Until I get there, focus on reading the Scriptures to the church, encouraging the believers, and teaching them.
Parallel translations
- WEB Until I come, pay attention to reading, to exhortation, and to teaching.
- KJV Till I come, give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine.
- BSB Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, and to teaching.
- NKJV Till I come, give attention to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine.
- NASB Until I come, give your attention to the public reading, to exhortation, and teaching.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Until Paul comes, Timothy is to devote himself to public reading of Scripture, exhortation, and teaching. It highlights the centrality of God's word in ministry.
Overview
Paul instructs Timothy to give attention to the reading of Scripture, preaching, and instruction. These public ministries of the word are to mark the church's gatherings. The verse underscores that the word read and taught feeds God's people.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 19
- Acts 6:4But we will continue steadfastly in prayer and in the ministry of the word.”
- Titus 2:15Say these things and exhort and reprove with all authority. Let no man despise you.
- 2 Tim 4:2preach the word; be urgent in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with all patience and teaching.
- 1 Tim 4:16Pay attention to yourself, and to your teaching. Continue in these things, for in doing this you will save both yourself and those who hear you.
- 2 Tim 2:15–17Give diligence to present yourself approved by God, a workman who doesn’t need to be ashamed, properly handling the Word of Truth.
- Acts 17:11Now these were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so.
- John 5:39“You search the Scriptures, because you think that in them you have eternal life; and these are they which testify about me.
- Josh 1:8This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it; for then you shall make your way prosperous, and then you shall have good success.
- 1 Tim 4:6If you instruct the brothers of these things, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, nourished in the words of the faith, and of the good doctrine which you have followed.
- Deut 17:19It shall be with him, and he shall read from it all the days of his life; that he may learn to fear Yahweh his God, to keep all the words of this law and these statutes, to do them;
- Prov 2:4–5If you seek her as silver, and search for her as for hidden treasures:
- Ps 1:2–3but his delight is in Yahweh’s law. On his law he meditates day and night.
- Ps 119:97–104How I love your law! It is my meditation all day.
- 1 Cor 14:3But he who prophesies speaks to men for their edification, exhortation, and consolation.
- 1 Cor 14:26What is it then, brothers? When you come together, each one of you has a psalm, has a teaching, has a revelation, has another language, has an interpretation. Let all things be done to build each other up.
- Matt 13:51–52Jesus said to them, “Have you understood all these things?” They answered him, “Yes, Lord.”
- 1 Tim 3:14–15These things I write to you, hoping to come to you shortly;
- Rom 12:8or he who exhorts, to his exhorting: he who gives, let him do it with liberality; he who rules, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.
- 1 Cor 14:6But now, brothers, if I come to you speaking with other languages, what would I profit you, unless I speak to you either by way of revelation, or of knowledge, or of prophesying, or of teaching?
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Christ at the center
There is 'one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself a ransom for all' — the mystery of godliness, God manifest in the flesh.
How 1 Timothy 4:13 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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