Read or listen First Epistle to Timothy Chapter 4 online (ESV, Bible Gateway)

The Danger of False Asceticism – 4:1-5

Satan also uses religion and piety to deceive people away from God. He can disguise himself as an angel of light .

..."And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. So it is no surprise if his servants, also, disguise themselves as servants of righteousness."
(2 Cor. 11:14-15, ESV)

Not all religiosity comes from God. Satan uses deceiving spirits who may appear very pious to people (1 John 4:6). It is important to remember that heresies originate with Satan (verse 1, 1 Tim. 5:15). They involve an alliance with the adversary of God (John 8:44, 2 Cor. 2:11, Eph. 6:11, 2 Thess. 2:9-12, 1 John 2:18, 4:1-3, Rev. 13:14).

The end of verse 2, "whose consciences are seared", has been translated and interpreted in two ways:
1) Their conscience is seared with a hot iron. The conscience of the heretic teachers is marked with a branding iron. Cattle, even slaves, were branded as the property of their masters (compare Exodus 2:5-6, Deuteronomy 15:16-17). This would mean that these people are marked as Satan's property. But when the mark is on their conscience, not all people notice it and think these people are true teachers.
2) Another interpretation is that the branding iron made the point in question numb, a scar. That is, the conscience of the heretics was hardened, numbed (compare 1 Tim 1:19-20).

The heretics demanded asceticism: the renunciation of worldly pleasures. This was related to the Gnostic concept of the impurity of the body: it had to be mortified. Unfortunately, the mortification of the body usually does not result in getting rid of the desires of the flesh but in a new carnality: the whole life revolves around the mortification of the flesh (compare Col 2:16-23).

God’s gifts are meant to be enjoyed (verse 4). Requiring different diets as a condition of salvation is not biblical; for example vegetarianism, the strict requirement of a plant-based diet, is not a biblical requirement (see Genesis 9:1-3).

"Every moving thing that lives shall be food for you. And as I gave you the green plants, I give you everything."
(Genesis 9:3, ESV)

Notice that Paul does not say that everything is good, but that everything created by God is good (verse 4). There is also something in this world that God does not approve of, which is the work of his adversary (compare Matt. 13:28,38-40). Notice also that Paul is not just talking about food, but about everything (verse 4). God has given us many good gifts (1 Tim. 6:17), which we should not only enjoy but also pass on to one another (Matt. 10:8, see also 1 Cor. 10:23-33).

The word for thanksgiving in verse 4 is eucharist, which was already used quite early - in the 1st century AD - for the Lord's Supper. But here it means thanking God, reciting a prayer of thanksgiving (Matthew 14:19, 1 Corinthians 10:30). Luther rightly urged that we pray at meals (Small Catechism).

A good servant of Christ – 4:6-10

"If you put these things before the brothers, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, being trained in the words of the faith and of the good doctrine that you have followed."
(1. Tim. 4:6)

Faith is strengthened by use (verse 6). If faith is “encapsulated,” it begins to atrophy. Faith is meant to be passed on, and this applies not just to church leaders but to all Christians.

Note the idea of verse 8: the Christian's life in this time is training and preparation for the eternal life to come.

A small number of Bible scholars believe that verse 9 refers to verse 8, but it is generally thought to be related to verse 10.

It is important to see the correct order in verse 10: the struggle arises from faith and not vice versa. Faith in God is the starting point that makes a person struggle. The future life (verse 8), that is, eternal life, is more important than this life, therefore one must strive for it already in this life (verse 10, compare 1 Cor 15:19).

Verse 10 speaks of Jesus as the atonement and savior for the sins of the whole world. But if Jesus' atonement work is not accepted, it will be in vain (compare 2 Cor 6:1-2) for this person.

The Fifth Gospel – 4:11-16

Believers are sometimes called the fifth gospel. People look at Christians and their lives, and based on that they conclude what God is like and whether it is worth believing in Him. Unfortunately, we Christians are much less able to describe God than the four New Testament Gospels. But if our lives are constantly at odds with what the Bible teaches, it is time for a change of direction. Unfortunately, it often happens that we want to change the Bible to fit our lives, and not the other way around.

“In this way” (verse 11) is an expression that appears eight times in the First Letter to Timothy: 1 Tim 3:14, 4:11,15,16, 5:7,21, 6:2,17 (translations vary widely). Paul was referring to the foundation of the faith that Timothy had learned. From the beginning, the Christian faith has been proclaimed through and by means of certain “doctrines” (compare verses 6 and 16).

Timothy was about 35 years old at the time of writing, which was young for a leader of that time (verse 12). This verse also suggests that the letter was written in the 60s AD, because after 100 AD Timothy would have been an old man (compare 1 Cor. 16:10-11).

Paul dared to ask people many times to follow his example (1 Cor 11:1, Phil 3:17, 1 Thess 1:6, 2 Thess 3:7,9). Paul also urges Timothy to be a model of faith and an example to other Christians (verse 12, Hebrews 13:7, 1 Peter 5:3). Respect cannot be taken, it must be earned.

The relationship between faith and love (verse 12) is described with the figure of a cross: faith is the upright of the cross - the relationship between man and God - love is the crossbar of the cross - the relationship between man and another man, his neighbor.

Verse 13: The Jews read the Old Testament in synagogue services (cf. Neh. 8:8, Luke 4:16-19, Acts 13:15, 15:21). Christians read not only the Old Testament, but also the accounts of Jesus' activities - from which the Gospels were later compiled (cf. 1 Tim. 5:18) - and the letters of the apostles (1 Thess. 5:27, Col. 4:16, 2 Pet. 3:16, see also Rev. 1:3, 22:18-19).

After the reading of the text, it was explained (verse 12, see Luke 4:21, Acts 13:16-47). A sermon today should still be an explanation of the Bible.

Verse 13 describes the worship service of that time, although the celebration of the Lord's Supper is not mentioned, although it was part of every worship service in the early church (1 Cor. 11:17-21).

Paul still hoped to visit Ephesus (verse 13, 1 Tim. 3:14).

Timothy had been ordained to the office of evangelist (v. 12). This ordination apparently occurred when Paul took him as a companion on his second missionary journey (Acts 16:3, 2 Tim. 1:6). God had chosen Timothy (v. 14, cf. 1 Tim. 1:18), so those who would have despised him would have despised God (v. 14).

God had given Timothy gifts of grace for the ministry he received. Paul urged him to fan them into flame (2 Tim 1:6: "For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands"). God calls every Christian to use the gifts he has received. On the other hand, we should pray that the right people would be placed in the right places so that their gifts from God would not be wasted.

Moses used the laying on of hands to appoint Joshua as his successor as leader of the people of Israel (Numbers 27:18-23, Deuteronomy 34:9). Rabbis also accepted new candidates into the rabbinical ranks by the laying on of hands.

Christian leaders are especially being watched (verse 15), so their fall into sin is more significant than the fall of the “regular Christian.”

Progress in faith is made by remaining in the school of the Holy Spirit (verse 15, Phil 1:25, 3:12).

There is only one way to salvation (John 14:6), but that way must also be followed to the end; if you leave it unfinished, you will not reach the end (Mark 13:13, 1 Cor 15:2, Col 1:22-23, Heb 3:14).

No one can save another person (verse 16), but they can be led to the source of salvation, to Christ (Romans 11:14, 1 Cor 7:16, cf. James 5:19-20).