1 Timothy 4:7 (KJV)

Passage

But refuse profane and old wives’ fables, and exercise thyself rather unto godliness.

Nearby Context

1 Timothy 4:5 For it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer.

1 Timothy 4:6 If thou put the brethren in remembrance of these things, thou shalt be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine, whereunto thou hast attained.

1 Timothy 4:7 But refuse profane and old wives’ fables, and exercise thyself rather unto godliness.

1 Timothy 4:8 For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come.

1 Timothy 4:9 This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "refuse", "profane", "wives", "fables", "exercise", "thyself", "rather", and "godliness". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "refuse" and "profane", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 6's "If thou put the brethren in remembrance..." into verse 8's "For bodily exercise profiteth little but godliness...", so "refuse" and "profane" belong inside that flow. In 1 Timothy context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "refuse" and "profane" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.