John Calvin Commentary 1 Timothy 1:4

"neither to give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which minister questionings, rather than a dispensation of God which is in faith; [so do I now]." — 1 Timothy 1:4 (ASV)

And not to give heed to fables. He applies the term “fables,” in my opinion, not only to contrived falsehoods but also to trifles or foolishness that have no substance. It is possible for something that is not false to still be fabulous.

In this sense, Suetonius speaks of fabulous history, and Livy uses the word fabulari, “to relate fables,” to mean useless and foolish talk. And, undoubtedly, the word μῦθος (which Paul uses here) is equivalent to the Greek word φλυαρία, that is, “trifles.”

Moreover, by presenting one category as an example, he has removed all doubt. Disputes about genealogies are listed by him among fables, not because everything that can be said about them is fictitious, but because it is useless and unprofitable.

This passage, therefore, can be explained as follows: “Let them not give heed to fables of the kind to which genealogies belong.” This is indeed the “fabulous history” Suetonius mentions, which even grammarians of sound judgment have always justly ridiculed.

For it was impossible not to regard as ridiculous that curiosity which, neglecting useful knowledge, spent a whole life examining the genealogy of Achilles and Ajax, and wasted its powers reckoning up the sons of Priam. If this is not tolerated even in childish learning, where there is room for things that bring pleasure, how much more intolerable is it in heavenly wisdom?

And to genealogies haste have end. He calls them endless, because vain curiosity has no limit but continually falls from labyrinth to labyrinth.

Which produce questions. He judges doctrine by its fruit; for everything that does not edify should be rejected, even if it has no other fault. Everything that serves only to stir up contentions should be doubly condemned. Such are all the subtle questions on which ambitious men exercise their faculties. Let us, therefore, remember that all doctrines must be tried by this rule: those that contribute to edification should be approved, and those that give rise to unprofitable disputes should be rejected as unworthy of the Church of God.

If this test had been applied for several centuries, even though religion had been stained by many errors, at least that diabolical art of disputing, which acquired the name of Scholastic Theology, would not have prevailed so greatly.

For what does that theology contain but contentions or idle speculations from which no benefit is derived? Accordingly, the more learned a man is in it, the more wretched we should consider him.

I am aware of the plausible excuses by which it is defended, but they will never prove Paul wrong for condemning everything of this kind.

Rather than the edification of God. Such subtleties build up pride and vanity, but not the edification that is of God. He calls it “the edification of God,” either because God approves of it, or because it is consistent with God’s nature.

Which consist in faith. He next shows that this edification consists in faith. By this term, he does not exclude the love of our neighbor, or the fear of God, or repentance; for what are all these but fruits of faith, which always produces the fear of God? Knowing that all the worship of God is founded on faith alone, he therefore considered it sufficient to mention faith, on which all the rest depend.