1 Timothy 4:11-14 The Message
11-14 Get the word out. Teach all these things. And don’t let anyone put you down because you’re young. Teach believers with your life: by word, by demeanor, by love, by faith, by integrity. Stay at your post reading Scripture, giving counsel, teaching. And that special gift of ministry you were given when the leaders of the church laid hands on you and prayed—keep that dusted off and in use.
The Word of God for the Children of God.
Glory be to the Father and the Son and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end, Amen, Amen.
It can be so easy to look at a younger person and think what would they know?
But God, without any partiality or regard to age, has put us all in specific places, for specific times, and with God-given talents and skills, and life experiences.
1 Timothy 4:12 New Living Translation
12 Don’t let anyone think less of you because you are young. Be an example to all believers in what you say, in the way you live, in your love, your faith, and your purity.
The Book of Timothy was written by the Apostle Paul to his friend Timothy.
Timothy was a young trusted associate of Paul and was an active and faithful missionary and church leader in the Early 1st Century Church.
The purpose of this epistle or letter was to encourage, inspire young Timothy and to outline a set of instructions for church leadership and organization.
Some of the most important topics built into this letter include prayer, worship, husbands and wives, church leadership structure, false teaching, and money.
Of course, as we now are reading in our text, within these topics, Paul discusses, values and highlights the importance of not looking down on young people just because they are young and that is our focus for this devotional effort this day.
What is the Context of 1 Timothy 4:12?
1 Timothy 4:12 New King James Version
Take Heed to Your Ministry
12 Let no one [a]despise your youth, but be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, [b]in spirit, in faith, in purity.
1 Timothy 4:12 states: “Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity.”
I love that Paul does not throw out idle words, but he backs up the command with ways to assist his young protégé Timothy in following it through.
Timothy was to not allow the world to despise, to look down on him because he was a younger person than some, but he was to be a young man who showed himself to be capable, mature for his years, “set an example for the believers.”
Paul does not stop there but he specifically itemizes the areas in which Timothy was to set that example:
in speech, in the words he shared with others,
in conduct, in his actions,
in love, in how he treated others,
in faith, in his belief in God and lastly,
he was to set an example in purity or how he treated women and acted with his own body (1 Timothy 4:12).
This list covers every area of Timothy’s life.
I believe what Paul is laying out here is the idea that we are not only saved for Sundays, but our faith should be embedded into every facet of our lives, and like young Timothy, we must also become a people who set an example to the world around us and ensure that we are each becoming more and more like Jesus.
Paul was a man who knew what it was to offer a whole life to God.
Paul was a man who knew what it was to place highest personal value to a whole life devoted to living more like the example set by Christ and to revealing Christ.
He wrote in so many places in Scripture about this, but another is in Romans 12.
The Message version of verses 1 and 2 of this reads:
Place Your Life Before God
12 1-2 So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.
Isn’t it marvelous that Paul even goes as far as to say, “God helping you,” or as the NIV puts it, “in view of God’s mercy.”
A Living Sacrifice
12 Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. 2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
Even the Apostle Paul knew this was a life we could never attain on our own, but we would each always need every single measure and last degree of God’s help.
Isn’t it somehow just a tiny bit more refreshing to hear that message spoken, know we don’t have to live up to a certain way of being in our own strength!?
Paul also knew what we in our humanity will absolutely sometimes forget it.
In our technologically advanced, technology dependent ways, it is too easy in life to get caught up with what is going on around us than what God is doing.
So, Paul, in verse 13, lends his wealth of education, experience, and wisdom, fleshes these words out a little by saying Timothy was to devote himself to the reading of Scripture and doctrine and to never neglect the gifts God gave him.
1 Timothy 4:12-13 New King James Version
Take Heed to Your Ministry
12 Let no one [a]despise your youth, but be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, [b]in spirit, in faith, in purity. 13 Till I come, give attention to reading, to exhortation, to [c]doctrine.
How Does this Passage of Text Apply to Us Today?
British evangelist Henry A. Redpath was once quoted saying,
“A Christian might have a saved soul but a wasted life — but no follower of Jesus should ever be content with such a place.”
Friend, let this be a friendly reminder that when God created you, He embedded into your very existence gifts and purpose, passions and valuable life principles.
No matter what your age, whatever your skill set, Paul writes to young Timothy to please use them up for God’s glory, do not bury them away, never hide them.
Jesus Himself echoes these words;
Matthew 5:13-16 New King James Version
Believers Are Salt and Light
13 “You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it [ever] be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.
14 “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. 16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.
Not that God will one day owe us a reward or a prize, or that we may become prideful of our own gifting’s and progress, but so that God gets revealed, God gets every measure the glory, honor, worship and His kingdom is expanded!
Timothy, Paul writes, was to be diligent or focused on the above, but also, he was to watch or observe the public and private conduct of his own life closely; if not, it could ultimately lead unto the destruction of those he was trying to lead.
It is so important that Christians self-examine, and ask God regularly to show us, as David would say, “If there is any wicked way in me?” (Psalm 139:23-24).
While the above sounds like a very long list of things Timothy needed to do, I feel it is worth once again mentioning all of this would be done with God’s help, and over time and with personal discipline to reading, and study and prayer, it would be a way of life, not a list of boxes to be ticked when Timothy felt like it.
Young Timothy was also being reminded to persevere even in the hard seasons because it was going to be example of that perseverance which would save both him and embolden, inspire and empower the hearers of the words he shared.
I feel it is worth pointing out right here that it is not our good behavior nor our faithfulness that actually saves a person.
I believe Paul is pointing out here that it is essential for us, without regard for our ages to evaluate ourselves so that we do not lead a church or people astray by false teaching, false worship and faked and poor private, public behaviors.
Again, Jesus echoes these words;
Matthew 6:1-13 New King James Version
Do Good to Please God
6 “Take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds before men, to be seen by them. Otherwise you have no reward from your Father in heaven. 2 Therefore, when you do a charitable deed, do not sound a trumpet before you as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory from men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. 3 But when you do a charitable deed, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 that your charitable deed may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will Himself reward you [a]openly.
The Model Prayer
5 “And when you pray, you shall not be like the [b]hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. 6 But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you [c]openly. 7 And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words.
8 “Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him. 9 In this manner, therefore, pray:
Our Father in heaven,
Hallowed be Your name.
10 Your kingdom come.
Your will be done
On earth as it is in heaven.
11 Give us this day our daily bread.
12 And forgive us our debts,
As we forgive our debtors.
13 And do not lead us into temptation,
But deliver us from the evil one.
[d]For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.
It is also so important that we do so because our actions, our words, and our faithfulness to God are sometimes, and quite often how others come to Christ.
They see things in us that they do not see in the world and that is attractive to those who do not yet know the peace that passes all understanding (Philippians 4) or to the joy that can exist for us when we have trials in our lives (James 1).
These things are noticed, scrutinized by those who live around us, and often, they are what draws an unsaved friend, workmate, or family member to Jesus.
Why Does This Passage of Text Matter to us Today?
Friend, it is easy to look at a younger person and think, what would they know?
But our absolutely impartial God has put us all in specific places, for specific times, and purposes and with God-given talents and skills, and life experience.
It is vital that we listen to those around us, and help the younger ones in ministry to grow, praying for them, reminding them of their role when they seem to be going the wrong direction in love, and, of course, mentoring them.
But also dignifying them, honoring and respecting them, listening when they come to us with words from God, or to pray for us, or to teach and admonish.
We must lean into acknowledging the youth, the knowledge that God can use anyone, any age, and respect our leader in authority, whatever age they may be.
Of course, respect must go two ways, and if we read on into 1 Timothy 5, Paul outlines for Timothy how he must treat and respect the older generations, and those younger than he: with dignity, respect, giving proper recognition, and to honoring and to treating them as though he would his own father or mother.
The life of the church is best imaged in that of family.
God created us all with relationship in mind, and it is important that we see each other how God sees us, loved!
If we see through the eyes of compassion, mercy, forgiveness and love, we will inevitably find it so much harder to treat each other so poorly, or dismissively.
So, friend, whatever age you are, there will be those in leadership older than you and younger.
As you come to mentor those older and younger, do so in love, not forgetting God has placed you into this season for good reason, and follow His guidance.
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Let us Pray,
Heavenly Father, thank You for the wisdom and instruction that we gain from the pastoral epistles to Timothy and Titus. May I look to Jesus, day by day, and stand firm in the faith, holding fast to the truth of the glorious gospel of grace. Help me not to be offended by the actions or attitude of others towards me, but rather, may my speech and conduct be honoring to You, and may I serve You in faith and purity, to my life’s end. Help me to be a living godly example to those with whom I have to do, for Your holy name’s sake, and greater glory. This I ask in my Savior Jesus’ name, AMEN
Glory be to the Father and the Son and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end, Amen, Amen.
Loving God, Living God, Loving Hope, Living Hope, Loving Living Life His Way! "Many things are possible for the person who has hope. Even more is possible for the person who has faith. And still more is possible for the person who knows how to love. But everything is possible for the person who practices all three virtues." - Brother Lawrence (1605-1691), Practicing the Presence of God (1692). 