1 Timóteo 4
Warren Wiersbe · Citado em PreceptAustin
1 Timóteo 4
Wiersbe has a surprising comment noting that "This is the only place where demons are mentioned in the pastoral epistles. Just as there is a mystery of godliness concerning Christ (1 Tim. 3:16), so there is a mystery of iniquity that surrounds Satan and his work (2 Thess. 2:7). Satan is an imitator (2 Cor. 11:13-15). He has his own ministers and doctrines and seeks to deceive God's people and lead them astray (2 Cor. 11:3). The first test of any religious doctrine is what it says about Jesus Christ (1 John 4:1-6). It comes as a shock to some people that Satan uses professed Christians in the church to accomplish his work, but Satan once used Peter to try to lead Jesus on a wrong path (Matt. 16:21-23), and he used Ananias and Sapphira to try to deceive the church at Jerusalem (Acts 5:1-12). Paul warned that false teachers would arise from within the church (Acts 20:30). (Bible Exposition Commentary - New Testament) Bible Knowledge Commentary says: Some people will abandon the faith. Spiritual error is seldom due to innocent mistakes. It is more often due to the conscious strategies of God's spiritual enemies. Fall away (depart, desert, withdraw) (868)(aphistemi from apo = separation of one thing from another + histemi = stand and is the root of our English = apostasy) literally means to stand off from means to withdraw, to stand off, to forsake, to depart from or to remove oneself from. To apostatize or to fall away from. To withdraw from a place, an association or a relationship. This is defined in Joshua 22:23 as a “turning away from following Jehovah,” and in Hebrews 3:12 as “falling away from the living God,” as Israel did in the wilderness, Acts 7:39–41 14v - Lk. 2:37; Lk. 4:13; Lk. 8:13; Lk. 13:27; Acts 5:37; Acts 5:38; Acts 12:10; Acts 15:38; Acts 19:9; Acts 22:29; 2 Co. 12:8; 1 Tim. 4:1; 2 Tim. 2:19; Heb. 3:12 Faith (4102) pistis is synonymous with trust or belief and is the conviction of the truth of anything, but in Scripture usually speaks of belief respecting man's relationship to God and divine things, generally with the included idea of trust and holy fervor born of faith and joined with it. "The term implies both knowledge and action. One may receive knowledge of a certain truth and may even offer verbal agreement, but “trust” or “confidence” is not said to be present until one’s behavior reflects that truth." (Swindoll) It has well been said that faith is not believing in spite of evidence—that’s superstition—but obeying in spite of circumstances and consequences. As faith relates to Christ it represents a strong and welcome conviction or belief that Jesus is the Messiah, through Whom we obtain eternal salvation and entrance into the Kingdom of Heaven. Stated another way, eternal salvation comes only through belief in Jesus Christ and no other way. Faith is a key word in the Pastoral epistles - 1 Tim. 1:2; 1 Tim. 1:4; 1 Tim. 1:5; 1 Tim. 1:14; 1 Tim. 1:19; 1 Tim. 2:7; 1 Tim. 2:15; 1 Tim. 3:9; 1 Tim. 3:13; 1 Tim. 4:1; 1 Tim. 4:6; 1 Tim. 4:12; 1 Tim. 5:8; 1 Tim. 5:12; 1 Tim. 6:10; 1 Tim. 6:11; 1 Tim. 6:12; 1 Tim. 6:21; 2 Tim. 1:5; 2 Tim. 1:13; 2 Tim. 2:18; 2 Tim. 2:22; 2 Tim. 3:8; 2 Tim. 3:10; 2 Tim. 3:15; 2 Tim. 4:7; Titus 1:1; Titus 1:4; Titus 1:13; Titus 2:2; Titus 2:10; Titus 3:15; Turning their minds away from truth, they begin to pay attention to error. (Present tense = continually) paying attention (prosecho) to deceitful (planos seducing) spirits (pneuma - same word used for the Holy Spirit) and doctrines (didaskalia) of demons (daimonion) - Note that here we see teaching which is calculated to affect the mind, the way one thinks and the way one thinks determines the way one behaves. The point is that apostasy always begins in the mind. The battle field is always the mind and the battle is over truth. Note that the verb paying attention means more than simply giving attention but actually conveys the sense of attaching one's self to or clinging to. In the present context the deceitful spirits are almost certainly demonic spirits (recall Satan is father of lies and no truth is in him - Jn 8:44) and they in some way interact with and influence the nominal (name only), professors either directly (cf flaming arrows - Eph 6:16+) or through the lies propagated by false teachers who themselves have also wandered away from the truth. The best way to not fall for lies is to bow before the Truth (Jn 14:6), giving heed to the Spirit of Truth rather than seducing spirits. Deceitful carries the idea of that which causes one to wander away (in this case from the Truth). It follows that the best "defense" is to immerse one's self in the Word of Truth! These spirits are the absolute antithesis of "the Spirit of truth...(Who) will guide you into all the truth." (Jn 16:13) One recalls Paul's parting words to Timothy that "evil men and impostors will proceed from bad to worse, (actively) deceiving and (passively) being deceived.." (2 Ti 3:13+) Doctrines of demons is not "demonology" but "-ology" taught by the demons! And where are their classes held? My guess is in many seminaries across the country, including seminaries we would normally call "conservative!" "Demons are theology majors, and have systems of doctrine." (Guzik) Recall the first lying demon in Genesis 3:4-5+ The serpent said to the woman, “You surely will not die! (LIE) 5 “For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God (LIE), knowing good and evil.” Comment - The implication of be like God is that we can live independently of God and His righteous restraints! It is a lie from the pit of hell! Paul commands believers to... Put on (aorist imperative see our need to depend on the Holy Spirit to obey) the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes (see methodeia - see similar idea in 2 Cor 2:11, cf 2 Cor 4:4, 2 Cor 11:3, 2 Cor 11:13-15) of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. (Ephesians 6:11-12+) Hiebert has a good word for all of us - It has well been said that man never stands isolated. If he is not subject to the influence of the Holy Spirit, he at once falls under the power of seducing spirits.(1 Timothy)
1 Timóteo 4
Wiersbe says: Paul had warned the Ephesian elders that false teachers would invade the church (Acts 20:28-31), and now they had arrived. The Holy Spirit had spoken in specific terms about these teachers and the prophecy was starting to be fulfilled in Paul's time. Certainly it is fulfilled in our own time. We can recognize false teachers by the description Paul gave in this paragraph. (Bible Exposition Commentary - New Testament)
1 Timóteo 4
Wiersbe has a good word - The word "seared" means cauterized. Just as a person's flesh can be branded so that it becomes hard and without feeling, so a person's conscience can be deadened. Whenever we affirm with our lips something that we deny with our lives, whether people know it or not, we deaden our consciences just a little more. (ED: READ THAT AGAIN!) Jesus made it clear that it is not religious talk or even performing miracles that qualifies a person for heaven, but doing God's will in everyday life (Matthew 7:21-29+). An apostate is not just wrong doctrinally, he is wrong morally. His personal life became wrong before his doctrines were changed. In fact, it is likely that he changed his teaching so that he could continue his sinful living and pacify his conscience. Believing and behaving always go together. (Bible Exposition Commentary - New Testament) (Bolding added) New Testament Background Commentary on seared - The imagery pictures ‘crime punished with a branding mark on the perpetrator’
1 Timóteo 4
Wiersbe - BORROW Pause for power : a 365-day journey through the Scriptures) 1 Timothy 4:8 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. KJV 1 Timothy 4:8 For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come. NKJ 1 Timothy 4:8 For bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come. NET 1 Timothy 4:8 For "physical exercise has some value, but godliness is valuable in every way. It holds promise for the present life and for the life to come." BGT 1 Timothy 4:8 ἡ γὰρ σωματικὴ γυμνασία πρὸς ὀλίγον ἐστὶν ὠφέλιμος, ἡ δὲ εὐσέβεια πρὸς πάντα ὠφέλιμός ἐστιν ἐπαγγελίαν ἔχουσα ζωῆς τῆς νῦν καὶ τῆς μελλούσης. CSB 1 Timothy 4:8 for the training of the body has a limited benefit, but godliness is beneficial in every way, since it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come. ESV 1 Timothy 4:8 for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come. NIV 1 Timothy 4:8 For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come. NLT 1 Timothy 4:8 "Physical training is good, but training for godliness is much better, promising benefits in this life and in the life to come." YLT 1 Timothy 4:8 for the bodily exercise is unto little profit, and the piety is to all things profitable, a promise having of the life that now is, and of that which is coming; MIT 1 Timothy 4:8 Bodily training is beneficial to a little degree, but a holy life benefits everything, promising life in the present as well as the future. NJB 1 Timothy 4:8 Physical exercise is useful enough, but the usefulness of religion is unlimited, since it holds out promise both for life here and now and for the life to come; NRS 1 Timothy 4:8 for, while physical training is of some value, godliness is valuable in every way, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come. RSV 1 Timothy 4:8 for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come. NAB 1 Timothy 4:8 for, while physical training is of limited value, devotion is valuable in every respect, since it holds a promise of life both for the present and for the future. GWN 1 Timothy 4:8 Training the body helps a little, but godly living helps in every way. Godly living has the promise of life now and in the world to come. BBE 1 Timothy 4:8 For the training of the body is of profit for a little, but religion is of profit in every way, giving hope for the life which now is, and for that which is to come. ASV 1 Timothy 4:8 for bodily exercise is profitable for a little; but godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the life which now is, and of that which is to come. DBY 1 Timothy 4:8 for bodily exercise is profitable for a little, but piety is profitable for everything, having promise of life, of the present one, and of that to come. bodily 1 Samuel 15:22; Ps 50:7-15; Isaiah 1:11-16; 58:3-5; Jer 6:20; Amos 5:21-24; 1 Cor 8:8; Col 2:21-23; Hebrews 13:9 little . Hebrews 9:9,10 godliness 1 Ti 6:6; Job 22:2; Titus 3:8 holds Deuteronomy 28:1-14; Job 5:19-26; Ps 37:3,4,16-19,29; 84:11; 91:10-16; Ps 112:1-3; 128:1-6; 145:19; Pr 3:16-18; Eccl 8:12; Isaiah 3:10; 32:17,18; Isaiah 33:16; 65:13,14; Mt 5:3-12; 6:33; 19:29; Mark 10:19,20; Luke 12:31; Luke 12:32; Romans 8:28; 1 Cor 3:22; 2 Pet 1:3,4; 1 John 2:25; Rev 3:12,21 Click here for in depth exposition of 1 Timothy 4:8. Getting In Shape Bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness is profitable for all things. —1 Timothy 4:8 Today's Scripture:1 Timothy 4:4-16 Getting in shape can be dangerous. According to one report, the two most hazardous methods middle-age Americans use to stay in good condition are riding a bike and playing basketball. In one year, 201,000 people were hurt on their bikes and another 164,000 were sidelined with an injury they sustained on a basketball court. Why do people risk injury to stay or to get physically fit? Because they see some benefit, like feeling better, maintaining the body structure they want, or living longer. They are willing to endure the sweat and tears it may take to get that heart pumping and those weak muscles working. The Bible says bodily exercise profits us a little, but it also says our greater responsibility is to exercise spiritually (1 Timothy 4:8). Do we have the same determination as those bikers and hoopsters who are risking pain and injury to get in shape? The real danger comes when we don’t get in shape spiritually. Unless we experience some gain in our relationship with the Lord, we’ll know the pain of broken fellowship and lack of spiritual effectiveness. Thinking It Over What steps can you take to get in shape spiritually? What food makes for a healthy spiritual diet? How can you exercise your faith today? Spiritual fitness comes from "working out" your faith. Wise Buy Godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come. —1 Timothy 4:8 Today's Scripture: 1 Timothy 4:6-16 I read with interest the newspaper ad about a thermostat that automatically adjusts the temperature of a house to the appropriate level, day or night. If what the ad claims is true, the thermostat will pay for itself in energy savings within 1 year. When I multiply that savings by the projected life of the unit, it is obviously to my advantage to buy it. Yet interestingly enough, I find that I’m hesitant to spend the money today to purchase the unit. But why, if it is such a value? This question has a spiritual counterpart. I find that at times I can be slow to expend the faith needed to make wise long-range spiritual investments. Even though I know God stands behind every claim He makes, my reluctance to trust Him reveals how self-centered I can be. What holds me back? Some earthly tie? A thirst for gain? A strange entanglement with life? A pleasure vain? Dear Lord, I cast it all aside so willingly; The path of true discipleship I'll walk with Thee. —Adams Following Jesus costs more than anything — except not following Him. THE VALUE OF GODLINESS - James Hastings - Great Texts of the Bible Bodily exercise is profitable for a little; but godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the life which now is, and of that which is to come.—1 Tim. 4:8. THE figure here employed is a favourite one with St. Paul. It is that of the gymnasium, the athletic contest, that physical training which played so large a part in the education of Greece. Sometimes it is the race; sometimes the wrestling or boxing match. “I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air.” “Every one that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things.” “Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life.” In these and many other passages, St. Paul would have us learn that life must be taken seriously and in earnest. It is a fight for the mastery, a race for a crown. In this passage he teaches by a contrast—the contrast between “bodily exercise” and “exercise unto godliness.” The one is profitable “for a little,” the other “for all things.” The one has a promise for this life, the other both for this life and for that which is to come. We can see at once that over against what is at best but partial, the Apostle places that which is complete and eternal. Bodily exercise, St. Paul says, profiteth somewhat, or rather (as R.V.) is profitable for a little. It is as if an old man were writing to a young man to-day, and should begin by saying: “Do not neglect your bodily health; take exercise daily; go to the gymnasium.” But spiritual exercise, this writer goes on, has this superior quality, that it is good for both worlds, both for that which now is and for that which is to come. Therefore, “exercise unto godliness.” “Take up those forms of spiritual athletics which develop and discipline the soul. Keep your soul in training. Be sure that you are in good spiritual condition, ready for the strain and effort which life is sure to demand.” I THE VALUE OF BODILY EXERCISE “Bodily exercise is profitable for a little.” 1. Two views have been held as to the meaning of the words “bodily exercise.” Many refer it exclusively to those ascetic practices the excess of which St. Paul so severely condemns, such as forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats. If we take that meaning, then we learn that “bodily exercise,” in the sense of the discipline of the flesh, has its use and its proper place in every Christian life. We cannot do without it. It is “profitable—for a little.” That is to say, it is useful within narrow limits; but it is only a means to an end, a part of a much larger whole; the great thing is “exercise unto godliness.” This is undoubtedly part of the lesson, but it can hardly be the exclusive meaning. To those to whom St. Paul wrote, the words “bodily exercise” would convey just the same meaning as they convey to us, viz., that exercise which is necessary for our bodies, which helps to develop our physical powers for useful ends. In ancient times training of the body formed a larger part of general education. To excel in the gymnasium or to win the prizes at the games was to some men the highest ambition. Such an ambition, St. Paul tells us, is excellent in its way. It “is profitable for a little.” It has its use. But it is not everything. There is a higher aim than this, one which does not exclude this lower one, but which dignifies it, regulates it, and places it in its right relation to all other aims and ideals. The aim of all aims is godliness. For that let us exercise ourselves, and then bodily exercise will fall into rank along with the exercise of mind, of conscience, of spirit, taking its noble part in enabling us to present the entire man, all his complex powers and energies, as a whole burnt-offering to be consumed in the service of God. ¶ In old days the masters of an English public school concerned themselves with the work of the boys only, and did not trouble their heads about how the boys amused themselves out of school. Vigorous boys organized games for themselves, and indolent boys loafed. Then it came home to school authorities that there was a good deal of danger in the method; that lack of employment was an undesirable thing. Thereupon work was increased, and, at the same time, the masters laid hands upon athletics and organized them. Side by side with this came a great increase of wealth and leisure in England, and there sprang up that astonishing and disproportionate interest in athletic matters which is nowadays a real problem for all sensible men. But the result of it all has been that there has grown up a stereotyped code among the boys as to what is the right thing to do. They are far less wilful and undisciplined than they used to be; they submit to work, as a necessary evil, far more cheerfully than they used to do; and they base their ideas of social success entirely on athletics. And no wonder! They find plenty of masters who are just as serious about games as they are themselves; who spend all their spare time in looking on at games, and discuss the athletic prospects of particular boys in a tone of perfectly unaffected seriousness. 2. “Bodily exercise is profitable for a little. ” Therefore, as it is profitable, it must not be forgotten. “A sound mind in a sound body”: there is no really sound and satisfactory thinking to be got from those whose bodily health is depressed by neglect or asceticism; a good constitution is a great endowment to be able to place at the disposal of the Master. Therefore we may make our very bodily exercise part of a sacred curriculum. Nothing is more sorrowful, it is true, than to see a man who is only a well-developed animal; nothing is more delightful than to see a man who combines with enjoyment of every healthy pursuit of recreation and physical training a noble ambition to be possessed of a well-disciplined and fully-developed soul. For “godliness is profitable for all things.” We are building an eternal fabric. We are perfecting that which, when the house of this tabernacle shall be dissolved, will inhabit “an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.” The word here translated “exercise” is the word for gymnastic training. A man is to grow strong and sound and agile by spiritual athletics. He is to exercise his spirit. He is to practise godliness. He is to practise self-denial, for instance. He is to habituate himself to pray and to think. He is to cultivate his gifts in the sacred service. He is not to let his talents rust, not to bury them, but to employ them profitably. There is about this advice all the suggestion of real, thorough, steady discipline. This is no game to be played at. The training will be severe and exacting. The moral fibres are to be firmly knit; the relaxed will is to be braced and invigorated; the weakly, sentimental, emotional nature is to be strengthened and toned. The mind and the heart alike are to receive a sturdy and masculine development, until the Christian man is formed, as a very spiritual athlete, capable of fighting the good fight of faith and the battle of life, and coming out more than conqueror through Christ. ¶ “Bodily exercise” may stand for all disciplines of man and his actions, in the name of religion, that are of an outward kind. Of course, in our current sense of the words, bodily exercise is a very good thing; and so, in the above sense, is it good if it be a godly exercise; if the end be not mere restraint, nor mere outward regulation, in the complex exactitude of which we find a satisfaction because of its parade, and because it occupies an else weary leisure. ¶ Some have begun to think that in English schools and universities too much time is given to athletic sports, and that they absorb too largely the thoughts and interests of the English youth. Edward Bowen, however, attached the utmost value to games as a training in character. He used to descant upon the qualities of discipline, good-fellowship, good-humour, mutual help, and postponement of self which they are calculated to foster. Though some of his friends thought that his own intense and unabated fondness for these games—for he played cricket and football up to the end of his life—might have biassed his judgment, they could not deny that the games ought to develop the qualities aforesaid. “Consider,” he writes, “the habit of being in public, the forbearance, the subordination of the one to the many, the exercise of judgment, the sense of personal dignity. Think again of the organizing faculty that our games develop. Where can you get command and obedience, choice with responsibility, criticism with discipline, in any degree remotely approaching that in which our social games supply them? Think of the partly moral, partly physical side of it, temper, of course, dignity, courtesy.… When the match has really begun, there is education, there is enlargement of horizon, self sinks, the common good is the only good, the bodily faculties exhilarate in functional development, and the make-believe ambition is glorified into a sort of ideality. Here is boyhood at its best, or very nearly at its best. Sursum crura!… When you have a lot of human beings, in highest social union and perfect organic action, developing the law of their race and falling in unconsciously with its best inherited traditions of brotherhood and common action, you are not far from getting a glimpse of one side of the highest good.” II THE SUPERIOR VALUE OF GODLINESS “Godliness is profitable for all things.” 1. The beginnings of agnosticism were accompanied by a very widespread tendency towards profitless and more or less baseless religious speculation. St. Paul is quite sure that there are a great many things that we cannot know, and into which it is profitless to inquire. He would restrain the attention of Christians and fix it upon those things which are certainly disclosed and certainly profitable. And what he means by godliness, especially in this Epistle to Timothy, is what we can best call practical religion, which is profitable, he declares, for two things. Having promise of the life which now is, it is able in infinite ways to redeem it, consecrate it, enrich it, and fill it with new and high hopes and joys and a sense of power. And it has also the promise of the life which is to come: not that this other-worldliness was to reduce to insignificance the things of here and now, but, on the contrary, that the sense of the infinite extension of the forces of good and evil which are at work amongst us in our present experience should give to Christians both an infinite awe and an infinite hope, a sense that it was worth while to do our best because the value of life was raised to infinite power by infinite possibilities. ¶ It is not the things of life that make life; it is life itself—its action, the doing of things. Healthy, physical, intellectual, and spiritual energy is life indeed, and not what you and I possess. These might be shut off from us, and we could still worship and work in enjoyment without them. There is a line of poetry I often repeat to myself, because I think it conveys one of Christ’s finest truths—“How good is life, the mere living!” The mere exercise of function is ample enjoyment; the doing of things that give pleasure to others will yet be found sufficient. One would not want anything else to live for in a world filled with such action. It would be sufficient happiness. Christ saw that men were smothered under the incidents of life; that they had hidden its real meaning and use; that, instead of rejoicing in heroic, brave, clean lives, men were crushed down under the abundance of the things they possessed. Their interests were so many, life itself—not only the future life, but this life here—had lost its meaning for them. They had lost the joy, the health, the spontaneity of true life—the grandest things a man could possess. As He said, “they had lost their own souls.” We mistake position, rank, wealth, connexions, and honours—all incidents—for life. We are in bondage; and you know how often our Saviour uses the expression, and promises us freedom by the truth. He says the truth shall make you free—the truth about life, the reality of that, shall free you from the bondage of these incidents, shall make all of them take their proper places, and possess their proper proportions. 2. This is the goal to which all exercise in godliness must tend—godly habits, a godlike character, and a fitness for the work which God has for us to do. It was for this that Jesus Christ lived and died. It was to redeem us from all iniquity, to bring us to God, to conform us to His own likeness. We must live much in the life of Jesus Christ; we must meditate more often on His character and work; we must stay our souls more constantly on His great sacrifice for us, and let the love of His atonement melt and warm our hearts. We shall then find in such contact with Him a new motive and a new power, and we shall need both if we are to succeed. For the best of efforts, the most noble self-denial, will be in vain unless we are in touch with Jesus Christ as the sole source of power. Then only will the “promise” spoken of in the text be fulfilled; then only shall we secure in this world what life promises to man. Everything in existence lives for some use; that use is its promise to the world. The sun is fashioned to give light by day, and it promises light. The world is formed to be the habitation of God’s children; it is adorned as a king’s palace, and all the resources of wealth and pleasure which it is capable of affording it promises to man. All things give their promises according to the faculty that is in them; and as they redeem their promises they manifest the goodness and faithfulness of the Lord. A worldly state of mind and spirit limits the range of our faculties and finally destroys them, while it dissolves the harmony which God has established between us and all things around us—in a word, sin robs life of its promise. A godly state of mind secures the promise, makes life joyful, and cements the harmony of souls. Godliness is to a man’s spirit, even in this life, what the warm bright air of a summer morning is to the birds and flowers. This is the atmosphere in which they can most freely expand themselves, which moves and tunes their songs of praise. We know what the glow of health is in the body. To enjoy this life truly, there must be a glow in the soul. Godliness sets the vivid blood rushing through its channels, and makes every act and utterance musical with joy. ¶ The old language in which the Gospel comes to us, the formality of the antique phrasing, the natural tendency to make it dignified and hieratic, disguise from us how utterly natural and simple it all is. I do not think that reverence and tradition and awe have done us any more grievous injury than the fact that we have made the Saviour into a figure with whom frank communication, eager, impulsive talk, would seem to be impossible. One thinks of Him, from pictures and from books, as grave, abstracted, chiding, precise, mournfully kind, solemnly considerate. I believe it in my heart to have been wholly otherwise, and I think of Him as one with whom any simple and affectionate person, man, woman, or child would have been entirely and instantly at ease. Like all idealistic and poetical natures, He had little use, I think, for laughter; those who are deeply interested in life and its issues care more for the beauty than the humour of life. But one sees a flash of humour here and there, as in the story of the unjust judge, and of the children in the market-place; and that He was disconcerting or cast a shadow upon natural talk and merriment I do not for an instant believe. I think that the Christian has no right to be ashamed of light-heartedness; indeed I believe that he ought to cultivate and feed it in every possible way. He ought to be so unaffected, that he can change without the least incongruity from laughter to tears, sympathizing with, entering into, developing the moods of those about him. He must be charming, attractive, genial, everywhere; if he affects his company at all, it must be as innocent and beautiful girlhood affects a circle, by its guilelessness, its sweetness, its appeal. I have known Christians like this, wise, beloved, simple, gentle people, whose presence did not bring constraint but rather a perfect ease, and was an evocation of all that was best and finest in those near them. 3. Now exercise means effort, often painful effort. No athlete is crowned unless he strives; and he that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. As Charles Simeon, whose influence was so great at Cambridge in the early years of the nineteenth century, quaintly put it: “My dear young friends, you can’t go to heaven in an arm-chair.” For exercise unto godliness means effort. It means self-denial, the practice of self-discipline. Every athlete, we know, goes into training. So must the man who will exercise himself unto godliness. There are many things which are harmless, and at times even useful, but the man in training avoids them that he may win the prize. He keeps under the body and is temperate in all things. We have, it is true, come to appreciate exercise so far as concerns the body, and any healthy-minded young man to-day is almost ashamed of himself if he has not a well-developed body, the ready servant of an active will. We have even begun to appreciate the analogy of body and mind, and to perceive that the exercise and discipline of the mind, like that of the body, reproduces its power. And yet it remains true that a great many people fancy that the soul can be left without exercise; that indeed it is a sort of invalid, which needs to be sheltered from exposure and kept in-doors in a sort of limp, shut-in condition. Now the apostolic doctrine is this: “You do not grow strong in body or in mind without discipline and exercise. The same athletic demand is made on your soul.” All through the writings of this vigorous, masculine, robust adviser of young men, we find him taking the athletic position. Now he is a boxer: “So fight I, not as one that beateth the air.” Now he is a runner, looking not to the things that are behind, but to the things before, and running, not in one sharp dash, but, with patience, the race set before him. It is just as athletic a performance, he thinks, to wrestle with the princes of the darkness of this world as to wrestle with a champion. It needs just as rigorous a training to pull against circumstances as to pull against time. It appears to him at least not unreasonable that the supreme interest of an immortal soul should have from a man as much attention and development as a man gives to his legs, or his muscle, or his wind. ¶ Another name which is exceedingly precious to me, I cannot forbear to mention here—that, namely, of Philip Edward Pusey—Dr. Pusey’s only son. Disabled from taking Holy Orders by reason of his grievous infirmities (he was deaf and a cripple), his prevailing anxiety was to render God service in any way that remained to him; and, by his father’s advice, he undertook to edit the works of Cyril of Alexandria. In quest of MSS., he visited with indomitable energy every principal library—in France, Spain, Italy,—Russia, Germany, Turkey,—Greece, Palestine, Syria. At the Convent of S. Catharine at the foot of Sinai, the monks remembered him well. They asked me (March 1862) if I knew him. “And how is Philippos?” inquired the monks of Mount Athos of their next Oxford visitor. With equal truth and tenderness Dean Liddell (preaching on the occasion of his death) recalls “the pleasant smile with which he greeted his friends; his brave cheerfulness under life-long suffering; his delight in children; his awe and reverence for Almighty God. Most of you must have seen that small emaciated form, swinging itself through the quadrangle, up the steps, or along the street, with such energy and activity as might surprise healthy men. But few of you could know what gentleness and what courage dwelt in that frail tenement. In pursuing his studies, he shrank from no journey, however toilsome; and everywhere won hearts by his simple engaging manner, combined with his helpfulness and his bravery. To such an one death could have no terror: death could not find him unprepared.” III THE PECULIAR PROFIT OF GODLINESS “Having promise of the life which now is, and of that which is to come.” 1. “Having promise of the life which now is.” That does not mean that the godly man is invariably the successful man. Looking only to the individual life of men, it would be absurd to maintain that there is any invariable connexion between religion and outward prosperity and happiness, or that prosperous infamy and goodness crushed by poverty and misfortune are sights seldom or never seen. It is easy to adduce innumerable instances in which health, wealth, worldly success, all the gifts of fortune seem to be showered on the selfish and the base, and the life of the best and noblest is embittered by ill-health or grinding poverty, or darkened by care, anxiety, and disappointment. But the answer is that, in judging of the ameliorating influences of religion, it is impossible to test its inherent power by looking only to the lives of individual men. For no individual, however good and holy, can isolate himself from others, or keep off from himself those outward ills that are the fruit not of his own but of other men’s sins. If we take not individual instances but the general experience of mankind, we shall find that from all the constituents and surroundings of human life a higher and richer profit is to be extracted than that which pertains to our outward welfare and happiness. And that profit has not only relation to a future world and our preparation for it; it is to be got here and now. It is a harvest of inestimable good which is to be reaped from and amidst the life that now is. It is the good or godly men who make the most of life—who extract the richest profit out of life. ¶ In the early part of 1868, a Christian business man wrote to me for advice in his peculiarly difficult business affairs. His letter showed that he had a desire to walk in the ways of the Lord, and to carry on his business to the glory of God; but his circumstances were of the most trying character. I therefore wrote to him to come to Bristol, that I might be able to advise him. Accordingly he undertook the long journey, and I had an interview with him, through which I saw his most trying position in business. Having fully conversed with him I gave him the following counsels:— (1) That he should day by day, expressly for that purpose, retire with his Christian wife that they might unitedly spread their business difficulties before God in prayer, and do this, if possible, twice a day. (2) That he should look out for answers to his prayers, and expect that God would help him. (3) That he should avoid all business trickeries, such as exposing for sale two or three articles marked below cost price, for the sake of attracting customers, because of its unbecoming a disciple of the Lord Jesus to use such artifices: and that if he did so, he could not reckon on the blessing of God. (4) I advised him, further, to set apart out of his profits week by week a certain proportion for the work of God, whether his income was much or little, and use this income faithfully for the Lord. (5) Lastly, I asked him to let me know month after month how the Lord dealt with him. The reader will feel interested to learn that from that time the Lord was pleased to prosper the business of this dear Christian brother, so that his returns from the 1st March 1868, up to 1st March 1869, were £9138, 13s. 5d., while during the same period the previous year they had been only £6609, 18s. 3d. 2. But to induce a man to become religious out of regard to the ulterior advantages of religion would be to base religion on a motive which destroys it. No man is even at the threshold of the religious life so long as he has an eye to anything to be gained or got by religion—indeed we may even say, till there is nothing else he would not be ready to sacrifice rather than renounce or prove faithless to it. Integrity, purity, justice, goodness are things we should choose, even if no pleasure or profit come of them, even at the cost and sacrifice of all the pleasant things of life. A conscientious man is not one who does his duty because, or so long as, it promotes his interests. There are innumerable things in the world he may dearly prize; but when these and duty clash, when it comes to be a question whether he shall give up these or be a liar or a knave, can he retain the faintest title to the name of a good man if he be not prepared to sacrifice all the world holds dear rather than be betrayed into baseness and dishonour? And if godliness or religion means love to God, reverence and devotion to the infinite Truth and Righteousness, love and loyalty to Him who was its highest manifestation on earth—must not this, above all others, be a principle which needs no prop of external profit to secure its dominion over the soul? ¶ There is no resource for it, but to get into that interminable ravelment of Reward and Approval, virtue being its own reward; and assert louder and louder,—contrary to the stern experiences of all men, from the Divine Man, expiring with agony of bloody sweat on the accursed tree, down to us two, O reader (if we have ever done one Duty),—that virtue is synonymous with Pleasure. Alas! was Paul, an Apostle of the Gentiles, virtuous; and was virtue its own reward, when his approving conscience told him that he was “the chief of sinners,” and if bounded to this life alone, “of all men the most miserable”? ¶ My dear friends, dwell in humility; and take heed that no views of outward gain get too deep hold of you, that so your eyes being single to the Lord, you may be preserved in the way of safety. Where people let loose their minds after the love of outward things, and are more engaged in pursuing the profits and seeking the friendships of this world than to be inwardly acquainted with the way of true peace, they walk in a vain shadow, while the true comfort of life is wanting. Their examples are often hurtful to others; and their treasures thus collected do many times prove dangerous snares to their children. But where people are sincerely devoted to follow Christ, and dwell under the influence of His Holy Spirit, their stability and firmness, through a Divine blessing, is at times like dew on the tender plants round about them, and the weightiness of their spirits secretly works on the minds of others. And though we may meet with opposition from another spirit, yet, as there is a dwelling in meekness, feeling our spirits subject, and moving only in the gentle, peaceable wisdom, the inward reward of quietness will be greater than all our difficulties. 3. “That which is to come.” The promise of heaven does not throw the interest of life wholly into the future; it rather brings the future to us than tells us coldly to tarry for the future. “Heavenly things” are of the highest secular value. For as health lightens labour and makes pleasure keener, so a cheerful goodness, which thinks of the end often while on the way; counts love the chief treasure in the midst of any abundance; likes to have a neighbour, to help him, and to be helped by him—this cheerful goodness will be the most patient and prosperous worker, and relish most its reward. It is obvious that the will of God, when regarded by us with true confidence, must infuse both temperance and vigour into our action; obvious that peace with God, and a thankful acknowledgment of Him, must sweeten pleasure; and obvious, yet again, that submission to His will, as not only firm but good, must alleviate present distress. When, anxiously, we watch by the bed-side, and listen for a breath, and wonder whether the scarcely-moving tide of life will ebb utterly away, or return once more, with the prayer “Thy will be done” there is mingled a sense that, if that Will ordain death, it will conduct through death into life. Thus, when the promise can no more affect the life of one departing, in giving a hope for the future, it gives, too, a benefit for the life of those who must yet remain here awhile. In last hours, in lowest fortunes, in loud confused scenes, in unwitnessed privations, in the strong man’s battle with his foes, and the weak man’s battle with his infirmities—it is a fact, that faith in God has been, not only the alleviator of distress, but its conqueror. The love that comprehends and transcends all earthly love, the supreme motive of self-surrendering, self-abnegating love and devotion to God in Christ, lends a consecration to the humblest, lowliest life on earth, and sheds an invisible glory over all the acts that spring from it, so that all the world and all life is a field from which love is for ever reaping its golden harvest of profit. ¶ “The Will of God!” Let us, to animate and endear every thought of it, remind ourselves often of its blissful purposes. True, it is sovereign; let us bow low before its sovereignty, its irresponsible and unknown ways. But in all its infinite range it is the will of Him whom we know in Jesus Christ, and who has told us such gracious things about it through Jesus Christ. If it wills for us immediately toil and trial, contradictions, disappointments, tears—as it sometimes does, as it once did for our Lord and Life—what does it always will ultimately, and with infinite skill and power to attain its end? It wills, He wills, “that not one of his little ones should perish.” He wills, “that every one that seeth the Son and believeth on him should have everlasting life, and be raised up again by Christ Jesus at the last day.” He wills “our sanctification.” He wills, as His Son wills, that they whom He has “given” to His Son should “be with him where he is, to behold his glory.” In belonging to such a God, for every part and detail of our lives, is there not both peace and glory? In accepting, loving, bearing, doing, the will of such a God, is there not a blissful light upon every step of our road home? That road, even step by step, was trodden before us by the Son of Man, who took on Him the form of a bond-servant, of a slave—the Apostle boldly uses the word—the slave of the will of His Father. As He came down to tread it, He said, “I delight to do thy will, O my God.” As He trod it, He said, “My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work. Not my will but thine be done.” And it is He who by His Spirit dwells in us, and we in Him. Lord Jesus Christ, who thus workest in me, work on and evermore, work now, both to will and to do; to will now not my choice but Thine; to do now Thy will from the soul. Amen. Author of man’s mystic lot, God, Thy ways as ours are not: Thou hast destined us to be Seized by death, yet safe in Thee: Love Immortal casting out Feverish fear, and freezing doubt. In the spaces of the night, In the depths of dim affright, Jesus, with our trials tried, Do not Thou forsake my side! Childlike on Thy faithful breast Hold my heart, and bid me rest. Like a sword above my head Death is hanging by a thread; Yet, O gracious Lord on high, Surely Thou wilt hear my cry, By Thy life laid down for me Turning death to victory! Only this can light the grave, Thou hast died:—and Thou wilt save:— Thou by lying low in earth Hast assured our second birth, Bidding in the sunless tomb Amaranthine roses bloom. If the spirit shivering shrink From annihilation’s brink, Through the soul like sunshine come, “Death is but another womb: Born through woe to human breath, Ye are born to God through death.” Nearer than the nearest by, Be beside me when I die! With Thy strength my weakness nerve Ne’er through fear from faith to swerve; So, Death’s storm-vex’d portal past, Safe in Thee to sleep at last. 1 Timothy 4:9 It is a trustworthy statement deserving full acceptance. KJV 1 Timothy 4:9 This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation. NKJ 1 Timothy 4:9 This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance. NET 1 Timothy 4:9 This saying is trustworthy and deserves full acceptance. BGT 1 Timothy 4:9 πιστὸς ὁ λόγος καὶ πάσης ἀποδοχῆς ἄξιος· CSB 1 Timothy 4:9 This saying is trustworthy and deserves full acceptance. ESV 1 Timothy 4:9 The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance. NIV 1 Timothy 4:9 This is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance NLT 1 Timothy 4:9 This is a trustworthy saying, and everyone should accept it. YLT 1 Timothy 4:9 stedfast is the word, and of all acceptation worthy; MIT 1 Timothy 4:9 Trustworthy is this thesis, meriting total acceptance, NJB 1 Timothy 4:9 that is a saying that you can rely on and nobody should doubt it. NRS 1 Timothy 4:9 The saying is sure and worthy of full acceptance. RSV 1 Timothy 4:9 The saying is sure and worthy of full acceptance. NAB 1 Timothy 4:9 This saying is trustworthy and deserves full acceptance. GWN 1 Timothy 4:9 This is a statement that can be trusted and deserves complete acceptance. BBE 1 Timothy 4:9 This is a true saying, in which all may put their faith. Click here for in depth exposition of 1 Timothy 4:9. 1 Timothy 4:10 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. KJV 1 Timothy 4:10 For therefore we both labour and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, specially of those that believe. NKJ 1 Timothy 4:10 For to this end we both labor and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of those who believe. NET 1 Timothy 4:10 In fact this is why we work hard and struggle, because we have set our hope on the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially of believers. BGT 1 Timothy 4:10 εἰς τοῦτο γὰρ κοπιῶμεν καὶ ἀγωνιζόμεθα, ὅτι ἠλπίκαμεν ἐπὶ θεῷ ζῶντι, ὅς ἐστιν σωτὴρ πάντων ἀνθρώπων μάλιστα πιστῶν. CSB 1 Timothy 4:10 In fact, we labor and strive for this, because we have put our hope in the living God, who is the Savior of everyone, especially of those who believe. ESV 1 Timothy 4:10 For to this end we toil and strive, because we have our hope set on the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe. NIV 1 Timothy 4:10 (and for this we labor and strive), that we have put our hope in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, and especially of those who believe. NLT 1 Timothy 4:10 This is why we work hard and continue to struggle, for our hope is in the living God, who is the Savior of all people and particularly of all believers. YLT 1 Timothy 4:10 for for this we both labour and are reproached, because we hope on the living God, who is Saviour of all men -- especially of those believing. MIT 1 Timothy 4:10 and in support of which we labor and spare no agonizing effort: We have hoped in the living God, who is savior of all humanity, especially of believers. NJB 1 Timothy 4:10 I mean that the point of all our toiling and battling is that we have put our trust in the living God and he is the Saviour of the whole human race but particularly of all believers. NRS 1 Timothy 4:10 For to this end we toil and struggle, because we have our hope set on the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe. RSV 1 Timothy 4:10 For to this end we toil and strive, because we have our hope set on the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of those who believe. NAB 1 Timothy 4:10 For this we toil and struggle, because we have set our hope on the living God, who is the savior of all, especially of those who believe. GWN 1 Timothy 4:10 Certainly, we work hard and struggle to live a godly life, because we place our confidence in the living God. He is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe. BBE 1 Timothy 4:10 And this is the purpose of all our work and our fighting, because our hope is in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, and specially of those who have faith. therefore 1 Cor 4:9-13; 2 Cor 4:8-10; 6:3-10; 11:23-27; 2 Timothy 2:9,10; 3:10-12; Hebrews 11:26; 13:13; 1 Pet 4:14,15 because 1 Ti 6:17; Ps 37:40; 52:8; 84:12; 118:8; Isaiah 12:2; 50:10; Jer 17:7; Daniel 3:28; Nahum 1:7; Mt 27:43; Romans 15:12,13; 1 Pet 1:21 the saviour 1 Ti 2:4,6; Ps 36:6; 107:2,6-43; Isaiah 45:21,22; John 1:29; 3:15-17; 1 John 2:2; 4:14 specially John 5:24; 1 John 5:10-13 Click here for in depth exposition of 1 Timothy 4:10. 1 Timothy 4:11 Prescribe and teach these things. KJV 1 Timothy 4:11 These things command and teach. NKJ 1 Timothy 4:11 These things command and teach. NET 1 Timothy 4:11 Command and teach these things. BGT 1 Timothy 4:11 Παράγγελλε ταῦτα καὶ δίδασκε. CSB 1 Timothy 4:11 Command and teach these things. ESV 1 Timothy 4:11 Command and teach these things. NIV 1 Timothy 4:11 Command and teach these things. NLT 1 Timothy 4:11 Teach these things and insist that everyone learn them. YLT 1 Timothy 4:11 Charge these things, and teach; MIT 1 Timothy 4:11 Command and teach these principles. NJB 1 Timothy 4:11 This is what you are to instruct and teach. NRS 1 Timothy 4:11 These are the things you must insist on and teach. RSV 1 Timothy 4:11 Command and teach these things. NAB 1 Timothy 4:11 Command and teach these things. GWN 1 Timothy 4:11 Insist on these things and teach them. BBE 1 Timothy 4:11 Let these be your orders and your teaching. 1 Ti 6:2; 2 Timothy 4:2; Titus 2:15; 3:8 Click here for in depth exposition of 1 Timothy 4:11. PAUL'S PRESCRIPTION FOR A HEALTHY MINISTRY! Prescribe and teach these things - Both verbs are commands in the present imperative calling for Timothy to make these his habitual practice. And to accomplish this he would need to continually depend on the Holy Spirit to obey Pastor Steven
1 Timóteo 4
Wiersbe wrote, “Ministering the Word was not something Timothy was to do after he had done other things; it was to be the most important thing he did." (Bible Exposition Commentary - New Testament)
1 Timóteo 4
Wiersbe has a good word - As good ministers, we preach the Word; as godly ministers, we practice the Word; as growing ministers, we progress in the Word. (Bible Exposition Commentary - New Testament) . (Ed: I would add As faithful ministers we persevere holding fast to the word). Take pains (meditate, devise) (3191)(meletao from melete = care, meditation, which is from mélō = to be of interest, to concern oneself) means to continue to perform certain activities with care (root word = melete = care) and concern and thus to practice, to continue to do, to cultivate. It means to give careful thought to (to think about, to meditate upon) which is the primary sense in 1 Ti 4:15. Meletao is used 34x in the Septuagint compared to only 2 times in the NT and often conveys the idea of to meditate (or to delight in) the Word of God (or some synonym) or upon God Himself (Ps 63:6). The derivative in Lk 21:14 promeletáō (4304) means to premeditate. Progress (4297)(prokope from prokopto = to cut forward [a way], advance from pró =before or forward + kópto = cut, strike, impel) describes not merely moving ahead but doing so against obstacles. Prokope refers to an explorer or an advance team hacking a path through dense trees and underbrush for the marching army to follow. Resistance is inherent to that sort of progress. The progress goes forward through obstacles, dangers, and distractions (cf false teaching at Ephesus - 1 Ti 4:1). The idea of prokope is blazing a trail before a marching army. Related Resources: Meditate Primer on Biblical Meditation Meditation is a going up into the mount of the Lord, into its ampler air, where earth recedes and sinks into the mists, and God comes down to talk with us, and to make His goodness pass before us. MARK GUY PEARSE
1 Timóteo 4
Wiersbe - (1 Peter 5:2) FORWARD HO! The pastor of the local assembly must be a man who walks with God and who is growing in his spiritual life. Paul admonished young Timothy: "Be diligent in these matters; give yourself wholly to them, so that everyone may see your progress" (1 Tim. 4:15). The word "progress" in the original means "pioneer advance." The elders must constantly be moving into new territories of study, achievement, and ministry. If the leaders of the church are not moving forward, the church will not move forward. "We love our pastor," a fine church member said to me during a conference, "but we get tired of the same thing all the time. He repeats himself and doesn't seem to know that there are other books in the Bible besides Psalms and Revelation." That man needed to become a "spiritual pioneer" and move into new territory, so that he might lead his people into new blessings and challenges. Sometimes God permits trials to come to a church so that the people will be forced to grow and discover new truths and new opportunities. Certainly Peter grew in his spiritual experience as he suffered for Christ in the city of Jerusalem. He was not perfect by any means, but Peter was yielded to Christ and willing to learn all that God had for him. (BORROW Pause for power : a 365-day journey through the Scriptures) FILLING THE MIND WITH TIMELESS TRUTH - NIV Once a Day Devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching … Be diligent in these matters. 1 TIMOTHY 4:13,15 “Garbage in, garbage out.” It’s a principle of computer programming that states that a computer can only respond to a question on the basis of information it has been supplied. If all you put in is “garbage,” that’s all you will get back in return. What you feed your mind becomes the basis for the lifestyle you lead. Charles Hodge discusses the significance of good “input” in the Christian life. WALK WITH CHARLES HODGE “It is unreasonable to expect to be conformed to the image of God unless the truth concerning God operates continuously upon the mind. “How can the love of Christ increase in those who hardly ever think of him or of his work? We cannot make progress in holiness unless we devote much time to reading, hearing, and meditating upon the Word of God, which is the truth whereby we are sanctified. “The more this truth is brought before the mind—the more we commune with it, entering into its concerns, applying it to our own case, appropriating its principles, rejoicing in its promises—the more we may expect to be transformed by the renewing of our minds. “Those distinguished for their godliness have been those accustomed to withdraw the mind from the influence of the world and to bring it under the influence of the Word of God.” WALK CLOSER TO GOD Here is a helpful “five finger” method for getting a grasp on a passage of Scripture: 1. Read it. 2. Hear it. 3. Study it. 4. Memorize it. 5. Meditate on it. The grasp will be weaker or stronger depending on the number of fingers you use and how often you exercise that grasp. Molding Character 1 Timothy 4:15–16 Take pains with these things; be absorbed in them, so that your progress will be evident to all” (1 Timothy 4:15–16 NASB). Lesslie Newbigin goes so far as to question whether the church ought to encourage the concept of leadership, so difficult it is to use without being misled by its non-Christian counterpart. The church needs saints and servants, not “leaders,” and if we forget the priority of service, the entire idea of leadership training becomes dangerous. Leadership training must still follow the pattern our Lord used with His Twelve. Perhaps the more strategic and fruitful work of Christian workers is to help leaders of tomorrow develop their spiritual potential. This task requires careful thought, wise planning, endless patience, and genuine Christian love. It cannot be haphazard or ill conceived. Our Lord devoted the greater part of His three years of ministry to molding the characters and spirits of His disciples. Paul showed the same concern for training young Timothy and Titus. Paul’s method for preparing Timothy for the church in Ephesus is deeply instructive. Timothy was about twenty years old when Paul became his friend. Timothy tended toward despondency, and he was too tolerant of and partial to people of rank. He could be irritable with opponents. He was apt to rely on old spiritual experiences rather than kindle the flame of daily devotion. But Paul had high hopes for him. Paul set about to correct Timothy’s timid nature, to replace softness with steel. Paul led Timothy into experiences and hardships that toughened his character. Paul did not hesitate to assign him tasks beyond his present powers. How else can a young person develop competence and confidence if not by stretching to try the impossible? Traveling with Paul brought Timothy into contact with men of stature whose characters kindled in him a wholesome ambition to serve Christ. He learned from his mentor to triumphantly meet the crises that Paul considered routine. Paul shared with Timothy the work of preaching. Paul gave him the responsibility of establishing a group of Christians at Thessalonica. Paul’s exacting standards, high expectations, and heavy demands brought out the best in Timothy, saving him from a life of mediocrity as a leader. (Oswald Sanders) A W Tozer = Real Living Meditate upon these things; give thyself wholly to them; that thy profiting may appear to all. —1 Timothy 4:15 Let me observe that some Christians think they can be disciples of Christ without ever a thought about the necessity of self-discipline and genuine commitment to Him. We must face the fact that many today are notoriously careless in their living. This attitude finds its way into the church. We have liberty, we have money, we live in comparative luxury. As a result, discipline practically has disappeared. What would a violin solo sound like if the strings on the musician’s instrument were all hanging loose, not stretched tight, not “disciplined”? Being an artist, the musician would not attempt to bring sound from that violin until each string had been tuned and tested and all was in perfect harmony. In things that matter with God—important things—we need to be disciplined, pulled together, attuned to the Spirit until we are in harmony with all of God’s planning for us. The Spirit of Life dwells and fills men, permeates their being, sanctifies their nature, quickens their powers, vitalizes their mortal bodies and radiates their life.… Pentecost turned anemic believers into exuberant saints. J C Philpot - Yawning & lounging their time away "Be diligent in these things; give yourself wholly to them, that your progress may be revealed to all." 1 Timothy 4:15 That their progress may be evident to all, ministers must give themselves wholly to their work. Every pursuit, therefore, however useful for other men as a part of their business or profession, which is not of the things of God, hinders the real and visible profit of a servant of Christ. Now, we firmly believe that, if instead of yawning and lounging their time away in sloth and idleness, or gossiping from house to house, pastors would—apply their minds to reading, prayer, and meditation—live more alone—commune more with their own heart—be more separate from everything worldly and carnal—and give themselves more to the work, when out of it as well as in it, in the home as well as in the pulpit—they would find the benefit of it, not only in their own souls, but in the exercise of their ministry! A cold, lifeless, indifferent heart—though at various times, every servant of God has to mourn over his coldness and deadness—but a heart habitually cold, lifeless, and indifferent, and rarely otherwise, cannot be expected to warm up and cheer the drooping, desponding hearts of the family of God.