1 Timothy 1:4
New International Version
or to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies. Such things promote controversial speculations rather than advancing God’s work—which is by faith.

New Living Translation
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.

English Standard Version
nor to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies, which promote speculations rather than the stewardship from God that is by faith.

Berean Standard Bible
or devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies, which promote speculation rather than the stewardship of God’s work, which is by faith.

Berean Literal Bible
nor to give heed to myths and endless genealogies, which bring speculations rather than God's stewardship, which is in faith.

King James Bible
Neither give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which minister questions, rather than godly edifying which is in faith: so do.

New King James Version
nor give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which cause disputes rather than godly edification which is in faith.

New American Standard Bible
nor to pay attention to myths and endless genealogies, which give rise to useless speculation rather than advance the plan of God, which is by faith, so I urge you now.

NASB 1995
nor to pay attention to myths and endless genealogies, which give rise to mere speculation rather than furthering the administration of God which is by faith.

NASB 1977
nor to pay attention to myths and endless genealogies, which give rise to mere speculation rather than furthering the administration of God which is by faith.

Legacy Standard Bible
nor to pay attention to myths and endless genealogies, which give rise to mere speculation rather than furthering the stewardship from God which is by faith.

Amplified Bible
nor to pay attention to legends (fables, myths) and endless genealogies, which give rise to useless speculation and meaningless arguments rather than advancing God’s program of instruction which is grounded in faith [and requires surrendering the entire self to God in absolute trust and confidence].

Christian Standard Bible
or to pay attention to myths and endless genealogies. These promote empty speculations rather than God’s plan, which operates by faith.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
or to pay attention to myths and endless genealogies. These promote empty speculations rather than God’s plan, which operates by faith.

American Standard Version
neither to give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which minister questionings, rather than a dispensation of God which is in faith; so do I now.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And that they would not give heed to fables and to accounts of endless genealogies; these things produce all the more contentions and not edification in the faith of God.

Contemporary English Version
You needed to warn them to stop wasting their time on senseless stories and endless lists of ancestors. Such things only cause arguments. They don't help anyone to do God's work that can only be done by faith.

Douay-Rheims Bible
Not to give heed to fables and endless genealogies: which furnish questions rather than the edification of God, which is in faith.

English Revised Version
neither to give heed to fables and endless genealogies, the which minister questionings, rather than a dispensation of God which is in faith; so do I now.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
and occupying themselves with myths and endless genealogies. These myths and genealogies raise a lot of questions rather than promoting God's plan, which centers in faith.

Good News Translation
Tell them to give up those legends and those long lists of ancestors, which only produce arguments; they do not serve God's plan, which is known by faith.

International Standard Version
and occupying themselves with myths and endless genealogies. These things promote controversies rather than God's ongoing purpose, which involves faith.

Literal Standard Version
nor to give heed to fables and endless genealogies, that cause questions rather than [the] stewardship of God which [is] in faith.

Majority Standard Bible
or devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies, which promote speculation rather than the stewardship of God’s work, which is by faith.

New American Bible
or to concern themselves with myths and endless genealogies, which promote speculations rather than the plan of God that is to be received by faith.

NET Bible
nor to occupy themselves with myths and interminable genealogies. Such things promote useless speculations rather than God's redemptive plan that operates by faith.

New Revised Standard Version
and not to occupy themselves with myths and endless genealogies that promote speculations rather than the divine training that is known by faith.

New Heart English Bible
neither to pay attention to myths and endless genealogies, which cause speculation, rather than God's stewardship, which is in faith--

Webster's Bible Translation
Neither give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which minister questions, rather than godly edifying which is in faith; so do.

Weymouth New Testament
and the attention they bestow on mere fables and endless pedigrees, such as lead to controversy rather than to a true stewardship for God, which only exists where there is faith. And I make the same request now.

World English Bible
and not to pay attention to myths and endless genealogies, which cause disputes rather than God’s stewardship, which is in faith.

Young's Literal Translation
nor to give heed to fables and endless genealogies, that cause questions rather than the building up of God that is in faith: --

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Warning against False Teaching
3As I urged you on my departure to Macedonia, you should stay on at Ephesus to instruct certain men not to teach false doctrines 4or devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies, which promote speculation rather than the stewardship of God’s work, which is by faith. 5The goal of our instruction is the love that comes from a pure heart, a clear conscience, and a sincere faith.…

Cross References
Ephesians 3:2
Surely you have heard about the stewardship of God's grace that was given to me for you,

1 Timothy 4:7
But reject irreverent, silly myths. Instead, train yourself for godliness.

1 Timothy 6:4
he is conceited and understands nothing. Instead, he has an unhealthy interest in controversies and semantics, out of which come envy, strife, abusive talk, evil suspicions,

2 Timothy 2:23
But reject foolish and ignorant speculation, for you know that it breeds quarreling.

2 Timothy 4:4
So they will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.

Titus 1:14
and will pay no attention to Jewish myths or to the commands of men who have rejected the truth.

Titus 3:9
But avoid foolish controversies, genealogies, arguments, and quarrels about the law, because these things are pointless and worthless.


Treasury of Scripture

Neither give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which minister questions, rather than godly edifying which is in faith: so do.

to.

1 Timothy 4:7
But refuse profane and old wives' fables, and exercise thyself rather unto godliness.

1 Timothy 6:4,20
He is proud, knowing nothing, but doting about questions and strifes of words, whereof cometh envy, strife, railings, evil surmisings, …

2 Timothy 2:14,16-18
Of these things put them in remembrance, charging them before the Lord that they strive not about words to no profit, but to the subverting of the hearers…

endless.

Titus 3:9
But avoid foolish questions, and genealogies, and contentions, and strivings about the law; for they are unprofitable and vain.

questions.

1 Timothy 6:4,5
He is proud, knowing nothing, but doting about questions and strifes of words, whereof cometh envy, strife, railings, evil surmisings, …

2 Timothy 2:22
Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart.

godly.

1 Timothy 3:16
And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.

1 Timothy 6:3,11
If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness; …

2 Corinthians 1:12
For our rejoicing is this, the testimony of our conscience, that in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom, but by the grace of God, we have had our conversation in the world, and more abundantly to you-ward.

Jump to Previous
Administration Attention Bestow Cause Controversies Controversy Devote Dispensation Disputes Divine Doubts Edifying Endless Exists Fables Faith Genealogies Generations Godly God's Heed Lead Mere Minds Minister Myths Occupy Ordered Pay Pedigrees Promote Questionings Questions Rather Speculations Stewardship Stories Themselves Training True. Turn Way Work
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Administration Attention Bestow Cause Controversies Controversy Devote Dispensation Disputes Divine Doubts Edifying Endless Exists Fables Faith Genealogies Generations Godly God's Heed Lead Mere Minds Minister Myths Occupy Ordered Pay Pedigrees Promote Questionings Questions Rather Speculations Stewardship Stories Themselves Training True. Turn Way Work
1 Timothy 1
1. Paul declares Timothy is faithful to the charge which was given him at his going to Macedonia.
5. The right use and end of the law.
11. Paul's calling to be an apostle;
20. and the disobedience or Hymenaeus and Alexander.














(4) Neither give heed to fables.--These fables ware, no doubt, purely Rabbinical. It was said in the Jewish schools that an oral Law had been given on Sinai, and that this Law, a succession of teachers, from the time of Moses, had handed down. This "Law that is upon the lip," as it was termed, was further illustrated and enlarged by the sayings and comments of the more famous Jewish Rabbis, and in the time of our Lord constituted a supplement to the written Law in the Pentateuch. For centuries this supplementary code was preserved by memory or in secret rolls, and doubtless was constantly receiving additions. It contained, along with many wild and improbable legendary histories, some wise teachings. This strange collection of tradition and comment was committed to writing in the second century by Rabbi Jehuda, under the general name of the Mishna, or repetition (of the Law). Round this compilation a complement of discussions (the Gemara) was gradually formed, and was completed at Babylon somewhere about the end of the fifth century of our era. These works--the Mishna and the Gemara, together with a second Gemara, formed somewhat earlier in Palestine--are generally known as the Talmud. The influence of some of these traditions is alluded to by our Lord (Matthew 15:3).

Endless genealogies.--Genealogies in their proper sense, as found in the Book of the Pentateuch, and to which wild allegorical interpretations had been assigned. Such purely fanciful meanings had been already developed by Philo, whose religious writings were becoming at this time known and popular in many of the Jewish schools. Such teaching, if allowed in the Christian churches, St. Paul saw would effectually put a stop to the growth of Gentile Christendom. It would inculcate an undue and exaggerated, and, for the ordinary Gentile convert, an impossible reverence for Jewish forms and ceremonies; it would separate the Jewish and Gentile converts into two classes--placing the favoured Jew in an altogether different position from the outcast Gentile.

In the Gentile churches founded by the Apostles, for some years a life and death struggle went on between the pupils of St. Paul and his fellow Apostles and the disciples of the Rabbinical schools. In these earnest warnings of his Pastoral Epistles the great Apostle of Gentile Christianity shows us, how clearly he foresaw that if these Jewish fables and the comments of the older Jewish teachers were allowed to enter into the training of the new-formed congregations, the Church of Christ would shrink, in no long space of time, into the narrow and exclusive limits of a Jewish sect. "Judaism," writes the anonymous author of Paul of Tarsus, "was the cradle of Christianity, and Judaism very nearly became its grave."

Which minister questions.--Disputings, questions of mere controversy, inquiries, which could not possibly have any bearing on practical life.

Rather than godly edifying which is in faith.--The rendering of the reading in the more ancient authorities would be: rather than the dispensation of God which is in faith; or, in other words, the introduction into Church teaching of these Jewish myths--these traditions of the elders, these fanciful genealogies--would be much more likely to produce bitter and profitless controversy than to minister to God's scheme of salvation, designed by God, and proclaimed by His Apostles.

So do.--The Apostle, in 1Timothy 1:3, begins this sentence of earnest exhortation, but in his fervour forgets to conclude it. The closing words would naturally come in here: "For remember how I besought thee when I left thee behind at Ephesus, when I went on to Macedonia, to discourage and firmly repress all vain teaching, which only leads to useless controversy, so I do now;" or, so I repeat to you now. (This is better and more forcible than the words supplied in the English version: "so do.")

Verse 4. - To give for give, A.V.; the which for which, A.V.; questionings for questions, A.V.; a dispensation of God for godly edifying, A.V. and T.R. (οἰκονομίαν Θεοῦ for οἰκοδομίαν Θεοῦ); so do I now for so do, A.V. Fables (see 1 Timothy 4:7). If the spirit which gave birth to the fables of the Talmud was already at work among the Jews, we have a ready explanation of the phrase. And that they were Jewish fables (not later Gnostic delusions) is proved by the parallel passage in Titus 1:14, "Not giving heed to Jewish fables." The prevalence of sorcery among the Jews at this time is a further instance of their inclination to fable (see Acts 8:9; Acts 13:6; Acts 19:13). Endless genealogies. What was the particular abuse of genealogies which St. Paul here condemns we have not sufficient historical knowledge to enable us to decide. But that they were Jewish forms of "vain talking," and not Gnostic, and related to human pedigrees, not to "emanations of eons," may be concluded from the connection in which they are mentioned in Titus 3:9, and from the invariable meaning of the word γενεαλογία itself. It is true that Irenaeus ('Contr. Haer.,' lib. 1.) applies this passage to the Valentinians and their succession of eons (Bythus, Nous, Logos, Anthropus, etc. - in all thirty, male and female); and so does Tertullian, who speaks of the seeds of the Gnostic heresies as already budding in St. Paul's days ('Advers Valentin.,' cap 3. and elsewhere), and Grotius supports thin explanation ('Comment.,' 1 Timothy 1:4). But it was very natural that Irenaeus and Tertullian, living when the heresies of Valentinus, Marcion, and others were at their height, should so accommodate St. Paul's words - which is all that Irenaeus does. On the other band, neither Irenaeus nor Tertullian shows that γενεαλογία was a word applied to the emanations of the eons in the Gnostic vocabulary. The genealogies, then, were Jewish pedigrees, either used literally to exalt individuals as being of priestly or Davidic origin (as the pedigrees of the Desposyni, or later of the princes of the Captivity), or used cabbalistically, so as to draw fanciful doctrines from the names composing a genealogy, or in some other way which we do not know of (see the writers 'Genealogies of Christ,' 1 Timothy 3. § 2:1; and note C at the end of the volume). Endless (ἀπέραντος); found only here in the New Testament and so one of the words peculiar to the pastoral Epistles, but used in the LXX. for "infinite," "immeasurable." It means either "endless," "interminable," or, "having no useful end or purpose;" οὐδὲν χρήσιμον (Chrysostom). But the former ("interminable") is the better rendering, and in accordance with its classical use. Questionings (ζητήσεις or ἐκζητήσεις, R.T.). (For ζητησις, see John 3:25; Acts 25:20; and below, 1 Timothy 6:4; 2 Timothy 2:23; Titus 3:9; and for the kindred ζήτημα, Acts 15:2; Acts 18:15; Acts 23:29; Acts 25:19; Acts 26:3.) The reading ἐκζήτησις is only found here. A dispensation of God. This version arises from the Greek οἰκονομίαν, which is the reading of the R.T. and almost all manuscripts. The T.R. οἰκοδομίαν ισ thought to be a conjecture of Erasmus, which, from its much easier sense, was taken into the T.R. Taking the reading οἰκονομίαν, the phrase, "a dispensation of God which is in faith," must mean the gospel as delivered by revelation and received by faith. These fables and genealogies address themselves, the apostle says, to the disputatious, itching curiosity of men's minds, not to their faith. The substance of them is matter of doubtful disputation, not revealed truth. "The dispensation" is better English than "a dispensation." So do I now; or, as the A.V., so do, is the conjectural filling up of the unfinished sentence which began "as I exhorted thee." But it is much more natural and simple to take ver. 18 as the apodosis, and the intermediate verses as a digression caused by St. Paul's desire to show how exactly the charge was in agreement with the true spirit of the Law of God.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
[or]
μηδὲ (mēde)
Conjunction
Strong's 3366: And not, not even, neither�nor. From me and de; but not, not even; in a continued negation, nor.

devote themselves
προσέχειν (prosechein)
Verb - Present Infinitive Active
Strong's 4337: From pros and echo; to hold the mind towards, i.e. Pay attention to, be cautious about, apply oneself to, adhere to.

to myths
μύθοις (mythois)
Noun - Dative Masculine Plural
Strong's 3454: An idle tale, fable, fanciful story. Perhaps from the same as mueo; a tale, i.e. Fiction.

and
καὶ (kai)
Conjunction
Strong's 2532: And, even, also, namely.

endless
ἀπεράντοις (aperantois)
Adjective - Dative Feminine Plural
Strong's 562: Unaccomplished, unending, endless. Unfinished, i.e. interminable.

genealogies,
γενεαλογίαις (genealogiais)
Noun - Dative Feminine Plural
Strong's 1076: Genealogy. From the same as genealogeo; tracing by generations, i.e. 'genealogy'.

which
αἵτινες (haitines)
Personal / Relative Pronoun - Nominative Feminine Plural
Strong's 3748: Whosoever, whichsoever, whatsoever.

promote
παρέχουσιν (parechousin)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural
Strong's 3930: From para and echo; to hold near, i.e. Present, afford, exhibit, furnish occasion.

speculation
ἐκζητήσεις (ekzētēseis)
Noun - Accusative Feminine Plural
Strong's 2214: A question, debate, controversy; a seeking, search. From zeteo; a searching, i.e. A dispute or its theme.

rather
μᾶλλον (mallon)
Adverb
Strong's 3123: More, rather. Neuter of the comparative of the same as malista; more) or rather.

than
(ē)
Conjunction
Strong's 2228: Or, than. A primary particle of distinction between two connected terms; disjunctive, or; comparative, than.

[the] stewardship
οἰκονομίαν (oikonomian)
Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular
Strong's 3622: Management of household affairs, stewardship, administration. From oikonomos; administration; specially, a 'economy'.

of God’s [work],
Θεοῦ (Theou)
Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular
Strong's 2316: A deity, especially the supreme Divinity; figuratively, a magistrate; by Hebraism, very.

which [is]
τὴν (tēn)
Article - Accusative Feminine Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

by
ἐν (en)
Preposition
Strong's 1722: In, on, among. A primary preposition denoting position, and instrumentality, i.e. A relation of rest; 'in, ' at, on, by, etc.

faith.
πίστει (pistei)
Noun - Dative Feminine Singular
Strong's 4102: Faith, belief, trust, confidence; fidelity, faithfulness.


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NT Letters: 1 Timothy 1:4 Neither to pay attention to myths (1 Tim. 1Ti iTi 1tim i Tm)
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