Daily Scripture Reading 1Timothy 3:14 - 5:2
In recent decades, many churches have tried to remove all boredom from their church services in order to make them more appealing. Some churches have even gone so far as to ask unsaved people what they want church to be like. The thought is that if church is entertaining and pleasurable, then more people will come.
We will see in today’s passage that Paul did not follow that philosophy. In fact, he issued at least two commands in his letter to Timothy that actually encourage Christians to do things that are hard and boring.
At the beginning of chapter 3, Paul listed the requirements for elders and deacons. The leaders of the church need to be men of good character.
1Tim. 3:14 ¶ I am writing these things to you, hoping to come to you soon,
1Tim. 3:15 but in case I am delayed, I write so that you will know how one ought to conduct himself in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and support of the truth.
We saw in chapter 1 verse 3 that Paul had gone to Macedonia and left Timothy in Ephesus. This letter was written to give Timothy instructions on what he was supposed to do in Ephesus. Specifically, he Christians ought to conduct themselves in the household of God.
Some people think this refers to how we should conduct ourselves in church. However, a household indicates a family. Paul was writing how we should conduct ourselves as members of the family of God, meaning the instructions apply to all of life, not just when we go to church.
1Tim. 3:16 And by common confession, great is the mystery of godliness:
He who was manifested in the flesh,
Was vindicated in the Spirit,
Seen by angels,
Proclaimed among the nations,
Believed on in the world,
Taken up in glory.
1Tim. 4:1 ¶ But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons,
1Tim. 4:2 by the hypocrisy of liars, who have been seared in their own conscience,
1Tim. 4:3 who forbid marriage and advocate abstaining from foods which God created to be shared in with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth.
1Tim. 4:4 For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving,
1Tim. 4:5 for it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer.
This is a change from the Old Testament time period. Prior to Christ, many animals were considered unclean, and this was not just from the Mosaic Law. Genesis 7 tells us Noah took both clean and unclean animals onto the ark.
According to Mark 7:19, Jesus declared all foods clean. Paul reiterated that by writing “everything created by God is good”. Thus, today there is no such thing as foods that are morally wrong.
The concept of clean and unclean foods, and then the abolition of those distinctions by Christ, proves that over the centuries God changed the rules by which men need to live. Some Christians reject the idea that God changed the rules because the Bible says God never changes. When the Bible says God doesn’t change, it means the essential nature of God and His character never changes. The Bible does not say God never changed His mind. Again, the rules surrounding clean and unclean foods are proof that sometimes God changed the rules.
1Tim. 4:6 ¶ In pointing out these things to the brothers, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, being nourished on the words of the faith and of the sound doctrine which you have been following.
1Tim. 4:7 But refuse godless myths fit only for old women. On the other hand, train yourself for the purpose of godliness,
Look at the command to train for godliness. Most people understand the concept that athletes need to train in order to compete and win. Training means running and lifting weights everyday. It implies having the self-discipline to make yourself do things that are hard and boring.
That is what Paul commanded Timothy to do in regards to godliness. Becoming a godly person requires the self-discipline to train ourselves, which means forcing ourselves to do that which is hard.
We need to study the Bible and pray, but modern life is so full of distractions like entertainment and pleasure that it takes self-discipline to do the things that lead to godliness.
1Tim. 4:8 for bodily training is only of little profit, but godliness is profitable for all things, since it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.
Athletic fitness, sports, movies, and computer games have little benefit in eternity, but godliness is very profitable when we get to heaven. As Christians, we need to pursue godliness, which often means resisting the lure of ease and entertainment in order to read the Bible, pray, and train ourselves to resist temptation and pursue righteousness.
1Tim. 4:9 It is a trustworthy saying and deserving full acceptance.
1Tim. 4:10 For it is for this we labor and strive, because we have fixed our hope on the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of believers.
1Tim. 4:11 ¶ Command and teach these things.
1Tim. 4:12 Let no one look down on your youthfulness, but show yourself as a model to those who believe in word, conduct, love, faith, and purity.
1Tim. 4:13 Until I come, give attention to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation and teaching.
Don’t overlook the command to “give attention to the public reading of scripture”. The public reading of scripture means to read scripture during our church gatherings. This is something many modern churches are failing to do. Many churches read less than 10 verses throughout the course of their weekly service. Considering how big the Bible is, reading 10 verses does not meet the standard of paying attention to the public reading of scripture.
The reason churches don’t read many verses is because they are trying to remove boredom from their services and make them enjoyable, thinking that will entice people to come.
As we saw in verse 8, Paul gave a command to train for godliness. Training involves doing hard and boring things. Churches should read long passages of scripture in order to communicate to their members that spending a lot of time reading scripture is important.
1Tim. 4:14 Do not neglect the gift within you, which was given to you through prophetic utterance with the laying on of hands by the council of elders.
1Tim. 4:15 Take pains with these things; be absorbed in them, so that your progress will be evident to all.
1Tim. 4:16 Pay close attention to yourself and to your teaching; persevere in these things, for as you do this you will save both yourself and those who hear you.
1Tim. 5:1 ¶ Do not sharply rebuke an older man, but rather plead with him as a father, to the younger men as brothers,
1Tim. 5:2 the older women as mothers, and the younger women as sisters, in all purity.
In recent decades, many churches have tried to remove all boredom from their church services in order to make them more appealing. The thought is that if church is entertaining and pleasurable, then more people will come.
However, Paul commanded Timothy to train for godliness. Training implies hard, boring work. Being devoted to the public reading of scripture is not entertaining and enticing, it requires self-discipline and persistence.
How many verses does your church read each week during your weekly service?
Does it meet the standard of being devoted to the public reading of scripture?
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“Scripture quotations taken from the (LSB®) Legacy Standard Bible®, Copyright © 2021 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Managed in partnership with Three Sixteen Publishing Inc. LSBible.org and 316publishing.com.”