Ten Commandments for Preachers – 1 Timothy 4:11-16
Paul left Timothy in Ephesus to instruct certain men not to teach strange doctrines (1:3). Some of those strange doctrines are found in the first paragraph of chapter 4.
In this brief paragraph from verse 11 to verse 16, Paul gives ten commands to Timothy and you will notice that they all have to do with the Word of God. Timothy is a minister of the word, an evangelist of the Gospel, and everything he does ought to be tied up with the word.
Verse 11 – Commands #1 & #2: Prescribe and teach these things. The word translated “prescribe” (parangello) means to “command” or to “order.”
Preachers ought to preach with authority but understand that the authority resides, not in them, but in the message being preached. We need to make sure that we properly understand the context and that we are teaching God’s word consistent with its context.
Verse 12 – Commands #3 & #4: “Let no one look down on your youthfulness” and “Show yourself as an example.” This word for youth, plus the chronology of the NT, would suggest that Timothy was probably in his mid-30s at this point. If Timothy joined Paul’s travels (Acts 16) in A. D. 50 and 1 Timothy was written in A. D. 62/3, then he would be roughly 35.
So that no one would disrespect Timothy’s usefulness, he is to “set an example” in five areas:
1. Speech
2. Conduct
3. Love
4. Faith (without the article = faithfulness or trustworthiness)
5. Purity
Verse 13 – Command #5: Give attention to reading. The implication is to read Scripture and to read it publicly; not only the reading of Scripture but also: exhortation and teaching.
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Public reading of the OT was practiced by the Jews (Deut. 31:11-12; Neh. 8:7-8; Acts 13:15; 2 Cor. 3:14) and, naturally, taken over by the Christians with their own body of Scripture (2 Cor. 7:8; Col. 4:16; 1 Thess. 5:27; 2 Thess. 3:14).
“Exhortation” is paraklesis which means “encouragement” or “comfort.” A preacher preaches to the hands (what are we to do), to the heart (how we are to feel), and to the head (what we are to know). We need to be “doers” of the message, not hearers only (James 1:22).
Verse 14 – Command #6: Do not neglect the spiritual gift. This gift had been bestowed on Timothy through a prophesy from the Holy Spirit when the body of elders (“presbytery”) laid their hands on him and when Paul set his hands on Timothy (2 Tim. 1:6).
“Laying on of hands” could refer to a simple ritual act, setting one aside for a special task (cf. Acts 13:1-3) or it could refer to giving the ability to perform miracles (cf. Acts 8:15-17). In Timothy’s case, the elders did the former; Paul did the latter.
Verse 15 – Commands #7 & #8: Take pains with these things & be (absorbed) in them. Timothy should do this so that his spiritual progress will be evident to all.
The verb translated by “take pains” (meletao) means to “care for; study; practice; cultivate.” Timothy was to immerse himself in teaching the Gospel of Christ.
Verse 16 – Commands #9 & #10: Pay close attention to yourself and to your teaching. Persevere in these things. If he does that, Timothy will save himself and save those who listen and obey what he is teaching.
Every Gospel preacher needs to take to heart these ten commandments for preachers.
–Paul Holland
