The Apostle Paul's First Epistle to Timothy


Chapter 4

1But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons,

In contrast to the truth of the great liturgical hymn of 3:16, chapter 4 begins with the word “but.” As opposed to the truth of that liturgical hymn, Paul noted that in the later times some will fall away and accept lies. The Torah itself warned of falling into apostasy (Deuteronomy 13, 28:15-68) and the Holy Spirit, through the words of the Messiah and His Apostles, continued to affirm the danger of apostasy (Matthew 24:4-12, Acts 20:29-30, 2 Thessalonians 2:3-12). We shouldn’t think that just because Paul used the phrase “later times” that this puts the apostasy in the future. In fact, the “later times” had already begun in the days of the Apostles (Acts 2:16-17, Hebrews 1:2).

The Greek word “aphistemi” has the sense of “withdrawing” or “removing” yourself and therefore implies that you were already a part of something. This word is where we get the English word “apostatize.” The fact that there is the definite article “the” coupled with the word “faith,” indicates that it’s referring to the body of truth that Believers believe and espouse. The implication was that some will espouse the truth and then fall away from it. Historically, this is exactly what happened to the Believers. Paul notes that the specific way they would fall away would be by paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons. The Greek word here translated as “paying attention” is “prosecho” and refers to a “continual clinging.” All too often apostates will flaunt their false doctrine and rarely speak of anything else. In reality, the apostate has become a victim to wandering spirits and doctrines authorized by the demonic forces. This is why it is so vitally important to test the spirit behind the teachings of men. Contrary to what some may think this cannot be done mystically but only by scrutinizing it against the Holy Scriptures.

2by means of the hypocrisy of liars seared in their own conscience as with a branding iron, 3men who forbid marriage and advocate abstaining from foods which God has created to be gratefully shared in by those who believe and know the truth.

Unfortunately, the apostates has usually so desensitized their conscience, they can no longer see the error in what they are saying. Here, Paul used the word “pseudologos” to describe the way the apostates speak. This Greek word is made up of two words, “pseudo” meaning “false” and “logos” meaning “speech.” In other words, the things that the apostates say are not the truth because they no longer have the ability to discern truth. A person’s conscience works in co-operation with the Spirit of God to indicate when a person is sinning or not. Prolonged exposure to sin will do nothing but disable the conscience. Specifically, the apostates will then forbid things which God has allowed and encouraged us to partake in. In this case, some were forbidding marriage and were encouraging to abstain from certain foods. We already discussed in our study of chapter 1 how Paul intended to guard the Ephesians from falling into any practice that fell outside the norm of the Biblical lifestyle. The Scriptures certainly teach of the concept of asceticism, that is, the practice of abstaination. At the same time, abstaining from things that God has permitted in Scripture has the form of godliness but, in reality, does nothing to further the administration of God. God has given us this world to enjoy and when we follow His guidelines (Torah), we can be certain that any pleasure we experience is holy and good. 

4For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with gratitude; 5for it is sanctified by means of the word of God and prayer.

We must bear in mind that Paul is speaking of foods “which God has created to be gratefully shared in by those who believe and know the truth” (vs. 3). It is not correct to read any part of the Bible in a vacuum, especially the writings of Paul. When we read and interpret Paul, let’s remember that his teachings must always be in submission to the foundation of God’s truth, the Torah. Therefore when he says that everything created by God is good, that’s true but not everything that God created is permissible for eating (see Leviticus 11; specifically Leviticus 11:46-47) just as God created sex and it is good but not every kind of sexual activity is permissible. This, however, wasn’t even Paul’s point in this passage. Paul’s point was that when it came to the things that God had given to mankind for food, it was to be received with gratitude. In Colossians 2:16-23, Paul battled with a similar situation and again he noted that self-abasement might appear to further one’s holiness but, in fact, had no value when it came to battling the flesh. Contrary to the common interpretation of these verses here in First Timothy and in Colossians, Paul did not disparage the Torah. In fact, Paul defended the Torah commandments to be fruitful and multiply (Genesis 1:28) and to give thanks after one has eaten and is satisfied (Deuteronomy 8:10). In traditional Jewish thought, one can be confident that our pleasure is a godly and holy pleasure as long as one follows God’s commands regarding diet and the giving of thanks after eating (in a prayer called the “birkat hamazon”).

6In pointing out these things to the brethren, you will be a good servant of Messiah Yeshua, constantly nourished on the words of the faith and of the sound doctrine which you have been following. 7But have nothing to do with worldly fables fit only for old women. On the other hand, discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness;

We see that Paul taught that “doctrines of demons” were actual distortions and misinterpretations of the Torah. The Torah, when correctly used, is good and leads us into true holiness and devotion to God. Rather than dwelling on the lies, a good servant of the Messiah will simply and firmly proclaim the truth of the Scriptures. The phrase “pointing out” implies a continual proclamation. In other words, the truth must be continually taught. The teacher of God’s word must constantly nourish himself with the Scriptures, so as to be equipped to properly communicate the truth. The phrases “the faith” and “the sound doctrine” refer to body of inspired Scripture, which at the time of the writing of this epistle consisted of the Tanakh, the teachings of the Messiah and the halachah of the Apostles.

In contrast to this, the good servant of the Messiah must have nothing to do with “worldly fables.” The phrase “worldly fables” could more literally be translated as “profane myths.” In other words, Bible teachers must not convolute God’s word with doctrines, stories and theology that are not found within the Scriptures. The Scriptures are called “holy” because they are set apart from all other literature because they are the only writings that were inspired by the Holy Spirit. Myths, especially ones that pose to be Biblical, might have entertainment value but they should not be confused as authoritative teaching. Everything must be tested against the word of God. This is why it is important to be disciplined for the purpose of godliness. The term “godliness” refers to knowing the will of God and doing it. The will of God is not to be known through mystical experience or intuition but is plainly revealed in the Scriptures. Paul gave a parallel statement in 6:14 when he said “that you keep the commandment without stain or reproach until the appearing of our Master Yeshua the Messiah.”

8for bodily discipline is only of little profit, but godliness is profitable for all things, since it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.

The phrase “bodily discipline” is a translation of the Greek word “gumnasia,” which refers to the working out the body. It’s the same Greek word from which we derive the word “gymnasium” in English. Being physically fit can only produce momentary benefit but being disciplined in the life of God produces benefit in This World and in the World to Come. Much could be said about how our actions in This World will affect our lives in the World to Come. For example, Paul noted that “we must all appear before the judgment seat of the Messiah, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad” (2 Corinthians 5:10). And also, we find this teaching the Talmud: These are the precepts whose fruits a person enjoys in This World but whose principal remains intact for him in the World to Come. They are: the honour due to father and mother, acts of kindness, early attendance at the house of study morning and evening, hospitality to guests, visiting the sick, providing for a bride, escorting the dead, absorption in prayer, bring peace between man and his fellow – and the study of Torah is equivalent to them all (Shabbat 127a).

9It is a trustworthy statement deserving full acceptance. 10For it is for this we labor and strive, because we have fixed our hope on the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of believers.

The phrase “it is a trustworthy statement deserving full acceptance,” is most likely referring to the previous statement regarding bodily discipline and godliness. Nevertheless, verse 10 continues the thought and emphasizes the importance of hard work. The words “labour” and “strive” imply suffering and pain. In other words, the way we our efforts in building God’s kingdom will cost us our comfort but we have the hope that the work we do in This World has ramifications in the World to Come.

Paul referred to God as the “saviour of all men” but what does he mean by such a statement. Surely Paul did not intend to imply that ultimately God will simply grant eternal life to all people regardless of whether they had placed their faith in Messiah. In fact, the Greek word “soter” does have a broader meaning than simply “saviour.” It can also be translated as “provider” or “sustainer.” In this sense, God is the saviour of all men because, as Yeshua taught, God “causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.” (Matthew 5:45) Rather than simply and immediately condemning all sinners to eternal punishment, God does show a kind of universal grace but to Believers He bestows upon us salvific grace, through the blood of the Messiah, and grants us eternal life in the World to Come. His overall point is that God is gracious to unbelievers and the unredeemed; we must be diligent to keep working hard because our hope is not in a God that won’t reward us with eternal life. No, the living God will keep His promise and our diligence will not be for nought.

11Prescribe and teach these things. 12Let no one look down on your youthfulness, but rather in speech, conduct, love, faith and purity, show yourself an example of those who believe.

Paul exhorted Timothy to “prescribe and teach” the truths Paul laid down in this epistle. This phrase speaks of a practical authority. Again, we must be reminded that any authority a Bible teacher has only comes from the Bible itself. Only the God, through His word, can authoritatively instruct people. Nevertheless, the teacher of God’s word must firmly proclaim and teach the Scriptures. In this way, even if the teacher is young in age, his words will still carry weight for it won’t be his words but the words of God revealed in Scripture. This is why Paul encouraged Timothy to “let no one look down on your youthfulness.” Most scholars believe that Timothy was most likely in his thirties but regardless of one’s age, if one follows the Scriptures, they can be an example for Believers to follow. Paul noted five specific areas where Timothy could excel and become an example in.

speech – A spiritual leader must be sure to always speak truth and never be thought to be a liar. Additionally, the kind of speech that leaders speak must be pure and not what Paul called “filthiness and silly talk, or coarse jesting...” (Ephesians 5:4) Additionally, a man’s speech will indicate what is in their heart (Mark 7:21, where Yeshua refers to the sinfulness of man’s heart), so if the things of God naturally flows out of the heart of a man, it will naturally come out in his speech.

conduct – In the same way, a person’s actions will indicate what kind of person they are. The example of spiritual leadership should be scrupulous in how he lives out God’s commandments, with special emphasis on the weightier matters of Torah such as justice and mercy.

love – The Biblical definition of love refers to a sacrificial choice of continually doing what’s right and good in the sight of God. It’s a matter of basing life decisions upon the two greatest commandments of Torah, loving God and loving each other.

faith – This word could be translated as “faithfulness” or “trustworthy.” It refers to the fact the spiritual leader is an example of consistency. Specifically, in regards to the teaching of the Bible, the man of God should be known as someone who is consistent in their beliefs and proclamation of the word of God.

purity – This word is used to refer to sexual purity, especially in regards to the heart and lustfulness. The Master taught in Matthew 5:28: “that everyone who looks at a woman with lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” The numerous sexual scandals among church leadership in the last twenty-five years alone have shown us how important this quality is for spiritual leaders. 

13Until I come, give attention to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation and teaching.

The more literal translation of this verse is “till I come, give heed to the reading, to the exhortation, to the teaching” (Young’s Literal Translation). The presence of the definite article “the” with the words “reading,” “exhortation” and “teaching” refers to not just common reading, exhortation and teaching but to the formal congregational service. The NASB paraphrases the Greek and, in my opinion, correctly identifies “the reading” as the public reading of Scripture. The synagogue service of the first century consisted of reading of portions of the Torah and the Prophets. In fact, the Gospel of Luke provides us the earliest record of a synagogue Scripture reading service:

And He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up; and as was His custom, He entered the synagogue on the Sabbath, and stood up to read. And the book of the prophet Isaiah was handed to Him. And He opened the book and found the place where it was written… (Luke 4:16-17)

Contrary to what is commonly assumed by mainstream Believers, if a congregation desires to be Biblical and to imitate the services of the early communities of the Way, the synagogue Scripture reading service is the ideal. Modern day synagogues and many Messianic communities continue the practice of the ancient synagogue Scripture reading service.

In addition to the reading of Scripture, there must be exhortation and teaching. This too was a part of the ancient synagogue service. The Gospels and the book of Acts give us a peak into the ancient world with verses like these:

And He closed the book, gave it back to the attendant and sat down; and the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on Him. (Luke 4:20)

But going on from Perga, they arrived at Pisidian Antioch, and on the Sabbath day they went into the synagogue and sat down. After the reading of the Torah and the Prophets the synagogue officials sent to them, saying, "Brethren, if you have any word of exhortation for the people, say it." (Acts 13:14-15)

Believing communities would do well to take heed to Paul’s instruction here and to emphasize the reading and the exposition of the Holy Scriptures.

14Do not neglect the spiritual gift within you, which was bestowed on you through prophetic utterance with the laying on of hands by the presbytery.

The phrase “do not neglect” could be translated as “stop neglecting” and could imply that there was a sense of discouragement in Timothy. Paul sought to exhort Timothy to action and does so by reminding him of his origin as a spiritual leader. Firstly, he reminded him that he had a spiritual gift within him. The Greek word “charisma” is here translated as “spiritual gift” but really just refers to a portion of grace. In other words, any ability or gifting that a spiritual leader possesses is a gracious work of the Spirit within the man’s life. This gifting was passed on to Timothy, so to speak, by the elders of the community through a prophetic utterance and the laying on of hands. What Paul described here was what in Judaism is called “semicha” and it refers to the leaning or laying on of hands for the purpose of ordination. It’s not as if it was the elders that literally gave Timothy the gifting to be a spiritual leader, but through the confirmation of a prophetic utterance, the elders, in a sense, passed on their authority to Timothy to continue the work of God in Ephesus.

As we’ve noted in previous studies, the Greek word “propheteia” simply refers to the speaking forth of God’s word. Since this was the Apostolic era, this prophetic utterance could have been a new revelation regarding Timothy (which later became a part of the Apostolic Scriptures) or it could have been a speaking forth and an application of a passage from the Tanakh. Additionally, we should note that the word here translated as “presbytery” is simply a transliteration of the Greek word “presbuterion” and refers to the elders of the community. This again confirms what we learned in chapter 3, that the leadership of a community should be selected from and tested within the community.

15Take pains with these things; be absorbed in them, so that your progress will be evident to all. 16Pay close attention to yourself and to your teaching; persevere in these things, for as you do this you will ensure salvation both for yourself and for those who hear you.

The phrase “take pains” refers to being diligent and consistently being mindful. In other words, Paul exhorted Timothy to focus on the things that Paul had just instructed and then to be absorbed in them. This refers to complete dedication. The man of God cannot treat the work of God as just one of many parts of his life. Being a good servant of God requires the things of God to permeate every aspect of life so that the result will be progress. There must always be progress in spiritual matters and this must be evident to all.

As a sort of a recapitulation, Paul instructed Timothy to pay attention to himself and to his teaching. In other words, Timothy should persevere in all of the things that Paul had just instructed concerning Timothy’s character and conduct and in regard to what Timothy should be teaching. The result would be an assurance of salvation both for Timothy and for those who heard him. It’s obvious that in this statement Paul was not implying that salvation could be earned through effort. No, Paul here referred to the working out of the salvation that God has freely bestowed upon us. Even though there are no good works that one can do to earn or even maintain salvation, it is our calling to do good works (Ephesians 2:8-10). The evidence of good works in the life of a Believer indicates the genuine working of the Spirit, a work that He will complete to the end (Philippians 1:6).
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