Humanitext Reader

New Testament · 1 Timothy §4.1-4.16

Warning against false teachers and training in godliness

Passage 4 of 6 · Greek

Summary

The author warns against ascetic false teachers who will appear in later times, urging Timothy to train himself in godliness, devote himself to sound teaching, and overcome his youth by becoming an example to the believers.

§4.1Τὸ δὲ πνεῦμα ῥητῶς λέγει ὅτι ἐν ὑστέροις καιροῖς ἀποστήσονταί τινες τῆς πίστεως, προσέχοντες πνεύμασι πλάνοις καὶ διδασκαλίαις δαιμονίων §4.2ἐν ὑποκρίσει ψευδολόγων, κεκαυστηριασμένων τὴν ἰδίαν συνείδησιν, §4.3κωλυόντων γαμεῖν, ἀπέχεσθαι βρωμάτων ἃ ὁ θεὸς ἔκτισεν εἰς μετάλημψιν μετὰ εὐχαριστίας τοῖς πιστοῖς καὶ ἐπεγνωκόσι τὴν ἀλήθειαν.
Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons, through the insincerity of liars whose consciences are seared, who forbid marriage and require abstinence from foods that God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth.
§4.4ὅτι πᾶν κτίσμα θεοῦ καλόν, καὶ οὐδὲν ἀπόβλητον μετὰ εὐχαριστίας λαμβανόμενον, §4.5ἁγιάζεται γὰρ διὰ λόγου θεοῦ καὶ ἐντεύξεως.
For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, for it is made holy by the word of God and prayer.
§4.6Ταῦτα ὑποτιθέμενος τοῖς ἀδελφοῖς καλὸς ἔσῃ διάκονος Χριστοῦ Ἰησοῦ, ἐντρεφόμενος τοῖς λόγοις τῆς πίστεως καὶ τῆς καλῆς διδασκαλίας ᾗ παρηκολούθηκας,
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.
§4.7τοὺς δὲ βεβήλους καὶ γραώδεις μύθους παραιτοῦ.
Have nothing to do with irreverent, silly myths.
γύμναζε δὲ σεαυτὸν πρὸς εὐσέβειαν· §4.8ἡ γὰρ σωματικὴ γυμνασία πρὸς ὀλίγον ἐστὶν ὠφέλιμος, ἡ δὲ εὐσέβεια πρὸς πάντα ὠφέλιμός ἐστιν, ἐπαγγελίαν ἔχουσα ζωῆς τῆς νῦν καὶ τῆς μελλούσης.
Rather train yourself for godliness; for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.
§4.9πιστὸς ὁ λόγος καὶ πάσης ἀποδοχῆς ἄξιος,
The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance.
§4.10εἰς τοῦτο γὰρ κοπιῶμεν καὶ ἀγωνιζόμεθα, ὅτι ἠλπίκαμεν ἐπὶ θεῷ ζῶντι, ὅς ἐστιν σωτὴρ πάντων ἀνθρώπων, μάλιστα πιστῶν.
For to this end we toil and strive, because we have our hope set on the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe.
§4.11Παράγγελλε ταῦτα καὶ δίδασκε.
Command and teach these things.
§4.12μηδείς σου τῆς νεότητος καταφρονείτω, ἀλλὰ τύπος γίνου τῶν πιστῶν ἐν λόγῳ, ἐν ἀναστροφῇ, ἐν ἀγάπῃ, ἐν πίστει, ἐν ἁγνίᾳ.
Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity.
§4.13ἕως ἔρχομαι πρόσεχε τῇ ἀναγνώσει, τῇ παρακλήσει, τῇ διδασκαλίᾳ.
Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching.
§4.14μὴ ἀμέλει τοῦ ἐν σοὶ χαρίσματος, ὃ ἐδόθη σοι διὰ προφητείας μετὰ ἐπιθέσεως τῶν χειρῶν τοῦ πρεσβυτερίου.
Do not neglect the gift you have, which was given you by prophecy when the council of elders laid their hands on you.
§4.15ταῦτα μελέτα, ἐν τούτοις ἴσθι, ἵνα σου ἡ προκοπὴ φανερὰ ᾖ πᾶσιν·
Practice these things, immerse yourself in them, so that all may see your progress.
§4.16ἔπεχε σεαυτῷ καὶ τῇ διδασκαλίᾳ·
Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching.
ἐπίμενε αὐτοῖς· τοῦτο γὰρ ποιῶν καὶ σεαυτὸν σώσεις καὶ τοὺς ἀκούοντάς σου.
Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers.

Notes

  1. §4.2κεκαυστηριασμένων τὴν ἰδίαν συνείδησιν — The perfect passive participle κεκαυστηριασμένων modifies the preceding genitive noun ψευδολόγων. The accusative τὴν ἰδίαν συνείδησιν is an accusative of respect (or limitation), indicating that they are 'seared in their own conscience.'
  2. §4.3κωλυόντων γαμεῖν, ἀπέχεσθαι βρωμάτων — A classic example of zeugma. The participle κωλυόντων (forbidding) governs the infinitive γαμεῖν (to marry), but applying it directly to ἀπέχεσθαι βρωμάτων (to abstain from foods) would mean 'forbidding to abstain from foods' (i.e., ordering to eat), which contradicts the context. Therefore, an antithetical positive verb like 'commanding' (such as κελευόντων) must be supplied in thought before the second infinitive, and this is reflected in the translations.
  3. §4.6ᾗ παρηκολούθηκας — The relative pronoun ᾗ (dative singular feminine) agrees in gender and number with its antecedent, the feminine noun τῆς καλῆς διδασκαλίας. Since the verb παρακολουθέω governs the dative case, the case of this relative pronoun is not a result of attraction but rather a standard grammatical government by the verb.

Cite this passage

New Testament, 1 Timothy §4.1-4.16. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0031.tlg015.humanitext-grc2:4.1-4.16

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