AM Bible Study Group; June 4, 2014
1 Timothy 4:7-10
Theme: A good minister of the Gospel keeps his focus on the things that are truly important.
(All Scripture is taken from The New King James Version, unless otherwise indicated).
Paul, in this section of his letter, was urging Timothy to concentrate on doctrinal purity in his ministry. He warned in verses 1-5 of the dangerous times to come; in which some would depart from the faith and give heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons. And in verse 6, in the light of that warning, he said that Timothy would be a good minister if he taught the people rightly concerning true Christian liberty and godly living (v. 6).
That was what Pastor Timothy was to concentrate on. But just as it was important that Timothy focus on the right things, he must also avoid the wrong things. There are a lot of things that a pastor can focus on—things that are not really a part of his high calling. And if he is distracted by a wrong focus, he cannot devote himself to a right focus.
In this morning’s passage, Paul urges Timothy to keep the right focus by telling him to . . .
I. STAY AWAY FROM MYTHS (v. 8a).
A. Paul said something that might seem rather harsh. He says, “But reject profane and old wives’ fables . . .” That sounds, at first, as if he is speaking in a demeaning way toward women. But really, he was setting his sights on the kind of “myths” or “fables” that false teachers use to victimize a certain kind of woman. Note that he called these myths “profane”—or, as the Greek word beblāos means, “godless” or “irreligious”. They are irreverent in nature; and defy God and His clear word. And in calling them “old wives’ fables”, he probably meant for us to understand the sort of thing he described in 2 Timothy 3:6-7, when he spoke of false teachers and said, “For of this sort are those who creep into households and make captives of gullible women loaded down with sins, let away by various lusts, always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.” The Greek word graōdās is a word used in some ancient Greek writings to refer to ‘the gossip of elderly women’—speculative and legendary stories, told to pass time, and that have no real spiritual value.
B. Dr. Homer Kent wrote, “Paul advised Timothy to decline to involve himself in disputes about profane and old-womanish myths. While he must meet demonic teaching head-on and refute it with Scripture, he must not fritter away his time with silly religious trivia. False doctrine must be met with true doctrine; silly myths merit disdain. The imperative paratiou means to beg off, refuse, decline (see Luke 14:18). He must not even bother to argue against them” (Homer A. Kent, Jr., The Pastoral Epistles [Chicago: Moody Press, 1986], p. 151). Paul told Timothy in 2 Timothy 2:23, “But avoid foolish and ignorant disputes, knowing that they generate strife . . .” The man of God has far better things to do than to follow the path of ungodly people who will “turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables” (2 Timothy 4:4). He serves his people well if he doesn’t let himself be drawn into such useless discussions and debates.
II. KEEP PURSUING GODLY LIVING (v. 8b).
A. In contrast to the fruitlessness of fables, Paul went on to tell Timothy, “and exercise yourself toward godliness.” The word “exercise” is the one we get the English word “gymnastics” from. Gumnazō means “to train, to exercise, to discipline”; and the good minister is to give the kind of concentration to godly living that an athlete would give to physical training. This, of course, doesn’t mean that a good minister neglects his body. Paul goes on to admit, “For bodily exercise profits a little . . .” It has definite value. But it needs to be kept in perspective. Bodily exercise only benefits for a little while; “but godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come.” Physical exercise benefits us for as long as we live on this earth; but godliness benefits us for life and beyond! Paul used the language of an athlete with respect to bringing his body under subjection to his spiritual concerns when he wrote, “ Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it. And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown. Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air. But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified” (1 Corinthians 9:24-27).
B. Dr. Harry Ironside wrote some very wise words that ought to be heard in our overly ‘body-conscious’ age: “I would stress this and seek to impress it upon the hearts of all who are young in Christ. My younger brethren and sisters, you who have strong, healthy bodies, you who naturally and rightfully delight to indulge in certain physical exercises; but oh, let me press this upon your minds: just as these things have a place in the physical realm, it is far more important that you be strong spiritually. Do not neglect your soul as you care for your body. Do not be so much concerned about bodily exercise that you fail to take plenty of time over the Word of God and in prayer that you may be strong, healthy Christians, whose lives will bring the approval of the blessed Lord at His judgment-seat. Godliness is profitable all through this life; and oh, how profitable will it prove to have been when we leave this world and go out into eternity! After all, life is so short it seems a terrible mistake to devote the greater part of our time to concern for the things of this life while forgetting the important things of eternity” (H.A. Ironside, Timothy, Titus & Philemon [Loizeaux Brothers, Neptune, NJ, 1947], p. 105). As Homer Kent put it, to keep on exercising ourselves in godliness is “a great antidote for heresy” (p. 151).
III. LABOR FOR THE GOSPEL (vv. 9-10).
A. Above all, the good minister ought to focus on the life-transforming power of the message of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Paul wrote, “This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance” (v. 9). This is the third “faithful saying” statement Paul had made in this letter (see 1:15, 3:1). And the “faithful saying” that he refers to here is most likely the one spoken in verse 6—that “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.” There are a lot of things that are not “faithful” nor “worthy of all acceptance; but the gospel of Jesus Christ most certainly is. It alone is the power of God unto salvation to everyone who believes!
B. Paul goes on to say, “For to this end we both labor and suffer reproach . . .”; that is, for the sake of the gospel. Perhaps when Paul said “we”, he meant to remind Timothy of his partnership with Paul in that effort. Paul stressed that this strenuous labor and suffering was “because we trust in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of those who believe.” Note that our God is first “the Savior of all men”—most likely in the sense that is meant in 1 Timothy 2:5; “For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus.” There is no other Savior for mankind that Jesus alone. But He is especially so—we might even say “effectively” so—“of those who believe”.
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As Paul told Timothy at the end of this letter; “O Timothy! Guard what was committed to your trust, avoiding the profane and idle babblings and contradictions of what is falsely called knowledge—by professing it some have strayed concerning the faith” (1 Timothy 6:20-210. How important it is that the good minister—and the people of God that he serves—commit to keeping the right focus!