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Memorize Scripture: 1 Timothy 4:15-16

Chapter four of 1 Timothy comes to a close with Paul encouraging Timothy to “be diligent in these matters.” What matters? Why, the list of instructions and encouragements he gave in the preceding verses. Applying himself to these things is important, and Paul now explains why.

You can see this week’s passage in 1 Timothy 4:15-16:

1 Timothy 4:15-16

Paul has just spent the last few verses encouraging Timothy to set an example, to devote himself to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and teaching, and more. But in this phrase “be diligent in these matters,” he’s not simply referring to the last sentence or two. He’s reminding Timothy of everything he’s said, all the instructions he has given Timothy in regards to addressing the false teachers and leading the church in Ephesus strongly.

Paul gives four emphases in these two verses, indicating that Timothy was to pay special attention to these areas. In the Greek, these are imperatives, giving the idea that they are necessary, and not optional.

Be diligent in these matters

The first imperative is to “be diligent.” This means that Timothy is to give his mind to these things. He is to continually be focused on his priorities. Older translations use the word “meditate” here, but this doesn’t really give us the strength of Paul’s admonition of cultivating or practicing these things.

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Think On These Things… Excellent Or Praiseworthy

In Philippians 4:8-9, Paul gives us a detailed list of characteristics that should define our thought life. From whatever is true, to whatever is noble, to whatever is right, to whatever is pure, to whatever is lovely, to whatever is admirable, these qualities define the level of our thinking.

And, ultimately, each one of them leads straight to God.

If Anything Is Excellent Or Praiseworthy

So it shouldn’t surprise us that the last phrase in the list, separated by hyphens in order to summarize or rephrase the list, should do the same thing. The final phrase Paul uses summarizes the entire scope of proper thought, and it, too, takes us directly to God.

Paul uses two words in this final phrase, “excellent” and “praiseworthy.” Let’s take a look at each of these words.

Excellent

This word conveys the idea that something is eminently good, valuable beyond value. In Stoic philosophy, it describes man’s highest goal and true destiny. At its root, it even carries the idea of manliness or valor; something worthy of intrinsic praise or virtue.

What can be more worthy of praise than God himself? Who is more good than God? Jesus even asked this question and implied the answer when he asked the rich, young ruler “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone” (Luke 18:18-19).

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How To Develop A Daily Routine

Over the past few weeks, I’ve posted several articles on the importance of a daily routine. Since there are several different pieces in this series, I thought I’d gather them all in one place for ease of access.

While there may be more added to this series in the future, this post will serve as a landing page for the series.

How To Develop A Daily Routine

Here are the posts in this series, in order of appearance:

This series is by no means complete. I will continue to add ideas and articles to this topic, and link them here as they are written. If there is something you’d like to see covered, feel free to leave a suggestion in the comments!

What would you like to see added to this series? You can leave your thoughts in the comments section below.

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Coffee Break – 08.05.2013

Coffee Break

Baby Mugging – I’m not generally one to follow the trend on Facebook or Instagram, but I found this to be interesting. I just might have to try this with our little one… And maybe even the older kids? Hmmm…

LEGO Lord Of The Rings – Some people are extremely creative when it comes to LEGOs. The detail here is awesome. But I can only imagine what the cost was.

Stunning Images Of Our Closest Galactic Neighbors – NASA has stitched together thousands of images from Swift’s Ultraviolet/Optical Telescope, creating an incredible, high-res image of the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds. “The heavens declare the glory of God!” (Psalm 19:1)

How To Read A Book – As an avid reader, I’m always interested in tips and tricks that help me to assimilate and retain more of what I read. This is a really good article on reading analytically, with some great points. While I have no need to view every book I read in this light, I think this can be a helpful article when it comes to much that I read.

I Still Believe In Marriage – With the recent public activity concerning what constitutes a marriage, I think it’s more important than ever for the church to protect the sanctity of this institution. This post gives multiple succinct statements of belief concerning marriage.

5 Dangers To Avoid In Parenting – One of my passions is to be the best dad I can be to my six kids. Sometimes I do pretty good at this, other times I fail. This post describes five areas where many parents flirt with failure, and it encourages us to avoid these kinds of situations.

It matters not if the world has heard or approves or understands… the only applause we’re meant to seek is that of nail-scarred hands. – B. J. Hoff

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Memorize Scripture: 1 Timothy 4:13-14

In the previous couple of verses, Paul encourages Timothy in regard to his personal behavior. In this week’s passage, he shifts to Timothy’s ministry. And in so doing, he lays out a simple philosophy of ministry for all of us.

Take a look at this section of Scripture in 1 Timothy 4:13-14:

1 Timothy 4:13-14

Paul is looking forward to physically visiting Timothy to encourage him further. In the meantime, he gives Timothy some instructions on how to carry out the leadership responsibilities of a minister.

Many have tried to take what Paul writes here as an order of worship, but this probably not what Paul intended. We know that the early church included several elements into worship, such as praying, singing, and the Lord’s Supper. Instead, we should view this as the priority that Timothy should place upon the Word, especially since Paul’s intent is to instruct Timothy on how to address the false teachers in Ephesus. It’s all to easy to forget that one of Paul’s prime reasons for writing was to teach Timothy how to address the false teaching. We need to not forget that priority as we read this letter.

Paul gives Timothy three aspects of leadership that Timothy needs to devote himself to, all of which are centered upon the Word of God.