Over against the future triumph of the truth, assured to us by the finished work of Christ, we must set the opposition, grievous at present, of the Spirit of error. His attacks have been foreseen by the Spirit of holiness. They are just now expressed in a false spirituality which condemns God's good... [ Continue Reading ]
τὸ δὲ πνεῦμα : The Apostle here passes to another theme, the manifestation of religion in daily life. The connexion between this section and the last is as indicated above. There is a slightly adversative force in the connecting δέ. _ The Spirit_ is the Holy Spirit Who speaks through the prophets o... [ Continue Reading ]
ἐν ὑποκρίσει ψευδολόγων : The three genitives ψευδολ. κεκαυστ. κωλ. are coordinate, and refer to the human agents of the seducing spirits and demons. ἐν ὑποκρίσει depends on πνεύμασι and διδασκαλίαις. The spirits work, and the teachings are exhibited, in the hypocrisy of them that speak lies; and th... [ Continue Reading ]
κωλυόντων γαμεῖν : Spurious asceticism, in this and other departments of life, characterised the Essenes (Joseph. _Bell. Jud_. ii. 8, 2) and the Therapeutae (Philo _Vit. Contempl_. § 4), and all the other false spiritualists of the East; so that this feature does not supply a safe ground for fixing... [ Continue Reading ]
ὅτι πᾶν κτίσμα : This is the proof of the preceding statement, consisting of (_a_) a plain reference to Genesis 1:31, (_b_) a no less clear echo of our Lord's teaching, Mark 7:15 (Acts 10:15), also re-echoed in Romans 14:14; Titus 1:15. λαμβανόμενον : This verb is used of taking food into one's hand... [ Continue Reading ]
ἁγιάζεται : The use of the present tense here supports the explanation given of 1 Timothy 4:4, and helps to determine the sense in which λόγος θεοῦ is used. The food lying before me at this moment, which to some is ἀπόβλητος, is sanctified here and now by the εὐχαριστία. See 1 Corinthians 10:30. λόγ... [ Continue Reading ]
ταῦτα : repeated in 1 Timothy 4:11, refers to all the preceding directions, but more especially to the warnings against false asceticism. ὑποτιθέμενος : (_remind, suggest_) is a somewhat mild term, as Chrys. points out; but in some circumstances suggestion is more effectual than direct exhortation.... [ Continue Reading ]
The spread of these mischievous notions among the brethren is most effectively discouraged by a demonstration in the person of the minister himself of the positive teaching of the Gospel as to practical life. We are assured, and declare our confidence by our lives, that Christianity differs essentia... [ Continue Reading ]
W. H. place a comma after παρηκολούθηκας and a full stop after παραιτοῦ; so R.V. nearly. But as παραιτοῦ is an imperative, as in reff. in Pastorals, it is best taken as antithetic to γύμναζε. γραώδεις : The μῦθοι, in addition to their profane nature, as impeaching the goodness of the Creator, were... [ Continue Reading ]
σωματικὴ γυμνασία : The parallel cited by Lightfoot (_Philippians_, p. 290) from Seneca (_Ep. Mor_. xv. 2, 5) renders it almost certain that the primary reference is to gymnastic exercises (as Chrys., etc., take it); but there is as certainly in σωματικὴ γυμνασία a connotation of ascetic practices a... [ Continue Reading ]
πιστὸς ἄξιος : This is parenthetical and retrospective. The teaching of 1 Timothy 4:8 is the λόγος. So Chrys.... [ Continue Reading ]
γὰρ, as in the parallel 2 Timothy 2:11, introduces a statement in support of the judgment, πιστὸς ὁ λόγος. εἰς τοῦτο : _i.e._, with a view to the obtaining the promised blessings of life. The best commentary on this is what St. Paul said in an earlier epistle, “As sorrowful, yet alway rejoicing; as... [ Continue Reading ]
παράγγελλε : In point of time, _teaching_ precedes _commanding_. The tone of command can only be used in relation to fundamentals which have been accepted, but are in danger of being forgotten. Similar directions recur in 1 Timothy 5:7 and 1 Timothy 6:3.... [ Continue Reading ]
Silent example or mild suggestion will not do in every case. There are many occasions when it will be necessary for you to speak out, with the authority given to you at your ordination. At the same time, do not forget that the charismatic gift will die if it be neglected. Give yourself wholly to the... [ Continue Reading ]
μηδείς καταφρονείτω (“ _Libenter id faciunt senes inanes_,” Bengel). Many, probably, of the Ephesian presbyters were older than Timothy. For μηδείς in this position, _cf._ 1 Corinthians 3:18; 1 Corinthians 10:24; Ephesians 5:6; Colossians 2:18; Titus 2:15; James 1:13. καταφρονέω connotes that the co... [ Continue Reading ]
ἕως ἔρχομαι : For ἕως with present indic, instead of fut. see Winer-Moulton, _Grammar_, p. 370. _Cf._ Luke 19:13; John 21:22-23. ἀνάγνωσις, παράκλησις, διδασκαλία are the three elements in the ministry of the word: (_a_) _reading aloud_ of Scripture (Luke 4:16; Acts 13:15; 2 Corinthians 3:14, see Mo... [ Continue Reading ]
μὴ ἀμέλει : J. H. Moulton (_Grammar_, vol. i. p. 122 _sqq_.), distinguishes (_a_) μή with the pres. imperat, “Do not go on doing so and so,” _e.g._, 1 Timothy 5:22-23, from (_b_) μή with the aor. subjunctive, “Do not begin to do it” (1 Timothy 5:1; 2 Timothy 1:8). In this case, μὴ ἀμέλει is equivale... [ Continue Reading ]
ταῦτα : _i.e._, reading, exhortation, teaching. μελέτα : _practise, exercise thyself in_, rather than _meditari_. So R.V., _Be diligent in_. (Bengel compares γύμναζε 1 Timothy 4:7.) _Cf._ Psalms 1:2, ἐν τῷ νόμῳ αὐτοῦ μελετήσει, “In his law will he exercise himself,” P.B.V., quoted by Prof. Scholefie... [ Continue Reading ]
ἔπεχε σεαυτῷ, κ. τ. λ.: The teacher must needs prepare himself before he prepares his lesson. A similar thought is conveyed by the order of the words in Genesis 4:4, “The Lord had respect unto Abel and to his offering”. ἐπέχειν (see reff. and Moulton and Milligan, _Expositor_, vii., vii. 377) has a... [ Continue Reading ]