Hi Mike,

I have been having some discussions with my bible study group and I can’t agree with their explanation of these verses.

1Ti 4:1 Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;
1Ti 4:2 Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron;
1Ti 4:3 Forbidding to marry, [ and commanding] to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth.

They explain that these verses, particularly verse 3, identify the Catholic church as the mother of the apostate church (and the protestants its daughters) because they forbid their clergy to marry and they command their members to abstain from meats during the lenten season. When I first heard this explanation it actually made a lot of sense to me, until of course God took my blindness to this verse:

Joh 6:63 It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life

What I get from this verse is that these seducing spirits and doctrines of devils will indeed forbid us to marry and command us to abstain from meat, but spiritually rather than physically. I think the marriage that is mentioned in 1Ti 4:3 is this:…

Eph 5:31 For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh.
Eph 5:32 This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.

… and the meat that we abstain from when we heed to these doctrines is this:

1Co 3:2 I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able.
Joh 4:34 Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work.

Please comment on this understanding that I have of 1Ti 4:3. As always I am open for any correction that you have if I misunderstood the verse.

Your brother in Christ,
V____

Hi V____,

I am very impressed with the ability the holy spirit has given you to see with spiritual eyes. You are exactly right. The ‘marriage’ is to Christ and the ‘meat’ is Christ’s doctrines. As always the harlot and her daughters compare physical with physical and think they are comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But God has given you eyes to see and ears to hear.
I see nothing at all wrong with the spiritual insights God has given you on these verses in Timothy. I am pleased to see that God is bringing you out of Babylon and is giving you the eyes to see what is indeed taking place.
Your brother in Christ,
Mike