1 Timothy 4:1Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

But what does "expressly" mean? It means evidently, clearly, beyond dispute, so that no room for doubt remains. Do not be amazed, he says, if those who have now fallen away from the faith hold to Jewish errors. A time will come when even those who have become partakers of the faith will do things more worthy of condemnation. They will give destructive counsels not only concerning food, but also concerning marriages and all such matters.

He is not speaking about the Jews. What relation could the expressions "in the latter times" and "some will depart from the faith" have to them? He speaks of the Manichaeans and their chief leaders. He called them deceiving spirits, and rightly so, because moved by these spirits they preached such teaching.

For by giving heed to them, they condemned certain foods and marriage. Nevertheless, the Apostle also has in mind here all other heresies, for all of them come from the deception of lying spirits and from demonic teaching. He does not mention all heresies clearly here, so as not to sow them in men's souls. He indicates the heresy that had already begun, namely, the one concerning foods and marriage.

In another place the Apostle says, "Avoid foolish and ignorant disputes" (2 Tim 2:23). The Apostle says that those who arrange such disputes must be avoided. These are heretics. Of them he also says elsewhere that some have strayed from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons.

He rightly called their dogmas "doctrines of demons," because some sayings are truly offspring of demons. The Apostle used the expression "through the hypocrisy of liars" because, having taken upon themselves the name of Christians, they teach what is altogether contrary.

He called them "seared" in "their own conscience," showing their extreme shamelessness. A cauterized place, having become dead, loses its former sensitivity. Thus, after showing the corruption of their dogmas, he foretells the abomination of their other enactments.

By "the latter times," however, he does not mean here the times of the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, though Scripture often calls them by that name. He means the times following the first manifestation of the Messiah. History itself shows that already in the days of the Apostles apostates from the faith appeared.

Every false teaching is called a demonic teaching because in its first origin it comes from the devil (2 Cor 11:15). Some refer this expression to teachings about demons. Such teachings also existed in Ephesus (Acts 19:13, 19).

The words 'the Spirit says' are 'as fitting to God as the prophetic expressions: Thus says the Lord, and: Thus says the Lord God of Sabaoth' (Blessed Theodoret).

'The Apostle does not keep silent about the future revealed by the Holy Spirit, for the edification and warning of the Churches.

He does this so that the Churches, being forewarned, may keep careful watch, lest such men overtake them' (Ambrosiaster).

To whom does the Spirit speak: to Saint Paul, or everywhere in the Churches? There were cases in which the Spirit's speech passed through the Churches of God, and the Apostle heard it from the Churches.

Such was the witness of the Spirit concerning the bonds awaiting the Apostle in Jerusalem. Hearing of this, the Apostle said: 'I do not know what will happen'; cf. Acts 20:22-23; 21:11.

But there were also cases when the Spirit spoke expressly to the Apostle himself. Thus He forbade him to speak the word in Asia and did not allow him to go into Bithynia; cf. Acts 16:6-7.

In the present case, both may be admitted. This word went through the Churches, and Saint Paul heard it from the Holy Spirit.

He heard it expressly, rhetos, as a word uttered articulately. How? It could have sounded in his ears, or been impressed directly in his mind and heart, yet still as a definite word.

The Apostle added the word rhetos in order to make known that the Spirit's testimony about this is 'evident, clear, and indisputable, so that no room at all remains for doubt' (Saint Chrysostom).

Know for certain, he says, that 'in the latter times some will depart from the faith.'

'Latter times' does not mean the times before the end of the world and the second coming of Christ. It means the times after us, the times to follow.

'Depart' directly means that they will leave the faith of Christ and become non-Christians, as Julian the Apostate did.

But judging from the subjects of the coming false teaching indicated below, one may suppose that this departure will be from the purity of the Christian faith.

False teaching will arise among Christians and from Christian principles wrongly understood and crookedly interpreted by human vain wisdom, apart from the voice of the Church.

Both the false teachers and those carried away by them will consider themselves Christians, and even the most perfect Christians, as later proved to be the case.

Will those who are to depart themselves be the false teachers? Or will the false teachers be distinct persons, characterized below, while this verse speaks only of those carried away by their false teaching?

'Depart' points directly to those who will depart by being carried away by others. Yet in the explanation of how they depart, one cannot fail to see how the seducers themselves will depart.

Both will happen. In some vainly wise men the false teaching will arise. Having fallen away through it from the unity of faith and thereby from the one body of the Church, they will carry away others unstable in faith.

Saint Paul foretold this to the Ephesians much earlier, in the speech he delivered to their presbyters when taking leave of them at Miletus.

'Savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. From among your own selves men will arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves'; cf. Acts 20:29-30.

Blessed Theodoret writes: 'The Apostle showed that some, having first joined themselves to the body of the Church, will afterward become teachers of falsehood.

For this is what the words mean: some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits.'

Saint Chrysostom also says: 'There will be a time, says the Apostle, when those who have become partakers of the faith will act in a manner worthy of condemnation.

They will give destructive counsels not only concerning food, but also concerning marriages and all similar matters.'

'Giving heed to deceiving spirits.' This is how false teaching will arise, and this is the origin of apostasy. Two powers will draw men to apostasy: deceiving spirits and demonic teaching.

The former acts from within, the latter from without. They will begin to give heed to deceiving spirits. They will accept false views, acknowledge them as true, and depart from the faith.

The faith proclaims the truth concerning the very things about which they have accepted false views and convictions.

Visible departure from the faith, expressed by falling away from the Church, is preceded by an inward falling away from her.

This inward fall comes from consenting to suggestions of deceiving spirits that do not accord with the faith.

Deceiving spirits are unclean powers, servants of the father of lies, demons or devils. They are called deceiving because they draw men into falsehood by flattery, delusion, and deception.

They cover falsehood with the appearance of truth, and so draw men away. But how? Directly by themselves, or through other people?

The Apostle does not distinguish this, but only indicates whence the falsehood comes. They will give heed, he says, to deceiving spirits and depart from the faith.

We may suppose this: noticing persons more susceptible to novelties, spirits of falsehood inwardly turn them from the path of truth toward apostasy.

Then, with their help, they begin to carry away others outwardly through their false-teaching word, and inwardly through delusion in thoughts.

Since the seduction of these latter persons, or their final consent to falsehood, does not occur without the inward action of deceiving spirits, the Apostle sets this forth first.

He presents it as the precise beginning of falling away from the true faith into falsehood.

The same thing happens in falls into sin. Other people's examples draw one toward sin, and so do certain impulses of one's own.

Yet the very seduction and fall do not occur without the participation of unclean powers. They cloud the mind and surround sin with illusory charms, and the will inclines toward sin.

After this inward fall, the outward fall follows. So also in falling away from the faith, whether completely or only in certain points, one's own reasonings and the words of others are involved.

Yet the final consent to accept falsehood and follow it does not occur without the darkening worked by spirits of falsehood.

They cover falsehood with the seductive appearance of truth, and thus wrest consent to it. This is what the Apostle expresses by the words: 'giving heed to deceiving spirits.'

By 'demonic teaching' the Apostle means that manner of viewing Christianity which is formed inwardly under the action of deceiving spirits.

Then, clothed in corresponding expressions, it circulates among men as a certain special teaching, a scandal and a pull toward departure from truth into falsehood.

In the consciousness of believers, demons first attack one aspect of the faith. In this second point it is easier for them to present the seeming untenability of the truth and the illusory solidity of the opposing falsehood.

When they have succeeded in this, they then teach how to reconstruct all Christian doctrine according to the spirit of that falsehood.

When this has been accomplished, and the formed view has received its expression and structure, the false teaching is ready.

After this the demons inflame those whom they have taught with zeal, supposedly for God's truth. Then they rush irresistibly to spread the false teaching suggested to them by deceiving spirits.

One who gives heed to it gives heed to demonic teaching, because it received its beginning from them.

At the same time the demons are not asleep. They hasten to act seductively and directly upon the soul into which attention to their false teaching has opened an entrance for them.

Such is the second agent in drawing believers toward departure from the faith. What an ignoble origin false teaching and the zeal of false teachers have!

'Giving heed to demons,' writes Theophylact, 'the false teachers disparaged certain foods and marriage. However, the Apostle also means all other heresies here, for all of them come from the delusion of lying spirits and demonic teaching.'

Ambrosiaster draws this conclusion: 'What better thing could have been said beforehand about false teachers and false teaching, to move men to avoid them, or rather to condemn them?

He calls their view a delusion and their teaching demonic. After this, whenever anyone heard speeches contrary to the truth, he already knew that this was a teaching composed by demons, as the Holy Spirit foretold through the Apostle.'

And in this, of course, he had the strongest motive to turn his hearing away from it.