The “Teachings of Demons” as “Magical” Practices in 1 Timothy 4:1

Abstract In this article, I make the case that the language of “teachings of demons” (διδασκαλίαις δαιμονίων) in 1 Tim 4:1 is a reference to the Watchers traditions of the Book of the Watchers (1 En. 1–36; cf. Gen 6:1–4). The Book of the Watchers and later texts portray the Watchers as not only mating with human women but also teaching magical heavenly secrets to humans. While the Watchers are called “demons” only once in the Book of the Watchers (19:1), the use of the language of “demon” to describe only divine or celestial beings who rebel against God’s purposes is common in Second Temple Jewish (and then Christian) circles. If at least part of the false teaching is magical, that accounts for several other aspects of 1 Timothy, including the use of πɛρίɛργος (“busybody,” “magician”) in 1 Tim 5:13 (cf. γόης, “sorcerer,” in 2 Tim 3:13); μυστήριον (“mystery”) in 1 Tim 3:9, 16; μῦθος (“myth”) in 1 Tim 1:4, 4:7 (cf. 2 Tim 4:4, Titus 1:14); and potentially the focus on problematic women (1 Tim 2:9–15, 4:7, 5:2–16; cf. 2 Tim 3:6) as well as the false teachers’ forbidding of marriage and foods (1 Tim 4:3).