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 4:7

4:7 But reject those myths ⁵  fit only for the godless and gullible, ⁶  and train yourself for godliness.

[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”).

[4:7]  ⁵ sn Those myths refer to legendary tales characteristic of the false teachers in Ephesus and Crete. See parallels in 1 Tim 1:4; 2 Tim 4:4; and Titus 1:14.

[4:7]  ⁶ tn Grk “the godless and old-wifely myths.”