Survey of the Letters of Paul - 1 Timothy 4

1 Timothy 4:1

Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;

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Note: before doing a study on any single verse, read all the verses from the beginning of the chapter to this point and maybe a verse or two beyond. Do this so you have the verse in context before you begin. click here

THE SERVICE OF GOD OR THE SERVICE OF SATAN

1 Timothy 4:1–5
The Spirit clearly says that in the later times some will desert from the faith, through paying attention to spirits who can do nothing but lead them astray, and to teachings which come from the demons, teachings of false men whose characteristic is insincerity, teachings of men whose conscience has been branded with the mark of Satan, teachings of those who forbid marriage, and who order men to abstain from foods which God created in order that men might gratefully take their share of them in the company of those who believe and who really know the truth; for everything that God has made is good, and nothing is to be rejected, but it is to be gratefully received; for it is hallowed by the word of God and by prayer.

THE Christian Church had inherited from the Jews the belief that in this world things would be a great deal worse before they got better. The Jews always thought of time in terms of two ages. There was this present age, which was altogether bad and in the grip of the evil powers; and there was the age to come, which was to be the perfect age of God and of goodness. But the one age would not pass into the other without a last convulsive struggle. In between the two ages would come the day of the Lord. On that day, the world would be shaken to its foundations; there would be a last supreme battle with evil, a last universal judgment, and then the new day would dawn.

The New Testament writers took over that picture. Being Jews, they had been brought up with it. One of the expected features of the last age was heresies and false teachers. ‘Many false prophets will arise and lead many astray’ (Matthew 24:11). ‘False messiahs and false prophets will appear and produce signs and omens, to lead astray, if possible, the elect’ (Mark 13:22). In these last days, Paul looks for the emergence of ‘the lawless one . . . the one destined for destruction’, who would set himself up against God (2 Thessalonians 2:3). ~Barclay's Commentary

Quoted verses:
Matthew 24:11 ...false prophets arising.
And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.

Mark 13:22 ...false prophets will produce sign and omens to lead astray.
For false Christs and false prophets shall rise, and shall shew signs and wonders, to seduce, if it were possible, even the elect.

2 Thessalonians 2:3 ...the emergence of "the lawless one."
Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;

Now to the commentaries. Understand that I edit most of the commentaries as I am looking only for word and phrase meaning and not their additional commentary. I edit out most all commentaries they offer.

Now the Spirit - Evidently the Holy Spirit; the Spirit of inspiration. It is not quite certain, from this passage, whether the apostle means to say that this was a revelation “then” made to him, or whether it was a well-understood thing as taught by the Holy Spirit. He himself elsewhere refers to this same prophecy, and John also more than once mentions it; compare 2 Thessalonians 2; 1 John 2:18; Revelation 20:1-15. From 2 Thessalonians 2:5, it would seem that this was a truth which had before been communicated to the apostle Paul, and that he had dwelt on it when he preached the gospel in Thessalonica. There is no improbability, however, in the supposition that so important a subject was communicated directly by the Holy Spirit to others of the apostles. ~ Barnes Notes

Quoted verses:
2 Thessalonians 2 with the key verses being
3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;
4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.

1 John 2:18
Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time.

Revelation 20:1-15 with the key verses being
2 And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years,
3 And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.

2 Thessalonians 2:5
Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things?

Speaketh expressly - In express words, rētōs. It was not by mere hints, and symbols, and shadowy images of the future; it was in an open and plain manner - in so many words. The object of this statement seems to be to call the attention of Timothy to it in an emphatic manner, and to show the importance of attending to it. ~ Barnes Notes

That in the latter times - During which the affairs of the world would close; see the notes on Hebrews 1:2. It does not mean that this would occur “just before” the end of the world, but that it would take place during “[the end time period]” and that the end of the world would not happen until this should take place; see the notes on 2 Thessalonians 2:3. ~ Barnes Notes

Quoted verses:
Hebrews 1:2
Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;

2 Thessalonians 2:3 ...which we read above
Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;

Some shall depart from the faith - The Greek word here - apostēsontai - is that from which we have derived the word “apostatize,” and would be properly so rendered here. The meaning is, that they would “apostatize” from the belief of the truths of the gospel. It does not mean that, as individuals, they would have been true Christians; but that there would be a departure from the great doctrines which constitute the Christian faith. The ways in which they would do this are immediately specified, showing what the apostle meant here by departing from the faith. They would give heed to seducing spirits, to the doctrines of devils, etc. The use of the word “some,” here tines - does not imply that the number would be small. The meaning is, that “certain persons” would thus depart, or that “there would be” an apostasy of the kind here mentioned, in the last days. From the parallel passage in 2 Thessalonians 2:3, it would seem that this was to be an extensive apostasy. ~ Barnes Notes

Giving heed to seducing spirits - Rather than to the Spirit of God. It would be a part of their system to yield to those spirits that led astray. The spirits here referred to are any that cause to err, and the most obvious and natural construction is to refer it to the agency of fallen spirits. Though it “may” apply to false teachers, yet, if so, it is rather to them as under the influence of evil spirits. This may be applied, so far as the phraseology is concerned, to “any” false teaching; but it is evident that the apostle had a specific apostasy in view - some great “system” that would greatly corrupt the Christian faith; and the words here should be interpreted with reference to that. It is true that people in all ages are prone to give heed to seducing spirits; but the thing referred to here is some grand apostasy, in which the characteristics would be manifested, and the doctrines held, which the apostle proceeds immediately to specify; compare 1 John 4:1. ~ Barnes Notes

Quoted verse:
1 John 4:1
Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.

And doctrines of devils - such as are devised by devils, as all damnable doctrines be; and all lying ones, for the devil is the father of them; and as are all the false doctrines introduced by antichrist, for his coming was after the working of Satan; and particularly those doctrines of his concerning worshipping of angels, and saints departed, may be called the doctrines of devils, or of "demons"; being much the same with the demon worship among the Heathens, of which the devil was the inventor: unless by doctrines of devils should be meant the doctrines of men, who for their cunning and sophistry [Plausible but misleading arguments], for their lies and hypocrisy, for their malice, and murdering of the souls of men, are comparable to devils. ~John Gill

Now going back to the first phrase; this time from the John Gill:

Now the Spirit speaketh expressly - The prophecy hereafter mentioned was not an human conjecture, but, as all true prophecy, it came from the Spirit of God [from God by the power of and unction of the Holy Spirit], [which] spoke or delivered it; either in the prophets of the Old Testament, who, as they spoke of the Gospel [period], so of the defection that should be in it; and particularly of antichrist, and of the apostasy through him, which is what is here intended, especially in Daniel's prophecies, under the names of the little horn, and vile person, Daniel 7:1 and Daniel 11:1, or in the Lord Jesus Christ, who foretold that false prophets would arise and deceive many; or in some of the prophets in the Christian church, such as Agabus, and others, who might in so many words foretell this thing; or rather in the apostle himself, at this time, since this prophecy was delivered not in dark sayings, in an enigmatical way, in an obscure manner, as prophecies generally were, but in plain language, and easy to be understood, and wanted no interpreter to unriddle it; and seeing that it is nowhere to be found in so many express words elsewhere: and moreover, the apostle does not say the Spirit "hath spoken", but the Spirit "speaketh"; then, at the time of the writing of these words, in and by [it]. ~ John Gill

Quoted verses: ...actually teasers to encourage you to read both Daniel 7 and 11.
Daniel 7:1
In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon Daniel had a dream and visions of his head upon his bed: then he wrote the dream, and told the sum of the matters.

Daniel 11:1
Also I in the first year of Darius the Mede, even I, stood to confirm and to strengthen him.

Now let us look at the Adam Clarke as it gives a quick explanation of each phrase:

Now the Spirit speaketh expressly - Manifestly, openly. It is very likely that the apostle refers here to a prophecy then furnished by the Holy Ghost, and probably immediately after he had written the words in the preceding verses; and as this prophecy contains things nowhere else spoken of in the sacred writings, and of the utmost moment to the Christian Church, we cannot hear or read them with too much reverence or respect.

In the latter times - This does not necessarily imply the last ages of the world, but any times consequent to those in which the Church then lived.

Depart from the faith - They will apostatize from the faith, i.e. from Christianity; renouncing the whole system in effect, by bringing in doctrines which render its essential truths null and void, or denying and renouncing such doctrines as are essential to Christianity as a system of salvation. A man may hold all the truths of Christianity, and yet render them of none effect by holding other doctrines which counteract their influence; or he may apostatize by denying some essential doctrine, though he bring in nothing heterodox.

Giving heed to seducing spirits - Many MSS. and the chief of the fathers have spirits of deceit; which is much more emphatic than the common reading. Deception has her spirits, emissaries of every kind, which she employs to darken the hearts and destroy the souls of men. Pretenders to inspiration, and false teachers of every kind, belong to this class.

And doctrines of devils - Demons or doctrines inspired by Satan relative to these, by which he secures his own interest, and provides for his own worship. ~Adam Clarke

Homework:
Answer the two questions and use what you write for further study and meditation and preparation for the end times.

1. Write some possible scenarios on how a firstfruit might depart from the faith. Include reason why each would or could happen.

2. What steps do you recommend to a firstfruit to avoid the process by which one would depart from the faith.

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