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| 1 Timothy 4:6 |
If thou put the brethren in remembrance of these
things, thou shalt be a good minister of Jesus
Christ, nourished up in the words of faith and of
good doctrine, whereunto thou hast attained.
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Let us begin with the Barclay Commentary for
verses 6-10
ADVICE TO A SERVANT OF CHRIST
1 Timothy 4:6–10
If you lay these things before the brothers, you
will be a fine servant of Jesus Christ, if you feed
your life on the words of faith, and the fine
teaching of which you have been a student and a
follower. Refuse to have anything to do with
irreligious stories like the tales old women tell to
children. Train yourself towards the goal of true
godliness. The training of the body has only a
limited value; but training in godliness has a
universal value for mankind, because it has the
promise of life in this present age, and life in the
age to come. This is a saying which deserves to be
accepted by all. The reason why we toil and struggle
so hard is that we have set our hopes on the living
God, who is the Saviour of all men, and especially
of those who believe.
THIS passage is closely packed with practical
advice, not only for Timothy but for any servant of
the Church who is charged with the duty of work and
leadership.
(1) It tells us how to instruct others. The word
used for laying these things (hupotithesthai) before
the brothers is significant. It does not mean to
issue orders but rather to advise, to suggest. It is
a gentle, humble and modest word. It means that
teachers must never dogmatically and belligerently
lay down the law. It means that they must act rather
as if they were reminding people of what they
already knew or suggesting to them, not that they
should learn from them, but that they should
discover from their own hearts what is right.
Guidance given in gentleness will always be more
effective than bullying instructions laid down with
force. It is possible to lead people when they will
refuse to be driven.
(2) It tells us how to face the task of teaching.
Timothy is told that he must feed his life on the
words of faith. No one can give out without taking
in. Those who teach must be continually learning. It
is the reverse of the truth that when people become
teachers they cease to be learners; each day they
must come to know Jesus Christ better before they
can bring him to others.
(3) It tells us what to avoid. Timothy is to avoid
pointlesstales like those which old women tell to
children. It is easy to get lost in side issues and
to get entangled in things which are at best
embellishments. It is on the great central truths
that people must constantly feed their minds and
nourish their faith.
(4) It tells us what to seek. Timothy is told that,
as athletes train their bodies, so Christians must
train their souls. It is not that bodily fitness is
despised; the Christian faith believes that the body
is the temple of the Holy Spirit. But Paul is
pleading for a sense of proportion. Physical
training is good, and even essential; but its use is
limited. It develops only part of an individual, and
it produces only results which last for a short
time, for the body passes away. Training in
godliness develops the whole person in body, mind
and spirit, and its results affect not only time but
eternity as well. Christians are not athletes of the
gymnasium, they are the athletes of God. The
greatest of the Greeks recognized this. The Athenian
orator Isocrates wrote: ‘No ascetic ought to train
his body as a king ought to train his soul.’ ‘Train
yourself by submitting willingly to toils, so that
when they come on you unwillingly you will be able
to endure them.’
(5) It shows us the basis of the whole matter. No
one has ever claimed that the Christian life is an
easy way; but its goal is God. It is because life is
lived in the presence of God and ends in his still
nearer presence that Christians are willing to
struggle so hard. The greatness of the goal makes
the toil worth while.
~Barclay Commentary
Now to the other commentaries...
If thou put the brethren in
remembrance of these things - Of the truths
just stated. They are, therefore, proper subjects to
preach upon. It is the duty of the ministry to show
to the people of their charge what “is” error and
where it may be apprehended, and to caution them to
avoid it. ~Barnes Notes
Nourished up in the words of
faith - That is, you will be then “a good
minister of Jesus Christ, as becomes one who has
been nourished up in the words of faith, or trained
up in the doctrines of religion.” The apostle
evidently designs to remind Timothy of the manner in
which he had been trained, and to show him how he
might act in accordance with that. From one who had
been thus educated, it was reasonable to expect that
he would be a faithful and exemplary minister of the
gospel. ~Barnes Notes
Whereunto thou hast attained
- The word used here means, properly, to
accompany side by side; to follow closely; to follow
out, trace, or examine. It is rendered “shall
follow,” in Matthew 16:17; “having had
understanding,” in Luke 1:3; and “hast fully known,”
in 2 Timothy 3:10. It does not elsewhere occur in
the New Testament. The meaning here seems to be,
that Timothy had followed out the doctrines in which
he had been trained to their legitimate results; he
had accurately seen and understood their bearing, as
leading him to embrace the Christian religion. His
early training in the Scriptures of the Old
Testament 2 Timothy 1:5; 2 Timothy 3:15, he had now
fully carried out, by embracing the Lord Jesus as
the Messiah, and by evincing the proper results of
the early teaching which he had received in
connection with that religion. If he now followed
the directions of the apostle, he would be a
minister of the Lord Jesus, worthy of the
attainments in religious knowledge which he had
made, and of the expectations which had been formed
of him. No young man should, by neglect, indolence,
or folly, disappoint the reasonable expectations of
his friends. Their cherished hopes are a proper
ground of appeal to him, and it may be properly
demanded of every one that he shall carry out to
their legitimate results all the principles of his
early training, and that he shall be in his
profession all that his early advantages make it
reasonable to “expect” that he will be.
~Barnes Notes
Quoted verses:
Matthew 16:17
phrase "to accompany side
by side" here is "shall follow"
And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art
thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not
revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in
heaven.
Luke 1: 3 phrase
"to accompany side by side"
here is "having had understanding."
It seemed good to me also, having had perfect
understanding of all things from the very first, to
write unto thee in order, most excellent Theophilus,
2 Timothy 3:10
phrase "to accompany side
by side here" is "hast fully known"
But thou hast fully known my doctrine, manner of
life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, charity,
patience,
2 Timothy 1:5
Timothy's early training in
the scriptures
When I call to remembrance the unfeigned faith that
is in thee, which dwelt first in thy grandmother
Lois, and thy mother Eunice; and I am persuaded that
in thee also.
2 Timothy 3:15
Timothy's early training in
the scriptures
And that from a child thou hast known the holy
scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto
salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
Now to the Adam Clarke
If thou put the brethren in
remembrance of these things - Show the Church
that, even now, there is danger of this apostasy;
put them on their guard against it; for the
forewarned are half armed. Schoettgen supposes from
this verse that what is spoken above refers to the
Jews alone; and that there is no reference here to a
Church which in after ages might apostatize from, or
corrupt, the true doctrine of our Lord and Savior.
Bishop Newton and others are of a different opinion.
Nourished up in the words of
faith - By acting as I command thee, thou
wilt show that thou art a good minister of Jesus
Christ, and that thou hast been nourished from thy
youth upon the doctrines of faith. The apostle seems
to allude here to Timothy’s Christian education.
Whereunto thou hast attained
- Which thou hast thoroughly understood.
~Adam Clarke
Let us go now to John Gill...
If thou put the brethren in
remembrance of these things - Either of all
the main and principal things already mentioned in
the preceding chapters; as that the end of the
commandment is love; that Christ's coming into the
world to save the chief of sinners is a faithful
saying, and worthy of acceptation; that prayers
should be made for all sorts of men, for the reasons
given; and that there is salvation for men and women
through the incarnate Son of God; that such and such
are the qualifications of elders and deacons; and
that the incarnation of Christ is, without
controversy, the great mystery of godliness: or of
the things which are particularly hinted at in the
prophecy delivered in the beginning of this chapter;
as that there should be a falling off from the
doctrine of faith in the latter days; that this
should come to pass through attending to erroneous
spirits, and doctrines of "demons", and through the
lies of hypocritical, hardened, and infamous men;
whose particular dogmas, by which they might be
known, would be, to forbid marriage to certain
persons, which is of divine institution and
honourable, and to order an abstinence from meats at
certain times, contrary to the will and providence
of God. These the apostle would have Timothy
propose, and subject to consideration, and from time
to time refresh the memories of the saints with, who
are apt, through negligence and inattention, and the
weakness of the natural faculty, to be forgetful
hearers of the word; that whenever such persons
should arise, they might be on their guard against
them. It is one part of the business of Gospel
ministers to put the churches in mind of what they
have received and known, and are established in. By
"the brethren" are meant the members of the church
at Ephesus; whom the apostle accounted as brethren,
being of the same family and household, and would
have Timothy reckon and use as such, and not as
subjects and servants, to be lorded over.
Thou shalt be a good minister
of Jesus Christ - a minister of Jesus Christ
is one of his making, qualifying, calling, and
sending; and who makes Christ, the doctrines
respecting his person and offices, his grace,
righteousness, and salvation, the subject of his
ministry; and he is a good one, who, besides having
a good work of grace wrought in him, has good gifts
and abilities from Christ, and who makes a good use
of them, and freely and fully imparts them for the
good of others; and being employed in a good work,
he abides in it, and nothing can deter or remove him
from it; and such an one was Timothy, and so would
it be manifest by doing what the apostle hints unto
him; as well as he would appear to be
nourished up in the words of
faith, and of good doctrine - by which are
meant the truths of the Gospel, called the words of
faith, because they are things to be believed, hold
forth the object of faith, Christ, and are the means
by which faith comes, and is increased: and good
doctrine, being the doctrine of the Scriptures, and
of Christ, and of his apostles, and according to
godliness; and contain good things, which make for
the glory of the grace of God, and the comfort and
welfare of firstfruit souls. These are of a nourishing
nature; they are the wholesome and salutary words of
Christ; they have in them milk for babes, and meat
for strong men; by which both grow and thrive, when
error eats as does a canker. So Philo the Jew speaks
of the soul, being "nourished with sciences", and
not with food and drink, which the body needs; and a
little after he says, you see the food of the soul
what it is, it is the continual word of God. Now
Timothy, by discharging his work aright, would show
to the brethren, that as he had been nourished and
trained up, first under his religious parents, and
then under the Apostle Paul; so he still continued
in the same truths, and to live and feed upon them,
and to be nourished by them: or the words may be
rendered actively,
nourishing - that is,
either himself, as the Syriac version renders it, or
others; for though all nourishment comes from Christ
the head, yet it is ministered by joints and bands
to the members; it is conveyed by the means of the
word and ordinances, ministered by the preachers of
the Gospel, who feed the church with knowledge, and
with understanding; and none but those who are
nourished themselves are fit to be the nourishes of
others; and such an one was this evangelist: for it
follows,
whereunto thou hast attained
- he had arrived to a considerable degree of
knowledge of Gospel truths, and was still pursuing
and following on to know more of them, and was
exhorted to continue in them, knowing of whom he had
learned them. All this is said by way of
encouragement to him to do as the apostle directs.
~John Gill
Recap:
Question: What makes for a good minister of
Jesus Christ? Answer:
1] He is nourished up in the words of faith.
He is immersed in the Word of God
2] He is nourished up in good doctrine. He
practices good theology. He preaches good
doctrine.
3] He puts the brethren in remembrance of truth and
doctrine.
This is the thrust of verse 6. It begs the
next question:
Question: What makes for a good firstfruit of
Jesus Christ? Answer:
1] He is nourished up in the words of faith.
He is immersed in the Word of God
2] He is nourished up in good doctrine. He
practices good theology. He embraces and
invokes good doctrine.
3] He puts himself in remembrance of truth and
doctrine.
4] He encourages the family and the brethren.
There is mutual spiritual support and encouragement.
Encouragement scriptures
for ministers and brethren:
1 Thessalonians 5:11
Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one
another, even as also ye do.
Hebrews 10:23-25
23 Let us hold fast the profession of our faith
without wavering; (for he is faithful that
promised;)
24 And let us consider one another to provoke unto
love and to good works:
25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves
together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting
one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day
approaching.
1 Peter 4:8-10
8 And above all things have fervent charity among
yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of
sins.
9 Use hospitality one to another without grudging.
10 As every man hath received the gift, even so
minister the same one to another, as good stewards
of the manifold grace of God.
Ephesians 4:29
Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your
mouth, but that which is good to the use of
edifying, that it may minister grace unto the
hearers.
Bible study/Embracing
Doctrine scriptures:
Titus 2:1
But speak thou the things which become sound
doctrine:
Titus 1:9
Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been
taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both
to exhort and to convince the gainsayers.
Hebrews 4:11
Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest,
lest any man fall after the same example of
unbelief.
Notice the commentary on this one...
Let us therefore labour
- Let us earnestly strive. Since there is a rest
whose attainment is worth all our efforts; since so
many have failed of reaching it by their unbelief,
and since there is so much danger that we may fail
of it also, let us give all diligence that we may
enter into it. [The Kingdom]
is never obtained but by diligence; and no one
enters there who does not earnestly desire it, and
who does not make a sincere effort to reach it.
~Barnes Notes
2 Peter 1:15
Moreover I will endeavour that ye may be able after
my decease to have these things always in
remembrance.
2 Peter 3:14
Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such
things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in
peace, without spot, and blameless.
2 Peter 1:10
Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to
make your calling and election sure: for if ye do
these things, ye shall never fall:
So Timothy is seen here getting advice from his
elder, Paul. And you see the Word of God
giving you the same kind of advice. This is
what we learn in 1 Timothy 4:6 |
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