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1 Timothy 4 · a question people ask

"Let no man despise your youth" (4:12). How young was Timothy?

In the text

Here are the letter's own words: "Let no man despise your youth; but be an example to those who believe, in word, in your way of life, in love, in spirit, in faith, and in purity." (4:12). The letter doesn't give Timothy's age, and these notes don't either.

The verses

“Let no man despise your youth; but be an example to those who believe, in word, in your way of life, in love, in spirit, in faith, and in purity.”
1 Timothy 4:12 · World English Bible

From Favor's study of 1 Timothy 4

1 Timothy 4: Toward godliness

1 Timothy 4:8 doesn't call bodily exercise worthless: it "has some value", and godliness "has value in all things". Behind value both times is one Greek adjective.

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Last reviewed October 8, 2026. Scripture quotations are from the World English Bible, which is in the public domain. Every answer cites the verses it rests on. What we believe · All Bible questions