Albert Barnes Commentary 1 Timothy 4:13

"Till I come, give heed to reading, to exhortation, to teaching." — 1 Timothy 4:13 (ASV)

Till I come. (See Barnes' notes on 1 Timothy 3:14 and 1 Timothy 3:15.)

Give attendance to reading. The word used here may refer to either public or private reading (2 Corinthians 3:14; compare also 1 Esdras 9:48).

The more obvious interpretation here is to refer it to private reading, or to a careful perusal of those books which would qualify him for his public work.

The then-written portions of the sacred volume—the Old Testament—are doubtless specially intended here. However, there is no reason to doubt that other useful books to which Timothy might have access were also included.

Although such books were then few in number, Paul evidently meant that Timothy should, as far as practicable, become acquainted with them. The apostle himself, on more than one occasion, showed that he had some acquaintance with the classic writings of Greece (Acts 17:28; Titus 1:12).

To exhortation. (See Barnes' note on Romans 12:8.)

To doctrine. To teaching—for that is what the word means. (Compare Barnes' note on Romans 12:7.)