diff --git a/55-1ti/04.md b/55-1ti/04.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..d329573 --- /dev/null +++ b/55-1ti/04.md @@ -0,0 +1,153 @@ +# 1 TIMOTHY 4 + +## 4:1-5 + +### Why did Paul write, “the Spirit clearly says”? + +Paul wrote, “the Spirit clearly says.” Some scholars think God gave Paul a prophecy about the future. Other +scholars think Paul warned Timothy (see: Acts 20:29-30). Other scholars think Paul wrote about Jesus. This +was about the last days (see: Mark 13:5-6, 21-22). + +See: 2 Thessalonians 2:1-3 + +See: Holy Spirit; Prophecy (Prophesy); Last days + +### What did “in later times” mean? + +The words “in later times” are similar to the words “in the last days” (see: 2 Timothy 3:1). +1. Some scholars think Paul was writing about sometime after Paul wrote the letter to Timothy. +1. Other scholars Paul wanted to say that Jesus is about to return to the earth. +1. Other scholars think Paul wanted to say that the church has been in the last days since Jesus was born. +1. And it will stay in the last days until Jesus returns (see: Acts 2:16-17). + +See: 2 Timothy 3:1-9 + +See: Last Days; Church + +### What did it mean “to leave the faith”? + +Paul wrote about leaving the faith. Some people who said they were Christians no longer believed in Jesus. +They now followed the teachings of demons (see: 2 Corinthians 11:13-15). Someone who +“left”(ἀφίστημι/0868) rebelled against God or rejected God. It was a frequent Jewish and Christian +teaching that in the last days many people would reject God. + +See: Matthew 24:4-6, 10-12; 2 Peter 2:1-22; 1 John 2:18-19 + +See: Demon; Last Days + +### Why did Paul write “their own consciences will be branded”? + +Paul wrote about false teachers. They taught the wrong things. When Paul wrote about this, he said that it +was as if their consciences were burned. This was a metaphor. He wanted to say that they could not tell if +they were teaching the right things or the wrong things.  Some scholars think Satan +“branded”(καυστηριάζω/g2743) these teachers. That is, he marked them as his slaves. Other scholars think +that Satan “burned” their consciences, leaving them unable to know what God wanted them to do (see: +1:19). + +See: Metaphor; Conscience; Serve (Servant, Slave) + +### What did these false teachers teach? + +False teachers taught that people needed to be unmarried to be at peace with God. These teachers also +taught that Christians needed to stop eating certain foods. Paul taught someone could be at peace with God +if they are married and no matter what they eat. Some scholars think the false teachers taught that the +everything on the earth is evil. Therefore, they did not want to touch certain things in the world (see: +Colossians 2:16-23). Other scholars think the false teachers taught that Christians were already resurrected +and living in a place of peace (see: 2 Timothy 2:18). Therefore, they thought should live as Adam and Eve +did, without sex and eating no meat. + +However, Paul taught that everything God created was good. Nothing God created should be rejected if +people thanked God for it. + +See: Romans 14:1-15:7 + +See: Resurrect (Resurrection) + +## 4:6-10 + +### Why did Paul write, “place these things before the brothers”? + +Paul told Timothy to “place these things before”(ὑποτίθημι/g5294) the people of the church. That is +Timothy was to teach the church. Some scholars think “these things” meant everything that Paul wrote and +said to Timothy (see: 2 Timothy 2:1-2). + +See: Church + +### Why did Paul write to be “nourished by the words of faith”? + +Paul used the word “nourished”(ἐντρέφω/g1789). This was a metaphor. He wanted Timothy to to know the +things God said. He wanted him to learn them by studying them. This would train Timothy. Studying the +Bible taught Paul to do the things that honored God and how to teach others to do the same. + +See: Metaphor + +### What were “worldly stories loved by old women”? + +Some scholars think Paul used the words “worldly stories” (βέβηλος/g0952) to write about stories that did +not need to be told. These stories did not honor God. And they did not teach other people to honor God +either. + +Advice to Translators: Stories “loved by old women”(γραώδης/g1126) in 4:7 was a common insult when +Paul was alive. However, today it could insult women and the elderly. The translator should find a way of +writing this idea without needlessly insulting other people. + +See: World + +### Why did Paul write that “bodily training is a little useful”? + +Paul wanted to write that someone training their body benefited them, but only useful while living on earth. +However, training to do things that honor God benefited people would last forever. + +Advice to translators: Someone who trains does something many times in the same way for a reason. It +benefits them. That is, it helps them to be better in some way. +How is God the Savior of all people, but especially of Christians? + +Scholars think many different things about what Paul wrote to Timothy about God. +1. Some scholars think Paul meant that God does not save every individual. He saves all kinds of +people, for example, gentiles. +2. Some scholars think Paul was not writing of eternal salvation. But, God gives daily blessings to all +people in the world. They think Paul wrote about God’s common grace to all people. This was a +temporary grace. However, for those who believe in Jesus, God is their Savior. This is eternal +grace. +3. Other scholars think God offers to save everyone, but only saves those who have believe in Jesus. + +## 4:11-16 + +### Why did Paul write Timothy, “let no one despise your youth”? + +In ancient times, people respected people older person. They did not think younger people did many things, +therefore they did not know as much as older people. Timothy was about 30 years old when Paul wrote this +letter. However, because Timothy spent many years with Paul, he did many different things and learned +how to teach others about God and the gospel. Because of this, Paul gave Timothy permission to teach and +wanted other CHristians to do the types of things that Timothy did. + +See: Gospel + +### How was Timothy to “attend to the reading, to the exhortation, and to the teaching”? + +Paul wanted Timothy “attend to the reading, to the exhortation, and to the teaching.” Paul meant that +Timothy was to read the scriptures to those who believed in Jesus when they gathered together. He +encouraged Christians by reading the Bible. Paul also wrote Timothy to carefully “teach” the truth to the +church. That is, he wanted him to teach so the church would know the Bible well. + +### How did God prepare Timothy to serve him? + +God gave Timothy a spiritual “gift”(χάρισμα/g5486). That is, he gave him a special ability to serve God. +Timothy served God using the gift God gave him. However, he also worked to get better as serving God +using gift. The group of “elders”(πρεσβυτέριον/g4244) earlier laid their hands on him. God gave a +prophecy about how he wanted Timothy to serve him. + +See: 1:18;; 2 Timothy 1:6 + +See: Gifts of the Holy Spirit; Elder; Laying on of hands; Prophecy (Prophesy) + +### Why did Paul write, “you will save yourself and those who listen to you”? + +Paul wrote, “you will save yourself and those who listen to you.” Some scholars think Paul +wrote Timothy that as he continued to be a faithful teacher he would see more people believe in Jesus. +Also, he himself would know a closer, know Jesus better. Fewer scholars think Paul wrote about God +saving Christians and resurrecting their bodies. + +See: 1 Corinthians 15:35-54 + +See: Resurrect (Resurrection) \ No newline at end of file