COMMENTS

By C. H. Spurgeon

I Tim. 4.13-16

13 Till I come, give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine.

14 Neglect not the gift that is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy, with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery.

Even when the miraculous gifts of the Spirit were in the church the most favoured ministers were to study and meditate: how much more
then is it now their duty! Those who speak without thinking seldom say anything worth thinking of.

15,16 Meditate upon these things; give thyself wholly to them;

(Or “be thou wholly in them”. Be absorbed in thy work,) that thy profiting may appear to all. Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee.

Care as to our doctrine will both preserve the teacher himself from serious error, and keep his hearers from the same evil. This should lead us to be very prayerful, and careful as to what we receive, and what we communicate to others. Doctrines are not to be trifled with, they are life and death matters. Lord, teach us thy truth.