---
title: 1 Timothy 4:4
url: https://jw-apologetics.app/verses/1-timothy-4-4/
markdown: https://jw-apologetics.app/verses/1-timothy-4-4.md
type: verse
perspective: Protestant (historic Nicene) response to Jehovah's Witness teaching
reference: 1 Timothy 4:4
testament: NT
section: Letters
index: https://jw-apologetics.app/llms.txt
---

# 1 Timothy 4:4

## Text (Berean Standard Bible)

> For every creation of God is good, and nothing that is received with thanksgiving should be rejected,

## NWT Wording of the Key Phrase

- NWT (2013 revision): "For every creation of God is fine, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving"

## JW Usage

JWs cite this verse against ascetic teaching — affirming that food, marriage and material things are good gifts of Jehovah. In practice, however, the affirmation is qualified: many "worldly" goods (higher education, certain careers, worldly entertainment, association with non-Witnesses) are reframed as Satan-influenced lures rather than Father-given gifts.

## Protestant Usage

Paul's statement is universal — "every creation of God is fine, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving". This is a common-grace text. Pair it with Genesis 1:31 ("God saw all that he had made, and look! it was very good"), James 1:17 ("every good gift… is from above"), Matthew 5:45 (the Father sends rain on the just and the unjust) and Acts 14:16-17 (God witnessed himself to the pagans by giving rain and fruitful seasons). Together these verses build the doctrine that genuine earthly goods — sun, rain, harvests, honest work, marital faithfulness, parental love, the laugh of a child — are gifts of the Creator, not satanic counterfeits. The doorstep insight is a category fix: when a Witness sees a non-JW marriage flourishing or a non-JW friend showing real love, the rhetorical move "Satan also blesses people" is unfalsifiable reclassification. Scripture says the tree is known by its fruit (Matthew 7:16-20) — and 1 Timothy 4:4 says every creation of God is good. Satan does not grow grapes.

## NWT Issue

NWT renders kalon as "fine" — "every creation of God is fine". Standard English translations render "good" (BSB, ESV, NIV, NASB, KJV). "Fine" is one of the NWT's distinctive vocabulary choices but doctrinally it is mild — the substance of the verse (universal affirmation of creation) is preserved. Worth noting for transparency with the JW reader who may notice the rendering, but not load-bearing for the common-grace argument.

## Arguments Using This Verse

- ['Satan Also Blesses' — Common Grace vs Demonic Conspiracy](https://jw-apologetics.app/arguments/satan-blesses-worldly-success.md) — Matthew 5:45 — He sends rain on the just and the unjust [Epistemology]