1 Timothy 4:7

“But have nothing to do with”: The sound doctrine will enable the preacher to know the difference between what he should teach and what should be rejected. “While he must meet demonic teaching head-on and refute it with Scripture, he must not fritter away his time with silly religious trivia” (Kent p. 156).

1 Timothy 4:7 “Worldly fables”: Compare with 2 Timothy 2:23; 1 Timothy 6:20; 2 Timothy 2:16. The fables or myths mentioned in 1 Timothy 1:4 are here called “worldly”, that is profane. “The first adjective points out that there is nothing sacred in them” (Hiebert p. 81). These fables are not harmless, but rather they treat God and the things of God with contempt

1 Timothy 4:7 “Fit only for old women”: This is not an attack on the wisdom of all old women, yet in many cultures old women in the community often performed the telling and retelling of such myths.

1 Timothy 4:7 “On the other hand”: There is always “another hand”. When God tells us to avoid something, He always gives us. positive direction as well.

1 Timothy 4:7 “Discipline yourself”: True and lasting discipline must come from “yourself”. The term “discipline” here means to exercise vigorously (Hebrews 5:14; Hebrews 12:11). This is also in the present tense, “keep on exercising”.

1 Timothy 4:7 “For the purpose of godliness”: Reverence and respect towards God, that is, an attitude of due respect towards God. “Timothy is charged to train himself towards. life-style that is characterized by godliness with the same intensity that. gymnast trains to physical perfection of his chosen exercise. Think of all those vigorous bodily things we do to build up muscles, endurance, and heart, for some worldly sport. Paul calls Timothy and all of us to make vigorous effort to build up our godliness” (Reese p. 174).

“Most of us are willing to admit that godliness is an excellent thing for attaining to. peaceful death, but we show little evidence that we are convinced of its being necessary for spending. happy life” (Plummer).