1 Timothy 4:4 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 4:4

For every creature of God is good ,.... For food; and should be taken and used for that purpose, at all times, without distinction; even every creature which is made for food, and which is easy to be discerned by men: and nothing to be refused ; or rejected as common and unclean, or to be abstained from at certain times: if it be received with thanksgiving : if not, persons are very ungrateful, and very unworthy of such favours; and it would be just in God to withhold them from them;... read more

Adam Clarke

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

For every creature of God is good - That is: Every creature which God has made for man's nourishment is good for that purpose, and to be thankfully received whenever necessary for the support of human life; and nothing of that sort is at any time to be refused, ουδεν αποβλητον , rejected or despised. We find a saying very similar to this in Lucian's Timon: Ουτοι αποβλητα εισι δωρα τα παρα Διος . The gifts which are from Jove ought not to be Despised. This appears to have been a... read more

John Calvin

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

Verse 4 4For every creature of God is good The use of food must be judged, partly from its substance, and partly from the person of him who eats it. The Apostle therefore avails himself of both arguments. So far as relates to food, he asserts that it is pure, because God has created it; and that the use of it is consecrated to us by faith and prayer. The goodness of the creatures, which he mentions, has relation to men, and that not with regard to the body or to health, but to the 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 4:4

Is to be rejected for to be refused , A.V. Nothing is to be rejected. The A.V., "nothing to be refused," manifestly uses "nothing" in its adverbial sense ("in no degree," "not at all," Johnson's 'Dict.'), as οὐδέν in Greek is also commonly used (Liddell and Scott). In fact, it is very difficult to construe the passage as the R.V. does. To say "nothing is to be rejected if it is received," is scarcely sense. But to say that every creature of God is good (and on that account not to... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - 1 Timothy 4:4

"For every creature of God is good." The gospel stood in a difficult position. On the one hand was asceticism, with its hermits of every creed, and its retreats in Asia, Africa, and Egypt; on the other hand was Epicureanism with its philosophy of enjoyments, which ran into lawless excess. We must judge a new religion by its first teacher; for Christ was his own religion alive and in action. John the Baptist was an ascetic; but Christ came eating and drinking, and his enemies said, "Behold, a... 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 4:4

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

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

The Pulpit Commentary - 1 Timothy 4:1-5

The Pulpit Commentary - 1 Timothy 4:1-16

The Pulpit Commentary - 1 Timothy 4:4

The Pulpit Commentary - 1 Timothy 4:4

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