1 Timothy 4:7 Kommentar

Paul here foretels, I. A dreadful apostasy (Ti1 4:1-3). II. He treats of Christian liberty (Ti1 4:4, Ti1 4:5). III. He gives Timothy divers directions with respect to himself, his doctrine, and the people under his care (Ti1 4:6 to the end)

INTRODUCTION TO 1 TIMOTHY 4 In this chapter the apostle foretells a dreadful apostasy which should happen in the last times, the particulars of which he gives; and on occasion of one branch of it, discourses of Christian liberty in eating all sorts of food fit for use; and delivers out exhortations to Timothy to various duties relating to himself, his doctrine, and his charge. The prophecy is in Ti1 4:1, the author of this prophecy is the Spirit of God; the manner in which it was delivered was very clear and express; the time when it should be fulfilled, the last days; the thing itself, a departure of some from the faith; the means whereby it would come about are, some giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils, and the hypocrisy and hardened consciences of others, who would forbid marriage, and order an abstinence from certain meats; the evil of which last is exposed by their being the creatures of God, and by their being made for this purpose to be received with thankfulness by all believers, and who know the truth: and the reasons why they should be received and used follow; because they are all good, as they are the creatures of God; and because there is nothing to be refused, provided it be received with a thankful heart; and because every creature is sanctified by the word of God, and prayer, Ti1 4:4. And then Timothy is exhorted to put the brethren in mind of those things, by which he would show himself to be a faithful minister of Christ, and well instructed in the doctrines of the Gospel, Ti1 4:6, and to reject things profane and fabulous, but use himself to internal and powerful godliness, since outward worship signifies little, but the former has the promise of this, and the other world annexed to it; which is a true saying, and to be depended on, Ti1 4:7 and which is confirmed from the practice and experience of the apostles, and therefore should be taught with authority, Ti1 4:10. And then the apostle gives Timothy some advice, which being taken, would prevent his being despised, on account of his youth; as with respect to his life and conversation, so to behave as to be a pattern to others, Ti1 4:12, and with respect to the exercise of his ministry, to make use of such means, as reading and meditation, that his profiting might be manifest to all, Ti1 4:13 and with respect to the doctrines he preached, to abide by them, whereby he would be a means of saving himself, and others, Ti1 4:16.

But refuse profane and old wives' fables,.... Either Jewish ones, the traditions of the elders; or those of the Gnostics, concerning God, angels, and the creation of the world; or those doctrines of demons, and which forbad marriage, and commanded abstinence from meats before mentioned; which are called profane, because impious and ungodly, and old wives' fables, because foolish and impertinent; and which were to be rejected with abhorrence and contempt, in comparison of the words of faith and good doctrine. And exercise thyself rather unto godliness; either to the doctrines which are according to godliness, and tend to godly edification, which the above fables did not, study these, meditate on them, digest them, and deliver them to others; or to a godly life and conversation, exercise thyself, to have a conscience void of offence to God and men; or to internal religion, inward godliness, the exercise of the graces of faith, hope, love, fear, reverence, humility, &c. or rather to the spiritual worship of God, according to his will, not in a formal, cold, and customary way, but with the heart, in truth and sincerity, in faith, and with fervency and purity.

Let the church of God, therefore, in this spiritual way understand the births, in this way receive the procreations, in this way uphold the deeds of the fathers with a fitting and honorable interpretation and in this way not disgrace the words of the Holy Spirit with foolish rabbinic fables but reckon them to be full of honor, full of virtue and usefulness.

"And, not content with this wild opinion, they add to it and associate with it old women's fables:

Therefore St. Paul urges us to exercise our faith in the face of troubles. Having already come through them victoriously, he said, “Therefore I take pleasure in persecutions and weaknesses.” In another place he said, “Exercise yourself in godliness.” He knew that those who choose to live godly lives are going to be persecuted, so he wanted his disciples to be aware of the difficulties they would face. Then when the trials and afflictions did come, they would have built up enough strength to handle them easily. You yourself know that when you’ve been looking forward to something, even if it’s hard, you experience a secret joy when it actually comes.

And lest in this case they should, being uncovered, be dispersed in the bosom of the earth, did she indeed wash and anoint them with fragrant gums before wrapping and covering them with his dress? For whence could the violet's sweet scent have come had not the addition of those ointments modified the putrefying smell of the member? Pray, when you read such tales, do you not seem to yourselves to hear either girls at the loom wiling away their tedious working hours, or old women seeking diversions for credulous children, and to be declaring manifold fictions under the guise of truth?

Surely only an infantile mind, like a baby who can only drink milk, is ignorant of the great mystery of our salvation. Education progresses gradually. The school of righteousness attempts to bring us to maturity by first teaching us easy, elementary lessons suited for our limited intelligence. Then God, who provides us with every good thing, leads us to the truth, by gradually accustoming our darkened eyes to its great light. In the deep reaches of his wisdom and the unsearchable judgments of his intelligence, he spares our weakness and prescribes a gentle treatment. He knows our eyes are accustomed to dim shadows, so he uses these at first.

"But refuse profane and old wives' fables, and exercise thyself rather unto godliness." By these are meant Jewish traditions, and he calls them "fables," either because of their falsehood or their unseasonableness. For what is seasonable is useful, but what is unseasonable is not only useless but injurious. Suppose a man of adult age to be suckled by a nurse, would he not be ridiculous, because it is unseasonable? "Profane and old wives' fables," he calls them, partly because of their obsoleteness, and partly because they are impediments to faith. For to bring souls under fear, that are raised above these things, is an impious commandment. "Exercise thyself unto godliness." That is, unto a pure faith and a moral life; for this is godliness. So then we need "exercise." "But exercise thyself unto godliness," that is, unto a pure life, and the most virtuous conversation. He that exerciseth himself, even when it is not the season of contest, acts always as if he were contending, practices abstinence, endures all toils, is always anxious, endures much labor. "Exercise thyself," he saith, "unto godliness; for bodily exercise profiteth little, but godliness is profitable for all things, having the promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come." And why, says one, does he mention this bodily exercise? To show by comparison the superiority of the other, in that the former is of no solid advantage, though it is attended with many toils, whilst the latter has a lasting and abundant good. As when he bids women "adorn themselves, not with broidered hair, or gold, or costly array: but which becometh women possessing godliness; with good works." (1 Tim. ii. 9, 10)

“Godless wives tales” are Jewish speculations in the form of false interpretations of the law and its proper observance.

Paul is here rejecting apocryphal books that profess to contain his teaching or that of other apostles but that are really misrepresentations of that teaching.

Reject, moreover, old and profane fables. old and profane fables." Paul refers to the Jewish observations. For these, in their own time, were useful, but now are old and rotten. He says the same about the Greek and heretical nonsense. Indeed, they are profane and impious, and the words of old men who have gone senile. Zeus, they say, had intercourse with Hera. And Ares committed adultery with Aphrodite. And Hephaestus was thrown down from heaven.

That is, remind your own people of what I said, but do not enter into disputes with the corrupted; for it is impossible to benefit them, except perhaps in the case when a scandal might arise, as though out of our weakness we are declining to contend with them. The apostle calls the Jewish observances "fables," either because they are fabricated, or because they are untimely. For imagine if a man of about thirty years clung to the breast — how worthy of ridicule he would be for his untimeliness! He calls them "old wives' tales" because they are already outdated. Profane and unclean — because they constitute an obstacle to faith. For to subject to fear a soul that has risen above all this is characteristic of unclean rules. Train yourself in pure faith and righteous living, for in this consists godliness. Therefore, one must exercise and labor constantly; for he who trains in bodily gymnastics strives in this to the point of sweat even without any competition.

Then when he says, but avoid foolish and old wives' fables, he shows what is to be avoided, namely, foolish and empty fables. For according to the Philosopher a fable is composed of extraordinary events and in the beginning were invented (as he says in the Politics) to induce men to acquire virtue and avoid vices. Now, uneducated persons are more readily induced to such things by representations than by reasons. Hence, in an unusual event well presented there is pleasure to be found, because reason is pleased when it compares. And just as representation in deeds is pleasurable, so also in words: and this is what a fable is, namely, a story representing something, and by representing, moving a person to do something. For the ancients had fables which counseled certain truths, and they had these truths in fables. Therefore, there are two elements in a fable: first, it contains something true which represents something useful; and it must fit that truth. Therefore, if a fable is proposed which does not contain a truth, it is said to be empty; whereas if it is not an apt vehicle for a certain truth, it is said to be foolish or inept, as the fables found in the Talmud. Then when he says, exercise yourself unto godliness, having rejected superstitious abstinence, he compares virtuous abstinence with the other virtues. And it should be noted that Timothy was a very abstemious person; hence the Apostle tells him below (2 Cor 5:23) to use a little wine. By this advice he might have been implying that he should try to be more merciful, because those who are hard on themselves are likely to be hard on others. Consequently, he advises him to prefer godliness to abstinence: first, he exhorts him to godliness; second, he chooses it over abstinence, at for bodily exercise; third, he supports something already said, at having promise; fourth, he gives the formula for teaching godliness, at command and teach these things. He says, therefore: exercise yourself unto godliness, which is the virtue by which we pay the debt of good will to our parents and native land, just as religion is the virtue by which we render worship to God. For godliness suggests affection directed to one's principle. But the principle of generation is one's country and one's parents. Therefore, it is required that a man have good will toward these principles. But the principle and father of all things is God: if I be a father, where is my honor? (Mal 1:6). This is why the name godliness is applied to the worship of God, as Augustine says, in The City of God. Hence eusebia is another name for godliness: behold, godliness is wisdom (Job 28:28) according to another version, where ours has: behold, the fear of the Lord is wisdom. And the acknowledging of the truth, which is according to godliness (Titus 1:1). But as to earthly godliness, its characteristic is to make a man have good will toward his compatriots; as to Christian godliness, it requires that a man have good will toward all men, because all of us belong to the same country. In this sense, godliness is taken for mercy. Therefore, when he says, exercise yourself unto godliness, it can be taken as referring to the worship of God and to performing acts of mercy. And he says, exercise, and not perform, because exercise suggests readiness in the sense that one who is exercised performs with less difficulty and in a more delightful and consistent manner: diligently till your ground (Prov 24:27).

Apostasy from the true faith predicted, and in what that apostasy should consist, Ti1 4:1-5. Exhortations to Timothy to teach the truth, Ti1 4:6. To avoid old wives' fables; to exercise himself to godliness, Ti1 4:7, Ti1 4:8. To labor, command, and teach, Ti1 4:9, Ti1 4:10, Ti1 4:11. To act so that none might despise his youth, Ti1 4:12. To give attendance to reading and preaching, Ti1 4:13, Ti1 4:14. To give up himself wholly to the Divine work, Ti1 4:15. And so doing he should both save himself and them that heard him, Ti1 4:16.

But refuse profane and old wives' fables - This seems to refer particularly to the Jews, whose Talmudical writings are stuffed with the most ridiculous and profane fables that ever disgraced the human intellect. It may with equal propriety be applied to the legends of the Romish Church. Let any man read the Aurea Legenda, and he will find of profane and old wives' fables what may stand, with considerable propriety, column for column with the Talmud. See Joseline's Life of St. Patrick for miracles, without rhyme or reason, abundantly more numerous and more stupendous than all the necessary ones wrought by Jesus Christ and his apostles. This is enough to persuade a man that the Spirit of God had these very corruptions and this corrupt Church particularly in view. Exercise thyself rather unto godliness - To understand this expression it is necessary to know that the apostle alludes here to the gymnastic exercises among the Greeks, which were intended as a preparation for, their contests at the public games. They did this in order to obtain a corruptible or fading crown, i. e, a chaplet of leaves, which was the reward of those who conquered in those games; Timothy was to exercise himself unto godliness, that he might be prepared for the kingdom of heaven, and there receive a crown that fadeth not away. See the notes on Co1 9:24, etc.

PREDICTION OF A COMING DEPARTURE FROM THE FAITH: TIMOTHY'S DUTY AS TO IT: GENERAL DIRECTIONS TO HIM. (1Ti. 4:1-16) Now--Greek, "But." In contrast to the "mystery of godliness." the Spirit--speaking by the prophets in the Church (whose prophecies rested on those of the Old Testament, Dan 7:25; Dan 8:23, &c.; Dan 11:30, as also on those of Jesus in the New Testament, Mat 24:11-24), and also by Paul himself, Th2 2:3 (with whom accord Pe2 3:3; Jo1 2:18; Jde 1:18). expressly--"in plain words." This shows that he refers to prophecies of the Spirit then lying before him. in the latter times--in the times following upon the times in which he is now writing. Not some remote future, but times immediately subsequent, the beginnings of the apostasy being already discernible (Act 20:29): these are the forerunners of "the last days" (Ti2 3:1). depart from the faith--The apostasy was to be within the Church, the faithful one becoming the harlot. In Th2 2:3 (written earlier), the apostasy of the Jews from God (joining the heathen against Christianity) is the groundwork on which the prophecy rises; whereas here, in the Pastoral Epistles, the prophecy is connected with Gnostic errors, the seeds of which had already been sown in the Church [AUBERLEN] (Ti2 2:18). Apollonius TyanÃ&brvbrus, a heretic, came to Ephesus in the lifetime of Timothy. giving heed-- (Ti1 1:4; Tit 1:14). seducing spirits--working in the heretical teachers. Jo1 4:2-3, Jo1 4:6, "the spirit of error," opposed to "the spirit of truth," "the Spirit" which "speaketh" in the true prophets against them. doctrines of devils--literally "teachings of (that is suggested by) demons." Jam 3:15, "wisdom . . . devilish"; Co2 11:15, "Satan's ministers."

refuse--reject, avoid, have nothing to do with (Ti2 2:23; Tit 3:10). old wives' fables--anile myths (Ti1 1:4, Ti1 1:9; Tit 1:14). They are "profane," because leading away from "godliness" or "piety" (Ti1 1:4-7; Ti1 6:20; Ti2 2:16; Tit 1:1-2). exercise thyself--literally, "exercise thyself" as one undergoing training in a gymnasium. Let thy self-discipline be not in ascetical exercises as the false teachers (Ti1 4:3, Ti1 4:8; compare Ti2 2:22-23; Heb 5:14; Heb 12:11), but with a view to godliness or "piety" (Ti1 6:11-12).