This chapter is a continuation of Paul's instructions to Timothy on how the Church of Christ should conduct themselves. The beginning of this chapter talks about the many who will fall away from their faith and be induced by the liars and slanderers of the world. Then, it transfers to the ones who stay true on their path with God and how it is their, and our, job to bring correction to their ways, but at the same time love and support them.
Verse 12 speaks again of not letting age hold you back from your calling that God has placed on your life. Verse 13 goes on to Timothy's calling to preach the Word and share the gospel in public, among the people. These two verses make me think of our generation and how we all think we can change the world by ourselves. And although that is true, I think its speaking more about not looking at the world as a whole, but as lots of small sections and we need to conquer our own section to contribute to the whole. Timothy had to defeat his own fears about his age and his relative success in leading people to Christ to truly fulfill his calling. Yet, once he did, he had great success and accomplished a lot in his lifetime. Don't we also need to overcome our fear of talking to our friends at school about God or saying a quick prayer before eating dinner with our family?
If we go through this life always wondering "what if?" how will we ever know, or do, what God has called us to? How will we know if that best friend of ours, that turned their back on God, would have come back to church, if we never called them? How will we ever know that the lonely kid at lunch would grow up to be a great preacher of the gospel, if we didn't just say hi and get to know them? Just as Timothy did, we must rise against the odds, say NO to the slanderers and liars and be a light to the people in our life. Will you conquer your section? Will you be a Timothy?
Thursday, June 10, 2010
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In Ephesus (that is where Timothy was, right?) the women were unruly and rude, and that is why Paul said what he did in 1Timothy 2:9-15 (I don't feel like typing it all out), or at least that is what I have been told. What about when he said "Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron, forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from foods which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth." 1Timothy 4:1-3 I've read this and the rest of 1Timothy multiple times, but I still don't get it. Some other versions say "meats" instead of "foods," so does that mean being a vegetarian is bad? Or was there simply a problem in Ephesus where the people were eating without thanking God for the food he had provided? Or am I completely off? : ]
ReplyDeleteI tried to look up some explanations of 1 timothy 4:3 online and I kinda understood them to be saying that he was referencing some other group that was creating their own set of teachings that were opposite Gods word. Maybe they were saying that people shouldn't take communion or shouldn't eat lamb. You know, just teaching the opposite if what God wanted. At the beginning of this verse, it also mentions those who abstain from marriage. But I don't think it means people who just never marry, but more like not marrying because this other belief told them that marrying was wrong. I'm not exactly sure if that's right or not but its another possibility.
ReplyDeleteI was reading verse 14 and it says "Use the gift you have, which was given to you through prophecy when the group of elders laid their hands on you." I realized how truly blessed we are that we can speak straight to God as we do today but back then they had to hear it through an elder who would then speak to them the prophecy. It just makes me think of how much God has done for us to be in touch with him.
ReplyDelete1 Timothy 4:8,
ReplyDelete"For physical training is of some value,but
Godliness has value for all things,holding promise for the present life and the life to come."
what i got out of this,is you need to not only
exercise your body physically but exercise daily in God.
so that you will be ready and fit for whatever God has for you,today and for the future ahead.
i know on the first comment their a little confused on what verse 1-5 means,
ReplyDeleteso i went ahead and looked it up in the message bible.which is a lot easier to understand.
it says,
"The Spirit makes it clear that as time goes on, some are going to give up on the faith and chase after demonic illusions put forth by professional liars. These liars have lied so well and for so long that they've lost their capacity for truth. They will tell you not to get married. They'll tell you not to eat this or that food—perfectly good food God created to be eaten heartily and with thanksgiving by believers who know better! Everything God created is good, and to be received with thanks. Nothing is to be sneered at and thrown out. God's Word and our prayers make every item in creation holy."
it was a lot easier to understand than other bible versions,and i hope it helped those who were confused about it to.
I LOVE verse 12. "Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith, and in purity." What this verse means to me is: THERE ARE NO EXCUSES. You are not to young to be an example to others. No matter if they are 5 or 50. Do not wait to spread the love of God. And do this through: your words, your actions, your attitude, and your belief in God. He wants to use you in every stage of your life.
ReplyDelete