1 Tim 4 — Some Will Depart, Good Servant of Jesus Christ
1 Tim 5 — Instructions for the Church
1 Tim 6 — Final Charge to Timothy
Thoughts about serving others
This link includes a list of posts about Serving the Least, the Lost, and the Lonely.
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Let the Word evoke words. May your life encourage lives.
Chapter 4 starts out with troubling words: “The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons” (1 Timothy 4:1). I say troubling because I know Satan is clever and can spin his web around us if we are not careful and fully rooted in God’s holy word. We must “have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives’ tales; rather, train yourself to be godly” (4:7). The notion of “old wives’ tales” caught my eye. Apparently, this comes from the Greek word graṓdēs which apparently only appears once in the Bible. I’m no Greek scholar, but Strong’s concordance and another exhaustive concordance agree in the definition of “old woman” which is interpreted in context as “old wives’ tales.” Interesting, but not to be distracted, Paul is really telling us to work hard, to train effectively, rather than sit around and talk about it!
Such a great command in 4:13, “devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching.” This is motivational for me on several levels. First, it strongly supports the notion of understanding the Old Testament…only “old” to us, this was their Scripture. Learning from the mistakes of our ancestors is key to our present success. Seeing God’s hand at work through history gives us deep and rich perspective for our future. Lord, I pray that I can “be diligent in these matters…so that everyone may see [my] progress” (4:15). With your help, I will strengthen my understanding of doctrine and persevere for the benefit of myself, but more importantly, for the benefit of others! (see 4:16)
Paul’s provides great words on how to treat everyone “with absolute purity” (5:1-2), though this is especially true for pastors and counselors who must be sensitive to people coming to them in times of great need and vulnerability. Lord, help me to hear Paul’s warning, “I charge you, in the sight of God and Christ Jesus and the elect angels, to keep these instructions without partiality, and to do nothing out of favoritism” (5:21). This strong command is something I take with the utmost sincerity.
Lord help us all “pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness” (6:11). Help us to “fight the good fight of the faith” (6:12). Help me not to be arrogant, but rather to be rich in good deeds, always willing to share, for I know that compared to the rest of the world I am indeed rich. Keep me far from sinful pride and help me to share the good news to everyone!