Sunday School 1-22-06 1st Timothy 4(1-16)
1st Timothy 4:1 Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;
Latter times
Paul is speaking prophetically in this section of Scripture. He is talking about the “latter times” which I believe we are living in right now. These times are characterized by certain things which go on in the unsaved world, the natural world, (earthquakes, etc.) and in the Church world. Here, Paul is speaking about apostasy, or heresy, among the church leaders. Paul points out that he is not guessing about this, but it has been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit of God. Next, notice the word “some.” Not everyone of the church will slip into apostasy. I firmly believe there will be faith on this earth when Jesus comes to rapture His church. There has to be someone to rapture; only the faithful are going to be taken by Jesus to live with Him and escape the Tribulation period! These false teachers will depart from the faith, in other words, they will teach doctrines which are not Biblical. These are principles which appeal to the natural man and “tickle his ears.” I strongly believe this is evident in our day. The organized church in America today has brought into their flocks some of the most damnable doctrines imaginable and they seemingly do not care what the Bible teaches about them. They want to throw off the laws of God and follow their own evil consciences. God is not pleased as He does not change His mind at the behest of man. What was an abomination 2000 years ago is an abomination today in the eyes of God. They do not realize where these evil ideas originate. They are the offspring of “seducing” spirits; doctrines of devils. The word translated “seducing” means misleading, or leading into error. The phrase seducing spirits means demons who are attempting to lead souls into error. “Doctrines of devils” means teachings which originate from demon spirits. There is a warfare going on in this world. God is real children, but never forget, so is the Devil, and he is trying to undermine everything Godly in our nation. We need to remember when we turn from God we are inviting disaster upon our people. The Bible tells us that the nation that forgets God will be turned into Hell. (Psalm 9:17 The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God.) Heed the words of Solomon: Proverbs 29:2 “When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice: but when the wicked beareth rule, the people mourn. The Bible instructs us to never believe anything contrary to the doctrine of Christ even if the revelation seems to come from an angel. “Galatians 1:8 But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.” Liberal church members in America today allow homosexuality in their pulpits and support politicians who vote for the furtherance of abortion, gambling, prostitution, and any other evil thing they can think of and think God is not paying attention. Believe me; He is!
4:2 Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron;
Unfeeling
The phrase “seared with a hot iron” means “branded or cauterized.” Skin that has been cauterized has lost its ability to feel anything. It cannot feel pain or comfort. Nothing moves, excites, or affects it in anyway. The word hypocrisy literally means “a stage actor.” An actor plays a part. The words spoken are not his; they are the words of the character he is playing. He doesn’t care whether it is a good guy or a bad guy. The point is to convince the audience of his sincerity. These false teachers aren’t interested in the truth; they are only interested in money and power. They have no affinity for the inerrancy of Scripture. They have departed from true doctrine to the point where they have no feeling for righteousness, nor condemnation for sin. They are only interested in satisfying their own lusts. They see nothing as right or wrong. They cannot distinguish between holy and unholy. They have become immune to the warnings of the Holy Spirit. The sad thing about it is they often have weaseled their way in positions of authority amid the Church of God and are converting once faithful denominations into heretical institutions with little hope of recovery. We must carefully guard against these evil people. I just want to remind you that when they appear it is not with horns, pitchforks, and cloven hooves. They will attend our church, laugh at our jokes, kiss our babies, pat our backs, and treat us very friendly, but at the same time they are leading us astray from the foundations of the faith.
4:3 Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth. 4:4 For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving: 4:5 For it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer.
Religion
There are two prophesies which are amazing in their exact fulfillment in our times. The Catholic Church forbids their priests to marry just as this verse predicts will happen. I want to assure you the Bible never directs ministers to stay single. There are some scriptures which reveal to us the will of God in this area.
- Matthew 19:12”For there are some eunuchs, which were so born from their mother's womb: and there are some eunuchs, which were made eunuchs of men: and there be eunuchs, which have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven's sake. He that is able to receive it, let him receive it.” The word eunuch means an emasculated man or one who has chosen to forbear marriage and sexual relations with women. The scripture points out the reasons for this: some have been born that way; they have no natural desires for sexual relations with a woman. I want you to understand they are not born homosexual; they are not sexual at all. I think these people are very few in number. The second category is those who have made eunuchs by men. This was a common practice in the Middle East where rich men put slaves in charge of their harems and to prevent them from being tempted to sleep with them, castrated them. The third category is men who have chosen to become eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven’s sake. These men have given up family in order to concentrate on God’s mission on their life. Paul was such a man, but think about his life. It would have been very tough for Paul to have had a family life as he was traveling almost constantly and in danger continually. The same might be said of a man who is called to evangelize in some dangerous, heathen part of the world. It would not be fair to put a wife and children in such a dangerous situation. In the normal life of a minister the scripture puts no demand for celibacy upon a man. Quite the contrary, the qualifications of a Bishop which we studied last Sunday start with “a husband of one wife.” It is clear God is not forbidding married men from being a bishop; as a matter of fact, I think God is encouraging it!
- 1st Corinthians 7:26-28 “I suppose therefore that this is good for the present distress, I say, that it is good for a man so to be. 7:27 Art thou bound unto a wife? seek not to be loosed. Art thou loosed from a wife? seek not a wife. 7:28 But and if thou marry, thou hast not sinned; and if a virgin marry, she hath not sinned. Nevertheless such shall have trouble in the flesh: but I spare you.” It seems that Paul is encouraging men to stay single, but those who use this scripture to teach thusly are missing a key phrase here. The phrase is “for the present distress.” At the time of this writing as I touched upon above, Paul was in constant danger. It is not so in America today. God has no desire to withhold the blessing of marriage from his ministers. Paul even told these folks that if they married “thou hast not sinned.” This is no direction to forbid marriage.
- 1st Corinthians 9:5 “Have we not power to lead about a sister, a wife, as well as other apostles, and as the brethren of the Lord, and Cephas?” Here, Paul is revealing the Apostles of our Lord were married and Paul had the right to also. Paul chose to be single; it was not a commandment.
Forbidding certain Foods
The Law of Moses contained provisions forbidding the consumption of certain foods. Some denominations have reverted back to this kind of teaching. The Catholic Church urges followers to give up meat on Fridays during Lent (at one time this applied to every Friday all year long) as a voluntary show of remorse for sin. Jesus fulfilled the Law and nailed it to His cross. We no longer are forbidden any foods. The only directive is to receive all food with thanksgiving. Let me show you a couple of verse to back up my contention. Colossians 2:14 “Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;” Acts 10:9-15 “On the morrow, as they went on their journey, and drew nigh unto the city, Peter went up upon the housetop to pray about the sixth hour: 10:10 And he became very hungry, and would have eaten: but while they made ready, he fell into a trance, 10:11 And saw heaven opened, and a certain vessel descending unto him, as it had been a great sheet knit at the four corners, and let down to the earth: 10:12 Wherein were all manner of fourfooted beasts of the earth, and wild beasts, and creeping things, and fowls of the air.10:13 And there came a voice to him, Rise, Peter; kill, and eat. 10:14 But Peter said, Not so, Lord; for I have never eaten any thing that is common or unclean. 10:15 And the voice spake unto him again the second time, What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common.” It is clear God no longer asks us to restrict our diets for religious purposes. Some things are not good for us and we should avoid them, but not for Spiritual reasons.
4:6 If thou put the brethren in remembrance of these things, thou shalt be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine, whereunto thou hast attained.
Reminding the brethren
This is the role of the minister in the Grace Dispensation church. A preacher has no authority to demand a person live his life in any certain manner. Every Christian is a servant of God and must work out their own salvation with fear and trembling. The role of the Christian minister today is to remind folks of the teachings of the Bible and to continue reiterating the principles of Godly living. We are to persuade; we have no authority to command. God doesn’t force conversion on anyone; He allows their own free will to govern their decision and we must do the same.
4:7 But refuse profane and old wives' fables, and exercise thyself rather unto godliness. 4:8 For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come.
Old Wives Tales
This is one of the biggest stumbling blocks preventing modern Christian denominations in Americas from working together for the up building of the Kingdom of God. We agree on 99% of doctrine, but we all have our little foibles which we hang onto so tightly. I really want to emphasize this point. I think all of us are subject to being wrong about some things and none of us has perfect knowledge of God and His ways. We should be able to put aside these old wives tales, or as I call them, things momaw said and work together to see lost people saved. The unsaved world has a hard time believing our message of love when we hate and mistrust each other.
Exercise
I often am amazed when I see people jogging on Sunday morning as I am heading out to church. Jogging is fine, but in its correct order of importance. The Scripture allows that bodily exercise is profitable in some areas. I wish I took better care of myself physically. The thing which gets my attention though is how much some people are careful to maintain the flesh, but their Spiritual life is in shambles. Their stomach is flat, but so is their soul. Man is a three fold being made up of spirit, soul, and body; all three must be nurtured and strengthened for a man to be complete and whole. The body is our flesh or what we use to communicate with the physical world around us. The soul is the seat of our feelings, desires, affections, and aversions or what we use to communicate with God. The spirit is the rational part of us, the power by which the human being feels, thinks, and decides, or what we use to communicate with ourselves. These words are sometimes used interchangeably, but ideally this is what they mean. God saves our souls, and searches our thoughts through our spirits, but our body remains in its sinful, mortal state. The body is the part of us which is going to perish and be done away with. The inner man, spirit and soul, are going to live forever somewhere. I submit we should take care of our bodies, but don’t you think our souls have some importance also? Why do we neglect the immortal part of ourselves yet spend all of our money and efforts to please the flesh? The reason is because we are subject to a lack of faith. We cannot see our inner man so we don’t pay as much attention to him, but when he is in pain it is ever bit as painful and when the flesh is in pain. I am sure more people kill themselves due to emotional and spiritual pain than because of physical pain.
4:9 This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation. 4:10 For therefore we both labour and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, specially of those that believe.
Suffer Reproach
The word reproach means to be reviled or hated. Any person who gives their lives to Christ will suffer reproach from some people in this world. Jesus said in John 15:18 “If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you.” It is not you they dislike, but it is the principles on which you stand. The world hates Christians because darkness does not like light. Consider this scripture: John 3:19 “And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.” The idea is that sinners dislike Christians because the life the Christian leads condemns the evil committed by the sinner. When you suffer persecution you can comfort yourself by considering that Christ also suffered the same things you are going through. Call upon Him for He knows what you are facing and He will help you through the pain.
Specially of those that Believe
The word translated “specially” means chiefly, most of all, or above all. Some modern heretics have tried to use this verse to demonstrate that all men and women will be saved. this doctrine is false and gives a false sense of security to those who need to be warned of the destruction that awaits those who die without Christ. Yes, truly, Jesus is the Saviour of all men. The offer is to all. Anyone who calls upon His name shall be saved, but if we refuse to accept Him as saviour, He will be our judge. It isn’t actually Jesus who condemns us, but we condemn ourselves by choosing to refuse his offer of salvation. He is the saviour, but He is the saviour of those who believe in His name and accept Him as saviour!
4:11 These things command and teach. 4:12 Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity. 4:13 Till I come, give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine. 4:14 Neglect not the gift that is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy, with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery. 4:15 Meditate upon these things; give thyself wholly to them; that thy profiting may appear to all. 4:16 Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee.
Instructions
At this point in the epistle, the Apostle Paul begns to give instructions to the young minister Timothy which will strengthen his ministry and make him a more effective witness for Christ. Let’s examine these one at a time and reflect if they would help us also!
- Be an example. Timothy was a young minister. He needed to be warned to act like an adult Christian and not to be childish in his decisions and behavior. As a representative of Christ we need to live circumspectly among the unsaved and the brethren. We should live as if somebody is watching us at all time. Actually, someone is watching: His name is God!
- In word. Oh, how important it is to watch what we say. The Book of James warns us of how much damage a little member of our body, the tongue, can do if it is not restrained by love. My advice to you is to take the time to think before you talk.
- In conversation. The word conversation in the Scripture means “manner or conduct of life.” We should be an example to others in our daily walk and in our interactions with others. On our jobs, in our neighborhoods, our schools, and before our friends are all places where we should strive to be a good example.
- In charity. The word charity is the verb form of the word love. Anyone can claim to love someone; charity is proof of that love. We need to be examples as Christians by be generous with others and helping those in need. Remember the proverb: they do not care what you know unless they know that you care.
- In spirit. This is not talking about the Holy Spirit; it is referring to your spirit. Your spirit is the rational spirit, the power by which the human being feels, thinks, and decides. The Holy Spirit, if you are a Christian, will influence your spirit, but folks can’t see the Holy Spirit, they see your spirit. If you and kind and loving it will reflect well on your Master. If you are hateful and judgmental; that will have an effect as well.
- In faith. Christians should be faithful people. We need to be consistent and trusting in God. We cannot walk in fear and doubt. If we have no faith in our God, how can we ask an unbeliever to put their trust in Him?
- In purity. Purity means sinlessness of life. Christians need to strive to live holy lives. We are the only Bible some people read. We must be aware of our testimony to others if we have a desire to win souls.
- Give attendance to reading. The Apostle is not talking about the TV Guide, Sports Illustrated, or Gold Digest. He is referring to the scripture. The Bible needs to be studied as far as doctrine is concerned, but it also needs to be read. This is why we have our Daily Bible Reading program and spend so much time encouraging you to participate. It is important for you to know what the Bible says!
- Exhortation. This word means consolation, comfort, solace; that which affords comfort or refreshment. It is our duty to exhort our brethren in this life. Life is hard sometimes and we must urge either on. I want to strive to be an encourager and to avoid discouraging others.
- Doctrine. This word means teaching, instruction, or precepts. It is important that we teach the Christian world view and the true doctrine of the Bible. The Bible is our road map to Heaven and our book of directions for living. What a great resource many are choosing to ignore in their Christian walk!
- Neglect the gift that is in thee. The gift he is referring to is Timothy’s preaching. A preacher needs to preach. A preacher should not neglect the great gift and tremendous responsibility he is charged with. He needs to study and make himself available to be used by God. I don’t want you to think I am overestimating the gift of preaching, but it is the “power of God unto salvation.” We have way too many preachers today who have laid down their Bibles. God’s work is suffering. There is a judgment day coming!
- Meditate upon these things. Meditation is not sitting around in a circle with your legs crossed, humming. The word means to think deeply, carefully, or to totally concentrate on what you are doing. God wants us to remove all the distractions and listen to the Holy Spirit give us direction. God will speak to you in that still small voice of the Spirit, but He can’t speak if you won’t quit making noise long enough for Him to!
- Take heed unto thyself. This means to watch out for your own behavior. Ministers are sometimes guilty of worrying too much about how others are living while neglecting to live holy themselves. My first priority is to keep myself straight! If I can keep this old boy on the straight and narrow, then maybe I can be of help to someone else. I think Jesus was speaking about this concept when He warned us to get the board out of our own eyes before we attempt to perform mote surgery on the eyes of others! (Matthew 7:3)
- Save thyself and others. Those who attended our preaching last Sunday do you remember our point on the purpose of the church? Our purpose is to see others saved. If we strive to make the most out of our gifts and work according to the directions of God, we will be effective soul winners. Please pray for me that I might get closer to the potential Christ wants me to achieve!
New Living Translation (to be used as a commentary only)
1 Now the Holy Spirit tells us clearly that in the last times some will turn away from what we believe; they will follow lying spirits and teachings that come from demons. 2 These teachers are hypocrites and liars. They pretend to be religious, but their consciences are dead. They will say it is wrong to be married and wrong to eat certain foods. But God created those foods to be eaten with thanksgiving by people who know and believe the truth. 4 Since everything God created is good, we should not reject any of it. We may receive it gladly, with thankful hearts. 5 For we know it is made holy by the word of God and prayer. 6 If you explain this to the brothers and sisters, you will be doing your duty as a worthy servant of Christ Jesus, one who is fed by the message of faith and the true teaching you have followed. 7 Do not waste time arguing over godless ideas and old wives’ tales. Spend your time and energy in training yourself for spiritual fitness. 8 Physical exercise has some value, but spiritual exercise is much more important, for it promises a reward in both this life and the next. 9 This is true, and everyone should accept it. 10 We work hard and suffer much* in order that people will believe the truth, for our hope is in the living God, who is the Savior of all people, and particularly of those who believe.11 Teach these things and insist that everyone learn them. 12 Don’t let anyone think less of you because you are young. Be an example to all believers in what you teach, in the way you live, in your love, your faith, and your purity. 13 Until I get there, focus on reading the Scriptures to the church, encouraging the believers, and teaching them.14 Do not neglect the spiritual gift you received through the prophecies spoken to you when the elders of the church laid their hands on you. 15 Give your complete attention to these matters. Throw yourself into your tasks so that everyone will see your progress. 16 Keep a close watch on yourself and on your teaching. Stay true to what is right, and God will save you and those who hear you.
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PASTOR RICK BARCUS
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