1 Timothy 4.4-6-Timothy Served The Lord Jesus Christ Excellently Because He Adhered To Paul's Teaching Concerning Marriage And Food
Wenstrom Bible Ministries
Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom
Sunday June 12, 2011
1 Timothy: 1 Timothy 4:4-6-Timothy Served The Lord Jesus Christ Excellently Because He Adhered To Paul’s Teaching Concerning Marriage And Food
Lesson # 80
Please turn in your Bibles to 1 Timothy 4:1.
In 1 Timothy 4:4, the apostle Paul explains the reason why the Judaizers’ insistence upon adhering to the dietary restrictions of the Mosaic Law are demonically inspired, namely all food created by God is inherently clean.
He goes on to teach that no food is rejected by the Lord so that as a result it is to be received with thanksgiving.
1 Timothy 4:1 But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons, 2 by means of the hypocrisy of liars seared in their own conscience as with a branding iron, 3 men who forbid marriage and advocate abstaining from foods which God has created to be gratefully shared in by those who believe and know the truth. 4 For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with gratitude. (NASU)
“For everything created by God is good” presents the reason why the Judaizers’ teaching that one must not partake of unclean animals as stipulated in the Mosaic Law is wrong and demonically inspired.
“Everything created by God” refers to the individual members of the animal, insect, bird kingdoms and marine life, which are the product of God the Son’s creative activity and ordained by Him as food for the human race.
“Good” is the adjective kalos, which means “undefiled” since it is used with respect to the Lord’s teaching in response to the Jews’ strict adherence to the dietary restrictions of the Mosaic Law.
The term “undefiled” refers to that which is pure for ceremonial use.
“And nothing is to be rejected” is epexegetical meaning that it “explains” in another way the previous causal statement that each and every creature produced by God the Son is undefiled.
It emphatically negates the idea that any land animal, bird, insect or marine life is rejected or considered unclean or defiled.
“If it is received with gratitude” indicates the actual outcome or result of our Lord’s teaching, namely that all food is to be received, i.e. eaten with thanksgiving expressed to the Father through Jesus Christ by the power of the Spirit.
In 1 Timothy 4:5, Paul teaches that the reason why all foods are clean is that the Lord Jesus Christ taught they were, thus abrogating the dietary restrictions of the Mosaic Law.
1 Timothy 4:4 For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with gratitude; 5 for it is sanctified by means of the word of God and prayer. (NASU)
1 Timothy 4:5 presents the reason why all foods are clean.
“Sanctified” denotes that the Lord Jesus Christ set apart each and every creature He created for the exclusive purpose of benefiting the human race and especially, those who have trusted in Him as Savior.
“The word of God” refers to the Lord Jesus Christ’s teaching that all foods are clean.
The Lord Jesus Christ and His apostles whose teaching is in the New Testament make clear that the dietary laws of the Mosaic law did not apply to the church (Mark 7:2, 5; 14-19; Acts 10).
Paul taught the churches throughout the Roman empire that all foods were fit for consumption (Romans 14:14; 1 Corinthians 10:25; Titus 1:15).
“The word of God” refers to the Lord Jesus Christ’s teaching that all foods are clean from the perspective that it is a message from the Father in the sense that by the power of the Holy Spirit, it is revealing the Father’s will for the Christian with respect to all foods.
“By means of the word of God” expresses the fact that the Lord Jesus Christ’s teaching is the means by which all foods are sanctified.
“Prayer” is a reference to thanksgiving offered up to the Father in prayer by the Christian before, during and after eating food of all types.
It also indicates that the Christian offering up thanksgiving to the Father in prayer is another means by which all foods are sanctified in addition to the teaching of the Lord Jesus Christ.
If you recall, “sanctified” referred to the fact that all foods are set apart for the exclusive use and benefit of the Christian, which was accomplished by means of the Lord’s teaching.
However, these foods cannot benefit the Christian if they do not exercise faith in this teaching.
These foods are set apart for the benefit of the Christian by the word of the Lord but they don’t benefit the Christian if they do not exercise faith in the Lord’s teaching that all foods are clean.
Thanksgiving therefore, implies that the Christian is partaking of these foods and is an expression of faith in the Lord’s teaching.
The apostle Paul in 1 Timothy 4:6 tells Timothy that he will be a good servant of Christ Jesus by communicating to the Ephesians the content of what he taught in 1 Timothy 4:1-5.
1 Timothy 4:6 In pointing out these things to the brethren, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, constantly nourished on the words of the faith and of the sound doctrine which you have been following. (NASU)
“In pointing out these things to the brethren” refers to Paul’s warning in 1 Timothy 4:1-5 with respect to the demonically inspired content of the Judaizers’ teaching and Paul’s teaching concerning marriage and food.
It indicates that Timothy will be a good servant of Christ Jesus by pointing out his statements in 1 Timothy 4:1-5 regarding the demonically inspired content of the Judaizers’ teaching and why it is false doctrine.
“You will be a good servant of Christ Jesus” describes Timothy’s service to the Lord Jesus Christ as being excellent in the sense that his servanthood would be of a high moral quality or character with the implication that it is a great benefit to the Christian community in Ephesus and to the Lord Himself.
“Constantly nourished on the words of the faith” does not refer to Paul nourishing Timothy in the past with the Word of God or Timothy training himself by obeying the precepts of Paul’s teaching.
Rather, it speaks of Timothy instructing the Ephesians with the Word of God since he just got through telling Timothy that he would be serving Christ Jesus excellently by pointing out to the Ephesian Christian community his teaching regarding the Judaizers in 1 Timothy 4.1-5.
This is indicated by the participle form of entrepho, “nourished,” which defines or explains or makes more explicit what Paul means when he says that Timothy will be serving the Lord excellently by pointing out to the Ephesians his teaching in the previous paragraph.
“On the words” refers to the content of what Paul taught in 1 Timothy 4:1-5 indicating that this teaching was to be the means by which Timothy was to instruct the Ephesian Christian community.
“The faith” refers to the Christian faith indicating that these words or in other words, Paul’s teaching in 1 Timothy 4:1-5 originates from the Christian faith, i.e. the gospel.
“And of the sound doctrine which you have been following” is epexegetical meaning that it explains in another way the previous expression “on the words of the faith.”
“Sound doctrine” refers again to Paul’s teaching in 1 Timothy 4:1-5 and describes this teaching as free from error and conforms exactly to the truth and God’s standards in contrast to the demonically inspired teaching of the Judaizers.
“Which you have been following” teaches that it was for Timothy’s own benefit that he was adhering to Paul’s teaching with respect marriage and food that appears in 1 Timothy 4:1-5.
It refers to obeying Paul’s teaching with regards to marriage and food faithfully.
It means that Timothy has faithfully conformed to Paul’s teaching with regards to marriage and food.
It is emphasizing the present state of Timothy’s obedience as a result of the past action of being trained by Paul.