the Week of Christ the King / Proper 29 / Ordinary 34
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1 Timothy 1:4
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Tell them not to give their time to meaningless stories and to long lists of names to prove their family histories. Such things only cause arguments. They don't help God's work, which is done only by faith.
nor to occupy themselves with myths and endless genealogies which promote speculations rather than the divine training that is in faith;
nether geve hede to fables and genealogies which are endlesse and brede doutes more then godly edyfyinge which is by fayth:
neither to pay attention to myths and endless genealogies, which cause disputes, rather than God's stewardship, which is in faith --
nor to pay attention to myths and endless genealogies, which give rise to useless speculation rather than advance the plan of God, which is by faith, so I urge you now.
Tell them not to spend their time on stories that are not true and on long lists of names in family histories. These things only bring arguments; they do not help God's work, which is done in faith.
neither to give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which cause questionings, rather than a dispensation of God which is in faith; [so do I now].
Neither give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which minister questions, rather than godly edifying which is in faith; [so do].
nor to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies, which promote speculations rather than the stewardship from God that is by faith.
neither to pay attention to myths and endless genealogies, which cause disputes, rather than God's stewardship, which is in faith --
that afford questions, and not godly edifying, which is through faith.
and the attention they bestow on mere fables and endless pedigrees, such as lead to controversy rather than to a true stewardship for God, which only exists where there is faith. And I make the same request now.
nether yyue tent to fablis and genologies that ben vncerteyn, whiche yyuen questiouns, more than edificacioun of God, that is in the feith.
neither to give heed to fables and endless genealogies, the which minister questionings, rather than a dispensation of God which is in faith; [so do I now].
or devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies, which promote speculation rather than the stewardship of God's work, which is by faith.
You needed to warn them to stop wasting their time on senseless stories and endless lists of ancestors. Such things only cause arguments. They don't help anyone to do God's work that can only be done by faith.
nor to pay attention to legends (fables, myths) and endless genealogies, which give rise to useless speculation and meaningless arguments rather than advancing God's program of instruction which is grounded in faith [and requires surrendering the entire self to God in absolute trust and confidence].
neither to give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which minister questionings, rather than a dispensation of God which is in faith; so do I now.
Or to give attention to stories and long lists of generations, from which come questionings and doubts, in place of God's ordered way of life which is in faith;
Have them stop devoting their attention to myths and never-ending genealogies; these divert people to speculating instead of doing God's work, which requires trust.
nor to turn their minds to fables and interminable genealogies, which bring questionings rather than [further] God's dispensation, which [is] in faith.
4 nor throw themselves (away) upon stories and tales of generations which have no end, [fn] (but) which rather subserve contentions, and not edification in the faith of Aloha.
and not to throw themselves into fables and stories about genealogies, of which there is no end, which produce contention rather than edification in the faith of God.
Neither giue heed to fables, and endlesse genealogies, which minister questions, rather then edifying which is in faith: so doe.
Don't let them waste their time in endless discussion of myths and spiritual pedigrees. These things only lead to meaningless speculations, which don't help people live a life of faith in God.
They should not listen to stories that are not true. It is foolish for them to try to learn more about their early fathers. These only bring more questions to their minds and do not make their faith in God stronger.
and not to occupy themselves with myths and endless genealogies that promote speculations rather than the divine training that is known by faith.
Neither that they giue heede to fables and genealogies which are endles, which breede questions rather then godly edifying which is by fayth.
And not to give heed to fables and stories of endless genealogies, which cause dispute, rather than build up the faith of God.
Not to be teaching otherwise, nor yet to be giving heed to stories and endless genealogies, - the which, bring, arguings, rather than that stewardship of God which is with faith; -
Not to give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which furnish questions rather than the edification of God which is in faith.
Neither geue heede to fables and endlesse genealogies, whiche breede questions, more then godly edifying which is in fayth.
Tell them to give up those legends and those long lists of ancestors, which only produce arguments; they do not serve God's plan, which is known by faith.
or to pay attention to myths and endless genealogies. These promote empty speculations rather than God’s plan, which operates by faith.
Neither give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which minister questions, rather than godly edifying which is in faith: so do.
and not to pay attention to myths and endless genealogies, which cause useless speculations rather than God's plan that is by faith.
nor to give heed to fables and to endless genealogies, which occasion doubts, rather than a stewardship of God in faith,
nor to give heed to fables and endless genealogies, that cause questions rather than the building up of God that is in faith: --
nether geue hede to fables and genealogies, which are endlesse, and brede doutes more then godly edifyenge, which is by faith.
or trouble their heads with fables and endless genealogies, which rather promote disputes than the gospel-dispensation:
nor to occupy themselves with myths and interminable genealogies. Such things promote useless speculations rather than God's redemptive plan that operates by faith.
nor give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which cause disputes rather than godly edification which is in faith.
You'll also have to contend with those who try to rebrand God's chosen people with made-up stories. Also keep a watch out for those who think they are better than everyone else because they have fancy pedigrees. Such people don't have faith, they just like to talk. Such talks lead to endless arguments that don't lead people down the narrow trail.
nor to pay attention to myths and endless genealogies, which give rise to mere speculation rather than furthering the administration of God which is by faith.
nor to pay attention to myths and endless genealogies, which give rise to mere speculation rather than furthering the stewardship from God which is by faith.
Contextual Overview
Bible Verse Review
from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge
to: 1 Timothy 4:7, 1 Timothy 6:4, 1 Timothy 6:20, 2 Timothy 2:14, 2 Timothy 2:16-18, 2 Timothy 4:4, Titus 1:14, 2 Peter 1:16
endless: Titus 3:9
questions: 1 Timothy 6:4, 1 Timothy 6:5, 2 Timothy 2:22
godly: 1 Timothy 3:16, 1 Timothy 6:3, 1 Timothy 6:11, 2 Corinthians 1:12, 2 Corinthians 7:9, 2 Corinthians 7:10, Ephesians 4:12-16, Titus 1:1, Hebrews 13:9
Reciprocal: Leviticus 8:35 - keep Matthew 15:9 - teaching Acts 9:31 - were edified Acts 18:15 - a question Romans 14:19 - and 1 Corinthians 10:23 - edify 1 Corinthians 14:3 - edification 2 Corinthians 11:13 - false 1 Thessalonians 5:11 - and edify 2 Timothy 2:23 - General Titus 1:10 - there
Gill's Notes on the Bible
Neither give heed to fables,.... Old wives' fables, 1 Timothy 4:7 or Jewish fables, Titus 1:14 the traditions of the elders; anything that was not true; or if it was, yet idle, vain, trifling, and unprofitable:
and endless genealogies; not of deities, as the Theogony of the Gentiles, or the ten Sephirot or numbers in the Cabalistic tree of the Jews, or the Aeones of the Gnostics and Valentinians, which are said to proceed from one another, as some have thought; but both the public and private genealogies of the Jews, which they kept to show of what tribe they were, or to prove themselves priests and Levites, and the like; of which there was no end, and which often produced questions and debates. By reason of their captivities and dispersions, they were much at a loss to distinguish their tribes and families. Some care Ezra took of this matter, when the Jews returned from the Babylonish captivity. It is said a, that ×××ס××
עשר×,
"ten genealogies (or ten sorts of persons genealogized) came out of Babylon; priests, Levites, Israelites, profane (or unfit for the priesthood, though they sprung from priests) proselytes, freemen (servants made free), bastards, Nethinim or Gibeonites, such whose father was not known, and those that were took up in the streets.''
These Ezra brought up to Jerusalem thus distinguished, that they might be taken care of by the sanhedrim, and kept distinct; but these would often intermix and cause disputes; and sometimes these mixtures were connived at through partiality or fear b
"Says R. Jochanan, by the temple, it is in our hands, (the gloss adds, to discover the illegitimate families of the land of Israel,) but what shall I do? for lo, the great men of this age are hid (or impure): in which he agreed with R. Isaac, who said, the family that is hid, let it be hid. Abai also saith, we have learned this by tradition, there was a family of the house of Tzeriphah, beyond Jordan, and a son of Zion, (a famous man, a man of authority,) set it at a distance, (proclaimed it illegitimate,) by his authority. And again, there was another, and he made it near (or pronounced it right) by his power. Again, there was another family, and the wise men would not discover it.''
By which we may see what management there was in these things, and what a foundation was laid for questions and debates. Of these public and private genealogies, Titus 1:14- :, to which may be added what R. Benjamin says c of some Jews in his time, who were the Rechabites, and were very numerous, and had a prince over them of the house of David; and, adds he, they have a genealogical book,
××ש×ר×ת ש×××ת, "and extracts of questions", which I should be tempted to render "clusters of questions", which are with the head of the captivity; and this comes very near to what our apostle here says. And when it is observed, that Herod, that he might hide the meanness of his descent and birth, burnt all the genealogical writings in the public archives d, it must be still more difficult to fix the true account of things; and for the loss of the genealogical book, the public one, the Jews express a very great concern: for they say e, that
"from the time the book of genealogies was hid, the strength of the wise men was weakened, and the light of their eyes grew dim. Says Mar Zutra, between Azel and Azel, (that is, between 1 Chronicles 8:38 and 1 Chronicles 9:44) there is need of four hundred camel loads of commentaries.''
So intricate an affair, and such an endless business was this. And this affair of genealogies might be now the more the subject of inquiry among judaizing Christians, since there was, and still is, an expectation among the Jews, that in the times of the Messiah these things will be set aright. Says Maimonides f,
"in the days of the King Messiah, when his kingdom shall be settled, and all Israel shall be gathered to him, ××××
×ת×××ס×, "they shall all of them be genealogized", according to his word, by the Holy Ghost, as it is said, Malachi 3:3 he shall purify the sons of Levi, and say, this is a genealogized priest, and this is a genealogized Levite; and shall drive them away who are not genealogized (or related) to Israel, as it is said, Ezra 2:63. Hence you learn, that by the Holy Ghost they shall be genealogized, those that arrogate and proclaim their genealogy; and he shall not genealogize Israel but by their tribes, for he shall make known that this is of such a tribe, and this is of such a tribe; but he shall not say concerning such an one he is a bastard, and this is a servant; for so shall it be, that the family that is obscure shall be obscure.''
Or else the genealogical account of their traditions may be meant, which they trace from Moses to Joshua, from Joshua to the elders, from the elders to the prophets, from the prophets to the men of the great synagogue, and from one doctor to another g, which to pursue is endless, tedious, and tiresome:
which minister questions; as the traditions of the elders, and the genealogical account of them did; the Talmud is full of the questions, debates, contentions, and decisions of the doctors about them:
rather than godly edifying, which is in faith; and which is the principal end of preaching, hearing, and conversation; and that may be called "godly edifying, or the edification of God", as it may be rendered, which he is the author of, and which he approves of, and is by, and according to his word; or that in which souls are built up an habitation for God, and are built up in faith and holiness, and by an increase of every grace: and this is "in faith", not only in the grace of faith, but by the doctrine of faith, on which the saints may build one another, and by which they are edified through the faithful ministration of it by the ministers of the word; when fabulous stories and disputes, about genealogies, are useless and unedifying: not that the apostle condemns all genealogies, such as we have in the writings of the Old Testament, and in the evangelists, nor all inquiries into them, and study of them, which, rightly to settle, is in some cases of great importance and use, but the private and unprofitable ones before mentioned. Some copies read, "the dispensation of God, which is in faith"; meaning the dispensation of the mysteries of grace, which are in the doctrine of faith, which becomes a faithful steward of them, and not fables and genealogies, which issue in questions, quarrels, and contentions.
a Misn. Kiddnshin, c. 4. sect. 1. b T. Bab. Kiddushin, fol. 71. 1. & Hieros. Kiddushin, fol. 65. 3. c Massaot, p. 83. d Euseb. Eccl. Hist. l. 1. c. 7. e T. Bab. Pesachim, fol. 62. 2. f Hilchot Melacim, c. 12. sect. 3. g Pirke Abot, c. 1. sect. 1, &c.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible
Neither give heed to fables - That is, that they should not bestow their attention on fables, or regard such trifles as of importance. The âfablesâ here referred to were probably the idle and puerile superstitions and conceits of the Jewish rabbies. The word rendered âfableâ (Î¼Ï ÍÎ¸Î¿Ï muthos) means properly âspeechâ or âdiscourse,â 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 âendless.â 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. âSo do.â 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.
Clarke's Notes on the Bible
Verse 1 Timothy 1:4. Neither give heed to fables — Idle fancies; things of no moment; doctrines and opinions unauthenticated; silly legends, of which no people ever possessed a greater stock than the Jews. Their Talmud abounds with them; and the English reader may find them in abundance in Stehlin's Jewish Traditions, 2 vols. 8vo.
Endless genealogies — I suppose the apostle to mean those genealogies which were uncertain-that never could be made out, either in the ascending or descending line; and, principally, such as referred to the great promise of the Messiah, and to the priesthood. The Jews had scrupulously preserved their genealogical tables till the advent of Christ and the evangelists had recourse to them, and appealed to them in reference to our Lord's descent from the house of David; Matthew taking this genealogy in the descending, Luke in the ascending, line. And whatever difficulties we may now find in these genealogies, they were certainly clear to the Jews; nor did the most determined enemies of the Gospel attempt to raise one objection to it from the appeal which the evangelists had made to their own public and accredited tables. All was then certain; but we are told that Herod destroyed the public registers; he, being an Idumean, was jealous of the noble origin of the Jews; and, that none might be able to reproach him with his descent, be ordered the genealogical tables, which were kept among the archives in the temple, to be burnt. See Euseb. H. E., lib. i. cap. 8. From this time the Jews could refer to their genealogies only from memory, or from those imperfect tables which had been preserved in private hands; and to make out any regular line from these must have been endless and uncertain. It is probably to this that the apostle refers; I mean the endless and useless labour which the attempts to make out these genealogies must produce, the authentic tables being destroyed. This, were all other proofs wanting, would be an irresistible argument against the Jews that the Messiah is come; for their own prophets had distinctly marked out the line by which he was to come; the genealogies are now all lost; nor is there a Jew in the universe that can show from what tribe he is descended. There can, therefore, be no Messiah to come, as none could show, let him have what other pretensions he might, that he sprang from the house of David. The Jews do not, at present, pretend to have any such tables; and, far from being able to prove the Messiah from his descent, they are now obliged to say that, when, the Messiah comes, he will restore the genealogies by the Holy Spirit that shall rest upon him. "For," says Maimonides, "in the days of the Messiah, when his kingdom shall be established, all the Israelites shall be gathered together unto him; and all shall be classed in their genealogies by his mouth, through the Holy Spirit that shall rest upon him; as it is written, Malachi 3:3: He shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he shall purify the sons of Levi. First he will purify the Levites, and shall say: 'This man is a descendant from the priests; and this, of the stock of the Levites;' and he shall cast out those who are not of the stock of Israel; for behold it is said, Ezra 2:63: And the Tirshatha said-they should not eat of the most holy things, till there stood up a priest with Urim and Thummim. Thus, by the Holy Spirit, the genealogies are to be revised." See Schoettgen.
Some learned men suppose that the apostle alludes here to the AEons, among the Gnostics and Valentinians, or whom there were endless numbers to make up what was called their pleroma; or to the sephiroth, or splendours of the Cabalists. But it is certain that these heresies had not arrived to any formidable head in the apostle's time; and it has long been a doubt with me whether they even existed at that time: and I think it the most simple way, and most likely to be the intention of the apostle, to refer all to the Jewish genealogies, which he calls Jewish fables, Titus 1:14, to which we know they were strongly and even conscientiously attached and which, at this time, it must have been extremely difficult to make out.
Instead of γενεαλογιαιÏ, genealogies, some learned men have conjectured that the original word was κεÏολογιαιÏ, empty words, vain speeches; but this conjecture is not supported by any MS. or version.
Which minister questions — They are the foundation of endless altercations and disputes; for, being uncertain and not consecutive, every person had a right to call them in question; as we may naturally suppose, from the state in which the genealogical tables of the Jews then were, that many chasms must be supplied in different lines, and consequently much must be done by conjecture.
Rather than godly edifying — Such discussions as these had no tendency to promote piety. Many, no doubt, employed much of that time in inquiring who were their ancestors, which they should have spent in obtaining that grace by which, being born from above, they might have become the sons and daughters of God Almighty.
Instead of οικοδομιαν Î¸ÎµÎ¿Ï , godly edifying, or the edification of God, οικονομιαν Î¸ÎµÎ¿Ï , the economy or dispensation of God, is the reading of almost every MS. in which this part of the epistle is extant, (for some MSS. are here mutilated,) and of almost all the versions, and the chief of the Greek fathers. Of the genuineness of this reading scarcely a doubt can be formed; and though the old reading, which is supported by the Latin fathers and the Vulgate, gives a good sense, yet the connection and spirit of the place show that the latter must be the true reading. Griesbach has received this reading into the text.
What had Jewish genealogies to do with the Gospel? Men were not to be saved by virtue of the privileges or piety of their ancestors. The Jews depended much on this. We have Abraham to our father imposed silence on every check of conscience, and every godly reproof which they received for their profligacy and unbelief. In the dispensation of God, FAITH in Christ Jesus was the only means and way of salvation. These endless and uncertain genealogies produced no faith; indeed they were intended as a substitute for it; for those who were intent on making out their genealogical descent paid little attention to faith in Christ. They ministered questions rather than that economy of God which is by faith. This dispensation, says the apostle, is by faith, οικονομιαν Î¸ÎµÎ¿Ï Ïην εν ÏιÏÏει. It was not by natural descent, nor by works, but by faith in Christ; therefore it was necessary that the people who were seeking salvation in any other way should be strictly informed that all their toil and labour would be vain.
