1 Timothy 4:8

For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come. (BUT) LITTLE, [ pros (G4314) oligon (G3641)] - 'profiteth to (but) a small extent.' Paul admits that fasting and abstinence from conjugal sexual intercourse for a time, so as to reach the inward man through the outward, do profit slightly (Acts 13:3; 1 Corinthians 7:5; 1 Corinthians 7:7;...

8_For bodily exercise is of little profit_. By the exercise “of the body,” he does not mean that which lies in hunting, or in the race-course, or in wrestling, or in digging, or in the mechanical occupations; but he gives that name to all the outward actions that are undertaken, for the sake of religion, such as watchings, long fasts, lying on the earth, and such like. Yet he does not here censure the superstitious observance of those things; otherwise he would totally condemn them, as he does in the Epistle to the Colossians, (Colossians 2:21,) but at present he only speaks slightingly of them, and says that they are of little advantage. So, then though the heart be altogether upright, and the object proper, yet, in outward actions, Paul finds nothing that he can value highly. This is a very necessary warning; for the world will always lean to the side of wishing to worship Go

6-10 Outward acts of self-denial profit little. What will it avail us to mortify the body, if we do not mortify sin? No diligence in mere outward things could be of much use. The gain of godliness lies much in the promise; and the promises to godly people relate partly to the life that now is, but especially to the life which is to come: though we lose for Christ, we shall not lose by him. If Christ be thus the Saviour of all men, then much more will he be the Rewarder of those who seek and serve him; he will provide well for those whom he has made new creatures....

Verse 8. _FOR BODILY EXERCISE PROFITETH LITTLE_] Προς ολιγον εστιν ωφελιμος. Those gymnastic exercises, so highly esteemed among the Greeks, are but _little worth_; they are but of _short_ _duration_; they refer only to _this life_, and to the applause of men: but godliness has the promise of this life, and the life to come; it is profitable for all things; and for both time and eternity. _BUT GODLINESS IS PROFITABLE UNTO ALL THINGS_] By _godliness_ we are to understand every thing that the Christian religion either _promises_ or _prescribes_: the _life of God in the soul of man_; and the _glory of God_ as the _object_ and _end_ of that _life_. To receive the first, a man must renounce his sins, deny himself, take up his cross, and follow his Lord through evil and through good report. To obtain the latter, a man must _labour_ to enter into that rest which remains for the p

FOR BODILY EXERCISE PROFITETH LITTLE - Margin, “for a little time.” The Greek will admit of either interpretation, and what is here affirmed is true in either sense. The bodily exercise to which the apostle refers is of little advantage compared with that piety which he recommended Timothy to cultivate, and whatever advantage could be derived from it, would be but of short duration. “Bodily exercise” here refers, doubtless, to the mortifications of the body by abstinence and penance which the ancient devotees, and particularly the Essenes, made so important as a part of their religion. The apostle does not mean to say that bodily exercise is in itself improper, or that no advantage can be derived from it in the preservation of health, but he refers to it solely as a means of religion; as supposed to promote holiness of heart and of life. By these bodily austerities it was supposed that t...

EXPOSITION 1 TIMOTHY 4:1 _But _for _now_,_ _A.V.; _saith _for _speaketh_,_ _A.V.;_ later _for _the latter_,_ _A.V.;_ fall away _for _depart_,_ _A.V. THE SPIRIT SAITH EXPRESSLY (ῥητῶς);_ _only here in the New Testament, and very rare in classical Greek. But the adjective ῥητός, in the sense of something "laid down," "definite.... expressly mentioned," is common. It was, doubtless, on account of these prophetic warnings of a falling away from the faith, that the apostle gave the preceding heads of Christian doctrine in such a terse and tangible form, and laid such a solemn charge upon Timothy. (For examples of these prophetic utterances, see Acts 11:28;...

FOR BODILY EXERCISE PROFITETH LITTLE,.... Meaning not the exercise of the body in the Olympic games, as by running, wrestling, c. which profited but little, for the obtaining of a corruptible crown at most though since a word is used here, and in the preceding verse, borrowed from thence, there may be an allusion to it: much less exercise of the body for health or recreation, as riding, walking, playing at any innocent diversion; which profits but for a little time, as the Syriac and Arabic versions read; and the latter renders the phrase "bodily recreation": nor is the exercise of the body in the proper employment of trade and business, to which a man is called, and which profits for the support of life for a little while, intended; nor any methods made use of for the mortification of the body, and the keeping of it under, as watchings, fastings, lying on the ground, scourging, c. but r...

IV. CONCERNING THE LATTER-DAY APOSTASY CHAPTER 4 _ 1. What the Spirit has predicted (1 Timothy 4:1)_ 2. The remedies against apostasy (1 Timothy 4:6) 1 Timothy 4:1 The mystery of godliness having been mentioned, the apostle speaks of Satan's power in opposition to the faith and truth of God (the mystery of godliness here, and the mystery of iniquity in 2 Thessalonians). “But the Spirit speaketh expressly that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of demons.” It is a prophetic warning. Paul had given a similar warning to the Ephesian elders gathered at Miletus a number of years before, and elsewhere in the New Testament t

THE TREATMENT NEEDED. Timothy must meet the errors by (_a)_ personal example (1 Timothy 4:6) and (_b_) diligent teaching (1 Timothy 4:11). In combating error he must continually draw his strength from the doctrinal statements hitherto followed by him. The silly myths that are current (1 Timothy 1:3 *) he must reject. The fully-developed asceticism of 1 Timothy 4:3 lies in the future, but in these fables its _principles_ are already contained. Let him furtner counteract the evil by himself exhibiting the _true_ self-discipline that which aims at producing piety. For a reliable truth while mere bodily s

THE SERVICE OF GOD OR THE SERVICE OF SATAN (1 Timothy 4:1-5)...