1 Timothy 4:15

4:11-16 Men's youth will not be despised, if they keep from vanities and follies. Those who teach by their doctrine, must teach by their life. Their discourse must be edifying; their conversation must be holy; they must be examples of love to God and all good men, examples of spiritual-mindedness. Ministers must mind these things as their principal work and business. By this means their profiting will appear in all things, as well as to all persons; this is the way to profit in knowledge and grace, and also to profit others. The doctrine of a minister of Christ must be scriptural, clear, evangelical, and practical; well stated, explained, defended, and applied. But these duties leave no leisure for wordly pleasures, trifling visits, or idle conversation, and but little for what is mere amusement, and only ornamental. May every believer be enabled to let his profiting appear unto all men; seeking to experience the power of the gospel in his own soul, and to bring forth its fruits in his life.

1 Timothy 4:15-16 . Meditate on these things — On the instructions I have given thee, or the things mentioned 1 Timothy 4:13 . True meditation implies the lively exercise of faith, hope, love, joy, as it were melted down together by the fire of God’s Holy Spirit, and offered up to God in secret. Give thyself wholly to them — On this passage Bengelius writes, He that is wholly in these things, will be little in worldly company, in other studies, in collecting books, shells, coins, wherein many pastors consume a considerable part of their lives. That thy profiting — Thy proficiency in knowledge and wisdom, holiness and usefulness; may appear unto all — To their edification and the honour of the gospel. Take heed unto thyself — To the state of thy own soul, thy growth in grace, the motives of thy actions, and thy whole spirit and conduct; and to thy doctrine — That it be true, important, and adapted to the state and character of thy hearers. Continue in them — In attention to all the preceding advices, and especially in this diligent care respecting both thy life and doctrine. For in doing this — With zeal, constancy, and perseverance; thou shalt both save thyself and those that hear thee — What a powerful argument is here suggested to engage ministers to preach the doctrines of the gospel with truth, zeal, fidelity, and diligence, and to set a proper example before their hearers!

By thus faithfully discharging their duty, they will give satisfactory proof of the reality of their faith and love, and the sincerity of their obedience, and, persevering in this way, will save themselves eternally. In the mean time by their sound doctrine, and, edifying example, they will impress their hearers with such a just sense of the truth and excellence of Christianity, as to induce them also to believe and obey the gospel, so that they likewise will be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.

Meditate upon these things; Meleta, let these things be the business of thy thoughts, and take care of them. Give thyself wholly to them; be in them, (so it is in the Greek), let them be thy whole work, not thy work by the by, but thy chief and principal business. That thy profiting may appear to all; that so, as all men’s gifts improve by study and exercise, thine also may so improve, that all men may take notice of the improvement of them.

1 Timothy 4:15 . Μελέτα , meditate ) Μελετᾷν is also applied to the gymnastic exercises; comp. 1 Timothy 4:7 , γὐμναζε σεαυτόν . Let this, he says, be thy study . He directed Timothy to continue in the same study when he was further advanced in life, Ephesians 2, ch. 1 Timothy 3:14 , etc. Who would not desire to be engrossed with the same study as Ions: as he lives? There are vicissitudes in all other studies; some are the fashion to-day, others will be the custom tomorrow. The one study which is devoted to (bestowed upon) Sacred Scripture never seems to be very conspicuous, but at the same time it alone never becomes obsolete. It has an everlasting kingdom, without tyranny and superstitious fascination, a solid reward, an use which will cause no regret.— ἐν τούτοις ἴσθι , give thyself wholly to them ) He who gives himself wholly to them, will be less in worldly boon-companionships (convivialities); he will less engage in the study of other things, in collecting books, shells, coins, in which many pastors, unawares, waste a considerable part of their life.— προκοπὴ , profiting ) which is maintained by exercise.

Meditate (μελέτα) Only here and Acts 4:25 (citation). Often in Class. and lxx. Most translators reject the A.V. meditate, and substitute be diligent in, or practice, or take care for. Meditate, however, is legitimate, although in Class. the word commonly appears in one of the other senses. The connection between the different meanings is apparent. Exercise or practice applied to the mind becomes thinking or meditation. In lxx it represents seven Hebrew equivalents, and signifies to meditate, talk of, murmur, delight one's self in, attend to. Often to meditate, Joshua 1:8; Psalm 1:2; Psalm 2:1; Psalm 37:12; Psalm 72:6; Sir. 6:7. Meditation is a talking within the mind, and issues in speech; hence to speak, as Psalm 35:28; Psalm 37:30; Isaiah 69:3. Similarly, λόγος signifies both reason and discourse. In Lat. meditari, "to reflect," is also "to exercise in," "to practice," as Virgil, Ecclesiastes 1:2. In the Vulg. meditabor is the translation of murmur or mourn in Isaiah 38:14. The Hebrew הָגָהֽ means to murmur, whisper; hence the inner whispering of the heart; hence to think, meditate, consider, as Psalm 63:7; Psalm 78:13. Give thyself wholly to them (ἐν τούτοις ἴσθι) Lit. be in these things. The phrase N.T.o. The only parallel in lxx is Proverbs 23:17. The meaning is that he is to throw himself wholly into his ministry. Comp. "totus in illis," Horace, Sat. i. 9, 2. Profiting (προκοπὴ) Better, advance or progress. Only here and Philippians 1:12.

The verb προκόπτειν in 2 Timothy 2:16; 2 Timothy 3:9, 2 Timothy 3:13. In lxx, see Sir. 51:17; 2 Macc. 8:8. The figure in the word is uncertain, but is supposed to be that of pioneers cutting (κόπτω) a way before (πρὸ) an army, and so furthering its advance. The opposite is ἐγκόπτειν to cut into, throw obstacles in the way, and so hinder. See Galatians 5:7; 1 Thessalonians 2:18; 1 Peter 3:7.

15. Meditate—Greek, "Meditate CAREFULLY upon" (Ps 1:2; 119:15; compare "Isaac," Ge 24:63). these things—(1Ti 4:12-14). As food would not nourish without digestion, which assimilates the food to the substance of the body, so spiritual food, in order to benefit us, needs to be appropriated by prayerful meditation. give thyself wholly to—literally, "BE in these things"; let them engross thee wholly; be wholly absorbed in them. Entire self-dedication, as in other pursuits, so especially in religion, is the secret of proficiency. There are changes as to all other studies, fashionable to-day, out of fashion to-morrow; this study alone is never obsolete, and when made the all-engrossing aim sanctifies all other studies. The exercise of the ministry threatens the spirit of the ministry, unless it be sustained within. The minister must be first his own scholar before he can be another's teacher. profiting—Greek, "progress" towards perfection in the Christian life, and especially towards the fullest realization of the ideal of a Christian minister (1Ti 4:12). may appear to all—not for thy glory, but for the winning of souls (Mt 5:16).

Verse 15. - Be diligent in for meditate upon , A.V.; progress for profiting , A.V.; be manifest unto for appear to , A.V. Be diligent , etc. ( αῦτα μελέτα ). Give all your attention and care and study to these things. It is just the contrary to μὴ ἀμέλει in ver. 14. The verb μελετάω , besides this passage, occurs in its classical sense of "premeditating" or "getting up a speech," in Mark 13:11 (where, however, the reading is doubtful), and again in Acts 4:25 , in the sense of "premeditating" certain actions. A kindred use in classical Greek is "to practice" or "exercise" an art, as rhetoric, dancing, shooting with a bow, and the like. It is very common in the LXX., in the sense of "meditating," practicing in the thoughts. Give thyself wholly to them ( ἐν τούτοις ἴσθι ); literally, be in these things ; i.e. be wholly and always occupied with them. The similar phrases in Greek and Latin classics are Ἐν τούτοις ὁ Καῖσαρ ῆν (Plutarch); "Omnis in hoc sum" (Her., 'Ep.,' 1:1. 1); "Nescio quid meditans nugarum, et totus in illis" (Her., 'Sat.,' 1. 9. 2); and in the LXX., Ἐν φόβῳ Κυρίου ἰσθι ο{λην τὴν ἡμέραν ( Proverbs 23:17 ). Thy progress ( ἡ προκοπή ). Progress, advance, or growth, is the idea of προκοπή . It is used twice in Philippians 1:12, 25 . A good example of its use in classical Greek is that in Polyb., 3:4, Αὔξησις καὶ προκοπὴ τὴς Ρωμαίων δυναστείας .

The use of the verb προκόπτω for "to advance," "make progress," is still more common ( Luke 2:52 ; Romans 13:12 ; Galatians L 14; 2 Timothy 2:16 ; 2 Timothy 3:9, 14 ). It is used equally of progress in good or evil. Unto all. The R.T. reads πᾶσιν for ἐν πᾶσιν in the T.R., which may be rendered either "to [or, 'among'] all persons" or "in all things." 1 Timothy 4:15

15 . Meditate upon these things] Rather, to give in our idiom the emphasis of the pronoun in the two clauses, This life, this work, this gift, be diligent in practising, be wholly given up to them . Both phrases are classical and are illustrated by the well-known line of Horace Sat . i. 9, 2, ‘nescio quid meditans nugarum et totus in illis;’ where meditans refers to the poet’s practisings and literary efforts not to mere ‘pensive meditation.’ So in the compound word Luke 21:14 ‘not to meditate beforehand what to answer.’ thy profiting ] Better, with R.V., thy progress , giving to this word its full original force as in ‘The Pilgrim’s Progress .’ The Greek word is a late-formed noun belonging to a classical verb, signifying to advance, as an army would do cutting down trees in the way. Cf. Php 1:12 ; Php 1:25 and Lightfoot. So Luke 2:52 , ‘Jesus increased.’