1 Timothy 3:14-16, 4

3:14-16 4:1-5 6-10 11-16

3:14-16

14

Paul was planning on going back to Timothy sooner but was delayed and thus the reason for this first letter to Timothy is that if he is delayed further Timothy will have instruction on how to care for and how the Church should operate. This is also marks the half way and tuning point in Paul’s letter from mostly encouragement in the first three chapters and towards more warnings in the last three.

15

The church contains the adopted sons and daughters of God and thus is the household of God, the true and living God, and being the house of God one needs to know how to act and behave in it. The mention of the pillar would have brought to mind in this context images of the great temple of Diana in Ephesus which had 127 gold plated marble pillars and would have been magnificent to behold, also this is the only place in the New Testament that the word translated ground or buttress is used and it means the foundation where a building stands, but here Paul brings to the mind these images to describe not the church building but the truth of God’s revealed word that is the foundation and beauty of the Church of the living God which reveals the glory and majesty of Jesus Christ.

16

Paul uses an early Church hymn that in its six short lines concisely sums up the gospel of Jesus Christ, and it is great indeed. Paul again uses the term mystery as he did in verse 9 to describe the revelation of Jesus Christ in the Gospels. He was manifested in the flesh, vindicated by the Spirit, seen by angels, proclaimed among the nations, believed on in the world, taken up in glory. Jesus condescended himself to come to us in the body of a man, vindicated or proved by the Holy Spirit to be fully God while being fully man, seen, known, and acknowledged by angels, including fallen angels meaning demons as the Son of God, proclaimed among the nations, nations meaning not only the Jews but Jesus is proclaimed by all Jew and Greek, Jew and Gentile, everyone to be Lord. Believed on in the world as our redeemer and savior and the only way to the Father, taken up in glory, raised from death, thus defeating sin and it’s penalty and taken up to be ever at the right hand of God the Father always making intercession for those that are his.

4:1-5

1

Paul has already warned the Ephesian leaders about the dangers of false teachers previously in Acts 20:29–30 “I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things, to draw away the disciples after them.” and there are also many other scripture passages about those who seem to have faith and be saved but later fall away and reject the faith, Jesus’ parable of the seed for example. In both cases these people are devoting themselves to the world, which is under the dominion of Satan and his followers the demons, instead of the word of God and the revelation and truth of Jesus Christ. Paul’s mention of latter times is the period between Christ’s first coming and his second, the age we are in now, and will only intensify and worsen as His second coming draws nearer and God removes his restraining hand from the world.

2

Those wolves that come are spreading the lies from Satan and they know in themselves that they are lies as God has written his law in the hearts of everyone and no one is without excuse, but through constant suppressing and ignoring their own conscience the warnings of their conscience has been seared, the Greek word kausteriazo, which the word cauterize comes from, to burn until there is no more feeling left.

3

While scripture does commend those that remain unmarried, as long as they do not fall into sin of the flesh, there is no forbidding of marriage for anyone, elder/pastor or otherwise. God gave marriage to man from the beginning of creation, one man and one woman, as the model for all of humanity. Also while there was a time that God imposed dietary restrictions for His chosen people, the Jews, along with many other rules and regulations that were instituted to separate them from the rest of the world, now all of the Law has been fulfilled in Christ and God has proclaimed that all is clean, not only food but this also applies to Gentiles, us. So what God has proclaimed and made clean, no man can can call unclean, Acts 10:15 “And the voice came to him again a second time, “What God has made clean, do not call common.”” There were both Jewish sects and Greek thinking during this time that were teaching both of these falsehoods.

4-5

All that God has created is good, and God closes his creation by calling all of it very good. So everything that we eat or drink and everything that we do should be done with thanksgiving to God and be done for his glory.

6-10

6

Paul speaking to Timothy directly, but also through scripture to all who are called to be elders, to follow the teachings of Jesus Christ and the the truths of the gospels, be a dedicated and faithful servant of Christ and His church and present these truths to all of the flocks that they are called to lead and teach.

7

To stick to the scriptures and gospel and not to myths and conjecture that is not clearly and plainly stated in them, Paul calls them irreverent and silly myths and in some translations its profane and old wives tales, or worthless myths told by elderly women. We are all to be constantly in the word and training ourselves in the knowledge and truth, especially so for those who are called to teach it to others. The word translated train or exercise means do through hard work and diligence.

8

And while bodily training and exercise does help and aid the body, or a little while, training in godliness has present and eternal value.

9

Paul emphasizes that by saying that it is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, similar to other places in Timothy where he affirms the truths he has just said or is about to say are trustworthy and true.

10

Godliness and sanctification is what we are all currently striving for in all of our lives. We as saved and bought disciples of Christ rest all of our hopes and lives in the hands of our Lord and savior, the risen and eternal Lamb of God. The last part of verse 10 is not preaching that all will be saved or universalism in saying that Jesus is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe. God is the God of all of His creation, saved and unsaved alike and all partake in the common grace that God has on all of his creation through His restraining hand holding back the evils of the world. But for those who believe and have faith we have our hope set not on this world but the next and eternity with Jesus.

11-16

11

This last section of chapter 4 Paul encourages and reminds Timothy of the spiritual gifts he has been given, starting out very plain and simple. Command and teach these things, the things that Paul had just discussed, staying true to the word and work and strive towards godliness.

12

He instructs to not let anyone think less of him because of his age, at the time Timothy was in his 30s and was still considered young to the Greek culture at the time, Paul does not tell him to rebuke those who may think that he was too young, but be an example to them in his speech, how he conducts himself, showing the love of Christ through him to others, staying faithful to the word, and in his purity, all the notes on Timothy I saw said that he was not married so this reference could mean his purity through celibacy but even if he was married purity also means being pure to his wife as 2:2 says, the husband of one wife.

13

As he mentioned earlier Paul was delayed in his coming to Ephesus to be with Timothy so Paul reminds him to devote himself to the public reading of Scripture, to be teaching openly and boldly to all that are in his care.

14-15

Earlier in chapter one it was mentioned that Timothy’s gifts were revealed through prophecy given by God and confirmed by the Apostles, the gifts of preaching and leading the church, and these gifts are not to be neglected or ignored but practiced and honed constantly so that all will see proficiency and ability in them.

16

But don’t become arrogant in his gifts and to keep a close watch on himself and in his teaching. Keep himself in check and ensure that everything he teaches is rooted and supported in the scriptures, no silly myths or old wives tales. In doing so he will be leading not only his flock to further sanctification but also himself.