιζτι cf. Irenæ Hœ v. 2, ἐιέεα τνλγντῦθο κὶγντιἡεχρσί σμ Χιτῦ
4:6-6:2. Personal advice to Timothy, as to (a) his teaching and life as the chief officer of the Church (4:6-16); (b) his conduct to various classes of the members of the Church (5:1-6:2).
6-16. Timothy’s own teaching and life (ἔεεσατ κὶτ δδσαί 16 sums up the paragraph, but the two parts are not kept distinct).
Paraphrase. Put these foundation truths before the brethren, and you will be a true servant of Christ Jesus, keeping your own soul trained by the precepts of the faith and of the true teaching which you have accepted and taught so faithfully until now. But as for those irreligious and old wives’ fables which are so prevalent at Ephesus, have nothing to do with them at all.
Yet there is a training which you will need, and now you must be your own trainer, the training which helps towards a holy life. The bodily training of the athlete has some little value, but a holy life is valuable in every respect:
“To it God’s promise standeth sure
Of life that ever shall endure.”
That saying is quite true and worthy of whole-hearted acceptance: for it is to win life that we spend our days in toil and take part in the spiritual contest, for our hopes have been set on a God of Life, on one who is a Saviour of all men, but, in the deepest sense, of those who put faith in Him. Hand on these truths from me and enforce them in your own teaching.
So teach and so live that no one shall slight you for your youth; nay, rather show yourself a model of what believers should be both in speech and in your dealings with others— loving, trustworthy, pure. Until I can reach you, do you superintend the reading of the Scriptures, the sermons and the instructions given at the meetings. Do not neglect the divine gift which is in you, remembering that it was a gift from God, given after the guidance of prophets, and confirmed by the whole body of presbyters when they laid their hands on your head. Think carefully of these duties; throw yourself heart and soul into them, that everyone may note your constant growth. Keep careful watch over your own life and the teaching that you give persevere in all these tasks. So will you work out your own salvation and that of those who hear you.
The keynotes of the paragraph are: (i) Doctrinal. γμαί, εσβι, στρα(10, 16), ζή A true self-discipline, ministering to holiness of life, and so laying hold of the salvation which God offers to all, and which is true life. (ii) Personal. Timothy’s growth. ἐτεόεο, μθυ πριο (see note), γμαεσατν νόηο ποοή You have passed from childhood to manhood, when you can so act that no one will slight you; but there must still be growth, still constant self-discipline.
6. ὑοιέεο] either, “suggesting,” a gentle word suited to Timothy’s youth (οκεπνἐιάτν οκεπ πργέλνἀλ ὑοι. …ὡ σμολύν Chrys.; cf. Philo, de vita Mos. ii. 8, ἐ τῖ ἢκλύι or “supplying,” as a foundation for their faith, the metaphor of building (3:15) being still in his mind; cf. Jud_1:20.
τῖ ἀέφι] The metaphor of the family is still in his mind; Cf 3:15 and 5:1.
ἐτεόεο] Possibly the metaphor is that of feeding; cf. 1Co_3:2, Heb_5:12-14, and Epict. iv. 4, 48, τύοςτῖ δαοιμῖ ἐτεόεο M.M. s.v., “reading and inwardly digesting”; but more probably “training yourself in”: cf. Eur. Phœ. 368, γμάι θ οσνἐεάη, with γμαεσατν7 (so Hillard). Chrys. adds κθ ἑάτνἡέα to emphasize the present tense.
τςπ] recalling 4:3 τῖ πσος
τςκλςδδ] recalling 4:3 ἐεν τνἀηεα, the teaching which will make a κλςδάοο.
πρκλύηα] cf. a 2Ti_3:9, combines the ideas of “understanding,” as frequently in Epictetus, with that of “practising perseveringly.”
7. τὺ δ . . . μθυ] The myths which the false teachers are propagating, cf. 1:4 note; not necessarily to be identified with the teaching in 1-5 supra.
ββλυ] “ineptas,” Vulg.; “profanas,” O.L., Ambros.; contributing nothing to εσβί.
γαδι] such as old women tell to children (Plato, Rep. i. 350 E, ὥπρτῖ γασ τῖ τὺ μθυ λγύας quite unfit for strong young men who have to be trained to discipline themselves (ib. ii. 377 A, πόεο δ μθι πὸ τ πιί ἤγμαίι χώεα
γμαε] but you are full-grown, you have to be even your own trainer—perhaps with the thought “in my absence” (so Bengel) implied. Your training must be of your whole self, body and soul, not for health or a crown in the games, but for living a religious life. Dibelius quotes Isocr. ad Nicoclem, 10, οδν τνἀκτνοτ ποήε τ σμ γμάενὡ τῖ βσλῦιτνψχνἑυῶ. Ps-Isocr. ad Demonicum, 21, γμαεσατνπνι ἑοσος ὅω ἂ δν κὶτὺ ἀοσοςὑοέεν This the εσβςwould need; cf. 2Ti_3:12. For further very interesting illustrations see Wetstein.
8. ἡσμ γμ] “corporalis exercitatio,” Vulg. The reference is to either: (i) ascetic discipline, the thought of 3 being still in his mind: you, too, will need discipline of the body, but it must be from a right motive, and only as a means to an end, for in itself it goes a very little way. On this interpretation the best comment is Col_2:20-23; or (ii) athletic discipline: an illustration from the ordinary training in the gymnasium; and the best comment 1Co_9:24-27. This is the more probable, as the subject of 3 seems to have been dropped at 5, and it is supported by ἀωιόεα10.
πὸ ὀίο] e.g. πὸ φατνσέαο (1Co_9:25) πὸ ὑιίν(Lucian, Macrob. 6, ο γμαίι . . . πὸ ὑιίνχώεο).
ἐαγ ἔοσ κτλ] cf. Tit_1:2 εσβίν. . . ζῆ . . . ἐηγίαο Jam_1:12, 1Jn_2:25, Rev_2:10. The saying may have been based on the Lord’s own words, Luk_18:30 ὃ ο μ ἀοάῃπλαλσοαἐ τ κιῷτύῳκὶἐ τ αῶιτ ἐχμν ζὴ αώιν cf. Luk_12:15 for the thought, but it has earlier Jewish analogies; cf. Pirke Aboth iv. 2. “Who is rich? He that is contented with his lot: for it is said, Happy art thou in this world, and it shall be well with thee in the world to come.” True life lies in contentment (6:6), in the glad acceptance of our lot, in gratitude for God’s common blessings, in the sense that all things are ours through union with Christ, 1Co_3:22; cf. Chrys. ad loc., or Traherne’s Meditations.
9. πσὸ ὁλγς] probably the preceding verse, which is more stereotyped in form and wider in application than the Christian experience which supports it (γρ
πσς] cf. 1:15 note: here perhaps anticipating στρπνω 10 as πσό leads up to πσῶ. Those who have faith have found this saying trustworthy, and it is worth all men’s while to accept it.
10. εςτῦο] Cf. 1Co_9:25-27. θῷζνι living, and therefore able to give life now and hereafter; cf. 3:15 note.
στρ (“salvator,” Vulg.; “salutaris,” Ambros.) πνω ἀθ., perhaps, as giving them their life (“quia ex ipso et per ipsum vivunt,” Ambros.; cf. 6:13 ζοοονο τ πνα Act_17:28) and protection from danger (Chrys. Bengel, “servat omnes”), but, much more deeply, as giving them the instincts that feel after Him (Act_17:27), and as longing for their full spiritual salvation (2:4).
μλσαπσῶ] as completing their salvation, giving grace in response to their faith and in proportion to every need, and life to meet a daily dying; cf. 1Co_15:31, 2Co_4:10-15. The difference of treatment lies not with God, but with men themselves. He is always Father and Saviour; but they who trust Him as such and accept the revelation through His Son, know that He is such and gain a fuller life. Cf. Plut. Alex. p. 683 A, ὡ πνω μνὄτ κιὸ ἀθώω πτρ τνθό, ἰίυ δ πιύεο ἑυῷτὺ ἀίτυ (Wetstein). Christians have to imitate the Divine method and proportion in their well-doing, Gal_6:10, Php_4:5.
ἀωιόεα] cf. 6:12, 1Co_9:25, 2Ti_4:7. For the reading cf. Introd. p. xxxvii.
ὀεδζμθ] Cf. Rom_15:3, Rom_15:1 P 4:14, Heb_10:33, Heb_10:13:13; but the thought of persecution and reproach is not found in this Epistle, nor is it very appropriate to this context.
11. πργελ] “ut fiant, δδσεquomodo fiant,” Pelagius. πργέλι does not occur in Titus, and is perhaps more suitable to Timothy’s age—“hand on my message.” Contrast Tit_2:15 (Ramsay, Expositor, 1910, p. 331).
12. μδὶ . . . κτφοετ] contrast Tit_2:15. It is perhaps a side hint to the Church, who would hear the Epistle read (6:21, cf. 1Co_16:11, and Ign. Magnes. c. 3, ὑῖ δ πέε μ σγρσα τ ἡιί τῦἐικπυ but mainly advice to Timothy, so to act that none may be able to despise him. Cf. 2Ti_2:22.
νόηο] used of grown-up military age, extending to the 40th year; cf. Iren. c. Hæ ii. 22, “triginta annorum æ prima indolis est juvenis et extenditur usque ad quadragesimum annum.” For fuller illustration cf. Ramsay in Expositor, 1910, p. 327, and Cities and Bishoprics of Phrygia, i. p. 110.
τπς. . . τνπσῶ] not so much “a model for the faithful to follow” (τῖ πσος cf. 1Th_1:7, 2Th_3:9, but also τπιτῦπινο, 1Pe_5:3) as “a model of what the faithful are” (cf. Tit_2:7 τπνκλνἔγν which will make its appeal to all men (cf. 10, 15) and attract them to complete salvation (cf. 2:3-8).
ἐ λγ, ἐ ἀατοῇ] “in conversation” (preaching is dealt with in the next verse), “and all intercourse with others”; cf. 3:15, 1Pe_3:1, 1Pe_3:2. These give the sphere, the next three the qualities in which he is to be a model.
ἐ πσε] Possibly “faith,” but more probably, owing to the context, “fidelity,” “trustworthiness.” Cf. Gal_5:22 and the combination ἀνὶπσο σδκι “true and upright advocates.” Pap. Oxyr. i. 41, 29 (M.M. s.v. ἀνς
ἐ ἁνί] purity of act and thought. The transition from ritual to moral purity had already been made by the Greeks; cf. the Inscription on the temple at Epidaurus:
ἁννχὴνοοθώεςἐτςἰνα
ἔμνι ἁνί δ ἐτ φοενὅι.
Clem. Alex. Strom. v. 1. 13.
Cf. the account of the early Christians given to Pliny, Ep. x. 97, “soliti essent …se sacramento obstringere ne furta, ne latrocinia (= ἀάῃ ne adulteria (= ἁνί), committerent, ne fidem fallerent, ne depositum appellati abnegarent (= πσε).”
13. τ ἀανσι] i.e. the public reading (cf. τῖ ποεχι, 5:5, Act_2:42), as in the Jewish synagogues (cf. Charles on Rev_1:3). This would, with the O.T., include Apostolic letters (1Th_5:27, Eph_3:4, Col_4:16, Euseb. H.E. 4. 23), apocalypses (Mar_13:14, Rev_1:3; cf. Tert. Apol. 39, “cogimur ad litterarum divinarum commemorationem si quid præ temporum qualitas aut praemonere cogit aut recognoscere”), the memoirs of the Apostles or the writings of the prophets (Justin M. Apol. i. 67).
πόεε] This will include his own reading (cf. Tit_1:9) and that of any official to whom it was deputed. It will imply—
(a) A wise choice of the passages to be read: cf. Apost. Const. ii. 5 (infra).
(b) Audible reading: cf. Apost. Canons, 19, ἀανση κθσάθ εήος
(c) A power of correct exposition: cf. ib. ἀαν. . . δηηιό, εδςὅιεαγλσο τπνἐγζτι Apost. Const. ii. 5 of the bishop: πλςἐ ἀανσαι, ἵατςγάα ἐιεῶ ἑηεῃ
Such supervision will necessarily imply previous private study; cf. Apost. Const. i. 5, κθζμνςἔδνἀαίωκ τννμν τςβσλιυ, τὺ ποήα κτλ Hippol. Canons, 27, “Sol conspiciat matutino tempore scripturam super genua tua.” Cf. 2Ti_3:15.
For an interesting analogy, cf. Pap. Oxyr. iii. 531, from a father to his son, τῖ ββίι συατ μννπόεεφλλγνκὶἀʼατνὄηι ἕες
τ πρκ. τ δδσ] cf. Rom_12:7 and Tit_2:1-14, which shows that the teaching will include moral and doctrinal instruction.
14. χρσαο] an individual capacity with external recognition. The gift of authority by the Society strengthens the individual’s power and confidence: cf. 3:13. Here the gift combines the capacity to preach himself and the authority to control others.
ἐόη] cf. 1Co_12:7 ff., 2Co_12:7.
δὰποηεα] Possibly “through” the gift of prophecy given to Timothy himself, which carried with it the lesser χρσα(Pelag. Ambros.); but Timothy is never elsewhere treated as a prophet, hence, almost certainly, through the utterance of some prophet or prophets; cf. 1:18.
μτ ἐιεέςκτλ] This may well have been combined with the laying on of the Apostle’s hands, 2Ti_1:6; but here stress is laid on the action of the presbyters, because Timothy has to exercise discipline over them (13 5:17-25). They have themselves recognized your authority.
When and where was this gift given? Either at Lystra on the first choice of Timothy as minister (so Hort, Christian Ecclesia, p. 187, and, more doubtfully, Ramsay, Expositor, 1910, p. 325), or at Ephesus when left there by St. Paul. The latter suits this context better.
To what office? The laying on of the hands of the presbyters would, if later usage is a guide, point to the presbyterate cf. The Egyptian Ch. O. (Connolly, pp. 178, 179); but it might be to an “overseership,” a presbyter being associated sometimes with the bishops in the ordination of a bishop: cf. Wordsworth, Ministry of Grace, p. 167. For the very doubtful tradition that at Alexandria presbyters alone consecrated a bishop, vid. C. H. Turner, in Cambridge Mediæ History, i. pp. 155-61.
15. μλτ] either “meditate upon” (A.V.); cf. Seneca, Ep. 16, “hoc quod liquet firmandum et altius cotidiana meditatione figendum est” (Wetstein), and Darwin’s advice to G. J. Romanes— “Always cultivate the habit of meditation.”
Or, “practice”; cf. μλτντχη. Make this your “profession,” cf. 5:13 μνάοσν and for the whole verse, Epict. i. 1. 25, τῦαἔε μλτντὺ φλσφῦτς τῦακθ ἡέα γάεν ἐ τύοςγμάεθι(Field, Ot. Norvic. ad loc.).
ἐ τύοςἴθ] an unusual phrase, picking up the duties and qualities enumerated above 12 ἐ, ἐ, ἐ, ἐ, ἐ. Cf. Hor. Eph_1Eph_1. i. 11, “omnis in hoc sum.” ποοή Cf. Php_1:12, Php_1:25: a favourite word in Stoic writers of a pupil’s progress in philosophy. Bonhoffer, Epict. p. 128. πσν so that no one may despise thee 12.
16. ἔεε] Give heed to, keep an eye upon (cf. Luk_14:7, Act_3:5) thy own life and the teaching which you (Qy. and others, Cf. 13) give. Cf. Act_20:28 ποέεεἑυοςκὶπνιτ πινῳ
σσι] Cf. 1:15, 2:15, 4:10. σατνcf. 1Co_9:27. κὶτὺ ἀοοτς cf. Joh_10:9 δʼἐο ἐντς(= πιή) εσλῃ σθστι(himself) κὶεσλύεα κὶἐεεστικὶνμνερσι(for his sheep).
W.-H The New Testament in Greek, with Introduction and Appendix, by Westcott and Hort, Cambridge, 1881.
J. Th. St. The Journal of Theological Studies, London, 1910-
T. und U. Texte und Untersuchungen zur Geschichte der Altchristlichen Literatur, von Gebhart und Harnack, Leipzig, 1882-1895.
Pap. Oxyr. The Oxyrhynchus Papyri, ed. Grenfell and Hunt, vols. i.-xv., London, 1898-
A.V. Authorized Version of the English Bible.