1 Timothy 4:1

4:1-5 The Holy Spirit, both in the Old and the New Testament, spoke of a general turning from the faith of Christ, and the pure worship of God. This should come during the Christian dispensation, for those are called the latter days. False teachers forbid as evil what God has allowed, and command as a duty what he has left indifferent. We find exercise for watchfulness and self-denial, in attending to the requirements of God's law, without being tasked to imaginary duties, which reject what he has allowed. But nothing justifies an intemperate or improper use of things; and nothing will be good to us, unless we seek by prayer for the Lord's blessing upon it.

Now {1} the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the {a} faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; (1) He contrasts that true doctrine, with false opinions, which he foretells that certain ones who shall fall away from God and his religion, will bring in by the suggestion of Satan, and so that a great number will give ear to them. (a) From the true doctrine of God.

1 Timothy 4:1 . Now the Spirit — By calling the Christian Church, in the end of the preceding chapter, the pillar and support of the truth, the apostle taught, that one of the important purposes for which that great spiritual building was reared, was to preserve the knowledge and practice of true religion in the world. Nevertheless, knowing that in after times great corruptions, both in doctrine and practice, would at length take place in the church itself, and that the general reception of these corruptions by professed Christians would be urged as a proof of their being the truths and precepts of God, on pretence that the church is the pillar, &c., of the truth, the apostle, to strip these corruptions of any credit which they might derive from their being received by the multitude, and maintained by persons of the greatest note in the church, judged it necessary in this chapter to foretel the introduction of these corruptions, under the appellation of an apostacy from the faith, and to stigmatize the authors thereof as hypocrites and deceivers. And to give his prediction the greater authority, he informed Timothy that it was revealed to him in a peculiar and express manner. The Spirit, says he, speaketh expressly — As concerning a thing of great moment, and soon to be fulfilled.

Some have thought the meaning of the apostle to be, that the Holy Spirit had revealed what follows by Daniel, and some of the other prophets; but, says Macknight, “the things here mentioned are not in Daniel, nor anywhere else in Scripture, not even in the prophecy which the apostle himself formerly delivered concerning the man of sin. I therefore think these words were, for the greater solemnity and certainty, pronounced by the Spirit in the apostle’s hearing, after he had finished the preceding passage.” But the apostle might mean, that the Holy Spirit had revealed this, not only to him, but also to other contemporary prophets. That in the latter, or after times — As the phrase εν υστεροις καιροις may be translated, because it denotes future times, without marking whether they are near or remote. Or if, as Mede thinks, Daniel’s four monarchies are referred to, as it was under the Roman that the God of heaven set up the kingdom of his Son, the latter, or after times here intended, may be the last part of the duration of the Roman empire. Some shall depart — Or rather, shall apostatize, from the faith — The apostle had predicted the same thing before, 2 Thessalonians 2:3 , where see the notes. There the character of the teachers who were to introduce the apostacy is described; but in this epistle the erroneous opinions and corrupt practices which constituted the apostacy are foretold.

1 Timothy 4:1 . Δὲ , [ now ] but ) The antithesis is between ἑδραίωμα , the ground , ch. 1 Timothy 3:15 , and ἀποστήσονται , shall depart or fall away; as also between “the mystery of godliness,” and “the mystery of iniquity,” of which the apostle speaks here by description, and by name at 2 Thessalonians 2:7 .— ῥητῶς ) expressly , as of a thing of great importance, which will speedily come to pass, in a set form of words .— λέγει , speaketh ) by the prophets in the time of Paul, or by Paul himself, who also was a prophet; hence he says, “This know ,” 2 Timothy 3:1 .— ἐν ὑστέροις καιροῖς , in the last times ) Paul shows that these times , following after the ascension of the Lord, ch. 1 Timothy 3:16 , were then already in existence, inasmuch as he uses a present remedy for the then existing evil, 1 Timothy 4:5-6 ; comp. 2 Timothy 3:1 , et seqq. ὑστέρος is used comparatively ( latter ), for ὕστατος expresses a different idea ( the last times of all).— ἀποστήσονταί τινες τῆς πίστεως , some shall depart , or fall away, from the faith ) Comp. 2 Timothy 2:18 ; shall depart , viz. by denying what is true and adding what is false.— τινἑς ) some, i.e. many, and gradually more; Romans 3:3 , note.[28] Their names are not mentioned. There are not wanting those who suspect the person meant to be Apollonius Tyanæus, who came to Ephesus in the lifetime of Timothy.

They do not deserve well at the hands of the truth, who too much extenuate the heretical doctrines of the first century.— τῆς πίστεως , from the faith ) which in all its exactness maintains Divine revelation, 1 Timothy 4:6 , [ and of which the foundation was a little ago described ( 1 Timothy 3:15-16 ).—V. g.]— πνεύμασι πλάνοις καὶ διδασκαλίαις δαιμονίων , seducing spirits and doctrines of demons ) Seducing spirits are those who speak by false prophets, and are called spirits , not only in respect of their own nature, but because they inspire[29] (with their deceit) these false prophets; therefore the word spirits is parallel to doctrines [not to demons ]. Δαιμονίων , of demons , is the genitive of the cause (the source from which the doctrines flow). Δαιμόνιν is often taken in a good sense by the Greeks; for example, by the Athenians, Acts 17:18 : but with the LXX. interpreters and the apostles, it always denotes evil spirits. [28] Some , for many . An Euphemism. And moreover unbelievers, though they be many, are spoken of as some , indefinitely, because they are not much taken into account.—ED. [29] The use of spirant in connection with spiritus , cannot be imitated in a translation.—TRANSL.

Now (δὲ) Better but, since there is a contrast with the preceding confession of the norm of faith. Expressly (ῥητῶς) N.T.o. olxx. In express words. In the latter times (ἐν ὑστέροις καιροῖς) The phrase only here. For καιρός particular season or juncture, see on Matthew 12:1; see on Acts 1:7. Not the same as ἐν ἐσχάταις in the last days, 2 Timothy 3:1, which denotes the period closing the present aeon, and immediately preceding the parousia; while this signifies merely a time that is future to the writer. There is not the intense sense of the nearness of Christ's coming which characterises Paul. The writer does not think of his present as "the latter days." Some (τινες) Not, as 1 Timothy 1:3, the heretical teachers, but those whom they mislead. Shall depart from the faith (ἀποστήσονται τῆς πίστεως) The phrase only here. The verb in Paul only 2 Corinthians 12:8. Quite frequent in Luke and Acts. The kindred noun τασία (Acts 21:21; 2 Thessalonians 2:3) is almost literally transcribed in our apostasy. Seducing (πλάνοις) Primarily, wandering, roving. Ὁ πλάνος a vagabond, hence deceiver or seducer. See 2 John 1:7, and comp. ὁ πλανῶν the deceiver, used of Satan, Revelation 12:9; Revelation 20:10; τὸ πνεῦμα τῆς πλάνης the spirit of error, 1 John 4:6. Once in Paul, 2 Corinthians 6:8, and in lxx, Job 19:4; Jeremiah 23:32. Evil spirits animating the false teachers are meant. Doctrines of devils (διδασκαλίαις δαιμονίων) Better, teachings of demons. Comp.

James 3:15. Διδασκαλία teaching often in Pastorals. A few times in Paul. See on 1 Timothy 1:10. Δαιμόνιον demon only here in Pastorals. Very frequent in Luke: in Paul only 1 Corinthians 10:20, 1 Corinthians 10:21. Teachings proceeding from or inspired by demons. The working of these evil spirits is here specially concerned with striking at the true teaching which underlies godliness. It is impossible to say what particular form of false teaching is alluded to.

CHAPTER 4 1Ti 4:1-16. Prediction of a Coming Departure from the Faith: Timothy's Duty as to It: General Directions to Him. The "mystery of iniquity" here alluded to, and already working (2Th 2:7), stands opposed to the "mystery of godliness" just mentioned (1Ti 3:16). 1. Now—Greek, "But." In contrast to the "mystery of godliness." the Spirit—speaking by the prophets in the Church (whose prophecies rested on those of the Old Testament, Da 7:25; 8:23, &c.; 11:30, as also on those of Jesus in the New Testament, Mt 24:11-24), and also by Paul himself, 2Th 2:3 (with whom accord 2Pe 3:3; 1Jo 2:18; Jude 18). expressly—"in plain words." This shows that he refers to prophecies of the Spirit then lying before him. in the latter times—in the times following upon the times in which he is now writing. Not some remote future, but times immediately subsequent, the beginnings of the apostasy being already discernible (Ac 20:29): these are the forerunners of "the last days" (2Ti 3:1). depart from the faith—The apostasy was to be within the Church, the faithful one becoming the harlot. In 2Th 2:3 (written earlier), the apostasy of the Jews from God (joining the heathen against Christianity) is the groundwork on which the prophecy rises; whereas here, in the Pastoral Epistles, the prophecy is connected with Gnostic errors, the seeds of which had already been sown in the Church [Auberlen] (2Ti 2:18).