6 If you keep these things before the minds of the brothers, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, trained in the words of the faith and of the right teaching which has been your guide:
For those who go after loose women, for those with unnatural desires, for those who take men prisoners, who make false statements and false oaths, and those who do any other things against the right teaching,
Tychicus will give you news of all my business: he is a dear brother and true servant and helper in the word;
If any man gives different teaching, not in agreement with the true words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and with the teaching which is in agreement with true religion,
Give attention to yourself and your teaching. Go on in these things; for in doing so you will get salvation for yourself and for those who give hearing to you.
Put these things before them, giving them orders in the name of the Lord to keep themselves from fighting about words, which is of no profit, only causing error in their hearers. Let it be your care to get the approval of God, as a workman who has no cause for shame, giving the true word in the right way.
But you took as your example my teaching, behaviour, purpose, and faith; my long waiting, my love, my quiet undergoing of trouble;
But see that you keep to the teaching you have been given and the things of which you are certain, conscious of who has been your teacher; And that from the time when you were a child, you have had knowledge of the holy Writings, which are able to make you wise to salvation, through faith in Christ Jesus. Every holy Writing which comes from God is of profit for teaching, for training, for guiding, for education in righteousness: So that the man of God may be complete, trained and made ready for every good work.
For the time will come when they will not take the true teaching; but, moved by their desires, they will get for themselves a great number of teachers for the pleasure of hearing them;
But let your words be in agreement with true and right teaching:
In all things see that you are an example of good works; holy in your teaching, serious in behaviour, Saying true and right words, against which no protest may be made, so that he who is not on our side may be put to shame, unable to say any evil of us. Servants are to be under the authority of their masters, pleasing them in all things, without argument; Not taking what is not theirs, but giving clear signs of their good faith, in all things doing credit to the teaching of God our Saviour.
Be full of desire for the true milk of the word, as babies at their mothers' breasts, so that you may go on to salvation;
For this reason I will be ready at all times to keep your memory of these things awake, though you have the knowledge of them now and are well based in your present faith. And it seems right to me, as long as I am in this tent of flesh, to keep your minds awake by working on your memory; For I am conscious that in a short time I will have to put off this tent of flesh, as our Lord Jesus Christ has made clear to me. And I will take every care so that you may have a clear memory of these things after my death.
My loved ones, this is now my second letter to you, and in this as in the first, I am attempting to keep your true minds awake; So that you may keep in mind the words of the holy prophets in the past, and the law of the Lord and Saviour which was given to you by his Apostles.
Anyone who goes on and does not keep to the teaching of Christ, has not God: he who keeps to the teaching has the Father and the Son.
Now it is my purpose to put you in mind, though you once had knowledge of all these things, of how the Lord, having taken a people safely out of Egypt, later sent destruction on those who had no faith;
For I give you good teaching; do not give up the knowledge you are getting from me.
But to me your word is a joy, making my heart glad; for I am named by your name, O Lord God of armies.
Jesus gave them this answer: It is not my teaching, but his who sent me. If any man is ready to do God's pleasure he will have knowledge of the teaching and of where it comes from--from God or from myself.
So keep watch, having in mind that for three years without resting I was teaching every one of you, day and night, with weeping.
But I have, in some measure, less fear in writing to you to put these things before you again, because of the grace which was given to me by God,
Let us be judged as servants of Christ, and as those who are responsible for the secret things of God. And it is right for such servants to be safe persons.
Who has made us able to be servants of a new agreement; not of the letter, but of the Spirit: for the letter gives death, but the Spirit gives life.
But in everything making it clear that we are the servants of God, in quiet strength, in troubles, in need, in sorrow,
But so that you may have knowledge of my business, and how I am, Tychicus, the well-loved brother and tested servant in the Lord, will give you news of all things:
Only, as far as we have got, let us be guided by the same rule.
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,