1 But the Spirit says clearly that in later times some will be turned away from the faith, giving their minds to spirits of deceit, and the teachings of evil spirits, 2 Through the false ways of men whose words are untrue, whose hearts are burned as with a heated iron; 3 Who keep men from being married and from taking food which God made to be taken with praise by those who have faith and true knowledge. 4 Because everything which God has made is good, and nothing is evil, if it is taken with praise: 5 For it is made holy by the word of God and by prayer. 6 If you keep these things before the minds of the brothers, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, trained in the words of the faith and of the right teaching which has been your guide: 7 But have nothing to do with unclean and foolish stories. Give yourself training in religion: 8 For the training of the body is of profit for a little, but religion is of profit in every way, giving hope for the life which now is, and for that which is to come. 9 This is a true saying, in which all may put their faith. 10 And this is the purpose of all our work and our fighting, because our hope is in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, and specially of those who have faith. 11 Let these be your orders and your teaching. 12 Let no one make little of you because you are young, but be an example to the church in word, in behaviour, in love, in faith, in holy living. 13 Till I come, give attention to the reading of the holy Writings, to comforting the saints, and to teaching. 14 Make use of that grace in you, which was given to you by the word of the prophets, when the rulers of the church put their hands on you. 15 Have a care for these things; give yourself to them with all your heart, so that all may see how you go forward. 16 Give attention to yourself and your teaching. Go on in these things; for in doing so you will get salvation for yourself and for those who give hearing to you.
1 Timothy · Bible in Basic English
1 Timothy 4 Bible in Basic English
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
Cross references (16)
Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.
- 1 2 Timothy 3:1–9; 2 Peter 2:1; 2 Corinthians 11:13–15; Jude 18; 2 Thessalonians 2:3–12
- 2 Ephesians 4:19; Romans 16:18; Acts 20:30; Romans 1:28; Matthew 24:24
- 3 Hebrews 13:4; 1 Timothy 4:4; Romans 14:6; Colossians 2:16; 1 Corinthians 10:30–31
- 4 Romans 14:20; 1 Corinthians 10:25; Romans 14:14; 1 Corinthians 10:23; Acts 21:25
- 5 1 Timothy 4:3; Luke 4:4; 1 Corinthians 7:14; Titus 1:15; Luke 11:41
- 6 Titus 2:7–10; Colossians 3:16; 2 Peter 3:1–2; Colossians 4:7; Matthew 13:52
- 7 2 Timothy 2:16; Titus 2:12; 1 Timothy 1:4; 2 Peter 1:5–8; Titus 3:9
- 8 Matthew 6:33; 1 Timothy 6:6; Psalm 37:3–4; Proverbs 19:23; Proverbs 22:4
- 9 1 Timothy 1:15
- 10 1 Timothy 2:4; 1 John 2:2; John 1:29; 1 John 4:14; 1 Timothy 2:6
- 11 1 Timothy 6:2; 2 Timothy 4:2; Titus 2:15; 1 Timothy 5:7; Titus 3:8
- 12 Titus 2:7; 2 Timothy 2:22; 2 Timothy 2:15; 1 Peter 5:3; 2 Peter 1:5–8
- 13 Acts 6:4; Titus 2:15; 2 Timothy 4:2; 1 Timothy 4:16; Acts 17:11
- 14 2 Timothy 1:6; 1 Peter 4:9–11; 1 Timothy 1:18; Acts 6:6; 1 Timothy 5:22
- 15 Matthew 5:16; Psalm 143:5; Philippians 2:15–16; Psalm 104:34; Psalm 119:48
- 16 Titus 1:9; Titus 2:7; 2 John 8–9; 1 Corinthians 3:10–11; Ezekiel 33:7–9
Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences
What the Fathers said
Passages from the Church Fathers that expound or quote this chapter, verbatim from the public-domain Schaff edition (19th-century English translations).
How these were chosen
“Commentary” is the opening of a homily or exposition on this chapter (John Chrysostom’s homilies, Augustine’s tractates, sermons and expositions of the Psalms). “Quotes” are sentences where the edition’s own footnotes identify a quotation of a verse here, kept only when the wording matches the verse. Only works whose authorship is not in doubt are used. Psalms follow the Hebrew/English numbering (Augustine numbers them as the Septuagint does: his Psalm 50 is Psalm 51 here).
As those who adhere to the faith are fixed on a safe anchor, so those who fall from the faith can nowhere rest; but after many wanderings to and fro, they are borne at last into the very gulf of perdition.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 13 (1889)
Thou hast taught me, good Father, that "unto the pure all things are pure;" but "it is evil for that man who eateth with offence;" "and that every creature of Thine is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with, thanksgiving;" and that "meat commendeth us not to God;" and that no man should "judge us in …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 1 (1886)
… neither condemn the men as sinners, nor abhor the flesh as strange food; for the Apostle knows some of this sort, when he says: forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God created to be received with thanksgiving by them that believe.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 2, vol. 7 (1894)
In the First Epistle to Timothy do we not read: "These things command and teach?" What these things are, has been told previously.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 2 (1887)
And that the Holy Ghost subsists, and lives, and speaks, and foretells, I have often said in what goes before, and Paul writes it plainly to Timothy: Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in later times some shall depart from the faith,--which we see in the divisions not only of former times but also of our own; so motley …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 2, vol. 7 (1894)