Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the
believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in
purity.
Can a man despise your youthfulness? Don’t give them
opportunity to. In the strength of Christ’s Spirit, the very Spirit who raised
Christ from the dead and dwells within the Believer, be an example to all the
Believers. Be an example, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit
(attitude), in faith and in purity. Seek the Lord, He will reveal how you are
to do all these things.
13 Till
I come, give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine.
1) give attendance to reading what?
The Word of God. I don’t know about you, but I have never been in a Church
service where only the Words of Scripture were read and everyone else listened,
but that seems to be what Paul is saying to do.
2) To exhortation—now this word
carries with it two ideas. The first is the idea of warning, admonishing, and
“taking someone to the side” to counsel them about the consequences of their
actions if they do not pay attention and stay alert. The other is encouraging.
Notice how both warning and encouraging someone are wrapped up in the same
word—that tells us something about what encouragement should be, doesn’t it?
Biblical encouragement is far more than giving a pat on the back and saying
“good job.”
3) to doctrine. What is doctrine? Doctrine
simply means teaching on a subject/theme.
So Paul tells Timothy, keep reading the
Bible, admonishing/encouraging, and teaching sound doctrine till I come. May we
live lives continuing in these things as well.
1 Tim 4:12-13 (KJV)
