1 Timothy 4:12 (DRB)

Passage

Let no man despise thy youth: but be thou an example of the faithful, in word, in conversation, in charity, in faith, in chastity.

Nearby Context

1 Timothy 4:10 For therefore we labour and are reviled, because we hope in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, especially of the faithful.

1 Timothy 4:11 These things command and teach:

1 Timothy 4:12 Let no man despise thy youth: but be thou an example of the faithful, in word, in conversation, in charity, in faith, in chastity.

1 Timothy 4:13 Till I come, attend unto reading, to exhortation and to doctrine.

1 Timothy 4:14 Neglect not the grace that is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy, with imposition of the hands of the priesthood.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "faith", "despise", "youth", "thou", "example", "faithful", "word", and "conversation". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "faith" and "despise", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 11's "These things command and teach..." into verse 13's "Till I come attend unto reading to...", so "faith" and "despise" 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 "faith" and "despise" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.