1 Timothy

Gospel Light Christian Church
Thru-The-Bible Series (26.2)

The First Epistle of Paul to Timothy

1 Timothy 4:3-16 - Read this Bible passage once through before referring to the notes below.

Examples of apostasy

v3-5 Having warned of a coming apostasy, Paul now describes how the departing from the faith will take place. He gives 2 examples.

First, forbidding to marry. The Bible does not forbid anyone to marry. Marriage is an institution ordained by God in the Garden of Eden. True, there are prohibitions about whom Christians should not marry (so as not to be unequally yoked), but marriage itself is never prohibited. Yet there are religious groups today that prohibit their clergy class from marrying.

The next example is a command to abstain from meats. In the beginning, there was indeed such a prohibition. In those days, every living creature was a vegetarian.

Gen 1:30 And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life, I have given every green herb for meat: and it was so.

After the worldwide flood, God told Noah that meat could now to be eaten.

Gen 9:3 Every moving thing that liveth shall be meat for you; even as the green herb have I given you all things.

Paul gives a simple rule. Nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving. Every creature of God is good, even as God himself pronounced each day’s creation as good during the creation days. So there is no prohibition today against eating meats, for they are sanctified by the word of God and prayer.

Today there are people who prohibit the eating of certain meats (eg pork, beef). These teachings are based on traditions and beliefs of men, and such prohibitions have now assumed a level equal to the commandments of God.

Instructions on how to be a good minister of the Lord Jesus Christ

v6 Paul tells Timothy that to be a good minister of our Lord Jesus Christ, he has to put the brethren in remembrance of these things. In other words, it is Timothy’s duty, as a minister of the Lord, to instruct his flock on the right doctrines, and to warn them of things such as the coming apostasy.

Hence learn that it is part of a minister’s job to preach, teach, instruct and warn. It is our job to remember these preaching, teaching, instructions and warnings. The faithful minister, in discharging his duties, will in turn be nourished in the words of faith, and of good doctrine.

v7-10 But there are certain things Timothy should reject. Paul says to refuse profane and old wives’ fables. The reason is that Timothy, as a good minister of the Lord Jesus Christ, should exercise thyself unto godliness, for godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come.

To exercise oneself unto godliness is no easy task. It involves labour (there is no shortcut) and it involves having to suffer reproach.   But Christians will strive to achieve godliness and suffer reproach because they know they serve the living God who is also their Saviour. A good minister is a good ambassador for Christ, and thus must maintain a godly testimony.

v11-16 In these remaining verses of this chapter, Paul counsels young Timothy on his preaching ministry. First, Timothy is to command and teach the truths that Paul had taught him. Yes, preaching involves commanding and teaching, based on the word of God. Problem is that many preachers today love to command but not to teach God’s truth. Any command that is contrary to God’s is not the truth.

Secondly, Paul says to Timothy: Let no man despise thy youth. Herein is an important principle for us. If a person is ordained a minister because he has been called by God to that office, we should not despise his youth. If God has chosen him to be a minister, he has something from God’s word to tell us in his preaching. A minister standing at the pulpit to preach God’s word should not feel inferior or insecure because of his youthful age or other handicaps. He is God’s representative for that hour of preaching, and he has the anointing of the same Holy Spirit as any other godly minister of God.

Thirdly, Timothy is to be an example to the believers, in word, in conversation (i.e. conduct), in charity (i.e. love), in spirit, in faith, in purity. Yes, it is tough, which is why pastors need your prayers to keep them faithful.

Fourthly, Timothy is to give attention to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine.   Preaching is not something to do done at the last minute. It requires hours of reading God’s word to prepare a doctrinally correct exhortation message.

Next, Paul counsels Timothy to neglect not the gift that is in thee. Every Christian has at least one spiritual gift given at the time of salvation. A minister, called by God to the preaching ministry, has this gift of preaching, exhorting and teaching, and this is recognised when he is ordained. A preacher who does not preach is guilty of neglecting this gift.

Timothy can grow in the ministry if he meditate upon these things, and give himself entirely to them. A pastor must not just read the Bible, he must meditate upon the word of God, and let the word of God guide him in all matters of life and faith. If he does this faithfully, Timothy will be a more mature minister and his ministry will grow, as others will see his progress.

Finally, Timothy is to take heed unto thyself and unto the doctrine, so that he does not fall into apostasy. He should continue faithful in doctrine, for that will keep him from falling, and at the same time, will save those who hear the truth. A preacher’s job, afterall, is to reach out to the lost souls with the only message that can save them, the pure message of the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.