1 Timothy 4:1

‘But the Spirit says expressly, that in latter days some will fall away from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of demons,’

Paul tells us that the Spirit has spoken ‘expressly, in specific terms’. This may have been through the Scriptures, or through the teaching of Jesus, or it may have been through prophecy (Acts 11:28; 1 Corinthians 12:3; Revelation 2:7 and often) or some other method (Acts 8:29; Acts 11:12; Acts 16:7).

Being seduced by spirits and doctrines of demons was in mind in Moses’ words in Deuteronomy 32:16-17, when he spoke of Israel sacrificing to false gods and ‘to demons’, compare also ‘they mingled themselves with the nations, and learned their works -- they sacrificed their sons and their daughters to demons’ (Psalms 106:35; Psalms 106:37). It was not therefore a totally new idea, and may suggest a return to idolatrous ideas. Furthermore Micaiah in 1 Kings 22:22-23 speaks of ‘lying spirits’ who ‘speak through the mouth of prophets’ (compare Deuteronomy 13:1-3; Judges 9:23; Jeremiah 5:31; Jeremiah 14:14; Jeremiah 23:16; Ezekiel 14:9). And this idea of a lying spirit is connected with ‘that Day’ in Zechariah 13:2-3. Paul may well have connected these ideas with Jesus’ teaching about false prophets (Matthew 7:15; Matthew 24:11; Matthew 24:24; Mark 13:22 compare also 2 Peter 1:1; 1 John 4:1). ‘The Spirit says expressly’ may therefore mean through Jesus with the Old Testament background in mind.

‘In latter days.’ Paul is clearly indicating here that they are already in the latter days, otherwise he would not have spoken of it here when speaking about the false prophets. ‘This was spoken of as to happen in the latter days, and here it is happening’. It was in fact the combined opinion of the early church that they were ‘in the last days (Acts 2:17), and ‘at the end of the ages’. Thus Peter tells us that ‘He was revealed at the end of the times for your sake’ (1 Peter 1:20), so that he can then warn his readers ‘ the end of all things is at hand’ (1 Peter 4:7). In the same way Paul says to his contemporaries that what he describes is ‘for our admonition, on whom the end of the ages has come’ (1 Corinthians 10:11). So the first coming of Christ is seen by both as ‘the end of the ages’, not the beginning of a new age. Similarly the writer to the Hebrews tells us ‘He has in these last days spoken to us by His Son’ (Hebrews 1:1-2), and adds ‘once in the end of the ages has He appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself’ (Hebrews 9:26-28). Thus all these early writers see their own days as being ‘the last days’, for as far as they were concerned this present time is the culmination of all that has gone before and leads up to the end.

‘Seducing spirits and doctrines of demons.’ Notice the emphasis on ‘seducing’. There are forces at work that seek to seduce men and lead them into false ideas and thus into receiving what can only be described as ‘doctrines of demons’ which as we have seen includes idolatry, although not necessarily so here. These are in contrast with the Holy Spirit and sound doctrine (1 Timothy 4:6; 1 Timothy 4:16; Acts 2:42; Romans 6:17; Titus 1:9; Titus 2:1; Titus 2:7; Titus 2:10; 2 John 1:9; consider also Hebrews 13:9; Ephesians 4:14; 2 Timothy 4:3).

Note the emphasis on falling away from faith (or the faith). They are in contrast with those who are holding to faith. Compare for this 1 Timothy 1:4-6; 1 Timothy 1:14; 1Ti 1:19 ; 1 Timothy 2:15; 1Ti 3:9 ; 1 Timothy 3:13.