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1 TIMOTHY CHAPTER 4 See previous page KJV WEB 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 allowed to eat meat on Fridays (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. It is an indication that they have rejected God’s teaching and have acquired their own belief system, demonstrating their contempt for the Holy Spirit to disclose the truth to them. See also: Catholicism; 1Tim 4,1-3; 173g (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 WEB / Navigation Bar 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 believes and perpetuates them. It is evil to be a heretic, but it is worse to be a false prophet, in that heretics perpetuate the teachings of demons, whereas false prophets are personally taught by them. Demons instruct their false prophets like a teacher to a student; and when they're finished, the message has been seared into his conscience as with a hot branding iron, making it permanent, like an irreversible seal of his eternal destiny. 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 determines the world's direction >> Led by the devil to suppress the word of God >> Suppressing the truth with false doctrine – One 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 foreign languages they had never learned but were the native languages of their audience. Peter stood up in verse 15 and explained, “these men are not drunk, as you suppose…” the Church today apparently wants desperately to walk in the power of God to be vindicated from their critics (who rightly claim they are phonies 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 produced spiritual effects through their strange behavior. 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 that were unintelligible. In other words, there was no edification, which is the goal of the Holy Spirit, proving this laughter movement a hoax. What they failed to understand was that they put their reputation on the line when they went into this laughter mode. 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). See also: Laughter doctrine of the 1990s; 1The 5-6,7; 84a (161k) Works of the devil >> Satan determines the world's direction >> Carried Away >> Carried away by religion (172h) Works of the devil >> Manifestations of the devil >> Tares among the wheat >> False doctrine among the truth (173f) Works of the devil >> The religion of witchcraft >> Catholicism >> Unholy sacrifice (Penance) >> Offering sacrifice without God’s approval >> Sacrifice against the word of God -- These verses go with verses 7-9. Forbidding marriage is a rule Catholics made 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 the Church could easily judge a person’s faithfulness, based on his marital status. They were faithful to the Church, not necessarily to God. Also, if a person eats meat on Friday, he is unfaithful (fish exempted), which is a simple rule to follow and added to social customs but in no way increased favor with God. Instead of committing one’s self to faith in Jesus Christ, all the parishioner need do is attend Friday night fish fry, but to the person actually seeking God, these manmade rules are insufficient. Jesus quoted the Old Testament when He said, "In vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the precepts of men" (Mat 15-9 taken from Isaiah 29-13). All they had to do is acquire a taste for fish, their religion being a representation of devotion to God, and all representations of worship the Law of Moses defined as idolatry. This all sounds very innocent, compared to the world wars that men have fought, but they were a consequence of the Church's apostasy. Some might say that making the Church accountable for all the wars that have been fought is attributing too much influence to the Church, but Jesus taught that the Church is the salt of the earth. We are both a seasoning and a preservative, but we have done little to help the world; instead, we have added to its frustration. More people died at war in the 20th century than any other time in human history, and it is all due to the apostasy of the Church, which is the result of false prophets that have introduced destructive heresies, steering the Church little-by-little away from the true faith. See also: Catholicism; 1Tim 4,3-5; 80b (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 real origin of false doctrine can be traced to the demon world, 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 false doctrine, demons are at the heart of them all, an overall lack of respect for the word of God, and this is also true 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 to wrestle with God, but it is when we exert our authority over Him, putting our foot down and telling Him that 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 a permanent way as a reminder of our struggle with Him, that is well within His authority, but to command God to leave us alone is not okay. See also: Reprobate mind; 1Tim 4-1,2; 155e / Israel (Jew first); Rom 10-19,20; 211b (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 apostasy. Apostasy does not refer to Israel falling away from their old covenant traditions and temple services as some have postulated, because Paul did not acknowledge their obsolete form of worship as “the faith”; nor has the world fallen away, since it never believed in the first place; therefore, Paul is talking about the Church falling away from the faith. This interpretation includes the false pre-tribulation Rapture doctrine, since no one can logically explain how God will gather a people to Himself who have fallen away from the 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, and there is no such thing as a Christian nation. Not even Satan has a motive to persecute the Church when it stops serving God. KJV WEB / Navigation Bar 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 takes place in unbelievers as they resist the Holy Spirit, scarring their conscience and identifying them as to whom they belong. They become like cattle that are branded, who obey the devil and develop a reprobate mind. They lose their ability to believe in God, like the story of Jacob and his brother, 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 no place for repentance, though he sought for it with tears” (Heb 12-17). That moment changed everything between them, though no papers were signed, not even a handshake. Spiritual matters within the heart are transactions that change our lives forever, defining us, secret decisions transpiring in the presence of God. See also: Reprobate mind; 164a / Patriarchs (Jacob and Esau); Heb 12,15-17; 161n (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 and developing a reprobate mind is a process, not a one-time event. A person who backslides can easily be restored, but a person who once believed, who received the indwelling Holy Spirit and then completely fell away from the faith cannot be restored (Heb 6,4-8). That is, the bondage of backsliders differs from the reprobate mind (James chapter 1). People often backslide and are restored; this is a common, fleshly problem that has a remedy, called repentance, but falling away from the faith is a spiritual problem that has no remedy, for it is impossible to renew them to repentance. Developing a reprobate mind entails blaspheming the Holy Spirit, not just once but continually over the course of months and years. Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is the unpardonable sin, in that it cannot be forgiven, meaning repentance is impossible, just like we cannot un-ring a bell. There are a hundred ways to blaspheme the Holy Spirit and a hundred excuses for doing it, but there is only one real reason: it sends God the message to back-off. If the person continues doing this, his faith in God dwindles until it vanishes altogether; his lamp goes out, and there is no way to relight it. Since the Holy Spirit is inextricably linked to God’s truth, it becomes unbelievable. Every time the man tells the Holy Spirit to step back, he chips away at his own ability to believe the truth, and he cannot repent of it, why? As God steps back, the demons step forward. The permanence of blasphemy is that man rejects God, and the very opposite of God replaces Him, thus losing his ability to believe in God. Once he has rejected the persuader of truth and the opposite of truth now guides him, how can he repent of his unbelief? He rejected the word of the Spirit that he knew to be true and the Holy Spirit whom he knew to be God. This is not a fleshly problem like backsliding but a spiritual one. He threw away God in full knowledge, because he valued his sin above his faith. See also: Reprobate mind; 186g / Blasphemy leading to a reprobate mind; 1Jn 1-10; 203d (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 believe in God. As he tells God to take a hike, 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 saved and to unsaved people. Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit says, ‘I don’t want God close to me,’ whereas the reprobate mind says, ‘I don’t want Him in my life at all.’ There are accounts of people soul searching over a period of years, earnestly desiring to be saved, but it never happens for them; it is like they are trying to hammer a square peg into a round hole. They have already covered this ground and discovered they are enslaved to their unbelief. The reprobate mind is unable to believe in God, because the demons have taken over the person's heart. Demons are absolutely involved in the formation and perpetuation of psychopaths, who all have reprobate minds, though not all reprobates are psychopaths. Neither psychopath nor reprobate have darkened the doors of heaven, and they never will. See also: Reprobate mind; 1Tim 4-1; 207a 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. The Scriptures are complete, so does that mean the Spirit of God is now quiet? The Spirit will never quit speaking; rather, people have quit listening. The Scriptures were written by authoritative people who knew God in a special way, as prophets, and their are still prophets in our own time, but we don't canonize their writings anymore, mostly because they are not needed, but to say that no one's writings are inspired by the Holy Spirit anymore is simply not true. God is still speaking, and for that reason we should continue writing, and many people do. Many books have been written about God over the last 2000 years, some more inspiring than others, yet nobody canonizes them, and nobody should. 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.” Billy Graham drew millions of people to his crusades, and he also wrote many books, but nobody canonized his writing, partly because he was a better speaker than a writer. So really all we can do is expand and clarify the words that are in the Bible. People with a prophetic ministry have freedom to add to Scripture, but they should not be canonized (officially authenticated). (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 Scriptures. Christianity is about having a relationship with God through the Holy Spirit, who teaches the truth in the Bible, so that resisting the Holy Spirit is tantamount to rejecting Christ. Therefore, when the Holy Spirit speaks, we have an obligation to listen. He is our lifeline to God. If we resist Him, it is blasphemy and God takes it personally. To resist the persuader of truth is to resist our ability to know God. If we force Him to step back too often, we will develop the reprobate mind and lose our opportunity to be saved. Contrary to popular belief, the doctrine of eternal security is just a myth. See also: Reprobate mind; 1Tim 4,1-3; 201j KJV WEB / Navigation Bar 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 it is in the eyes of the Catholic Church. 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, as we sanctify every meal through the word of God and prayer. We thank God for his provisions and we thank Him for the truth. We thank Him for setting us free from false doctrines, from false religions and from those in apostasy who would try to ensnare us in their complacency (Psalm 101-3). See also: Catholicism; 154j (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 t he word >> Set apart by His grace – The connection between the Spirit and the word is reiterated dozens of times throughout the New Testament, as here in “the word of God and prayer,” as a means of relating to Him. The Spirit and the word work together in harmony, showing interdependence. The Spirit without the word can do nothing, and the word without the Spirit is reduced to mere inkblots on a page. If we want a sanctified marriage, we must bath it in the word of God and prayer. If the world around us is disintegrating and we are forced to eat food that is questionable, bathe it in the word of God 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 creation is under God’s curse, it is still good. That is, no physical substances are intrinsically evil, though some of the ways we use them certainly are evil. This statement came from a point that Paul was making with respect to the last days that 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 a parishioner ate meat on Friday, it defiled his conscience, though they didn’t actually do anything wrong. The sin wasn't eating meat on Friday but violating his conscience. See also: Catholicism; 162k (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 – The fact that everything was created by God means it all can be sanctified though the word of God and prayer, referring both to marriage and eating food. God created the institution of marriage as a good thing. People have no religious authority to tell us we cannot get married, any more than they can keep us from eating. None of these acts of self-denial are of value against fleshly indulgence (Col 2,20-23), nor do they promote godliness (Vs7,8). There are consequences to believing lies put in place of the truth. Their resistance to the Holy Spirit places them in spiritual bondage that cannot be reversed, while the lies they consign against the truth places them in fleshly bondage from which they cannot escape. See also: Catholicism; 1Tim 4,1-5; 173c (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 WEB / Navigation Bar 1Tim 4,6-11 (11f) Servant >> Bible is our standard of truth – The truth takes discipline, just as worldly knowledge is a tool. For example, we use the knowledge of science to invent things that we use every day, such as the telephone and stove, etc. Science diligently builds inventions through knowledge, as Paul tells Timothy to be diligent build the truth in his heart, for our faith in God rests on the truth. When we learn something new, we are to test it against the Holy Spirit who will reveal whether it is true or false, so we can find our way across the vast ocean of human ideas about God and land on the shores of His eternal kingdom. (41k) Judgment >> Satan destroyed >> Be like Jesus >> Doctrine conforming to godliness – Godliness will direct us away from a life of sin and debauchery, directing us away from using people as tools. Godliness will lead us to a life similar to the way Jesus lived. He was hated, but respected, despised but admired, condemned but commemorated, emasculated but emulated His Father's glory. When we reach the end of this life, godliness that we acquired will hold promise for the life to come. We should not let anyone deceive us 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, yet godliness is kicked to the curb in the Church today. (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. Garnering confidence in God for the life to come is the reason we labor and strive, and godliness is the basis of our confidence in God. If we live like the heathen, we will receive a heathen’s reward, but if we live like Jesus, we will go where He went. People will acknowledge our faith as sincere and seek to emulate us and in turn edify the body of Christ, encouraging others to develop their confidence in eternal life that comes from godliness. See also: Godliness increases confidence; 1Tim 4,7-9; 122e 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 >> Know the word to know God (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 >> Revelation of the true doctrines – Some people talk about doctrine as though it were a bad thing, while others talk about doctrine as though it should replace the Bible. There must be a happy medium somewhere between the biblical doctrines we follow into the general will of God and revelations disclosed by the Spirit that we follow into the specific will of God. Some denominations get so caught-up in Pentecostal beliefs, striving after the anointing, wanting to see miracles and walking in the gifts of the Spirit that they bypass God’s general calling, contained in the basic doctrines of the faith. Conversely, other denominations focus mostly on doctrine, quoting the Apostle’s Creed every week, which eloquently summarizes all the major doctrines of the faith, and quoting the Lord’s Prayer and ignoring His specific calling, the trail of good works that God has prepared for us, which is our purpose for being born. Both our general and specific callings are equally important. See also: Trail of good works (Our wedding clothes); Mat 22,11-14; 113c (239c) Kingdom of God >> Pursuing the kingdom >> Pursuing the knowledge of the kingdom >> Teachers >> Teachers "remind" their students >> Repeating instructions KJV WEB / Navigation Bar 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 – The process of disciplining ourselves for the purpose of godliness involves the word of God and prayer. We cannot simply bend our flesh to do the will of God, for the flesh does not want to obey Him as Israel so well illustrated in the Old Testament. Paul says we must use the word of God to nourish our willingness to please Him. The New Testament teaches that the word of God and the Holy Spirit are inextricably linked. This means that the Holy Spirit is the source of God’s word, and that God has throughout eternity spoken His word through His Spirit. The Bible has encoded the word of God, but that’s just it, the Bible is in code. Just ask an unbeliever and he will say that the Bible is a lot of gibberish. He doesn't believe it because he doesn't understand the code. We could read him the Bible and it wouldn’t do him any good, like reading it in a language he doesn't understand; it must be decoded by the Holy Spirit before he can believe it, but he must first believe in God before he can hear the Holy Spirit decoding the Bible to him. Paul says we apply the Scriptures to our lives to produce godliness. The Holy Spirit directs the word of God into the avenues of our lives that are causing us to stumble and replaces our weakness with His strength to perfect godliness. After we have seated the word of God in our heart, and after the Holy Spirit has replaced our weakness with His strength, we must still subject our flesh to the will of God. First we sow the word into our heart, and then we work His grace into our walk to overcome the temptations of sin. This is working the grace of God. See also: Spirit and the Word (Spirit reveals God's word); 1Pet 5,1-3; 76a 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. We need evidence to support our confidence that we belong to God or we will not believe it ourselves, much less our neighbors who are in the world. Godliness shows our brother that our faith is real and gives us confidence to believe it ourselves, because we are living it. Godliness lives similarly to those in 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). See also: Godliness increases confidence; 1Tim 4,6-11; 86i (173f) Works of the devil >> The religion of witchcraft >> Catholicism >> Unholy sacrifice (Penance) >> Offering sacrifice without God’s approval >> Sacrifice against the word of God -- These verses go with verses 1-3. Around the world there are nations, cultures and societies that use penance to appeal to God for His favor. Penance is a poor substitute for godliness. 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 citizens and sufferers. 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.” Godliness is a type of discipline, 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, yet it "yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness" (Heb 12-11). There are promises and benefits associated with godliness, whereas penance only bolsters the pride and seeks the glory of man rather than the glory of God. When people refuse to live for God, they often replace godliness with self-abuse to resemble godliness, but it is the very antithesis of God’s will. KJV WEB / Navigation Bar 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 in the flesh regarding evangelism (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 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 often returns the favor of godliness, but even if it doesn't, we should keep living for Jesus. How does godliness benefit our eternal destiny in heaven? We will be rewarded in heaven to the degree that we lived godly in this life. Some people say they don’t care about being rewarded in heaven, but their apathy only exposes their unwillingness to live godly in this present evil age. (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 gossip about other world leaders and it gets back to them, bullets quickly turn to bombs. 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. (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. False doctrine appeals to old people, while truth appeals to young people, such as Timothy. They have a window of opportunity consisting of their youth in which to find 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 the nearest object of their religious fascination without thoroughly investigating their beliefs. They easily become content with religion. This is why Paul speaks to Timothy, the young man, and tells him to be vigilant in his faith and seek truth with his whole heart while he can, so when he grows old he will know the truth and not be fooled by the religion 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 WEB / Navigation Bar 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 do it. This suggests there are required steps of trust, knowing what the Bible says, but not always 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, 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. 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 died for everyone, especially for believers. 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 did in the Old Testament. The new covenant is a marriage relationship with Christ (Eph 5,22-33), making all other deities take the role of mistresses, 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 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 free, not 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. See also: Experiences of heaven; 1Pet 5-1; 233k (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, especially of believers. 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 what we think is real is not real at all, so when we try to imagine life in eternity, we have our beliefs, but we will be surprised what 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 continually entertain and fill our lives with joy. Through faith and godliness our future is secure, having received the benefit of our sins nailed to the cross. KJV WEB / Navigation Bar 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 4,12-16 (85f) Thy kingdom come >> Words that are spoken in faith >> Powerful when spoken by the Spirit >> Spoken with authority 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 faith that demanded honor from everyone, and the main thrust of his faith was servanthood. His service to all 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 a 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,’ Timothy could pull out his credentials and not just explain to them why he is a leader, but 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 revelation. Paul wanted Timothy to perfect these things in His life, so he could prove to his critics that he belonged 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 and elders, choosing faithful men who were able to teach others also. This he did after Paul had moved forward preaching the gospel to other towns and villages, catching up with him 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 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 never instilled these qualities in his heart, he is less qualified as a minister of the Church than the young man who has ordered his life aright (Psalm 50-23). If someone told Timothy 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 in the Church, embracing these qualities, 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 rare. In our day, though, if someone takes the Bible from us, we can just buy another one at little cost. What better way to get across the message of salvation than the Bible? There are many people who have never read the Bible but are curious about what it says, so Bible reading in public is probably the best possible exposure to Christianity. Upon hearing the word they might muster the courage to read it for themselves, and begin a search for God that leads to salvation. 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 His truth and find Him in the gospel and believe in Jesus for eternal life, becoming constituents of the Church, and there are others who have never made the commitment. The purpose of evangelism is to find these people and help them make the decision to follow Jesus. (151a) Witness >> Validity of Jesus Christ >> Works of the Church bear witness of Jesus >> Speak the word >> Speak the logos KJV WEB / Navigation Bar 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 our spouse we can make love as often as we wish, but it still becomes work after a while, though it may be one of the most enjoyable aspects of our life. No matter what it is, if it is part of our daily routine, it becomes mundane. Although spiritual gifts are greater than our own natural abilities and are classified as miraculous, partly because we live in a body of sin, there are days when we must push ourselves to walk in the Spirit. (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 what was spoken over him. Paul’s advice to Timothy 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 prophecies, assimilating into them as 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 delivered to him and plant it in his heart through prayer, finding other pertinent passages and pray those too into his heart. Timothy was a pillar of faith even at his young age. No doubt the word they spoke over him was that his ministry would continue to grow and that he would be a beacon of faith, love and purity, and that many would follow his lead and believe the word of God through his ministry. (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 wrote this letter 2000 years ago, praying to instill a spiritual gift in Timothy 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. 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 and them 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 on their lives. Although we are not responsible for other people’s callings, God will reveal things to us about them if their lives are destined to merge with ours. 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. Paul wanted to harness Timothy and use him as a tool to help establish the Church in the world, just as God harnessed Paul (Phi 3-12) and used him to establish His spiritual kingdom on the earth. All these things God wants to do in each of us who have an indwelling gift from God. We should take pains in these things and realize God’s plan by revelation. (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 WEB / Navigation Bar 1Tim 4-16 (9d) Responsibility >> Prevent disunity within the body of Christ >> Prevent division – 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 dwelling in them and would not let them wander from the truth, but the fact is, if we want to wander, 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 not to be like this; rather, we are not to let anyone be a bigger critic of us than us. If we hear someone criticizing us, listen to them and weigh what they say against the Scriptures. Everybody has an equal opportunity to be wrong and to humble themselves and to admit they were wrong. 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, including this one. If we do not believe the truth, we might as well not believe anything. Paying close attention to our teaching will ensure our salvation; this means that if we stray into falsehood 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 likely lead to the next misstep, and it is easier to slip from the truth 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. 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 See next page