Thoughts on 1 Timothy 4
1 Timothy 4:12 will always hold a special place in my heart as the verse that guided me during my days as a young Christian.
I’m definitely not that young anymore (though still young-ish), but today God allowed me to read this passage with new eyes and a perspective relevant to where I am now in my Christian journey.
Timothy was young, yes, but he was also a young leader of his church. Younger compared to the apostles, younger compared to many in his congregation. He must have felt a lot pressure, and had a lot of questions on how to proceed.
Paul, a good mentor, guides him. He gives him a preview of the challenges that will come and how to deal with them.
The key message I believe is discipline strengthened through training and perseverance.
- [Train] in the words of the faith and of the good doctrine you have followed
- Train yourself for godliness
- [Till the end], we toil and strive
- Command and teach these things
- Devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching
- Do not neglect the gift you have
- Practice these things
- Immerse yourself in them
- Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching
- Persist in this
In the end, what is this all for?
By so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers. (1 Timothy 4:16b ESV)
Not that spiritual disciplines in itself will save us (we are saved by grace alone, through faith in Jesus), and not saying that us being spiritual will automatically save our hearers (they have to make their own decision to follow Christ).
A Christian’s spiritual discipline is of great importance to his testimony and is of great influence to his hearers.