A Commentary in Simple English on 1 Timothy

CHAPTER 4

Verses 1-5: Christians are free!

The false teachers had come to the church at Ephesus. They had taught their own ideas. It would be good to think that they would go away again. If they went somewhere else, people would forget their teaching. But Paul says that what Timothy sees at Ephesus agrees with the teaching which the Holy Spirit gives. The Spirit has given prophecies about this. So we must not be surprised when it happens. At the end of the last chapter Paul said: 'Everyone agrees about the great truths of the Good News.' Yet now he says: 'Some people will go away from the faith.' These people may still think that these truths are right. But they will be so busy with their own ideas that they will no longer teach the truth. Paul says that these ideas are really not just their own (verse 1). The false teachers receive their ideas from bad spirits.

Then in verse 2, we have a picture. Slavery was usually cruel. One cruel part of it was 'branding'. Some farmers still do this. They mark some animals with hot irons to show who they belong to. But the owners of slaves often burnt marks like this onto the faces of their slaves. Sometimes this was just to say who owned the slave. But sometimes the meaning of the marks was full of shame. The burns of the hot irons on the flesh would heal up. Then the marks or 'scars' left by the burns would have no feeling.

Paul says that the false teachers have 'consciences' burnt like that. They now have no feeling in their consciences. Paul means that they are 'branded' as belonging to the devil! A Christian is free. See Jesus' teaching in John 8:24. God makes us his sons. A son is free to stay in his father's house. A servant may have to leave the house and go away (John 8:35). We are not free to sin. If we sin, we are not free (John 8: 34). Now here in the Letter to Timothy Paul speaks about Christian freedom. We do not 'belong' to Christian leaders. They belong to us (1 Corinthians.3: 21). We must not give up our freedom to false spirits.

So in verse 3 Paul gives two examples of Christian freedom. Marriage is good. (See Hebrews 13:4.) A Christian may marry. But he is free to stay single. (See 1 Corinthians 7.) A Christian has to choose between what is good and what is even better. We are free to eat any food (Romans 14:2,3 and 6; 14:17; 1 Corinthians 6:13). So if someone comes to us and says: 'It is wrong to eat pork', we say 'No! it is not wrong. I am free to eat pork if I want to.' But if someone comes to us and says: 'You are a Christian. Eat pork' you may say: 'I am free. I do not like pork. I will not eat it.' We will not do what is wrong. But often we can choose what to do or not to do (Galatians 5:1 and 13). The New Testament has much to say in other places about Christian freedom (Romans 8:21; 2 Corinthians 3:17; James 1:25; 1 Peter 2:16). But we must never use our freedom without Christian love for others. And always we shall want to know what God's will is and to do it.

So we come to the last part of verse 3 and to verses 4 and 5. Paul tells Timothy that Christians may eat all kinds of food. God made the food. We eat it and we give God thanks for it (Romans 14:17). When we give thanks for our food we let other people know that we are Christians. But we must have love for others (Romans 14:15,20,21; 1 Corinthians 8).

Verses 6-16: How to fight false teaching

Paul still thinks about food in verse 6.

When we eat good food we are strong and healthy. We are 'nourished'. Timothy cannot eat the words of faith and good teaching. Paul means that Timothy must fill his mind with them. Then he will be strong and healthy. We too must be strong and healthy in the faith. We must fill our minds with God's word of truth.

Timothy is to pass on this kind of teaching to the brothers. The teaching will then be like a good path under their feet. They will be able to walk in God's way (verse 6). Sometimes we know the truth so well that we do not share it with other Christians. But in verse 7 Paul says just how bad some of the false teaching is. There are stories like ones which old women tell each other. Timothy is not to waste his time. He is not to listen to silly stories. He is not to talk about them or argue against them. Timothy is to give his time and to work towards a life that God will honour.

The Greeks in Paul's time liked races and sports. Men who wanted to take part in them had to prepare or 'train' for months. This may be what Paul means in verse 8. But some religions tell people to train their bodies. 'Yoga' is a well-known Indian example. It may be that the Jewish teachers taught people to 'train' their bodies. Such things may do the body a little good. That will help us in this life. We should lead lives that please God and honour him. Then we shall have the promise of God's goodness to us. That will not only be in this life. When we die God will give us a far better life in glory with him. We shall never lose anything by leading lives that honour God.

In verse 9, Paul says: 'Here is another faithful saying.' This saying could just be in verse 8. It is better to take it to be the second part of verse 10. But first Paul says: 'Not only is this said in the churches. This is why we work so hard to spread the Good News.' So there are three parts to the faithful saying: -

1. We have put our hope on the living God. The dead 'false gods' could do nothing to help the people who served them. Our God is the living God. He has life to give to all his people.

2. God is the Saviour of all men. He is not only the Saviour of the Jews, of white men or of rich or wise men. The false teachers would have said: 'God is only the Saviour of those who listen to what we teach.' Sadly we know that some men live in sin and they die in sin, with no hope. Paul does not mean that God is their Saviour. That would not be true.

3. So Paul adds that God is the Saviour of men and women of every kind. He saves those who believe the Good News and trust Jesus to save them. 'Especially' here means 'in other words'. God is the Saviour of men of all kinds: to be exact, He is the Saviour of Believers. [4.1]

Timothy is not just to believe these things himself. He is to teach them to other people (verse 11). Some of the Christians at Ephesus were older than Timothy. We think that Timothy was about forty years old. Now people who are older than we are may have learned much from their lives. But older Christians need to see that some young Christians have great gifts. They know the truth and they are able to teach it. So older Christians must not look down on Timothy or 'despise' him. But we can see that Timothy has a duty too. He must set an example for older Christians to follow. Then they will honour him.

Paul then lists five ways in which Timothy must set an example. There are others, no doubt.

1. Speech What a Christian says is important. The New Testament says a great deal about this (Matthew 12:36,37). But it is not only what we say that matters. The way that we say things often matters too (Ephesians 4:25,29). James writes a lot about what we say in the last chapter of his letter.

2. Life or 'conduct'.

3. Love If love for God and other people is the reason for what we say and do, then all will be well.

4. Faith

5. Purity

We can see from verse 13 that Paul wanted to join Timothy in Ephesus. If Paul did not come, Timothy is to use the special gifts, which God had given to him. These gifts had been given to him to use in God's work.

The reading of Scripture is a very important part of Christian worship. We do need to give time to get ready for it. The Scripture is God's Word. He will speak through it. We should pray that the Holy Spirit would guide us to the part of Scripture that will do most good. We need to be sure that we know what it means. Even then the people may not understand all that we read. We may need to be ready to explain some things.

Paul probably 'laid hands' on Timothy when the young man first began to travel with Paul (2 Timothy 1:6). Timothy had received a gift from God at that time. But verse 14 means something different. When Paul left Timothy at Ephesus, the elders laid their hands on him and prayed. There was also a prophetic message at that time. But while this went on, it was God himself who gave a gift to Timothy. Any gift that God gives to us must be used. It must be cared for. See 2 Timothy 1:6 again. A gift from God is like a fire. A fire may go out unless we care for it. [4.2]

So in verses 15 and 16 Paul finishes this part of the letter. People at Ephesus knew Timothy years before when he was there with Paul. They would watch him. They would see that he was not only older now. He was wiser and a stronger Christian.

They will not be able to say anything against Timothy. But Timothy must watch himself too. (verse 16)

Only God can save anyone, of course. The last part of verse 16 does not mean that Paul or Timothy can save themselves or anyone else. But by preaching the Word of God, we can help in the saving work of God.