A note from our Pastor:

”For it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer.”

1 Timothy 4:5

Good Morning Dearly Beloved,

Our study verse this week, 1 Timothy 4:5, continues the thought from the prior verse but presents the disciple with an interesting responsibility to consider. As stated last week, to fully understand what the Apostle Paul was teaching to Timothy we must also challenge our Western thinking as it exists in 2024.

In the prior verse, the Apostle tells his readers a false teaching regarding abstaining from certain foods will arise in the future. The explanation for why this is a false teaching is if God has declared an item clean then it is clean. Thus, mankind with this false teaching will impose a burden on his fellow man that does not belong.

Now in this verse, the Apostle goes further with this explanation. The Apostle says the item (whatever food it is) is sanctified. Sanctified means it is set apart. In this context, the food item is set apart to be consumed by the children of God. The sanctification of the item happens because of two things. First, it is sanctified by the word of God. The Apostle says, no matter what false teachers say, if God set aside an animal or plant for consumption then it is acceptable to eat.

The second part of this verse is the more intriguing portion. The Apostle says the prayer of the recipient of the food sanctifies the food. In the prior verse, the Apostle told his readers that being thankful for the food was part of the food being ready for consumption. This thought continues that foundation but points back to Jesus teaching his disciples how to pray. In doing so he said you should pray “give us this day our daily bread” thus keeping a mindset of realizing blessings flow from God. Thus, when the disciple prepares to eat by asking God to provide and follows up on eating by thanking God for providing then God sanctifies whatever has been provided for consumption.

Let us remember as disciples the importance of walking in prayer and thanksgiving.

Our Prayers are with you daily,

Brother Jeremiah