1 Timothy 4:1–16
God’s people nourished on scriptural teaching engage intensely in spiritual discipline, persevering in modeling Spirit-directed, Scripture-based godliness, ensuring future reward for themselves.
After providing requirements for godly leaders in: 1 Tim 3:1–16, this section contains both negative and positive exhortations to a leader: broadly, advice regarding false teaching (4:1–7a; how to avoid the negative) and advice for personal ministry (4:7b–16; how to follow the positive).
While the goal of Paul’s teaching (and that of Timothy and of the church) was love from a “good conscience and an unhypocritical faith” (1:5), the results of the heterodoxy here are a “cauterized conscience” and “apostatizing from the faith” (4:1, 2). Notice also that these proponents of heterodoxy operated “in the hypocrisy of liars” (4:2). All this in contrast to a God desires all to come to the “truth” (2:4); to Paul who was a teacher in “truth” (2:7); and to the church that is a pillar and support of the “truth” (3:15). This creates a stark contrast between what these heretics do and what truth teachers/leaders do as shepherds of the flock, upholding truth and living out truth.
The mingling of issues in 4:3–5—the prohibition of marriage (abstinence from sex?) and the avoidance of certain foods—is difficult to unravel. It is possible the references are specific to what was being propounded and practiced by false teachers in Ephesus at that time.
The receiving/sharing of gifts in utter dependence upon the gifter, the Creator God, then evokes a double thanksgiving, in parallel to the double mention of God’s creative activity (4:3, 4). What the work (creation: 4:3a, 4a) and word (sanctifying utterance: 4:5a) of God have declared good is acknowledged by the work (thanksgiving: 4:3b, 4b) and word (prayer: 4:5b) of God’s people who receive his gifts.
It is notable that Paul calls Timothy a “servant” in 4:6—his protégé is to model for the flock those attitudes and actions he had earlier required o “servants” (3:8–13). And such an intention is explicit in 4:12 where Timothy is prompted to become “an example” for believers. Believers are urged to undertake spiritual discipline (4:7b), likely in contrast to the ascetical (demonic?) discipline with regard to food and marriage/sex forbidden by false teachers in 4:1–3. In any case, the athletic metaphor is introduced with the issue of “nourishment” on the “words of the faith and of the good teachings” (= truth; 4:6). Thus, the malnourishment of deceitful words and demonic doctrine (4:1–2) is to be repudiated and redressed.
And this proper intake of words of faith + good teachings (= truth) is to be accompanied by the proper output of praxis, for which practice is essential—“discipline … for godliness” (4:7) with godliness as its outcome (4:7b), towards which end God’s people are to “work hard and strive,” as did the apostle. And this promises to be profitable so also for eternity (4:8), with its accompanying rewards for godliness.
In 4:13–16 we are given recommended activities for the leader and their outcomes: “that your progress may be manifest to all” and that “you will save both yourself and those who hear you.” In light of the reference to godliness profiting this life and the next (4:8), it is best to see “salvation” here as indicating the attendant rewards for godly living. Here, godliness of lifestyle, as modeled by Timothy and emulated by the flock at Ephesus, ensures “salvation”—i.e., rewards—in the future, for both modeler and emulators.
[For more details, see my commentary on 1 & 2 Timothy, Titus.]
Abe Kuruvilla is the Carl E. Bates Professor of Christian Preaching at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary (Louisville, KY), and a dermatologist in private practice. His passion is to explore, explain, and exemplify preaching.