1 Timothy 4

1 Timothy 4 is the fourth chapter of the First Epistle to Timothy in the New Testament of the Christian Bible. The author has been traditionally identified as Paul the Apostle since as early as AD 180,[1][2][3] although most modern scholars consider the letter pseudepigraphical,[4] perhaps written as late as the first half of the second century AD.[5]

1 Timothy 4
Fragments showing 1 Timothy 2:2–6 on Codex Coislinianus, from ca. AD 550.
BookFirst Epistle to Timothy
CategoryPauline epistles
Christian Bible partNew Testament
Order in the Christian part15

This chapter deals with future false teachers (verses 1-6), giving directions to Timothy in reference to them (verses 7-11), and concludes with further general exhortations to Timothy (verses 12-16).[6]

Text
Fragments 7Q4, 7Q5 and 7Q8 among the Dead Sea Scrolls. 7Q4 contains 1 Timothy 3:16–4:3

The original text was written in Koine Greek. This chapter is divided into 16 verses.

Textual witnesses

Some early manuscripts containing the text of this chapter are:

Some writers suggest that the Dead Sea Scrolls contain fragments of Timothy and other Christian Greek scriptures (such as that 7Q4 contains verses 4:1–3), but this view is rejected by the majority of scholars.[9][10][11][12]

The emergence of heresy (4:1–5)

Verse 1
Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons.[13]

The Greek ἐν ὑστέροις καιροῖς (en husterois kairois) is translated as "latter times" in the King James Version and some other translations. Others refer to "later times".[14] Commentator Henry Alford argues that the writer here "speaks only of times subsequent to those in which he was writing" and warns that the words should not be read with the "last times" in mind.[6]

The charge to Timothy (4:6–16)

Verse 9
This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation.[15]

Verse 10
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 who believe.[17]

Verse 16
Take heed to yourself and to the doctrine. Continue in them, for in doing this you will save both yourself and those who hear you.[19]
  • "Take heed unto yourself": theologian John Gill suggests this should be read not only as a Christian, but also as a minister, because every minister should be cautious that his conducts could be exemplary to his gifts (1 Timothy 4:12) to be used and improved, not to be infected with heresies; that he feed his flock with knowledge and understanding according to the Scriptures, the teaching of Christ and his apostles, according to godliness, so it tend purely to edification and is expressed in the best way and that he defend it against all opposition.[20]
  • "Continue in them": or "with them", that is, the church members at Ephesus to stay in the doctrines of the Gospel, even though rejected by the learned, wise, and rich people and though loaded with reproach and persecuted, even to death.[20]
  • "For in doing this, you will both save yourself and those who hear you": that is, by paying attention to himself and the doctrine, a minister saves himself from the pollution of the world, from the heresies of false teachers, to be an example to the congregation and faithfully preach the Gospel to his audience for their eternal salvation, about Jesus Christ as the only Savior, thus being the joyful instruments of converting sinners, and saving them from eternal death (cf. James 5:20).[20]

See also

References
  1. See the arguments on composition of the epistle.
  2. Halley, Henry H. Halley's Bible Handbook: an abbreviated Bible commentary. 24th edition. Zondervan Publishing House. 1965. p. 631
  3. Holman Illustrated Bible Handbook. Holman Bible Publishers, Nashville, Tennessee. 2012.
  4. David E. Aune, ed., The Blackwell Companion to The New Testament (Malden, MA: Wiley-Blackwell, 2010), 9: "While seven of the letters attributed to Paul are almost universally accepted as authentic (Romans, 1 and 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Philippians, 1 Thessalonians, Philemon), four are just as widely judged to be pseudepigraphical, i.e. written by unknown authors under Paul's name: Ephesians and the Pastorals (1 and 2 Timothy and Titus)."
  5. Stephen L. Harris, The New Testament: A Student's Introduction, 4th ed. (New York: McGraw-Hill, 2001), 366.
  6. Alford, H., Greek Testament Critical Exegetical Commentary - Alford on 1 Timothy 4, accessed 24 January 2023
  7. Shao, Jessica. P.Oxy. 81.5259: 1 Timothy 3:13–4:8 / GA P133 in G. Smith P.Oxy. 5258. Ephesians 3:21-4:2, 14-16 (P 132)
  8. Jones, Brice. Two New Greek New Testament Papyri from Oxyrhynchus Archived 2017-06-28 at the Wayback Machine, 21 April 2017 (Accessed 11 July 2017).
  9. Millard, A. R. (2000). Reading and Writing in the Time of Jesus. NYU Press. p. 56. ISBN 0-8147-5637-9. C.P. Thiede drew on papyrology, statistics and forensic microscopy to try to prove O'Callaghan's case, yet without convincing the majority of other leading specialists.
  10. McCready, Wayne O. (1997). "The Historical Jesus and the Dead Sea Scrolls". In Arnal, William E.; Desjardins, Michael. Whose Historical Jesus?. Waterloo, ON: Wilfrid Laurier University Press. p. 193. ISBN 0-88920-295-8.. "On the whole, O'Callaghan's thesis has met with scholarly skepticism since the fragments are extremely small, almost illegible, and his strongest case does not agree with known versions of Mark."
  11. "... Qumran ms. 7Q5 ... is captioned as if it contains a fragment of Mark: it was of course O’Callaghan who made that controversial — and now virtually universally rejected — identification of this Dead Sea text as a piece of the New Testament ..." Elliot (2004), JK, Book Notes, Novum Testamentum, Volume 45, Number 2, 2003, pp. 203.
  12. Gundry 1999, p. 698. So acclaimed a text critic as the late Cardinal Carlo Maria Martini, S.J., Archbishop of Milan and part of the five member team which edited the definitive modern edition of the Greek New Testament for the United Bible Societies agreed with O'Callaghan's identification and assertions.
  13. 1 Timothy 4:1: New King James Version
  14. E.g. 1 Timothy 4:1: New International Version
  15. 1 Timothy 4:9 KJV
  16. Drury 2007, p. 1222.
  17. 1 Timothy 4:10 NKJV
  18. Towner 2006, p. 96.
  19. 1 Timothy 4:16 NKJV
  20. John Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible – 1 Timothy 4:16

Sources
  • Drury, Clare (2007). "73. The Pastoral Epistles". In Barton, John; Muddiman, John (eds.). The Oxford Bible Commentary (first (paperback) ed.). Oxford University Press. pp. 1220–1233. ISBN 978-0199277186. Retrieved February 6, 2019.
  • Towner, Philip H. (2006). Bruce, Frederick Fyvie (ed.). The Letters to Timothy and Titus. The New International Commentary on the New Testament. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing. ISBN 9780802825131.
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