1 Timothy 4:7 (WEB)

Passage

But refuse profane and old wives’ fables. Exercise yourself toward godliness.

Nearby Context

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

1 Timothy 4:6 If you instruct the brothers of these things, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, nourished in the words of the faith, and of the good doctrine which you have followed.

1 Timothy 4:7 But refuse profane and old wives’ fables. Exercise yourself toward godliness.

1 Timothy 4:8 For bodily exercise has some value, but godliness has value in all things, having the promise of the life which is now, and of that which is to come.

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

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "refuse", "profane", "wives", "fables", "exercise", "yourself", "toward", 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 you instruct the brothers of these..." into verse 8's "For bodily exercise has some value but...", 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.