1 Timothy 4

Introduction

In 1 Timothy 4, Paul shifts from the qualifications for church leaders (chapter 3) to a warning about future apostasy and the spread of false teaching within the church. The Holy Spirit, Paul says, has explicitly predicted that some will abandon the faith, drawn away by demonic deception disguised as strict religiosity — specifically, rules forbidding marriage and certain foods. Paul's response is not to counter asceticism with indulgence but to ground Timothy in a theology of creation: everything God made is good when received with thanksgiving.

The chapter then turns from doctrinal warning to personal exhortation. Paul urges Timothy to be a faithful minister — nourished on sound teaching, trained in godliness rather than distracted by myths, and bold despite his relative youth. The closing verses contain some of the most personal and practically urgent instructions in the Pastoral Epistles: Timothy must not neglect his spiritual gift, must devote himself to the public ministry of the word, and must watch his own life and doctrine closely. The stakes are high — not only Timothy's own salvation is in view, but the salvation of those who hear him.

Warning Against Apostasy (vv. 1-5)

Notes

• ῥητῶς ("expressly, explicitly") — This adverb appears only here in the entire New Testament. It means "in stated terms, expressly, in so many words." The Spirit's warning about future apostasy is not vague or ambiguous but clear and definite. Paul may be referring to a prophetic utterance spoken in the early church, to Jesus' own predictions of apostasy (cf. Matthew 24:11), or to the Spirit's ongoing revelatory activity through the prophets.

• ὑστέροις καιροῖς ("later times") — The phrase refers to a future period within the present age, not necessarily the final days before Christ's return (contrast ἐσχάταις ἡμέραις, "last days," in 2 Timothy 3:1). The word καιρός denotes a decisive or significant season, not merely clock time. Paul sees the apostasy as something already beginning to emerge — the "later times" may have already started. The present-tense false teaching Timothy faces in Ephesus is the firstfruits of what the Spirit predicted.

• ἀποστήσονταί ("will depart, will fall away") — From ἀφίστημι ("to stand away from, to withdraw"). This is the root of the English word "apostasy." The future tense indicates that the Spirit foretold this departure. The verb implies a deliberate withdrawal from a position once held — these are not outsiders but people within the faith community who turn away from sound doctrine.

• πνεύμασιν πλάνοις ("deceiving spirits") — The adjective πλάνος means "wandering, leading astray, deceitful." These are spiritual beings whose purpose is deception. Paul presents the false teaching not as a merely human error but as having a demonic origin. The false teachers may be unaware that they are instruments of spiritual powers; they think they are promoting higher holiness through their rules.

• κεκαυστηριασμένων τὴν ἰδίαν συνείδησιν ("having had their own conscience branded") — The verb καυτηριάζω means "to brand with a hot iron." The perfect passive participle indicates a completed action with lasting results: their conscience has been permanently scarred. A branded conscience is one that has lost its sensitivity — seared tissue has no feeling. The irony is sharp: these teachers present themselves as promoters of heightened moral sensitivity (forbidding marriage, requiring dietary restrictions), but their own moral sense is deadened. I chose "branded" rather than "seared" to preserve the specific imagery of the branding iron, which in the ancient world was used to mark slaves and criminals.

• κωλυόντων γαμεῖν, ἀπέχεσθαι βρωμάτων ("forbidding marriage, commanding abstinence from foods") — These two prohibitions identify the specific content of the false teaching. The ascetic denial of marriage and certain foods was characteristic of various movements in the ancient world: certain strands of Jewish asceticism, proto-Gnostic dualism that viewed the material world as evil, and Hellenistic philosophies that prized self-denial. Paul does not object to voluntary celibacy (he valued it in 1 Corinthians 7:7-8) or voluntary fasting; what he opposes is the prohibition — making these practices mandatory as if creation itself were defective.

• κτίσμα ("creature, created thing") — Paul's theological response to the ascetics is a robust doctrine of creation. Every κτίσμα ("created thing") of God is καλόν ("good, beautiful") — the same word used in the Greek Old Testament (LXX) for God's repeated verdict in Genesis 1: "God saw that it was good." To declare God's creation unclean or unfit is to contradict the Creator's own judgment.

• εὐχαριστίας ("thanksgiving") — This word appears twice in the passage (vv. 3-4), framing the proper response to creation. The noun comes from εὖ ("well") and χάρις ("grace, gift") — literally "good grace" or "gratitude." The English word "Eucharist" derives from it. Thanksgiving is not just politeness; it is the act that transforms receiving into worship. What is received with gratitude to the Creator is sanctified — set apart as holy.

• ἐντεύξεως ("prayer, intercession") — This word, from ἔντευξις, means a petition or formal appeal. Paul used it earlier in 1 Timothy 2:1 for intercessory prayer. Here it refers to the prayer of blessing spoken over food — the act of giving thanks before a meal. Together, the "word of God" (likely referring to Scripture's declaration that creation is good) and "prayer" (the blessing spoken over the meal) consecrate what is received.

A Good Servant of Christ Jesus (vv. 6-10)

Notes

• ὑποτιθέμενος ("placing before, instructing") — A middle participle from ὑποτίθημι ("to place under, to suggest, to advise"). The image is of laying something before someone — not commanding from above but setting the teaching in front of the brothers for their consideration. I translated it as "placing these things before" to preserve the gentleness of the metaphor. A good minister offers truth; he does not merely impose rules.

• διάκονος ("servant, minister") — This is the same word from which "deacon" derives, but here Paul uses it in its broader sense of "servant" or "minister" rather than the formal office described in 1 Timothy 3:8-13. Timothy will prove himself a good servant of Christ Jesus specifically by warning the church about the false teaching described in verses 1-5. Ministry is not primarily about programs or administration but about faithful transmission of sound doctrine.

• ἐντρεφόμενος ("being nourished on") — From ἐντρέφω ("to nourish in, to bring up on"). The present passive participle indicates an ongoing process: Timothy is continually being nourished — fed and sustained — by the words of the faith. The metaphor is dietary: just as the body needs regular food, so the minister's soul needs regular feeding on sound teaching. The irony is pointed: the false teachers impose dietary rules about physical food, but the real nourishment that matters is the spiritual diet of doctrine.

• βεβήλους καὶ γραώδεις μύθους ("godless and old-womanish myths") — The adjective βέβηλος means "profane, godless, accessible to anyone" — the opposite of what is sacred. The adjective γραώδης (from γραῦς, "old woman") means "characteristic of old women" — a pejorative in the ancient world for tales considered trivial and superstitious. The combination is dismissive: these myths are neither holy nor serious. Paul uses μῦθος ("myth, fable") pejoratively throughout the Pastoral Epistles (1 Timothy 1:4; 2 Timothy 4:4; Titus 1:14) to describe speculative, unfounded teachings that distract from the gospel.

• γύμναζε δὲ σεαυτὸν πρὸς εὐσέβειαν ("train yourself for godliness") — The verb γυμνάζω means "to exercise, to train" — from γυμνός ("naked"), because Greek athletes trained unclothed. The word gives us "gymnasium" and "gymnastics." Paul uses an athletic metaphor that would resonate powerfully in the Greco-Roman world, where physical training was a cultural value. The present imperative commands habitual, ongoing training. The preposition πρός ("toward, for") indicates the goal: godliness. The word εὐσέβεια ("godliness, piety, reverence") is a key term in the Pastoral Epistles, appearing fifteen times. It describes a life oriented toward God in both devotion and conduct.

• σωματικὴ γυμνασία ("bodily exercise") — Paul does not dismiss physical exercise as worthless but describes it as πρὸς ὀλίγον ὠφέλιμος ("beneficial for a little"). The phrase πρὸς ὀλίγον could mean "for a little time" (i.e., temporary benefit) or "to a small degree" (i.e., limited benefit). Either way, the contrast is with godliness, which is πρὸς πάντα ὠφέλιμος ("beneficial for everything / in every way"). Godliness holds ἐπαγγελίαν ("promise") for both the present life and the life to come — its benefits are unlimited in scope and duration.

• πιστὸς ὁ λόγος ("the saying is trustworthy") — This is one of the five "faithful sayings" unique to the Pastoral Epistles (1 Timothy 1:15; 1 Timothy 3:1; 2 Timothy 2:11; Titus 3:8). Scholars debate whether this formula points backward (to the statement about godliness in v. 8) or forward (to the statement about the living God in v. 10). The grammar most naturally connects it to verse 8 — the saying about godliness being valuable for both this life and the next is the "trustworthy word" being endorsed.

• κοπιῶμεν καὶ ἀγωνιζόμεθα ("we toil and struggle") — The verb κοπιάω means "to toil, to labor to the point of exhaustion." The verb ἀγωνίζομαι means "to contend, to fight, to struggle" — from ἀγών ("contest, arena"), which gives us the English word "agony." Together the verbs depict the Christian life as one of intense, purposeful effort. The shift from "you" (Timothy) in the preceding verses to "we" here is significant: Paul includes himself and perhaps all believers in this strenuous pursuit of godliness.

• Σωτὴρ πάντων ἀνθρώπων, μάλιστα πιστῶν ("Savior of all people, especially of those who believe") — This is one of the most debated phrases in the Pastoral Epistles. The word μάλιστα means "especially, above all, most of all." Paul calls the living God the "Savior of all people" and then qualifies it: "especially of those who believe." The qualification prevents a simple universalist reading (God saves everyone regardless of faith), but the broader statement prevents a reading that restricts God's saving intent to believers only. The tension is deliberate and theologically rich.

Interpretations

• "Savior of all people, especially of those who believe" (v. 10). This phrase is a focal point for the Calvinist-Arminian debate on the extent of the atonement and the scope of God's saving work. Calvinist interpreters generally read "Savior of all people" as referring to God's providential preservation and common grace extended to all humanity — God sustains, provides for, and blesses all people in a general sense — while "especially of those who believe" refers to saving grace in the full, redemptive sense. On this reading, God is the "Savior" of all in a provisional or temporal way, but the Savior of believers in the eternal, soteriological sense. Some Reformed commentators also suggest that "all people" means "all kinds of people" (every nation, class, and background), not every individual without exception. Arminian interpreters read the verse as a statement about God's universal saving will: God genuinely desires and offers salvation to all people (1 Timothy 2:4; 2 Peter 3:9), and this salvation becomes effective "especially" — that is, actually and experientially — for those who believe. On this view, God truly is the Savior of all in terms of intent and provision (Christ died for all), but the benefit is received only by those who exercise faith. Universalist interpreters (a minority position in historic Christianity) take the verse at face value: God will ultimately save all people, and believers simply experience that salvation now rather than later. Most Protestant traditions reject this reading as inconsistent with the New Testament's broader teaching on final judgment, but the verse does express an extraordinary breadth to God's saving character that resists easy limitation.

Timothy's Personal Charge (vv. 11-16)

Notes

• παράγγελλε ("command") — From παραγγέλλω, a military term meaning "to give orders, to charge." This is a strong word — not "suggest" or "recommend" but "command." Paul expects Timothy to speak with authority despite his youth. The pairing with δίδασκε ("teach") shows that Christian leadership involves both authoritative instruction and persuasive explanation.

• νεότητος ("youth") — From νεότης ("youth, youthfulness"). In Greco-Roman culture, a man was considered "young" until about age forty. Timothy was likely in his early to mid-thirties at this point, having been Paul's associate for roughly fifteen years (since Acts 16:1-3, c. AD 49). While not a teenager, Timothy would have been young by the standards of cultural authority, particularly when dealing with older men and established community leaders in Ephesus. The imperative καταφρονείτω ("let him despise") is in the third person — literally "let no one despise." Timothy cannot control how others think, but he can remove the grounds for their contempt by becoming a living example.

• τύπος ("model, pattern, example") — From the root meaning "a blow, a mark left by a blow" — hence "an impression, a stamp, a pattern." Timothy is to be like a seal that leaves an impression: his life should stamp the pattern of Christian character onto others. The five spheres Paul names — speech, conduct, love, faith, purity — cover the whole of public and private life. The word ἁγνείᾳ ("purity") at the end of the list refers to moral and sexual integrity, an especially important quality for a young leader.

• τῇ ἀναγνώσει, τῇ παρακλήσει, τῇ διδασκαλίᾳ ("the reading, the exhortation, the teaching") — The definite articles before each noun (literally "the reading, the exhortation, the teaching") indicate that Paul is describing the formal, public ministry of the word in the worship assembly, not private Bible study. ἀνάγνωσις ("reading") refers to the public reading of Scripture aloud — a practice inherited from the synagogue (cf. Luke 4:16-17; Acts 13:15). παράκλησις ("exhortation, encouragement") and διδασκαλία ("teaching, instruction") describe the two primary ways of applying the text: urging the congregation to act on it and explaining its meaning. These three activities — reading, exhorting, and teaching — form the core of Christian worship.

• χαρίσματος ("gift") — From χάρισμα ("a gift of grace"), related to χάρις ("grace"). The word refers to a spiritual gift bestowed by God for ministry. Paul does not specify the content of Timothy's gift, but the context suggests a gift related to teaching, preaching, or pastoral leadership. In 2 Timothy 1:6, Paul writes, "I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God that is in you through the laying on of my hands" — using the phrase "my hands" rather than "the hands of the elders." The two passages are complementary, not contradictory: Paul likely laid on his hands at the same occasion as the elder council, or the events were closely related. The gift was mediated "through prophecy" — a prophetic utterance accompanied and perhaps directed the commissioning.

• πρεσβυτερίου ("council of elders, elder body") — This word refers not to individual elders but to the collective body of elders acting together. It appears only three times in the New Testament: here, in Luke 22:66 (the Sanhedrin), and in Acts 22:5 (again the Jewish council). Its use here shows that Timothy's commissioning was a formal, corporate act of the church's leadership — not a private blessing but an official ordination. The laying on of hands was an ancient Jewish practice of consecration (cf. Numbers 27:18-23, where Moses lays hands on Joshua), adopted by the early church for setting apart leaders (cf. Acts 6:6; Acts 13:3).

• μελέτα ("practice, meditate on, be diligent in") — From μελετάω, which can mean "to practice" (in the sense of rehearsing or cultivating) or "to meditate on, to ponder." The KJV translated it "meditate upon these things," while the BSB has "be diligent in these matters." Both senses are present: Timothy should both think deeply about these duties and actively practice them. The companion phrase ἐν τούτοις ἴσθι ("be in these things") means to be wholly absorbed — to live inside these practices so completely that they define him.

• προκοπή ("progress, advancement") — From προκόπτω ("to cut forward, to advance"). Originally a military term for an army cutting its way forward through obstacles. Paul wants Timothy's spiritual growth to be φανερά ("visible, evident, manifest") to everyone. A minister's growth should not be invisible or purely internal — the congregation should be able to see him becoming more mature, more competent, more Christlike over time.

• ἔπεχε σεαυτῷ καὶ τῇ διδασκαλίᾳ ("pay attention to yourself and to the teaching") — The verb ἐπέχω means "to hold upon, to fix attention on, to watch closely." Paul puts the self first: before watching over doctrine, Timothy must watch over his own life. The two are inseparable — bad character eventually corrupts good doctrine, and bad doctrine eventually corrupts good character. The closing promise is striking: σώσεις ("you will save") — by persevering in life and teaching, Timothy will save both himself and his hearers. Paul does not mean that Timothy earns salvation by his ministry, but that faithful pastoral work is the means through which God preserves both the minister and the congregation in saving faith.