The Narrow Path Ministries

Hi, I was wondering what some of your opinions on this chapter were (1 Timothy 4:1).

Was Paul talking about the latter days refering to the end of the Jewish age;or the end times, as in near the time of the second coming, was he refering to the church age from then untill the second coming, or was he talking about something else?

I know this passage is certainly relevent in our time, but I was wonder what Paul had in mind when he wrote it.

Thanks,
Jason

The phrase Paul used probably should be translated "later times". I always thought Paul was referring to the times at the end of this age.
But he might have been referring to almost any times later than his own time.

In the passage, he refers to the forbidding of marriage. That's exactly what the gnostics did, shortly after Paul's time. The gnostic view was that Yahweh who created the universe and all matter, thought he was the chief god over all, but was mistaken. He was an inferior god, and had an inferior creation. The Father of our Lord Jesus Christ was the supreme spiritual god, and he created all things spiritual. Only the spiritual is worthwhile, while the fleshly (Yahwew's creation) is useless.

Some gnostics taught that since the flesh is evil and useless, we ought to deny it in every way. They taught that people ought to abstain completely from sexual intercourse, and required their female followers not to sleep with their husbands. They forbade single people to marry.

Other gnostics, who also thought the flesh was evil and useless practised the opposite. Since the flesh is evil and useless for spiritual development, it doesn't matter what you do with it. These gnostics participated in sexual promiscuity.

As for advocating abstaining from meat, this was also done in "later times", and it was Catholic practice not too many years ago to abstain from meat on Fridays. Seventh Day Adventists and others, say that though eating meat is not sinful, it is better to abstain from it.

ahh, thanks for the great insight Paidion