Scripture quotations taken from the New American Standard Bible ® (NASB), Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation Used by permission.
www.Lockman.org
1 TIMOTHY CHAPTER 4
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1 But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons,
1Tim 4,1-5
(162d) Works of the devil
>>
Being a slave to the devil (Addictions) >>
Bondage >> A slave to unbelief >>
Bondage to an unwillingness to believe (deception)
(173c) Works of the devil
>>
The religion of witchcraft >> Catholicism >>
Scripture that contradicts the Catholic faith >>
Catholic doctrine versus the Bible – Priests being forbidden to marry and
parishioners not being allowed to eat meat on Friday’s, except fish, are two
well-known doctrines of the Catholic Church. These doctrines seem relatively
harmless, but Paul named them as religious contrivances people have put in place of the truth that are
anything but harmless. It is an indication that they have rejected God’s
teaching and have acquired their own belief system, demonstrating their
contempt for Holy Spirit to disclose to them the truth.
(173f) Works of the devil
>>
The religion of witchcraft >> Catholicism >>
Unholy sacrifice >> Offering sacrifice without
God’s approval >> Sacrifice against the word
of God
(174e) Works of the devil
>>
The religion of witchcraft >> Form of godliness >>
Self righteousness >> Justifying yourself
(179k) Works of the devil
>>
Practicing witchcraft >> Wolves >>
Wolves lead people into a cult >> Leading people
through ignorance
(198d) Denying Christ
>>
Man exercises his will against God >> Ordained
by man >> Men place themselves in positions of
authority >> Men who have no business in the
ministry
(240j) Kingdom of God
>>
Opposition toward the Kingdom of God >>
Hindering the kingdom >> Taking away the key of
knowledge >> Suppressing the truth
KJV
NAS
1Tim 4,1-3
(49m) Judgment
>>
God judges the world >> Condition of the Church in the last days
(157a) Witness
>>
Validity of the believer >> Evidence of being
hell-bound >> Rejecting God >>
Rejecting the truth –
There is a difference between a heretic and a false prophet; a false prophet
is someone who establishes false doctrine in the Church, and a heretic is
someone who perpetuates those doctrines. It is evil to be a heretic, but it is
even more evil to be a false prophet. Heretics perpetuate the teachings of
demons, but false prophets are personally taught by demons what to believe
about God. Demons don’t just instruct their false prophets like a teacher to
a student; rather, by the time the demon is finished with the false prophet,
the message has been seared into his conscience as with a hot branding iron.
That makes it permanent, like a tattoo, an irreversible seal to his eternal
destiny. Now he has no choice but to teach his destructive heresies.
(159m) Works of the devil
>>
Essential characteristics >> Counterfeit >>
Counterfeit God >> Counterfeit truth
(160d) Works of the devil >> Satan’s attitude
determines our direction >>
Led by the devil to suppress the word of God >> Suppressing the truth with false doctrine
– One recent example of demonic
activity manifested in the Church is the “laughter” doctrine that swept
the nation’s Pentecostal and Charismatic denominations. It was taken from
the book of Acts chapter two. After a large crowd had gathered, the saints
began prophesying in languages they had never learned. Peter stood up in verse
15 and explained, “these men are not drunk, as you suppose…” the Church today wants desperately to walk in the power of God to be vindicated from
their critics (who rightly claim they are in the business of religion), but
instead of waiting for God to pour out His Spirit upon all flesh as it says in
the book of Joel 2-28,29 or fostering the power of God through a contrite
heart, they manually produce the manifestations of the spirit and attribute
their strange behavior to God. I personally walked into several churches
during this era of religious insanity and saw people staggering around the
sanctuary, laughing hysterically, while others were speaking in strange
tongues, but none that were intelligible. In other words, there was no
edification, which is the goal of the Holy Spirit, proving this laughter
movement was a hoax. What they failed to understand was that they put their
reputation on the line when they went with this laughter doctrine. What was
making them laugh? The ghoulish truth is that this so-called spiritual movement was
actually orchestrated by demons. They must have
thought this would lead to a vast spiritual revival, forgetting about the
verse in James 4,7-10, “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the
devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to
you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.
Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning,
and your joy to heaviness. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he
shall lift you up.” KJV
(161k) Works of the devil
>>
Essential characteristics >> Satan’s attitude
determines our direction >> Carried Away by religion
(172h) Works of the devil
>>
Manifestations of the devil >> Tares among the
wheat >> False doctrine among the truth
(173g)
Works of the devil >> The religion of witchcraft >>
Catholicism >> Unholy sacrifice >>
Offering sacrifice without God’s approval >>
Sacrifice against the will of God -- These verses go with verses 7-9. Forbidding
marriage is something the Catholics advocated for priests. It probably started
with good intensions, that if the priest remained single, he would be able to
secure undistracted devotion to the Lord (1Cor 7-35), but turning it into a
requirement went too far, making it an observable behavior by which they could
judge a person’s faithfulness to God, based on his marital status, or based
on what he eats. For example, if a person doesn’t eat fish on Friday; he is
unfaithful. Actually, that is a sweet deal; instead of committing one’s self
to the faith, all the parishioners need do is attend Friday night fish fry. It
represented their devotion to God, and all they had to do is acquire a taste
for fish. The goal was not making it hard for the parishioner, but making it
easy for leadership to determine who was good and who was evil, so they knew
who to discipline and who to exonerate. This all sounds very innocent,
compared to what false prophets have managed to do to the Church and to the
world for the last 2000 years. Someone might say we are attributing too much
influence to the Church to say that it is responsible for all the wars that
have occurred during the age of grace, but Jesus said that the Church is the
salt of the earth. We are both seasoning and preservative, but we have not
done our part to preserve the world, and for this reason more people died than
any other time in human history, and it is all due to the apostasy of the
Church, which is the result of the works of all the false prophets that have
come and gone and introduced their destructive heresies, leading the Church
little-by-little from the true faith.
(177g) Works of the devil
>>
The religion of witchcraft >> False doctrine >>
Doctrines of demons -- These verses go with verse 7. False
doctrine is not created by imaginative people but by demons. Men fight wars,
and war is the most evil institution man has ever devised. Likewise, man is
involved in the creation of false doctrine, but Paul was saying that the
ultimate source of false doctrine is demonic, and we can also say the same
about war. Moreover, we can say this about all forms of sin; it is all
instigated by demons. When we look at every war, false doctrine is at the
heart of them, that is, an overall lack of concern for the word of God, and
this is also at the heart of every false teaching and heresy.
(201j) Denying Christ
>>
Man chooses his own destiny apart from God >>
Running from God >> Man’s will over God >>
God permits man to go his own way
– It is not blasphemy against the Holy Spirit
to wrestle with God, but its when we exert our authority over Him, putting our
foot down and telling Him that this is what we choose to believe, and we
don’t want to hear any more about the truth. According to Gen 32:24-28 Jacob
wrestled with God, “So Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him
till daybreak. When the man saw that he could not overpower him, he touched
the socket of Jacob's hip so that his hip was wrenched as he wrestled with the
man. Then the man said, "Let me go, for it is daybreak." But Jacob
replied, "I will not let you go unless you bless me." The man asked
him, "What is your name?" "Jacob," he answered. Then the
man said, "Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you
have struggled with God and with men and have overcome." When God sees
that He cannot win the struggle against our will and touches our lives in some
way so that we must submit to Him, that is well within his authority, but it
is not okay to command God to leave us alone.
(204d) Denying Christ
>>
Man chooses his own destiny apart from God >>
Back-slider >> Practicing sin >>
The apostasy
– “Falling away from the faith” is the very
definition of the apostasy. There are all kinds of controversy surrounding the
apostasy; some dismiss this verse, claiming that it has no connection with the
apostasy, but Paul uses the very definition of the “apostasy” to describe
the last days, which is possibly more convincing than the word itself. The
apostasy does not refer to Israel falling away from their old covenant temple
services as some have postulated, because Paul did not acknowledge their
obsolete form of worship as “the faith;” nor does it refer to the world
falling away, because the world does not believe in God, so Paul is obviously
talking about the Church falling away from the faith. Those who reject this
interpretation do it because it conflicts with their coveted pre-tribulation
Rapture theory, since no one could logically explain how God can Rapture a
people who have lost their faith. The Church in Europe is not
being persecuted, because it is mealy and impotent. Neither man nor demon has
a motive to persecute it. However, the Church is being persecuted in other
parts of the world, some to the death. The Church in America is not
being persecuted either, and we say it is because we are a Christian nation,
and we have no reason to persecute ourselves, but the Church in America is
just as mealy and impotent as the Church in Europe. Not even Satan
has a motive to persecute the Church when it stops serving God.
KJV
NAS
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1Tim 4-1,2
(109j) Thy kingdom come
>> Faith >>
Spirit and the word >> Spirit the teacher >>
Spirit of truth is our teacher
(155e) Witness
>>
Validity of the believer >> Witness of the
believer >> Conscience >>
An evil conscience keeps us from believing God >>
Knowledge of evil testifies against our motives – This spiritual transaction that takes place
in us as we resist the Holy Spirit happens to our conscience as with a
branding iron, which is permanent. It’s a scar or a mark that identifies us
as to ‘whose’ we are. They become like cattle who obey the devil and
develop the reprobate mind, though God never treated us that way. God may
place His mark on us, but more like a felt-tip pen; it is something that can
be rubbed off if we so choose, but Satan’s mark is a scar. We lose our
ability to believe in God, like the story of Jacob and Esau, who sold his
birthright for a single meal, “For you know that even afterwards, when he
desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found not place for
repentance, though he sought for it with tears” (Heb 12-17). That moment
changed everything between the two brothers, though no papers were signed, not
even a handshake was made. Spiritual matters within the heart are transactions
that take place that change our lives forever and define us. They are little,
secret decisions, but they are not off the cuff; they may not have been
planned in advance, but they took place in the very presence of God.
(164a) Works of the devil
>>
Being a slave to the devil (Addictions) >>
Entertaining demons by rejecting the word of God – Falling away from the faith is a process; it
is another way of describing the reprobate mind. A person who falls away from
God cannot be restored. The bondage of backsliders differs from the reprobate
mind. It refers to the double life that some people lead (James chapter 1).
People often backslide and are restored; this is a common problem of the flesh
that has a remedy called – repentance, but falling away from the faith is a
spiritual problem that has no remedy. The process of developing the reprobate
mind entails blaspheming the Holy Spirit, not just once but many times over
the course of a person’s life. Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is the
unpardonable sin; it cannot be forgiven, meaning the offender cannot repent of
it, just like you cannot un-ring a bell. There may be a hundred ways to
blaspheme the Holy Spirit and a hundred excuses for doing it, but there is
only one reason, to send god the message to back off. God persuades His people
of the truth by His Spirit, but if someone resists Him, his blasphemy tells
God to step back. If he continues this way, his ability to have a relationship
with God dwindles until it vanishes altogether, and he can never get it back.
Since the Holy Spirit is inextricably linked to God’s truth, it too becomes
impossible to grasp. Every time the man tells the persuader of truth to step
back, he chips away at his own ability to know and love the truth, which is
unpardonable, meaning he cannot repent of it. Why is this the case? As God
steps back, the demons step forward. The function of blasphemy against the
Holy Spirit is not that God is rejecting the man, but that man is rejecting
the very essence of God, and so the very opposite of God takes His place, thus
losing his ability to relate to God. Once he has rejected the persuader of
truth, how can God persuade him to repent? He has rejected the word of the
Spirit that he knows to be true, and has consequently rejected the Holy Spirit
whom he knows to be God. This is not a fleshly problem, but a spiritual one,
though he may have blasphemed the Holy Spirit as a way to hold onto his sin,
yet he intentionally threw God away in full knowledge, because he valued his
sin over his relationship with God.
(182g) Works of the devil
>>
The origin of lawlessness >> Deception >>
Three causes of interpreting Scripture falsely >>
Because they want to be approved by men
(183i) Works of the devil
>>
The origin of lawlessness >>
Spirit of Error (Anti-Christ / Anti-Semitism) >>
Spirit of the broad road >> Spirit of error will
lead you astray
(186g) Works of the devil
>>
The result of lawlessness >> The reprobate >>
Man’s role in becoming a reprobate >> After
they reject God’s faith how can they believe? – Blaspheming the Holy Spirit destroys the
person's ability to have a relationship with God. As he tells God to take
another step back, there is a point when God says, ‘Okay, I get it, you
don’t want me in your life,’ so He leaves. This can happen both to the
saved and the unsaved, to the unsaved in that the man will never be able to be
saved, and to the saved in that he will never be able to be resaved. Blasphemy
against the Holy Spirit says, ‘I don’t want God so close to me,’ whereas
the reprobate mind says, ‘I don’t want God in my life at all, ever.’
There are accounts of people soul searching, earnestly desiring to be saved
over a period of years trying to put God in their lives, and they just can’t
do it, like putting a square peg in a round hole. They have covered this
ground before and found that they are now enslaved to their unbelief. It is
not that God is unwilling; it’s that they are unable to believe in God,
because the demons have taken over his heart. This is the reprobate mind.
Demons are absolutely involved in the formation and perpetuation of the
psychopath, who has a reprobate mind. Not all reprobates are psychopaths, but
all psychopaths are reprobates. Neither psychopath nor reprobate has ever
darkened the doors of heaven, and they never will.
1Tim 4-1
(97i) Thy kingdom come
>>
Attention >> Giving attention to the wrong
things
(106d) Thy kingdom come
>> Faith >>
Hearing from God >> Attaining the hearing ear >>
Knowing the sound of His voice >> God speaks
from the Scriptures –
Paul said, “The Spirit explicitly says….” This is how the writers of the
Bible knew what to write; the Holy Spirit was their source of information.
People today say that the Scriptures are now complete; does that mean the
Spirit of God quit speaking? The Spirit of God will never quit speaking;
rather, people have quit listening. They are unwilling to canonize what people
write today. They say the door has closed and the book is shut on any more
writings being acknowledged as inspired. It is true that there is no need for
any more inspired writing about God, since we already have everything we need
in the Bible. However, God is still speaking, and therefore we should continue
writing, and many people do. Many books have been written about God over the
last 2000 years, especially after the Gutenberg Press, and during our current
technological era that makes it easy to print and distribute books. The only
difference is that these writings are not canonized, not made authoritative
statements from God, according to man. There have been some books written
throughout the age of grace that speak as much truth as the Bible, yet nobody
has authority to canonize them. That would be adding to the Scriptures, as it
says in Rev 22-18,19, “If anyone adds to them, God will add to him the
plagues which are written in this book; and if anyone takes away from the
words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his part from the tree
of life and from the holy city, which are written in this book.” So really
all we can do is expand and clarify the words that have already been canonized
in the Bible, so it neither adds nor subtracts. Does that mean there can be no
prophets? Many people actually believe that! However, this is simply not the
case. People who have a prophetic ministry have freedom to add to the
Scriptures knowledge from God that the Scriptures do not speak, but they
cannot be canonized (officially authenticated), because there is nobody in
authority to canonize them. Origen of Alexandria (184-253) was the first to
unofficially canonize the New Testament, though he omitted the books of James,
Second Peter and the second and third letters of John. Then, in 1546 during
the Protestant Reformation at the Council of Trent, "The first infallible
and effectually promulgated pronouncement on the Canon" was made by the
Roman Catholic Church (wikipedia). Since then there has not been another
institution to codify other writings as specifically coming from the mouth of
God.
(207a) Salvation
>>
God makes promises on His terms >> Eternal
security? >> Perish By Losing Your Faith >>
The apostasy (walking out the same door you came in)
– Once we replace the truth with the gimmicks
of our religion, it is almost impossible to believe the teachings of the Holy
Spirit. Christianity is about having a relationship with God through the
truth, and if we are unwilling to acknowledge the truth, then we cannot have a
relationship with God. Therefore, when the Holy Spirit speaks to us, we have
an obligation to listen to Him. He is our lifeline to God. If we resist Him,
it is blasphemy and God takes a step back. To resist the persuader of truth is
to resist our ability to know the truth. If we force Him to step back too many
times, we will develop the reprobate mind and we will lose our salvation or
ability to be saved, whichever the case may be, and
we won’t be going to heaven. Contrary to popular belief – once saved
always saved – is a myth.
KJV
NAS
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2-5 by means of the hypocrisy of liars seared in their own conscience as with a branding iron, 3 men who forbid marriage and advocate abstaining from foods which God has created to be gratefully shared in by those who believe and know the truth. 4 For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with gratitude; 5 for it is sanctified by means of the word of God and prayer.
1Tim 4-2,3
(145i) Witness
>>
Validity of Jesus Christ >> Jesus’ works bear
witness of Himself >> Demon possession >>
Human state >> Filthiness >>
Rejecting the opportunity to be holy
1Tim 4-2
(40n) Judgment
>>
God is glorified >> God defends His truth
through judgment
(65b) Paradox
>>
Anomalies >> God helps Satan >>
God gives people over to Satan
(217e) Sovereignty
>>
God overrides the will of man >> God’s will
over man >> God gives up on you >>
After you are no longer able to repent
1Tim 4,3-6
(108d) Thy kingdom come
>> Faith is the balance between freedom
and law
1Tim 4,3-5
(11c) Servant
>>
Standard for a servant >> Freedom
(34i) Gift of God
>>
Generosity >> God is willing to Give >>
His natural blessings
(80b) Thy kingdom come
>>
Know the word in spiritual warfare >> To
deliver yourself from bondage –
If someone says that eating meat is evil on Friday, then all we have to do
is sanctify it through the word of God and prayer, and it is no longer evil.
A person can read the Scriptures for himself and discover that certain
doctrines are fallacious, that eating meat on Friday is not a sin in the
eyes of God, though perhaps in the eyes of the Catholic Church, but who
cares what they think? We have a relationship with Jesus, not with the
Catholic Church, so we only care what God thinks of us. We learn about the
truth in the Scriptures that there is no substance in the natural universe
that is intrinsically evil, that we can eat meat on Friday if we want as we
sanctify every meal through prayer. We thank God for his provisions and we
thank Him for the truth. We thank Him for setting us free from false
doctrines, false religions and those in apostasy who would establish
doctrines of demons for others to follow.
(82a) Thy kingdom come
>>
Three elements of prayer >> Direction
(Attitude) >> What to pray for -- These
verses go with verse 14
(82i) Thy kingdom come
>>
Prayer >> Thankfulness >>
Giving thanks for His blessings
(96d) Thy kingdom come
>>
Attitude >> Positive attitude toward God >>
Having a thankful attitude
(111aa) Thy kingdom come
>> Faith
>>
Spirit and the word >> Spirit sets you apart
by the word >> Set apart by His
grace –
The
relationship between the Spirit and the word is reiterated dozens of times
throughout the New Testament, as it is here in “the word of God and
prayer,” prayer being the means God has given us to interface with His
Spirit. The Spirit and the word are in perfect agreement with each other, so
that one is the power of the other. The Holy Spirit is the third member of
the trinity, whose ministry in part is to be everywhere at the same time in
the world and in the Church. The Spirit without the word can do nothing, and
the word without the Spirit conveys little meaning. If you want a sanctified marriage, you must
bath it in the word of God and prayer. If the world around you is
disintegrating and you are forced to eat food that is questionable, you must
bathe it in His word and prayer. We sanctify the truth in our hearts through
prayer. All things are
sanctified through the word of God and prayer. This is how we protect
ourselves from liars who fellowship with demons.
(154j) Witness
>>
Validity of the believer >> Witness of the
believer >> Conscience >>
Having a good conscience >> God is my conscience –
Although the universe, including the earth, is under God’s curse, it is
still good. There is no physical substance that is intrinsically evil,
though some of the ways we use certain substances are evil. This statement
came from a point that Paul was making that in the last days some will fall
away from the faith, “paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines
of demons.” He said that some would abstain from certain foods, and
promote false doctrines, saying that these foods are evil if eaten at
certain times. Paul was prophesying against the Catholic Church, and when we
look at everything he said, it all applies to many of their man-made
doctrines, such as abstaining from eating meat on Friday, except fish, hence
the customary Friday fish fry. Only recently has the Catholic Church
abolished this rule, so Catholics now have their church’s approval to eat
meat on Friday, but for centuries this rule was in effect, so if a Catholic
ate meat on Friday, it was considered a sin. Paul makes this point in Rom
14-14, “I know and am convinced in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean
in itself; but to him who thinks anything to be unclean, to him it is
unclean.” While this Catholic tradition was in the books, if its
parishioners ate meat on Friday, it defiled their conscience, even though
they didn’t actually do anything wrong, so it was not the eating of meat
on Friday that was the sin but the willingness to violate their conscience.
(162k) Works of the devil >>
Being a slave to the devil (Addictions) >>
Bondage >> Being slaves of men >>
In bondage to the burdens of men >> In bondage to religion – Everything is created by God, therefore can
be sanctified though the means of the word of God and prayer, referring both
to marriage and eating food. God created the institution of marriage,
meaning it is a good thing. No one can restrain us from marriage any more
than anyone can keep us from eating. None of these acts of self-denial are
of value against fleshly indulgence, nor do they promote godliness. There
are consequences to believing lies they put in place of the truth. Their
resistance to the Holy Spirit places them in spiritual bondage that can
never be reversed, while the lies they consign to the truth place them in
fleshly bondage from which they will never find freedom.
(191k) Die to self (Process of substitution)
>> Result of putting off the old man >>
Set apart >> Set apart by faith in the truth
1Tim 4-3,4
(151j) Witness
>>
Validity of the Father >> Witnesses of the
father >> Creation is evidence of God >>
Living things reflect the nature of God
1Tim 4-3
(3d)
Responsibility >> To the Family >> Marriage >> Advocating
marriage
(57h) Paradox
>>
Opposites >> More truth you know, the less
bondage you accept
(86a) Thy kingdom come
>>
Belief >> Treating the knowledge of God as fact >>
Believe the word by obeying it
1Tim 4-4
(30b) Gift of God
>>
God is our source >> His creative ability
supplies our needs
KJV
NAS
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6 In pointing out these things to the brethren, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, constantly nourished on the words of the faith and of the sound doctrine which you have been following.
1Tim 4,6-11
(11f) Servant
>>
The word of God is our standard of truth – The truth takes discipline. So much of
worldly knowledge is a tool. For example, we use the knowledge of science to
achieve certain goals. We have invented the telephone and the television, etc.
The difference between worldly knowledge and the knowledge of God is that
spiritual knowledge is not a tool, but is the very substance of our
relationship with God. Science is diligent to build their inventions through
their knowledge, but Paul tells Timothy to be diligent in seeking the truth,
for his relationship with God consists of the truth. Seek His presence, know
His Spirit; become intimate with the Spirit of truth. When we learn something
new, the Holy Spirit will testify whether it is true or false, so we can weave
our way through the vast configuration of human ideas about God.
(41k) Judgment
>>
Satan destroyed >> Be like Jesus >>
The word leads you to godliness
– Godliness will direct you away from a life of
sinful debauchery and hardship. It will direct you away from using people as
tools. Godliness will lead you to a life similar to the way Jesus lived. He
was hated, but respected, despised but admired, condemned but never forgotten,
emasculated but possessed the power of God. When this life is through, our
godliness will hold promise for this life and the life to come, “For without
holiness [godliness] no one will see the Lord” (Heb 12-14). Don’t let
anyone deceive you with licentious theology, for there are those who teach we
can live any way we want, so long as we believe in God, but they don’t
understand that godliness is a virtue filled with promise. Godliness is kicked
to the curb in today’s fast-paced world, and according to these passages, so
are the promises of God to those who would forsake the virtue of godliness.
(86i) Thy kingdom come
>>
Obedience >> Be doers of the word >>
Clothe yourself with the word of God >> Live the
truth –
Godliness
is the main theme of First and Second Timothy and of Titus. Having confidence
in this life and in the life to come is the reason we labor and strive, and
godliness is the very foundation of these things. Godliness is the foundation
of our confidence in our eternal salvation; it is also the basis of our
confidence that good things will come to us in this life. If we live like the
heathen, we will receive a heathen’s reward, but if we live godly in this
life, these same traits will return to us through the lives of others. People
will acknowledge us as sincere Christians and seek to emulate us and imbibe
our fruit, and that will give us opportunity to lavish our blessing from
Christ on them. This will in turn edify the body of Christ and encourage
others to develop their confidence in eternal life that comes only through
godliness.
1Tim 4,6-8
(91m) Thy kingdom come
>>
The narrow way >> Trail of good works >>
The trail that Jesus walked
1Tim 4-6
(76m) Thy kingdom come
>>
Desires >> Word is food >>
Hunger for the word
(80i) Thy kingdom come
>>
Know the word to minister to God >> To know Him
(81g) Thy kingdom come
>>
Pray without ceasing >> Study the word through
continuous prayer -- This verse goes with verse 15
(87m) Thy kingdom come
>>
Obedience >> Committed to the word of God
(93h) Thy kingdom come
>>
Following Jesus >> Through the leadership of men
(107d) Thy kingdom come
>> Faith >> Hearing from God
>> Word creates faith >>
Believing the word creates faith
(110j)
Thy kingdom come >> Faith >> Spirit and the word >>
Spirit of revelation >> Revelation of the truth –
People talk about doctrine as though it were a bad thing, and other people
talk about doctrine as though it could replace the Bible. There should be a
happy medium between the knowledge of the truth as disclosed by the Spirit
that we follow into the specific will of God and the biblical doctrines we
follow into the general will of God. We can get so caught-up in Pentecostal
belief systems striving after the anointing, signs wonders and miracles and
the gifts of the Spirit that we bypass God’s general calling contained in
the basic doctrines of the faith in the many letters he wrote. We also have
the Apostle’s Creed, which eloquently summarizes all the major doctrines of
the faith. Some denominations focus mostly on doctrine, quoting the
Apostle’s Creed and the Lord’s Prayer every week and forget the specific
calling that God has for each person and finding that trail of good works that
God has prepared for us and fulfilling His purpose for which they were born.
Both the general and the specific will of God are equally important in every believer.
(239c) Kingdom of God
>>
Pursuing the kingdom >> Pursuing the knowledge
of the kingdom >> Teachers >>
Teachers "remind" their students >>
Repeating instructions
KJV
NAS
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7 But have nothing to do with worldly fables fit only for old women. On the other hand, discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness;
1Tim 4,7-11
(4a)
Responsibility >> Advocate God’s
cause >> Accountable to the character of God
(116a) Thy kingdom come
>> Faith >>
Working the grace of God >> Through Good Works >>
Works That God put in your heart – What Paul said is linked to something that he
wrote earlier, signified by the word “but” in verse 7. He was previously
talking about being “constantly nourished on the words of the faith and the
sound doctrine which you have been following.” So what is he saying? This
process of disciplining yourself for the purpose of godliness is not just a
rigorous exercise of the will, but involves the word of God. We cannot simply
bend our fleshly bodies toward the will of God, for the flesh cannot please
God, according to Rom 8-7,8. Israel is a living example of that in the Old
Testament. Paul is giving us a heads-up and telling us that we must use the
word of God to nourish the will that we received from the Holy Spirit who
dwells in us, who desires to fulfill the purpose and calling of God. The
entire New Testament from the gospels to the book or Revelation speaks of this
connection between the word of God and the Holy Spirit, that the two of them
are inextricably woven together. This means that the Holy Spirit is the source
of God’s word, that God has throughout all eternity spoken His word through
His Spirit, making the Spirit and the word essentially identical. However,
there is a difference between the Bible and the word of God. The Bible has
encoded within it the word of God, but that’s just it, the Bible is in code,
and if you don’t believe that, ask anybody in the world who doesn’t
believe in God; we could read him the Scriptures and it wouldn’t do him any
good, because His word must be decoded by the Holy Spirit before it can be
understood and believed. Paul is saying that we take the word of God, or the Scriptures if
you will, and apply it to the person whom we have become in the new creation
to produce godliness. As the Spirit and the word are inextricably linked, so
is our soul to the Holy Spirit. As we integrate the word of God into our
hearts, the Holy Spirit will follow His word into the avenues of our lives
that are causing us to stumble, and He will replace the weakness of our flesh
with His strength to perfect godliness. After we have seated the word of God
into our hearts and the Holy Spirit has replaced our weakness with His
strength, still we must discipline our bodies and force it to do the will of
God. So it’s a two-step process. This is called
working the grace of God. First we sow the word of God into our hearts and
then we work that grace into our flesh to overcome the temptations of sin.
1Tim 4,7-9
(122e)
Thy kingdom come >> Manifestations of faith >>
Confidence in yourself as you die to sin >>
Confident in your salvation –
Godliness increases our confidence that we are the children of God. It gives us
reason to believe our faith is genuine and sincere. We need evidence to support
our confidence that we belong to God or we will not believe it ourselves;
therefore, how much less will our neighbor believe we are Christians? Godliness
solves all these problems; it gives us confidence and shows our brother that our
faith is real, because we are living it. Godliness is living our lives in a way
similar to the lifestyle of heaven, according to the Lord’s Prayer, “Thy
kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.” (Mat 6-10).
Godliness builds confidence that we believe in Jesus, and in that confidence we
will not lose hope, and in that hope our faith will mature, and in that maturity
confidence in our eternal salvation will be made more sure “as to a lamp
shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star arises in your
hearts” (2Pet 2-19).
(173g)
Works of the devil >> The religion of witchcraft >>
Catholicism >> Unholy sacrifice >>
Offering sacrifice without God’s approval >>
Sacrifice against the will of God -- These verses go with verses 1-3.
Around the world there are nations, cultures and societies that get involved in
penance of all kinds. For example, some people whip themselves until they bleed
as they walk down the street, the bloodiest person at the end of the parade
wins, not a prize but honor from their fellow sufferers and from their society.
However, Col 2-23 says, “These are matters which have, to be sure, the
appearance of wisdom in self-made religion and self-abasement and severe
treatment of the body, but are of no value against fleshly indulgence.” Paul
said to “discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness.” That doesn’t
mean we choose a form of penance and go to work, so when it is time to be godly
we sulk. Godliness is a type of discipline in itself, so after we make our
sinful flesh mind the will of God, who needs to whip ourselves? We only need to
live a godly life, and it feels like a whip across our back at times. There are
promises and benefits associated with godliness, whereas penance only bolsters
the pride and seeks the favor of men rather than the glory of God. Penance is a
poor substitute for godliness. When people refuse to live a godly life, they
often replace it with self-abuse to resemble godliness, but it is the very
antithesis of God’s will, just like carbon monoxide is the mimic yet
antithesis of oxygen.
KJV
NAS
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1Tim 4-7,8
(5a)
Responsibility >> Advocate God’s cause >>
Disciples chasten themselves
(90l) Thy kingdom come
>>
The called >> God’s purpose for us is to
fulfill His calling >> Our purpose is to do God’s
will
(128j) Thy kingdom come
>>
Manifestations of faith >> Bearing fruit >>
Living a fruitful life >> Living a continuous
life of fruitfulness
(134e) Temple
>>
Your body is the temple of God >> Composition of
our bodies is from the earth >> We are
physically excluded from the spiritual realm
(148d) Witness
>>
Validity of Jesus Christ >> Works of the Church bear witness to Jesus >> Evangelism >>
Natural advantage as an evangelist regarding the flesh
(188a) Die to self (Process of substitution)
>>
Separation from the old man >> Die to the flesh >>
Dying to self takes discipline -- These verses go with verse 15
(188f) Die to self (Process of substitution)
>>
Separation from the old man >> Suffering >>
Suffering righteousness
(205b) Salvation
>>
Salvation is based on God’s promises >>
According to promise >> Promise of His rest –
Paul said that godliness holds promise for the present life and also for the
life to come. It holds promise for this life in the cause-and-effect system
that so often turns our wickedness back on our heads. Consequently, if we sow
godliness, we will reap godliness, but if we sow to the flesh, we will reap
corruption. Therefore, “let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time
we will reap if we do not grow weary” (Gal 6-8,9). We know this cause and
effect world will often return the favor of godliness, but how does godliness
benefit our eternal destiny in heaven? We will be rewarded in heaven to the
degree that we lived a godly life on earth. Some people say they don’t care
about being rewarded in heaven, but their apathy only exposes their
unwillingness to live a godly life.
(226f) Kingdom of God
>>
Illustrating the kingdom >> Rewards of the Kingdom of Heaven >> Reserved in heaven >>
Eternal rewards
(250b) Priorities
>>
God’s prerequisites >> Sequence of priorities >>
In all things ... >> Be obedient in all things
1Tim 4-7
(41h)
Godliness
(Key verse)
(84h) Thy kingdom come
>>
Words of your mouth >> Gossip >>
Attacking a person’s character –
Gossip holds a connotation that doesn’t seem all that bad, because we
attribute it to old ladies who have nothing else to do but talk about each
other. It is a pastime for them and no body is particularly hurt, but this is
not an accurate depiction of gossip. Rather, gossip causes wars, and it all
depends on who is speaking that determines the size of the war. If it is
presidents of nations gossiping about other world leaders, and it gets back to
them, it can literally cause wars. When we limit the scope of gossip to everyday
life for the rest of us, nothing really changes, except that the wars get
smaller. Gossip no less is a cause of war, and everybody is guilty of it; there
are a few who don’t gossip much, yet it is a very common sin. The thing about
gossip is that speaking the truth is not a requirement in its accusations.
People spread rumors, and the connotation of “rumor” is that it is false.
The term “false rumor” is redundant; rumors are false by definition, or at
least by connotation.
(148f) Witness
>>
Validity of Jesus Christ >> Works of the Church bear witness to Jesus >> Evangelism >>
Natural advantage as an evangelist >> Being
youthful
-- This verse goes with verse 12. So much of the Catholic faith is fit only for old
women, and if you notice there are a lot of old women who fill the pews of the
Catholic Church. False doctrine appeals to old people, while young people are
seeking the truth, such as Timothy. They have a window of opportunity consisting
of their youth in which to find the truth, and if that window closes and they
become older, they will become more susceptible to accepting fables. They will
start thinking about the end of their lives and about death, and will adhere to
a religion that seeks to answer some of their questions about eternity, grabbing
onto anything at that point without doing a thorough investigation. They will be
content with religion. This is why Paul speaks to Timothy, the young man, and
tells him to be vigilant in his faith and seek the truth with his whole heart
while he can, so that when he grows old he will know the truth and not be fooled
by the religions of his peers.
(166d) Works of the devil
>>
Manifestations of the devil >> Wisdom of the world >> Man’s wisdom excuses his sinful nature
>>
Have a religion to avoid hell
(177g) Works of the devil
>>
The religion of witchcraft >> False doctrine >>
Doctrines of demons -- This verse goes with verses 1-3
(183g) Works of the devil
>>
The origin of lawlessness >> Spirit of Error (Anti-Christ / Anti-Semitism) >>
Spirit of the broad road >> Spirit of the world
KJV
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8-10 for bodily discipline is only of little profit, but godliness is profitable for all things, since it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come. 9 It is a trustworthy statement deserving full acceptance. 10 For it is for this we labor and strive, because we have fixed our hope on the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of believers.
1Tim 4-8,9
(102g) Thy kingdom come
>>
Faithfulness (Loyalty) >> Trustworthy >>
Faithfulness –
The Scriptures are sufficient to lead us to salvation in Christ and to the
righteousness of faith that leads to godliness, so we can read the
Scriptures and understand the will of God and in doing it, comprehend His
word by the Spirit. This suggests there are required steps of trust, knowing
what the Bible says, but not necessarily knowing what it means, until we
obey Him. Consequently, faith and trust are not the same, yet
we use them interchangeably. Trust is something we give to God, whereas
faith is something He gives to us, and that is a big difference. People who
don’t trust God don’t know Him by faith. They might have a form of faith
they apply to Him, but they don’t have His faith, and that’s another big
difference. Anyone can read the Bible and develop a logical, cognitive
understanding of it; they might pass a pencil and parchment test concerning
it, but they won’t have a revelation of God’s word until they learn to trust
God. We have all believed something someone said, but we rarely believe
everything someone says; that is trust. Trust reserves the word faith
to mean the substance that God imparts in us when we believe in Him.
1Tim 4-8
(159d) Works of the devil
>>
Essential characteristics >> Counterfeit >>
Counterfeit godliness >> Counterfeit
righteousness
(232j) Kingdom of God
>>
Pursuing the kingdom >> Seeking the kingdom >>
Embrace (Jesus during the storm) >> God embraces
us
1Tim 4-10
(31a) Gift of God
>>
God is our Father >> He favors the Church to
spite the world –
Jesus is the savior of the entire human race, “especially of believers.”
Jesus died for everyone, but He is the savior especially of believers. There
are probably only a handful of people in the world who don’t believe in
Jesus in some way. Virtually every cult and false religion somehow integrates
Jesus into their belief system, yet not all will find their place in heaven.
Only believers in Jesus through their confession of faith will enter the gates
of paradise. The true children of God have their salvation complete, whereas
those in cults and false religions have thrown in Jesus with a mishmash of
other deities, each representing an idol, and God feels the same way about
idols as He ever did. The new covenant is a marriage relationship with Christ
(Eph 5,22-33), making all other deities take the role of mistress, which God
counts as spiritual adultery and unbelief. Jesus died for the world well
enough, but the world has mostly rejected Him. How can God invite those to
live forever in His heavenly kingdom who have rejected Him? He doesn’t want
a lot of people living in His house who don’t want to be there, as merely an
alternative to hell. He wants His people primarily to be free, not to feel
trapped in paradise. The majority of the world who believe in Jesus hold Him
in their hearts as little more than a garnish, but to the children of God, He
is the center of their lives, and this is what it takes to get to heaven.
After living a full life in the world to the benefit of themselves and the
praise of men, they will want heaven too, but it doesn’t work that way. The Kingdom of Heaven
is a continuation of the life we lived on earth (Mat 6-10),
and if we have been living for Him, the transition into eternity will go very
smoothly, but if we have not been living for Him, that transition into
eternity may be the beginning of great horror that will never end.
(31f) Gift of God
>>
Grace >> Salvation >>
God is willing to respond to man’s need
(97d) Thy kingdom come
>>
Attention >> Facing in the direction of the Lord >> Focusing your attention on God
(102a) Thy kingdom come
>>
Ambitious to fulfill God’s calling >> To see
God’s will in your life -- This verse goes with verses 14-16
(210e) Salvation
>>
The salvation of God >> Jesus is our savior >>
Especially of believers – Every person’s sin was nailed to the cross,
Jesus being the savior of all men, but especially of believers, meaning those
who believe in Jesus actually receive the benefit of His suffering, which is
the indwelling of the Holy Spirit who is the essence of eternal life. The
indwelling Holy Spirit holds promise for this life and the one to come.
He is the pledge of our eternal inheritance. Who knows what God has really prepared for us throughout eternity?
Think of all the surprises we have enjoyed and suffered throughout our lives
on earth. When we were children, we had an idea about what kind of life we
had, and then everything dramatically changed many times to show that what we
think is real is not real at all, so when we try to imagine what life will be
in eternity, we have our beliefs, but they will be daunted by the
surprises God has prepared for us. We cannot imagine or even dream some
of the things God has prepared for those who believe in Him, experiences,
surprises and unimaginable wealth and beauty. We will never grow old, weary or
bored. Change will continuously
entertain and fill our lives with experiences. Through faith and godliness our
future is secure, having received the benefit of our sins nailed to the cross.
KJV
NAS
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11-13 Prescribe and teach these things. 12 Let no one look down on your youthfulness, but rather in speech, conduct, love, faith and purity, show yourself an example of those who believe. 13 Until I come, give attention to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation and teaching.
1Tim 4,11-13
(239g) Kingdom of God
>>
Pursuing the kingdom >> Pursuing the knowledge
of the kingdom >> Teachers >>
Teachers are construction workers >> God raises
up teachers to raise up the body –
Timothy's
gift was helping the apostle Paul as an assistant church planter, but more
than anything he was a teacher. His gift was in the understanding of Scripture
and communicating it to others, in correlation with the teachings of Paul.
1Tim 4,12-15
(12b) Servant
>>
Examples of God’s people >> Leaders are
examples of the Church – On the one hand Timothy had his youthfulness
with a lack of experience, but on the other hand his youthfulness brought
vitality, excitement for life, the thrill of adventure, an inquisitive and
sharp mind with a willingness to serve. These things completely offset any
lack of experience. Paul believed in Timothy, not because he was young, but
because he was faithful. The world is full of foolish young people, but
Timothy was a man to be respected by all. He had a faith that demanded honor
from everyone, and the main thrust of his faith was servanthood. His
servanthood earned him the honor of leadership.
1Tim 4-12
(11i)
Example (Key
verse)
(105a) Thy kingdom come
>>
Pure in heart >> A pure heart is a genuine heart –
Paul admonished Timothy to let no one look down on Him because of His youth,
but in his defense as leader of the Church he was to convey the principles and
attributes of Christ in word and deed through love, faith and purity. These
things were his credentials. When people looked down on him and said, ‘You
are too young to be in the ministry; I should take your place, being older and
wiser than you with more experience,’ Timothy could get out his credentials
and not just explain to them why he is a leader of the Church and they’re
not, he could actually prove to them that he is the man for the job through
love, faith and purity. Faith and love are really two sides of
the same coin; “faith” is the revelation of Jesus Christ, while “love”
is the manifestation of that faith. Paul wanted Timothy to perfect these
things in His life, so he could prove to his critics that he belongs in that
position. Timothy was more than an itinerate pastor; in fact, he wasn’t a
pastor at all; he was an assistant apostle to Paul. He was more than someone
who merely attended to Paul’s needs; he stayed behind and conducted the
ministry of an apostle to the church that Paul founded, preaching and teaching
the doctrines of the faith and assigning overseers, choosing faithful men who
were able to teach others also. Thus he did after Paul had moved forward
preaching the gospel to other towns and villages, catching up with Paul and
repeating the process.
(125ba) Thy kingdom come
>>
Manifestations of faith >> Faith and love in equal measure
(128d) Thy kingdom come
>>
Manifestations of faith >> Goodness >>
Be an example of good works
(131e) Thy kingdom come
>>
Manifestations of faith >> Unity >>
Brother depends on you >> To lead him to Jesus
(148f) Witness
>>
Validity of Jesus Christ >> Works of the Church bear witness to Jesus >> Evangelism >>
Natural advantage as an evangelist >> Being
youthful
-- This verse goes with verse 7. These
three things: faith, love and purity represent the trinity. Faith is
associated with the Father; love is linked to the Son, and purity is
reminiscent to the Holy Spirit. These things are eternal, and are no way in
reference to our age; they literally defy time. That is, regardless of our
age, if we integrate these attributes into our lives, God can use us. The
person who is seventy years old and got saved when he was twenty, lived fifty
years as a Christian, but if he hasn’t instilled these qualities in his
heart, he is less
qualified as a minister of the Church than the young person who has
ordered them in his life as top priority. If someone confronted
Timothy and told him he had no business in the ministry because of his age,
Paul authorized him to advise the person not to look down on his youthfulness.
Paul did not permit Timothy to yell at older people but to respectfully maintain
his leadership position in the Church, embracing these qualities in his heart,
so anyone who would condemn him for his age would be put to shame.
(200i) Denying Christ
>>
Excuses for rejecting Christ >> Using
irresponsibility as an excuse to reject God >>
Trying to talk your way out of accountability
1Tim 4-13
(97e) Thy kingdom come
>>
Attention >> Facing in the direction of the Lord >> Focusing your attention on the word of God
(138j) Temple
>>
Building the temple (with hands) >> Exhortation >>
Exhorting the people to remain true to the Lord
(143f) Witness
>>
Validity of Jesus Christ >> Witnesses of Jesus >>
Public reading of Scripture –
Paul
mandated Timothy to read Scripture to the Church, including Paul’s letters.
Public reading of Scripture applies first and foremost to the Church, then to
the world. However, in Timothy’s time there was risk of someone grabbing the
manuscript from his hand and destroying it, and manuscripts back then were
meticulously hand-written and expensive. In our day, though, if someone takes
the Bible from us, we can just buy another one at little cost. What better
message do we have for the people to get them saved than to read them
Scripture? There are many people who have never read the Bible but are
curious about what it says, so
Bible reading in public would probably be the first exposure to Scripture for
most people, and it can have tremendous impact. Upon hearing the word they might muster the courage to read it for
themselves, and begin a search for God leading to the saving knowledge of
Jesus Christ. What
becomes of people after they die? People are curious; some are concerned and
others are worried and even afraid of death, and so there is a type of fear of
God in the world. There are those who fear God and seek the truth and discover
the love of God in the gospel of Christ and believe in Jesus for their
salvation and have dedicated their lives to Him and have become constituents
of the Church, and there are others who feel the same way but just have never
made that commitment. The purpose of evangelism is to find those people and
help them make that decision.
(151a) Witness
>>
Validity of Jesus Christ >> Works of the Church bear witness of Jesus >> Speak the word >>
Speak the logos
KJV
NAS
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14 Do not neglect the spiritual gift within you, which was bestowed on you through prophetic utterance with the laying on of hands by the presbytery.
1Tim 4,14-16
(97g) Thy kingdom come
>>
Attention >> Facing the direction of God’s
will >> Focusing your attention on finishing the course
(101f) Thy kingdom come
>>
Zeal >> Fulfill your calling with zeal
(102a) Thy kingdom come
>>
Ambitious to fulfill God’s calling >> To see
God’s will in your life -- These verses go with verse
10
1Tim 4-14,15
(6j) Responsibility
>>
Being spiritual >> Ministering to each other by
the strength in your Spirit –
Having a spiritual gift is much like
being married; in a good relationship with your spouse you can make love as
often as you wish, but it still becomes work after a while, even though it may
be one of the most enjoyable aspects of your life. No matter what it is, if it
is part of your daily routine, it will become mundane. Although your spiritual
gifts in action are greater than your own natural abilities, and are
classified as miraculous, there are days when you have to forcibly pull your
gifts out of the mud of mediocrity, and make them as great a part of your life
as they really are.
(72c)
Authority >> Transferring authority
>>
Men delegate authority by obeying the word
(110m) Thy kingdom come
>> Faith >>
Spirit and the word >> Spiritual substance and
truth >> Spiritual substance follows obedience
(156g) Witness
>>
Validity of the believer >> Evidence of
salvation >> Manifesting the Holy Spirit is
evidence of salvation
(199c) Denying Christ
>>
Man exercises his will against God >>
Frustrating the grace of God >> Frustrating
Jesus >> Frustrating the Holy Spirit
(229f) Kingdom of God
>>
God’s kingdom is a living organism >> Kingdom
grows by itself >> God causes the growth >>
God uses us to cause the growth
(230f) Kingdom of God
>>
God’s kingdom is a living organism >>
Partaking >> Partaking of the ministry of the
saints
1Tim 4-14
(35ja) Gift
>>
God gives Himself to us >> Gifts from the Holy
Spirit >> Spiritual gifts >> Possessing gifts from God
(82a) Thy kingdom come
>>
Three elements of prayer >> Direction (Attitude) >> What to pray for -- This verse goes
with verses 3-5
(113d) Thy kingdom come
>> Faith >>
The anointing >> Heaven’s clothes >>
Garments of power
(115h) Thy kingdom come
>> Faith >>
Working the grace of God >> Laying on of hands >>
Bestowing the Holy Spirit – It is important to know the people who are
laying their hands on you in the name of the Lord. Paul was no doubt familiar
with them and with the prophecy given to Timothy and judged for himself what
was spoken over Timothy. Paul’s advice to him was not to let it set in his
heart collecting dust, as though it would fulfill itself, but to work the
grace of God into his life. We must participate in the prophecy by
assimilating into the word so that it becomes our new identity. To make this
level of commitment we must know for sure it was a word from God. Paul advised
him to take the word revealed to him and put it in his heart every day through
prayer, finding other Scriptures that pertain to the prophecy and pray those
Scriptures into his heart as well. Timothy was a pillar of the faith even at
his young age. No doubt the word they spoke over him was that his ministry
would continue to grow and he would be a beacon of faith and love, and many
would follow his lead and believe the word of God coming through his ministry.
They would follow him as a servant, as the least of all, as one of the great
examples of Christianity.
(116d) Thy kingdom come
>> Faith >>
Working the grace of God >> Through worship >>
Through His authority
(132g) Temple
>>
Your body is the temple of God >> Holy Spirit is
in God’s people >> Filled with the Spirit >>
Filled with the power of God
(152ia)
Witness >> Validity of the Father >> Witnesses of the father
>> Prophets >> The Church holds the position of a prophet >>
Church operates under a prophetic anointing >> Delivering a prophetic
message from God –
This passage has spawned whole religions. People have been laying hands on
each other ever since Paul delivered this letter to Timothy 2000 years ago,
praying and hoping to instill a spiritual gift through a prophetic utterance.
Of course the key to this is knowing the prophetic utterance. If we say
something that was not God-inspired, it isn’t prophetic. If we prophesy over
somebody hoping to instill a spiritual gift, then we need to know that
prophetic utterance. That is, we need to know something from the Spirit of God
about that person; however, God normally doesn’t reveal things about other
people, unless it is important for us to know. Paul laid hands on Timothy in
prayer and spoke a prophetic utterance over him, and the result was that
Timothy began working with Paul in the proclamation of the gospel. Therefore,
the prophetic utterance that we speak over others while laying hands on them
in prayer will have something to do with God’s calling in their lives.
Although we are not responsible for other people’s callings, God will reveal
these things to us if his life is destined to merge with ours. The spiritual
gift may or may not pertain to the spiritual gifts outlined in 1Corinthians
chapter 12.
15&16 Take pains with these things; be absorbed in them, so that your progress will be evident to all. 16 Pay close attention to yourself and to your teaching; persevere in these things, for as you do this you will ensure salvation both for yourself and for those who hear you.
1Tim 4-15,16
(191a) Die to self (Process of substitution)
>>
Separation from the old man >> Baptism >>
Immersed in His Spirit –
We are to assimilate into the gift that God has given us, for it is bigger
than us, and the goal is to become as big as God’s gift. To be absorbed in
it sounds like a person absorbed in a book, or a student who gets absorbed in
his studies. The things they
do become their life, and Timothy’s gift became his life, until there was
nothing but the gift. When we assimilate into our gift, all the peripheral
facets of our lives become irrelevant. This sounds like a fanatic, who becomes
so single-minded that he can’t think of anything else. The Bible has no
negative connotation about fanaticism, unless of course we are talking about
someone like Paul prior to his conversion, who was a Jewish zealot. God gives
us a green light to fix our hope completely on the grace to be brought to us at the revelation of Jesus Christ
(1Pet 1-13).
1Tim 4-15
(81g) Thy kingdom come
>>
Pray without ceasing >> Study the word through
continuous prayer -- This verse goes with verse 6
(86m) Thy kingdom come
>>
Obedience >> Be doers of the word from the heart >> Internalize the word of God
–
Paul was talking about the spiritual gift that was bestowed on Timothy through
the prophetic utterance with the laying on of hands by the presbytery. He said
that Timothy should take pains with these things, to be absorbed in them, not
that the word of the prophecy should absorb into him, but that he should
absorb into it. God wanted to harness and use Timothy for his purposes as a
tool to help establish the Church in the world, and necessitate the Kingdom of
God on the earth. All these things God wants to do in each of us who have a
gift from God that dwells in us, prophesied over us. We should take pains in
these things and see to it that we realize God’s plan and purpose by
revelation and not just by some factual knowledge that we claim to believe.
(188a) Die to self (Process of substitution)
>>
Separation from the old man >> Die to the flesh >>
Dying to self takes discipline -- This verse goes with verses 7&8
(216d) Sovereignty
>>
God overrides the will of man >> God’s will
over man >> Compelled by the Spirit >>
God takes advantage of your love for Him >>
Being addicted to the Holy Spirit
KJV
NAS
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1Tim 4-16
(9d)
Responsibility >> Prevent disunity within the body of Christ >>
Prevent false doctrine
– A lot of people think they are speaking the
truth because they hear words coming from their own mouths, but not everything
they say is true. This is the type of argument that some people adopt.
They think they can’t go wrong because the Holy Spirit dwells in them and He
would never let them wander from the truth, but the fact is, if we want to
wander from the truth, God will let us, because He respects our sovereign
will more than we do. Many don’t think they have to worry about themselves
veering from the narrow way, so they don’t pay attention to their own
teaching; they don’t listen to themselves, and before long they are
teaching heresy. When the Holy Spirit tries to correct them, they don't
listen. Paul says don’t be like this. Instead, pay close attention to
yourself and to your teaching, for if you start teaching that which is wrong
to others, you can lead people astray. These things happen on a regular basis.
Don’t let anyone else be a bigger critic of you
than you. If you hear someone criticizing you, listen to them and weigh
what they say against the Scriptures. Everybody has an equal opportunity to
be wrong, and to humble themselves and
admit they were wrong, and everyone is on a level playing field in seeking God
for the truth and finding Him. We can all learn the truth and
teach it to others, that we may all grow in the grace and knowledge of our
Lord Jesus Christ.
(79e) Thy kingdom come
>>
Renewing your mind >> If you don’t, you won’t
know truth
(80j) Thy kingdom come
>>
Know the word to minister to people >> To edify
one another
(100b) Thy kingdom come
>>
Perseverance >> Persevere in preaching the
gospel
(106i) Thy kingdom come
>> Faith >>
Hearing from God >> Means of hearing from God >>
Through prophets
(108c) Thy kingdom come
>> Faith is the balance between truth and unbelief –
How many times have we heard people in the world say that it doesn’t matter
what we believe; it only matters that we believe something? There must be a
hundred passages in the Bible that contradicts this, and this is one of them.
If we do not believe the truth, what does it matter if we believe anything?
Paying close attention to our teaching will ensure our salvation, suggesting
that if we stray into false doctrine or join a false religion, our salvation
is no longer sure. We can take one step from the truth of the gospel and that
will more likely lead to the next step further from the gospel than toward it,
suggesting that it is easier to slip from the gospel than it is to return to
it. We are to pay close attention to ourselves and to our teaching,
and make sure we live by what we teach. That is, we are to be careful that we
don’t stray into hypocrisy. In other words, as we ensure our own salvation,
we are ensuring the salvation of those who listen to us.
(177f) Works of the devil
>>
The religion of witchcraft >> False doctrine >>
Beware of false doctrine
(177l) Works of the devil
>>
The religion of witchcraft >> Presumption (Hinduism) >>
Presuming the will of God >> Presumption
interprets God’s word
(239l) Kingdom of God
>>
Pursuing the kingdom >> Pursuing the knowledge
of the kingdom >> Teachers >>
Let not many of you become teachers >> Teachers
incur a stricter judgment
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