1 Timotius 4:1-3

Timothy’s Ministry in the Later Times

4:1 Now the Spirit explicitly says that in the later times some will desert the faith and occupy themselves ¹  with deceiving spirits and demonic teachings, ²  4:2 influenced by the hypocrisy of liars ³  whose consciences are seared. ⁴  4:3 They will prohibit marriage and require abstinence from foods that God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth.

1 Timotius 4:7

4:7 But reject those myths ⁵  fit only for the godless and gullible, ⁶  and train yourself for godliness.

1 Timotius 6:3

6:3 If someone spreads false teachings ⁷  and does not agree with sound words (that is, those of our Lord Jesus Christ) and with the teaching that accords with godliness,

[4:1]  ¹ tn Or “desert the faith by occupying themselves.”

[4:1]  ² tn Grk “teachings of demons” (speaking of the source of these doctrines).

[4:2]  ³ tn Grk “in the hypocrisy of liars.”

[4:2]  ⁴ tn Or “branded.” The Greek verb καυστηριάζω (kausthriazw) can be used to refer either to the cause (“brand”) or the effect (“seared”).

[4:2]  sn Consciences are seared. The precise meaning of this phrase is somewhat debated. Three primary interpretations are (1) the consciences of these false teachers are “branded” with Satan’s mark to indicate ownership, (2) their consciences are “branded” with a penal mark to show they are lawbreakers, or (3) their consciences have been “seared” (i.e., totally burnt and desensitized) so that they are unable to notice the difference between right and wrong. See G. W. Knight, Pastoral Epistles (NIGTC), 189.

[4:7]  ⁵ sn Those myths refer to legendary tales characteristic of the false teachers in Ephesus and Crete. See parallels in 1 Tim 1:4; 2 Tim 4:4; and Titus 1:14.

[4:7]  ⁶ tn Grk “the godless and old-wifely myths.”

[6:3]  ⁷ tn Grk “teaches other doctrines,” (different from apostolic teaching, cf. 1 Tim 1:3).