1 Timothy 4:1-3

Timothy’s Ministry in the Later Times

4:1 Now the Spirit explicitly says that in the later times some will desert the faith and occupy themselves ¹  with deceiving spirits and demonic teachings, ²  4:2 influenced by the hypocrisy of liars ³  whose consciences are seared. ⁴  4:3 They will prohibit marriage and require abstinence from foods that God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth.

1 Timothy 4:2

4:2 influenced by the hypocrisy of liars ⁵  whose consciences are seared. ⁶ 

1 Timothy 3:1-3

Qualifications for Overseers and Deacons

3:1 This saying ⁷  is trustworthy: “If someone aspires to the office of overseer, ⁸  he desires a good work.” 3:2 The overseer ⁹  then must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, ¹⁰  temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, an able teacher, 3:3 not a drunkard, not violent, but gentle, not contentious, free from the love of money.

1 Timothy 4:3-4

4:3 They will prohibit marriage and require abstinence from foods that God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. 4:4 For every creation of God is good and no food ¹¹  is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving.

[4:1]  ¹ tn Or “desert the faith by occupying themselves.”

[4:1]  ² tn Grk “teachings of demons” (speaking of the source of these doctrines).

[4:2]  ³ tn Grk “in the hypocrisy of liars.”

[4:2]  ⁴ tn Or “branded.” The Greek verb καυστηριάζω (kausthriazw) can be used to refer either to the cause (“brand”) or the effect (“seared”).

[4:2]  ⁵ tn Grk “in the hypocrisy of liars.”

[4:2]  ⁶ tn Or “branded.” The Greek verb καυστηριάζω (kausthriazw) can be used to refer either to the cause (“brand”) or the effect (“seared”).

[3:1]  ⁷ tn Grk “the saying,” referring to the following citation (see 1 Tim 1:15; 4:9; 2 Tim 2:11; Titus 3:8 for other occurrences of this phrase).

[3:1]  ⁸ tn Grk “aspires to oversight.”

[3:2]  ⁹ tn Or “bishop.”

[3:2]  ¹⁰ tn Or “a man married only once,” “devoted solely to his wife” (see 1 Tim 3:12; 5:9; Titus 1:6). The meaning of this phrase is disputed. It is frequently understood to refer to the marital status of the church leader, excluding from leadership those who are (1) unmarried, (2) polygamous, (3) divorced, or (4) remarried after being widowed. A different interpretation is reflected in the NEB’s translation “faithful to his one wife.”

[4:4]  ¹¹ tn Grk “nothing.”