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Now the Spirit expressly says 
that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving 
heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, speaking 
lies and hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a 
hot iron, forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from 
foods which God created to be received with thanksgiving by 
those who believe and know the truth. For every creature of 
God is good, and nothing is to be refused if it is received 
with thanksgiving, for it is sanctified by the word of God 
and prayer. If you instruct the brethren 
in these things, you will be a good minister of Jesus Christ, 
nourished in the words of faith and of the good doctrine which 
you have carefully followed. But reject profane and old wives' 
fables and exercise yourself toward godliness. For bodily 
exercise profits a little, but godliness is profitable for all 
things, having promise of the life that now is and of that 
which is to come. This is a faithful saying and 
worthy of all acceptance. For to this end we both labor 
and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who 
is the Savior of all men, especially of those who believe. These things 
command and teach. Let no one despise your youth, 
but be an example to the believers in words. in conduct, in love, 
in spirit, in faith, in purity. Till I come, give attention to 
reading, to exhortation, to doctrine. Do not neglect the gift that 
is in you, which was given to you by prophecy with the laying 
on of the hands of the eldership. Meditate on these things. Give 
yourself entirely to them, that your progress may be evident 
to all. Take heed to yourself and to the doctrine. Continue 
in them, for in doing this, you will save both yourself and those 
who hear you. Amen. Well, let us pray. Father, 
we thank you for this, your word. We pray for the ministry of the 
Holy Spirit, that he would illumine our minds and hearts, that you 
would guide us, that you would lead us, that you would direct 
us into all truth. May we be edified and strengthened 
and encouraged. May we be helped along the way 
in our Christian lives as we come to Scripture. May you grant 
us grace as a local church to be founded firmly upon the Word 
of God, the truth of the gospel of free and sovereign grace. 
May we not depart, may we not deviate, but may we pursue those 
things which you describe in a passage like this. Give us 
grace now, we pray, and we ask through Jesus Christ our Lord. 
Amen. Well, remember that last time 
we saw in chapter 4, verses 1 to 5, the apostle gave a warning 
or a description of the apostasy that would occur in latter times. What he describes there, in latter 
times, does not mean something in our future, but rather it 
is the epoch or it is that time and frame. that time frame that 
the prophets of old testified, it is the latter days, that time 
between the first and the second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. 
The Apostle Paul says that there would be deceiving spirits and 
doctrines of demons. It would not be the case that 
demons and devils and deception would stand behind the pulpit, 
but rather these would be the origin or the source, it would 
be heretics or false teachers that would proclaim these errors. That's what he goes on to say. 
Speaking lies and hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared 
with a hot iron, forbidding to marry and commanding to abstain 
from foods which God created to be received with thanksgiving. 
So there's a specific class of heretics, there's specific heresy 
involved prohibition against the good things that God had 
made. Now, by way of contrast, we see the false teachers, we 
see apostates described in verses 1 to 5, and now Paul tells Timothy 
how he is to conduct himself. In chapter 4, verses 6 to 16, 
what we find is an emphasis upon Timothy as a young minister to 
teach the good doctrine and to pursue godliness. The latter 
portion, beginning in verse 12, to 16 deals with his example 
to others, his public ministry, and his personal growth. And 
so what we find in terms of contrasts, bad versus 1 to 5, good versus 
6 to 16. So as I said, we're going to 
take up 6 to 11 this evening, the conduct of a good minister. Three observations I want us 
to make on this particular section. First, the importance of the 
truth in verse 6. Secondly, the pursuit of godliness 
in verses 7 to 9. And then the reason for ministerial 
diligence in verses 10 and 11. Let's look first of all at the 
importance of the truth in verse 6. The apostle tells Timothy, 
if you instruct the brethren in these things... Now it almost 
reads as if Timothy is not doing this. That what Paul is saying 
is, I want you to engage in this sort of conduct and then you 
will be a good minister. It's actually a participle that 
the Apostle uses and we could render it by instructing the 
brethren in these things. In other words, Paul is not telling 
Timothy what he must begin to do. Rather, he is encouraging 
Timothy to continue to be faithful in what he's already doing by 
instructing the brethren in these things. These things certainly 
involve alerting the people to the heresies that are indicated 
in chapter 4 verses 1 to 5, but it also includes everything up 
to this point. That conduct that is to be exercised 
in the house of God, qualifications for deacons, qualifications for 
elders, the role of women, the place of prayer in the life of 
Christ's church, All these things were things that Timothy was 
to be instructing the brethren in. In short, he was to be teaching 
theology, soteriology, which is the doctrine of salvation, 
and ecclesiology, which is the doctrine of the church. He is 
to take the Scriptures and he is to teach the brethren. He 
is to instruct them. That is his calling. That is 
the emphasis. That is what the Apostle Paul 
highlights here. And interestingly enough, when 
Paul comes to die in 2 Timothy chapter 4, the Apostle's last, 
at least official, admonition to Timothy. I say official because 
he also tells Timothy later in 2 Timothy 4 that when he comes 
to Troas to bring his cloak, and to bring the parchments. 
Well, that's not a binding command upon the church today, where 
we bring cloaks and parchments to people that are in prison. 
Certainly a good thing that we could do, but the official last 
declaration or command given by the Apostle Paul is the self-same 
thing that we find here. Paul tells Timothy, by instructing 
the brethren in these things, 2 Timothy 4, when Paul's going 
to die, he says, preach the word. Be ready in season and out of 
season. Convince, rebuke, and exhort 
with all longsuffering and teaching. So at any time during Paul's 
life, if you were to ask him, what is important for ministers 
of the gospel to be doing? He would say they are to minister 
the gospel. What's important for men of God and local churches 
to be about? It is to be preaching the truth. 
It is to be instructing the brethren. It is to be taking the truth 
of God's Holy Word and sound doctrine and making that plain 
to the people of God so that they can feed upon the Word themselves 
and go out and live in a manner that is consistent with the truth 
of Holy Scripture. Mounce says in his comment here 
on 6a, he says, this verse almost functions as the title of the 
section. It introduces the basic themes 
to be discussed. Timothy's role as a teacher, 
the place of scripture and doctrine, concern for Timothy's personal 
and ministerial well-being, and an implicit contrast with the 
opponents. So this is the duty stated in 
verse 6a, if you instruct the brethren in these things. Or 
literally, by instructing the brethren in these things. He's 
encouraging. He wants Timothy to remain faithful. 
He doesn't want him to stop in this particular task. Note then 
that Paul gives a benediction, where he speaks of a particular 
result. Timothy, if you are instructing the brethren in these things, 
look at what the outcome will be. If you instruct the brethren 
in these things, you will be a good minister of Jesus Christ. Now certainly as a minister of 
Jesus Christ, Timothy would want to be a good one. And Paul tells 
him the way to guarantee ministerial success. How does one become 
a good minister? By instructing the brethren in 
these things. In other words, note what underscores 
or highlights characterizes a good minister. It's not that he's 
the most popular, it's not that he's the most beloved, it's not 
that he's the most likable, it's not that he's the most handsome, 
it's not that he's the most gifted, but rather he's faithful in instructing 
the brethren in these things. That is the pathway, that is 
the means, that is the path by which ministers are called good 
ministers. Calvin says, with reference to 
this, let us therefore remember that as it is the highest honor 
of a godly pastor to be reckoned a good servant of Christ. It's 
like any particular task. If you were a plumber, you want 
to be a good plumber. If you're a lawyer, you want 
to be a good lawyer. If you're a farmer, you want 
to be a good farmer. That is the way God made us, 
right? Most people. Now I know there's 
derelicts out there. I know there's lazy people. I 
know there are people that just don't care. I know there are 
exceptions to the rule. I know there are people that 
try to shave off time. There are people that try to 
hide from their employers. There are people that come in 
late and go home early and they don't take their work seriously. 
I know those people exist, but as a general rule, God made man, 
well not as a general rule, as a universal rule, God made man 
in His image. And one of the aspects by which 
we image God is this desire, this pursuit for excellence. It's not necessarily a sinful 
thing, it is a good thing. And so if Timothy wants to be 
a good minister, the way or path is by instructing the brethren 
in these things. Again, back to Calvin. Let us 
therefore remember that as it is the highest honor of a godly 
pastor to be reckoned a good servant of Christ, so he ought 
to aim at nothing else during his whole ministry. For whoever 
has any other object in view will have it in his power to 
obtain applause from men, but will not please God." You see, 
the primary function, the primary path for a good minister is by 
instructing the brethren in these things. So we see the duty, instruct. We see the result, you'll be 
a good minister. Now notice thirdly, the benefit 
described. Note what Paul goes on to say, 
if you instruct the brethren in these things, you will be 
a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished in the words of faith 
and of the good doctrine which you have carefully followed. 
I call this a blessed cycle. When the man of God takes seriously 
the words of faith, when the man of God takes seriously doctrine, 
when the man of God preaches that to the people of God, not 
only are the people of God themselves nourished, but so is the man 
of God. So is the one engaged in ministry. So is the one who spends his 
time in these things in order to prepare to instruct the brethren 
in them. There's a blessed cycle involved. The man of God faithfully handling 
the Word of God for the nourishment of the people of God and for 
his own nourishment as well. That's why later on the Apostle, 
as he fleshes these things out in very concrete and practical 
ways, will say to Timothy, let your progress be made known to 
all. That doesn't mean that Timothy 
now walks around with a long gown. It doesn't mean that Timothy 
wears a big hat. It doesn't mean that Timothy 
has somehow received accoutrement for his particular task as minister. It means that he is increasing 
in his facility with God's Word. He is understanding the system 
of Christianity more and more. And his preaching reflects that, 
so that the people of God are being nourished. They're being 
built up. They're being fed. they're being 
given those nutrients that they desperately need. And as well, 
the minister himself is receiving the benefit also. The present 
participle points to a continual process involved. The words of 
faith, the words of the Lord Christ and his apostles, the 
scriptures of the Old and New Testaments. Notice, not only 
the words of faith, but of the good doctrine. You see, the Bible 
includes doctrine. In other words, when we go to 
Scripture, we are to not only take the words of Scripture and 
learn what we can from those explicit statements, but we're 
to make implication. We're to see doctrine. We're 
to see connection. We're to see how it's put together. 
I asked the question yesterday in our theology study. Where 
in the Bible does it tell us that Adam was a type of Christ? It tells us that in Romans chapter 
5. Does that mean that in Genesis 
1 to 3, Adam is not a type of Christ? He most certainly is 
a type of Christ, even back in Genesis 1 to 3. That's an implication. It doesn't say it explicitly 
in Genesis 1 to 3, but we know that to be the case in the manner 
that he functions in the rest of the Bible. comments on that 
force. That's doctrine. It's piecing 
together the teachings of scripture. At the end of our message tonight, 
I'm going to appeal to what's called the analogy of faith. 
I do not believe that verse 10 in this passage teaches universalism. I do not believe whatsoever that 
God saves every single man. Well, in order to flesh that 
out, it is imperative that preachers also look at other places in 
God's Word. We need to synthesize the truth. 
We need to make sure that we're not inconsistent. We need to 
deal with every jot and tittle of God's Holy Word when it comes 
to this area of doctrine. Calvin says it is the sum of 
Christian doctrine that the young minister is to pursue here. First 
Timothy 5.17, when Paul tells Timothy to honor those elders, 
those ones who rule well, he then describes them as those 
who labor in the word and in doctrine. Again, scripture and 
theology is to be the pursuit of Timothy as he faithfully ministers 
the Word of God. The man of God who studies the 
Word of God is able to teach the brethren the truth of God 
and all the while the man of God is being nourished himself. It's a beautiful thing, isn't 
it? You've probably seen the apron. It says, don't trust a 
skinny cook. Right? Don't trust a skinny cook. Obviously, they're not cooking 
that well. They don't have a little haunch there. Don't trust a pastor 
who's not studying the Bible, who's not studying theology. 
It's an unfortunate reality that some guys get to a particular 
point, and instead of reading Burkoff, or instead of reading 
Raymond, or instead of reading Bovey, or Turretin, or Calvin, 
or all these guys that'd be great to just spend time with, they 
start reading leadership manuals, and they start reading how to 
deal with people, and all that sort of thing. No, what is Paul's 
emphasis for Timothy if he wants to be a good minister? It is 
by instructing the brethren in these things, not those things. Ezra 7.10 I think is a wonderful 
model for pastoral ministry. For Ezra had prepared his heart 
to seek the law of the Lord, and to do it, and to teach statutes 
and ordinances in Israel. Notice the emphasis there. He 
prepares his heart to study the law, to do it, and then teach. He doesn't study just to teach. 
He studies to obey and then to teach. That's what Paul is emphasizing 
with this man Timothy. In order to be a good minister, 
you need to instruct the brethren in these things. As you instruct 
the brethren in these things, you yourself will be nourished, 
you yourself will be fit, you yourself will be equipped to 
continue the process of instructing the brethren in these things. 
You see what I say? It's a blessed cycle. Sometimes 
pastors get lazy. Sometimes men of God aren't pursuing 
these things as they ought to do. I just read something recently 
that really encouraged my heart. If you remember back in October, 
I went to a pastor's conference. The main speaker there was a 
man by the name of G.K. Biel. He's in his mid-sixties, 
and just recently they did a Fettschrift. Basically what a Fettschrift 
is, the German people could probably tell me what that means better 
than I know, it's a collection of essays in honor of a particular 
scholar. So they just released this book, 
it's called From Creation to New Creation, Essays in Honor 
of G.K. Biel. And the two fellas that 
sort of edited this book were musing on having him as a professor. Just how he relentlessly pursued 
study. How he relentlessly pursued learning. One man said that he read a 750 
page book while brushing his teeth. I don't think he means 
he read the book in one bout of brushing his teeth. He'd have 
no more teeth, right? He'd be shaved down to nubs. 
But just imagine that, morning and evening, when you brush your 
teeth. You're standing there with your, either electric or 
you're moving your arm. Yeah, the workout, too. And you're 
reading this book. Well, he read a 750-page book 
doing that. This guy's not playing games. 
He's using his time to study and to read. But what really 
encouraged me was when these two men described a time in class. It says, another time, Dr. Beale 
was red-faced with fury. Red faced with fury when a student 
requested of him a lowering of academic standards since the 
student was only going to be a pastor. You can hear the man 
now. He's in an academic setting. 
He's got Professor Beale. Beale's going, waxing eloquent. 
This is what needs to be done. And this guy says, you know, 
I'm only going to be a pastor. Can you lower it for me just 
a bit? For him, Beale, being a pastor is not a license for 
less rigor and care in one's study, but a motivation, even 
responsibility, to pour all the energies of one's mind into engaging 
the scriptures and relating them faithfully in preaching and teaching. He's red-faced with fury when 
a man raises his hand and says, can you lower the standards, 
because I'm just going to be a pastor. That is not the mindset 
of the Apostle Paul, of Timothy, or of G.K. Beale, thankfully. The man of God who is tasked 
with feeding the people of God must seek by the grace of God 
to know the words of faith, to know good doctrine, to be able 
to preach and teach and put those things out there so that the 
people can feed on them. And in this whole blessed cycle, 
the minister himself is being nourished. He's being strengthened. He's being helped along in his 
own ministerial life so that he can in turn continue to instruct 
the brethren in these things. It's really, really a blessed 
emphasis that we find here in verse 6 of 1 Timothy chapter 
4. Now note secondly the pursuit 
of godliness in verses 7 to 9. Paul starts with the rejection 
of error, verse 7, but reject profane and old wives' fables. Reject profane and old wives' 
fables. The good minister not only holds 
to the truth unswervingly, but he rejects heresy. He doesn't 
get caught up in myths, in endless genealogies, 1 Timothy 1.4. He doesn't get caught up in a 
blurring of the distinctions between the genders, 1 Timothy 
2. He doesn't get caught up in these 
deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons in 1 Timothy chapter 
4. He is to reject profane and old 
wives' fables. He is to cast them out. He is 
to get rid of them. He is not to entertain these 
things. Now, there is a sense where the 
man of God should be alert to the sorts of things that are 
out there. He should have some understanding of the types of 
assault and the types of threat that is mounted against Christianity. He needs to address things apologetically 
in a defensive posture to set forth the positive truth of Holy 
Scripture. But he ought not to spend his 
time in profane and old wives' fables. This old wives' fables, 
characteristic of old women, it is the sarcastic epithet, 
frequent in philosophical polemic, that conveys the idea of limitless 
credulity. Don't waste your time, Timothy! Don't spend countless hours on 
these things, Timothy. Know the truth so well that it 
takes a minimal amount of effort to see where the departure is 
so that you can accurately apply truth to that particular situation. There is too much good stuff 
to study. There are too many good books 
to read. There are too many good texts 
to spend your time in. You don't need to waste your 
time. You don't need to spend it with profane and old wise 
fables. You don't need to read everything 
produced by the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society. You don't 
need to read everything produced by the Church of Latter-day Saints. 
You do not need to read everything that N.T. Wright has written. 
You don't need to read everything that the Federal Vision has written. 
You need to reject profane and old wives' fables. There is not 
enough time to spend with falsity. As well, when you spend this 
time, you actually validate the heretics themselves. In Titus 
chapter 3, the apostle tells that young minister how he is 
to deal with a heretical man. Titus 3 at verse 9, but avoid 
foolish disputes, genealogies, contentions, and strivings about 
the law, for they are unprofitable and useless. He doesn't say spend 
time and validate the heritage. He doesn't say have Bible studies 
with these guys every Saturday morning. He doesn't say go to 
their house and open the scriptures and contend with them. Certainly 
you try to answer people's questions, you try to deal with their objections, 
you try to hear where they're coming from, but if it's evident 
and obvious that these persons are engaged, and foolish disputes 
concerning genealogies, contentions, and strivings about the law. 
These are unprofitable and useless things. There is too much positive 
work for you to do. There's too much truth for you 
to preach. There's too much good stuff for you to put your hand 
to. Don't spend your time wasting it on such theological or bad 
theological pursuits. But then notice what Paul then 
says, verse 10, reject a divisive man. reject him, not give him 
everything he wants, not allow him to preach, not allow him 
to have a Bible study, not allow him to teach his heresy, but 
rather reject a divisive man after the first and second admonition. Why? Because you know that such 
a person is warped and sinning, and he's self-condemned. Do not 
give him validation in his heresy. Do not give him validation in 
his falsehood. If he is trainable, if he is 
redeemable, if it is a remedial effort and you see progress, 
by all means, continue to help, continue to teach, continue to 
seek to recover. But if he is hard-headed and 
obstinate and rejecting and he wants to maintain his foolish 
heresy, reject him. That's what Paul says to Titus 
in Crete. So back to 1 Timothy 4. Note 
then, after the rejection of error, he tells him to pursue 
godliness. Verses 7 to 9. reject profane 
and old wives fables and exercise yourself toward godliness. Exercise yourself toward godliness. Discipline yourself, the NAS 
has it, for godliness. The word means this, to exercise, 
where we get the word gymnastic. Literally, it means to exercise 
naked. To exercise it is not the self-centered 
ascetic struggle of the individual for his moral and religious perfection, 
but the training necessary for the unhindered pursuit of God's 
purposes." I like that. The training necessary for the 
unhindered pursuit of God's purposes. He goes on to say, enemies may 
have accused Paul of moral laxity, since he refused to follow their 
demands of abstention. They're saying, don't eat, don't 
marry. Paul says, go ahead and eat, 
go ahead and marry. So they might condemn him by 
saying, look, he's just lax, he's just lazy, he's just indulgent. No! Exercise yourself toward 
godliness. Don't exercise yourself toward 
heresy, toward falsehood, toward those things which are opposed 
to God. Goes on to say, his exercise 
was a rigorous development, an application of all his strength 
and ability to serve the glory of God with every thought and 
action. That's what he means there. And 
when we read that clause, exercise yourself toward godliness, we 
probably think we can't this, we shouldn't that, we ought not 
to go there, and that's involved. Practical Christianity, where 
the man of God goes, what the man of God says, how the man 
of God conducts himself, how he engages the world around him, 
the things that he does, the things that he doesn't do, all 
of that in terms of practical Christianity, what we might call 
orthopraxy. The emphasis and the stress lies 
on good doctrine. The man of God pursuing godliness, 
again, the means by which he does this, isn't simply a rejection 
of certain things and putting on certain things. It is an immersing 
in the Word of God and being transformed so that he then conducts 
himself according to Holy Scripture. Again, George Knight says, verse 
6a demanded that the minister communicate the truth to others. 
Verse 6b demanded that he himself appropriate revealed truth in 
order to be equipped to minister. Verse 7b demands vigorous outworking 
of that truth with the implication that other Christians should 
do the same. So he says, exercise yourself 
toward godliness. Now note the reason that he gives 
here. Note the reason that he states 
in verse 8. He says, for bodily exercise 
profits a little, but godliness is profitable for all things, 
having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to 
come. Commentators wonder where verse 
9 goes. Does it apply to verse 8 or does 
it apply to verse 10? I think verse 9 applies to verse 
8, so I'll read it along with verse 8. For bodily exercise 
profits a little, but godliness is profitable for all things, 
having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is 
to come. This is a faithful saying, and 
worthy of all acceptance." The Apostle's argument seems to me 
to go this way. Some say the bodily exercise 
refers to the asceticism in verse 3, this prohibition of marriage, 
this prohibition of certain foods. I think that's wrong. I think 
the emphasis is bodily exercise. But having said that, I don't 
think that Paul is telling Timothy to have a good plan of bodily 
exercise. I don't think that's Paul's point. 
I think he's setting up a contrast. He is setting up something that 
is evident to all. This reality, that bodily exercise 
does profit a little. He's not saying it has no profit 
whatsoever. If you read Gordon Clark's commentary, 
he spends two pages attacking sports. And he even realizes 
that he has a tirade against sports. But the Apostle says 
that bodily exercise is profitable. When you're 70 or you're 80, 
you're going to be thankful that you did bodily exercise when 
you were 20, 30, 40 and 50, right? Bodily exercise profits a little. It doesn't mean you've got to 
be Arnold with muscles on your muscles. It doesn't mean you 
have to measure out every crown of broccoli that you ingest into 
your body. There is a body cult worship 
that goes on in North America that Paul is not advocating. He's giving a general maxim, 
bodily exercise does profit a little. It's good for you to sweat. It's 
good for your heart to beat. It's good for you to get to a 
place of cardiovascular exercise so that your heart functions 
properly. It's not godly to drop dead at 
40 because you can't tie your shoes. It's not godly to neglect 
the body! It's not righteous, it's not 
holy, it's not noble, it's not pious. At least go walk! Do something! He's setting up 
the contrast, and herein is where I think we need to emphasize. Bodily exercise profits a little, 
but godliness is profitable for all things. Now note what he 
says in verse 8 that demonstrates the contrast. Having promise 
of the life that now is. You see bodily exercise profits 
the life that now is. But when you're dead and you're 
in the grave, it doesn't matter how well your metabolic rate 
function. It doesn't matter how many broccoli 
crowns you ate. It does not have any bearing 
in the age to come. The contrast is between bodily 
exercise, which profits a little, for now, for the present, for 
this age, while we function as body and soul. But godliness 
is profitable for all things. Specifically, it has promise 
of the life that now is. When you're godly, your life 
that now is, is better. Isn't it? Ungodliness brings 
unhappiness. Ungodliness brings misery. Ungodliness 
brings pain. Ungodliness brings hurt to relationships. Godliness is profitable. It has 
promised for the life that now is. But notice what he goes on 
and says, "...and of that which is to come." Godliness not only 
benefits you tomorrow, it benefits you in the eschaton. Your weight 
training and your exercising and your broccoli will benefit 
you tomorrow. If you die on Tuesday, it doesn't 
really matter in the eschaton." That's his point. He's making 
a contrast. This is a faithful saying, and 
it's worthy of all acceptance. That's what I think the emphasis 
is in this particular section. Pursue godliness. Pursue holiness. Pursue righteousness. Transform 
your mind. Saturate it in the scriptures. 
know the Bible, know doctrine, nourish the brethren, nourish 
yourself, pursue those things which are pleasing to God, and 
just be faithful in that. These men that are heretical, 
these men that are false teachers, these men that are ungodly, these 
men will fail. The Lord is going to deal with 
that. Timothy, by way of contrast, you need to be everything that 
the Lord Christ has determined for the ministers of the gospel. 
in his particular churches. Now notice thirdly and finally. 
I promise we'll be out by six. Maybe. Notice thirdly and finally 
verses 10 and 11. Paul now makes a specific application. For to this end we both labor 
and suffer reproach. There's a variant, the ESV, the 
NIV may have, for to this end we both labor and strive. Either 
way, I think the emphasis falls on this particular reality. We 
labor. In other words, to be a good 
minister of Christ does not come on the golf course. It does not 
come through laziness. It does not come through video 
games. It comes through faithfulness 
and a pursuit of godliness. Paul says, for to this end we 
both labor and suffer reproach. There's a parallel concept in 
Colossians chapter 1, even the same use of the language. Colossians 
chapter 1 at verse 28. He says, Him, Christ, we preach, 
warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom, that 
we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus. Now notice, 
to this end, I also labor, striving according to His working, which 
works in me mightily. In other words, when you looked 
at the life of the Apostle Paul, he was working, he was diligent, 
there was labor involved. A man of God who spends time 
in the Word of God, and in theology, and in preaching, and all those 
things, that's work! It's labor! It may not be digging 
ditches, but it's digging mental ditches, and it requires determination, 
consistency, persistence, and faithfulness, and that's what 
Paul is saying. The labor involved means to work 
hard, to work until one is weary, to toil to the point of weariness. One commentator, Gordon Keddy, 
said this concerning Paul. He did not give quiet talks. He was enthusiastic and animated 
in his speaking. He broke some sweat in the pulpit 
precisely because he was fervent in his commitment to the message 
he proclaimed. It is one of the scandals of 
the modern church and a symptom of its powerlessness that a passion 
for Christ and the gospel is so conspicuously absent from 
so many of its pulpits. Fervent preaching is never comfortable 
to those who sit under it, but those who treasure God's truth 
and value their own souls will love to be disturbed by such 
a ministry and will bless the Lord for the privilege. Paul 
says, for to this end, because godliness is profitable for all 
things, because we are seeking to be good ministers of Jesus 
Christ, strong in the Bible, strong in good theology. Because 
of this, for this reason, we both labor and we suffer reproach. We endure, we faithfully persevere, 
we are the men that God has called us to be. Just by way of an aside, 
pray for your elders that they would look like this. This is 
the kind of stuff that we ought to be desiring. This is the kind 
of ministry that we ought to be pursuing. This is the kind 
of things that we ought to be praying that the young men who 
have aspirations for ministry would embody this. That they 
would not become professionals and CEOs and leaders and managers 
and businessmen. but they would be God-wrought 
men who know Scripture and who know theology and who make it 
their aim to labor and to suffer reproach so that the people of 
God would be nourished in sound doctrine. That's what grows the 
church. That's what takes that mustard 
seed to the tree. That's what takes that leavening 
agent and fills the entire lot. It is God's truth that we need. That is the crying need of the 
hour. And then notice, finally, the 
theological basis that Paul sets forth. Verse 10, for to this 
end we both labor and suffer reproach because we trust in 
the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of those 
who believe. These things command and teach. Clark says, no matter how lively, 
how sincere, or how emotional a hope may be, its value and 
efficacy depend on the object of that hope. In other words, 
Paul labors, Paul suffers reproach, by implication we can say that 
Timothy is doing the same thing, but what is their hope? What 
is it that keeps them going? What is it that makes them persevere? 
It is the living God! It is the true and living God 
of Old and New Testaments. That is what puts wind in the 
sails of the minister of the gospel. It's God. It's His glory. It's His honor. It's His praise. 
It's His flock. It's His people. It's all about 
God. And this is what drives the apostle 
and young Timothy to labor and suffer reproach. The living God 
is described in His power and benevolence toward His creatures. 
The apostle here is not teaching universalism. He is not teaching 
that God saves all men. And I'll give you a few reasons 
for this in just a second. Notice I said second, not moment. 
Second means quick. We'll be there in a second. He 
is not teaching universalism. He's not even teaching a universal 
atonement. And he's certainly not teaching 
unlimited, limited atonement. This is the text for the unlimited, 
limited atonement rule. God is the Savior of all men, 
unlimited atonement, especially those who believe. Limited atonement. 
You ask them the question, is God the Savior of all men? Yes. Is He a Savior of those who believe? 
Yes. There you go. Well, that doesn't 
answer a lot of things. That doesn't answer many, many 
things. And like I said, I think responsible 
exegesis means bringing the analogy of Scripture to bear. We need 
to understand the totality of Scripture on particular issues. 
I think it's irresponsible to not deal with texts in a specific 
theological context. First of all, reasons why he 
is not teaching universalism. The context says there are apostates. The context says there are those 
who fall away from the Christian faith. The context says there 
are those who teach having the origin of their doctrine in deceiving 
spirits and doctrines of demons. Certainly they're not saved. 
Secondly, the broader context could, not necessarily saying 
it does, but there are other options than universalism in 
1 Timothy 4.10. The broader context could dictate 
that what Paul means here is when he says that God saves or 
God is the savior of all men. In light of 1 Timothy 2.4, he 
could mean all kinds of men. All kinds of men, especially 
those who believe. You see, we're not committed 
to universalism. Before someone says, you Calvinists, 
all you ever do is try to get out of the clear meaning of texts. 
Again, if we accept the non-Calvinistic interpretation of this passage, 
we open up a world of inconsistency. See, the opponents of a limited 
atonement, the opponents of a particular redemption, don't accurately 
deal with this fundamental question that if our God is in the heavens 
and He does whatever He pleases, how do we posit a God who wishes 
to save and He doesn't? That is a huge problem, theologically 
speaking. The Word especially, the Word 
especially, in several contexts in the pastoral epistles themselves, 
A man's done a study on this. The word is Melista in the Greek. We have it translated here especially. 
It could be translated, that is. In other words, it further 
describes the particular class in view. I translated it this 
way in 1 Timothy chapter 4, or in 1 Timothy 2.4, I gave you 
this sort of a take on the verse. Who desires all men to be saved, 
that is, to come to the knowledge of the truth. Different word, 
but the concept is the same. The second clause further defines 
the first. So when we get to 4.10, for to 
this end we both labor and suffer reproach because we trust in 
the living God who is the Savior of all men, that is those who 
believe. That's a legit interpretation. That is a legit take on the particular 
passage. I actually prefer a fourth option. 
This is the option that Calvin and Gill propound. The reference, 
if you'll note, is not to Christ as Savior. It's to God as Savior. Now, New Testamently speaking, 
when we see God, it's usually a reference to the Father. When 
you see Lord, it's usually a reference to Jesus Christ. Most of the 
times, or a lot of the times we can say, Savior is applied 
to Jesus. That is His peculiar function 
within the Godhead. He is the Savior for sinners. 
You shall call His name what? Jesus. For it is He who will 
save His people from their sins. In fact, the name Jesus means 
Yahweh is salvation. So the peculiar function ascribed 
to the Son is that of Savior. Here it is not Christ as Savior. 
It is God as Savior. And it could possibly mean preserver, 
sustainer, overarching good one who keeps the world going. It could have a primary reference 
to what's called common grace. Psalm 36.6 says, your righteousness 
is like the great mountains. Your judgments are a great deep. Oh Lord, you preserve man and 
beast. Some would say, well, that introduces 
a foreign concept into a salvific passage. No, it doesn't. Paul 
has just specified the reason to avoid men who say, no marriage 
and no meats. Where does Paul go but to the 
Creator God, to the God of sovereign providence? If anything, that's 
still an overarching theme, and the apostle here is ascribing 
this preserving power to God, who is the Savior of all men. 
He causes His reign to fall on the just and the unjust, especially 
those who believe. The children of God, the elect 
of God, the people of God, they enjoy common grace as well. They 
enjoy the blessings of rain. They enjoy the preservation power 
of God. They enjoy all these things that 
the Lord has promised. Psalm 145.9, The Lord is good 
to all, and His tender mercies are over all His works. Paul is focusing on the goodness 
of the living God like he does in verses 3 and 4. For him to 
refer to God who is the Savior of all men, especially those 
who believe, finds its taproots in the context. It avoids the 
nonsense of an unlimited, limited atonement, and it certainly rejects 
the idea of a universalism. These apostates aren't in heaven, 
they're in hell. God, therefore, does not save 
every single man, woman, boy and girl. Calvin says it denotes 
one who defends and preserves. He means that the kindness of 
God extends to all men. Gil, who is the Savior of all 
men, in a providential way, God does save all men. He preserves 
them, He sustains them, He governs them, He watches over them. Gil 
says, giving them being and breath, upholding them in their beings, 
preserving their lives and indulging them with the blessings and mercies 
of life. For that He is the Savior of all men with a spiritual and 
everlasting salvation is not true in fact. You see, that's 
a big problem. If you posit universalism, or 
you posit the idea of an unlimited atonement, you strip the atonement 
of its efficacy. He goes on to say, he says especially, 
rather, of those who believe, they are the peculiar care, and 
I like this, and darlings of providence being to God as the 
apple of his eye. So Paul's hope is in the God 
of heaven and earth. Paul's hope is in the God who 
sustains this created order, who preserves men. He preserves 
especially those who believe. Timothy, get about your task. 
hope in this living God, and labor and suffer reproach. I've already alluded to the analogy 
of faith. The Bible does not teach that 
all men are eternally saved by God. And I submit that if you 
understand atonement, if you understand propitiation, if you 
understand expiation, reconciliation, redemption, all those gospel 
terms, there is no way that you can posit that Christ put it 
out there and it's up to the sinner. to choose, or it's up 
to the sinner to appropriate it. Paul ends verse 11. Some say it goes with the following. 
I take it with this section. These things command and teach. Calvin says, a prudent pastor 
ought, therefore, to consider what things are chiefly necessary 
that he may dwell on them. Nor is there reason to dread 
that it shall become wearisome. For whoever is of God will gladly 
hear frequently those things which need to be so often uttered. That's good. It's always encouraging. When I preach the gospel here 
at the back of the room, people say, oh, I just love to hear 
the gospel. I just love to hear the gospel. Don't you love to 
hear the gospel? Don't you love to watch baptisms? I want to 
get baptized again when I watch baptisms. Oh, you're a rebaptist. You're an anabaptist. I just 
want to get saved all over again because it's so wonderful. That's 
a good sign. We ought not to tire, not to 
be a wearisome thing when we hear the old, old story of Christ 
and His cross. Well, brethren, in this passage 
we see the measure of a good minister It is to be a faithful 
preacher of the truth. We see secondly, the importance 
of truth. By instructing the brethren in 
these things, you will be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished 
in the words of faith and of the good doctrine, which Timothy 
had a proven track record, which you have carefully followed. You see, Paul is not telling 
him, I want you to do this in order for this. Paul is reminding 
and encouraging and stabilizing Timothy so that he'll remain 
in the fight. This is needful encouragement. This is needful for Paul to come 
alongside of a Timothy and say, continue in what you're doing. 
Do not deviate. Do not turn to the right. Do 
not turn to the left. Do not get caught up in this 
latest fad. Do not get caught up in this 
latest movement. But rather, Timothy, you continue to do what 
God's called you to do and leave the results to Him. So easy to 
want to take matters into our own hand, to take that mustard 
seed and try to make it a big tree. No, just be faithful and 
do what you're supposed to do. Or we're not happy with the way 
the leavening agent works within the lump. So we've got to mold 
it and move it and shape it and all that. No, just leave it alone 
and do what God tells you to do. Just be faithful in what 
the Lord has said. Thirdly, we see in this passage 
the profitability of godliness. By all means, exercise bodily. 
By all means, eat properly. By all means, get up in the morning 
and walk or pick up things or do whatever so that you have 
a strong body. Because that profits a little. 
It's helpful for this age. But godliness surpasses that. 
It's profitable for all things. It's profitable for this age 
and the age to come. And then we learn, in this passage, 
the goodness of God. He is the Savior of all men. 
He is the Preserver. He is the Governor. He is Sovereign. 
He is the One who governs all His creatures and all their action. 
He is the God who put into practice this common grace order. Again, 
if you don't like the terminology, you must concede the concept 
that this covenant made with Noah provided a framework, provided 
a context, provided a theater for the exercise of special grace. And so as God sustains the world, 
as God preserves men, as God keeps them breathing, as God 
keeps them eating, God brings them into contact from time to 
time with people who tell them the truth, and they come to know 
the Lord Jesus Christ. So God is the Savior of all men, 
especially of those who believe. And finally, pray that men of 
God will preach and teach these truths. Pray for men of God. Pray that 
they'd be faithful. Pray that they'd be in earnest. 
Pray that they would be good ministers of Christ Jesus. Well, 
let us close in prayer. Father, we thank you for your 
word and we thank you for its clarity and for its simplicity. God, I pray that you would mark 
our church by a commitment to these things. I pray for the 
young men in our church who have aspiration for ministry, that 
you would lay these things upon their hearts and upon their minds 
and may they never deviate May they pursue these things. We 
pray for other pastors, other ministers, other men of God that 
we know and esteem. We ask that you would just continue 
to encourage their hearts and cause them to be faithful and 
to persevere in those things described herein. We ask that 
you would go with us now, grant safety and travel, grant grace 
to each of your people, bring us together again that we may 
glorify and honor and praise you. And we ask through Christ 
our Lord. Amen.