Dean Moore
Fear God and keep His commandments/ trust Jesus
Ti 4:3 For1063 the time2540 will come2071 when3753 they will not3756
endure430 sound5198 doctrine;1319 but235 after2596 their own2398 lusts1939
shall they heap2002 to themselves1438 teachers,1320 having itching2833
ears;189
2Ti 4:4 And2532 they shall turn away654 their ears189 from575, (3303)
the3588 truth,225 and1161 shall be turned1624 unto1909 fables.3454
Clark wrote:
2Ti 4:3 -
For the time will come - There is a time coming to the Church when men will
not hear the practical truths of the Gospel, when they will prefer
speculative opinions, which either do no good to the soul, or corrupt and
destroy it, to that wholesome doctrine of “deny thyself, take up thy cross
and follow me,” which Jesus Christ has left in his Church.
But after their own lusts - For these they will follow, and hate those
preachers and that doctrine by which they are opposed.
Shall they heap to themselves teachers - They will add one teacher to
another, run and gad about after all, to find out those who insist not on
the necessity of bearing the cross, of being crucified to the world, and of
having the mind that was in Jesus. In this disposition interested men often
find their account; they set up for teachers, “and widen and strew with
flowers the way, down to eternal ruin,” taking care to soothe the passions
and flatter the vices of a trifling, superficial people.
Having itching ears - Endless curiosity, an insatiable desire of variety;
and they get their ears tickled with the language and accent of the person,
abandoning the good and faithful preacher for the fine speaker.
2Ti 4:4 -
And they shall turn away their ears from the truth - The truth strips them
of their vices, sacrifices their idols, darts its lightnings against their
easily besetting sins, and absolutely requires a conformity to a crucified
Christ; therefore they turn their ears away from it.
And shall be turned unto fables - Believe any kind of stuff and nonsense;
for, as one has justly observed, “Those who reject the truth are abandoned
by the just judgment of God to credit the most degrading nonsense.” This is
remarkably the case with most deists; their creed often exhibits what is
grossly absurd.
Barns wrote:
1Ti 1:4 -
Neither give heed to fables - That is, that they should not bestow their
attention on fables, or regard such trifles as of importance. The “fables”
here referred to were probably the idle and puerile superstitions and
conceits of the Jewish rabbies. The word rendered “fable” (µ????? muthos)
means properly “speech” or “discourse,” and then fable or fiction, or a
mystic discourse. Such things abounded among the Greeks as well as the
Jews, but it is probable that the latter here are particularly intended.
These were composed of frivolous and unfounded stories, which they regarded
as of great importance, and which they seem to have desired to incorporate
with the teachings of Christianity. Paul, who had been brought up amidst
these superstitions, saw at once how they would tend to draw off the mind
from the truth, and would corrupt the true religion. One of the most
successful arts of the adversary of souls has been to mingle fable with
truth; and when he cannot overthrow the truth by direct opposition, to
neutralize it by mingling with it much that is false and frivolous.
And endless genealogies - This also refers to Jewish teaching. The Hebrews
kept careful genealogical records, for this was necessary in order that the
distinction of their tribes might be kept up. Of course, in the lapse of
centuries these tables would become very numerous, complicated, and
extended - so that they might without much exaggeration be called
“endless.” The Jews attached great importance to them, and insisted on
their being carefully preserved. As the Messiah, however, had now come - as
the Jewish polity was to cease - as the separation between them and the
pagan was no longer necessary, and the distinction of tribes was now
useless, there was no propriety that these distinctions should be regarded
by Christians. The whole system was, moreover, contrary to the genius of
Christianity, for it served to keep up the pride of blood and of birth.
Which minister questions - Which afford matter for troublesome and angry
debates. It was often difficult to settle or understand them. They became
complicated and perplexing. Nothing is more difficult than to unravel an
extensive genealogical table. To do this, therefore, would often give rise
to contentions, and when settled, would give rise still further to
questions about rank and precedence.
Rather than godly edifying which is in faith - These inquiries do nothing
to promote true religion in the soul. They settle no permanent principle of
truth; they determine nothing that is really concerned in the salvation of
people. They might be pursued through life, and not one soul be converted
by them; they might be settled with the greatest accuracy, and yet not one
heart be made better. Is not this still true of many controversies and
logomachies in the church? No point of controversy is worth much trouble,
which, if it were settled one way or the other, would not tend to convert
the soul from sin, or to establish some important principle in promoting
true religion. “So do.” These words are supplied by our translators, but
they are necessary to the sense. The meaning is, that Timothy was to remain
at Ephesus, and faithfully perform the duty which he had been left there to
discharge.
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"Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you
ought to answer every man." (Colossians 4:6) http://www.InnGlory.org
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