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  • 1 Timothy 4:12
    New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures
    • 12 Never let anyone look down on your youth. Instead, become an example to the faithful ones in speaking, in conduct, in love, in faith, in chasteness.*

  • 1 Timothy 4:12
    The Kingdom Interlinear Translation of the Greek Scriptures
    • 12 μηδείς No one σου of you τῆς of the νεότητος youth καταφρονείτω, let him be thinking down on, ἀλλὰ but τύπος type γίνου be becoming τῶν of the πιστῶν faithful (ones) ἐν in λόγῳ, word, ἐν in ἀναστροφῇ, conduct, ἐν in ἀγάπῃ, love, ἐν in πίστει, faith, ἐν in ἁγνίᾳ. chasteness.

  • 1 Timothy 4:12
    New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures—With References
    • 12 Let no man ever look down on your youth.+ On the contrary, become an example+ to the faithful ones+ in speaking, in conduct, in love, in faith, in chasteness.+

  • 1 Timothy 4:12
    The Bible in Living English
    • 12 Let nobody despise your youthfulness, but set an example to the brothers in words, in life, in love, in faith, in purity.

  • 1 Timothy 4:12
    American Standard Version
    • 12 Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an ensample to them that believe, in word, in manner of life, in love, in faith, in purity.

  • 1 Timothy 4:12
    The Emphasized Bible
    • 12 Let no one despise thy youth, But an ensample become thou of the faithful,—In discourse, in behaviour, in love, in faith, in chastity.

  • 1 Timothy 4:12
    King James Version
    • 12 Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity.

  • 1 Timothy
    Watch Tower Publications Index 1986-2022
    • 4:12 w22.04 4-9; w18.04 13; w18.08 11-12; w15 11/1 15; w09 12/15 12-15; w99 9/15 31; km 9/96 1

  • 1 Timothy
    Watch Tower Publications Index 1930-1985
    • 4:12 w85 5/1 15-16; w83 2/1 12; w83 3/1 10; g82 10/22 13; w80 9/1 21-27; w78 12/1 19; w77 212-213; w76 518; w64 686; w63 150, 703; g61 10/22 28; g60 10/22 4; w57 211; w48 243; w38 170

  • 1 Timothy
    Research Guide for Jehovah’s Witnesses—2019 Edition
    • 4:12

      The Watchtower (Study),

      4/2022, pp. 4-9

      The Watchtower (Study),

      8/2018, pp. 11-12

      4/2018, p. 13

      The Watchtower,

      11/1/2015, p. 15

      12/15/2009, pp. 12-15

      9/15/1999, p. 31

      5/1/1985, pp. 15-16

      3/1/1983, p. 10

      2/1/1983, p. 12

      9/1/1980, pp. 21-27

      12/1/1978, p. 19

      4/1/1977, pp. 212-213

      9/1/1976, p. 518

      11/15/1964, pp. 685-687

      11/15/1963, pp. 703-704

      3/1/1963, pp. 149-151

      4/1/1957, pp. 210-212

      Kingdom Ministry,

      9/1996, p. 1

      Awake!,

      10/22/1982, p. 13

  • 1 Timothy Study Notes—Chapter 4
    New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures (Study Edition)
    • 4:12

      your youth: At this time, Timothy may have been in his 30’s, and he had received training from the apostle Paul for over a decade. Paul himself was probably of a similar age when he first appeared in the Bible record. At Ac 7:58, Luke calls Saul (Paul) “a young man,” using a Greek word related to the word for “youth” that occurs here at 1Ti 4:12. Also, in the Septuagint, the Greek term rendered “youth” was sometimes used of married adults. (Pr 5:18; Mal 2:14, 15; LXX) In Greco-Roman society, even men in their 30’s were sometimes considered relatively young and lacking maturity. Timothy was likely younger than some of the men he had to counsel or to appoint as elders, so he may have been somewhat hesitant to assert his authority. (1Ti 1:3; 4:3-6, 11; 5:1, 19-22) Paul’s words “never let anyone look down on your youth” surely bolstered Timothy’s confidence.

      become an example to the faithful ones: Paul here clarifies just how Timothy was to apply the counsel “never let anyone look down on your youth.” Timothy was not to dominate the brothers, wielding his God-given authority with a heavy hand; nor was he to insist that others respect him. Paul himself did not act that way. (See study note on 2Co 1:24.) Rather, Paul urges Timothy to continue developing a more effective tool, that of setting a good example. Paul next mentions five areas in which Timothy could serve as an example to “the faithful ones”: by his speech, his conduct, his chasteness and by showing such qualities as love and faith. Faithful ones who observed his example would be moved to become better Christians themselves.​—Heb 13:7, 17.

      in chasteness: Or “in purity.”​—See study note on 1Ti 5:2.

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