1 Timothy 4:3 NIV

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - 1 Timothy 4:1-5

We have here a prophecy of the apostasy of the latter times, which he had spoken of as a thing expected and taken for granted among Christians, 2 Thess. 2:1-17. I. In the close of the foregoing chapter, we had the mystery of godliness summed up; and therefore very fitly, in the beginning of this chapter, we have the mystery of iniquity summed up: The Spirit speaks expressly that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith; whether he means the Spirit in the Old Testament, or the... read more

William Barclay

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - 1 Timothy 4:1-5

4:1-5 The Spirit clearly says that in the later times some will desert from the faith, through paying attention to spirits who can do nothing but lead them astray, and to teachings which come from the demons, teachings of false men whose characteristic is insincerity, teachings of men whose conscience has been branded with the mark of Satan, teachings of those who forbid marriage, and who order men to abstain from foods which God created in order that men might gratefully take their share of... read more

William Barclay

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - 1 Timothy 4:1-5

The heretics of Ephesus were propagating a heresy with very definite consequences for life. As we have already seen, these heretics were Gnostics; and the essence of Gnosticism was that spirit is altogether good and matter altogether evil. One of the consequences was that there were men who preached that everything to do with the body was evil and that everything in the world was evil. In Ephesus this issued in two definite errors. The heretics insisted that men must, as far as possible,... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Timothy 4:3

Forbidding to marry ,.... Which points out not the Encratites, Montanists, and Manichees, who spoke against marriage; but the Papists, who forbid it to their priests under a pretence of purity and holiness, and at the same time allow them to live in all manner of debauchery and uncleanness; for these are the persons that forbid marriage in an authoritative way, and in hypocrisy: for that phrase is to be joined to all the sentences that follow it; as through the hypocrisy of those whose... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - 1 Timothy 4:3

Forbidding to marry - These hypocritical priests pretending that a single life was much more favorable to devotion, and to the perfection of the Christian life. This sentiment was held by the Essenes, a religious sect among the Jews; and we know that it is a favourite opinion among the Romanists, who oblige all their clergy to live a single life by a vow of continency. To abstain from meats - Both among the heathens, Jews, and Romanists, certain meats were prohibited; Some always, others... read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - 1 Timothy 4:3

Verse 3 3Forbidding to marry. Having described the class, he next mentions two instances, (71) namely, the prohibition of marriage and of some kinds of food. They arise from that hypocrisy which, having forsaken true holiness, seeks something else for the purpose of concealment and disguise; for they who do not keep from ambition, covetousness, hatred, cruelty, and such like, endeavor to obtain a righteousness by abstaining from those things which God has left at large. Why are consciences... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - 1 Timothy 4:1-5

I. APOSTASY . "But the Spirit saith expressly, that in later times some shall fall away from the faith." This was to be properly an apostasy, or movement away from Christ from within the Church. Some who were professed believers were to fall away from the faith. They were unworthily to use their Christian position, Christian enlightenment and reputation, against Christ. This was to take place in "later times," not in the times before the completion of the kingdom of God, but simply in... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - 1 Timothy 4:1-16

The history of the Christian Church is the history of the sowing of tares as well as of the sowing of good grain; and it describes the work of seducing spirits as well as that of the Spirit of God. The work of heresy is not merely the denial of true doctrine, but it is the invention and propagation of a multitude of false doctrines. Nor, again, are the false doctrines so invented and promulgated, on the face of them, necessarily ungodly doctrines. On the contrary, they often assume to... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - 1 Timothy 4:3

Created for hath created , A.V.; by for of , A.V.; that for which , A.V. Forbidding to marry. This is mentioned as showing itself first among the Essenes and Therapeutic by Josephus ('Bell. Jud.,' it. 8.2, and ' Ant . Jud,' 18., 1.5). It became later a special tenet of the Gnostics, as stated by Clem. Alex., 'Strom.,' 3.6; Irenaeus, " Haer .," 1.22, etc. (quoted by Ellicott). See other quotations in Pole's Synopsis. Commanding to abstain from meats ; βρωμάτων (... read more

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - 1 Timothy 4:3

Forbidding to marry - That is, “They will depart from the faith through the hypocritical teaching - of those who forbid to marry;” see notes on 1 Timothy 4:2. This does not necessarily mean that they would prohibit marriage altogether, but that it would be a characteristic of their teaching that marriage would “be forbidden,” whether of one class of persons or many. They would “commend” and “enjoin” celibacy and virginity. They would regard such a state, for certain persons, as more holy than... read more

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - 1 Timothy 4:1-5

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - 1 Timothy 4:1-5

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - 1 Timothy 4:1-5

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Timothy 4:3

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - 1 Timothy 4:3

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - 1 Timothy 4:3

The Pulpit Commentary - 1 Timothy 4:1-5

The Pulpit Commentary - 1 Timothy 4:1-16

The Pulpit Commentary - 1 Timothy 4:3

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - 1 Timothy 4:3

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