1 Timothy – Page 2 – Three Minute Bible

May 21, 2026May 23, 2026

1 Timothy 4:8 – The Life to Come

A man works out with two angels watching. (Grok)

For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.

Summary: Does godliness have a value? It turns out that it does.

Perhaps you have heard it said that this is a “dog eat dog” world?

As gruesome as that saying is, the reality of a world without Christ is much worse. When it comes to “getting your way” in the world, the shortest distance between you and what you want is probably at the end of a good, stout club.

May 20, 2026May 24, 2026

1 Timothy 4:7b – Training For Jesus

A fighter is working out with a punching bag. The bag has the word "SIN" on it in large letters -- perhaps drawn as if they were sewn into the bag. With each punch words fly out from the impact. These words include love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. "Grok"

… rather, train yourself to be godly.

Summary: Learning to train ourselves to be godly requires thinking about spiritual training in a whole new way.

I would love to sit down with Paul and talk about the history of the church so far. It would be interesting to hear his take on what he would categorize as “godless myths and old wives’ tales.”

May 19, 2026May 20, 2026

1 Timothy 4:7a – The Line

The picture illustrates the line that runs between Calvary and the Lake of Fire. We call it "Choice." — The picture illustrates the line that runs between Calvary and the Lake of Fire. We call it “Choice.”

Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives’ tales…

Summary: Paul’s challenge to avoid “godless myths and old wives’ tales” makes us wonder how we tell the difference between truth and fiction.

What is the difference between the truth and a “godless myth”?

May 18, 2026May 19, 2026

1 Timothy 4:6b – Spiritual Food

… nourished on the truths of the faith and of the good teaching that you have followed.

Summary: Nourishment is essential for healthy living. This is true for our faith as well as our bodies.

Good nourishment is essential for growth. This is true for house plants, garden vegetables, and people. People who don’t get proper nourishment struggle to survive, let alone grow.

May 15, 2026May 16, 2026

1 Timothy 4:4b-5 – Achin’ for Bacon

A young boy sneaks a piece of bacon from a platter on the table (Grok)

… and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, because it is consecrated by the word of God and prayer.

Summary: Paul’s instruction about food provides a jumping-off place for understanding the frictions between Jew and Gentile and a warning against falling under false “religious laws.”

When I was about five years old, my parents moved to a small mill town on the Willamette River. Our house overlooked the river, and the street we lived on was named “River Street.” Most of the property around our house was undeveloped woods, but nearby was another house owned by the town dentist. He had two children about the same age as my brothers and me.

May 14, 2026May 15, 2026

1 Timothy 4:4a – Strange Stories

For everything God created is good…

Summary: “Good,” it is said, “is relative.” That can mean a lot of things, but mostly it means we need to see things as God sees them.

“If everything God created is good, why is there so much evil in the world?”

May 13, 2026May 14, 2026

1 Timothy 4:3 – Secret Decoder Ring

They forbid people to marry and order them to abstain from certain foods, which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and who know the truth.

Summary: Paul’s message in this passage might seem complicated to some, but to those who know God’s Word, he is pointing the way to the answers to our questions.

Before we dive too deeply into this passage, let’s review the larger context.

May 12, 2026May 13, 2026

1 Timothy 4:2 – Discerning Truth

Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron.

Summary: What is the Gospel and what isn’t? This is the question that Paul wants us to be able to answer with confidence.

If I am being honest, I have to admit that writing meditations on Paul’s letter to Timothy is difficult.

May 11, 2026May 12, 2026

1 Timothy 4:1b – Calling Jesus

A ghostly form of a man reaches up toward the radiant hand of Christ (Grok)

[The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith] and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons.

Summary: Paul points back to the origin of deception to help us see the danger of listening to anything other than Christ.

In our last meditation, “For or Against?,” we explored two possible views about what “abandon the faith” might mean.