Charles Ellicott Commentary 1 Timothy 4:13

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

Till I come, give attendance to reading.—The words evidently imply a hope, perhaps even an expectation, on St. Paul's part that he would one day be able to visit the Church of Ephesus again. But as long as that absence lasted, Timothy was to attend carefully to three special points in the public ministry, in which he was the chief officer in the Apostle’s absence.

The “reading” was the public reading of Scripture in the congregation—a practice borrowed from the synagogue service, where the Law and the Prophets were publicly read to the assembled people. (Acts 13:15.)

In these early Christian assemblies, about the year 66-67, the question arises: Were any Scriptures read in public besides the books of the Old Testament? No certain reply can be given. It is, however, probable, even at this very early date, that at least one of the older Gospels (probably St. Mark) was already known and used in the Christian churches, and read along with the Scriptures of the Old Covenant. That the reading of the “Gospels” very soon became a part of the regular service in Christian congregations is evident from the words of Justin Martyr, Apologia, i. 67, written in the first half of the first century.

To exhortation, to doctrine.—Both of these most probably refer to the public ministry in the congregation. The first, “exhortation,” particularly applies to the feelings. The reading of the Scriptures must be followed by an earnest, practical application of their teaching to the affairs of the life in which the Christian listener was living. The word “doctrine” suggests a public teaching directed rather to the understanding of the hearers. The idea of exposition, or even of dogmatic teaching, seems included here.