1 Timothy 4:7 - Exposition

Unto godliness for rather unto godliness , A.V. The R.V., by putting a full stop after "fables," disturbs the natural flow of the thought. The two imperatives παραιτοῦ and γύμναζε connect and contrast the thoughts in the two clauses of the verse, as the A.V. indicates by the insertion of "rather." Profane ( βεβήλους ; 1 Timothy 1:9 , note) Old wives' ( γράωδεις ); only here in the New Testament; not used in LXX .; rare in classical Greek. Exercise thyself unto godliness ( γύμναζε σευτόν ). The verb γυμνάζειν occurs in the New Testament only in this place, twice in the Epistle to the Hebrews ( 1 Timothy 4:14 ; 12:11), and once in 2Pe (it. 14). In the LXX . it occurs only once, but is common in classical Greek. The metaphor is drawn from training for gymnastic exercises. As regards the whole passage, it seems that there were current among the Jews at this time many "fables" ( 1 Timothy 1:4 ; 2 Timothy 4:4 ; Titus 1:14 ; 2 Peter 1:16 ), childish legends and doctrines, some of them directed especially to enforcing certain rules about eating and drinking, and other "bodily exercises," which St. Paul utterly discountenances, and contrasts with that "good doctrine" which he directs Timothy continually to teach. This would account, naturally, for the introduction of the phrase, γύμναζε σεαυτόν .