1 Timothy 4:8?

ChristOnly

For bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness is profitable for all things...

As a hardcore athlete and struggling Christian, this verse comes to me as troublesome.

Should Christians enhance their bodies through exercise?


Thanks in advance.

liftmyheart

I'm pretty sure the answer you're going to receive is going to be that it is indeed alright to want a better body through fitness and exercise.
This, along with everything else, becomes a problem only when you are consumed so much with your body and your exercise; it becomes a vain thing and it keeps you from God. So, basically, it is alright to exercise, but don't skip a prayer to get in your 8:00 workout; it becomes a sin when you put this before God and your spirituality. All types of exercise are acceptable, also.

This is my view, maybe someone more enlightened can speak on this topic.

imikhail

I agree with liftupmyheart

ChristOnly

Thanks for the excellent response.

Remnkemi

I don't think this has anything to do with physical vanity. It has to do with spiritual training.

If you look at the whole chapter, St Paul is giving Timothy instructions on what to do, what to believe, what to avoid, etc. The main topic of the chapter is godliness. St Paul starts by saying some people will abandon the faith and teach that things like not marrying, or not eat certain food because they are "not-kosher" or bad. St Paul says this is really against God because God created everything is good and consecrated by God's word. Consecration by God's word is another way to describe godliness.

Now St Paul instructs St Timothy in verse 7, "Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives’ tales; rather, train yourself to be godly." Godless myths/old wives' tales=abandoning the faith which St Paul described in verse 1. In order to have nothing to do with godless myths, one must train himself in godliness. It's a play on words to get a message acrross. To drive the point home, St Paul uses a popular saying, which is verse 4 and the verse in question: "For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come."

It's a metaphor. Let's put it another way. Is it better to invest in a short term money-making investment, or a long term money-making investment? A short term investment "is of some value". But a long term investment, one that can make money now and in the future, has "value for all things" (or has double value). Physical training, if you consider capital money you put up for an investment, will make money. It will get you good results. A vain body or vain mind-set is not a good result. But a physically healthy body, will give you a longer life, more energy, the ability to endure physically challenging events (like runnning a marathon). All of these are good and godly too. But if you invest in something good. It should be something that gets you double value. Spiritual training - vigils, fastings, metanias, praises - these all require physical training but you get the double benefit of spiritual benefit also. As St Paul concluded, "That is why we labor and strive (phsycial investment), because we have put our hope in the living God (spiritual benefit), who is the Savior of all people, and especially of those who believe. (Spiritual benefit).

Does this make sense?
George