WWUTT 636 Let No One Despise You for Your Youth?

Don't let anyone look down on you because you're young. It's a verse we commonly use and quote to teenagers, especially in youth groups. But it's just a kitschy saying that doesn't mean anything, unless it's given in light of the gospel when we understand the text.

Many of the Bible stories and verses we think we know, we don't. When We Understand the Text is an online ministry committed to teaching sound doctrine and exposing the faulty. Visit our website at www .wutt .com.

1 Timothy 4:11-12 in Context

Now here's our host, Pastor Gabe Hughes.

Thank you, Becky. We continue with our study of 1 Timothy chapter 4, and we'll finish the chapter this week as we're looking at verses 11 -16. The Apostle Paul wrote to Timothy, Command and teach these things.

Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example, in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity. Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching.

Do not neglect the gift you have, which was given you by prophecy when the Council of Elders laid their hands on you. Practice these things, immerse yourself in them, so that all may see your progress.

Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers. This is one of my favorite sections in all of Paul's letters. These imperatives that Paul lovingly gives to his protege, Timothy, and the first imperative is right there in verse 11.

Command and teach these things. What things? Well, everything that we have read in this letter up to this point, and everything that is going to come after it. Not just the things that Paul is talking about in context in chapter four, but even going all the way back to chapter one.

The very first instruction that Paul gave to Timothy was not to let anyone teach any different doctrine. Timothy was coming into the church in Ephesus as a young man, and likely was the youngest of all of the elders.

So all the other elders among the plurality of eldership would have been older than Timothy. Hence why Paul told him, let no one despise you for your youth. Now, how old are we talking? Probably about 30, somewhere between 30 and 33 years old, young thirties.

We would put it that way. He would not have been a teenager. And that's often the way first Timothy 4 .12 is used to address teenagers. Let no one despise you for your youth. Now I certainly think that's a relevant text to give to an adolescent, especially considering the instruction that follows.

Set an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, and in purity. Why would we not encourage a teenager to do that? To grow up in maturity and be a good example, not just to their peers, but also to those who are younger than them and to those who are older than them.

A teen can certainly be responsible enough to follow in that instruction, or at least should be. But when we use the verse in that way, and we take it out of context, we miss something very, very important that Paul is so carefully shaped over the course of this letter.

Remember that he has sent Timothy to the church in Ephesus to set them right in their doctrine again. There are men, especially among the eldership, who have delved into myths and vain speculations which are causing divisions.

And some of these men have even been so far off the mark that Paul had to put them out of the church. Hymenaeus and Alexander were the two examples that he gave there in chapter one. And so he's telling Timothy, teach only that which flows from the sound gospel of Jesus Christ.

And then also tells Timothy, when you teach the gospel and you put it into practice, it produces godliness. And here is what that godliness is supposed to look like. So again, this is the way that Paul has shaped this.

Teach the gospel, which produces godliness, and here's what godliness looks like. And he's urging Timothy to do that yet again. So when he says in verses 11 and 12, command and teach these things, command all of it, command that the gospel be preached and that it produces godliness and you walk in it.

And then in verse 12, let no one despise you for your youth. So Timothy's coming in when all the other elders that are there are likely older than Timothy and they're going to be looking down on him going, who is this whippersnapper that's telling us that we need to shape up?

Well, Timothy needs to have confidence to know that the authority by which he speaks is according to the word of God, because that's what it is he's presenting. These other elders have fallen into myth and vain speculation, so they can't fall back on the word of God as their authority for the things that they say.

They're just going by what they feel like is best for them to say. Timothy has full authority, not just backed by the apostle Paul, who is sending him there, but because what it is that he teaches comes from God's word, which is the authority over the entire church.

So don't let anyone despise you for this. Be confident because you teach the sound words of the Lord Christ. And then set before the believers an example of the godliness that is produced by one who teaches and lives out the gospel.

Set an example in speech. When you believe the gospel and it changes your life, it's going to be noticeable in the words you say. What you say, what comes from your mouth is going to be consistent with the gospel that you preach.

You say it. You do what it says. You preach Christ. You live as Christ. You think as Christ. You have the mind of Christ. So that's going to be evident by your words. Jesus himself said that out of the abundance of the heart and the mouth speaks, Matthew 1234, the good person out of his good treasure brings forth good and the evil person out of his evil treasure brings forth evil.

I tell you on the day of judgment, people will give an account for every careless word they speak for by your words, you will be justified and by your words, you will be condemned. So a person who believes the gospel will not speak like a person of the world, but they will speak as a citizen of the kingdom of heaven.

Because what it is that they speak is the message of the kingdom. This was the message that Jesus began to preach in Matthew chapter four when he said, repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. It is a message that demands a response, not just that we preach it for the sake of preaching it and whoever is going to believe it, you know, ho hum, but that we would actually call a person to repentance just as Jesus did.

Which is why Paul says to Timothy, command and teach these things. Tell them to repent, teach them what the gospel is and that it must be followed and let no one despise you for your youth, that you're a young guy who is coming in to teach these things, but set before the believers an example of a, of a consistency in this message that it is that you preach, you share the gospel and then you show by your life what godliness is supposed to look like a godliness that is produced by living out the gospel.

Because again, it's not just something that we speak, but the gospel is something that we obey. Remember what Paul said at the start of second Thessalonians chapter one, those who do not obey the gospel will be destroyed by Christ when he comes back with his angels inflicting fiery vengeance upon those who did not obey the gospel.

But those who did believe the gospel and followed it will be together with all the saints as we celebrate Christ in glory. John three 36, he who has the son has life. He who does not obey the son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.

So a person who obeys the gospel will show a change in their speech that they're not like they're not speaking like a worldly person, but like a kingdom person. And Paul said the following in Ephesians chapter four, beginning in verse 25, therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor for we are members one of another.

What is putting away falsehood means? It means you're no longer following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience. Paul talks about at the start of Ephesians two, but rather we're following the way and the truth and the life Jesus Christ.

So we are not following in the lies of this world. We're following the truth of the kingdom. So we've put away falsehood. If we're not walking and following after lies anymore, lies of unbelief, lies of the devil, we're following the truth of God, then we should be speaking truth.

Speak truth with your neighbor. The things that we say should be true. We're not trying to be deceptive. We're not trying to schmooze one another over, but we are compassionate and thoughtful with the words that we use because we are members one of another.

Speaking truth with his neighbor means that's everybody. There is nobody from whom you should withhold the truth. Okay? Everybody needs to hear the truth, needs to hear the gospel, but also that you just be charitable in the words that you use.

Verse 26, be angry and do not sin. Do not let the sun go down on your anger. It is possible to be angry in a holy way, but do not give the opportunity to the devil to get a foothold. As it says in verse 27, verse 28, let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor doing honest work with his own hands so that he may have something to share with anyone in need.

What you're seeing Paul talking about here in Ephesians four are changes that will happen in a person's life as a result of the gospel. They will speak truth with one another. If they are ever angry, it's holy.

It doesn't turn into wrath or malice, and a person is not going to take from somebody else's possessions, but rather they are content with everything that they have, working to make a living so that they'll even have a little bit extra they can share with somebody else.

This is going to be the kind of change and transformation that happens in the life of a person who believes the gospel. So Paul goes on, verse 29, let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up as fits the occasion that it may give grace to those who hear.

And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another as God in Christ forgave you.

And all of these instructions here in Ephesians four, verses 25 through 32, what is the best way that you exemplify that that is the attitude in your heart? It is by the words that you say. So the first thing that Paul says, Timothy is supposed to be an example of is in his speech.

This is the very thing that Paul had said to the church in Ephesus that I was reading from Ephesians four, verses 25 through 32. So they've been told this by the apostle Paul. Timothy needs to be the example of that to the Ephesians that have already received this instruction.

The second thing that Paul says to Timothy, he needs to be an example of is in conduct. And this you could go back to first Timothy, chapter three, the qualifications for an overseer and read through verses one through seven.

And that's the way Timothy is supposed to be. You know, that's the the kind of character that Timothy is supposed to display before the other elders and before the church in Ephesus, that he is a man of good character.

He is a man of integrity. He is somebody who is worthy of imitation. He is disciplined in his body. He is not given over to temptation. He is somebody who pursues godliness and holiness. This is exemplified in his conduct.

This is also a person who has placed his hope in Christ and not in anything of this world. He is not chasing after any kind of material gain because nothing of this world will satisfy our full satisfaction.

Our full satisfaction is in Christ. He is our hope. He is our expectation. He is what we are looking for. He is our treasure, our reward. He is the prize at the end of the goal. Christ is Timothy's fixation.

His eyes are fixed upon Christ. And so in every way that Timothy conducts himself in the church in Ephesus, he exemplifies that. He is an example in conduct, in speech and in conduct. Third, he is to be an example in love.

He is to show charity to one another. He is a person that does not get angry, as Paul already gave the example of in Ephesians chapter four, except when necessary. And it doesn't turn into wrath and malice, but anger would be holy.

And again, only when necessary. As fits the occasion, he is to encourage somebody with words and not to tear them down. So charitable, being charitable would not just be in the way that he treats one another with encouraging words, but also that he would give of what he has to others who are less fortunate, that he would be hospitable, that he would go out of his way for somebody else, that he would consider others' needs ahead of his own.

These are the ways in which Timothy would show love and charity to others. When necessary, he would correct somebody, but do that with goodwill, not lording authority over somebody else or putting them down, but being patient with others, for it is God who grants repentance and leads them to a knowledge of the truth.

This is the instruction that Paul gives Timothy in 2 Timothy chapter two. We also have it from Peter in 1 Peter 3 15, to give an answer for the hope that lies within us, but do this with gentleness and respect.

So these are the ways that Timothy is an example in charity. Next he is to be an example in faith. He is steadfast in his faith. He is sure of what it is that he believes because what he believes comes from the word of God and not from himself.

He is someone who is a good example of sound doctrine, of sound teaching, and he is pursuing a knowledge and a deeper understanding of the doctrine that he believes. Keep in mind that once we get to verse 15, Paul says, practice these things, immerse yourself in them so that all may see your progress.

They will see Timothy's growth in sanctification. That wasn't necessarily listed as a qualification for an overseer in chapter three, verses one through seven, because we're basically talking about an elder's present condition.

And does he meet that list of qualifications in order to be qualified for an elder? But as far as progress is concerned, that really must be a qualification for an overseer as well, that he's making progress in sanctification.

And he would show that to the members of his congregation, that they would see that he's growing in matters of holiness and godliness as every Christian should. And so Timothy is supposed to be an example in that as well.

And all of that falls under being an example in faith, that he holds true to sound doctrine and that doctrine is growing him in maturity and in holiness. He is making progress in these things. The kind of man Timothy will be in his forties will be a different man than the Timothy that he was in his early thirties, about this time that Paul is writing to him.

And then finally, Paul says that he must be an example in purity. He flees from sin, from all temptation. He turns from it. He runs straight at Christ. If you cling to Christ, then the devil will have, it can have no power over you whatsoever.

He cannot tempt you with anything for you are fixated fully upon the Lord Jesus Christ. In Hebrews chapter 12, we read, let us also lay aside every weight and sin, which clings so closely and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

Christ was absolutely fixed upon the glory of God, doing all things to the glory of his father in heaven. And so as this was the will of Christ, so we must also do that very thing. We do all things to the glory of God, the father.

We are fixed upon Christ as our goal, as the founder of our faith. He gave it to us and the perfecter of our faith, the one who is growing us in it. And when we do that, there is nothing that hinders us in our progress of sanctification.

There is no sin that clings so closely for we are running headlong at Christ and none of this, none of this stuff, the world can cling to us. We are pure. We are purified in Christ. We start looking to the left and the right.

We start deviating from the path of righteousness. We fall into worldliness, into temptation, into sin. And then we are stained. And in Timothy's case, it brings a reproach upon his ministry. And so he must be pure in all of his conduct and all the other things that Paul listed before that would fall under purity.

His speech must be pure. His conduct is pure. It is pure love. It is not doing something nice for somebody else, expecting something in return. But it's genuine love. It's pure love. It is pure faith because it is a faith that comes from Christ.

And it's not just things that Timothy is saying and saying the right words so that it looks like that he is a man of faith. But it is faith that comes from a clear conscience. Once again, Paul had mentioned in 1 Timothy 1.

So once again, bringing this back into context, let me read again 1 Timothy 4, 11 and 12. Command and teach these things. Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, and in purity.

Remember that this instruction is being given in light of the gospel. Paul gives the gospel first and then says, here is what that produces. And whenever we take 1 Timothy 4 .12 out of context, out of the context of the gospel, and we just make it a verse of of how, hey, don't let anybody look down on you because you're young.

Then we we make it into some sort of colloquialism, just some sort of kitschy saying, don't let anyone look down on you because you're young. OK, great. You know, anybody can say that it doesn't have to come from the Bible.

And then when we give the instructions that follow that, be an example in speech and conduct and love and faith and in purity, well, those are good instructions to give to somebody. But without the gospel, there is neither any context by which we're supposed to be those things.

And secondly, there is no strength by which we can do those things, because you can't do that on your own. You can't buy yourself. Be a good example in speech, conduct, love, faith and purity. Because then it's all going to be dependent upon what you think a good example of those things is supposed to be, rather than following the example of Christ, which is the example you should be following if you're a follower of the gospel of Christ.

So you understand what I'm saying here, that all of these instructions need to be shaped in light of the gospel, not taken apart from the gospel, not given to a teenager just for the sake of being able to tell them, hey, don't look, don't let anybody look down on you because you're a teen.

Rather, they need to be submissive to the instructions of their parents, especially honoring their mother and father. And they also need to be respectful of those who are older than them. They probably need to learn that first before they have an understanding of don't let anyone look down on you because you're young.

But then when you encourage a young person, teen, 20s, 30s or otherwise, to be a good example in speech and conduct, in love and faith and in purity, let those instructions be given in light of the gospel.

Are you a believer in the gospel of Christ? Then here is what that's supposed to look like as you are a person who is supposed to be demonstrating godliness in your life. We all should be an example of those things.

Though Paul was specifically saying this to Timothy, Timothy, again, is supposed to be an example of that, which means all the rest of us have to follow it. Let's pray. Our Lord God, we thank you for the word that continues to be given to us daily, that we cannot exhaust the counsel of your will that has been revealed to us in the scriptures.

We cannot come to the end of it. As long as we are in this life, we will continue to read it and be trained by it. I pray we would have a willingness in our spirit to want to hear what your spirit says to us so that we might grow and mature and set before the rest of the believers examples on what mature Christians are supposed to look like.

This is all because of the gospel, because we have heard the message of redemption that has been given to us from heaven, from the mouth of Jesus Christ, the son of God himself, who fulfilled all the law and the prophets by his death on the cross, his resurrection from the grave, and his reign currently in heaven, where he intercedes for us before the father.

We are anticipating our Lord Christ's return. As we continue to believe and grow in the gospel and share the gospel with others, may your spirit continue to do that work of sanctification in our hearts, that we might continue to aspire to be shaped in the image of the son until the revealing of the son from heaven.

We pray and ask these things in his name, in the name of Christ, amen.

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