The Grace Notes devotions in 2024 are based on verses from 1 Timothy. Each devotion includes Greek, pastoral ministry notes, and prayer.

Before we read and discuss 1 Timothy 4:1-5, I would like to thank you for serving as a spiritual leader in our beloved fellowship. Thank you for proclaiming God’s truth and for walking in line with that truth. It is a gracious privilege to serve as a shepherd under Christ, serving his people with his word, praying for them, watching out for their souls, leading them in the worship of God, and equipping them for lives of service. Thank you for all your efforts to serve faithfully. I pray that the Lord continues to bless and keep you, making you also a blessing to many others.

“By their fruits you will know them.” When it comes to religious teachers, their fruits are their teachings. The teachings of true teachers are in line with God’s holy word. False teachers say the opposite of what God says. Their teachings come from “the father of lies” and they lead to death.

^4.1 Τὸ δὲ πνεῦμα ῥητῶς λέγει ὅτι ἐν ὑστέροις καιροῖς ἀποστήσονταί τινες τῆς πίστεως, προσέχοντες πνεύμασι πλάνοις καὶ διδασκαλίαις δαιμονίων  ² ἐν ὑποκρίσει ψευδολόγων, κεκαυστηριασμένων τὴν ἰδίαν συνείδησιν,  ³ κωλυόντων γαμεῖν, ἀπέχεσθαι βρωμάτων ἃ ὁ θεὸς ἔκτισεν εἰς μετάλημψιν μετὰ εὐχαριστίας τοῖς πιστοῖς καὶ ἐπεγνωκόσι τὴν ἀλήθειαν.  ⁴ ὅτι πᾶν κτίσμα θεοῦ καλόν, καὶ οὐδὲν ἀπόβλητον μετὰ εὐχαριστίας λαμβανόμενον,  ⁵ ἁγιάζεται γὰρ διὰ λόγου θεοῦ καὶ ἐντεύξεως. 

There are only two Greek sentences in this section. The first sentence identifies the teachings and the heart of those who teach a false piety. The second sentence describes the sweet satisfaction of true piety.

^4.1 Τὸ δὲ πνεῦμα ῥητῶς λέγει ὅτι ἐν ὑστέροις καιροῖς ἀποστήσονταί τινες τῆς πίστεως, προσέχοντες πνεύμασι πλάνοις καὶ διδασκαλίαις δαιμονίων  ² ἐν ὑποκρίσει ψευδολόγων, κεκαυστηριασμένων τὴν ἰδίαν συνείδησιν, ³ κωλυόντων γαμεῖν, ἀπέχεσθαι βρωμάτων ἃ ὁ θεὸς ἔκτισεν εἰς μετάλημψιν μετὰ εὐχαριστίας τοῖς πιστοῖς καὶ ἐπεγνωκόσι τὴν ἀλήθειαν.

Τὸ δὲ πνεῦμα ῥητῶς λέγει – “The Holy Spirit says clearly…” Jesus said it clearly in Matt 13, Matt 24, Mark 4, and Luke 8. The Spirit recorded Jesus’ warnings in the Scriptures and has reiterated those warnings through the apostles. 

ὅτι ἐν ὑστέροις καιροῖς ἀποστήσονταί τινες τῆς πίστεως – Our English word apostasy comes from the Greek word for “fall away.” In the later days, after Jesus’ first coming and continuing until his second coming, people will fall away from the faith. They will lose saving faith and depart from the teachings of the faith.

προσέχοντες πνεύμασι πλάνοις καὶ διδασκαλίαις δαιμονίων – What happened with these apostates? They paid attention to and gave heed to deceitful/deceiving spirits and the teachings of demons. They didn’t properly test the spirits to see whether they were from God or not.

ἐν ὑποκρίσει ψευδολόγων, κεκαυστηριασμένων τὴν ἰδίαν συνείδησιν – How do demons deceive apostates? By speaking through human beings who teach falsehood. These teachers are hypocrites, putting on an air of ethical rigor and devotion to God, when in reality their hearts are against God. Their hearts are cauterized. Repentance and forgiveness through faith in Christ Jesus mean nothing to them. They teach something different and “better”—a theology of works-righteousness over against a righteousness that is by faith from first to last (Rom 1).

κωλυόντων γαμεῖν, ἀπέχεσθαι βρωμάτων – Paul summarizes their message. They forbid marrying and (they command people) to hold themselves away from certain foods, probably meat. People are to do this as a kind of noble service to God.  

ἃ ὁ θεὸς ἔκτισεν εἰς μετάλημψιν μετὰ εὐχαριστίας τοῖς πιστοῖς καὶ ἐπεγνωκόσι τὴν ἀλήθειαν – Teachers of false piety speak against God, who created marriage and food so that people could receive (enjoy) those gifts with thankful hearts. This is especially true of God’s chosen people who have faith and who know the truth. They enjoy God’s good gifts in a way that unbelievers cannot. Jesus has taught his followers to pray, “Give us today our daily bread,” and to receive their daily bread with thankful hearts. The devil cannot stand seeing such holy happiness. That is why he sends out his preachers of phony virtue. These liars attack the church from the outside. They establish themselves as leaders inside the visible church. With their anti-Christian doctrine, they deceive and plague many.

Verses 4 and 5 reinforce Paul’s statement in verse 3.

ὅτι πᾶν κτίσμα θεοῦ καλόν – For all of God’s creation is good. That is true of food and marriage. It was not good for the man to be alone. After God created Eve for Adam, he saw all that he had created, and it was very good.

καὶ οὐδὲν ἀπόβλητον μετὰ εὐχαριστίας λαμβανόμενον – God wants us to receive his good gifts with thanksgiving and not to throw them away as worthless things.  

ἁγιάζεται γὰρ διὰ λόγου θεοῦ καὶ ἐντεύξεως – These gifts are sanctified to us by the word of God (his objective declaration that these gifts are good, proper, and fit for us) and by prayer (our reception of these gifts with believing and thankful hearts). Again, how the devil and this unbelieving world hate to see this!

Prayer: Dear Father in heaven, every good and perfect gift comes from you. I am thinking about the daily bread that comes my way day after day, but especially about the Bread of Life who you sent down out of heaven for helpless and undeserving sinners like me. In your holy, Christian church you daily and richly forgive my sins and the sins of all your people because of Jesus and his saving work. I give you eternal thanks. In these end times, continue to send your Holy Spirit so that we are not deceived by the devil’s liars. Keep us, our loved ones, and the people we serve strong in your grace. Through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

P.S. For further reading, I recommend Pres. emeritus David Valleskey’s recent book, The Splendid Task of the Ministry: A Pastoral Commentary on the Pastoral Epistles (NPH, 2023).

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