SEV Biblia, Chapter 4:3
prohibirn casarse y mandarn apartarse los hombres de las viandas que Dios cre para que, con accin de gracias, participasen de ellas los fieles que han conocido la verdad.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - 1 Timothy 4:3
Verse 3. Forbidding to marry] These hypocritical priests pretending that a single life was much more favourable to devotion, and to the perfection of the Christian life. This sentiment was held by the Essenes, a religious sect among the Jews; and we know that it is a favourite opinion among the Romanists, who oblige all their clergy to live a single life by a vow of continency. To abstain from meats] Both among the heathens, Jews, and Romanists, certain meats were prohibited; Some always, others at particular times.
This the apostle informs us was directly contrary to the original design of God; and says that those who know the truth, know this.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 3. Forbidding to marry , etc.] Which points out not the Encratites, Montanists, and Manichees, who spoke against marriage; but the Papists, who forbid it to their priests under a pretence of purity and holiness, and at the same time allow them to live in all manner of debauchery and uncleanness; for these are the persons that forbid marriage in an authoritative way, and in hypocrisy: for that phrase is to be joined to all the sentences that follow it; as through the hypocrisy of those whose consciences are seared; and through the hypocrisy of those that forbid marriage to their priests, this being, by the common people, taken as an instance of great purity and holiness, and hereby they are drawn into the deception; as well as also through the hypocrisy of those that command to abstain from meats : not from some certain meats forbidden by the law of Moses, as did some judaizing Christians; but from all meats at some certain season of the year, as at what they call the Quadragesima or Lent, and at some days in the week, as Wednesdays and Fridays; and this all under an hypocritical pretence of holiness, and temperance, and keeping under the body, and of mortification; when they are the greatest pamperers of their bodies, and indulge themselves in all manner of sensuality: the evil of this is exposed by the apostle, as follows, which God hath created ; and therefore must be good, and ought not to be abstained from: and besides, the end of his creation of them is, to be received : to be taken, and used, and eaten; and therefore it is wicked to command men to abstain from them, and evil in those that do it: and the manner in which they should be received is with thanksgiving ; since they are the creatures of God, and useful to men, and men are unworthy of them, having forfeited them by sin; and since they are the bounties of Providence, and a free use of them is allowed; so far then should men be from abstaining from them, that they ought to take them, and use them with all thankfulness: and especially this should be done of them which believe and know the truth : that is, who believe in Christ, and know the truth of the Gospel, which frees from every yoke of bondage, and from the burdensome rites, ceremonies, and inventions of men; for these have the good creatures as the fruits of divine love, through Christ the Mediator, and as blessings indeed; and who have the best right, claim, and title to them through Christ, being in him heirs of the world, and for whose sake all things are; and therefore these, as they know how to use them, and not abuse them, are to receive them at the hands of God, with thanksgiving, and not put them away, or abstain from them under a pretence of religion and holiness.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 1-5 - The Holy Spirit, both in the Old and the New Testament, spoke of general turning from the faith of Christ, and the pure worship of God This should come during the Christian dispensation, for those ar called the latter days. False teachers forbid as evil what God ha allowed, and command as a duty what he has left indifferent. We fin exercise for watchfulness and self-denial, in attending to the requirements of God's law, without being tasked to imaginary duties which reject what he has allowed. But nothing justifies an intemperat or improper use of things; and nothing will be good to us, unless we seek by prayer for the Lord's blessing upon it.
Greek Textus Receptus
κωλυοντων 2967 5723 γαμειν 1060 5721 απεχεσθαι 567 5733 βρωματων 1033 α 3739 ο 3588 θεος 2316 εκτισεν 2936 5656 εις 1519 μεταληψιν 3336 μετα 3326 ευχαριστιας 2169 τοις 3588 πιστοις 4103 και 2532 επεγνωκοσιν 1921 5761 την 3588 αληθειαν 225
Vincent's NT Word Studies
3. Forbidding to marry and commanding to abstain from meats (kwluontwn gamein, ajpecesqai brwmatwn). Kwluein, properly to hinder or check. Apecesqai to hold one's self off. In Paul, 1 Thessalonians iv. 3; v. 22; Philemon 15. Commanding is not expressed, but is implied in forbidding.; "Bidding not to marry and (bidding) to abstain from meats." The ascetic tendencies indicated by these prohibitions developed earlier than these Epistles among the Essenes, an aseetic Jewish brotherhood on the shores of the Dead Sea, who repudiated marriage except as a necessity for preserving the race, and allowed it only under protest and under stringent regulations. They also abstained strictly from wine and animal food. This sect was in existence in the lifetime of our Lord. strong traces of its influence appear in the heresy assailed in Paul's Epistle to the Colossians. The Christian body received large accessions from it after the destruction of Jerusalem (70 A.D.). The prohibitions above named were imposed by the later Gnosticism of the second century. Hath created (ektisen). A common Pauline word. Only here in the Pastorals.
To be received (eiv metalhmyin). Lit. for participation. N.T.. o LXX. lt occurs in Plato and Aristotle.
Of them which believe and know the truth (toiv pistoiv kai epegnwkosi thn alhqeian). The dative depends on created for participation, and should be rendered; "for them which believe," etc., marking those for whom the food was created. The A.V. misses this by the rendering to be received of (by). Pistoiv and ejpegknwkosi do not denote two classes, but one. Those who believe are described as those who have full knowledge of the truth.
Robertson's NT Word Studies
4:3 {Forbidding to marry} (kwluontwn gamein). Present active participle of common verb kwluw, to hinder, genitive case agreeing with yeudologwn. See #Col 2:16,21f., where Paul condemns the ascetic practices of the Gnostics. The Essenes, Therapeutae and other oriental sects forbade marriage. In #1Co 7 Paul does not condemn marriage. {To abstain from meats} (apecesqai brwmatwn). Infinitive dependent, not on kwluontwn, but on the positive idea keleuontwn (implied, not expressed). Ablative case of brwmatwn after apecesqai (present direct middle, to hold oneself away from). See #1Co 8-10; Ro 14; 15 for disputes about "meats offered to idols" and #Co 1:22f. for the Gnostic asceticism. {Which God created} (ha ho qeos ektisen). First active indicative of ktizw (#Co 1:16). Cf. #1Co 10:25. {To be received} (eis metalemyin). "For reception." Old word, only here in N.T. {By them that believe and know} (tois pistois kai epegnwkosi). Dative case, "for the believers and those who (one article unites closely) have known fully" (perfect active participle of epiginwskw), a Pauline use of the word (#Col 1:6).
