The Evangelical Universalist Forum

1 timothy 4:3 what is the difference ?

forbidding to marry, saying to abstain from foods, which God created for partaking with thanksgiving by the believers and those knowing the truth. green’s literal translation
what is the difference between believers and those (other ones maybe) knowing the truth
?
thank you very much for your help

Please make your question more clear, or get some help from someone as to how to express it.

Hi Erwan

You’re asking why Paul appears to refer to one group - the believers - and then a different group - those knowing the truth. How are those groups different?

Actually, they’re not. They’re the same group of people. The believers ***are ***those knowing the truth.

Young’s literal translation puts it well: “to abstain from meats that God created to be received with thanksgiving by those believing and acknowledging the truth” (here it is)

Paul is saying that believers can be defined as those who know (realise) the truth. This fits perfectly with Paul’s other passage in 2 Tim 2:25. “in meekness instructing those opposing – if perhaps God may give to them repentance to an acknowledging of the truth”

Notice that repentance = coming to a knowledge of the truth = believers.

I hope this helps. :slight_smile: