NT Text: 1 Timothy 4:4
OT Source(s):
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Reference Type: Allusion
Connection Method(s): Analogy
Significance: Paul's assertion that "every creature of God is good" (pan ktisma theou kalon) echoes the refrain of Genesis 1, culminating in 1:31 where God declares all creation "very good" (kalos lian in the LXX). The TSK explicitly links these verses. Paul appeals to the creation-goodness principle to counter ascetic false teachers who demanded abstinence from certain foods. The theological logic is clear: since God created all things good, nothing is to be rejected if received with thanksgiving and sanctified by the word of God and prayer (4:5). Paul grounds his argument not in pragmatic reasoning but in the creation order itself — the same foundational appeal he makes in 2:13-14. This analogical use of Genesis affirms the enduring theological significance of the original creation blessing.