I Timothy chapter three ends with a reference to the church as "pillar and ground of the truth." The preoccupation of chapter four is a warning against the dangers of false teaching and denial the truth of the gospel. According to verse one, in spite of the church’s role as a guardian of the truth, "some shall depart from the faith."
In his responsibility to the truth Timothy is to carry out three duties.
1. First, He is To Stand For the Truth
(verses 1-5)
In verse one Paul warns Timothy about the causes of error and how to detect it. "Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils."
First, Paul begins by stating that the authority for his statement about this false teaching is the Holy Spirit "Now the Spirit speaketh expressly." The expression "the spirit speaketh" is much like saying "the scripture says." Paul here claims explicit divine authorization for his denunciation of the false teachers.
Secondly the timing is expressly stated as "in the latter times." This is not necessarily a reference to "the Last Days" but to some time after it was written. Like many Bible prophecies it will have a near fulfillment (among the Ephesian believers) and a later fulfillment, which will happen many times throughout Church history.
Third, he deals with causes of this false teaching. Many Bible commentators state that the causes of this error are three-fold.
First, we are told that it is diabolical in it source. Behind the false teachers is the activity of demonic forces. The Bible reveals that the Satan is not only as a tempter, enticing people into sin, but as a deceiver seducing people into error. This is why otherwise intelligent and educated people can swallow fantastic speculations of cults and the New Age movement. (reincarnation, channeling, harmonic convergence and spirit guides).
One example is a cult called "Heaven’s Gate" headed by a man named Marshall. In March of 1997 Applegate and 38 other members of the cult committed suicide in the belief that in so doing they could join members of "the next level above human" on a UFO supposedly hidden behind the Hale-Bopp Comet. What other explanation besides demonic deception could account for otherwise rational people believing such nonsense.
Secondly, there is a human cause. These demon inspired doctrines require human involvement to gain entry into the church. Verse two says that this individuals "speaking lies in hypocrisy." If we are not careful we will pass over this phrase without realizing what a horrible condition is suggested. Their "hypocrisy" is a deliberate pretense and a "lie" is a deliberate falsehood thus they are double liars! These false teachers do not even believe themselves what they are teaching!
Third, the cause is a moral failure. The second portion of verse two says, "having their conscience seared with a hot iron;" The phrase in verse two translated "seared with a hot iron" translate the Gr. Word (kausteriazo) from which we get the medical term cauterize. When skin, nerves or superficial tumors are cauterized, it is destroyed by burning and so rendered insensitive.
Illustration: "A little girl in London held up her broken wrist and said, "Look, Mommy, my hand is bent the wrong way!" There were no tears in her eyes. She felt no pain whatever. That was when she was four years old. When she was six, her parents noticed that she was walking with a limp. A doctor discovered that the girl had a fractured thigh. Still she felt no pain. The girl is now fourteen years old. She is careful now, but occasionally looks at blisters and burns on her hands and wonders, "How did this happen?" She is insensitive to pain! Medical specialists are baffled by the case. It is called ganglioneuropathy.
There is another form of insensitivity that is deadlier and more dangerous—insensitivity to sin! Paul said of this malady: "Having their conscience seared as with a hot iron". Just as a cauterized conscience has been ‘anaesthetized’ or deadened
In standing against errors of false religion Paul says (verses 3-5).
"Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth. For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving: For it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer."
In Ephesus two things stand out as symbols of a false religious lifestyle.
More than two thousand years have passed since then and there are still many people who believe that they can earn God’s favor by adherence to these kinds of personal restrictions.
The Catholic Church is presently in a great struggle to maintain its ancient requirement of a celibate priesthood.
But the conclusion of this teaching is that, to teach that abstaining from marriage and certain foods is the high road to closeness with God is blasphemy. To require that individuals who want to be ‘good’ Christians must abstain is dangerously false.
In his responsibility to the truth, Timothy is reminded to
2. Secondly, Be A Good Minister/Servant of Jesus Christ (verses 6-11)
"If thou put the brethren in remembrance of these things, thou shalt be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine, whereunto thou hast attained.
But refuse profane and old wives' fables, and exercise thyself rather unto godliness. For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come. This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation. For therefore we both labour and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, specially of those that believe. These things command and teach."
The word "exercise" (verse 7) in "exercise thyself rather unto godliness." is a translation of the Greek word (gumnazo) which we get our gymnastics and gymnasium from. Paul says physical exercise has some value "profiteth little." But training in godliness has unlimited potential both in this world and for all of eternity. As the Greek culture emphasized the dedication to the physical body, Paul urged Timothy to exercise or discipline himself for the purpose of godliness.
The truth found in verse eight is so basic that in verse nine Paul calls it "faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation." And verse ten goes on to say, "For to this end we both labor and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of those that believe. (11) These things command and teach."
3.Third, He Is To Take Heed to His Ministry (verses 12-16)
"Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity. Till I come, give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine. Neglect not the gift that is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy, with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery. Meditate upon these things; give thyself wholly to them; that thy profiting may appear to all. Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee."
First, he is to take heed to his ministry by, Establishing His Creditability (verse 12a)
"Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity."
In verse twelve "despise" means to treat with contempt. The combination of Timothy’s retiring nature and his relative youth made him a natural target for critics. Paul reminds Timothy that there are those who might be tempted to look down upon him for his youth, but they will not do so if they could admire his example. The greatest single tool of leadership is the power of a godly example that others can follow.
As far as age is concerned the point of this verse seems to be It’s What You Do—Not When You Do It That Counts!
For example - "Ted Williams, at age 42, slammed a home run in his last official time at bat.
Mickey Mantle, age 20, hit 23 home runs his first full year in the major leagues.
Golda Meir was 71 when she became Prime Minister of Israel.
William Pitt II was 24 when he became Prime minister of Great Britain.
George Bernard Shaw was 94 when one of his plays was first produced.
Mozart was just seven when his first composition was published.
Benjamin Franklin was a newspaper columnist at 16 and a framer of the United States Constitution when he was 81.
Secondly, he is to take heed to his ministry by, Modeling The Things He Teaches. (verse 12)
Timothy is also reminded to "be thou an example of the believers." He is literally told to continue to be an example. But not just an example "to" the believers but an example, literally a pattern of what a believer is to be.
-He is to be a good example in his public life (outward appearances). "in word, in conversation"
-And he is also challenged to be a good example in his private life (in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity).
3. Third, he is to take heed to his ministry by, Being Devoted To the Word of God (v. 13)
"Till I come, give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine."
When Paul says, "give attendance to" he is literally saying that Timothy is to continually give his attention to the reading of God’s word, to exhorting and the doctrine that he was given.
4. Fourth, he is to take heed to his ministry by, Being Committed To His Gifts (v. 14)
"Neglect not the gift that is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy, with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery."
Timothy is literally told to "fan into flame" the gift of God. Timothy’s gift was a once-for-all- time gift, an unchanging gift of God but it has to be cultivated and used.
"The gifts and callings of God are without repentance."
5. Fifth, he is to take heed to his ministry by, Reflecting Continued Spiritual Growth
(v. 15)
"Meditate upon these things; give thyself wholly to them; that thy profiting may appear to all."
"Ye are the light of the world and the salt of the earth."
6. Finally, He is take heed to his ministry by, Consistently Living Out the Truth (v. 16)
"Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee."
Paul says "take heed unto thyself" because it is unfortunately possible to be involved in the things of the Lord and have no time left for the LORD himself.
He also reminds Timothy to give heed "unto the doctrine." We are sometime confused about the importance of doctrine to daily life. What we believe (doctrine) has everything to do with how we live, because what we believe about God determines how we live. If we do not live according to what we know of God and his word, we will either cease to believe it or attempt to change His word.
James adds that we are to be "doers of the word and not hearers only."
As believers, we have a responsibility to be like Timothy and so live the Christian life that there will be no doubt that we belong to Christ. In these perilous times in which we live, people should be able to tell a distinct difference between the lost and the saved. May God help us to so live and be able to keep the Church the pillar and ground of the truth!