I. Defection and deception, 4:1-5, from the faith, seductive spirit, doctrines of the devil, hidden lies in the form of truth, reception of evil as alright, legalism in the form of rejecting marriage and eating meat.

II. Doctrine and deportment, 4:6-10, by teaching truth, ministering for the Lord, demanding doctrinal correctness, rejecting human invented experiences as a replacement for revelation, through encouragement of hard and thought out priorities, 4:6-10.

III. Dedication and development, 4:11-16, by demanding (command, "paragello", to give as a military charge) and declaring (teach, diaginosko, to know with total certainty).

A. GIVE ATTENTION TO DIRECTION, 4:11

1. Paul instructed Timothy to declare Christian teaching as fixed, final and without modification.

2. Timothy needed to know that central Christian teachings are not subject to human evaluations, likes or dislikes.

3. Effective Christian living will never be the result of human rationalization and thus must be taught as knowable through divine revelation.

4. It is impossible to direct the believer’s life without guiding through teaching. While it is possible to be a believer with little theological understanding, it is not possible to grow and mature as a Christian without definite instruction.

5. Paul’s Pastoral Epistles, First Timothy, Second Timothy and Titus are full of instructions on how to supervise, train leadership and instruct believers through a church ministry. They also warn about the instruction from non-church sources and extra-biblical information!

1. Timothy had some difficulties with older people rejecting his leadership because of his young age. It is believed that he was most likely in his late thirties.

2. The seriousness of the rejection of Timothy was in the form of being despised. The idea of this rejection is to "play down", "active contempt", "injurious actions" and "belittling God’s spiritual gifts" to Timothy.

3. Paul’s letter requested that an end be brought to something that was already going on.

4. Timothy could put an end to those who criticized him by a life style, which would keep others from believing his critics. To do this he was to continue to be faithful in five items:

a) He was to be an example, leaving a mark on other people’s lives.

b) He was to guard his conversation as a teacher of other people’s beliefs.

c) He was to demonstrate his leadership in living as a leader. "Conversation" in this text refers to life style rather than verbal conversation.

d) He was to demonstrate God’s love (agape) through his actions.

e) He was to demonstrate a spiritual life of mature faith.

5. This is a good passage to learn that it is impossible to live down criticism. You can only live above it!

C. GIVE ATTENTION TO DOCTRINE, 4:13

1. Three times in the chapter doctrine is mentioned. The importance of giving attention to doctrine, 4:6; 13 is that if not it will be subtly replaced by the doctrines of the devil, 4:1.

2. Remember that Satan is a great religionist. His program, surprisingly, is not to get people to reject God, but to get them to reject what God has said, Genesis 3:1. This is done by very simple changes in the statements of God.

3. Satan’s doctrine may be said to be effectively substituted for God’s as soon as doubt of the truth from God is created.

4. Even believers often reject the teaching of biblical doctrine by saying "doctrine divides." Actually, doctrine should divide! So should truth divide from error.

5. Attention to correct doctrine is impossible without first giving attention to reading of the Holy Scriptures and secondly giving attention to exhortation, (" paralklesis", to implore as to make entreaty). Study and prayer for understanding as well as correct application of the scripture is vital to giving attention to doctrine.

6. Doctrinal correctness would change Christianity, as we now know it by demonstrating that great error is being passed on as truth.

1. God gives spiritual gifts to every believer, Ephesians 4:7-8. Spiritual gifts are divine enablements. It is not the same as talents, even though talents may be involved. They are the abilities given to believers, that when used, will be powered by the Holy Spirit in a productive manner.

2. Timothy was gifted as an elder, the biblical title for what we call pastor or minister, to care by feeding/teaching. Bishop is also used interchangeably with the office of elder and implies to minister by overseeing.

3. There are two offices in the church, pastor (elder) and deacon (servant). These offices are God given to churches and must be appointed by God and thus cannot be elected. They are acknowledged by ordination, investigation and laying of hands as an indicating God has called one of the church’s members to these offices. While the church may invent leadership in areas of need, they cannot actually create elders and deacons nor give the accompanying spiritual gifts the office needs to function correctly.

4. Presbytery is made up of the existing elder of a congregation.

1. Giving attention involves mediating, ("meletao", to resolve by considering with the mind). This word as used in this text implies to carefully practice what is understood to be true and important.

2. Spiritual gifts and the call to one of the two church offices are to be constantly part of the person’s life. They are not items one can use at will and pick and choose when they want to use them.

3. The purpose of all spiritual gifts is not for the advantage of the person having the gifts, but rather for the "profit" of others by assisting them in making progress in their Christian lives. Making personal financial profit and gain through spiritual gifts may in fact be an unacceptable use of the gifts. Certainly to do so is without biblical support!