1 Timothy 4:10-12-Paul Expresses His Confident Expectation Of Rewards For Making Every Effort To Experience Eternal Life And Issues Three Commands And A Prohibition To Timothy
Wenstrom Bible Ministries
Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom
Sunday June 26, 2011
1 Timothy: 1 Timothy 4:10-12-Paul Expresses His Confident Expectation Of Rewards For Making Every Effort To Experience Eternal Life And Issues Three Commands And A Prohibition To Timothy
Lesson # 88
Please turn in your Bibles to 1 Timothy 4:6.
This morning we will study 1 Timothy 4:10-12.
1 Timothy 4:6 In pointing out these things to the brethren, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, constantly nourished on the words of the faith and of the sound doctrine which you have been following. 7 But have nothing to do with worldly fables fit only for old women. On the other hand, discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness; 8 for 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. 9 It is a trustworthy statement deserving full acceptance. 10 For 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. (NASU)
“For it is for this we labor and strive” emphasizes Paul’s previous statements in 1 Timothy 4:8-9 and describes Paul and Timothy’s efforts on behalf of the promise of experiencing eternal life for the present and the future, throughout eternity.
The runner in the Graeco-Roman games would struggle intensely against other runners in order to win a race, which would earn him a crown and rewards at the bema seat.
In a similar fashion, Paul and Timothy struggled intensely to live the Christian way of life against opposition from the sin nature and Satan’s kingdom in order to execute the Father’s will to become like Christ, which would earn them a crown and rewards at the Bema Seat Evaluation of the church.
“Because we have fixed our hope on the living God” expresses the reason why Paul and Timothy continued to make it their habit of making every effort for the promise of experiencing eternal life so as to accomplish the Father’s will to become like Christ.
It teaches that Paul and Timothy confidently expect to receive a crown and rewards because of the living God, i.e. because they received revelation from God.
“On the living God” indicates that Paul and Timothy continued to make it their habit of making every effort to experience eternal life because of the living God.
In other words, they possessed a confident expectation of rewards because of the revelation they received from the Father through the Spirit.
“Who is the Savior of all men” emphasizes that the Father is the Savior or Deliverer of the human race in a seven-fold sense: (1) Deliverer or Savior from personal sins. (2) Deliverer or Savior from old sin nature (3) Deliverer or Savior from Satan and his cosmic system. (4) Deliverer or Savior from spiritual and physical death (5) Deliverer or Savior from eternal condemnation. (6) Deliverer or Savior from self. (7) Deliverer or Savior from condemnation from the Law.
“Especially of believers” singles out those who have exercised faith in Jesus Christ as Savior in contrast to the unsaved who do not.
1 Timothy 4:11 Prescribe and teach these things. (NASU)
“These things” refers to Paul’s teaching in 1 Timothy 4:6-10.
“Command” expresses the idea that Timothy is to stand before the Ephesian Christian community and officially and authoritatively communicate to them all that Paul taught in 1 Timothy 4:6-10.
“Teach” means that Paul’s young delegate is to authoritatively teach all that he taught in 1 Timothy 4:6-10.
1 Timothy 4:12 Let no one look down on your youthfulness, but rather in speech, conduct, love, faith and purity, show yourself an example of those who believe. (NASU)
“Let no one look down on your youthfulness” emphatically prohibits anyone in the Ephesian Christian community looking down upon Timothy’s youthfulness.
Paul mentions Timothy’s age here in 1 Timothy 4:12 because he doesn’t want those older than him to not listen and obey him since he is Paul’s delegate who is to communicate to the Ephesian church how he wants them to conduct themselves.
Thus, the apostle felt the need to warn those in the Ephesian church who were older than Timothy to not look down upon him because of his young age since he was Paul’s delegate to the Ephesians.
What was at sake, were the commands and prohibitions and teaching that Paul wrote in this epistle.
If Timothy’s young age is an issue with some of the older members of the congregation, then, they would not listen to him and obey him consequently not listen to Paul and obey him.
So this statement expresses the idea of the Ephesian Christian community “looking down upon” Timothy with contempt and not considering him worthy of consideration because of his youth when he communicated Paul’s commands, prohibitions and instructions to them.
Now, this prohibition seems ludicrous in light of the fact that Paul and Timothy and not even the Holy Spirit could control the attitudes of members of the Ephesian Christian community.
However, the adversative clause that follows instructs Timothy as to how he was to not let the older members of the congregation disrespect him because of his youth.
His godly conduct was to gain their respect.
“But rather in speech, conduct, love, faith and purity, show yourself an example of those who believe” presents an emphatic contrast with the previous prohibition for Timothy to not allow anyone to look down upon him because of his youth.
“Example” refers to Christian conduct or behavior that is to be imitated by others and speaks of Timothy as a model of behavior as an example to be imitated by the Ephesian Christian community.
It refers to Timothy exemplifying godliness, the way of godliness or in other words, the Christian way of life so that he becomes someone to imitate.
“Speech” refers to the content of the conversations that Timothy has with the people in the Ephesian Christian community.
It refers to the manner in which he speaks to them and is related to the fact that with respect to the Ephesian believers, he does not sin with his words (Ephesians 4:25, 26, 29, 31; 5:4; Colossians 3:8-9).
It also is related to the fact that he speaks in a manner that expresses the love of God by the power of the Spirit (Ephesians 4:25, 29, 32; 5:4, 19, 20; Colossians 3:12, 13, 16, 17).
Thus, it refers to the fact that Paul wants Timothy’s speech to be godly, which would reflect the holy standards or godly standards of the gospel.
This word is related to Timothy’s public ministry in that it is referring to that which is observable by others in his life.
“Speech” indicates that Timothy’s speech is to be the means by which he causes himself to be an example for the Ephesian Christian community to imitate with respect to godliness.
“Conduct” indicates that Timothy is to be an example for the Ephesian Christian community “by means of” his conduct and specifically, his godly conduct.
“Love” refers to Timothy obeying the Lord Jesus’ command to love one another as He loves, which is the direct result of exercising faith in the Word of God (John 13:34).
It explains how Timothy is to be an example of godliness for other Christians to imitate in the sense that it defines that he is to operate according to the love of God when dealing with people.
Therefore, it is referring to Timothy’s public ministry and denotes that divine-love should be observable in his life among the Ephesian Christian community.
It indicates that Timothy is to be an example for believers “by means of” divine-love.
“Faith” refers to Timothy being faithful in administrating the household of God in Ephesus by fulfilling his four responsibilities that are the means by which he tends and shepherds the flock of God: (1) Study (2 Tim. 2:15) (2) Teach (1 Tim. 4:13) (3) Pray (Acts 6:1-4) (4) Set an Example (Phlp. 3:17; 2 Thess. 3:7, 9; 1 Tim. 4:12; Titus 2:7; 1 Pet. 5:3).
It explains how Timothy is to be an example of godliness for other Christians to imitate in the sense that it defines that he is to be faithful in fulfilling his responsibilities to shepherd and tend the flock of God in Ephesus.
It indicates that Timothy is to be an example for believers “by means of” faithfulness.
“Purity” refers to Timothy conforming his behavior to the holy standards of the gospel with regards to women in the Ephesian Christian community.
It explains how Timothy is to be an example of godliness for other Christians to imitate in the sense that it defines that he is to be sexually pure.
It indicates that Timothy is to be an example for believers “by means of” purity.