1 Timothy 1:4

1 Timothy 1:4 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Neither give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which minister questions, rather than godly edifying which is in faith: so do.
• New International Version (NIV)or to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies. Such things promote controversial speculations rather than advancing God’s work—which is by faith.
• English Standard Version (ESV)nor to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies, which promote speculations rather than the stewardship from God that is by faith.
• New King James Version (NKJV)nor give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which cause disputes rather than godly edification which is in faith.

Context of 1 Timothy 1:4

2I am writing to Timothy, my true son in the faith. May God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord give you grace, mercy, and peace. 3When I left for Macedonia, I urged you to stay there in Ephesus and stop those whose teaching is contrary to the truth. 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. 5The purpose of my instruction is that all believers would be filled with love that comes from a pure heart, a clear conscience, and genuine faith. 6But some people have missed this whole point. They have turned away from these things and spend their time in meaningless discussions.

1 Timothy 1:4 word by word

μηδὲ προσέχειν μύθοις καὶ γενεαλογίαις ἀπεράντοις, αἵτινες ἐκζητήσεις παρέχουσιν μᾶλλον ἢ οἰκονομίαν θεοῦ τὴν ἐν πίστει.Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Neitherμηδέmēde · norG3366
• give heed toπροσέχωprosechō · to watch outG4337
• fablesμῦθοςmuthos · mythG3454
• andκαίkai · andG2532
• endlessἀπέραντοςaperantos · endlessG562
• genealogiesγενεαλογίαgenealogia · genealogyG1076
• whichὅστιςhostis hētis ho6ti · who/whichG3748
• ministerπαρέχωparechō · to furnish occasionG3930
• questionsζήτησιςzētēsis · controversyG2214
• ratherμᾶλλονmallon · more: ratherG3123
• thanἤē · orG2228
• godlyθεόςtheos · GodG2316
• edifyingοἰκοδομίαoikodomia · edificationG3620
• which isὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• inἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
• faithπίστιςpistis · faithG4102

Cross-references for 1 Timothy 1:4

• 1 Timothy 4:7Do not waste time arguing over godless ideas and old wives’ tales. Instead, train yourself to be godly.
• 1 Timothy 6:4Anyone who teaches something different is arrogant and lacks understanding. Such a person has an unhealthy desire to quibble over the meaning of words. This stirs up arguments ending in jealousy, division, slander, and evil suspicions.
• 2 Timothy 2:14Remind everyone about these things, and command them in God’s presence to stop fighting over words. Such arguments are useless, and they can ruin those who hear them.
• 2 Timothy 4:4They will reject the truth and chase after myths.
• 2 Peter 1:16For we were not making up clever stories when we told you about the powerful coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. We saw his majestic splendor with our own eyes
• 2 Timothy 2:22Run from anything that stimulates youthful lusts. Instead, pursue righteous living, faithfulness, love, and peace. Enjoy the companionship of those who call on the Lord with pure hearts.
• 1 Timothy 3:16Without question, this is the great mystery of our faith: Christ was revealed in a human body and vindicated by the Spirit. He was seen by angels and announced to the nations. He was believed in throughout the world and taken to heaven in glory.
• 1 Timothy 6:3Some people may contradict our teaching, but these are the wholesome teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ. These teachings promote a godly life.
• 2 Corinthians 1:12We can say with confidence and a clear conscience that we have lived with a God-given holiness and sincerity in all our dealings. We have depended on God’s grace, not on our own human wisdom. That is how we have conducted ourselves before the world, and especially toward you.
• 2 Corinthians 7:9Now I am glad I sent it, not because it hurt you, but because the pain caused you to repent and change your ways. It was the kind of sorrow God wants his people to have, so you were not harmed by us in any way.
• Ephesians 4:12Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ.
• Hebrews 13:9So do not be attracted by strange, new ideas. Your strength comes from God’s grace, not from rules about food, which don’t help those who follow them.

Commentaries on 1 Timothy 1:4

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 4Neither 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…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 4Neither give heed to fables - That is, that they should not bestow their attention on fables, or regard such trifles as of importance. The “fables” here referred to were probably the idle and puerile superstitions and conceits of the Jewish rabbies. The word rendered “fable” ( ͂ muthos) means properly “speech” or “discourse,” and then fable or fiction, or a mystic discourse. Such things abounded among the Greeks as well as the Jews, but it is probable…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 4myths and endless genealogies … speculation: Paul might be dismissing their teachings as not significant, or he might rejecting their interpretations and their justification of bad behavior (1:7; see also 2 Timothy 4:3–4; Titus 1:14; 3:9; 2 Peter 1:16; 1 Timothy 1:8–11; 4:1–2, 7; see also Titus 1:15–16). endless genealogies: In Judaism, a genealogy (list of ancestors) established a person's spiritual heritage. The false teachers might have focused too…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 44. fables--legends about the origin and propagation of angels, such as the false teachers taught at Colosse (Col 2:18-23). "Jewish fables" (Tit 1:14). "Profane, and old wives' fables" (1Ti 4:7; 2Ti 4:4). genealogies--not merely such civil genealogies as were common among the Jews, whereby they traced their descent from the patriarchs, to which Paul would not object, and which he would not as here class with "fables," but Gnostic genealogies of spirits and…Read the comment

Topics related to 1 Timothy 1:4

• Commandments
• Doctrines
• Fable
• Genealogy
• Minister, Christian
• Tradition

In the dictionaries

• Acceptation
• Blasphemer
• Charity
• Fable
• Heed
• Immortal
• Save
• Titus, Epistle to
• Apostolic Age
• Edification; Edify

Commentaries on 1 Timothy 1

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Illustrated New Testament
• Burkitt’s Expository Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Family Bible Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• The People’s New Testament
• Robertson’s Word Pictures
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings