Online Resource Library
Commentary Index | Return to PrayerRequest.com | DownloadHeinrich Meyer Commentary - 1 Timothy 4:7 - 4:7
(Show All Books | Show All Chapters)
This Chapter Verse Commentaries:
1Ti_4:7. The exhortation to Timothy in the previous verse, that he should continue faithful to sound doctrine, is followed by an injunction to keep from heresy.
τοὺς δὲ βεβήλους καὶ γραώδεις μύθους παραιτοῦ ] παραιτοῦ · τὴν τελείαν ἀποφυγὴν αἰνίττεται , Chrysostom; “have nothing to do with.” Here, as in 1Ti_1:4, the apostle calls the heresies μῦθοι , in reference to the fictions they contained; but at the same time he describes them more precisely by the adjectives βέβηλοι and γραώδεις . On the former, comp. 1Ti_1:9 (Luther: “unspiritual”). It is in contrast with ὅσιος , and would be manifestly too strong, if the μῦθοι were only “things which bear no moral fruit,” which “have an innocent aspect,” and only “possibly lead to apostasy” (against Wiesinger).[158] ΓΡΑΏΔΗς (occurring only here) is equivalent to “old-wifish” (Luther), i.e. antiquated; comp. 2Ti_2:23. Otto regards “the μῦθοι γραώδεις on the formal side as myths, such as are told to children by old fathers;” but the passages quoted by him from Plato (Republic, i. 350 E; ii. 377 C, and 378 D) do not support his opinion. These merely say that nurses, mothers, and more generally old wives, are to tell myths to the children, from which we can infer neither that γραώδεις refers merely to the form of the story, nor that Paul had any thought of a reference to children.
The apostle’s exhortation does not touch so much on Timothy’s teaching as on his own personal conduct; but correctness of conduct is all the more necessary that it is a condition of the right fulfilment of his διακονία .
γύμναζε δὲ σεαυτὸν πρὸς εὐσέβειαν ] After telling Timothy what he is not to do, viz. that he is not to give himself up to the ΜΎΘΟΙς ΒΕΒΗΛΟῖς , he tells him now what—in contrast to these things—he is to do. The ΔΈ indicates not only the transition to a new thought (Hofmann), but also the contrast to what has preceded. The figurative expression ΓΥΜΝΆΖΕΙΝ is used also in classic Greek of every straining exercise. This meaning is to be maintained here; Theodoret: ΓΥΜΝΑΣΊΑς ἌΡΑ ΧΡΕΊΑ ΚΑῚ ΠΌΝΩΝ ΔΙΗΝΕΚῶΝ · Ὁ ΓᾺΡ ΓΥΜΝΑΖΌΜΕΝΟς ΚΑῚ ἈΓῶΝΟς ΜῊ ὌΝΤΟς ἈΓΩΝΊΖΕΤΑΙ ἹΔΡῶΤΟς ἌΧΡΙ .
ΠΡΌς indicat finem, ad quem illa ΓΥΜΝΑΣΊΑ vergat (Leo); this goal is ΕὐΣΈΒΕΙΑ , i.e. Christian piety rooted in faith. Comp. on this verse, 2Ti_2:22-23.
[158] Hofmann is right in saying that βέβηλος does not properly mean “wicked” or “godless,” but “unholy.” He, however, overlooks the fact that it denotes not simply the negation, but also the opposite of what is holy. He is wrong, therefore, in maintaining: “the apostle cannot, however, truly describe in this way the doctrines of devilish liars.”