Daily Bread 2010 - 1 Timothy 4
1 Timothy 4:1-8
Instructions to Timothy: The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. 2Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron. 3They forbid people to marry and order them to abstain from certain foods, which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and who know the truth. 4For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, 5because it is consecrated by the word of God and prayer.6If you point these things out to the brothers, you will be a good minister of Christ Jesus, brought up in the truths of the faith and of the good teaching that you have followed. 7Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives' tales; rather, train yourself to be godly. 8For 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.
This is the first of three pastoral letters in the New Testament (1 and 2 Timothy, Titus). These letters provide instruction concerning the care of churches. Paul had given the pastoral care of the church at Ephesus to young Timothy, his son in the faith. His charge to him included: refuting false teachers and to supervise the affairs of the growing church. To help him do this, Paul advised him to appoint qualified leaders (elders/deacons).
A major heresy for the early church was “Gnosticism” which denied the divinity of Jesus, and usually ended up going in one of two extremes. Extreme 1: The body is bad, and therefore we should strictly forbid our body any pleasurable activity through rituals and extreme abstinence (also called “ascetism”). Extreme 2: Since the body is bad and worthless and the soul is all that counts, you might as well pursue pleasure at any and all costs since it doesn’t matter what you do with your body. One can see the pitfalls of both of these extremes. Paul refers to the characteristics of these teachers early on in chapter 4. Toward the end then, Paul turns and uplifts the type of leader Timothy and his co-workers should be like. He exhorts them to train (using the metaphor of physical training ie. athletics) to be godly men and stick to the essential truths of the faith, not getting caught in endless debate over myths, genealogies etc..
Who taught you the basic truths of the Christian faith? In what ways do you see false teachers today?
Close in Prayer: Jesus help us to discern the difference between the things that are good for us and what is bad? May we receive the good things you have created with thanksgiving. Help us to realize and avoid false teachers and continue our training program to be godly through your grace so that we can have a life of eternal significance. In Your Name, Amen.
Instructions to Timothy: The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. 2Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron. 3They forbid people to marry and order them to abstain from certain foods, which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and who know the truth. 4For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, 5because it is consecrated by the word of God and prayer.6If you point these things out to the brothers, you will be a good minister of Christ Jesus, brought up in the truths of the faith and of the good teaching that you have followed. 7Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives' tales; rather, train yourself to be godly. 8For 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.
This is the first of three pastoral letters in the New Testament (1 and 2 Timothy, Titus). These letters provide instruction concerning the care of churches. Paul had given the pastoral care of the church at Ephesus to young Timothy, his son in the faith. His charge to him included: refuting false teachers and to supervise the affairs of the growing church. To help him do this, Paul advised him to appoint qualified leaders (elders/deacons).
A major heresy for the early church was “Gnosticism” which denied the divinity of Jesus, and usually ended up going in one of two extremes. Extreme 1: The body is bad, and therefore we should strictly forbid our body any pleasurable activity through rituals and extreme abstinence (also called “ascetism”). Extreme 2: Since the body is bad and worthless and the soul is all that counts, you might as well pursue pleasure at any and all costs since it doesn’t matter what you do with your body. One can see the pitfalls of both of these extremes. Paul refers to the characteristics of these teachers early on in chapter 4. Toward the end then, Paul turns and uplifts the type of leader Timothy and his co-workers should be like. He exhorts them to train (using the metaphor of physical training ie. athletics) to be godly men and stick to the essential truths of the faith, not getting caught in endless debate over myths, genealogies etc..
Who taught you the basic truths of the Christian faith? In what ways do you see false teachers today?
Close in Prayer: Jesus help us to discern the difference between the things that are good for us and what is bad? May we receive the good things you have created with thanksgiving. Help us to realize and avoid false teachers and continue our training program to be godly through your grace so that we can have a life of eternal significance. In Your Name, Amen.
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