10 And this is the purpose of all our work and our fighting, because our hope is in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, and specially of those who have faith.
Are they servants of Christ? (I am talking foolishly) I am more so; I have had more experience of hard work, of prisons, of blows more than measure, of death. Five times the Jews gave me forty blows but one. Three times I was whipped with rods, once I was stoned, three times the ship I was in came to destruction at sea, a night and a day I have been in the water; In frequent travels, in dangers on rivers, in dangers from outlaws, in dangers from my countrymen, in dangers from the Gentiles, in dangers in the town, in dangers in the waste land, in dangers at sea, in dangers among false brothers; In hard work and weariness, in frequent watchings, going without food and drink, cold and in need of clothing.
So that whoever has faith may have in him eternal life. For God had such love for the world that he gave his only Son, so that whoever has faith in him may not come to destruction but have eternal life. God did not send his Son into the world to be judge of the world; he sent him so that the world might have salvation through him.
Then they sent up their cry to the Lord in their sorrow, and he gave them salvation out of all their troubles; Guiding them in the right way, so that they might come into the town of their resting-place. Let men give praise to the Lord for his mercy, and for the wonders which he does for the children of men! He gives its desire to the unresting soul, so that it is full of good things. Those who were in the dark, in the black night, in chains of sorrow and iron; Because they went against the words of God, and gave no thought to the laws of the Most High: So that he made their hearts weighted down with grief; they were falling, and had no helper. Then they sent up their cry to the Lord in their sorrow, and he gave them salvation out of all their troubles. He took them out of the dark and the black night, and all their chains were broken. Let men give praise to the Lord for his mercy, and for the wonders which he does for the children of men! The doors of brass are broken by his arm, and the bands of iron are cut in two. Foolish men, because of their sins, and because of their wrongdoing, are troubled; They are disgusted by all food, and they come near to the doors of death. Then they send up their cry to the Lord in their sorrow, and he gives them salvation out of all their troubles. He sent his word and made them well, and kept them safe from the underworld. Let men give praise to the Lord for his mercy, and for the wonders which he does for the children of men! Let them make offerings of praise, giving news of his works with cries of joy. Those who go down to the sea in ships, who do business in the great waters; They see the works of the Lord, and his wonders in the deep. For at his word comes up the storm-wind, lifting high the waves. The sailors go up to heaven, and down into the deep; their souls are wasted because of their trouble. They are turned here and there, rolling like a man who is full of wine; and all their wisdom comes to nothing. Then they send up their cry to the Lord in their sorrow, and he gives them salvation out of all their troubles. He makes the storm into a calm, so that the waves are at peace. Then they are glad, because the sea is quiet, and he takes them to the harbour of their desire. Let men give praise to the Lord for his mercy, and for the wonders which he does for the children of men! Let them give glory to him in the meeting of the people, and praise among the chiefs. He makes rivers into waste places, and springs of water into a dry land; He makes a fertile country into a salt waste, because of the sins of those who are living there. He makes a waste land into a place of water, and a dry land into water-springs. And there he gives the poor a resting-place, so that they may make themselves a town; And put seed in the fields and make vine-gardens, to give them fruit. He gives them his blessing so that they are increased greatly, and their cattle do not become less. And when they are made low, and crushed by trouble and sorrow, He puts an end to the pride of kings, and sends them wandering in the waste lands where there is no way. But he puts the poor man on high from his troubles, and gives him families like a flock. The upright see it and are glad: the mouth of the sinner is stopped. Let the wise give thought to these things, and see the mercies of the Lord.
Give the word, put forward your cause, let us have a discussion together: who has given news of this in the past? who made it clear in early times? did not I, the Lord? and there is no God but me; a true God and a saviour; there is no other. Let your hearts be turned to me, so that you may have salvation, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is no other.
And again Isaiah says, There will be the root of Jesse, and he who comes to be the ruler over the Gentiles; in him will the Gentiles put their hope. Now may the God of hope make you full of joy and peace through faith, so that all hope may be yours in the power of the Holy Spirit.
Troubles are round us on every side, but we are not shut in; things are hard for us, but we see a way out of them; We are cruelly attacked, but not without hope; we are made low, but we are not without help; In our bodies there is ever the mark of the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may be seen in our bodies.
In which I put up with the hardest conditions, even prison chains, like one who has done a crime; but the word of God is not in chains. But I undergo all things for the saints, so that they may have salvation in Christ Jesus with eternal glory.
If men say evil things of you because of the name of Christ, happy are you; for the Spirit of glory and of God is resting on you. Let no one among you undergo punishment as a taker of life, or as a thief, or as an evil-doer, or as one who is over-interested in other men's business;
He who has faith in the Son of God has the witness in himself: he who has not faith in God makes him false, because he has not faith in the witness which God has given about his Son. And his witness is this, that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He who has the Son has the life; he who has not the Son of God has not the life. I have put these things in writing for you who have faith in the name of the Son of God, so that you may be certain that you have eternal life.
For it seems to me that God has put us the Apostles last of all, as men whose fate is death: for we are put on view to the world, and to angels, and to men. We are made to seem foolish for Christ, but you are wise in Christ; we are feeble, but you are strong; you have glory, but we have shame. Even to this hour we are without food, drink, and clothing, we are given blows and have no certain resting-place; And with our hands we do the hardest work: when they give us curses we give blessings, when we undergo punishment we take it quietly; When evil things are said about us we give gentle answers: we are made as the unclean things of the world, as that for which no one has any use, even till now.
Giving no cause for trouble in anything, so that no one may be able to say anything against our work; But in everything making it clear that we are the servants of God, in quiet strength, in troubles, in need, in sorrow, In blows, in prisons, in attacks, in hard work, in watchings, in going without food; In a clean heart, in knowledge, in long waiting, in being kind, in the Holy Spirit, in true love, In the true word, in the power of God; with the arms of righteousness on the right hand and on the left, By glory and by shame, by an evil name and a good name; as untrue, and still true; Unnoted, but still kept fully in mind; as near to death, but still living; as undergoing punishment, but not put to death; As full of sorrow, but ever glad; as poor, but giving wealth to others; as having nothing, but still having all things.
But you took as your example my teaching, behaviour, purpose, and faith; my long waiting, my love, my quiet undergoing of trouble; My punishments and pain; the things which came to me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra; the cruel attacks made on me: and the Lord made me free from them all. Yes, and all whose purpose is to be living in the knowledge of God in Christ Jesus, will be cruelly attacked.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on 1 Timothy 4
Commentary on 1 Timothy 4 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 4
Paul here foretels,
1Ti 4:1-5
We have here a prophecy of the apostasy of the latter times, which he had spoken of as a thing expected and taken for granted among Christians, 2 Th. 2.
1Ti 4:6-16
The apostle would have Timothy to instil into the minds of Christians such sentiments as might prevent their being seduced by the judaizing teachers. Observe, Those are good ministers of Jesus Christ who are diligent in their work; not that study to advance new notions, but that put the brethren in remembrance of those things which they have received and heard. Wherefore I will not be negligent to put you always in remembrance of these things, though you knew them, 2 Pt. 1:12. And elsewhere, I stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance, 2 Pt. 3:1. And, says the apostle Jude, I will therefore put you in remembrance, Jude 5. You see that the apostles and apostolical men reckoned it a main part of their work to put their hearers in remembrance; for we are apt to forget, and slow to learn and remember, the things of God.-Nourished up in the words of faith and good doctrine, whereunto thou hast attained. Observe,