Survey
of the Letters of Paul: 1 Timothy
4:9
1 Timothy 4:9
This is a faithful saying and worthy of all
acceptation.
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 commentaries:
When you go to most commentaries and the verse under
consideration is an exact repeat of a previous
verse, it will say to see the commentary on that
verse. Such is the case here. We had
this verse in 1 Timothy 1 and verse 15
1 Timothy 1:15
This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all
acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world
to save sinners; of whom I am chief.
This is a faithful saying
- Greek, “Faithful is the word,” or doctrine - ὁ
λογος ho logos. This verse has somewhat the
character of a parenthesis, and seems to have been
thrown into the midst of the narrative because the
mind of the apostle was full of the subject. He had
said that he, a great sinner, had obtained mercy.
This naturally led him to think of the purpose for
which Christ came into the world - to save sinners -
and to think how strikingly that truth had been
illustrated in his own case, and how that case had
shown that it was worthy the attention of all. The
word rendered “saying,” means in this place
doctrine, position, or declaration. The word
“faithful,” means assuredly true; it was that which
might be depended on, or on which reliance might be
placed. The meaning is, that the doctrine that
Christ came to save sinners might be depended on as
certainly true; compare 2 Timothy 2:11; Titus 3:8.
2 Timothy 2:11
It is a faithful saying: For if we be dead with him,
we shall also live with him:
Titus 3:8
This is a faithful saying, and these things I will
that thou affirm constantly, that they which have
believed in God might be careful to maintain good
works. These things are good and profitable unto
men. ~Barnes Notes
Now from the John Gill commentary:
This is a faithful saying, and
worthy of all acceptation - This is said,
lest it should be thought strange, or scarcely
credible, that so great a sinner should be saved; as
well as to give a summary of the glorious Gospel the
apostle was entrusted with; and in opposition to
fables, endless genealogies, and vain jangling, and
contentions about the law. The doctrine of Christ's
coming into the world, and of salvation by him, as
it is the sum and substance of the Gospel, so it is
a "faithful saying"; in which the faithfulness of
God is displayed to himself, and the perfections of
his nature, his holiness, justice, love, grace, and
mercy; to his law, which is magnified, and made
honourable; to his word of promise hereby fulfilled;
and to his Son in carrying him through the work: and
the faithfulness of Christ is discovered herein,
both to his Father with whom, and to his friends for
whom, he engaged to obtain salvation; and the
faithfulness of ministers is shown in preaching it,
and of other saints in professing it, and abiding by
it: it is a true saying, and not to be disputed or
doubted of, but to be believed most firmly; it is
certain that God the Father sent his Son into the
world for this purpose; and Christ himself assures
us, that he came for this end; his carriage to
sinners, and his actions, testified the same; his
works and miracles confirm it; and the numberless
instances of sinners saved by him evince the truth
of it: and it is "worthy of all acceptation"; or to
be received by all sorts of persons, learned, or
unlearned, rich or poor, greater or lesser sinners;
and to be received in all ways, and in the best
manner, as the word of God, and not man; with
heartiness and readiness, and with love, joy, and
gladness, and with meekness, faith, and fear, and by
all means; for it is entirely true, absolutely
necessary, and suitable to the case of all, and is
to be highly valued and esteemed by those who do
approve and accept of it. It is the Christian
Cabala, or the evangelical tradition, delivered by
the Father to Christ, by him to his apostles, and by
them to the saints, by whom it is cordially
received. The apostle seems to allude to the Cabala
of the Jews, their oral law, which they say was
delivered to Moses on Mount Sinai, and by him to
Joshua; and by Joshua to the elders; and by the
elders to the prophets; and so from one to another
to his times: but here he suggests, that if they
would have a Cabala, here is one, that is firm, and
true, and certain, and worthy to be received,
whereas the Jewish one was precarious, yea, false
and untrue. Indeed, sometimes the words of the
prophets are so called by them; so that passage in
Joel 2:13 is called קבלה, "Cabala", some thing
delivered and received; upon which one of their
commentators has these words,
"whatever a prophet commands the Israelites, makes
known unto them, or exhorts them to, is a Cabala.
And if a prophetic command or admonition, then
surely: such an evangelical doctrine, as follows, is
entitled to this character.
Joel 2:13
And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn
unto the LORD your God: for he is gracious and
merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and
repenteth him of the evil. ~John Gill
Now for another look, we go to the
Jamieson, Fausset, Brown commentary:
faithful — worthy of
credit, because “God” who says it “is faithful” to
His word (1 Corinthians 1:9; 1 Thessalonians 5:24; 2
Thessalonians 3:3; Revelation 21:5; Revelation
22:6). This seems to have become an axiomatic saying
among Christians the phrase, “faithful saying,” is
peculiar to the Pastoral Epistles (1 Timothy 2:11; 1
Timothy 4:9; Titus 3:8). Translate as Greek,
“Faithful is the saying.”
1 Corinthians 1:9
God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the
fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord.
1 Thessalonians 5:24
Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do
it.
2 Thessalonians 3:3
But the Lord is faithful, who shall stablish you,
and keep you from evil.
Revelations 21:5
And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make
all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for
these words are true and faithful.
Revelation 22:6
And he said unto me, These sayings are faithful and
true: and the Lord God of the holy prophets sent his
angel to shew unto his servants the things which
must shortly be done.
...and one of the scriptures from the Pastoral
Epistles referenced in the commentary:
1 Timothy 4:9
...this is our current verse.
This is a faithful saying and worthy of all
acceptation. ~Jamieson, Fausset, Brown
Now to the next phrase in the scripture. This
from Barnes Notes:
And worthy of all acceptation - Worthy to be
embraced or believed by all. This is so, because:
(1) all are sinners and need a Saviour. All,
therefore ought to welcome a doctrine which shows
them how they may be saved.
(2) because Christ died for all. If he had died for
only a part of the race, and could save only a part,
it could not be said with any propriety that the
doctrine was worthy of the acceptance of all. If
that were so, what had it to do with all? How could
all be interested in it or benefited by it If
medicine had been provided for only a part of the
patients in a hospital, it could not be said that
the announcement of such a fact was worthy the
attention of all. It would be highly worthy the
attention of those for whom it was designed, but
there would be a part who would have nothing to do
with it; and why should they concern themselves
about it? But if it was provided for each one, then
each one would have the highest interest in it. So,
if salvation has been provided for me, it is a
matter claiming my profoundest attention; and the
same is true of every human being. If not provided
for me, I have nothing to do with it. It does not
concern me at all.
See this subject discussed at length in the
supplementary note on 2 Corinthians 5:14.
(3) the manner in which the provision of salvation
has been made in the gospel is such as to make it
worthy of universal acceptation. It provides for the
complete pardon of sin, and the restoration of the
soul to God. This is done in a way that is honorable
to God - maintaining his law and his justice; and,
at the same time, it is in a way that is honorable
to man. He is treated afterward as a friend of God
and an heir of life. He is raised up from his
degradation, and restored to the favor of his Maker.
If man were himself to suggest a way of salvation,
he could think of none that would be more honorable
to God and to himself; none that would do so much to
maintain the law and to elevate him from all that
now degrades him. What higher honor can be conferred
on man than to have his salvation sought as an
object of intense and earnest desire by one so great
and glorious as the Son of God?
(4) it is worthy of all acceptance, from the nature
of the salvation itself. Heaven is offered, with all
its everlasting glories, through the blood of Christ
- and is not this worthy of universal acceptation?
People would accept of a coronet or crown; a
splendid mansion, or a rich estate; a present of
jewels and gold, if freely tendered to them - but
what trifles are these compared with heaven! If
there is anything that is worthy of universal
acceptation, it is heaven - for all will be
miserable unless they enter there.
~Barnes Notes
Now the John Gill:
all — all possible;
full; to be received by all, and with all the
faculties of the soul, mind, and heart. Paul, unlike
the false teachers (1Timothy 1:7), understands what
he is saying, and whereof he affirms; and by his
simplicity of style and subject, setting forth the
grand fundamental truth of salvation through Christ,
confutes the false teachers’ abstruse and
unpractical speculations (1 Corinthians1:18-28;
Titus 2:1).
acceptation — reception
(as of a boon)
into the heart, as well as the understanding, with
all gladness; this is faith acting on the Gospel
offer, and welcoming and appropriating it (Acts
2:41). ~John Gill
Let us go to the Treasury of
Scripture Knowledge:
For, "This is a faithful saying":
1 Timothy 1:19
Holding faith, and a good conscience; which some
having put away concerning faith have made
shipwreck:
2 Timothy 2:11
It is a faithful saying: For if we be dead with him,
we shall also live with him:
For , "and worthy of all acceptation":
John 1:12
But as many as received him, to them gave he power
to become the sons of God, even to them that believe
on his name:
John 3:36
He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life:
and he that believeth not the Son shall not see
life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.
1 John 5:11
And this is the record, that God hath given to us
eternal life, and this life is in his Son.
Isn't it interesting that with every Bible study
we see more in a biblical passage when we revisit
it? We have been learning much about "purpose"
or "sanctification" lately and I see this referenced
here in these scriptures about faithful sayings and
things worthy of acceptation.
1 Timothy 1:19:
To hold faith or the faith, one must know,
acknowledge and use things and act in situations
according to purpose. Notice in the verse some
have put these things aside with the result being
shipwreck.
The commentary now on "shipwreck":
Have made shipwreck -
There is an entire destruction of faith - as a ship
is wholly ruined that strikes on a rock and sinks.
~Barnes Notes
Go against sanctification and it will be the
same as running a boat upon the rocks.
John 1:12:
This verse says that we must believe on His name.
To believe on someone or something is to be in total
agreement. Firstfruits don't just believe on
the being of Jesus but embraces every aspect of His
mind and truth. How can one say they believe
on His name and not be in agreement with the purpose
He gave to all things?
John 3:36: We
have everlasting life before us because we are in
full obedience to every aspect of God the Father and
Jesus Christ to include all sanctifications.
What happens if our end product of the Salvation
Process is an attitude that rejects purpose of even
some of the things of God? The answer is in
the end of the verse: one reaps the wrath of
God. That wrath clearly manifests itself in
this life and in that "moment of judgment" just
before us.
Know and embrace all the faithful sayings of God and
Christ [every word of God
and everything they say] and accept them
entirely. This is the lesson of 1 Timothy 4:9
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