Are we saved by sound doctrine or grace in 1 Timothy 4:16?                         by Jack Kettler   “Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee.” (1 Timothy 4:16)   Is there a contradiction in 1 Timothy 4:16 and Ephesians 2:8-9? In 1 Timothy, it appears that one is saved by doing something, whereas Ephesians is emphatic that one is saved by grace.     Introduction:   1 Timothy 4:16 says, “Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee.” On the other hand, Ephesians 2:8-9 states, “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.”   Some might argue that there is a contradiction here, but these verses emphasize different aspects of salvation. 1 Timothy 4:16 is more focused on the importance of personal responsibility in living a life of faith and sharing that faith with others. Ephesians 2:8-9 9 highlights that salvation is a gift from God, not something one can earn through actions or good deeds.   Dissecting 1 Timothy 4:16 into its grammatical components:   The verse can be dissected into its grammatical components as follows:   1.      “Take heed unto thyself”: This is an imperative sentence, with the verb “take heed” (meaning to be cautious or attentive) in the imperative form and “thyself” as the object of the verb. 2.      “and unto the doctrine”: This is a prepositional phrase, with “unto” as the preposition, “doctrine” as the object of the preposition, and “and” as the conjunction connecting it to the first part of the sentence. 3.      “continue in them”: This is another imperative sentence, with “continue” in the imperative form and “in them” as the prepositional phrase indicating where to continue. 4.      “for in doing this”: This is a dependent clause, with “for” as the subordinating conjunction introducing the clause, “in” as the preposition, and “doing” as the gerund form of the verb indicating the action being done. 5.      “thou shalt both save thyself”: This is an independent clause, with “thou” as the subject, “shalt” as the auxiliary verb, “save” as the main verb, and “thyself” as the reflexive pronoun indicating the object of the verb. 6.      “and them that hear thee”: This is a prepositional phrase, with “and” as the conjunction, “them” as the object of the preposition, and “that hear thee” as the relative clause modifying “them.” Grammatical dissection by Grok   Thus far, 1 Timothy 4:16 is a verse that consists of two imperative sentences, one dependent clause, one independent clause, and two prepositional phrases.   While this grammatical dissection is fascinating, unfortunately, it does not answer the starting question if the Apostle Paul is contradicting himself.      Consulting Barnes' Notes on the Bible, one finds the solution:   “Take heed unto thyself - This may be understood as relating to everything of a personal nature that would qualify him for his work. It may be applied to personal piety; to health; to manners; to habits of living; to temper; to the ruling purposes; to the contact with others. In relation to personal religion, a minister should take heed: (1) that he has true piety; and,”   “(2) that he is advancing in the knowledge and love of God. In relation to morals, he should be upright; to his contact with others, and his personal habits, he should be correct, consistent, and gentlemanly, so as to give needless offence to none. The person of a minister should be neat and cleanly; his manners such as will show the fair influence of religion on his temper and deportment; his style of conversation such as will be an example to the old and the young, and such as will not offend against the proper laws of courtesy and urbanity. There is no religion in a filthy person; in uncouth manners; in an inconvenient and strange form of apparel; in bad grammar, and in slovenly habits - and to be a real gentleman should be as much a matter of conscience with a minister of the gospel as to be a real Christian. Indeed, under the full and fair influence of the gospel, the one always implies the other. Religion refines the manners - it does not corrupt them; it makes one courteous, polite, and kind - it never produces boorish manners, or habits that give offence to the well-bred and the refined.”   “And unto the doctrine - The kind of teaching which you give, or to your public instructions. The meaning is, that he should hold and teach only the truth. He was to “take heed” to the whole business of public instruction; that is, both to the matter and the manner. The great object was to get as much truth as possible before the minds of his hearers, and in such a way as to produce the deepest impression on them.”   “Continue in them - That is, in these things which have been specified. He was ever to be found perseveringly engaged in the performance of these duties.”   “For in doing this thou shalt both save thyself - By holding of the truth, and by the faithful performance of your duties, you will secure the salvation of the soul. We are not to suppose that the apostle meant to teach that this would be the meritorious cause of his salvation, but that these faithful labors would be regarded as an evidence of piety, and would be accepted as such. It is equivalent to saying, that an unfaithful minister of the gospel cannot be saved; one who faithfully performs all the duties of that office with a right spirit, will be.”   “And them that hear thee - That is, you will be the means of their salvation. It is not necessary to suppose that the apostle meant to teach that he would save all that heard him. The declaration is to be understood in a popular sense, and it is undoubtedly true that a faithful minister will be the means of saving many sinners. This assurance furnishes a ground of encouragement for a minister of the gospel. He may hope for success, and should look for success. He has the promise of God that if he is faithful he shall see the fruit of his labors, and this result of his work is a sufficient reward for all the toils and sacrifices and self-denials of the ministry. If a minister should be the means of saving but one soul from the horrors of eternal suffering and eternal sinning, it would be worth the most self-denying labors of the longest life. Yet what minister of the gospel is there, who is at all faithful to his trust, who is not made the honored instrument of the salvation of many more than one? Few are the devoted ministers of Christ who are not permitted to see evidence even here, that their labor has not been in vain. Let not, then, the faithful preacher be discouraged. A single soul rescued from death will be a gem in his eternal crown brighter by far than ever sparkled on the brow of royalty.” (1) (Emphasis mine)   Barnes does an admirable job of explaining why the Apostle Paul is not contradicting himself.   In summary:   At first glance, these verses may seem to present a potential contradiction, as 1 Timothy 4:16 emphasizes the importance of one's actions (life and doctrine) for salvation. In contrast, Ephesians 2:8-9 emphasizes that salvation is a gift from God and not earned through works.   However, when interpreting biblical passages, it is crucial to consider the context of each verse within the broader message of the Bible. In the case of 1 Timothy 4:16, Paul advises Timothy to be vigilant in his conduct and teaching to fulfill his ministry and set an example for others. This does not necessarily imply that salvation is earned through works but emphasizes the importance of a consistent Christian life.   Ephesians 2:8-9, on the other hand, emphasizes that salvation is a result of God's grace and is received through faith, not as a reward for human works.   Together, these verses can be seen as complementary rather than contradictory. Salvation is a gift from God, received through faith, and a transformed life and adherence to sound doctrine are the natural outcomes of genuine faith. The Christian life involves both receiving God's grace through faith and living in a way that reflects that transformation.   Interpreting biblical passages involves considering the broader theological context and understanding the intended message of the entire Bible. Different passages may emphasize different aspects of the Christian experience without necessarily contradicting each other.   Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” (2 Timothy 2:15)   Notes:   1.      Albert Barnes, Barnes’ Notes on the Bible, 1 Timothy, (THE AGES DIGITAL LIBRARYCOMMENTARY), p. 3904.   Mr. Kettler has previously published articles in the Chalcedon Report and Contra Mundum. He and his wife, Marea, attend the Westminster, CO, RPCNA Church. Mr. Kettler is the author of 17 books defending the Reformed Faith. Books can be ordered online at Amazon.