Paul wrote these positive directions to enable Timothy to overcome the influences of the ascetic apostates that threatened the church at Ephesus. He also wrote to remind him of the importance of his personal life and public ministry, so he would not fall into the same errors.
"Just as a skillful coach will often return to the basics of the sport to pull the team or a player out of a slump, Paul returns to the basics to keep this church on track."154
The apostle selected three essential spiritual priorities, out of many that he could have chosen, in verses 6-10.
4:6 Timothy was to "point out,"a very mild approach, the truth about God's good gifts that Paul had just articulated. Paul considered the Ephesian Christians "brethren,"not enemies or antagonists. A faithful servant of Christ must pass along the truth God has revealed without distortion. To be such Timothy would have to continue to nourish himself on the truths of the faith contained in his Bible. He would have to abide in the sound teaching he had received from the Lord and His apostles as he had been doing so far (cf. 2 Tim. 3:14-17). Sometimes ministers are so busy finding food for their people that they fail to feed themselves.
4:7-8 Timothy should not become embroiled in refuting the fables of these false teachers (1:4) that have a certain appeal but only as curiosities. These fables are godless and worthless.
Rather he should train himself in godliness. This requires rigorous self-discipline. In allowing marriages and eating all kinds of food Paul was not advocating undisciplined Christian living. However, Timothy should direct his discipline at the development of spiritual rather than physical strength. Physical self-discipline has a very limited value compared with spiritual self-discipline that results in future as well as present improvements.
In view of the context (v. 3) Paul may have had the asceticism the false teachers advocated in mind in his reference to "bodily discipline"(v. 8). The Greek word translated "life"(v. 8) is zoe, the higher principle of life, the perfect antithesis to death (cf. vv. 1-3), rather than bios, the physical aspect of life.155
4:9 The "trustworthy statement"Paul referred to here seems to have been what he had just said (v. 8). Several schools of philosophy in Paul's day denigrated the excessive physical conditioning that many Greek young men practiced.156They believed the development of the inner man was more important. So perhaps this "trustworthy statement"was one that they had popularized. Paul agreed with their viewpoint.
4:10 It is for godliness that the believer should strive and discipline himself or herself primarily (cf. 2 Pet. 1:1-11). The reason for this is that we look forward to a genuine hope beyond the grave. That hope rests in the "living"God (3:15) who is the "Savior of all man"(2:2, 4, 6). God is the Savior of all in the sense that He has provided a salvation that is available to all. He is the Savior of believers in a special sense since they are those who have accepted His provision of salvation. Salvation is sufficient for all but efficient only for those who believe.
Some strong Calvinists say that God is the Savior of all men only in the sense that He saves all people from temporary disaster.157While it is true that God does this, Paul's use of "Savior"has led most interpreters to conclude that he was describing God's work of providing eternal salvation here as in 2:4.
"Paul advises his readers to concentrate on the basics: steady nourishment from the Word of God, pursuit of the godly life in the Spirit and the priority of mission."158
4:11 Paul charged Timothy to insist regularly on these things that he had just been saying and to teach them to the Ephesians (cf. 5:7; 6:2; 2 Tim. 2:2, 14; Titus 2:15). The verbs are in the present tense in Greek suggesting continuing action.159Evidently Timothy needed some prodding to make him more assertive.
4:12 The Greek word translated "youthfulness"described people up to 40 years of age.160As a comparatively young man Timothy may have felt reluctant to instruct the elders in the Ephesian congregation, who were probably older than himself. Furthermore most people regarded older people with great respect in his culture. Paul promised that no one in the church would discredit his teaching ministry if he backed it up with a godly lifestyle. In his words as well as by his actions, by his love for people and his trust in God, and by his moral cleanness he should provide an example of godliness. Purity includes sexual purity and integrity of heart.
"It is the first duty of a minister to display in his own life that which he wishes his people to be."161
4:13 Timothy had other responsibilities as an apostolic representative in the Ephesian church. He should give attention to his public ministry as well as to his private life. Three duties were crucial. First, he should continue to make sure the church leaders read the Scriptures in the meetings of the church. This practice, carried over from synagogue worship, was central in the corporate worship of God's people (cf. Exod. 24:7; Deut. 31:11; 2 Kings 23:2; Neh. 8:7-8; Luke 4:16; Acts 15:21; 2 Cor. 3:14; 1 Thess. 5:27). Second, exhortation should continue to accompany the reading of the Word. "Exhortation"describes the explanation and application of the text the preacher reads (i.e., the expository sermon; cf. Acts 18:15). Third, teaching was necessary. This appears to have been systematic instruction in the doctrines of the faith. It may have been a thematic approach to instruction as contrasted with section by section exposition of a passage.162
4:14 Timothy needed further encouragement to keep using the abilities God had given him to serve the Lord. Timothy had received ordination for service to God by the laying on of Paul's (cf. 2 Tim. 1:6) and some elders' hands. When that happened a prophet who was present received a revelation from God that Timothy would serve Christ in a particular way. Paul called on Timothy here to remember that event and the responsibility that was his in view of that special revelation (cf. 1:18-19). The "presbytery"means a group of elders. The procedure described in this verse has, along with other similar instances of this practice described in Scripture, served as a pattern for the ordination (setting apart) of people for ministry.
"The nature of succession in the ministry was certainly present [when Paul wrote], but it was regarded as primarily a succession of teaching or tradition rather than as an apostolic succession' of ordination reaching back to the apostles."163
4:15 As Timothy concentrated on (i.e., attended to, cared for, practiced) these responsibilities (vv. 6-16), his personal progress in godliness would become evident to his fellow saints in Ephesus. There is a play on words at the beginning of verses 14 and 15. "Do not neglect"(Gr. amelei) contrasts with "Take pains"(meleta).
"No one who really wants to count for God can afford to play at Christianity. He must make it the one great business of his life."164
"While I do not want to sound critical, I must confess that I am disturbed by the fact that too many pastors and Christian workers divide their time and interest between the church and some sideline. It may be real estate, trips to the Holy Land, politics, civic duties, even denominational service. Their own spiritual lives suffer, and their churches suffer, because these men are not devoting themselves wholly to their ministry."165
4:16 In summary, Timothy was to watch his personal life and his public ministry carefully.166
"No matter how straight a person may be in his doctrine or how effective he may be in his teaching, if there is a flaw in his inner or outer life, it will ruin him. This is where many ministers have failed tragically. While he is watching over others, the pastor must keep an eye on himself."167
Timothy should not grow slack but should keep up the good work he had begun.
"Stickability is an essential quality for effective leadership."168
The rewards would be deliverance for himself from failure and a wasted life (cf. 2:15; James 1:21) and the deliverance of those to whom he ministered from error and retrogression. Obviously Paul was not saying God justifies us because we perform our duties faithfully.169
Christians do not always remain faithful to the Lord either in their beliefs or in their behavior. Hymenaeus and Alexander, who were evidently fellow workers with Paul and possibly elders in the Ephesian church, denied truth regarding the resurrection (1:20; 2 Tim. 2:17) and vigorously opposed Paul's teaching (1:20; 2 Tim. 4:14). Paul warned Timothy not to wander away from the true teachings of the faith (6:20-21). When cultists come knocking on the door, they want people to adopt their unbiblical views and to abandon their belief in the truths of orthodox Christianity. Paul's warning in chapter 4 is very relevant, much needed, and vital for us to heed as genuine believers.170
Even though Timothy was an apostolic legate his responsibilities were mainly pastoral. Consequently what Paul said to him is directly applicable to pastors today.
Paul turned to the subject of interpersonal relationships to help his son in the faith get along with people effectively and instruct others wisely. What he had written in 4:11-13 might have led Timothy to understand his mentor to mean that he needed to resort to harsh and overbearing action. Consequently Paul hastened to explain that Timothy should not be abusive in prescribing and teaching these things. This brief section is transitional connecting with 4:11-16 in form and concern and with 5:3-25 in content.
"As with an article of clothing, the church has its seams, created naturally by age differences, gender differences, economic differences and so on. These seams, where these various groups come together, often show visible signs of stress. It falls to the Christian leader to cross all these lines from time to time in order to minister effectively. But crossing these lines requires sensitivity and care."171
One of the greatest failings of people involved in pastoral work is their inability to relate to and work with others effectively. This failure is often traceable to the pastor's attitude toward others, how he views them. Paul wisely prefaced his specific instructions concerning how to deal with certain leadership needs with fundamental principles designed to facilitate interpersonal relationships.
In short, Timothy was to relate to everyone in the church as if they were the members of his own family. Paul had already taught that the local church is a "household"(3:15). Therefore believers, and especially a leader of the church, should treat other Christians accordingly.
Specifically we should deal with older men respectfully and appeal to them gently rather than rebuking them harshly. Their chronological age regardless of their spiritual age is reason enough to approach them humbly rather than arrogantly. Of course, we might eventually have to rebuke and even exclude from the fellowship any person who is destroying the church by teaching false doctrine, for example. However even in those cases we should approach older men first and patiently as fathers.
We can deal with younger men more directly but always as brothers. The pastor should regard younger men not as inferior or superior to himself but as equals. In Timothy's case these men were his contemporaries. Even an elderly man should think of younger Christian men as his brothers giving them the dignity of equals rather than looking down on them as inferiors.
We should think of and treat the older women in the congregation as we would our own mothers. This implies giving them special consideration in view of their age and experience. Some pastors tend to neglect the older women because they have difficulty identifying with them or because they do not appear to be the more productive members of the congregation. This practice differs from the one Paul urged Timothy to adopt.
We should regard the younger women as sisters in the Lord and treat them with the purity one would grant his physical sister. Perhaps because it is a temptation for some pastors to love their spiritual sisters too much Paul added "with all purity"(v. 2). If a pastor determines to relate to the younger women in his congregation as sisters, he will not do anything to or with them that would harm them in any way.
Throughout his epistles Paul urged his readers to adopt certain attitudes toward God (to think of Him as Father, Lord, Savior, etc.) and themselves (as saints, ambassadors, sons of God, etc.). These attitudes were crucial for them to hold so they might live properly. The way we think determines how we behave. Here (vv. 1-2) he taught a particular view toward others in the local church that is essential to success in interpersonal relationships especially as pastors.
Paul now addressed how Timothy was to deal with the two main problem areas in the Ephesian church, the younger widows and the erring elders.
