Survey
of the Letters of Paul: 1 Timothy
4:1
THE SERVICE OF GOD OR THE SERVICE OF SATAN
1 Timothy 4:1–5
The Spirit clearly says that in the later times some will desert from the faith,
through paying attention to spirits who can do nothing but lead them astray, and
to teachings which come from the demons, teachings of false men whose
characteristic is insincerity, teachings of men whose conscience has been
branded with the mark of Satan, teachings of those who forbid marriage, and who
order men to abstain from foods which God created in order that men might
gratefully take their share of them in the company of those who believe and who
really know the truth; for everything that God has made is good, and nothing is
to be rejected, but it is to be gratefully received; for it is hallowed by the
word of God and by prayer.
THE Christian Church had inherited from the Jews the belief that in this world
things would be a great deal worse before they got better. The Jews always
thought of time in terms of two ages. There was this present age, which was
altogether bad and in the grip of the evil powers; and there was the age to
come, which was to be the perfect age of God and of goodness. But the one age
would not pass into the other without a last convulsive struggle. In between the
two ages would come the day of the Lord. On that day, the world would be shaken
to its foundations; there would be a last supreme battle with evil, a last
universal judgment, and then the new day would dawn.
The New Testament writers took over that picture. Being Jews, they had been
brought up with it. One of the expected features of the last age was heresies
and false teachers. ‘Many false prophets will arise and lead many astray’
(Matthew 24:11). ‘False messiahs and false prophets will appear and produce
signs and omens, to lead astray, if possible, the elect’ (Mark 13:22). In these
last days, Paul looks for the emergence of ‘the lawless one . . . the one
destined for destruction’, who would set himself up against God (2 Thessalonians
2:3). ~Barclay's Commentary
Quoted verses:
Matthew 24:11 ...false prophets arising.
And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.
Mark 13:22 ...false prophets will produce sign and omens to lead
astray.
For false Christs and false prophets shall rise, and shall shew signs and
wonders, to seduce, if it were possible, even the elect.
2 Thessalonians 2:3 ...the emergence of "the lawless one."
Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there
come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of
perdition;
Now to the commentaries. Understand that I edit most of the commentaries as I am
looking only for word and phrase meaning and not their additional commentary. I
edit out most all commentaries they offer.
Now the Spirit - Evidently the Holy Spirit; the Spirit of inspiration. It is not
quite certain, from this passage, whether the apostle means to say that this was
a revelation “then” made to him, or whether it was a well-understood thing as
taught by the Holy Spirit. He himself elsewhere refers to this same prophecy,
and John also more than once mentions it; compare 2 Thessalonians 2; 1 John
2:18; Revelation 20:1-15. From 2 Thessalonians 2:5, it would seem that this was
a truth which had before been communicated to the apostle Paul, and that he had
dwelt on it when he preached the gospel in Thessalonica. There is no
improbability, however, in the supposition that so important a subject was
communicated directly by the Holy Spirit to others of the apostles. ~ Barnes
Notes
Quoted verses:
2 Thessalonians 2 with the key verses being
3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there
come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of
perdition;
4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is
worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that
he is God.
1 John 2:18
Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall
come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last
time.
Revelation 20:1-15 with the key verses being
2 And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and
Satan, and bound him a thousand years,
3 And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon
him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should
be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.
2 Thessalonians 2:5
Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things?
Speaketh expressly - In express words, rētōs. It was not by mere hints, and
symbols, and shadowy images of the future; it was in an open and plain manner -
in so many words. The object of this statement seems to be to call the attention
of Timothy to it in an emphatic manner, and to show the importance of attending
to it. ~ Barnes Notes
That in the latter times - During which the affairs of the world would close;
see the notes on Hebrews 1:2. It does not mean that this would occur “just
before” the end of the world, but that it would take place during “[the end
time period]” and that the end of the world would not happen until this
should take place; see the notes on 2 Thessalonians 2:3. ~ Barnes Notes
Quoted verses:
Hebrews 1:2
Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir
of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;
2 Thessalonians 2:3 ...which we read above
Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there
come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of
perdition;
Some shall depart from the faith - The Greek word here - apostēsontai - is that
from which we have derived the word “apostatize,” and would be properly so
rendered here. The meaning is, that they would “apostatize” from the belief of
the truths of the gospel. It does not mean that, as individuals, they would have
been true Christians; but that there would be a departure from the great
doctrines which constitute the Christian faith. The ways in which they would do
this are immediately specified, showing what the apostle meant here by departing
from the faith. They would give heed to seducing spirits, to the doctrines of
devils, etc. The use of the word “some,” here tines - does not imply that the
number would be small. The meaning is, that “certain persons” would thus depart,
or that “there would be” an apostasy of the kind here mentioned, in the last
days. From the parallel passage in 2 Thessalonians 2:3, it would seem that this
was to be an extensive apostasy. ~ Barnes Notes
Giving heed to seducing spirits - Rather than to the Spirit of God. It would be
a part of their system to yield to those spirits that led astray. The spirits
here referred to are any that cause to err, and the most obvious and natural
construction is to refer it to the agency of fallen spirits. Though it “may”
apply to false teachers, yet, if so, it is rather to them as under the influence
of evil spirits. This may be applied, so far as the phraseology is concerned, to
“any” false teaching; but it is evident that the apostle had a specific apostasy
in view - some great “system” that would greatly corrupt the Christian faith;
and the words here should be interpreted with reference to that. It is true that
people in all ages are prone to give heed to seducing spirits; but the thing
referred to here is some grand apostasy, in which the characteristics would be
manifested, and the doctrines held, which the apostle proceeds immediately to
specify; compare 1 John 4:1. ~ Barnes Notes
Quoted verse:
1 John 4:1
Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God:
because many false prophets are gone out into the world.
And doctrines of devils - such as are devised by devils, as all damnable
doctrines be; and all lying ones, for the devil is the father of them; and as
are all the false doctrines introduced by antichrist, for his coming was after
the working of Satan; and particularly those doctrines of his concerning
worshipping of angels, and saints departed, may be called the doctrines of
devils, or of "demons"; being much the same with the demon worship among the
Heathens, of which the devil was the inventor: unless by doctrines of devils
should be meant the doctrines of men, who for their cunning and sophistry [Plausible
but misleading arguments], for their lies and hypocrisy, for their malice,
and murdering of the souls of men, are comparable to devils. ~John Gill
Now going back to the first phrase; this time from the John Gill:
Now the Spirit speaketh expressly - The prophecy hereafter mentioned was not an
human conjecture, but, as all true prophecy, it came from the Spirit of God [from
God by the power of and unction of the Holy Spirit], [which] spoke or
delivered it; either in the prophets of the Old Testament, who, as they spoke of
the Gospel [period], so of the defection that should be in it; and
particularly of antichrist, and of the apostasy through him, which is what is
here intended, especially in Daniel's prophecies, under the names of the little
horn, and vile person, Daniel 7:1 and Daniel 11:1, or in the Lord Jesus Christ,
who foretold that false prophets would arise and deceive many; or in some of the
prophets in the Christian church, such as Agabus, and others, who might in so
many words foretell this thing; or rather in the apostle himself, at this time,
since this prophecy was delivered not in dark sayings, in an enigmatical way, in
an obscure manner, as prophecies generally were, but in plain language, and easy
to be understood, and wanted no interpreter to unriddle it; and seeing that it
is nowhere to be found in so many express words elsewhere: and moreover, the
apostle does not say the Spirit "hath spoken", but the Spirit "speaketh"; then,
at the time of the writing of these words, in and by [it]. ~ John Gill
Quoted verses: ...actually teasers to encourage you to read both Daniel 7 and
11.
Daniel 7:1
In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon Daniel had a dream and visions
of his head upon his bed: then he wrote the dream, and told the sum of the
matters.
Daniel 11:1
Also I in the first year of Darius the Mede, even I, stood to confirm and to
strengthen him.
Now let us look at the Adam Clarke as it gives a quick explanation of each
phrase:
Now the Spirit speaketh expressly - Manifestly, openly. It is very likely that
the apostle refers here to a prophecy then furnished by the Holy Ghost, and
probably immediately after he had written the words in the preceding verses; and
as this prophecy contains things nowhere else spoken of in the sacred writings,
and of the utmost moment to the Christian Church, we cannot hear or read them
with too much reverence or respect.
In the latter times - This does not necessarily imply the last ages of the
world, but any times consequent to those in which the Church then lived.
Depart from the faith - They will apostatize from the faith, i.e. from
Christianity; renouncing the whole system in effect, by bringing in doctrines
which render its essential truths null and void, or denying and renouncing such
doctrines as are essential to Christianity as a system of salvation. A man may
hold all the truths of Christianity, and yet render them of none effect by
holding other doctrines which counteract their influence; or he may apostatize
by denying some essential doctrine, though he bring in nothing heterodox.
Giving heed to seducing spirits - Many MSS. and the chief of the fathers have
spirits of deceit; which is much more emphatic than the common reading.
Deception has her spirits, emissaries of every kind, which she employs to darken
the hearts and destroy the souls of men. Pretenders to inspiration, and false
teachers of every kind, belong to this class.
And doctrines of devils - Demons or doctrines inspired by Satan relative to
these, by which he secures his own interest, and provides for his own worship.
~Adam Clarke
Homework:
Answer the two questions and use what you write for further study and meditation
and preparation for the end times.
1. Write some possible scenarios on how a firstfruit might depart from the
faith. Include reason why each would or could happen.
2. What steps do you recommend to a firstfruit to avoid the process by which one
would depart from the faith.
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