1 Timóteo 4

1 Timóteo 4

Ironside - “It is evident that the elders of the church at Lystra and Derbe had met together with the apostle Paul when Timothy was about to launch out into full-time service and had laid their hands on him, commending him to God in prayer.” Related Resource: See chart on Spiritual Gifts See Commentary on 1 Corinthians 12, 1 Corinthians 13, 1 Corinthians 14 Ron Teed - The reading of Scripture was followed by an exposition, which means to give a verse by verse explanation of the passage read so that the hearers could understand it.1F 2 Anything that needed to be clarified would be explained. In our day, when we are culturally, geographically, linguistically, philosophically, and historically far removed from biblical times, exposition is essential.2F 3 We pastors must be certain we have done everything possible to help people understand what the Word of God is really saying to them. Exhortation says, “Take these truths that you have been taught and apply them to your own lives. You had better obey if you want the blessing and the reward that goes with obedience. Otherwise you may lose your reward. And if you are a nonbeliever and do not accept these truths, you will be judged and sent to Hell.” Exhortation informs people and strongly urges them to obey the Word they have heard from the Lord; but it also encourages them to do so by strengthening their hearts and giving them hope and confidence that God will keep His promises to them. Teaching involves explaining the Word of God. This is called expository preaching or teaching, and that is what we do at Village Church. We are therefore endeavoring to be obedient to the kind of preaching and teaching that God told Paul to pass along to ministers. This can be accomplished individually, in small group Bible studies, or by preaching to the entire church. The bottom line here is that a good minister will use every possible means available to provide solid biblical teaching to his flock From its earliest years, the church has been committed to the teaching of God's Word. Writing in the middle of the second century, the apologist Justin Martyr described a typical worship service of his day: “On the day called Sunday there is a meeting in one place of those who live in cities or the country, and the memoirs of the apostles or the writings of the prophets are read as long as time permits. When the reader has finished, the president in a discourse urges and invites us to the imitation of these noble things. Then we all stand up together and offer prayers. And, as said before, when we have finished the prayer, bread is brought, and wine and water, and the president similarly sends up prayers and thanksgivings to the best of his ability, and the congregation assents, saying the Amen.” The reading and explanation of the Word was central to the worship service. The fourth-century bishop of Constantinople John Chrysostom was nicknamed "golden-mouthed." John R. W. Stott described him in this way: “He is generally and justly regarded as the greatest pulpit orator of the Greek church. Nor has he any superior or equal among the Latin Fathers. He remains to this day a model for preachers in large cities. “Four chief characteristics of his preaching may be mentioned. First, he was biblical. He was an expository preacher and punctuated his teaching with references to other Bible verses related to the passage he was preaching on. Secondly, his interpretation of the Scriptures was simple and straightforward. Thirdly, his moral applications were down to earth. Fourthly, he was fearless in his condemnations. In fact, ‘he was a martyr of the pulpit, for it was chiefly his faithful preaching that caused his exile.’" The Reformers (during the Protestant Reformation) were deeply committed to the expository teaching of Scripture. Martin Luther often preached four times on Sundays. Every quarter of the year he would teach a two-week series on doctrine using a catechism.5 F 6 Calvin ministered in Geneva from 1541 until his death in 1564. He preached twice each Sunday, and every other week preached each weeknight.6 F 7 The harder a man/woman works at teaching the Word, the more honorable he/she is according to: 1 Timothy 5:17 Remember what we talked about last week about the importance of “practicing what you preach”? When each of us is careful to live out what the scripture teaches, we have “worked hard at preaching and teaching.” This hard work also involves diligent study and research so that one remains faithful to what the Bible is actually saying. It requires the full attention of the pastor-teacher. “Preaching and teaching is the highest calling of a minister. It is tragic that so many in our day have been diverted from that. They spend their time on nonessentials, and their people end up spiritually impoverished.” Warren Wiersbe has put it this way: “There can be no real pioneer advance in one’s ministry unless there is total dedication to the task. “No man can serve two masters” (Matthew 6:24). “While I do not want to sound critical, I must confess that I am disturbed by the fact that too many pastors and Christian workers divide their time and interest between the church and some sideline. It may be real estate, trips to the Holy Land, politics, civic duties, even denominational service. Their own spiritual lives suffer, and their churches suffer, because these men are not devoting themselves wholly to their ministry. “This one thing I do” was Paul’s controlling motive, and it ought to be ours too (Phil. 3:13). ‘A double-minded man is unstable in all his ways’ (James 1:8).” (from Ron Teed - Use Your Spiritual Gift) Dare to use your Gift "Do not neglect your gift, which was given you through a prophetic message when the body of elders laid their hands on you."—1 Timothy 4:14 Some great Christian work has been done under less than ideal conditions. John Bunyan was wrongfully jailed and then wrote The Pilgrim's Progress. Sir Walter Scott authored some of his most famous classics at an advanced age because he had to pay off more than a half million dollars of debt for which he was not legally responsible. William Carey had no formal schooling after twelve years of age yet he is considered the father of modern missions. Martin Luther was hiding from enemies in Wartburg Castle when he translated the Bible into German. Mary Slessor was born into extreme poverty to an alcoholic father. Although she was a single woman, Slessor became a missionary to Africa. Beethoven composed some of his best symphonies when he was totally deaf. John Calvin continued to write and preach while suffering from tuberculosis. Blind from childhood, Fanny Crosby became one of the most prolific hymn writers in history. Today, Joni Eareckson Tada, a quadriplegic from her youth, is an outstanding artist, author, and speaker. What gifts has the Lord given to you? Everyone has at least one spiritual gift to build up the body of Christ. Don't let circumstances prevent you from using the gift Christ has given you. Today in prayer ask the Lord to open doors for you to use your spiritual gifts. "Expect great things from God. Attempt great things for God."—William Carey (Peter Kennedy - From Generation to Generation) Stephen Olford - “Do not neglect the gift that is in you.” – 1 Timothy 4:14 1 Corinthians 12 makes it very plain that every believer has a gift given by the Holy Spirit. Therefore, this exhortation comes home to every heart, and indeed, my heart. “Do not neglect the gift that is in you.” The Lord Jesus told a very sad parable of the man who buried his talent in the ground. This is possible in my life and possible in any life. “Look to yourselves,” says John, “that we do not lose those things we worked for” (2 John 1:8). The apostle Paul warns also, saying, “Hold fast what you have, that no one may take your crown” (Rev. 3:11), “Stir up the gift of God which is in you” (2 Tim. 1:6), and “Do not neglect the gift that is in you” (1 Tim. 4:14). A W Tozer - Tune the Strings Neglect not the gift that is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy, with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery. Meditate upon these things; give thyself wholly to them; that thy profiting may appear to all. —1 Timothy 4:14–15 I have been forced to admit that one of the things hardest for me to understand and try to reconcile is the complete aimlessness of so many Christians’ lives.… Probably the worst part of this situation among us is the fact that so many of our Christian brothers and sisters have unusual gifts and talents and capacities—yet they have not exercised this discipline of girding up the mind and spiritual potential in order to make the necessary progress in the Christian life. Why should a pastor have to confess total failure from year to year? Why should he have to go from one church to another, starting something, trying something—only to admit failure again? I don’t think he has ever really girded himself. He has abilities but they are not disciplined. He has a fine mind but it is not girded up. He is like a man with a treasured Stradivarius violin that has never been put in tune. He has never taken time to sit down and tune that priceless instrument, therefore he gets no melody and harmony from it. Use Your Gift! Do not neglect the gift that is in you. —1 Timothy 4:14 Today's Scripture: 1 Corinthians 12:1-11 God never gives a person a task without also providing him with what’s necessary to perform the responsibility. W. W. Dawley, referring to this truth, says, “God gave Moses a rod, David a sling, Samson the jawbone of a donkey, Shamgar an oxgoad, Esther the beauty of person, Deborah the talent for poetry, Dorcas a needle, and Apollos an eloquent tongue—and to each the ability to use that gift. In so doing, every one of them did most effective works for the Lord.” Our heavenly Father has given at least one spiritual gift to each of us as believers, and He provides all we need to carry out our individual responsibilities (1 Cor. 12:6-7). We are all essential in the body of Christ (vv.14-27). Acknowledging these truths is not only a source of comfort and encouragement, but it is also a sobering reality, for it places before us an important obligation. God’s gifts to us must not be squandered! They must be fully used, because someday “each of us shall give account of himself to God” (Rom. 14:12). Lord God, I humbly ask of You The strength to do Your will; I give to You my talents now Your purpose to fulfill. —Bierema God's call to a task includes His strength to complete it. 1 Timothy 4:15 Take pains with these things; be absorbed in them, so that your progress will be evident to all. KJV 1 Timothy 4:15 Meditate upon these things; give thyself wholly to them; that thy profiting may appear to all. NKJ 1 Timothy 4:15 Meditate on these things; give yourself entirely to them, that your progress may be evident to all. NET 1 Timothy 4:15 Take pains with these things; be absorbed in them, so that everyone will see your progress. BGT 1 Timothy 4:15 ταῦτα μελέτα, ἐν τούτοις ἴσθι, ἵνα σου ἡ προκοπὴ φανερὰ ᾖ πᾶσιν. CSB 1 Timothy 4:15 Practice these things; be committed to them, so that your progress may be evident to all. ESV 1 Timothy 4:15 Practice these things, immerse yourself in them, so that all may see your progress. NIV 1 Timothy 4:15 Be diligent in these matters; give yourself wholly to them, so that everyone may see your progress. NLT 1 Timothy 4:15 Give your complete attention to these matters. Throw yourself into your tasks so that everyone will see your progress. YLT 1 Timothy 4:15 of these things be careful; in these things be, that thy advancement may be manifest in all things; MIT 1 Timothy 4:15 Carefully think through these matters, and put yourself fully into them that your progress might be evident to everyone. NJB 1 Timothy 4:15 Let this be your care and your occupation, and everyone will be able to see your progress. NRS 1 Timothy 4:15 Put these things into practice, devote yourself to them, so that all may see your progress. RSV 1 Timothy 4:15 Practice these duties, devote yourself to them, so that all may see your progress. NAB 1 Timothy 4:15 Be diligent in these matters, be absorbed in them, so that your progress may be evident to everyone. GWN 1 Timothy 4:15 Practice these things. Devote your life to them so that everyone can see your progress. BBE 1 Timothy 4:15 Have a care for these things; give yourself to them with all your heart, so that all may see how you go forward. Take pains Joshua 1:8; Ps 1:2; 19:14; 49:3; 63:6; 77:12; 104:34; 105:5; 119:15,23,48; Ps 119:97,99,148; 143:5 be Acts 6:4; 1 Cor 16:15; 2 Cor 4:14; 8:5; Titus 2:14 that 1 Ti 4:6; Mt 5:16; Philippians 2:15,16 KEEP ON GROWING IN CHRIST-LIKENESS Timothy's advancement in spiritual life and ministry should be described as progress and not arrival. It is a race that he has not finished. The goal line is sure, but he has not reached it yet. (Third Millennium) Take pains (meletao present imperative - Be diligent, give your complete attention) with these things; be (present imperative) absorbed (immerse yourself, throw yourself into, devote yourself, give yourself wholly) in them, so that (hina purpose clause) your progress (proskope) will be evident (phanerós) to all - Amplified - Practice and cultivate and meditate upon these duties; throw yourself wholly into them [as your ministry], so that your progress may be evident to everybody."