AM Bible Study Group; May 28, 2014
1 Timothy 4:1-6
Theme: In the threat of increasing apostasy, the good minister will faithfully instruct the brethren from the unchanging word of God.
(All Scripture is taken from The New King James Version, unless otherwise indicated).
Harry Ironside once wrote, “It is a remarkable fact that our blessed Lord and His apostles indicated, before they left this scene, the decadence of the very system which they came to introduce: that is, they came to introduce what we commonly call Christianity, and yet both our Lord and His followers afterwards warned the early Church that there would be a great departure from the truth, and that increasing apostasy would be manifest as the years wore on, until eventually there would be a complete turning away from the faith. Men would accept antichrist instead of the Christ of God” (Harry Ironside, Timothy, Titus & Philemon [Neptune, NJ: Loizeaux Brothers, 1972], p. 102). The apostle Paul wrote much about those times. He called them “perilous times” in 2 Timothy 3:1. He characterized those times as “the mystery of lawlessness”, and said that this mystery was “already at at work”—but that it would grow worse (2 Thessalonians 2:7). He characterized this period of great apostasy as times in which “they will not endure sound doctrine”, and will “turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned to fables” (2 Timothy 4:3-4).
How should the church conduct itself in such times? What should the pastor of the church do to rightly minister in such times? Paul’s letter was written to Pastor Timothy about how the church is to conduct itself; and in the section of Paul’s letter that is now before us, he writes specifically of what is to be done in the light of that promised apostasy. He encourages Pastor Timothy to concentrate on what is needed most in such times—good and faithful doctrine. He begins by speaking of what the good minister is to teach (vv. 1-6); then speaks of what he should avoid (vv. 7-8) and what he should prioritize (vv. 9-11); and he closes with how the preacher should make sure to apply it all to himself (vv. 12-16).
The first focus, then, is on the good minister in times of apostasy. Paul sets forth the duty of good teaching in the light of false beliefs. Note how he highlights . . .
I. THE SERIOUS WARNING (vv. 1-3).
A. He begins by saying, “Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith . . . (v. 1a). The word that Paul uses in the original language is the word from which we get “apostasy”. It means “to depart from” or “to step out of the way of” something—as if one were on a right path, but deliberately stepped off of it. This departure is described as happening in “the latter times”—that is, “the latter period”. And note that it’s something that the Spirit “expressly” or “clearly” says. This may refer to a specific word that the Spirit revealed to Paul; but most likely, it’s the Spirit-inspired apostolic witness which those witnesses faithfully recorded for us in the writings of Scripture. Peter clearly wrote of such end-times apostasy ( 2 Peter 3:3); as did John (1 John 2:18-19) and Jude (Jude 17-19); and most notably, our Lord taught about it (Matthew 24:4-14).
B. Note what Paul tells us about this “stepping away” from sound teaching. He tells us . . .
1. What the source of the departing influence will be. We’re told that many would depart from the faith, “giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons . . .” (v. 1b). The source would be a diabolical one. The enemy of our souls is able to “transform himself into an angel of light” (2 Corinthians 11:14); and he will labor to inspire his false teachers to present diabolical doctrines in an attractive form. In fact, one of the chief characteristics of the end times will be wide-spread spiritual deceit of a demonic source (Matthew 24:23-24; 2 Thessalonians 2:9-12; Revelation 13:13-14; 16:13-14).
2. How the human agents of that departing influence will spread it. He warns that those who depart from the faith—and who will seek to influence others to depart from it—will be characterized by “speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron . . .” (v. 2). Externally, they will “speak”; but what they speak will be lies—spoken from the pretense of being something that they are not, and of having experiences that they never had, and through the making of promises that cannot be kept. Peter says that they “speak great swelling words of emptiness” by which they will “allure through the lusts of the flesh, through lewdness, the ones who have actually escaped from those who live in error. While they promise them liberty, they themselves are slaves of corruption . . .” (vv. 18-19a). What’s more, internally, they speak from a conscience that is seared into insensitivity by repeated sin. While those who are raised on truth—in maturity—”have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil” (Hebrews 5:14), these are “like natural brute beasts made to be caught and destroyed” (2 Peter 2:12). They are not led by thoughts of right and wrong before God, but by passions and lusts of the flesh.
3. What practical form their teaching will take. Paul says that they will be characterized by “forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from foods which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth” (v. 3). One would have thought that the
way false teaching would be characterized in the latter times would be through licentiousness. No doubt, the times will be licentious. But here, Paul speaks specifically of the great ‘apostasy’—that is, the intentional departing from the faith of those who were once in it; and surprisingly, he warns that the teaching of apostasy in the latter times will be characterized by what is forbidden more than by what is allowed. This is a diabolical attack on the sufficiency of Christ. Because we are made accepted before God in the Beloved (Ephesians 1:6), the Christian faith is to be characterized by the holy liberty to enjoy the good things that God has made (Romans 14:14a; Galatians 5:1); but the apostasy to come will place burdensome rules and regulations that God never gave—denying the sufficiency of Jesus’ atonement, and locking God’s people out of the things He gave for them to enjoy.
II. THE GOOD MINISTER (vv. 4-6).
A. In the light of that coming apostasy, consider the liberty we have in Christ. Paul affirms, “For every creature of God is good . . .” (v. 5a), that is, every created thing. In the end, nothing that God has made is bad in and of itself. When used as God intended, all His created things are good and beneficial. What makes them evil is the motive of their use that springs from a heart of sin. Jesus said, “Not what goes into the mouth defiles a man; but what comes out of the mouth, this defiles a man” (Matthew 15:11; see also vv. 17-20). Paul goes on to say, “and nothing is to be refused if it is received with thanksgiving; for it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer . . .” (v. 5b). The rule of our faith and practice is not the vain thoughts and teachings of men, nor the demands of man-made ritual and religious ceremony. Rather, our only reliable rule is what God Himself—our Creator and Judge—has allowed and given to us; a rule expressed to us clearly and given guidance in His written word. And from a clear conscience that is instructed by that word, we are free to enjoy what He has given us. “Thanksgiving” is a great plumb-line in all this. If God has given it, and if His word has permitted it, and if we can say, “Thank you!” to God in prayer as we partake of it—not harming the consciences of others as we partake, then it is set apart for us by God as good, and man cannot deny it.
B. Therefore, Paul tells Timothy, “If you instruct the brethren in these things, you will be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished in the words of faith and of the good doctrine which you have carefully followed” (v. 6). To combat the growing threat of ‘the departure of the latter times’, Timothy was to, first of all, make sure that he himself was nourished in the words of faith and good doctrine which he had been taught to follow (see 2 Timothy 3:10-17). And being nourished in these things, he is to instruct the brethren them. He is to “Preach the word” with all convincing, rebuking, exhorting, longsuffering and teaching (2 Timothy 4:2).