Summary:

Some spiritual gifts were given by the laying on of hands (Acts 8:18). If Timothy could neglect his gift (4:14), it must mean a man could choose to use his gift or not. The Corinthians were told to choose not to use the gift of tongues when there was no interpreter (ICor.14:27,28), and not to use the gift of prophecy if someone was already using it (ICor.14:29-32). When Paul tells Timothy not to neglect his gift, it suggests he was choosing not to use his gift.

What was his gift? Well, it was given by the laying on of hands, and so was the gift in II Timothy 1:6-8. The gift there seems to have been the gift of “apostle” (ICor.12:28). That gift gave Paul the boldness (Rom.1:15) he later lacked when the gifts faded (Eph. 6:19), and when Paul told Timothy to stir up his gift of apostle, it was to counter “the spirit of fear.” He was an apostle like Barnabas (Acts 14:4,14).

But we know the gift of apostle included all the gifts, for Paul could speak in tongues, heal the sick raise the dead, etc. In the context here, Timothy was probably neglecting to do what the previous verse said, give attention to reading the Bible and exhorting people to obey its doctrines. That’s the gift of ministry (Rom.12:6,7)! Even today elders lay hands on a man to ordain him to the ministry, although only to identify with him. They cannot impart a gift of ministry.

At Timothy’s ordination his gift was given, and prophecies were made on him (ITim.1:18), probably that he would “war a good warfare” since Timothy was told to do so “by” those prophecies. When men began to teach the law (1:7) and that the resurrection was past (1:20 cf. IITim. 2:16,17), a timid man like Timothy found it easier to neglect his gift than to teach the Word and encourage people to obey it.

Paul also told Timothy to “meditate” (4:15). The world meditates by emptying their mind, but we meditate by filling ours, usually with the Word (Ps.119:15,23).Here Timothy was to meditate on “these things,” a phrase Paul uses 8 times in this epistle to mark off sections. Since it is used in 4:11, he’s being told to meditate on the things in v.12-15.

If he would, his profiting would appear “to all.” That was the purpose of the gifts, to profit “withal” (ICor.12:7). When used properly they profited the one with the gift and others around him in the church. But we know by this time the gifts were fading, since Paul couldn’t send Timothy a blessed handkerchief (Acts 19:11,12 cf. ITim.5:23). But as the gifts faded, men like Timothy could still profit by meditating on those things and giving himself “wholly” to them (4:15) so his profiting could appear to all and profit them. That’s why I try to give myself wholly to studying and teaching and not get distracted by politics, etc.

Most pastors give heed to their people to see if they are giving themselves to spiritual things, but Paul tells Timothy to take heed to himself (4:16). If he would also give heed to “the doctrine” he wouldn’t give “heed to…doctrines of devils” (ITim.4:1). The way to not be seduced by false doctrine isn’t to study false doctrine (Jer.10:2). You might just fall for false doctrine that way! (Deut.12:30). The way to not give heed to false doctrine is to study Pauline doctrine. God wants us “simple” concerning those that teach false doctrine (Rom.16:17-19). Don’t be studying Islam to try to help Muslims! Paul says to “avoid” them, not study them!

If you want to know how important it was for Timothy to “continue” in those things (v.16), where do you think we’d be if Paul hadn’t (Gal.2:5)? Where do you think we’d be if Timothy hadn’t? Where do you think the next generation will be if we don’t? If Timothy would give heed to the doctrine, he would “save” himself from the doctrines of devils, and from all the misery and heartache that comes from not giving heed to Pauline doctrine. And this would save his congregation from those things as well.

If Timothy had an extraordinary miraculous gift, yet was told to avail himself of ordinary means, how important it is for people like us, who don’t have a gift, to avail ourselves of reading the Scriptures and meditating on those things, etc. And while you may not have any miraculous gifts, you have natural gifts God can use, as He used Esther’s beauty, and David’s ability with a sling. Just don’t neglect to use your natural gifts for the Lord!

Summary:

It can be intimidating for a timid young man like Timothy to have to “command” the older people that must have been in his congregation, and it can be difficult for older people not to “despise” (v.11) a young pastor when he does. But the people in the Ephesian church that Timothy pastored shouldn’t have despised him, for as Paul said, “Timotheus …worketh the work of the Lord, as I also do. Let no man therefore despise him” (ICor.16:10,11), and young pastors who are being Pauline today shouldn’t be despised either. If a pastor starts to give his opinions about things, then God’s people should despise him, be he young or old.

Of course, this didn’t mean Timothy could act foolishly, then when people despised his youth, say, “Paul says I’m not to let you despise me!” The way to not let anyone despise your youth is not give anyone reason to despise it. That’s good advice for all young people, not just pastors!

An “example” (v.12) is a pattern (cf. Tit.2:7). What’s a pat-tern? God told Moses how to make the tabernacle but then showed him the “pattern” (Ex.25:1-40) of the tabernacle in heaven (Rev.15:5). He probably said something like, “There, that’s a tabernacle, make it like that.” That’s what Paul did for Timothy and Titus, told them how to edify believers, then told them to show people what a believer should look like by being an example, a pattern.

Paul told Timothy to be an example “in word” because words express who you are. Christ is called “The Word of God” (John 1:1-14) because He expressed who the Father is (Heb.1:1-3). Your words express who you are, but you have an old man and a new man. Don’t let your old man express who you are! Even if your old man wasn’t such a bad person, he wasn’t better than Christ, and Christ expressed the words of His Father rather than His own (John 14:24). You should too, if you want to be an example of a believer “in word.”

Being an example “in conversation” means in your conduct (cf. II Pe.2:4-8). If you’re not being an example of the doctrines you teach, you are tearing down with one hand what you’re trying to build up in people with the other. Being an example in love isn’t possible, for love is a feeling, and feelings can’t be seen, but being an example “in charity” is possible, for charity is love in action.

You should also be an example of the believer “in spirit,” in the spirit of humility, for example (Pr.29:23 cf. 27:2). Being “patient in spirit” is also a good example (Eccl.7:8). Being “fervent in spirit” (Rom.12:11) is also very exemplary behavior. “Fervent” means hot or boiling over, the kind of spirit that made Apollos someone who “taught diligently the things of the Lord” (Acts 18:24,25).

You should also be an example of the believer “in faith.” People can’t see your faith, but they can see your faithfulness, and that’s what the word means here (cf. Rom. 3:3). So be an example of the believer in faithfulness, and “in purity.” That word is only used in ITimothy 5:1,2, where it refers to chastity.

Paul tells Timothy to “give attendance to reading” (v.13), specially the Bible (cf. Deut.17:18,19). You can read the Bible through in 40 hours, by the way. You can easily read it through in a year by reading a little each day, and I recommend this highly!

Paul also told Timothy to give attendance “to exhortation.” Exhortation means to encourage people to do what the Bible says. After the Word was read, Paul was invited to give a word of exhortation (Acts 13:15). If you hear the Word but don’t do it, God doesn’t think much of that (Ezek. 33:30-32), so “be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only” (James 1:22).

Finally, Paul tells Timothy to give attendance “to doctrine.” This is specially important for pastors, who must “preach the word” and “exhort with…doctrine” (II Tim. 4:2). Don’t exhort people to do things with old sayings. Don’t exhort people to do things because they are things your parents taught you to do. Exhort them to do things with Bible doctrine!

Summary:

“Profane” (v.7) means anything outside of the Bible, such as profane history. Paul is telling Timothy to shun fables outside the Bible, stories that must deal with “bodily exercise” or Paul wouldn’t say “for bodily exercise profiteth little.” This would agree with “old wives fables,” which are about things old wives know a lot about, things like pregnancy, health, nutrition, and the good effects of exercise.

What could Paul have against exercise? Well, remember he predicted in the last days some would command to abstain from meats (4:3) so they can be healthy enough to survive the persecution they think will come in the last days because they think our last days will be like Israel’s, filled with persecution that demands that you to run or fight. Being in tip top shape helps with that, but exercising yourself to godliness will help in our last days, days that will be filled with “doctrines of devils” (4:1).

How will exercising godliness help you oppose doctrines of devils? Obeying the Word helps you learn the word (Ps. 119:100). You may not think of godliness as an exercise, but “exercise” just means to use or practice something. God exercises godliness (Jer.9:24), and so should we. It will help you prepare for the last days before the Rapture. The hope of the Rapture instilled godliness in Paul (Acts 24:14-16), and it should in us as well (Titus 2:11-13).

Even doctors in Paul’s day knew exercise profits a little (4:8), and I’m sure Dr. Luke told Paul about the benefits of sleeping better, feeling better, thinking better, etc. Paul doesn’t discount the profit of exercise, he just says godliness profits more. Sleeping and feeling and thinking better profit in this life, but godliness profits in this life and in the life to come in heaven. We will be rewarded on the basis of how we built others up in the faith (ICor.3:5-15), and godliness builds men up by giving them a good example

Paul calls our reward a profit, which is the benefit you have after you’ve covered your expenses. The reward we receive in in heaven will more than cover the expenditures of godliness we invest in this life (Rom.8:18). Remember that when you take account of your life to see if you are getting more out of it than what you are putting into it.

But if you think your books don’t balance without that, you may be using Israel’s ledger. Under their accounting system God rewarded them health for godliness (Deut.7:12-15) and wealth (Deut.28:1-11). If you think you’re under that ac-counting system, you’re going to think God is swimming in red ink for the blessings He’s failing to profit you. In reality, even the world knows that virtue is its own reward.

Paul knows some will doubt the profit of godliness, so Paul adds it is a “faithful saying” that there is profit in godliness (4:9). That means you can count on the profit of godliness as much as you can count on the fact that Christ came to save sinners (ITim.1:15). Both parts of that saying are worthy of acceptation, that Christ came, and that He came to save sinners, and both parts of this saying are worthy of acceptation, that godliness profits in this life and the next. If you are not finding godliness profitable in this life, it is only because you haven’t learned that “godliness with contentment is great gain” (ITim.6:6). If you still lust after the riches that being dishonest can bring, or if you lust after the flesh that being carnal can bring, you haven’t yet learned to be content with godliness and so don’t see the profit in it.

We should react to the promise of this profit as Paul did, by choosing to “labor” for the Lord (4:10). How hard would you labor at work if you knew every dollar you earned could be spent in this life and saved for your life after retirement? You wouldn’t care if anyone “reproached” you, so don’t worry if you “suffer reproach” for working for the Lord’s profit in this life and in the life to come.

Of course, to believe God can profit you in the next life, you have to believe in “the living God” (4:10), for a dead god can’t profit you in the life to come. Godliness can even profit unbelievers who apply godly principles—but not in the life to come. That’s why Christ is “specially” the Savior of believers, for we are saved the misery of sin in this life (ITim.4:16) and from hell in the life to come.