I Timothy 4: 7 - 11 But refuse profane and old wives’ fables, and exercise thyself rather unto godliness. 8 For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, an of that which is to come. 9 This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation. 10 For therefore we both labour and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living god, who is the Saviour of all men, specially of those that believe. 11 These things command and teach.
Here we are told to refuse profane and old wives fables, and this is rather difficult to understand, but the word, fable, here is the word, myth, and it actually means tradition. In those days, a great deal of teaching was given by story. Today we could call it folk-lore--that is all tradition is--folk-lore. These were used by public speakers traveling from market-place to market-place, and in order to earn a living, they would give what we call lectures. People would stand for hours listening to these myths, to these traditions, to this folk-lore, and Paul wrote to Timothy telling him not to fall into the habit of the popular speaking method of that day.
1/ As you know, many in the church had fallen into this habit, and had fallen prey to this awful, awful habit, traditions, folk-lore and myths had taken the place of sound doctrine in the Bible.
2/ But, to understand this fully--it is something that we would have a hard time understanding, because it is something that is much harder for a young man like Timothy, or any other preacher of that day, than it is for a young preacher now in our day. Today, we send a young man to Bible school or college and seminary. There were no schools then for young men to go to and prepare for the ministry. Now, when a young man goes to Bible School and College and Seminary, he has time to get quite a library together. He can get books by some of the greatest preachers of our day and days gone by. Of course, we always recommend that young preachers get good libraries. But Timothy couldn’t do that. Timothy’s reading was limited. He had some of the Pauline Epistles, but he didn’t have other books--expositions on Paul’s writings by some other people, and so it would be a temptation for Timothy to follow the popular method of telling strange stories, or folk-lore, or leaning upon tradition to try to explain things.
3/ But, you will find there are those who do not care to take time to study the Word--they try to study what everyone else has to say--they are interested in tradition and folklore, so they don’t spend much time in the Word of God, but Timothy is exhorted here--know what the Word of God teaches, and then proclaim it
4/ The word, refuse, is the word, shun. Then you will notice that you have the word, exercise twice--once in vs. 7 and once in vs. 8. In vs. 7 it is exercise thyself unto godliness, and in vs. 8 it says, for bodily exercise profiteth little. It actually should be bodily exercise is of small profit. It has some profit, but not a great deal of profit.
5/ The word, exercise, is the word from which we get our word, gymnasium, or gymnastics, and it means exercise. Paul says that bodily exercise will do some good, but spiritual exercise unto godliness is the one that is important.
6/ You have heard President Kennedy, and if you have been listening to your radio, and your TV you know there has been much said about the physical culture of our young people, saying that our schools do not have the right kind of exercise. Our children are weaklings—and, so, the emphasis is being put on physical exercise for young people, and of course, this is good. But being a nation of people having strong bodies is not enough. We need a spiritual tone, and spirituality is far more important than physical strength.
7/ Timothy was a weak individual. He was not a strong young man. He wasn’t a man who could go out and compete in many games and come out victorious. I Timothy 5: 23 Drink no longer water, but use a little wine for thy stomach’s sake and thine often infirmities--thy many sicknesses. He had much trouble, and he was sick a good bit of the time. But still Paul says, it is not really important how strong you are physically, but how strong are you spiritually?
8/ There are many churches that are interested in eating, and they can get the crowds out when they have a meal or have some good food prepared. Or, they can put out some real great athletics. They have a tremendous program for physical exercise or play but exercise would be fine in their place-but they have no part in trying to do away with the spiritual. The spiritual is still the most important.
9/ Let me show you why Paul words it this way to a young, weak man by the name of Timothy. Psalms 22: 26 and here we read, The meek shall eat and be satisfied: they shall praise the LORD that seek Him: and notice --- your heart will live for ever. Your heart will live forever? Your heart is speaking of the inward individual that is the most important, because that will live on forever and ever.
Ignancy Jan Paderewski, the great pianist, who spent hours every day on a wrist machine, just to strengthen his wrists, and six hour a day in practice at the piano. He died and what happened? His hands were folded and they were cold and stiff, but the inward man lived on forever. It is better to train the inward person than to train the hands. Physical exercise does have benefit, but certainly it cannot be compared to exercise unto godliness, because that lasts forever and ever. Physical fitness can only be for a short season.
10/ You will notice the end of vs. 8 Godliness is profitable having promise in this life, and the life which is to come. Physical fitness will only be good for this life, but exercise unto godliness will be of advantage in this life, because we will be happier, we will certainly enjoy life more, and we will have benefits in the future life. Because there rewards that we can gain for the future life.
11/ God never condone a weak spiritual believer. There are no excuses for one who is weak spiritually. Notice, Ephesians 6: 10. We are told, Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. That is godliness--being strong in the Lord.
12/ Now notice the I Timothy 4: 10 For, therefore, we both labour and suffer reproach, (why) because we trust in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, specially of those that believe. And it should be, we labor and suffer to the point of exhaustion. It has the thought of agony in it. We may not do this, but Paul does. Again, the thought is, which is more important? The physical which is soon over, even if it is 60, 70, or 80 or 90 years, and Paul said we are willing rather to suffer reproach and persecution. We are willing to labor to the point where we fall over. A man may live 100 years old, but if he doesn’t do anything for the Lord Jesus Christ, what value is there in it? You have heard the saying--There is only one life, it will soon be past, and only what’s done for Christ will last.
13/ Then notice, Who is the Saviour of all men, especially those who believe. This is an odd portion of Scripture, isn’t it? You will notice in your Scofield Bible that the word, Preserver is used instead of Saviour --- He is the Preserver of all men, especially of those that believe. There is no question here of Christ’s work in salvation. It is a character of God as creator, as preserver of all men. Notice, Psalms 36: 6 Thy righteousness is like the great mountains; thy judgments are a great deep: O LORD, thou preservest man and beast, and He does just this. Then also you will remember, Matthew 5: 45 That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven; for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. Every good and perfect gift cometh from Him and all men whether saved or unsaved should look on God as the preserver of life. He is the one that has created this universe, who has set up its governing laws, so that life might be preserved. Not only on man, but upon beasts as well, but especially on the saved--He does care for us, we are His special jewels, we are part of His body.
14/ He preserves us not only in this life, but in the life to come, for we are to live with Him throughout all eternity.
15/ I Timothy 4: 12 Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity. Timothy was probably from 38 to 40 years old at the time, and many of the other leaders of the church was much older than Timothy. Forty is pretty old when it comes to playing baseball or football, but it is young in the work of the Lord Jesus Christ. What we can get out of this portion of Scripture is that it is said that Timothy is told not to let men push him around. Timothy was being despised, and it really says, do not allow anyone to despise you--let no one push you around as a boy.
16/ Then notice, Timothy was to be an example. He was to be a pattern of what the believer ought to be. Timothy wasn’t really a young man by worldly standards--but even with his young years he had spent much with the Word. He probably knew more about the Word than many folks because he had been raised with the Word of God.
17/ He was to be a pattern to those who believed. He was to be a model of the believer. First of all, in the Word--in other words, but what he had to say, by what came out of his mouth, by his speech, and then in conversation. That means, not talk, but walk, or daily behavior. The way he walked in his daily life. Then in charity--that is, of course, in love. How many people fail to show any love to their fellow men--how they can be critical and harsh and unlovely.
18/ In spirit. Now many folks say these two words do not belong in the original text. If they do, I am sure it means enthusiasm. This is a quality that is strangely lacking in the makeup of many Christians. You can have plenty of enthusiasm for the football game, or an election campaign, but don’t show any enthusiasm for the Lord or you will be called a fanatic, then you’ll be sorry. We should be enthusiastic for our work for Jesus Christ. Then in Faith, and I think the meaning here is faithfulness. We should be faithful in all that we do. Then in purity. That is in a moral sense--in other words, not just with our actions, but with our minds--have clean minds as well. Timothy was to be an example in all of these things.
19/ Then in vs.13 Till I come, give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine. He tells him how to have this condition true in his life? How things come out of his life? First of all, he says, while I am coming--in other words, while I keep on traveling, you want to be sure to give attendance to reading. And here it refers to public reading of the Scriptures in the assembly with comments. In other words, this is by preaching. Timothy is to keep on preaching the Word, making comments on it as he would read it. Then he is to exhort from the Word of God. That means to rebuke, and then in doctrine. Exhortation without doctrine is valueless--that is without teaching.
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