5:23 Is Paul encouraging intoxicating drink here?

No, Paul is simply encouraging Timothy here to not only drink water, but a little wine as well for medicinal purposes. Because of fermentation, wine also acts as a medicine for mild stomach disorders which frequently unsettled Timothy.

Paul was not advocating that Timothy drink wine as a beverage, because elsewhere in scripture he warned against addiction to alcohol (CP Ro 13:13; 1Cor 5:11; 6:12; Eph 5:18; 1Th 5:6-8; 1Ti 3:3, 8; Tit 1:7). Paul also knew the penalty God had laid down for drunkenness (CP Pr 23:21; 31:4-5 with 1Cor 6:9-10; Ga 5:21).

Paul does not forbid the responsible and temperate use of alcohol, but the abuse or incessant use of it. It should be emphasized here that Timothy was not suffering from a recurring grave illness which could not be healed, as many in the church believe, but simply a mild stomach disorder - probably digestive trouble - which a little wine would settle.

Timothy was a timid young man who was allowing himself to be treated contemptuously by some in the church at Ephesus because of his youthfulness, and it was upsetting him (CP 1Ti 1:3 with 4:12 and 2Ti 1:6-8).

In 1Ti 4:12 Paul was encouraging Timothy to assert the dignity of his office and not let anyone push him around by showing himself to be an example to the church in Ephesus. Paul lists six areas (KJV), in which Timothy was to be an example to the church: word - speech (CP Eph 4:25, 29-31; Col 4:6); conduct - righteous living (CP 1Pe 1:15, 2:12, 3:16); love - self-sacrificial love (CP Jn 15:13; Jas 2:14-17; 1 Jn 3:16-18);

Spirit - (CP Ga 5:16-17, 22-25); faith - faithfulness of commitment (CP 1Cor 4:2; Eph 6:21; Col 1:7); purity - especially sexual purity (CP 1Ti 3:2). If Timothy lived according to these rules, his youth would no longer be the subject of contempt.

6:1-2 See comments on Eph 6:5-9

1 TIMOTHY