Warning Against Backsliding
In 1 Timothy 4:1-5, Paul speaks of the warnings he has received from the Holy Spirit about the last days. I realize that he transmitted these warnings to Timothy not knowing that the last days wouldn't arrive for some time. But it is clear from previous portions of the letter that there were similar problems in the group of Christians at Ephesus. Certainly, some had departed from the faith and were challenged in doctrine. Whether they had given heed to seducing spirits or not, there were some issues at least with Hymenaeus and Alexander.
Since we are a lot closer to the latter times, it would behoove us to listen to his warnings as given by the Holy Spirit. The first and foremost way to avoid the situations is to not let you conscience be seared with a hot iron. Any time you are burned, you suffer real bodily problems. If the burns are severe enough, they can include destruction of nerve endings which can lead to numbness, phantom pains, and being really sensitive to stimuli.
The Holy Spirit is meant to be a companion to each and every Christian (and to the extent He tries to keep people from sinning and turn to Christ, to the unsaved as well). If you destroy that connection, you lose that additional moral compass which deals with all sorts of issues that are displeasing to God but which might not be against the law or the social norms under which you were raised and live.
So the most important thing you can do to not fall away is to not offend or excise the Holy Spirit from your life. Once you've done that, then that voice that helps to let you know when what you're hearing is from an unclean spirit or the devil is gone. It is much easier in that condition to have your own doctrines become corrupted and to then try to propagate these beliefs.
Whether this was a warning specifically to the Ephesian church or not is unknown. As I mentioned, Paul had already warned about many problems going on, and it is unclear whether these were due to the warning here, or were simply the result of being part of a very pagan city and having new Christians who may have come out of those cultures not being strong enough with Christ.
It's also unclear whether the specific items he warned about were issues there or not due to the mention of latter times. But it is clear that the issue of what could be eaten was a problem in many places, so it is probably safe to assume that Ephesus was also having issues perhaps between the Jewish conversions to Christianity and those from pagan backgrounds. Paul makes it clear that prayer can sanctify anything that is placed before you to eat. It may not be something you think you can stomach, but it isn't sinful to eat it. Just be thankful that you have something to eat and pray over it and don't worry. Having it offered to an idol before it came into your possession doesn't bother God.
The mention of forbidding to marry is interesting because it was made a thing in certain religions. I think the Catholic church would have avoided many of the problems of the priests through the years if they had allowed them to marry. But that's just my opinion. They can well say that their consciences hadn't been seared, but the policy still goes against the warning Paul gave. It's certainly the latter days now.
What to Preach
What was Timothy to do? In 1 Timothy 4:6-11, Paul exhorts Timothy to teach and preach words of faith and good doctrine. He should refuse profane and old wive's fables, but concentrate on godliness. Paul implied that bodily exercise wasn't profitable, but that godliness was something to be sought.
It should be noted that bodily exercise isn't bad per se. However, the Greek culture tended to take it to extremes, and the Romans weren't much better. There's a reason the Olympics were started in Greece, after all. Exercise can be very good, but worrying about the condition of your body to the extent that you're spending most of your free time at the gymnasium trying to get the perfect pectoral or bicep or abdominal or leg muscle configuration is a sign you've gone too far.
It's unknown what fables were being referred to here. Certainly, Greek culture and "history" had much mythology, full of fables of both gods and mortals and their interaction. It is possible that Paul was warning Timothy to not go down the same road, immortalizing the deeds of Paul or the other disciples in such a way that glory that should have been reserved to God was somehow directed to men. Such probably wouldn't have been considered profane like the Greek legends were, so it is more likely that he might have been warning Timothy to ignore the Greek culture around him and to not try to debate or pull it down. Let Christianity and the work of the Holy Spirit and God through Holy Spirit filled believers do its own work in tearing down false religions.
Godliness, trying to live a life as close to Christ's life in spirit and deed, is the only thing that really matters, both for the life we are living and for the eternal life to come. Teaching Christ, saving souls, and supporting the work of the church was all that mattered to Paul. It wasn't enough to just say the words, faithful though they were. They needed to be accepted and put into active practice.
It was for that cause that Paul and Timothy worked and suffered the recriminations of both the Jewish people, the gentiles, and the Romans around them. They put their trust in God and the Savior Jesus Christ, knowing that those who believed on Him were better off eternally than even the richest and most powerful Greek or Roman citizen they would meet. Paul instructed Timothy to be constant in teaching salvation through Christ. Can we do any less? Regardless of when the latter days may truly begin, we are closer to the rapture post 1947 than any generation before that.
How to Be a Good Example
Paul ends chapter for (1 Timothy 4:12-16) giving exhortation to Timothy on how to live. What he had to say to Timothy would apply just as well to any Christian alive today. What did he recommend?
First, don't let anybody despise you for your age. Any person who is just starting out working for Christ (especially true when young, but applies at any age to some extent) is worried because they don't have enough boots on the ground experience. There will always be those who say he or she is just a young pup. It is true in any profession, and religion isn't somehow immune.
How do you fight that? Just as Paul suggested. Have faith in God, and also faith in yourself. If God has called you to do something, He will help you do it and will validate your ministry. Having God clearly on your side will put a stop to most verbal and physical opposition quickly if it is coming from a true Christian. I've never really been able to figure out the Jewish leadership being against Christ. I know He threatened their positions and whole religion. But they were supposed to be leading the worship of God and having God working through any individual would make me really cautions in striking out against them, much less trying to kill them. God always wins. So have faith.
Let your conversation and acts be pure, humble, and resolute, speaking the truth with love for all. There may still be those who are opposed to you. But, if you don't give them anything they can grab onto to try to tear you down, you will be on much more secure ground. Live a life free of sin. Don't tear people down. Show love. Those things are hard to fight.
Since Timothy was a young pastor, Paul suggested some particular things he should do, both for himself and for the new church. First, Timothy should study and read. This wasn't an assignment to study the culture around him to be ready to deal with whatever that culture would expose him to. It was a study of God's word, which for them meant the Old Testament, so that he would be familiar with God's promises, prophecies, commands, and nature. He could also see and understand all the things that had been stumbling blocks to the Jewish people in the past to try to prevent that sort of thing from becoming a stumbling block to the new church.
As he became more familiar with the Old Testament, and with God, Paul called on him to share what he was learning, but exhortation and giving doctrine. Paul reminded Timothy that he had a gift for preaching and had been ordained by the Christian presbytery of that time. He warned Timothy to not get distracted by everything going on around him, but to stay focused on the tasks that God had called him to do. That is still a challenge for any person who is trying to do work for God today. It's real easy to get distracted by music or games or my cat and not generate another chapter or two of commentary.
As Timothy gave himself wholly to these things, Paul was sure that God would bless his work and his calling would be made clear to all the people of the church at Ephesus. Finally, Paul again warns Timothy to pay attention to what he is preaching himself, and not allow himself to slip away from God. by concentrating on the work of God, Paul was sure that Timothy wouldn't backslide and his work would save many more people at Ephesus and the surrounding area.
Those suggestions he made to Timothy work just as well for us today. Be yourself - the best Christian you know how to be. Have faith. Learn about what the Bible says and be prepared in all seasons to tell others about your own Christian experience and to answer their questions about what a Christian should mean. Stay true to Christ. Good advice for everyone and not just young pastors.