1 Timotius 4:1-2

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 

1 Timotius 3:1-2

Qualifications for Overseers and Deacons

3:1 This saying ⁵  is trustworthy: “If someone aspires to the office of overseer, ⁶  he desires a good work.” 3:2 The overseer ⁷  then must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, ⁸  temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, an able teacher,

1 Petrus 3:3

3:3 Let your ⁹  beauty ¹⁰  not be external – the braiding of hair and wearing of gold jewelry ¹¹  or fine clothes –

[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.

[3:1]  ⁵ tn Grk “the saying,” referring to the following citation (see 1 Tim 1:15; 4:9; 2 Tim 2:11; Titus 3:8 for other occurrences of this phrase).

[3:1]  ⁶ tn Grk “aspires to oversight.”

[3:2]  ⁷ tn Or “bishop.”

[3:2]  sn Although some see the article with overseer as indicating a single leader at the top of the ecclesiastical structure (thus taking the article as monadic), this is hardly necessary. It is naturally taken generically (referring to the class of leaders known as overseers) and, in fact, finds precedent in 2:11-12 (“a woman,” “a man”), 2:15 (“she”). Paul almost casually changes between singular and plural in both chapters.

[3:2]  ⁸ tn Or “a man married only once,” “devoted solely to his wife” (see 1 Tim 3:12; 5:9; Titus 1:6). The meaning of this phrase is disputed. It is frequently understood to refer to the marital status of the church leader, excluding from leadership those who are (1) unmarried, (2) polygamous, (3) divorced, or (4) remarried after being widowed. A different interpretation is reflected in the NEB’s translation “faithful to his one wife.”

[3:3]  ⁹ tn Grk “whose,” referring to the wives.

[3:3]  ¹⁰ tn Or “adornment.”

[3:3]  ¹¹ tn The word “jewelry” is not in the Greek text, but has been supplied to indicate that gold ornaments or jewelry is intended; otherwise the reader might assume wearing gold-colored clothing was forbidden.