1 Timothy 4:1,2 - Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

1 Timothy 4:1-2, Now the Spirit, &c.— This passage, perhaps, would be better translated, But the Spirit speaketh expressly. He had before been speaking of the mystery of godliness, ch. 1 Timothy 3:16 and now he proceeds to speak of the mystery of iniquity in opposition to it: But the Spirit, &c. I. The first thing to be considered is, the apostacy here predicted, "Some shall depart, or rather apostatize, from the faith." An apostacy from the faith, may be total or partial; either when we renounce the whole, or when we deny some principal and essential article of it. It is not every error, which makes an apostacy from the faith: it is a revolt in a principal and essential article,—as, for instance, when we worship God by any image or representation, or when we worship other beings besides God, and pray unto other mediators besides the one Mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus. This is the very essence of Christian worship, to worship the one true God, through the one true Christ;and to worship any other god, or any other mediator, is apostacy, and rebellion against God. Such is the nature of the apostacy from the faith here alluded to by the apostle;—and it is implied, that this apostacy should be general, and affect great numbers. For though it be said only some shall apostatize; yet, by some, in this place, many are understood. The original word frequently signifies a multitude; and there are abundant instances in scripture where it is used in that sense, as the reader will perceive from John 6:64; John 6:66. Romans 11:17. 1 Corinthians 10:5. This apostacy may be general and extensive, and include many, but not all. II. It is more particularly shewn wherein the apostacy should consist, in thefollowing words: Giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; or rather, doctrines concerning demons; where the genitive case is not to be taken actively, as if demons were the authors of these doctrines; (though these seducing spirits had a principal concern in introducing them;) but passively, as if demons were the subjects of these doctrines. In Jeremiah 10:8. Acts 13:12. Hebrews 6:2 the genitive case is used in this manner; and by the same construction doctrines of demons, are doctrines about or concerning demons. This is therefore a prophesy, that the idolatrous theology of demons professed by the Gentiles, would be revived among Christians. Demons, according to the theology of the Gentiles, were middle powers between the gods and mortal men, and were regarded as mediators and agents between the gods and men. Of these demons there were accounted two kinds; one kind were the souls of men, deified or canonized after death; the other kind were such as had never been the souls of men, nor ever dwelt in mortal bodies. These latter demons may be paralleled with angels, as the former may with canonized saints; and as we Christians believe there are good and evil angels, so did the Gentiles that there were good and evil demons. The doctrines of demons then, according to this prophesy, which prevailed so long in the heathen world, were to be revived and established in the Christian church: and is not the worship of saints and angels now in all respects the same, that the worship of demons was in former times? The name is only different, the thing is identically the same. The heathens looked upon their demons as mediators and intercessors between God and men: and are not the saints and angels regarded in the same light by many professed Christians? The promoters of this worship were sensible that it was the same, and that the one succeeded the other; and, as the worship is the same, so likewise is it performed with the same ceremonies. Nay, the very same temples, the very same altars, the very same images, which once were consecrated to Jupiter and the other demons, are now re-consecrated to the Virgin Mary and other saints. The very same titles and inscriptions are ascribed to both; the very same prodigies and miracles are related of these as of those. In short, almost the whole process which formerly belonged to Paganism, is converted and applied to Popery; the one is manifestly formed upon the same plan and principles as the other. III. Such an apostacy as this, of reviving the doctrines of demons, and worshipping the dead, was not likely to take place immediately; it would prevail and prosper in the latter days. The phrase of the latter times or days, or the last times or days, signifies any time yet to come; but denotes more particularly the times of Christianity. The times of Christianity may properly be called the latter times or days, or the last times or days, because it is the last of all God's revelations to mankind: see Hebrews 1:1-2. 1 Peter 1:20; 1 Peter 4 Peter 4. Another remarkable peculiarity of this prophesy is, the solemn and emphatic manner in which it is delivered:—The Spirit speaketh expressly. By the Spirit is meant the Holy Spirit of God which inspired the prophets and apostles. The Spirit's speaking expressly, may signify his speaking precisely and certainly, not obscurely and involvedly; or it may be said, that the Spirit speaketh expressly what he speaketh in express words in some place or other of divine writ: and the Spirit hath spoken the same thing in express words before, in the prophesy of Daniel. Daniel has foretoldin express words the worship of new demons or demi-gods, Daniel 11:38. The Mahuzzim of Daniel in this sense are the same as the demons of St. Paul; gods protectors, or saints protectors, defenders, and guardians of mankind. This therefore is a prophesy, not onlydelivered by immediate inspiration, but confirmed by the written word of the Old Testament. It is a prophesy, not only of St. Paul's, but of Daniel's too. V. The apostle proceeds, 1 Timothy 4:2 to describe by what means and by what persons this apostacy should be propagated and established in the world: Speaking lies in hypocrisy, &c. or rather, "Through the hypocrisy of liars, having their conscience, &c." It is plain then, that the great apostacy of the latter times was to prevail through the hypocrisy of liars, &c. And has not the great idolatry of Christians, and the worship of the dead particularly, been diffused and advanced in the world by such instruments and agents; by fabulous books forged under the names of the apostles and saints; by fabulous legends of their lives, by fabulous miracles ascribed to their reliques, by fabulous dreams and revelations, and even fabulous saints, who never existed but in imagination?