God’s Good Provisions-1 Timothy 4:1-8

Posted by on May 30, 2014 in Weekly Word | 0 comments
1 Timothy 4:1-8“The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. 2 Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron. 3 They forbid people to marry and order them to abstain from certain foods, which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and who know the truth. 4 For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, 5 because it is consecrated by the word of God and prayer. 6 If you point these things out to the brothers, you will be a good minister of Christ Jesus, brought up in the truths of the faith and of the good teaching that you have followed.

1 Timoteo 4:1-8 Ma lo Spirito dice esplicitamente che nei tempi futuri alcuni apostateranno dalla fede, dando retta a spiriti seduttori e a dottrine di demòni, 2 sviati dall’ipocrisia di uomini bugiardi, segnati da un marchio nella propria coscienza. 3 Essi vieteranno il matrimonio e ordineranno di astenersi da cibi che Dio ha creati perché quelli che credono e hanno ben conosciuto la verità ne usino con rendimento di grazie. 4 Infatti tutto quel che Dio ha creato è buono, e nulla è da respingere, se usato con rendimento di grazie, 5 perché è santificato dalla parola di Dio e dalla preghiera. 6 Esponendo queste cose ai fratelli, tu sarai un buon servitore di Cristo Gesù, nutrito con le parole della fede e della buona dottrina che hai imparata. 7 Ma rifiuta le favole profane e da vecchie; esèrcitati invece alla pietà, 8 perché l’esercizio fisico è utile a poca cosa, mentre la pietà è utile a ogni cosa, avendo la promessa della vita presente e di quella futura. 6 Esponendo queste cose ai fratelli, tu sarai un buon servitore di Cristo Gesù, nutrito con le parole della fede e della buona dottrina che hai imparata.

     The Scripture warns us about false doctrine (Mark 13:22) and distorted teachings (Acts 20:29). The people of God are instructed in these verses to remember the signs that will happen in the last days before the return of the Lord. Paul states that some believers will abandon the faith. In 1 Timothy 1:19, Paul also refers to them as “having shipwrecked their faith”. These instances of abandonment are led by the subtle and crafty manipulation of the mind as deceiving spirits twist the truth. Throughout the centuries of Christianity, there have been defectors who have been lured by “hypocritical liars”.

One of the two prevailing heresies that invaded many of the first century churches was the various shades of Gnosticism. Gnosticism basically taught that the spirit of the person was good but his body was evil. As a result, any normal human appetite (food and sex) needed to be severely restricted to suppress the evil. This teaching was contrary to the Scriptures but many believers abandoned their freedom in the faith to follow the Gnostic heretics. The other heresy was Old Testament ceremonial dietary practices. Even Peter, as a Christian, found it hard to escape the restrictions of Jewish ceremonial law and refused to eat what God brought down from heaven in a vision. But God’s response was, “Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.” (Acts 10:15). Paul addressed this clearly by stating that what God created was good and with proper care and thankful prayer, it was made clean and blessed by God.

In our Christian liberty, we can recognize God’s good hand behind the things He has provided and we always need to offer thanksgiving to the Lord. Yes, it is a good thing to pray before we eat!

Pray with me: Lord, I am grateful that what you made is good. Help me not to take Your provisions for granted but to always remember to give You thanks each time I eat.



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