1 Timothy 4:6-8 Training for Today and Eternity

1 Timothy 4:6-8 “If you put these things before the brothers, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, being trained in the words of the faith and of the good doctrine that you have followed.  Have nothing to do with irreverent, silly myths. Rather train yourself for godliness; for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.” ESV

Some of you following my travels on Facebook are aware that I’ve been spending a considerable amount of time in North Carolina of late.  It’s not just about the barbeque although that I must tell you has been one of the highlights.  The actual reason for my lengthy stay and multiple trips to the east has been for training.  Yes, it is training affiliated with my work and as training goes this has been some of the better time spent over the course of my career under its banner.

You too have had your share of “Training” I’m sure whether it be in the work environment or under the direction of an athletic coach at an earlier age.  Training of course is all about building us up.  It is about taking who we are going in and with proper affect – having some marked improvement when we come out the other side.  In my case, I have earned a nice “Diploma” to display on my office wall as a testament to my successful improvement in the various areas of endeavor.

But what does Scripture have to tell us about “Training?”  Is it there?  Having read the opening passage I’m sure you are aware that it is in fact addressed in Paul’s letter to his protégé Timothy.  In the course of this short section Paul actually gives value to two types of training but a much higher value to one.  Paul says, “If you put these things before the brothers, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus”.  What things?  For that we have to look back to the previous section (1Timothy 4:1-5)when Paul talks about certain deceivers that will try to trick believers into uncalled for restrictions around marriage and diet.  Paul is talking to Timothy about correcting that false teaching when he says, “If you put these things before the brothers …”

Paul goes on to declare how it is that Timothy is able to do this, “Being trained in the words of the faith and of the good doctrine that you have followed.”  Because Timothy was trained in the “Words of the faith” which today we would call Scripture, he was enabled to refute the false teaching.  Someone once taught how experts detect counterfeit currency to a group of students on a tour was not by learning every kind of counterfeit.  Rather the method is to learn the real thing so intimately that anything else is obviously NOT real.  That is the principle Paul is referring to here as well.  He is saying that Timothy’s expertise with the “Words of the faith” is such that he is able to detect and adequately challenge the false teaching.

Now Paul goes on and he indicates that there are other kinds of training that may take place too.  In this case, he refers to physical training or specifically“Bodily training”.  While Paul says this kind of training “is of some value” he goes on to say, “Godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.”

So I suppose this all comes down to perspective.  These past weeks during my class I was happy to see several in my class of 24 clearly proclaim their Christian faith as a part of church leadership, musicians in worship and various other aspects in appropriate ways.  I too shared the importance of my faith in my life in an appropriate way.  The message Paul has for Timothy and by extension to me and my fellow Christians in Class 57 is that as valuable as this training might be, it is “Being trained in the words of the faith” and to“Train yourself for godliness” that are of higher importance. 

The reason given is clear – These latter things have value beyond our employment and even this whole life on earth.  These latter things are, “Of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.”   The good news for my believing friends in class 57 is that Biblical principals really are consistent with much of the secular training we were given.   AMEN!