Text -- 1 Timothy 1:1-9 (NET)

Salutation

1:1 From Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the command of God our Savior and of Christ Jesus our hope, 1:2 to Timothy, my genuine child in the faith. Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord!

Timothy’s Task in Ephesus

1:3 As I urged you when I was leaving for Macedonia, stay on in Ephesus to instruct certain people not to spread false teachings, 1:4 nor to occupy themselves with myths and interminable genealogies. Such things promote useless speculations rather than God’s redemptive plan that operates by faith. 1:5 But the aim of our instruction is love that comes from a pure heart, a good conscience, and a sincere faith. 1:6 Some have strayed from these and turned away to empty discussion. 1:7 They want to be teachers of the law, but they do not understand what they are saying or the things they insist on so confidently. 1:8 But we know that the law is good if someone uses it legitimately, 1:9 realizing that law is not intended for a righteous person, but for lawless and rebellious people, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers,

Commentary -- Word/Phrase Notes (per phrase)

Robertson: 1Ti 1:1

According to the commandment ( kat' epitagēn ).

A late Koiné[28928]š word (Polybius, Diodorus), but a Pauline word also in N.T. This very idiom ("by way of command") in 1Co 7:6; 2Co 8:8; Rom 16:26; 1Ti 1:1; Tit 1:3. Paul means to say that he is an apostle under orders.

Robertson: 1Ti 1:1

Of God our Saviour ( theou sōtēros hēmōn ).

Genitive case with epitagēn . In the lxx sōtēr (old word from sōzō for agent in saving, applied to deities, princes, kings, etc.) occurs 20 times, all but two to God. The Romans called the emperor "Saviour God."In the N.T. the designation of God as Saviour is peculiar to Luk 1:47; Jud 1:25; 1Ti 1:3; 1Ti 2:3; 1Ti 4:10; Tit 1:3; Tit 2:10; Tit 3:4. In the other Epistles Paul uses it of Christ (Phi 3:20; Eph 5:23) as in 2Ti 1:10. In 2Pe 1:1 we have "our God and Saviour Jesus Christ"as in Tit 2:13.

Robertson: 1Ti 1:1

Our hope ( tēs elpidos hēmōn ).

Like Col 1:27. More than the author and object of hope, "its very substance and foundation"(Ellicott).

Robertson: 1Ti 1:2

True ( gnēsiōi ).

Legitimate, not spurious. Old word from ginomai , but Pauline only in N.T. (Phi 4:3; 2Co 8:8; Tit 1:4). In Phi 2:20 the adverb gnēsiōs occurs and of Timothy again.

Robertson: 1Ti 1:2

Christ Jesus ( Christou Iēsou ).

So twice already in 1Ti 1:1 and as usual in the later Epistles (Col 1:1; Eph 1:1).

Robertson: 1Ti 1:3

As I exhorted ( kathōs parekalesa ).

There is an ellipse of the principal clause in 1Ti 1:4 ( so do I now not being in the Greek).

Robertson: 1Ti 1:3

To tarry ( prosmeinai ).

First aorist active infinitive of prosmenō , old verb, attributed by Luke to Paul in Act 13:43.

Robertson: 1Ti 1:3

That thou mightest charge ( hina paraggeilēis ).

Subfinal clause with hina and the first aorist active subjunctive of paraggellō , old verb, to transmit a message along (para ) from one to another. See 2Th 3:4, 2Th 3:6, 2Th 3:10. Lock considers this idiom here an elliptical imperative like Eph 4:29; Eph 5:33.

Robertson: 1Ti 1:3

Certain men ( tisin ).

Dative case. Expressly vague (no names as in 1Ti 1:20), though Paul doubtless has certain persons in Ephesus in mind.

Robertson: 1Ti 1:3

Not to teach a different doctrine ( mē heterodidaskalein ).

Earliest known use of this compound like kakodidaskalein of Clement of Rome. Only other N.T. example in 1Ti 6:3. Eusebius has heterodidaskalos . Same idea in Gal 1:6; 2Co 11:4; Rom 16:17. Perhaps coined by Paul.

Robertson: 1Ti 1:4

To give heed ( prosechein ).

With noun understood. Old and common idiom in N.T. especially in Luke and Acts (Act 8:10.). Not in Paul’ s earlier Epistles. 1Ti 3:8; 1Ti 4:1, 1Ti 4:13; Tit 1:14.

Robertson: 1Ti 1:4

To fables ( muthois ).

Dative case of old word for speech, narrative, story, fiction, falsehood. In N.T. only 2Pe 1:16; 1Ti 1:4; 1Ti 4:7; Tit 1:14; 2Ti 4:4.

Robertson: 1Ti 1:4

Genealogies ( genealogiais ).

Dative of old word, in lxx, in N.T. only here and Tit 3:9.

Robertson: 1Ti 1:4

Endless ( aperantois ).

Old verbal compound (from a privative and perainō , to go through), in lxx, only here in N.T. Excellent examples there for old words used only in the Pastorals because of the subject matter, describing the Gnostic emphasis on aeons.

Robertson: 1Ti 1:4

Questionings ( ekzētēseis ).

"Seekings out."Late and rare compound from ekzēteō (itself Koiné[28928]š word, Rom 3:11 from lxx and in papyri). Here only in N.T. Simplex zētēsis in Act 15:2; 1Ti 6:4; Tit 3:9; 2Ti 2:23.

Robertson: 1Ti 1:4

A dispensation ( oikonomian ).

Pauline word (1Co 9:17; Col 1:25; Eph 1:9; Eph 3:9; 1Ti 1:4), Luk 16:2-4 only other N.T. examples.

Robertson: 1Ti 1:4

In faith ( en pistei ).

Pauline use of pistis .

Robertson: 1Ti 1:5

The end ( to telos ).

See Rom 6:21; Rom 10:4 for telos (the good aimed at, reached, result, end).

Robertson: 1Ti 1:5

Love ( agapē ).

Not "questionings."Rom 13:9. "Three conditions for the growth of love"(Parry): "Out of a pure heart"(ek katharas kardias , O.T. conception), "and a good conscience"(kai suneidēseōs agathēs , for which see note on Rom 2:15), "and faith unfeigned"(kai pisteōs anupokritou , late compound verbal in 2Co 6:6; Rom 12:9).

Robertson: 1Ti 1:6

Having swerved ( astochēsantes ).

First aorist active participle of astocheō , compound Koiné[28928]š verb (Polybius, Plutarch) from astochos (a privative and stochos , a mark), "having missed the mark."In N.T. only here, 1Ti 6:21; 2Ti 2:18. With the ablative case hōn (which).

Robertson: 1Ti 1:6

Have turned aside ( exetrapēsan ).

Second aorist passive indicative of ektrepō , old and common verb, to turn or twist out or aside. In medical sense in Heb 12:13. As metaphor in 1Ti 1:6; 1Ti 6:20; 2Ti 4:4.

Robertson: 1Ti 1:6

Vain talking ( mataiologian ).

Late word from mataiologos , only here in N.T., in the literary Koiné.

Robertson: 1Ti 1:7

Teachers of the law ( nomodidaskaloi ).

Compound only in N.T. (here, Luk 5:17; Act 5:34) and ecclesiastical writers.

Robertson: 1Ti 1:7

Though they understand ( noountes ).

Concessive participle of noeō , old verb (Eph 3:4, Eph 3:20).

Robertson: 1Ti 1:7

Neither what ( mēte ha ).

Relative ha (which things).

Robertson: 1Ti 1:7

Nor whereof ( mēte peri tinōn ).

Here the interrogative tinōn used in sense of relative hōn . It may be regarded as the use of an indirect question for variety (Parry).

Robertson: 1Ti 1:7

They confidently affirm ( diabebaiountai ).

Present middle indicative of the common Koiné[28928]š compound, in N.T. only here and Tit 3:8.

Robertson: 1Ti 1:8

If a man use it lawfully ( ean tis autōi chrētai ).

Condition of third class with ean and present middle subjunctive of chraomai with instrumental case.

Robertson: 1Ti 1:9

Is not made for ( ou keitai ).

The use of keitai for tetheitai (perfect passive of tithēmi ) is a common enough idiom. See the same point about law in Gal 3:18-23; Rom 13:13. For "knowing this"(eidōs touto ) see note on Eph 5:5.

Robertson: 1Ti 1:9

Unruly ( anupotaktois ).

Dative (like all these words) of the late verbal (a privative and hupotassō ). In N.T. only here, Tit 1:6, Tit 1:10; Heb 2:8.

Robertson: 1Ti 1:9

Ungodly ( asebesi ).

See Rom 4:5; Rom 5:6.

Robertson: 1Ti 1:9

Sinners ( hamartōlois ).

See Rom 3:7.

Robertson: 1Ti 1:9

Unholy ( anosiois ).

Common word (a privative and hosios . In N.T. only here and 2Ti 3:2.

Robertson: 1Ti 1:9

Profane ( bebēlois ).

Old word from bainō , to go, and bēlos , threshold. See Heb 12:16.

Robertson: 1Ti 1:9

Murderers of fathers ( patrolōiais ).

Late form for common Attic patralōiais (from patēr , father, and aloiaō , to smite) only here in N.T.

Robertson: 1Ti 1:9

Murderers of mothers ( mētrolōiais ).

Late form Attic mētralōiais . Only here in N.T.

Robertson: 1Ti 1:9

Manslayers ( andraphonois ).

Old compound (anēr , man, phonos , murder). Only here in N.T.

Vincent: 1Ti 1:1

An apostle of Jesus Christ

This title appears in the salutations of Romans, 1st and 2nd Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Colossians. In Philippians, Paul and Timothy the servants of Jesus Christ. Philemon a prisoner . This formal announcement of apostleship is strange in a private letter.

Vincent: 1Ti 1:1

By the commandment of God ( κατ ' ἐπιταγὴν θεοῦ )

The phrase in Rom 16:26. Κατ ' ἐπιταγὴν absolutely, by commandment , 1Co 7:6, 2Co 8:8. Paul uses διὰ θελήματος θεοῦ by the will of God . See 1Co 1:1; 2Co 1:1; Eph 1:1; Col 1:1. Comp. 2Ti 1:1.

Vincent: 1Ti 1:1

Our Savior ( σωτῆρος ἡμῶν )

Comp. Luk 1:47; Jud 1:25. o P. Six times in the Pastorals. Used of both God and Christ (see Tit 1:3, Tit 1:4; Tit 2:10, Tit 2:13; Tit 3:4, Tit 3:6). The saving of men appears as God's direct will and act, 1Ti 2:4; Tit 3:5; 2Ti 1:9 as Christ's work, 1Ti 1:15, comp. 2Ti 2:10. In lxx σωτὴρ occurs twenty times, and in all but two instances, of God.

Vincent: 1Ti 1:2

My own son in the faith ( γνησίῳ τέκνῳ ἐν πίστει )

More correctly, " my true child in faith ." Comp. Tit 1:4. With these two exceptions, τέκνον or υἱός ἐν πίστει does not occur in N.T. Ἑν πίστει or τῇ πίστει is not come on Paul; see 1Co 16:13; 2Co 8:7; 2Co 13:5; Gal 2:20; 2Th 2:13. In the Pastorals, nine times. In Paul joined with ζῇν to live , εἶναι to be , στήκειν to stand , βεβαιοῦσθαι to be established . For γνήσιος true , see 2Co 8:8; Phi 2:20; Phi 4:3. It means natural by birth-relation , therefore true or genuine .

Vincent: 1Ti 1:2

Mercy ( ἔλεος )

This addition to the usual form of salutation is peculiar to the Pastorals.

Vincent: 1Ti 1:3

Even as ( καθὼς )

An awkward construction, there being nothing to answer to καθὼς .

Vincent: 1Ti 1:3

To abide ( προσμεῖναι )

To continue on . The compound does not occur in Paul, but is found in Act 11:23; Act 13:43; Act 18:18.

Vincent: 1Ti 1:3

When I went ( πορευόμενος )

Better, was going , or was on my way . The participle cannot refer to Timothy.

Vincent: 1Ti 1:3

Might'st charge ( παραγγείλῃς )

See on Act 1:4. Very common in Luke and Acts, but not in Paul. In 1st Timothy alone five times.

Vincent: 1Ti 1:3

Some ( τισὶν )

Note the indefinite designation of the errorists, and comp. 1Ti 1:6; 1Ti 4:1; 1Ti 5:15, 1Ti 5:24; 1Ti 6:21. The expression is contemptuous. It is assumed that Timothy knows who they are. This is after the Pauline manner. See Gal 1:7; Gal 2:12; 1Co 4:18; 1Co 15:12; 2Co 3:1; Col 2:4, Col 2:8.

Vincent: 1Ti 1:3

That they teach no other doctrine ( μὴ ἑτεροδιδασκαλεῖν )

Better, not to teach a different doctrine . For ἕτερος different , see on Gal 1:6. The verb Pasto . o lxx. o Class. The charge is not to teach anything contrary to the sound teaching (1Ti 1:10) or irreconcilable with it. Comp. Gal 1:6; 2Co 11:4; Rom 16:17.

Vincent: 1Ti 1:4

Give heed ( προσέχειν )

o P. Frequent in lxx and Class. Lit. To hold to . Often with τὸν νοῦν the mind , which must be supplied here. It means here not merely to give attention to , but to give assent to . So Act 8:6; Act 16:14; Heb 2:1; 2Pe 1:19.

Vincent: 1Ti 1:4

Fables ( μύθοις )

Μῦθος , in its widest sense, means word , speech , conversation or its subject . Hence the talk of men , rumour , report , a saying , a story , true or false; later, a fiction as distinguished from λόγος a historic tale . In Attic prose, commonly a legend of prehistoric Greek times . Thus Plato, Repub. 330 D, οἱ λεγόμενοι μῦθοι περὶ τῶν ἐν Ἅΐδου what are called myths concerning those in Hades . Only once in lxx, Sir. 20:19, in the sense of a saying or story . In N.T. Only in Pastorals, and 2Pe 1:16. As to its exact reference here, it is impossible to speak with certainty. Expositors are hopelessly disagreed, some referring it to Jewish, others to Gnostic fancies. It is explained as meaning traditional supplements to the law, allegorical interpretations, Jewish stories of miracles, Rabbinical fabrications, whether in history or doctrine, false doctrines generally, etc. It is to be observed that μῦθοι are called Jewish in Tit 1:14. In 1Ti 4:7, they are described as profane and characteristic of old wives . In 2Ti 4:4, the word is used absolutely, as here.

Vincent: 1Ti 1:4

Endless genealogies ( γενεαλογίαις ἀπεράντοις )

Both words Pasto . For γενεαλογία (o lxx) comp. Tit 3:9. Γενεαλογεῖσθαι to trace ancestry , only Heb 7:6; comp. 1Ch 5:1, the only instance in lxx. Ἁπέραντος endless , N.T.o . Twice in lxx. By some the genealogies are referred to the Gnostic aeons or series of emanations from the divine unity; by others to the O.T. Genealogies as interpreted allegorically by Philo, and made the basis of a psychological system, or O.T. Genealogies adorned with fables: by others again to genealogical registers proper, used to foster the religious and national pride of the Jews against Gentiles, or to ascertain the descent of the Messiah. Ἁπέραντος from ἀ not , and πέρας limit or terminus . Πέρας may be taken in the sense of object or aim , so that the adjective here may mean without object , useless . (So Chrysostom, Holtzmann, and von Soden.) Others take it in a popular sense, as describing the tedious length of the genealogies (Alford); and others that these matters furnish an inexhaustible subject of study (Weiss). " Fables and endless genealogies" form a single conception, the καὶ and being explanatory, that is to say , and the " endless genealogies" indicating in what the peculiarity of the fables consists.

Vincent: 1Ti 1:4

Which ( αἵτινες )

Rather the which : inasmuch as they .

Vincent: 1Ti 1:4

Minister ( παρέχουσιν )

Afford, furnish, give occasion for. Only twice in Paul. Elsewhere mainly in Luke and Acts.

Vincent: 1Ti 1:4

Questions ( ἐκζητήσεις )

Better, questionings . N.T.o . o lxx. o Class. The simple ζητήσεις in Pastorals, John and Acts. The preposition ἐκ gives the sense of subtle , laborious investigation: inquiring out .

Vincent: 1Ti 1:4

Godly edifying

According to the reading οἰκοδομίαν edification . So Vulg. aedificationem . But the correct reading is οἰκονομίαν ordering or dispensation : the scheme or order of salvation devised and administered by God: God's household economy. Ὁικονομία is a Pauline word. With the exception of this instance, only in Paul and Luke. See Eph 1:10; Eph 3:2, Eph 3:9; Col 1:25.

Vincent: 1Ti 1:4

Which is in faith ( τὴν ἐν πίστει )

See on 1Ti 1:2. Faith is the sphere or clement of its operation.

Vincent: 1Ti 1:5

The end of the commandment ( τέλος τῆς παραγγελίας )

The article with " Commandment" points back to might'st charge , 1Ti 1:3. Rend. therefore, of the charge . Τέλος end , aim , that which the charge contemplates .

Vincent: 1Ti 1:5

Love ( ἀγάπη )

See on Gal 5:22. The questionings , on the contrary, engendered strifes (2Ti 2:23). Love to men is meant, as meant as N.T. When the word is used absolutely. See Rom 13:10.

Vincent: 1Ti 1:5

Out of a pure heart ( ἐκ καθαρᾶς καρδίας )

Comp. Luk 10:27, " Thou shalt love the Lord thy God out of they whole heart (ἐξ ὅλης καρδίας σου ), and in or with (ἐν ) thy whole soul," etc. For a pure heart , comp. 2Ti 2:22. Καθαρός pure in Paul only Rom 14:20. The phrase a pure heart occurs, outside of the Pastorals only in 1Pe 1:22. For καρδία heart see on Rom 1:21.

Vincent: 1Ti 1:5

A good conscience( συνειδήσεως ἀγαθῆς )

Comp 2Ti 1:3. Συνείδησις conscience is common in Paul. See on 1Pe 3:16.

Vincent: 1Ti 1:5

Faith unfeigned ( πίστεως ἀνυποκρίτου )

Ἁνυπόκριτος unfeigned twice in Paul, Rom 12:9; 2Co 6:6, both times as an attribute of love. In Jam 3:17, it is an attribute of wisdom, and in 1Pe 1:22, of brotherly love. Notice the triad, love , conscience , faith . There is nothing un-Pauline in the association of conscience and faith, although, as a fact, Paul does not formally associate them. In 1Co 8:7, 1Co 8:10, 1Co 8:12, conscience is associated with knowledge.

Vincent: 1Ti 1:6

Having swerved ( ἀστοχήσαντες )

Pasto . In lxx, Sir. 7:19; 8:9. It means to miss the mark .

Vincent: 1Ti 1:6

Have turned aside ( ἐξετράπησαν )

o P. Comp. 1Ti 5:15; 1Ti 6:20; 2Ti 4:4; Heb 12:13.

Vincent: 1Ti 1:6

Vain jangling ( ματαιολογίαν )

N.T.o . o lxx. o Class. The word illustrates the writer's fondness for unusual compounds. Jangling is an early English word from the old French jangler , comp. jongleur a teller of tales . Hence jangling is empty chatter . So Chaucer,

" Them that jangle of love."

Troil . and Cress ii . 800 .

And Piers Ploughman,

" And al day to drynken

At diverse tavernes

And there to jangle and jape."

Vision , Pass . ii . 1069 .

Shakespeare,

" This their jangling I esteem a sport."

Mids . Night's D . iii . 2 .

Wiclif, Exo 17:7 (earlier version), uses jangling for wrangling . " And he clepide the name of the place Temptynge for the jangling of the sons of Israel."

Vincent: 1Ti 1:7

Desiring ( θέλοντες )

The participle is explanatory and confirmatory of the preceding statement: since they desire .

Vincent: 1Ti 1:7

Teachers of the law ( νομοδιδάσκαλοι )

o P. It occurs in Luk 5:17 and Act 5:34. Νόμος is, apparently, the Mosaic law. These teachers may have been arbitrary interpreters of that law, but in what way, cannot be shown.

Vincent: 1Ti 1:7

Understanding ( νοοῦντες )

Better, though they understand .

Vincent: 1Ti 1:7

What they say - whereof they affirm ( ἃ λέγουσιν - περὶ τίνων διαβεβαιοῦνται )

The latter expression is an advance on the former, as appears not only from the verbs themselves, but from the different pronominal expressions. They know not what they say, nor what kind of things they are of which they speak so confidently. The compound διαβεβαιοῦσωαι to affirm , Pasto . Comp. Tit 3:8. The false teachers announce their errors with assurance.

Vincent: 1Ti 1:8

Good ( καλός )

Comp. Rom 7:16. Morally excellent and salutary. See on Joh 10:11. This is the only instance of χρᾶσθαι to use with νόμος law .

Vincent: 1Ti 1:8

Lawfully ( νομίμως )

Pasto . o lxx. The nature of the proper use of the law - is indicated by the next clause.

Vincent: 1Ti 1:9

Knowing ( εἰδὼς )

The participle is connected with τὶς one , a man , in the preceding clause.

Vincent: 1Ti 1:9

Is not made ( οὐ κεῖται )

Lit. Is not laid down , set , appointed . Comp. 1Th 3:3. This is the only instance of its use with νόμος law . That usage is frequent in Class. See, for instance, Thucyd. ii. 37.

Vincent: 1Ti 1:9

Righteous ( δικαίῳ )

Morally upright. Not in the Pauline sense of justified by faith. Comp. 2Ti 2:22; 2Ti 3:16. This appears from the way in which the opposite of righteous is described in the next clause.

Vincent: 1Ti 1:9

Lawless ( ἀνόμοις )

Recognizing no law; a sense which accords better with the following context than not having a law , as 1Co 9:21.

Vincent: 1Ti 1:9

Disobedient ( ἀνυποτάκτοις )

Only in Pastorals and Hebrews. Better unruly . Disobedient is too specific. It means those who will not come into subjection. It is closely allied with lawless . In the one case no legal obligation is recognized ; in the other, subjection to law is refused .

Vincent: 1Ti 1:9

Ungodly - sinners ( ἀσεβέσι - ἁμαρτωλοῖς )

The same collocation in 1Pe 4:18; Jud 1:15. See on godliness , 2Pe 1:3.

Vincent: 1Ti 1:9

Unholy - profane ( ἀνοσίοις - βεβήλοις )

Ἁνοσιος unholy , Pasto . See on holiness , Luk 1:75. Βέβηλος profane , comp. 1Ti 4:7; 1Ti 6:20; 2Ti 2:16; Heb 12:16. The verb βεβηλοῦν to profane , Mat 12:5; Act 24:6, and often in lxx. Derived from βηλός threshold (comp. βαίνειν to go ). Hence the primary sense is that may be trodden . Comp. Lat. Profanus before the temple , on the ground outside. What is permitted to be trodden by people at large is unhallowed , profane . Esau is called βέβηλος in Heb 12:16, as one who did not regard his birthright as sacred, but as something to be sold in order to supply a common need.

Vincent: 1Ti 1:9

Murderers of fathers - murders of mothers ( πατρολῴαις - μητρολῴαις )

Both words Pasto and o lxx. Both in Class. More literally, smiters of fathers and mothers, though used in Class. Of parricides and matricides. Derived from ἀλοᾶν to smite or thresh . The simple verb, 1Co 9:9, 1Co 9:10.

Vincent: 1Ti 1:9

Manslayers ( ἀνδροφόνοις )

N.T.o . Once in lxx, 2 Macc. 9:28.

Wesley: 1Ti 1:1

Familiarity is to be set aside where the things of God are concerned.

Wesley: 1Ti 1:1

The authoritative appointment of God the Father.

Wesley: 1Ti 1:1

So styled in many other places likewise, as being the grand orderer of the whole scheme of our salvation.

Wesley: 1Ti 1:1

That is, the author, object, and ground, of all our hope.

Wesley: 1Ti 1:2

St. Paul wishes grace and peace in his epistles to the churches. To Timotheus he adds mercy, the most tender grace towards those who stand in need of it. The experience of this prepares a man to be a minister of the gospel.

Wesley: 1Ti 1:3

Than I have taught. Let them put nothing in the place of it, add nothing to it.

Wesley: 1Ti 1:4

So as either to teach or regard them.

Wesley: 1Ti 1:4

Fabulous Jewish traditions.

Wesley: 1Ti 1:4

Nor those delivered in scripture, but the long intricate pedigrees whereby they strove to prove their descent from such or such a person.

Wesley: 1Ti 1:4

Which lead only to useless and endless controversies.

Wesley: 1Ti 1:5

of the whole Christian institution.

Wesley: 1Ti 1:5

And this was particularly the end of the commandment which Timotheus was to enforce at Ephesus, 1Ti 1:3, 1Ti 1:18. The foundation is faith; the end, love. But this can only subsist in an heart purified by faith, and is always attended with a good conscience.

Wesley: 1Ti 1:6

Love and a good conscience.

Wesley: 1Ti 1:6

An affectation of high and extensive knowledge sets a man at the greatest distance from faith, and all sense of divine things.

Wesley: 1Ti 1:6

And of all vanities, none are more vain than dry, empty disputes on the things of God.

Wesley: 1Ti 1:7

Understanding neither the very things they speak, nor the subject they speak of.

Wesley: 1Ti 1:8

We grant the whole Mosaic law is good, answers excellent purposes, if a man use it in a proper manner. Even the ceremonial is good, as it points to Christ; and the moral law is holy, just, and good, on its own nature; and of admirable use both to convince unbelievers, and to guide believers in all holiness.

Wesley: 1Ti 1:9

Doth not strike or condemn him.

Wesley: 1Ti 1:9

They who despise the authority of the lawgiver violate the first commandment, which is the foundation of the law, and the ground of all obedience.

Wesley: 1Ti 1:9

Who break the second commandment, worshipping idols, or not worshipping the true God.

Wesley: 1Ti 1:9

Who break the third commandment by taking his name in vain.

JFB: 1Ti 1:1

The authoritative injunction, as well as the commission, of God. In the earlier Epistles the phrase is, "by the will of God." Here it is expressed in a manner implying that a necessity was laid on him to act as an apostle, not that it was merely at his option. The same expression occurs in the doxology, probably written long after the Epistle itself [ALFORD] (Rom 16:26).

JFB: 1Ti 1:1

The Father (1Ti 2:3; 1Ti 4:10; Luk 1:47; 2Ti 1:9; Tit 1:3; Tit 2:10; Tit 3:4; Jud 1:25). It was a Jewish expression in devotion, drawn from the Old Testament (compare Psa 106:21).

JFB: 1Ti 1:1

(Col 1:27; Tit 1:2; Tit 2:13).

JFB: 1Ti 1:2

Literally, "a genuine son" (compare Act 16:1; 1Co 4:14-17). See Introduction.

JFB: 1Ti 1:2

Added here, in addressing Timothy, to the ordinary salutation, "Grace unto you (Rom 1:7; 1Co 1:3, &c.), and peace." In Gal 6:16, "peace and mercy" occur. There are many similarities of style between the Epistle to the Galatians and the Pastoral Epistles (see Introduction); perhaps owing to his there, as here, having, as a leading object in writing, the correction of false teachers, especially as to the right and wrong use of the law (1Ti 1:9). If the earlier date be assigned to First Timothy, it will fall not long after, or before (according as the Epistle to the Galatians was written at Ephesus or at Corinth) the writing of the Epistle to the Galatians, which also would account for some similarity of style. "Mercy" is grace of a more tender kind, exercised towards the miserable, the experience of which in one's own case especially fits for the Gospel MINISTRY. Compare as to Paul himself (1Ti 1:14, 1Ti 1:16; 1Co 7:25; 2Co 4:1; Heb 2:17) [BENGEL]. He did not use "mercy" as to the churches, because "mercy" in all its fulness already existed towards them; but in the case of an individual minister, fresh measures of it were continually needed. "Grace" has reference to the sins of men; "mercy" to their misery. God extends His grace to men as they are guilty; His "mercy" to them as they are miserable [TRENCH].

JFB: 1Ti 1:2

The oldest manuscripts read the order, "Christ Jesus." In the Pastoral Epistles "Christ" is often put before "Jesus," to give prominence to the fact that the Messianic promises of the Old Testament, well known to Timothy (2Ti 3:15), were fulfilled in Jesus.

JFB: 1Ti 1:3

Timothy's superintendence of the Church at Ephesus was as locum tenens for the apostle, and so was temporary. Thus, the office of superintending overseer, needed for a time at Ephesus or Crete, in the absence of the presiding apostle, subsequently became a permanent institution on the removal, by death, of the apostles who heretofore superintended the churches. The first title of these overseers seems to have been "angels" (Rev 1:20).

JFB: 1Ti 1:3

He meant to have added, "so I still beseech thee," but does not complete the sentence until he does so virtually, not formally, at 1Ti 1:18.

JFB: 1Ti 1:3

Paul, in Act 20:25, declared to the Ephesian elders, "I know that ye all shall see my face no more." If, then, as the balance of arguments seems to favor (see Introduction), this Epistle was written subsequently to Paul's first imprisonment, the apparent discrepancy between his prophecy and the event may be reconciled by considering that the terms of the former were not that he should never visit Ephesus again (which this verse implies he did), but that they all should "see his face no more." I cannot think with BIRKS, that this verse is compatible with his theory, that Paul did not actually visit Ephesus, though in its immediate neighborhood (compare 1Ti 3:14; 1Ti 4:13). The corresponding conjunction to "as" is not given, the sentence not being completed till it is virtually so at 1Ti 1:18.

JFB: 1Ti 1:3

A mild word, instead of authoritative command, to Timothy, as a fellow helper.

JFB: 1Ti 1:3

The indefinite pronoun is slightly contemptuous as to them (Gal 2:12; Jud 1:4), [ELLICOTT].

JFB: 1Ti 1:3

Than what I have taught (Gal 1:6-9). His prophetic bodings some years before (Act 20:29-30) were now being realized (compare 1Ti 6:3).

JFB: 1Ti 1:4

Legends about the origin and propagation of angels, such as the false teachers taught at Colosse (Col 2:18-23). "Jewish fables" (Tit 1:14). "Profane, and old wives' fables" (1Ti 4:7; 2Ti 4:4).

JFB: 1Ti 1:4

Not merely such civil genealogies as were common among the Jews, whereby they traced their descent from the patriarchs, to which Paul would not object, and which he would not as here class with "fables," but Gnostic genealogies of spirits and aeons, as they called them, "Lists of Gnostic emanations" [ALFORD]. So TERTULLIAN [Against Valentinian, c. 3], and IRENÆUS [Preface]. The Judaizers here alluded to, while maintaining the perpetual obligation of the Mosaic law, joined with it a theosophic ascetic tendency, pretending to see in it mysteries deeper than others could see. The seeds, not the full-grown Gnosticism of the post-apostolic age, then existed. This formed the transition stage between Judaism and Gnosticism. "Endless" refers to the tedious unprofitableness of their lengthy genealogies (compare Tit 3:9). Paul opposes to their "aeons," the "King of the aeons (so the Greek, 1Ti 1:17), whom be glory throughout the aeons of aeons." The word "aeons" was probably not used in the technical sense of the latter Gnostics as yet; but "the only wise God" (1Ti 1:17), by anticipation, confutes the subsequently adopted notions in the Gnostics' own phraseology.

JFB: 1Ti 1:4

Of mere speculation (Act 25:20), not practical; generating merely curious discussions. "Questions and strifes of words" (1Ti 6:4): "to no profit" (2Ti 2:14); "gendering strifes" (2Ti 2:23). "Vain jangling" (1Ti 1:6-7) of would-be "teachers of the law."

JFB: 1Ti 1:4

The oldest manuscripts read, "the dispensation of God," the Gospel dispensation of God towards man (1Co 9:17), "which is (has its element) in faith." CONYBEARE translates, "The exercising of the stewardship of God" (1Co 9:17). He infers that the false teachers in Ephesus were presbyters, which accords with the prophecy, Act 20:30. However, the oldest Latin versions, and IRENÆUS and HILARY, support English Version reading. Compare 1Ti 1:5, "faith unfeigned."

JFB: 1Ti 1:5

In contrast to the doctrine of the false teachers.

JFB: 1Ti 1:5

The aim.

JFB: 1Ti 1:5

Greek, "of the charge" which you ought to urge on your flock. Referring to the same Greek word as in 1Ti 1:3, 1Ti 1:18; here, however, in a larger sense, as including the Gospel "dispensation of God" (see on 1Ti 1:4; 1Ti 1:11), which was the sum and substance of the "charge" committed to Timothy wherewith he should "charge" his flock.

JFB: 1Ti 1:5

LOVE; the sum and end of the law and of the Gospel alike, and that wherein the Gospel is the fulfilment of the spirit of the law in its every essential jot and tittle (Rom 13:10). The foundation is faith (1Ti 1:4), the "end" is love (1Ti 1:14; Tit 3:15).

JFB: 1Ti 1:5

Springing as from a fountain.

JFB: 1Ti 1:5

A heart purified by faith (Act 15:9; 2Ti 2:22; Tit 1:15).

JFB: 1Ti 1:5

A conscience cleared from guilt by the effect of sound faith in Christ (1Ti 1:19; 1Ti 3:9; 2Ti 1:3; 1Pe 3:21). Contrast 1Ti 4:2; Tit 1:15; compare Act 23:1. John uses "heart," where Paul would use "conscience." In Paul the understanding is the seat of conscience; the heart is the seat of love [BENGEL]. A good conscience is joined with sound faith; a bad conscience with unsoundness in the faith (compare Heb 9:14).

JFB: 1Ti 1:5

Not a hypocritical, dead, and unfruitful faith, but faith working by love (Gal 5:6). The false teachers drew men off from such a loving, working, real faith, to profitless, speculative "questions" (1Ti 1:4) and jangling (1Ti 1:6).

JFB: 1Ti 1:6

Namely, from a pure heart, good conscience, and faith unfeigned, the well-spring of love.

JFB: 1Ti 1:6

Literally, "having missed the mark (the 'end') to be aimed at." It is translated, "erred," 1Ti 6:21; 2Ti 2:18. Instead of aiming at and attaining the graces above named, they "have turned aside (1Ti 5:15; 2Ti 4:4; Heb 12:13) unto vain jangling"; literally, "vain talk," about the law and genealogies of angels (1Ti 1:7; Tit 3:9; Tit 1:10); 1Ti 6:20, "vain babblings and oppositions." It is the greatest vanity when divine things are not truthfully discussed (Rom 1:21) [BENGEL].

JFB: 1Ti 1:7

Sample of their "vain talk" (1Ti 1:6).

JFB: 1Ti 1:7

They are would-be teachers, not really so.

JFB: 1Ti 1:7

The Jewish law (Tit 1:14; Tit 3:9). The Judaizers here meant seem to be distinct from those impugned in the Epistles to the Galatians and Romans, who made the works of the law necessary to justification in opposition to Gospel grace. The Judaizers here meant corrupted the law with "fables," which they pretended to found on it, subversive of morals as well as of truth. Their error was not in maintaining the obligation of the law, but in abusing it by fabulous and immoral interpretations of, and additions to, it.

JFB: 1Ti 1:7

Neither understanding their own assertions, nor the object itself about which they make them. They understand as little about the one as the other [ALFORD].

JFB: 1Ti 1:8

"Now we know" (Rom 3:19; Rom 7:14).

JFB: 1Ti 1:8

In full agreement with God's holiness and goodness.

JFB: 1Ti 1:8

Primarily, a teacher; then, every Christian.

JFB: 1Ti 1:8

In its lawful place in the Gospel economy, namely, not as a means of a "'righteous man" attaining higher perfection than could be attained by the Gospel alone (1Ti 4:8; Tit 1:14), which was the perverted use to which the false teachers put it, but as a means of awakening the sense of sin in the ungodly (1Ti 1:9-10; compare Rom 7:7-12; Gal 3:21).

JFB: 1Ti 1:9

Not for one standing by faith in the righteousness of Christ put on him for justification,and imparted inwardly by the Spirit for sanctification. "One not forensically amenable to the law" [ALFORD]. For sanctification, the law gives no inward power to fulfil it; but ALFORD goes too far in speaking of the righteous man as "not morally needing the law." Doubtless, in proportion as he is inwardly led by the Spirit, the justified man needs not the law, which is only an outward rule (Rom 6:14; Gal 5:18, Gal 5:23). But as the justified man often does not give himself up wholly to the inward leading of the Spirit, he morally needs the outward law to show him his sin and God's requirements. The reason why the ten commandments have no power to condemn the Christian, is not that they have no authority over him, but because Christ has fulfilled them as our surety (Rom 10:4).

JFB: 1Ti 1:9

Greek, "not subject"; insubordinate; it is translated "unruly," Tit 1:6, Tit 1:10; "lawless and disobedient" refer to opposers of the law, for whom it is "enacted" (so the Greek, for "is made").

JFB: 1Ti 1:9

Greek, he who does not reverence God, and he who openly sins against Him; the opposers of God, from the law comes.

JFB: 1Ti 1:9

Those inwardly impure, and those deserving exclusion from the outward participation in services of the sanctuary; sinners against the third and fourth commandments.

JFB: 1Ti 1:9

Or, as the Greek may mean, "smiters" of fathers and . . . mothers; sinners against the fifth commandment.

JFB: 1Ti 1:9

Sinners against the sixth commandment.

Clarke: 1Ti 1:1

Paul an apostle - by the commandment of God - We have already seen that the term αποστολος, apostle, literally signifies a person sent from one to another, without implying any particular dignity in the person, or importance in the message. But it is differently used in the New Testament, being applied to those who were sent expressly from God Almighty, with the message of salvation to mankind. It is, therefore, the highest character any human being can have; and he message is the most important which even God himself can send to his intelligent creatures. It was by the express command of God that St. Paul went to the Gentiles preaching the doctrine of salvation by faith in Christ Jesus

Clarke: 1Ti 1:1

Jesus Christ - our hope - Without Jesus, the world was hopeless; the expectation of being saved can only come to mankind by his Gospel. He is called our hope, as he is called our life, our peace, our righteousness, etc., because from him hope, life, peace, righteousness, and all other blessings proceed.

Clarke: 1Ti 1:2

My own son in the faith - Brought to salvation through Christ by my ministry alone. Probably the apostle speaks here according to this Jewish maxim: כל המלמר בן תכירו תורה מעלה עליו הכתוב כאלו ילרו He who teaches the law to his neighbour’ s son is considered by the Scripture as if he had begotten him; Sanhedrin, fol. xix. 2. And they quote Num 3:1, as proving it: These are the generations of Aaron and Moses - and these are the names of the sons of Aaron. "Aaron,"say they, "begot them, but Moses instructed them; therefore they are called by his name."See Schoettgen

But γνησιῳ τεκνῳ may mean my beloved son; for in this sense το γνησιον is not unfrequently used

Clarke: 1Ti 1:2

In the faith - The word πιστις, faith, is taken here for the whole of the Christian religion, faith in Christ being its essential characteristic

Clarke: 1Ti 1:2

Grace, mercy, and peace -

Grace, the favor and approbation of God

Mercy, springing from that grace, pardoning, purifying, and supporting

Peace, the consequence of this manifested mercy, peace of conscience, and peace with God; producing internal happiness, quietness, and assurance.

Clarke: 1Ti 1:3

I besought thee - The apostle had seen that a bad seed had been sown in the Church; and, as he was obliged to go then into Macedonia, he wished Timothy, on whose prudence, piety, and soundness in the faith he could depend, to stay behind and prevent the spreading of a doctrine that would have been pernicious to the people’ s souls. I have already supposed that this epistle was written after Paul had been delivered from his first imprisonment at Rome, about the end of the year 64, or the beginning of 65. See the preface. When, therefore, the apostle came from Rome into Asia, he no doubt visited Ephesus, where, ten years before, he had planted a Christian Church, and, as he had not time to tarry then, he left Timothy to correct abuses

Clarke: 1Ti 1:3

That thou mightest charge some - He does not name any persons; the Judaizing teachers are generally supposed to be those intended; and the term τισι, some, certain persons, which he uses, is expressive of high disapprobation, and at the same time of delicacy: they were not apostles, nor apostolic men; but they were undoubtedly members of the Church at Ephesus, and might yet be reclaimed.

Clarke: 1Ti 1:4

Neither give heed to fables - Idle fancies; things of no moment; doctrines and opinions unauthenticated; silly legends, of which no people ever possessed a greater stock than the Jews. Their Talmud abounds with them; and the English reader may find them in abundance in Stehlin’ s Jewish Traditions, 2 vols. 8vo

Clarke: 1Ti 1:4

Endless genealogies - I suppose the apostle to mean those genealogies which were uncertain - that never could be made out, either in the ascending or descending line; and, principally, such as referred to the great promise of the Messiah, and to the priesthood. The Jews had scrupulously preserved their genealogical tables till the advent of Christ and the evangelists had recourse to them, and appealed to them in reference to our Lord’ s descent from the house of David; Matthew taking this genealogy in the descending, Luke in the ascending, line. And whatever difficulties we may now find in these genealogies, they were certainly clear to the Jews; nor did the most determined enemies of the Gospel attempt to raise one objection to it from the appeal which the evangelists had made to their own public and accredited tables. All was then certain; but we are told that Herod destroyed the public registers; he, being an Idumean, was jealous of the noble origin of the Jews; and, that none might be able to reproach him with his descent, be ordered the genealogical tables, which were kept among the archives in the temple, to be burnt. See Euseb. H. E., lib. i. cap. 8. From this time the Jews could refer to their genealogies only from memory, or from those imperfect tables which had been preserved in private hands; and to make out any regular line from these must have been endless and uncertain. It is probably to this that the apostle refers; I mean the endless and useless labor which the attempts to make out these genealogies must produce, the authentic tables being destroyed. This, were all other proofs wanting, would be an irresistible argument against the Jews that the Messiah is come; for their own prophets had distinctly marked out the line by which he was to come; the genealogies are now all lost; nor is there a Jew in the universe that can show from what tribe he is descended. There can, therefore, be no Messiah to come, as none could show, let him have what other pretensions he might, that he sprang from the house of David. The Jews do not, at present, pretend to have any such tables; and, far from being able to prove the Messiah from his descent, they are now obliged to say that, when, the Messiah comes, he will restore the genealogies by the Holy Spirit that shall rest upon him. "For,"says Maimonides, "in the days of the Messiah, when his kingdom shall be established, all the Israelites shall be gathered together unto him; and all shall be classed in their genealogies by his mouth, through the Holy Spirit that shall rest upon him; as it is written, Mal 3:3 : He shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he shall purify the sons of Levi. First he will purify the Levites, and shall say: ‘ This man is a descendant from the priests; and this, of the stock of the Levites;’ and he shall cast out those who are not of the stock of Israel; for behold it is said, Ezr 2:63 : And the Tirshatha said-they should not eat of the most holy things, till there stood up a priest with Urim and Thummim. Thus, by the Holy Spirit, the genealogies are to be revised."See Schoettgen

Some learned men suppose that the apostle alludes here to the Aeons, among the Gnostics and Valentinians, of whom there were endless numbers to make up what was called their pleroma; or to the sephiroth, or splendours of the Cabalists. But it is certain that these heresies had not arrived to any formidable head in the apostle’ s time; and it has long been a doubt with me whether they even existed at that time: and I think it the most simple way, and most likely to be the intention of the apostle, to refer all to the Jewish genealogies, which he calls Jewish fables, Tit 1:14, to which we know they were strongly and even conscientiously attached and which, at this time, it must have been extremely difficult to make out

Instead of γενεαλογιαις, genealogies, some learned men have conjectured that the original word was κενολογιαις, empty words, vain speeches; but this conjecture is not supported by any MS. or version

Clarke: 1Ti 1:4

Which minister questions - They are the foundation of endless altercations and disputes; for, being uncertain and not consecutive, every person had a right to call them in question; as we may naturally suppose, from the state in which the genealogical tables of the Jews then were, that many chasms must be supplied in different lines, and consequently much must be done by conjecture

Clarke: 1Ti 1:4

Rather than godly edifying - Such discussions as these had no tendency to promote piety. Many, no doubt, employed much of that time in inquiring who were their ancestors, which they should have spent in obtaining that grace by which, being born from above, they might have become the sons and daughters of God Almighty

Instead of οικοδομιαν Θεου, godly edifying, or the edification of God, οικονομιαν Θεου, the economy or dispensation of God, is the reading of almost every MS. in which this part of the epistle is extant, (for some MSS. are here mutilated), and of almost all the versions, and the chief of the Greek fathers. Of the genuineness of this reading scarcely a doubt can be formed; and though the old reading, which is supported by the Latin fathers and the Vulgate, gives a good sense, yet the connection and spirit of the place show that the latter must be the true reading. Griesbach has received this reading into the text

What had Jewish genealogies to do with the Gospel? Men were not to be saved by virtue of the privileges or piety of their ancestors. The Jews depended much on this. We have Abraham to our father imposed silence on every check of conscience, and every godly reproof which they received for their profligacy and unbelief. In the dispensation of God, Faith in Christ Jesus was the only means and way of salvation. These endless and uncertain genealogies produced no faith; indeed they were intended as a substitute for it; for those who were intent on making out their genealogical descent paid little attention to faith in Christ. They ministered questions rather than that economy of God which is by faith. This dispensation, says the apostle, is by faith, οικονομιαν Θεου την εν πιστει· It was not by natural descent, nor by works, but by faith in Christ; therefore it was necessary that the people who were seeking salvation in any other way should be strictly informed that all their toil and labor would be vain.

Clarke: 1Ti 1:5

Now the end of the commandment is charity - These genealogical questions lead to strife and debate; and the dispensation of God leads to love both to God and man, through faith in Christ. These genealogical questions leave the heart under the influence of all its vile tempers and evil propensities; Faith in Jesus purifies the heart. No inquiry of this kind can add to any thing by which the guilt of sin can be taken away; but the Gospel proclaims pardon, through the blood of the Lamb, to every believing penitent. The end, aim, and design of God in giving this dispensation to the world is, that men may have an unfeigned faith, such as lays hold on Christ crucified, and produces a good conscience from a sense of the pardon received, and leads on to purity of heart; Love to God and man being the grand issue of the grace of Christ here below, and this fully preparing the soul for eternal glory. He whose soul is filled with love to God and man has a pure heart, a good conscience, and unfeigned faith. But these blessings no soul can ever acquire, but according to God’ s dispensation of faith

The paraphrase and note of Dr. Macknight on this verse are very proper: "Now the scope of the charge to be given by thee to these teachers is, that, instead of inculcating fables and genealogies, they inculcate love to God and man, proceeding from a pure heart, and directed by a good conscience, and nourished by unfeigned faith in the Gospel doctrine. The word παραγγελια denotes a message or order, brought to one from another, and delivered by word of mouth. The charge here meant is that which the apostle ordered Timothy to deliver to the teachers in Ephesus; for he had said, 1Ti 1:3 : I had besought thee to abide still at Ephesus, ἱνα παραγγειλῃς, that thou mightest charge some: here he tells him what the scope of this charge was to be.

Clarke: 1Ti 1:5

Of faith unfeigned - Πιστεως ανυποκριτου· A faith not hypocritical. The apostle appears to allude to the Judaizing teachers, who pretended faith in the Gospel, merely that they might have the greater opportunity to bring back to the Mosaic system those who had embraced the doctrine of Christ crucified. This Is evident from the following verse.

Clarke: 1Ti 1:6

From which some having swerved - From which some, though they have pretended to aim at the τελος, scope, or mark, have missed that mark. This is the import of the original word αστοχησαντες

Clarke: 1Ti 1:6

Turned aside unto vain jangling - The original term, ματαιολογιαν, signifies empty or vain talking; discourses that turn to no profit; a great many words and little sense; and that sense not worth the pains of hearing. Such, indeed, is all preaching where Jesus Christ is not held forth.

Clarke: 1Ti 1:7

Teachers of the law - To be esteemed or celebrated as rabbins; to be reputed cunning in solving knotty questions and enigmas, which answered no end to true religion. Of such the rabbinical teaching was full

Clarke: 1Ti 1:7

Understanding neither what they say - This is evident from almost all the Jewish comments which yet remain. Things are asserted which are either false or dubious; words, the import of which they did not understand, were brought to illustrate them: so that it may be said, They understand not what they say, nor whereof they affirm. I will give one instance from the Jerusalem Targum, on Gen 1:15 : And God made two great lights, and they were equal in splendor twenty-one years, the six hundred and seventy-second part of an hour excepted: and afterwards the moon brought a false accusation against the sun, and therefore she was lessened; and God made the sun the greater light to superintend the day, etc. I could produce a thousand of a similar complexion.

Clarke: 1Ti 1:8

But we know that the law is good - The law as given by God, is both good in itself and has a good tendency. This is similar to what the apostle had asserted, Rom 7:12-16 : The law is holy; and the commandment is holy, just, and good; see the note on Rom 7:12, etc

Clarke: 1Ti 1:8

If a man use it lawfully - That is, interpret it according to its own spirit and design, and use it for the purpose for which God has given it; for the ceremonial law was a schoolmaster to lead us unto Christ, and Christ is the end of that law for justification to every one that believes. Now those who did not use the law in reference to these ends, did not use it lawfully - they did not construe it according to its original design and meaning.

Clarke: 1Ti 1:9

The law is not made for a righteous man - There is a moral law as well as a ceremonial law: as the object of the latter is to lead us to Christ; the object of the former is to restrain crimes, and inflict punishment on those that commit them. It was, therefore, not made for the righteous as a restrainer of crimes, and an inflicter of punishments; for the righteous avoid sin, and by living to the glory of God expose not themselves to its censures. This seems to be the mind of the apostle; he does not say that the law was not Made for a righteous man, but ου κειται, it does not Lie against a righteous man; because he does not transgress it: but it lies against the wicked; for such as the apostle mentions have broken it, and grievously too, and are condemned by it. The word κειται, lies, refers to the custom of writing laws on boards, and hanging them up in public places within reach of every man, that they might be read by all; thus all would see against whom the law lay

Clarke: 1Ti 1:9

The lawless - Ανομοις· Those who will not be bound by a law, and acknowledge none, therefore have no rule of moral conduct

Clarke: 1Ti 1:9

Disobedient - Ανυποτακτοις· Those who acknowledge no authority; from α, negative, and ὑποτασσω, to subject; they neither acknowledge law, nor executive authority, and consequently endeavor to live as they list; and from such dispositions all the crimes in the following catalogue may naturally spring

Clarke: 1Ti 1:9

For the ungodly - Ασεβεσι· The irreligious - those who do not worship God, or have no true worship; from α, negative, and σεβω, to worship. For sinners, ἁμαρτωλοις those who transgress the laws; from α, negative, and μαρπτω, to hit the mark. This has been elsewhere explained

Clarke: 1Ti 1:9

For unholy - Ανοσιοις· Persons totally polluted - unclean within, and unclean without; from α, negative, and ὁσιος, holy

Clarke: 1Ti 1:9

And profane - Βεβηλοις· Such who are so unholy and abominable as not to be fit to attend any public worship; from βε, denoting privation or separation, and βηλος, a threshold or pavement, particularly of a temple. Our word profane comes from procul a fano , "far from the temple."When the ancients, even heathens, were about to perform some very sacred rites, they were accustomed to command the irreligious to keep at a distance; hence that saying in a fragment of Orpheus: -

Φθεγξομαι οἱς θεμις εστι· θυρας δ ’ επιθεσθε βεβηλοις Πασιν ὁμως

"I will speak to whom it is lawful; but these doors, O, shut against the profane.

And that of Virgil, Aen. vi. ver. 258

Procul! O procul! este profani

Far! ye profane! get hence

Murderers of fathers - Πατραλῳαις . The murderer of a father or a mother, notwithstanding the deep fall of man, and the general profligacy of the world, has been so rare, and is a crime so totally opposite to nature, that few civilized nations have found it necessary to make laws against it. Yet, such monsters, like the most awful and infrequent portents, have sometimes terrified the world with their appearance. But I think the original does not necessarily imply the murder of a father or of a mother; πατραλῳας comes from πατερα, a father, and αλοιαω, to strike, and may mean simply beating or striking a father or mother: this is horrible enough; but to murder a parent out-herods Herod

Clarke: 1Ti 1:9

Manslayers - Ανδροφονοις· Murderers simply; all who take away the life of a human being contrary to law. For no crime, unless it be murder, should any man lose his life. If the law did not speak differently, I should not scruple to say that he whose life is taken away, except for murder, is murdered.

Calvin: 1Ti 1:1

1.Paul an apostle If he had written to Timothy alone, it would have been unnecessary to claim this designation, and to maintain it in the manner that he does. Timothy would undoubtedly have been satisfied with having merely the name; for he knew that Paul was an Apostle of Christ, and had no need of proof to convince him of it, being perfectly willing, and having been long accustomed, to acknowledge it. He has his eye, therefore, chiefly on others, who were not so ready to listen to him, or did not so easily believe his words. For the sake of such persons, that they may not treat lightly what he writes, he affirms that he is “ an Apostle of Christ. ”

According to the Appointment of God our Savior, and of the Lord Jesus Christ He confirms his apostleship by the appointment or command of God; for no man can make himself to be an apostle, but he whom God hath appointed is a true apostle, and worthy of the honor. Nor does he merely say, that he owes his apostleship to God the Father, but ascribes it to Christ also; and, indeed, in the government of the Church, the Father does nothing but through the Son, and therefore they both act together.

He calls God the Savior, a title which he is more frequently accustomed to assign to the Son; but it belongs to the Father also, because it is he who gave the Son to us. Justly, therefore, is the glory of our salvation ascribed to him. For how comes it that we are saved? It is because the Father loved us in such a manner that he determined to redeem and save us through the Son. He calls Christ our hope; and this appellation is strictly applicable to him; for then do we begin to have good hope, when we look to Christ, since in him alone dwells all that on which our salvation rests.

Calvin: 1Ti 1:2

2.To Timothy my own son This commendation expresses no small praise. Paul means by it, that he owns Timothy to be a true and not a bastard son, and wishes that others should acknowledge him to be such; and he even applauds Timothy in the same manner as if he were another Paul. But how does this agree with the injunction given by Christ, (Mat 23:9,) “Call no man your father on the earth?”

Or how does it agree with the declaration of the Apostle,

“Though ye have many fathers according to the flesh, yet there is but One who is the Father of spirits.” (1Co 4:15; Heb 12:9.) ²

I reply, while Paul claims for himself the appellation of father, he does it in such a manner as not to take away or diminish the smallest portion of the honor which is due to God. (Heb 12:9.) It is a common proverb “That which is placed below another is not at variance with it.” The name father, applied to Paul, with reference to God, belongs to this class. God alone is the Father of all in faith, because he regenerates us all by his word, and by the power of his Spirit, and because none but he bestows faith. But they whom he is graciously pleased to employ as his ministers for that purpose, are likewise allowed to share with him in his honor, while, at the same time, He parts with nothing that belongs to himself. Thus God, and God alone, strictly speaking, was Timothy’s spiritual Father; but Paul, who was God’s minister in begetting Timothy, lays claim to this title, by what may be called a subordinate right.

Grace, mercy, peace. So far as relates to the word mercy, he has departed from his ordinary custom in introducing it, moved, perhaps, by his extraordinary affection for Timothy. Besides, he does not observe the exact order; for he places first what ought to love been last, namely, the grace which flows from mercy. For the reason why God at first receives us into favor and why he loves us is, that he is merciful. But it is not unusual to mention the cause after the effect, for the sake of explanation. As to the words grace and peace, we have spoken on other occasions.

Calvin: 1Ti 1:3

3.As I besought thee Either the syntax is elliptical, or the particleἵνα is redundant; and in both cases the meaning will be obvious. ³ First, he reminds Timothy why he was besought to remain at Ephesus. It was with great reluctance, and through hard necessity, that he parted with a companion so dearly beloved and so faithful, in order that he might laboriously hold the part of his deputy, which no other man would have been competent to fill; and, therefore, Timothy must have been powerfully excited by this consideration, not only not to throw away his time, but to conduct himself in an excellent and distinguished manner.

I wish that thou shouldst forbid any Thus, by way of inference, he exhorts him to oppose the false teachers who corrupted pure doctrine. In the injunction given to Timothy, to occupy his place at Ephesus, we ought to observe the holy anxiety of the Apostle; for while he labored so much to collect many churches he did not leave the former churches destitute of a pastor. And indeed, as an ancient writer remarks, “To keep what has been gained is not a smaller virtue than to make new acquisitions.” The word forbid denotes power; for Paul wishes to arm him with power to restrain others.

Not to teach differently The Greek word (ἑτεροδιδασκαλεῖν) which Paul employs, is a compound, and, therefore, may either be translated, “to teach differently,” or after a new method, or, “to teach a different doctrine.” The translation given by Erasmus, ( sectari ,) “ to follow,” does not satisfy me; because it might be understood to apply to the hearers. Now Paul means those who, for the sake of ambition, brought forward a new doctrine.

If we read it, “to teach differently,” the meaning will be more extensive; for by this expression he will forbid Timothy to permit any new forms of teaching to be introduced, which do not agree with the true and pure doctrine which he had taught. Thus, in the Second Epistle, he recommendsὑποτύπωσις, ⁴ that is, a lively picture of his doctrine. (2Ti 1:13.) For, as the truth of God is one, so is there but one plain manner of teaching it, which is free from false ornament, and which partakes more of the majesty of the Spirit than of the parade of human eloquence. Whoever departs from that, disfigures and corrupts the doctrine itself; and, therefore, “to teach differently,” must relate to the form.

If we read it, “to teach something different,” it will relate to the matter. Yet it is worthy of observation, that we give the name of another doctrine not only to that which is openly at variance with the pure doctrine of the gospel, but to everything that either corrupts the pure gospel by new and borrowed inventions, or obscures it by ungodly speculations. For all the inventions of men are so many corruptions of the gospel; and they who make sport of the Scriptures, as ungodly people are accustomed to do, so as to turn Christianity into an act of display, darken the gospel. His manner of teaching therefore, is entirely opposed to the word of God, and to that purity of doctrine in which Paul enjoins the Ephesians to continue.

Calvin: 1Ti 1:4

4.And not to give heed to fables He applies the term “fables,” in my opinion, not only to contrived falsehoods, but to trifles or fooleries which have no solidity; for it is possible that something which is not false may yet be fabulous. In this sense, Suetonius speaks of fabulous history, ⁵ and Livy employs the word fabulari , “to relate fables,” as denoting useless and foolish talk. And, undoubtedly, the wordμῦθος, (which Paul here employs,) is equivalent to the Greek wordφλυαρία, that is, “trifles.” Moreover, by bringing forward one class by way of example, he has removed all doubt; for disputes about genealogies are enumerated by him amongst fables, not because everything that can be said about them is fictitious, but because it is useless and unprofitable.

This passage, therefore, may thus be explained: — “Let them not give heed to fables of that character and description to which genealogies belong.” And that is actually the fabulous history of which Suetonius speaks, and which even among grammarians, has always been justly ridiculed by persons of sound judgment; for it was impossible not to regard as ridiculous that curiosity which, neglecting useful knowledge, spent the whole life in examining the genealogy of Achilles and Ajax, and wasted its powers in reckoning up the sons of Priam. If this be not endured in childish knowledge, in which there is room for that which affords pleasure, how much more intolerable is it heavenly wisdom ⁶ ?

And to genealogies haste have end ⁷ He calls them endless, because vain curiosity has no limit, but continually falls from labyrinth to labyrinth.

Which produce questions He judges of doctrine by the fruit; for every thing that does not edify ought to be rejected, although it has no other fault; and everything that is of no avail but for raising contentions, ought to be doubly condemned. And such are all the subtle questions on which ambitious men exercise their faculties. Let us, therefore, remember, that all doctrines must be tried by this rule, that those which contribute to edification may be approved, and that those which give ground for unprofitable disputes may be rejected as unworthy of the Church of God.

If this test had been applied during several centuries, although religion had been stained by many errors, at least that diabolical art of disputing, which has obtained the appellation of Scholastic Theology, would not have prevailed to so great an extent. For what does that theology contain but contentions or idle speculations, from which no advantage is derived? Accordingly, the more learned a man is in it, we ought to account him the more wretched. I am aware of the plausible excuses by which it is defended, but they will never make out that Paul has spoken falsely in condemning, everything of the sort.

Rather than the edification of God ⁸ Subtleties of this description edify in pride, and edify in vanity, but not in God. He calls it “the edification of God,” either because God approves of it, or because it is agreeable to the nature of God. ⁹

Which consist in faith He next shews that this edification consists in faith; and by this term he does not exclude the love of our neighbor, or the fear of God, or repentance; for what are all these but fruits of “faith” which always produces the fear of God? Knowing that all the worship of God is founded on faith alone, he therefore reckoned it enough to mention “faith,” on which all the rest depend.

Calvin: 1Ti 1:5

Those unprincipled men with whom Timothy had to deal, boasted of having the law on their side, in consequence of which Paul anticipates, and shews that the law gives them no support but was even opposed to them, and that it agreed perfectly with the gospel which he had taught. The defense set up by them was not unlike that which is pleaded by those who, in the present day, subject the word of God to torture. They tell us that we aim at nothing else than to destroy sacred theology, as if they alone nourished it in their bosom. They spoke of the law in such a manner as to exhibit Paul in an odious light. And what is his reply? In order to scatter those clouds of smoke, ¹⁰ he comes frankly forward, by way of anticipation, and proves that his doctrine is in perfect harmony with the law, and that the law is utterly abused by those who employ it for any other purpose. In like manner, when we now define what is meant by true theology, it is clearly evident that we desire the restoration of that which had been wretchedly torn and disfigured by those triflers who, puffed up by the empty title of theologians, are acquainted with nothing but vapid and unmeaning trifles. Commandment is here put for the law, by taking a part for the whole.

Love out of a pure heart If the law must be directed to this object, that we may be instructed in love, which proceeds from faith and a good conscience, it follows, on the other hand, that they who turn the teaching of it into curious questions are wicked expounders of the law. Besides, it is of no great importance whither the word love be regarded in this passage as relating, to both tables of the law, or only to the second table. We are commanded to love God with our whole heart, and our neighbors as ourselves; but when love is spoken of in Scripture, it is more frequently limited to the second part. On the present occasion I should not hesitate to understand by it the love both of God and of our neighbor, if Paul had employed the word love alone; but when he adds, “faith, and a good conscience, and a pure heart,” the interpretation which I am now to give will not be at variance with his intention, and will agree well with the scope of the passage. The sum of the law is this, that we may worship God with true faith and a pure conscience, and that we may love one another. Whosoever turns aside from this corrupts the law of God by twisting it to a different purpose.

But here arises a doubt, that Paul appears to prefer “love” to “faith.” I reply, they who are of that opinion reason in an excessively childish manner; for, if love is first mentioned, it does not therefore hold the first rank of honor, since Paul shows also that it springs from faith. Now the cause undoubtedly goes before its effect. And if we carefully weigh the whole context, what Paul says is of the same import as if he had said, “The law was given to us for this purpose, that it might instruct us in faith, which is the mother of a good conscience and of love.” Thus we must begin with faith, and not with love.

“A pure heart” and “a good conscience” do not greatly differ from each other. Both proceed from faith; for, as to a pure heart, it is said that “God purifieth hearts by faith.” (Act 15:9.) As to a good conscience, Peter declares that it is founded on the resurrection of Christ. (1Pe 3:21.) From this passage we also learn that there is no true love where there is not fear of God and uprightness of conscience.

Nor is it unworthy of observation that to each of them he adds an epithet; ¹¹ for, as nothing is more common, so nothing is more easy, than to boast of faith and a good conscience. But how few are there who prove by their actions that they are free from all hypocrisy! Especially it is proper to observe the epithet Which he bestows on “faith,” when he calls it faith unfeigned; by which he means that the profession of it is insincere, when we do not perceive a good conscience, and when love is not manifested. Now since the salvation of men rests on faith, and since the perfect worship of God rests on faith and a good conscience and love, we need not wonder if Paul makes the sum of the law to consist of them.

Calvin: 1Ti 1:6

6.From which some having gone astray He continues to pursue the metaphor of an object or end; for the verbἀστοχεῖν, the participle of which is here given, signifies to err or go aside from a mark. ¹²

Have turned aside to idle talking This is a remarkable passage, in which he condemns for “idle talking” ¹³ all the doctrines which do not aim at this single end, and at the same time points out that the views and thoughts of all who aim at any other object vanish away. It is, indeed, possible that useless trifles may be regarded by many persons with admiration; but the statement of Paul remains unshaken, that everything that does not edify in godliness isματαιολογία, ¹⁴ “idle talking.” We ought; therefore to take the greatest possible care not to seek anything in the holy and sacred word of God but solid edification, lest otherwise he inflict on us severe punishment for abusing it.

Calvin: 1Ti 1:7

7.Wishing to be teachers of the law He does not reprove those who openly attack the instruction of the law, but those who boast of belonging to the rank of teachers of it. He affirms that such persons have no understanding, because they harass their faculties to no purpose by curious questions. And, at the same time, he rebukes their pride by adding, —

Of what things they affirm, for none will be found more bold in pronouncing rashly on matters unknown to them than the teachers of such fables. We see in the present day with what pride and haughtiness the schools of the Sorbonne pronounce their authoritative decisions. And on what subjects? On those which are altogether hidden from the minds of men — which no word of Scripture, and no revelation has ever made known to us. With greater boldness do they affirm their purgatory ¹⁵ than the resurrection of the dead. As to their contrivances about the intercession of the saints, if we do not hold them to be an undoubted oracle, they cry out that the whole of religion is overturned. What shall I say as to their vast labyrinths about the hierarchies of heaven, relationships, and similar contrivances? It is a matter that has no end. The Apostle declares that in all these is fulfilled what is said in a well-known ancient proverb,

“Ignorance is rash;” as he says that, “puffed up by their carnal mind, they intrude into things which they know not.”
(Col 2:18.)

Calvin: 1Ti 1:8

8.Now we know that the law is good He again anticipates the calumny with which they loaded him; for, whenever he resisted their empty display, they seized on this shield for their defense “What then? Do you wish to have the law buried, and blotted out of the remembrance of men?” In order to repel this calumny, Paul acknowledges that “the law is good,” but contends that we are required to make a lawful use of it. Here he argues from the use of cognate terms; for the word lawful ( legitimus ) is derived from the word law ( lex ). But he goes still further, and shews that the law agrees excellently with the doctrine which it teaches; and he even directs it against them.

Calvin: 1Ti 1:9

9.That the law is not made for a righteous man The apostle did not intend to argue about the whole office of the law, but views it in reference to men. It frequently happens that they who wish to be regarded as the greatest zealots for the law, give evidence by their whole life that they are the greatest despisers of it. A remarkable and striking instance of this is found in those who maintain the righteousness of works and defend free-will. They have continually in their mouth these words, “Perfect holiness, merits, satisfactions;” but their whole life cries out against them, that they are outrageously wicked and ungodly, that they provoke in every possible way the wrath of God, and fearlessly set his judgment at naught. They extol in lofty terms the free choice of good and evil; but they openly shew, by their actions, that they are the slaves of Satan, and are most firmly held by him in the chains of slavery.

Having such adversaries, in order to restrain their haughty insolence, Paul remonstrates that the law is, as it were, the sword of God to slay them; and that neither he nor any like him have reason for viewing the law with dread or aversion; for it is not opposed to righteous persons, that is, to the godly and to those who willingly obey God. I am well aware that some learned men draw an ingenious sense out of these words; as if Paul were treating theologically about the nature of “the law.” They argue that the law has nothing to do with the sons of God, who have been regenerated by the Spirit; because it was not given for righteous persons. But the connection in which these words occur shuts me up to the necessity of giving a more simple interpretation to this statement. He takes for granted the well-known sentiment, that “from bad manners have sprung good laws,” and maintains that the law of God was given in order to restrain the licentiousness of wicked men; because they who are good of their own accord do not need the authoritative injunction of the law.

A question now arises, “Is there any mortal man who does not belong to this class?” I reply, in this passage Paul gives the appellation “righteous” to those who are not absolutely perfect, (for no such person will be found,) but who, with the strongest desire of their heart, aim at what is good; so that godly desire is to them a kind of voluntary law, without any motive or restraint from another quarter. He therefore wished to repress the impudence of adversaries, who armed themselves with the name of “the law” against godly men, whose whole life exhibits the actual role of the law, since they had very great need of the law, and yet did not care much about it; which is more clearly expressed by the opposite clause. If there be any who refuse to admit that Paul brings an implied or indirect charge against his adversaries as guilty of those wicked acts which he enumerates, still it will be acknowledged to be a simple repelling of the slander; and if they were animated by a sincere and unfeigned zeal for the law, they ought rather to have made use of their armor for carrying on war with offenses and crimes, instead of employing it as a pretext for their own ambition and silly talking.

For the unrighteous and disobedient Instead of “unrighteous,” it would have been better if translators had made use of the word “lawless;” for the Greek word isἀνόμους, which does not differ much from the second word in the clause, “disobedient.” By sinners he means wicked persons, or those who lead a base and immoral life.

For the ungodly and profane These words might have been fitly rendered “profane and impure;” but I did not wish to be fastidious in matters of little importance.

Defender: 1Ti 1:2

Timothy (meaning "honor to God") was the son of a Greek father and a devout Jewish mother (Act 16:1). His mother and grandmother had instructed him in the Scriptures in childhood. Apparently, they had come to believe in Christ as a result of Paul's message and testimony at Lystra on his first missionary journey (2Ti 1:5; 2Ti 3:15). On Paul's second trip to Lystra, he was so impressed with young Timothy and his Christian character that Paul urged Timothy to accompany him on the rest of his journey, first arranging for Timothy to be circumcised in order not to offend the Jews in the cities where they would be witnessing (Act 16:3). From then on, Timothy worked closely with Paul right up to the end of Paul's life, though often being sent away on special assignments."

Defender: 1Ti 1:3

There is no record of this assignment in the book of Acts, and the same is true of other personal references in this epistle. This is one of the reasons most New Testament scholars believe that Paul was released after his first incarceration at Rome, although the book of Acts closes with his imprisonment. He then, presumably, continued to travel and preach at many places throughout the Roman empire. Eventually, he was again arrested, this time under the severe waves of persecution by the emperor Nero, and was finally executed. 1 Timothy, it is believed, was written between the two imprisonments. 2 Timothy was written from prison shortly before he was put to death by Nero's order.

Defender: 1Ti 1:3

Doctrine (teaching) is often downgraded today in the church in favor of an emphasis on love. Nevertheless, sound doctrine must come first; true Christian love is the natural product of sound doctrine (1Ti 1:5)."

Defender: 1Ti 1:4

These "fables and endless genealogies" are generally thought to be rabbinical traditions, since the Ephesian church where Timothy was pastoring (1Ti 1:3) had been plagued from the start by Jewish opponents of Paul (Act 19:8, Act 19:9). However, Gentile converts were also numerous (Act 19:10), and these had come from a background of pagan evolutionary philosophy, featuring the worship of the nature goddess Diana (Act 19:35). Like other forms of evolutionism, Greek paganism was a nest of fables and a great chain of genealogical relationships extending back into eternity. All such compromises are utterly bereft of spiritual edification."

TSK: 1Ti 1:1

an apostle : Rom 1:1; 1Co 1:1

by : 1Ti 2:7; Act 9:15, Act 26:16-18; 1Co 9:17; Gal 1:1, Gal 1:11; 2Ti 1:11; Tit 1:3

God : 1Ti 2:3, 1Ti 4:10; Psa 106:21; Isa 12:2, Isa 43:3, Isa 43:11, Isa 45:15, Isa 45:21, Isa 49:26, Isa 60:16, Isa 63:8; Hos 13:4; Luk 1:47, Luk 2:11; 2Ti 1:10; Tit 1:3, Tit 2:10,Tit 2:13, Tit 3:4, Tit 3:6; 2Pe 1:1; 1Jo 4:14; Jud 1:25

is : Rom 15:12, Rom 15:13; Col 1:27; 2Th 2:16; 1Pe 1:3, 1Pe 1:21

TSK: 1Ti 1:2

Timothy : Act 16:1-3; 1Th 3:2

my : 1Ti 1:18; 1Co 4:14-17; Phi 2:19-22; 2Ti 1:2, 2Ti 2:1; Tit 1:4

Grace : Rom 1:7; Gal 1:3; 2Ti 1:2; Tit 1:4; 1Pe 1:2

TSK: 1Ti 1:3

at : Act 19:1-10

when : Act 20:1-3; Phi 2:24

charge : 1Ti 4:6, 1Ti 4:11, 1Ti 5:7, 1Ti 6:3, 1Ti 6:10,1Ti 6:17; Gal 1:6, Gal 1:7; Eph 4:14; Col 2:6-11; Tit 1:9-11; 2Jo 1:7, 2Jo 1:9, 2Jo 1:10; Rev 2:1, Rev 2:2, Rev 2:14, Rev 2:20

TSK: 1Ti 1:4

to : 1Ti 4:7, 1Ti 6:4, 1Ti 6:20; 2Ti 2:14, 2Ti 2:16-18, 2Ti 4:4; Tit 1:14; 2Pe 1:16

endless : Tit 3:9

questions : 1Ti 6:4, 1Ti 6:5; 2Ti 2:22

godly : 1Ti 3:16, 1Ti 6:3, 1Ti 6:11; 2Co 1:12, 2Co 7:9, 2Co 7:10; Eph 4:12-16; Tit 1:1; Heb 13:9

TSK: 1Ti 1:5

the end : Rom 10:4, Rom 13:8-10; Gal 5:13, Gal 5:14, Gal 5:22; 1Jo 4:7-14

charity : Mar 12:28-34; Rom 14:15; 1Co 8:1-3, 1Co 13:1-13, 1Co 14:1; 1Pe 4:8; 2Pe 1:7

a pure : Psa 24:4, Psa 51:10; Jer 4:14; Mat 5:8, Mat 12:35; Act 15:9; 2Ti 2:22; Jam 4:8; 1Pe 1:22; 1Jo 3:3

a good : 1Ti 1:19, 1Ti 3:9; Act 23:1, Act 24:16; Rom 9:1; 2Co 1:12; 2Ti 1:3; Tit 1:15; Heb 9:14; Heb 10:22, Heb 13:18; 1Pe 3:16, 1Pe 3:21

faith : Gal 5:6; 2Ti 1:5; Heb 11:5, Heb 11:6; 1Jo 3:23

TSK: 1Ti 1:6

From which some having swerved : or, Which some not aiming at, 1Ti 6:21; 2Ti 2:18 *Gr: 1Ti 4:10

turned : 1Ti 5:15, 1Ti 6:4, 1Ti 6:5, 1Ti 6:20; 2Ti 2:23, 2Ti 2:24; Tit 1:10, Tit 3:9

TSK: 1Ti 1:7

to : Act 15:1; Rom 2:19-21; Gal 3:2, Gal 3:5, Gal 4:21, Gal 5:3, Gal 5:4; Tit 1:10,Tit 1:11

understanding : 1Ti 6:4; Isa 29:13, Isa 29:14; Jer 8:8, Jer 8:9; Mat 15:14, Mat 21:27, Mat 23:16-24; Joh 3:9, Joh 3:10; Joh 9:40,Joh 9:41; Rom 1:22; 2Ti 3:7; 2Pe 2:12

TSK: 1Ti 1:8

the law : Deu 4:6-8; Neh 9:13; Psa 19:7-10, Psa 119:96-105, Psa 119:127, Psa 119:128; Rom 7:12, Rom 7:13, Rom 7:16; Rom 7:18, Rom 7:22, Rom 12:2; Gal 3:21

lawfully : 2Ti 2:5

TSK: 1Ti 1:9

the law : Rom 4:13, Rom 5:20, Rom 6:14; Gal 3:10-14, Gal 3:19, Gal 5:23

the lawless : 2Th 2:8 *Gr.

disobedient : Rom 1:30; Tit 1:16, Tit 3:3; Heb 11:31; 1Pe 2:7, 1Pe 3:20

the ungodly : 1Pe 4:18

profane : Jer 23:11; Eze 21:25; Heb 12:16

murderers : Lev 20:9; Deu 27:16; 2Sa 16:11, 2Sa 17:1-4; 2Ki 19:37; 2Ch 32:21; Pro 20:20; Pro 28:24, Pro 30:11, Pro 30:17; Mat 10:21

manslayers : Gen 9:5, Gen 9:6; Exo 20:13, Exo 21:14; Num 35:30-33; Deu 21:6-9; Pro 28:17; Gal 5:21; Rev 21:8, Rev 22:15

Commentary -- Word/Phrase Notes (per Verse)

Barnes: 1Ti 1:1

Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ; - see the notes on Rom 1:1.

By the commandment of God - See the notes at 1Co 1:1.

Our Saviour - The name Saviour is as applicable to God the Father as to the Lord Jesus Christ, since God is the great Author of salvation; see the notes, Luk 1:47; compare 1Ti 4:10; Tit 2:10; Jud 1:25.

And Lord Jesus Christ - The apostle Paul had received his commission directly from him; see the notes, Gal 1:11-12.

Which is our hope - See the notes at Col 1:27.

Barnes: 1Ti 1:2

Unto Timothy - For an account of Timothy, see Intro. Section 1.

My own son in the faith - Converted to the Christian faith by my instrumentality, and regarded by me with the affection of a father; see notes, 1Co 4:15. Paul had no children of his own, and he adopted Timothy as a son, and uniformly regarded and treated him as such. He had the same feeling also toward Titus; Tit 1:4; compare Gal 4:19 note; 1Th 2:7, 1Th 2:11 notes; and Phm 1:10 note.

Grace, mercy, and peace, ... - See the notes, Rom 1:7.

Barnes: 1Ti 1:3

As I besought thee to abide still at Ephesus - It is clear from this, that Paul and Timothy had been laboring together at Ephesus, and the language accords with the supposition that Paul had been compelled to leave before he had completed what he had designed to do there. See the Intro. Section 2.

When I went into Macedonia - Having been driven away by the excitement caused by Demetrius and his fellow-craftsmen; Act 20:1. See the Intro. Section 2, 3.

That thou mightest charge some - The word charge here - παραγγειλης parangeilēs - seems to mean more than is commonly implied by the word as used by us. If it had been a single direction or command, it might have been given by Paul himself before he left, but it seems rather to refer to that continuous instruction which would convince these various errorists and lead them to inculcate only the true doctrine. As they may have been numerous - as they may have embraced various forms of error, and as they might have had plausible grounds for their belief, this was evidently a work requiring time, and hence Timothy was left to effect this at leisure. It would seem that the wrath which had been excited against Paul had not affected Timothy, but that he was permitted to remain and labor without molestation. It is not certainly known who these teachers were, but they appear to have been of Jewish origin, and to have inculcated the special sentiments of the Jews respecting the law.

That they teach no other doctrine - That is, no other doctrine than that taught by the apostles. The Greek word here used is not found in the classic writers, and does not elsewhere occur in the New Testament, except in 1Ti 6:3 of this Epistle, where it is rendered "teach otherwise."We may learn here what was the design for which Timothy was left at Ephesus.

\caps1 (1) i\caps0 t was for a temporary purpose, and not as a permanent arrangement. It was to correct certain errors prevailing there which Paul would have been able himself soon to correct if he had been suffered to remain. Paul expected soon to return to him again, and then they would proceed unitedly with their work; 1Ti 4:13; 1Ti 3:15.

\caps1 (2) i\caps0 t was not that he might be the "Bishop"of Ephesus. There is no evidence that he was "ordained"there at all, as the subscription to the Second Epistle declares (see the notes on that subscription), nor were the functions which he was to perform, those of a prelatical bishop. He was not to take the charge of a "diocese,"or to ordain ministers of the "second rank,"or to administer the rite of confirmation, or to perform acts of discipline. He was left there for a purpose which is specified, and that is as far as possible from what are now regarded as the appropriate functions of a prelatical bishop. Perhaps no claim which has ever been set up has had less semblance of argument than that which asserts that Timothy was the "Bishop of Ephesus."See this clause examined in my "Inquiry into the Organization and Government of the Apostolic Church,"pp. 84-107.

Barnes: 1Ti 1:4

Neither give heed to fables - That is, that they should not bestow their attention on fables, or regard such trifles as of importance. The "fables"here referred to were probably the idle and puerile superstitions and conceits of the Jewish rabbies. The word rendered "fable"( μῦθος muthos ) means properly "speech"or "discourse,"and then fable or fiction, or a mystic discourse. Such things abounded among the Greeks as well as the Jews, but it is probable that the latter here are particularly intended. These were composed of frivolous and unfounded stories, which they regarded as of great importance, and which they seem to have desired to incorporate with the teachings of Christianity. Paul, who had been brought up amidst these superstitions, saw at once how they would tend to draw off the mind from the truth, and would corrupt the true religion. One of the most successful arts of the adversary of souls has been to mingle fable with truth; and when he cannot overthrow the truth by direct opposition, to neutralize it by mingling with it much that is false and frivolous.

And endless genealogies - This also refers to Jewish teaching. The Hebrews kept careful genealogical records, for this was necessary in order that the distinction of their tribes might be kept up. Of course, in the lapse of centuries these tables would become very numerous, complicated, and extended - so that they might without much exaggeration be called "endless."The Jews attached great importance to them, and insisted on their being carefully preserved. As the Messiah, however, had now come - as the Jewish polity was to cease - as the separation between them and the pagan was no longer necessary, and the distinction of tribes was now useless, there was no propriety that these distinctions should be regarded by Christians. The whole system was, moreover, contrary to the genius of Christianity, for it served to keep up the pride of blood and of birth.

Which minister questions - Which afford matter for troublesome and angry debates. It was often difficult to settle or understand them. They became complicated and perplexing. Nothing is more difficult than to unravel an extensive genealogical table. To do this, therefore, would often give rise to contentions, and when settled, would give rise still further to questions about rank and precedence.

Rather than godly edifying which is in faith - These inquiries do nothing to promote true religion in the soul. They settle no permanent principle of truth; they determine nothing that is really concerned in the salvation of people. They might be pursued through life, and not one soul be converted by them; they might be settled with the greatest accuracy, and yet not one heart be made better. Is not this still true of many controversies and logomachies in the church? No point of controversy is worth much trouble, which, if it were settled one way or the other, would not tend to convert the soul from sin, or to establish some important principle in promoting true religion. "So do."These words are supplied by our translators, but they are necessary to the sense. The meaning is, that Timothy was to remain at Ephesus, and faithfully perform the duty which he had been left there to discharge.

Barnes: 1Ti 1:5

Now the end of the commandment - see the notes on Rom 10:4. In order that Timothy might fulfil the design of his appointment, it was necessary that he should have a correct view of the design of the law. The teachers to whom he refers insisted much on its obligation and importance; and Paul designs to say that he did not intend to teach that the law was of no consequence, and was not, when properly understood, obligatory. Its nature and use, however, was not correctly understood by them, and hence it was of great importance for Timothy to inculcate correct views of the purpose for which it was given. The word "commandment"here some have understood of the gospel (Doddridge), others of the particular command which the apostle here gives to Timothy (Benson, Clarke, and Macknight); but it seems more naturally to refer to all that God had commanded - his whole law. As the error of these teachers arose from improper views of the nature and design of law, Paul says that that design should be understood. It was not to produce distinctions and angry contentions, and was not to fetter the minds of Christians with minute and burdensome observances, but it was to produce love.

Is charity - On the meaning of this word, see notes on 1Co 13:1.

Out of a pure heart - The love which is genuine must proceed from a holy heart. The commandment was not designed to secure merely the outward expressions of love, but that which had its seat in the heart.

And of a good conscience - A conscience free from guilt. Of course there can be no genuine love to God where the dictates of conscience are constantly violated, or where a man knows that he is continually doing wrong. If a man wishes to have the evidence of love to God, he must keep a good conscience. All pretended love, where a man knows that he is living in sin, is mere hypocrisy.

And of faith unfeigned - Undissembled confidence in God. This does seem to be intended specifically of faith in the Lord Jesus, but it means that all true love to God, such as this law would produce, must be based on confidence in him. How can anyone have love to him who has no confidence in him? Can we exercise love to a professed friend in whom we have no confidence? Faith, then, is as necessary under the law as it is under the gospel.

Barnes: 1Ti 1:6

From which some having swerved - Margin, "not aiming at."The word here used - ἀστοχέω astocheō - means properly, to miss the mark; to err; and then, to swerve from compare 1Ti 6:21; 2Ti 2:18. It does not mean that they had ever had that from which they are said to have swerved - for it does not follow that a man who misses a mark had ever hit it - but merely that they failed of the things referred to, and had turned to vain talk. The word "which" ὧν hōn , in the plural, refers not to the law, but to the things enumerated - a pure heart, a good conscience, and unfeigned faith.

Have turned aside unto vain jangling - Vain talk, empty declamation, discourses without sense. The word here used does not mean contention or strife, but that kind of discourse which is not founded in good sense. They were discourses on their pretended distinctions in the law; on their traditions and ceremonies; on their useless genealogies, and on the fabulous statements which they had appended to the law of Moses.

Barnes: 1Ti 1:7

Desiring to be teachers of the law - That is, to have the credit and reputation of being well versed in the law of Moses, and qualified to explain it to others. This was a high honor among the Jews, and these teachers laid claim to the same distinction.

Understanding neither what they say - That is, they do not understand the true nature and design of that law which they attempt to explain to others. This was true of the Jewish teachers, and equally so of those in the church at Ephesus, who attempted to explain it. They appear to have explained the law on the principles which commonly prevailed among the Jews, and hence their instructions tended greatly to corrupt the faith of the gospel. They made affirmations of what they knew nothing of, and though they made confident observations, yet they often pertained to things about which they had no knowledge. One needs only a slight acquaintance with the manner of teaching among Jewish rabbies, or with the things found in their traditions, to see the accuracy of this statement of the apostle. A sufficient illustration of this may be found in Allen’ s "Modern Judaism."

Barnes: 1Ti 1:8

But we know that the law is good - We admit this; it is that which we all concede. This declaration is evidently made by the apostle to guard against the supposition that he was an enemy of the law. Doubtless this charge would be brought against him, or against anyone who maintained the sentiments which he had just expressed. By speaking thus of what those teachers regarded as so important in the law, it would be natural for them to declare that he was an enemy of the law itself, and would be glad to see all its claims abrogated. Paul says that he designs no such thing. He admitted that the law was good. He was never disposed for one moment to call it in question. He only asked that it should be rightly understood and properly explained. Paul was never disposed to call in question the excellency and the utility of the law, however it might bear on him or on others; compare Rom 7:12 note, and Act 21:21-26 notes.

If a man use it lawfully - In a proper manner; for the purposes for which it was designed. It is intended to occupy a most important place, but it should not be perverted. Paul asked only that it should be used aright, and in order to this, he proceeds to state what is its true design.

Barnes: 1Ti 1:9

Knowing this - That is, "If anyone knows, or admits this, he has the prover view of the design of the law."The apostle does not refer particularly to himself as knowing or conceding this, for then he would have uses the plural form of the participle (see the Greek), but he means that anyone who had just views of the law would see that that which he proceeds to specify was its real purpose.

The law is not made for a righteous man - There has been great variety in the interpretation of this passage. Some suppose that the law here refers to the ceremonial laws of Moses (Clarke, Rosenmuller, Abbot); others to the denunciatory part of the law (Doddridge and Bloomfield); and others that it means that the chief purpose of the law was to restrain the wicked. It seems clear, however, that the apostle does not refer merely to the ceremonial law, for he specifies that which condemns the unholy and profane; the murderers of fathers and mothers; liars and perjured persons. It was not the ceremonial law which condemned these things, but the moral law. It cannot be supposed, moreover, that the apostle meant to say that the law was not binding on a righteous man, or that he was under no obligation to obey it - for he everywhere teaches that the moral law is obligatory on all mankind.

To suppose also that a righteous man is released from the obligation to obey the law, that is, to do right, is an absurdity. Nor does he seem to mean, as Macknight supposes, that the law was not given for the purpose of justifying a righteous man - for this was originally one of its designs. Had man always obeyed it, he would have been justified by it. The meaning seems to be, that the purpose of the law was not to fetter and perplex those who were righteous, and who aimed to do their duty and to please God. It was not intended to produce a spirit of servitude and bondage. As the Jews interpreted it, it did this, and this interpretation appears to have been adopted by the teachers at Ephesus, to whom Paul refers. The whole tendency of their teaching was to bring the soul into a state of bondage, and to make religion a condition, of servitude. Paul teaches, on the other hand, that religion was a condition of freedom, and that the main purpose of the law was not to fetter the minds of the righteous by numberless observances and minute regulations, but that it was to restrain the wicked from sin. This is the case with all law. No good man feels himself lettered and manacled by wholesome laws, nor does he feel that the purpose of law is to reduce him to a state of servitude. It is only the wicked who have this feeling - and in this sense the law is made for a man who intends to do wrong.

For the lawless - To bind and restrain them. The word here used means, properly, those who have no law, and then those who are transgressors - the wicked. It is rendered transgressors in Mat 15:28; Luk 22:37, and wicked, Act 2:23; 2Th 2:8.

And disobedient - Those who are insubordinate, lawless, refractory. The word properly means those who are under no subjection or authority. It occurs in the New Testament only here, and Tit 1:6, Tit 1:10, where it is rendered unruly, and Heb 2:8, where it is translated not put under; that is, under Christ.

For the ungodly - Those who have no religion; who do not worship or honor God. The Greek word occurs in the following places, in all of which it is rendered ungodly; Rom 4:5; Rom 5:6; 1Ti 1:9; 1Pe 4:18; 2Pe 2:5; 2Pe 3:7; Jud 1:15. The meaning is, that the law is against all who do not worship or honor God.

And for sinners - The word used here is the common word to denote sinners. It is general, and includes sins of all kinds.

For unholy - "Those who are regardless of duty to God or man,"Robinson, Lexicon. The word occurs in the New Testament only here, and in 2Ti 3:2. It has particular reference to those who fail of their duty toward God, and means those who have no piety; who are irreligious.

And profane - This does not necessarily mean that they were profane in the sense that blasphemed the name of God, or were profane swearers - though the word would include that - but it means properly those who are impious, or who are scoffers; notes, Heb 12:16. The word occurs only in the following places, in all of which it is rendered profane: 1Ti 1:9; 1Ti 4:7; 1Ti 6:20; 2Ti 2:16; Heb 12:16. A man who treats religion with contempt. mockery, or scorn, would correspond with the meaning of the word.

For murderers of fathers - The Greek properly means a "smiter of a father"(Robinson), though here it undoubtedly means a parricide. This was expressly forbidden by the law of Moses, and was a crime punishable by death; Exo 21:15. It is said to have been a crime which the Roman law did not contemplate as possible, and hence that there was no enactment against it. It is, indeed, a crime of the highest order; but facts have shown that if the Romans supposed it would never be committed, they did not judge aright of human nature. There is no sin which man will not commit if unrestrained, and there is in fact no conceivable form of crime of which he has not been guilty.

Murderers of mothers - A still more atrocious and monstrous crime, if possible, than the former. We can conceive nothing superior to this in atrocity, and yet it has been committed. Nero caused his mother to be murdered, and the annals of crime disclose the names of not a few who have imbrued their own hands in the blood of those who bare them. This was also expressly forbidden by the law of Moses; Exo 21:15.

For manslayers - This word occurs nowhere else in the New Testament. It means a homicide - a murderer. The crime is expressly forbidden by the law; Exo 20:13; Gen 9:6.

Poole: 1Ti 1:2

He dignifies Timothy with the title of his son in the faith that is, being converted by him to Christianity, and begat to the Divine life: and by styling Timothy his

own son he signifies his piety and virtue, that rendered him a worthy son of such a father, whom he imitated and honoured, and with whom he corresponded in a grateful, obedient affection. Having thus designated the person to whom he writes, he expresses his ardent desires of his complete felicity; which is included in

grace, mercy, and peace By grace he means the free favour and good will of God, with all the spiritual gifts that proceed from it, either requisite for salvation, or the great work of the evangelical ministry. By mercy his compassionate tender love, pardoning, relieving, supporting, and assisting us in our Christian course. By peace he signifies, principally, the peace of God, that divine calm of conscience, that tranquillity and rest of soul, which proceeds from the assurance that God is reconciled to us in Christ, and our freedom by the sanctifying Spirit from the tyranny of carnal lusts: this peace can never be to the wicked. And besides this principal peace, we may understand peace with man, that is, a quiet state, exempt from hatred and persecutions, that Timothy might more comfortably and successfully perform the work of his ministry. He prays for these blessings from God who is the original Fountain of all good: and from Jesus Christ as the channel, by which all the gifts of God are conveyed to us; for without his mediation the Deity is as a sealed fountain, no grace would flow to us. He styles God our Father because he has adopted us in his Son, and in that quality he communicates his grace, mercy, and peace to us: he styles Christ our Lord who hath supreme power over us, as well by the right of creation as of redemption.

Poole: 1Ti 1:3

Ephesus was a great city in Asia the Less, whither Paul came, Act 19:1 ; where Demetrius raised a tumult against him, which the town clerk appeased, as we read there. From thence he

went into Macedonia Act 20:1-3 . Upon this his motion into Macedonia (as divines judge) he left Timothy at Ephesus. The end of leaving him at Ephesus was, that he might

charge some that they preached no other doctrine that is, none contrary to what he had preached, none contrary to the doctrine of the gospel, Gal 1:8,9 . What power was here committed to Timothy is by some questioned; supposing (which is very probable) there were a greater number of disciples than could meet in one assembly, his power was more than pastoral, for he had a power over the teachers. Whether this power was extraordinary, or ordinary, and what God intended ever to continue in the chnrch, is the question. Those who make it to be such, make it to be episcopal; those that make it extraordinary, say it was the work of an evangelist, 2Ti 4:5 . That there was such an officer in the primitive church appears from Act 21:8 Eph 4:11 . That this was Timothy’ s work appears from 2Ti 4:5 . Nor is it a new thing, but very common in the settlement of all new governments, to authorize some special commissioners, and to give them an extraordinary power for a time, till the government can be settled and things brought into a fixed order. If we consider the words without prejudice:

I besought thee to abide still at Ephesus they seem to signify that Timothy was not the established bishop of Ephesus; for to what end should the apostle desire a bishop to reside in his own diocess, which he could not forsake without neglecting his duty, and the offence of God? This were a tacit reflection, as if he were careless of his duty. And the word abide, prosmeinai , does not necessarily import his constant residence there; for it is used to signify continuance for some time only; as it is said of the apostle, that he remained many days at Corinth, Act 18:18 , when his stay there was only for some months. The intention of the apostle seems to be that Timothy should continue for a while at Ephesus, and not accompany him in his voyage to Macedonia, as he was wont to do upon other occasions. And it is evident by the sacred history, that about six months after Timothy was with the apostle in Greece, that he went with him to Macedonia, and Troas, and Miletus, Act 20:1,4 , where the apostle sent for the elders or bishops of Ephesus, to leave his last solemn charge with them. In short, if Timothy had been appointed the bishop of Ephesus, the apostle would probably have given this title of honour to him in the inscription of his Epistle. Upon the impartial considering of the whole matter, though the passion of prelacy is so ingenious as to discover so many mysteries and mitres in a few plain words, (viz. that Timothy was bishop of that city, metropolitan of the province, and primate of all Asia), yet it is most likely that Timothy was left only for some time with a kind of apostolical power in the church of Ephesus; of which power this was one branch, authoritatively to command seducers not to teach another doctrine than what was taught by the apostles, who were Divinely illuminated: a Divine rule, and most worthy of perpetual observation by all in the office of the ministry. And this showeth the mighty proneness of men, as to deviate in their conversations, from the right ways, so in their judgments from the truths of God, otherwise Paul had no need to have left Timothy for that end in this church so newly planted.

Poole: 1Ti 1:4

Neither give heed to fables: by fables he probably meaneth the Jewish fables, and commandments of men, mentioned Tit 1:14 ; or more generally, all vain and idol speculations.

And endless genealogies, which minister questions, rather than godly edifying whatsoever tendeth not to build men up in godliness, which is the end of preaching. The Jews had many unwritten fables, about what God did before he made the world, &c., and many unwritten endless genealogies, which were as so many labyrinths, intricate, without an issue out of them: and it is probable that some of them (converted to the Christian faith) still busied their heads about them, according to their education and the practice of the Jewish doctors, and made the subject of their sermons and discourses to the assemblies of Christians; which is the thing the apostle here declareth a corruption of the ordinances of preaching, and inveigheth against, 1Ti 6:4 2Ti 2:23 Tit 1:14 3:9 ; and willeth preachers to avoid, and people to give no heed to them, as nothing tending to the building Christians up in holiness, which he here calleth oikodomian yeou , the building up of God, either so objectively, or efficiently, or by his command, because it is in God, viz. in the knowledge of God, and an increase in the love of God, and other spiritual habits; or from God, being wrought by him, and serving for his honour and glory, or according to his will.

Which is in faith: he tells us this edifying can be no otherwise than in faith, preaching the doctrine of the gospel, and embracing that which is the doctrine of faith, a doctrine of Divine revelation, to which men must give their assent, because of the authority of God revealing it. So as no discourses which are not founded in a Divine revelation, and to be proved from thence, can possibly tend to any bnilding of God, which cannot stand in the wisdom of men, but must stand in the power of God. From this text we may observe the vanity and proneness of some persons, even from the infancy of the church, to make up what they call sermons of discourses about fables, idle questions, and speculations, and genealogies of which there is no end; the teachers being able to bring the minds of hearers to no rest about them, nor they tending to any good and saving use, but merely to show men’ s wit and parts; and we may also learn, that this is no religious preaching or hearing, it being impossible men should be under any religious obligations to hear any but prophets, that is, such as reveal the Divine will. For other discourses, men in their seasons may hear them, or let them alone, and credit or not credit them as they see reason.

Poole: 1Ti 1:5-6

Ver. 5,6 Now the end of the commandment is charity: the word translated commandment here is paraggelia , which rather signifies a particular charge given by superiors as to some thing, than a general law, Act 5:28 16:24 ; and so in this chapter, 1Ti 1:18 ; which inclineth me to think, that though the proposition be true of the whole law of God, (for love is the fulfilling of the law ), and more eminently of the Divine doctrine in the gospel, for the end and perfection it aims at and produces is a pure, ardent love of God, and of men for his sake, and of the gospel, yet it is rather here to be restrained to the commandment relating to preaching, or discoursing the revealed will of God relating to men’ s salvation, the end of which is doubtless charity, which ought to be finis operantis, the end of the workman, what he ought to intend and aim at; and is finis operis, the effect of the work, viz. the begetting in the souls of people love to God and their neighbour, neither of which can rationally be obtained by preachers telling people idle stories, and filling their heads with idle questions and speculations.

Out of a pure heart: which love to God and men must proceed from a clean, and holy, and sincere heart.

And of a good conscience and a good and holy life, when conscience doth not sourly reflect upon men for presumptuous miscarriages.

And of faith unfeigned which must all be rooted in and attended with a faith unfeigned; rooted in it, as faith signifies a steady assent to Divine revelation; attended with it, as it signifies the soul’ s repose and rest upon Christ for the fulfilling of the promises annexed to him that believes and liveth up to such propositions. These are the noble ends of the whole law of God, and particularly of the charge or command God hath given ministers as to preaching, which can by no means be attained by teachers’ discoursing fables and endless genealogies to people, nor by people’ s attendance to such discourses, for they can only fill people’ s heads with notions and unprofitable questions, which serve to gender strife and contention amongst people, instead of love either to God or men, and so to defile instead of purifying the heart, and have no influence at all upon a holy life, all which can grow out of no root but an unfeigned faith.

From which from which things (for the article is plural, wn ); from which commandment, and from the end of which commandment, from which pure heart, good conscience, and faith unfeigned.

Some having swerved: astochsantev , the word signifies to wander from a scope or mark. Some men either propounding to themselves ends in their discourses to people different from the command concerning preaching, and the true end of that, or at least wandering from that true end, they have turned aside. To do an action well, two things are necessary:

1. The propounding to ourselves a right end;

2. A moving to it by due means and in right order: whoso faileth in either of these, can no more do an action well, than he can shoot an arrow well, that either eyeth no mark, or levelleth his arrow quite beside it.

The preachers reflected on by the apostle, either never considered the true end of preaching, or never regarded it in their action; this made them turn aside from theology to mataeology, from preaching to vain jangling; so we translate it, but the word signifieth foolish talking; so we translate the adjective: Tit 1:10 , and so the word properly signifieth, any kind of foolish, impertinent discourse, either serving to no good end, or at least not that which the discourse pretendeth to. And indeed all discourses of fables, and unprofitable, idle questions, tending not to edifying, is no better than foolish talking.

Poole: 1Ti 1:7

Desiring to be teachers of the lawNomodidaskaloi . This term lets us know, that the apostle reflecteth upon some who were or had been Jews, who either pressed the observance of the law in order to justification, or spent their time in pressing the traditions of the elders, and constitutions of the scribes, as sepimenta legis, hedges (as they called them) to the Divine law, though not of the letter of it; upon which there arose a great many questions as insignificant as their traditions themselves, which these vain preachers spent their time in speaking to.

Understanding neither what they say, nor whereof they affirm neither understanding the Divine law, nor the questions themselves started and spoke unto, yet ambitious to be accounted

teachers of the law This vain desire of reputation, as persons of excellent skill in the land, was the cause of their erroneous, idle sermons: and their ignorance is aggravated and inexcusable, in that they with presumptuous boldness assert the things of which they are ignorant.

Poole: 1Ti 1:8

But we know that the law is good: not that I speak against the law of God, I know that it is holy, and spiritual, and just, and good, Rom 7:12,14 . It is good, though not for justification, yet for conviction, to convince men of sin, and as a schoolmaster to lead men unto Christ, and to direct us in our walking with God; the equity and sanctity of its precepts are evident to the sincere and purified mind.

If a man use it lawfully: and as the law has an intrinsic goodness in its nature, so it is good to men when it is used for the end to which God gave it.

Poole: 1Ti 1:9

By the law is to be understood the moral law, (though possibly not excluding the law of Moses, consisting in many ordinances), as it is armed with stings and terrors, to restrain rebellious sinners; by the

righteous man one in whom a principle of Divine grace is planted, and, from the knowledge and love of God, chooses the things that are pleasing to him, and is ardent and active to do his will. Now it is true, the holiness commanded in the law, that, consists in the love of God and our neighhour, obliges every reasonable creature indispensably and eternally; but as the law was delivered in so terrible a manner, as it has annexed so many severe threatenings to the transgressors of it, it is evident that it is directed to the wicked, who will only be compelled by fear from an outrageous breaking of it. And this may be emphatically signified in the word here used, keitai , for it signifies to be laid, as well as to be made. The law non objicitur is not lald against a righteous man. Thus we translate it, Mat 3:10 : The axe is laid unto the root of the trees: there is some difference in the construction; here it is immediately joined with the dative case, there with an accusative case, with the preposition prov between the verb and the case; but that must be the sense. It is very probable, that these false teachers had been terrifying the Christians with the law, in opposition to whom the apostle saith, the law was not made for a righteous man, as to its condemning office; it was never intended against a righteous man, but against men that committed and lived in gross sin and wickedness. These sinners are first mentioned in general terms, then the apostle proceedeth to a more particular enumeration of them; whether in them (as some think) the apostle hath respect to the several precepts of the decalogue, I cannot determine. By the lawless he meaneth persons living without any respect to the laws of God or men. By the

disobedient he meaneth such as will live in subjection to no government. The word by us translated

ungodly signifieth such as live without any religion, having no regard to the worship of God, asebesi . The word translated sinners signifies infamous, scandalous sinners.

Unholy and profane are also general terms, signifying persons that have no piety, but lewdly talk of things sacred, and live as lewdly.

Murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers: the words signify such as strike or beat their parents, though they do not give them mortal wounds, and well expresseth violaters of the fifth commandment.

Manslayersandrofonouv , signifies such as kill men, whether maliciously or passionately, violaters of the sixth commandment.

PBC: 1Ti 1:1

Having spent several months in our study of 2 Peter 2 with its focus on false teachers, it seems logical and balanced to take a look at the opposite side of the same coin.  Rather than look emphatically at the character of the false teacher, let’s take a look at the character and conduct of the godly church leader and teacher.  Second Peter indeed has its role in a healthy balanced Christian perspective.  Invariably we occasionally encounter the insidious false teacher who imitates the people whom Peter so directly opposes.  A significant percent of the Christian community lives with a somewhat " Pollyanna" attitude regarding error and those who teach it.  Ignore them, pretend that they simply don’t exist, and they will eventually go away.  Peter’s letter jolts us back into reality on this point.  However, a full study of 2 Peter reveals a common tie with Paul’s first letter to Timothy.  The most effective antidote to error, especially devious error, is a strong foundation in the faith as it comes to us in the New Testament.  That is the point of 2Pe 1:1-21. 

Probably most contemporary Christians have abandoned any sense of expectation that their leaders simply can, or even should, live up to the qualifications of leadership as set forth in the pastoral epistles (Paul’s letters to the two young preachers, Timothy and Titus).  Often this attitude finds it strongest support from deficient leaders themselves.  Therefore they advocate full abandonment of these qualifications as required criteria for ordination or as the basis for continuing in active ministry in a church office.  Many of these same people would react with horror to someone advocating such a cavalier abandonment of an essential theological concept.  They simply refuse to live up to the Biblical requirements for office in the church.  Sadly, I occasionally encounter this " Why bother, attitude among our own fellowship of Primitive Baptists.  More than once I have heard this response, " If we wait to ordain someone till they meet these qualifications, we’d never ordain anyone at all.  Therefore, we should just ignore the qualifications."  In any institution of human beings the organization will never rise above its leadership.  Any appearance of this reckless abandonment of Biblical requirements among church leaders is frightening indeed.  I will maintain in this writing that we cannot abandon the required qualifications of church officers any more than we can abandon a cardinal theological concept.  In fact abandonment of one position often leads to abandonment of the other.  I will also urge that continuing adherence to the qualifications should be required for a man who holds a church office to continue in that office.  What is a church office?  In the sense of qualifications as set forth by Paul to Timothy the two offices requiring ordination and thus subject to these qualifications are the offices of elder (pastor, preacher) and deacon. 

Paul’s letters in the New Testament are " occasional" letters.  Some event, problem, or " occasion" prompted him to write each letter.  Typically Paul identifies the occasion for his letters near the beginning of each letter and near its end, something of idea bookends around the detailed instructions addressing the primary issue that motivated the writing of the letter. 

We should not think of either Timothy or Titus as resident pastors of a specific church.  Rather they appear in each of these letters as special helpers to Paul, sent by him to deal with specific problems in a local area or church.  Through the window of these letters we can see much regarding the culture of New Testament Christianity, as well as the local culture of each church involved in these special apostolic assignments.  In addition, and to our benefit, we can discover some of the significant problems encountered by first century Christianity and how an inspired apostle directed his aides to deal with those problems.  Particularly in this point we can learn about potential problems that we shall encounter and discover Biblical instruction to deal with them. 

Some commentators suggest that the pastoral epistles form a comprehensive handbook of pastoral ministry and church conduct.  Given the fact that both men served directly under Paul’s apostolic authority and direction with churches that he had visited or founded, I suggest that we should view these letters in a somewhat less comprehensive manner.  However, Paul’s emphasis on sound (literally, healthy) teaching makes these letters an invaluable source of instruction for every church that truly aspires to New Testament faith in its belief and practice.

The New Testament contains an incredible breadth of instructive information regarding any question of belief or practice that a conscientious church will need.  We should view the whole New Testament, not just the Pastoral Epistles, as our handbook for Christian faith and practice.  For example, the two letters that Paul wrote to the Corinthian church confront cosmopolitan, suburban Christianity, likely the most relevant—and frightening—New Testament letter to confront twenty-first century Western Christianity.  In this letter to Timothy we learn through the occasion that Paul assigns to the letter, that he sent Timothy to the church at Ephesus to confront and to correct a growing problem within that church.  Three rather informative New Testament references tell us much about the short history of this church.  In Paul’s letter to the Ephesian church we gather that they were strong in their faith and faithful in their practical living out of the faith.  We sense less of rebuke and correction of specific error and more of encouragement and reinforcement of good faith and practice than in most of Paul’s church letters.  First Timothy informs us that the Ephesian church fell under the influence of false teachers from within the church and needed Timothy’s reinforcement of Paul’s foundational teaching to rediscover their true spiritual roots.  Interestingly, Paul’s final personal words to the elders at this church become prophetic of this specific problem (Ac 20:30 and context).

Finally when we read John’s (actually Jesus’ personal message) letter to the Ephesian church near the end of the first century (Re 2:1-7) we encounter a sad affirmation of the lingering problem of internal weakness at Ephesus.  Jesus warns them that they have left their first love (not necessarily first in chronological order, but distinctly first in order of importance).  They appear in danger of losing their " candlestick," their identity and blessing as one of the Lord’s churches. 

"…That thou mightest charge some that they teach no other doctrine,  Neither give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which minister questions, rather than godly edifying which is in faith…" 

Here we discover Paul’s opening " bookend" idea, the " occasion" for his letter to Timothy.  It appears that some of the elders within the church were now teaching " other doctrine," that they were paying more attention to " fables and endless genealogies" than to " godly edifying which is in faith."  This last reference to genealogies may suggest that the false teachers had embraced a false view of Old Testament writings and were elevating their errant interpretations above Paul’s New Testament instruction to them. 

While I question that 1 Timothy, or the three Pastoral Epistles combined, establish a comprehensive manual of church administration, I hold that these letters are invaluable to a healthy church culture.  Paul affirms this point to Timothy (1Ti 3:14-15). 

My objective in this writing will be to reinforce a thoroughly New Testament model for both doctrine and for church activity.  This vision of the church is sorely needed in our time.  Modern churches in large numbers rationalize one doctrinal abandonment after another from the New Testament pattern.  For example, many church leaders exhibit more loyalty to the feminist movement than to the New Testament text and its prohibition of women as teaching leaders in the church.  While they justify their rejection of the New Testament model on the basis that Paul’s objection to women leader-teachers was based on local cultural problems, Paul himself based his objection on Adam and Eve; this example establishes a principle that transcends local culture.  Among our own Primitive Baptist people, often the ideas of an older respected preacher are viewed with more knowledge and respect than the teachings of Paul and other New Testament writers as the basis for what we believe and what we do.  If we say that we believe in Scripture alone as our foundation for faith and practice, we are ethically bound to demonstrate intense familiarity with and faithfulness to the New Testament model in all matters.  May we live up to our profession.     275

Typically Paul begins his letters with " by the will of God" or other similar terms.   The appearance of the word " commandment" in First Timothy calls our attention to an exception to the Pauline rule.  Why would Paul deviate from his normal introduction?  In other letters the exception seems to have purpose.  For example, the abruptness of Paul’s introduction in the Galatian letter immediately alerts us that Paul feels a high intensity toward the erring Galatians due to their error.  Reading the first few verses of that letter, we fully expect the terseness that follows. 

Although Paul will develop his letter around quite positive issues, if, as many commentators believe, a primary purpose in this letter is to confront a growing error in the Ephesian church through Timothy’s ministry there, we should expect that Paul will communicate through Timothy the urgency of his concern.  If confronting error at Ephesus is in the forefront of Paul’s mind as he writes, we should expect Timothy to share this letter with the church, so Paul will make sure that the church knows both the gravity of his concern and the necessity of the principles that he affirms to Timothy.

Our human nature easily imposes judgments onto others if they do not apply to us.  If we interpret a situation or mandate of conduct as directly applicable to us, especially when it is corrective of our present conduct, we quickly lose our objectivity and seek alternatives to relieve our obligation.  This is precisely the objective we see when we hear someone seek to rationalize non-compliance with Paul’s qualifications for church office in this letter, particularly a church leader whose life is to match the qualifications set forth in this letter.  Paul establishes immediately in his introduction that the things that he will present in this letter are " commandments" from the Lord, not merely the highest ideals toward which we should strive.  Since the qualifications for either the office of deacon or elder (minister) command such prominence in this letter, we must assume that the character, qualifications, and personal discipline of church leaders constituted a significant part of the Ephesian problem that Timothy was to correct.  Gordon Fee makes this point convincingly.[i]  I would add to Fee’s assessment that Paul obviously sees wise and qualified church leaders as a major insulator against and antidote to error within the local church community.  People naturally look to leaders and tend to follow their examples.  A compromising leadership will cultivate a compromising church membership.  A leader who does not practice the qualifications of his office will foster a casual attitude among church members that they need not follow the Biblical commandments that apply to them with any more faithfulness than their leaders practice within their assignment.

As an elder and pastor, I am confronted and convicted by these qualifications often.  I wish that I could say that I have always complied with every mandate set forth by Paul in the qualifications for church office.  I believe in them and in their applicability to me and to others who hold church office today.  As we who hold church office become aware of deficiencies in our personal lives, we are compelled by this letter to one of two courses.  1) We must take immediate steps to correct our errant conduct and ensure that the people in the church know that we take our position and qualifications seriously.  2) We should exhibit sufficient respect for the Biblical qualifications of our office to step down from the office and beg the church’s forgiveness for our failure.  The gravity of these qualifications cannot be compromised without grave consequences to the church.  We must live with the obvious truth that Paul introduced this letter with this clear qualification; what he wrote was a commandment from God, not merely his opinion or idealized recommendations.  Often the family of a church officer may disqualify him from office as readily as his personal conduct.  Paul observes a parallel in these qualifications between the way a church leader deals with the less-than-ideal problems in his family and the way he deals with problems in the church that he serves.  If he does not earn his family’s respect for his position, his qualifications (and theirs as his family), and his responsibilities, he cannot expect the church that he serves to respect him in his office.  If he fails to lead his family by godly and convincing example, he will predictably fail in leading the church by example.  If he is inclined to passively ignore problems in his family till they go plummeting out of control, he will likely do the same with problems in the church.  If, when he finally reacts to problems in his family, he does so with anger and harshness, he will almost certainly do the same in his church office.  All of these failures are public and damaging to both him and to the church that he is charged with serving. 

Before leaving this personal note, I need to cover one additional area of concern.  Writing to the errant Corinthian church, Paul established a pattern of ministry that lies at the core of every man’s success or failure in ministry.  (Since the word translated " ministry" applies to both the office of deacon and pastor-teacher, I include both in this observation.)  " For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus’ sake" (2Co 4:5).  No church leader can remain effective if he becomes the center of attention or controversy.  Forethought, not afterthought, must guide his judgment and conduct.  The minute he allows himself to become the focal point he has lost his ability to teach and to lead the church objectively.  This principle must control his clarity in teaching and his lifestyle in leading the church.  Ministry is not about the man who ministers.  He is " your servant," not your lord.  His role is to serve, not ensure that his will and preferences prevail in church decisions.  The Biblical model of leadership by example, not by compulsion or intimidation (the " bully pulpit" concept that our nation’s politicians occasionally mention), is perhaps the most difficult, but it is also the safest to ensure fulfillment of the church’s Biblical mission.  The Lord Jesus Christ leads by personal authority and commandment.  However, we are to lead by example under His direction, indeed under His " commandment" .

We often use " soundness" to refer to a person’s theological or doctrinal purity.  This word appears several times in the pastoral letters.  Consistently the word is translated from the Greek root for our English word " hygiene."  It refers to good health.  The New Testament model of soundness applies equally to our personal conduct, including in this case the unique conduct of those who hold church offices of leadership, and to our doctrinal or theological posture.  Bad health habits will inevitably lead to disease and to a compromised physical body.  The same principle applies to a church body.  Bad health, be it in the area of personal conduct, conduct of church officers, or theological perspective, predicts a spiritually sick, diseased, and weakened church whose survival, much less prosperity, is questionable.  I will make the case throughout this series that all three areas of a church’s culture must follow the New Testament " commandment" in order to legitimately qualify as " sound," healthy and hygienic, in the spiritual framework of a godly church.

The high marks that I set here both convict and challenge me as well as each of you.  Although we must first assess our personal conduct against these " commandments," we must never allow our humanity to compromise the objective.  Indeed, I must confess that I have not at all times lived up to the Biblical qualifications for my office.  How did I respond?  I tried to face the conviction of conscience and work to remedy the deficiency, not alter the New Testament qualifications to accommodate my failures.  I hope to perpetuate refinement in my conduct as long as I live.

With conviction and determination, I pray that this series will nudge each of us toward a more faithful and conscientious development of the New Testament model in our personal lives.

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If our assumption is correct that Paul left Timothy at Ephesus to correct specific deficiencies, what were they?  We must begin with the premise that Paul’s letter will address the areas in which problems existed, so we look within the letter for clues to identify the problems.  Rather prophetically Paul warned the elders that some of their own number would introduce problems in the church at Ephesus (Acts 20:30).  What specific clues do we find in First Timothy to indicate that problems existed, what they were, and how to correct them?  Here are a few clues, borrowed from Gordon Fee.[ii]

1Ti 1:3, Paul directs Timothy to " charge some that they teach no other doctrine."  Although at this point Paul does not name these men, he obviously has someone specific in mind.  He views them as redeemable, but fallen into grave error.  They are to be confronted and charged with the gravity of their current teaching. 

1Ti 1:7, these men desire to be teachers, but they do not comprehend the error of their present course or the consequences of their error. 

1Ti 1:19-20, Paul names two men who have erred concerning faith, men whom he " turned over to Satan," possibly by directing their excommunication or other disciplinary measures. 

1Ti 6:3-5, Paul specifically warns against errant teaching and describes the character of the false teachers who refuse the correction that he and Timothy or others offer to assist their recovery. 

1Ti 3:1-13; 5:17-25; Paul defines the qualifications and conduct of godly leader-teachers in specific details.  The degree of specificity that he includes in these passages offers strong indication that the church at Ephesus had in some way compromised the qualifications of leadership and had promoted unqualified men to these offices. 

1Ti 2:9-15; 5:3-16 suggests that the false teachers found fruitful support among some of the women in the church and were backing them to the detriment of the " hygiene," the sound spiritual health, of the church.

Perhaps the church functioned through multiple " house-churches," small gatherings that met in the homes of individual teachers between the general gatherings of the whole assembly.  If this were the case, a small group leader could easily influence the people who gathered under his teaching into error. 

Fee acknowledges that the specifics of the errors are difficult to define.  He makes a good case that the errors involved both behavioral as well as cognitive dimensions.  However he offers several probable errors based on various passages in the letter.  1) The false teachers were involved in speculations and disputes over words.  2) They encouraged arguments and quarrels.  They were proud, arrogant, and divisive.  3) Fee assigns personal greed as the root problem in these errant individuals.  Godliness " is a means to turn a drachma." 

In some way they related their errant teachings to a faulty use of the Old Testament, including " myths" and " genealogies" .

There were also elements of Hellenism, particularly Greek dualism with its " dim view of the material world."  

Although the reference appears in 2 Timothy, Fee suggests that denial of the literal resurrection of the body may have also impacted this church. 

The reference to " knowledge, so called" may indicate that the gnostic error that appears in Corinth and Colosse may have also invaded the church at Ephesus. 

From a more global assessment of the major problems documented in the first century, Fee examines the potential that efforts to " Judaize" Christianity were part of the problem at Ephesus, as it certainly appears in Antioch and other churches mentioned in the New Testament.

The complexities of these factors seem staggering.  They make our local problems seem insignificant by comparison.  However, we should take courage that, despite this diversity of likely errors, Paul approaches the situation with striking optimism.  The solution to these and other difficulties appears in wise leaders who insist on teaching and living the teachings of Scripture alone.  Despite infectious spiritual viruses that abounded, diligent adherence to the faith set forth by the Lord Jesus will inoculate the church from these errors and will ensure a sound, " hygienic," healthy church for generations to come.  Perhaps some of Fee’s suggestions involve a stretch, but none of them is outside the probable, given the presence of all these errors in the New Testament era and culture.

Should a church reflect its culture, or should it confront its culture with an alternative New Testament culture?  Despite loud protests to the contrary, many contemporary church cultures justify their existence on the basis that they appeal to and comply with the needs of our culture.  From the Willow Creek experience that literally created a church culture based on a survey of " unchurched" people in the local community to the counter-culture mood of the Calvary Chapel movement to the less radical elements within contemporary Christianity, many churches assess their reason for exiting based on a personal assessment of the current culture and what they think within their esoteric assessment they can do within that culture. 

On the opposite side of the spectrum we should be cautious that we do not adopt such an anti-culture disposition that we fail in our efforts to reach and to change the culture in which we exist.  Many Christians, not just our own fellowship, tend to isolate themselves from the surrounding culture so that the broad culture either knows nothing of them, or it marginalizes them as " radical, right-wing, fundamentalist, extremists."  In a taped series of messages on the typology of the tabernacle and sacrifices of Levitical worship Dr. Stephen Olford complained that many of the members of the church that he then served in New York City failed when he urged them to invite non-Christian or non-Baptist friends to join them in special church services or seminars such as the one he was then conducting.  He alleged that these folks intentionally avoid any social contact or substantial friendship with anyone who is not a strong professing Christian.  This problem violates Jesus’ analogy of the faithful believer as being " salt" and " light" in the world.  Salt cannot benefit any food unless it comes into direct contact with that food.  Light demonstrates its value when exposed directly to darkness.  A Christian will only have a beneficial impact on the world in which he lives by personal contact with those who live in that world.  Dr. Ron Rhodes, a noted Christian apologist from southern California, makes a similar point.  He alleges that the pseudo-Christian cults do now win converts by a superior Biblical interpretation, but by investing in the lives of their friends and neighbors during times of need.  They are present and helpful during a time of need, thus ingratiating their friends to their religion.  Rhodes offers wise counsel; historical Christians can become effective in winning people away from these cults, primarily by becoming involved in their lives and by offering sacrificial help to them in times of need.  Be better than the cultists at their own practice.  May we be effective Christian servants to those around us, not passive insulators from the culture.   275

[i] Fee, Gordon D., New International Biblical Commentary: 1 and 2 Timothy, Titus  (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers, Inc., 1988), pp. 5-23.

[ii] Fee, Gordon D., New International Commentary: 1 and 2 Timothy, Titus…, p. 8-10.

PBC: 1Ti 1:5

Typically we leave the term " commandment" in this lesson in a generic setting; God has generally commanded certain things.  Contextually we should not leave the passage so void of specifics.  In the first verse of this letter Paul indicates that he is writing to Timothy " by the commandment of God our Saviour, and Lord Jesus Christ."  The contextual presence of this term links our study verses directly to this opening statement from Paul, and requires that we view our passage as a specific explanation of Paul’s intent in writing First Timothy.  It tells us what the Holy Spirit intended with the letter from Paul to his young helper on behalf of the Ephesian church.

Only in the Galatian letter do we see such abruptness in Paul’s openings as appears here.  Although we see no hint that Paul is upset with Timothy, we do get the impression that he has a profound conviction of need to address; to correct a problem through Timothy’s ministry at Ephesus.  Timothy is not the pastor at Ephesus, but was rather left there as Paul’s spokesman, assigned to correct certain problems that Paul discovered during his last visit.  The absence of a paragraph that acknowledges thankfulness for Timothy or other such pleasantries further leads me to conclude that Paul’s letter to Timothy has a specific purpose to confront and to correct problems in this church.

Since we recently studied Second Peter, we should make an obvious notation of the differences in form or structure between Paul’s concern for false teachers at Ephesus and Peter’s concern for false teachers among his readers.  Before confronting the false teachers, Peter establishes the positive factors that will assist his readers in avoiding the problem of false teachers.  Then in his second and third chapters he confronts the false teachers with disarming directness.  In First Timothy Paul confronts the question of false teachers immediately.  The subsequent themes of the letter that appear in significant details cover practices that will ensure a sound and healthy church that is capable of avoiding the snares of false teachers.  Thus in Second Peter we see the positive emphasis first followed by the negative.  In First Timothy we see the negative set forth at the outset, followed by the positive. 

In both Second Peter and First Timothy we see the character of the false teachers emphasized more directly than their teachings, though in First Timothy we see more of the doctrinal content of the false teachers than we see in Second Peter.  From Second Peter we gather that Peter views the false teachers as depraved—in fact likely unsaved—men who are to be rejected by the church as clearly as their teachings.  In First Timothy we sense that one of Timothy’s charges is to confront those who are teaching false ideas with the idea of recovering them.  I believe that this difference accounts for the fact that overall First Timothy is far more positive and constructive in its tone than Second Peter.  Paul wants no one at Ephesus to doubt that Timothy is his representative and that both Timothy and the church are to know without question what Paul teaches and expects them to teach.  Apostolic authority clearly appears in his tone to Timothy, but the intent consistently appears that Timothy is to carry this message to convince those in error, along with the whole church, of Paul’s teaching and their responsibility. 

" Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned." 

Godly teaching must grow out of a loving heart both in the teacher and the taught.  Regardless of other lessons we may gain from Jesus’ interrogation of Peter after the resurrection (Joh 21:15-24), we cannot avoid the obvious point that the man who teaches God’s children with authority and blessing must do so out of a loving heart, love first and foremost for the Lord Jesus Christ, but also love for His " sheep" and " lambs."  Teaching conviction must further grow out of a pure, not hypocritical, heart.  The man who teaches must believe what he teaches to be God’s truth.  He must not teach with guile.  He cannot intentionally mislead those whom he teaches.  It is possible, though deplorable, that a preacher-teacher may intentionally mislead people to believe his errant teaching.  Paul will not allow such equivocation in a teacher.  A preacher should use tact, grace, and diplomacy, but Paul forbids the use of intentionally deceptive guile.

Secondly, the godly teacher must teach out of a " pure heart."  He must strive to practice what he preaches in his own life.  He cannot rationalize a habit of non-compliance in his personal life with the gospel that he teaches from the pulpit.

Finally, the godly teacher must teach from a perspective of sincere, not duplicitous faith.  Faith in God and authentic belief in the clear message that he teaches must characterize his whole ministry.  

These three divinely inspired filters must remain constantly in the mind of the wise teacher if he is to effectively teach and lead believers in their faith and conduct.  They challenge not only the teacher’s words and actions, but they equally probe his motives.  Those who preach should carefully screen every message—before preaching it, not afterwards—through these tests. 

Once Paul sets the filters in place for the motive and content of the godly preacher-teacher he is prepared to begin his examination of the false teachers at Ephesus.  Everyone who fills the pulpit should do so from these foundational principles, but some do not.  What is the likely motive or outcome of a preacher who fails any one of these tests?  " From which some having swerved have turned aside unto vain jangling; Desiring to be teachers of the law; understanding neither what they say, nor whereof they affirm."  Paul’s first descriptive term is " vain jangling."  This term is generally defined as simply " vain talking;" Trench is more specific, " that ‘talk of fools,’ which is foolishness and sin together."  His next point confronts the spirit versus the content of the false teaching.  They desire " to be teachers" of the law, but they are void of understanding either the law, which they falsely claim as their authority, or the content of their teaching from the law.  This clause raises a relevant question.  Is a New Testament gospel preacher’s primary objective to " teach the law" ?  We need not probe the tension between Old and New Testaments or law versus grace to address this question.  What is the primary content of a healthy New Testament gospel?  Whether we study the abbreviated copies of sermons from Acts or the theme of the various New Testament letters written by inspired men to various churches and individuals, we readily conclude that the Incarnate, crucified, risen, and ascended Christ is to be the constant pillar of every gospel message.  Aside from personal character and qualifications, these false teachers at Ephesus had the wrong objective in mind.  If they were marksmen on a target range, they would fail for they aimed at the wrong target.  Their preaching aimed at the wrong objective. 

Rather than allowing us to think that he was in any way antinomian, against the law as if it were something odious, Paul quickly focuses our attention to the divine intent in the law.  God gave it, not as something to be despised and opposed, or to be neutralized into something irrelevant as the typical antinomian perspective teaches, Paul affirms that the law came from God and had (even has) a divinely approved purpose.  God intended the law for at least two functions.  First, based on Paul’s letter to the Galatian churches, the law was designed to draw a fairly detailed analogy of the moral perfection and the priestly work of the Lord Jesus Christ, a " schoolmaster" to bring the chosen nation to Him when he arrived in human form.  Secondly, as Paul outlines in our study passage, God intended the law as a clear outline of His moral character, and the moral character that He expects us to live and to urge in others.  This premise explains Paul’s approach to the law in our passage.  There is nothing in the law to which a godly believer should object.  God intended it to confront sinners and to leave stubborn sinners without excuse in their sinful conduct.  Positively, the law depicts the person and work of our Lord Jesus Christ.  Negatively, it defines sin and leaves us with a constant reminder, " carved in stone," that God has imposed certain absolute " commandments" upon us regarding moral conduct.  He did not give the law as a list of " helpful suggestions," but as absolute moral commandments; " Thou shalt…" and " Thou shalt not…."

"…And if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine; According to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, which was committed to my trust." 1Ti 1:10

We may legitimately engage the question as to whether New Testament believers should view themselves as " under the law" or not.  Paul makes an informative case on this question in Ro 6:1-23.  We may not wisely dispute that the moral implications of the law are as obligatory upon New Testament believers as Old.  There is no moral or ethical conflict between the law and the gospel, between the Old Testament and the New.  May we wisely respect the divine intent of the law in both particulars, and may we carefully hear its message regarding our Lord Jesus Christ in both His sinless person and His perfect sin-covering work.  For a person claiming to be an authoritative teacher in the church to imply conflict or to misuse the law is, according to Paul in this lesson, inexcusable. 

Paul’s ultimate authority for his teaching was not the law, but " according to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, which was committed to my trust." 1Ti 1:11  The gospel, not the law, was the basis for Paul’s epistemology, his source of knowledge and authority.  The law reflects God’s moral character and His commandments to man.  New Testament moral and ethical teachings harmonize perfectly with the moral content of the Mosaic Law.  However, Paul rejects the notion that a preacher should " take the hearer to Sinai before showing him Calvary."  This is more the doctrine that Paul opposes than what he affirms.  May we follow this wise and inspired man and his teachings.

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Gordon Fee offers several pertinent points regarding the specifics, and lack thereof, of the false teachings that troubled the Ephesian church. [i]

The term " other doctrine" literally means another teaching.  Occasionally in the Greek culture it also referred to novel teaching.  In this sense a theological " novelty" is not an innocent or poorly thought-out triviality.  It more refers to a distinct perversion of the gospel.  Occasionally Bible students and teachers alike will apply untested esoteric ideas to a passage that does not match the grammatical message or the historical-contextual interpretation well at all.  It appears that Paul has a more insidious error in mind, though such thoughtless creative imagination should be viewed with more caution than passivity.  Thoughtlessness and Biblical interpretation are dangerous partners indeed.  Fee indicates that the verb tense suggests that Paul intends for those who have been teaching other doctrine to do so no longer.  Rather than viewing these words as a generic prohibition, the intent is that current activity cease. 

The reference to fables and endless genealogies may suggest a synthesis of Hellenistic and Jewish teachings.  This unusual blend would be predictable from " Diasporo Jews," Jews dispersed throughout the Roman Empire as contrasted with Jews who lived in Judah.  They had deep Jewish roots, but they also lived in a distinctly Greco-Roman culture, so one should not be surprised to see these ideas come together in an unusual combination. 

Fee rejects the likelihood of the common gnostic philosophy that apparently invaded the church at Colosse and possibly Corinth (also the recipients of 1 John).  Gnosticism was a major problem to the first and second century churches, but we need not make it the only problem that existed. 

R. Kent Hughes adds to Fee’s list.  Adding to the fear that a sound and well-instructed church can quickly fall into error, Hughes underscores the urgency of Paul’s instructions to Timothy on behalf of the Ephesian church. 

1Ti 1:19; some have rejected the message and make shipwreck of their faith.

1Ti 4:1; The Spirit specifically warns that some will depart from the true teachings and give more heed to doctrines of devils and seducing spirits than to the accepted truth of the gospel. 

1Ti 5:15; some have already turned away from the truth to follow Satan.  

1Ti 6:10; some will follow greed for money, piercing their spiritual selves through with a dart and griefs.   

1Ti 6:21; some wander from the faith. [ii]  

Whatever the specific errors may have been Paul’s emphasis on the qualifications and character of elders and deacons distinctly implies that the problem involved men who failed these qualifications.  The details that Paul gives to the qualifications for church office make a point that we cannot minimize or ignore.  We cannot compromise the qualifications listed without grave dangers to our churches. 

             Perhaps one of the major points for us, given Peter’s second letter and Paul’s first letter to Timothy, is the multitude of problems that we are liable to face as a local church, along with the variety of reactions that we should adopt to deal with them.  It is easy to embrace an overly simplistic view of problems that is either too lax or too harsh.  You can’t ignore cancer in your body and avoid the danger that it will eventually take your life.  Neither can you ignore serious problems in your church without similar danger to the church’s survival.  Pollyanna is not a good role model for churches with problems.  An equal danger on the opposite side of the question is the threat to the mission of a local church from unreasonable, not to mention unscriptural, harshness and severity.  You don’t amputate your arm because you discover a small splinter in your index finger.  You focus on removing the splinter and healing the wound.  This diversity of problems and of solutions may surface one of our most challenging problems.  We have witnessed excommunication as a severe disciplinary measure, but we have largely become oblivious to any other form of possible discipline.  We may have actually missed the true intent of excommunication by this attitude.  "…With such an one no not to eat…" (1Co 5:11) more likely refers to eating the Communion supper than to a common meal.  If so, the indication is that barring an errant member from the Communion table was an accepted form of first century church discipline, a measure that doesn’t even register with us.  If we assign a low value to the Communion table, we will fail to see the appeal of such a measure to an errant member, adopting a " so what" attitude rather than viewing this measure as a grave factor to a member’s spiritual health and conscience.   

            Regarding the specific emphasis that Paul puts on the qualifications for the office of deacons and elders in this letter, I offer another question.  Typically we view ordination to these offices as a lifelong assignment.  Without question, it should be so, but what does a church do when a man who holds one of these offices no longer qualifies for the office?  The accepted reaction of our generation is to ignore it.  Pretend it doesn’t exist and hope that it will simply resolve itself.   

Occasionally I have encountered local churches that used the office of deacon specifically as a motivational tool with young male members.  " He is a good man.  We should ordain him to the office of deacon and get him involved so that he will stay with us."  The New Testament’s teachings regarding this position know nothing of such a low view toward this office.  Quite the opposite, Paul and other New Testament writers view the office as belonging to men who are seasoned in the faith and, by that seasoning, demonstrate a strong commitment to their faith and wisdom beyond their personal humanity regarding matters of church business and activity.  " Let these things first be proved…" does not allow for the office of deacon to be used as a motivational tool for young inexperienced members. 

            Should a church revoke the ordination of a man who no longer meets the qualifications of either office?  As radical as this question may seem, consider it only in light of Paul’s teaching in this letter.  Is it possible for a church to revoke a man’s position in such a way as to help him respect the gravity of the office and the authority the church should have over his life?  In New Testament times there were not several thousand varieties of " Christian" churches from which one might choose.  There was one choice only. In our time this question is difficult indeed.  Before taking such a step a church should work with loving patience so as to ensure the faithful endurance of the man involved and his family.  Loving patience works far better than harshness in matters of church authority and discipline.  Some denominations practice appointing deacons for a limited period of time rather than for life.  Since the office of deacon does not involve a divine call, but rather qualifications of mature faith and the other qualities that are listed, both in Ac 6:1-15 and in Paul’s Pastoral epistles, this is a possibility that does not at all conflict with Scripture.  Since the office of elder or minister does involve a divine call, it presents a church with a greater challenge.  My preference would be to work long and hard with the man in this office to help him come to terms with his deficiencies and regain his Biblical qualifications.   

Many years ago a leading minister in an independent church in southern California was confronted with his ungodly conduct toward a female member of the large church that he served.  Upon learning that the church’s elders (This church practiced elder rule.) had undeniable evidence of his sin, this man confessed to the sin and accepted the recommendation of the elders that he step down as pastor, as well as from any form of active ministry, for a season of supervised restoration.  He agreed, but within a couple of months the leader of another denomination in the area contacted this man and offered him a lucrative position in public ministry in his church.  The errant preacher immediately accepted the offer.  However, despite limited success in his new position, this man never regained the unclouded respect in the Christian community that he formerly enjoyed.  I believe that, had he submitted to the elders in his original church and actually worked with them to repent and to regain his self-discipline, he could have been restored to far greater respect than he ever regained by his chosen course.  This episode was outside our fellowship, but because I listened to this man on a local Christian radio station, his situation intrigued me.  I followed it with interest over several decades.   

In this case I believe the man erred so as to permanently cripple, if not terminate, his ministry by his running from his church’s efforts to help him repent and regain his ministry.  I believe his original church’s approach of temporary inactive ministry, followed by supervised restoration, could have helped him regain the respect of his position in time.  His avoidance of the consequences of his action revealed a deeper flaw in his person that left him permanently handicapped to full respect.  According to Paul in our study lesson, the glorious gospel is committed in " trust" to a man who fills the ministry.  The man who honors the office must live up to that trust and retain the respect and confidence of those to whom he serves.   

Regardless of our church culture, we cannot take the teachings of Paul’s pastoral letters lightly without bringing grave danger to our church and to its divinely assigned mission.  Are we prepared to live this model seriously?

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[i] Fee, Gordon D., New International Biblical Commentary: 1 and 2 Timothy, Titus, …p. 40-49.

[ii] Hughes, R. Kent and Chapell, Bryan, 1 & 2 Timothy and Titus (Wheaton, Illinois: Crossway Books, 2000), p. 34.

PBC: 1Ti 1:8

How is the law used lawfully? " Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man..."{1Ti 1:9-10} -that’s not how you use the law. " The law is not made for a righteous man" - but here’s how you use the law lawfully- " ... but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, For whoremongers, for them that defile themselves with mankind, for menstealers, for liars, for perjured persons, and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine;" -so the reason why God has put man under law is because God knows that if the restraints were removed what man would do. But also in 1Peter, Peter tells us to " Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake: whether it be to the king, as supreme; Or unto governors, as unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers, and for the praise of them that do well.." {1Pe 2:13-14} So, why does God place authority over man and gives him authority to restrain evil? It is because God knows the potential there is in man to do evil.

357

Haydock: 1Ti 1:1

Of God, our Saviour. God the Father is here called our Saviour, as also to Titus, (iii. 4.) being the author of our salvation, as are all the three divine persons. (Witham) ---

As this letter was to be read to the faithful, it was proper that St. Paul should speak with dignity and authority; and, as in the course of it he reproves false apostles who taught from themselves, he reminds them at the beginning of his letter, that he himself had entered the sacred ministry, and was an apostle by the command of God. (Calmet)

Haydock: 1Ti 1:2

To Timothy, my beloved son [1] in faith: not that St. Paul first converted him, but that by his instructions he was settled in the principles of faith and of the Christian religion. (Witham)

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[BIBLIOGRAPHY]

Dilecto, Greek: gnesio tekio. Some manuscripts, Greek: agapeto.

Haydock: 1Ti 1:3

Not to teach otherwise; [2] i.e. than what I taught them. (Witham) ---

The distinctive mark of a heretic, is the teaching differently from that which they found generally taught and believed in the unity of the Catholic Church before their time. The Greek word admirably expresses this; Greek: eterodidaskalein. Had Luther and the other original reformers attended to this, the peace of the Church would not have been so disturbed.

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[BIBLIOGRAPHY]

Ne aliter docerent, Greek: me eterodidaskalein, aliud docere.

Haydock: 1Ti 1:4

Nor give heed to fables and endless genealogies, [3] or disputes about pedigrees from Abraham and David, which furnish questions rather than the edification of God, or godly edification.[4] In some Greek manuscripts is read, dispensation, or economy; and so the sense may be, which contribute nothing to the explaining the dispensation of grace in the mystery of Christ's incarnation. The construction of this and the former verse is imperfect, when it is said, as I desired thee, nothing being expressed corresponding to the word as. Some understand it, As I desired before, so now in this epistle I desire it of thee again. The same difficulty occurs in the Greek as in the Latin text. (Witham) ---

The Jews were accustomed to dispute and make endless questions concerning their origin from Abraham, Isaac, and other patriarchs, and concerning their different tribes, which their captivity had confounded altogether. Hence there was no end of their questions, how, when, why? which gave rise to many fables, to the great disturbance of the faithful. Whereas, they ought to have taken the shortest way to edification, which was to confine themselves to what was of faith. (St. Ambrose)

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[BIBLIOGRAPHY]

Interminatis, Greek: aperantois, infinitis, sine fine.

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[BIBLIOGRAPHY]

Ædificationem Dei, Greek: oikodouian Theou; which, I think, might as well be translated, godly edification. Some few manuscripts, Greek: oikonomian.

Haydock: 1Ti 1:5

The end of the commandment. By the precept many understand, as it were by way of a parenthesis, all that is here contained from the 3rd to the 18th verse, were precept is again repeated. We may understand by the commandment, the law of Moses in general, comprehending both the ceremonial part and the moral precepts, which are also the law of nature. The ceremonial part was designed to bring us to Christ by types and figures; and the moral precepts, which were also of the law of nature, or natural reason, were to bring men to observe them by punishments, and so were delivered against wicked criminals, ungodly, who worshipped[5] not God; against the unjust, [6] (in the Greek, lawless men) Sodomites, &c. (Witham)

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[BIBLIOGRAPHY]

Impiis, Greek: asebesi, indevotis, non colentibus Deum.

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[BIBLIOGRAPHY]

Injustis, Greek: anomois, sine lege.

====================

Haydock: 1Ti 1:8

The law is good. Do not think I condemn the law of Moses, or those who observe it; it is good, if properly understood and rightly practised. I only blame those who make the law an occasion of disturbance; who, without understanding, pretend to be masters, and teach idle curiosities. (Theodoret)

Haydock: 1Ti 1:9

The law is not, &c. He means that the just man doth good, and avoideth evil, not as compelled by the law, and merely for fear of the punishment appointed for transgressors, but voluntarily, and for the love of God and virtue; and would do so, though there were no law. (Challoner) ---

If all men were just, the law would be unnecessary, as law are made against transgressors. (Calmet) ---

It is not the just, but the unjust, that the law threatens, binds, and chastises. The just man obeys it without violence or constraint; he fulfils it with pleasure. (St. Augustine, lib. de Spiritu. &c.)

Gill: 1Ti 1:1

Paul an apostle of Jesus Christ,.... His name was well known to Timothy, and very dear to him; and so was his office as an apostle, and which he mentions, not so much for Timothy's sake, but for the sake of others, that what he delivers in this epistle might come with its proper weight and authority, and be regarded: of this his office, as well as name; see Gill on Rom 1:1. How he came into this office next follows, not of himself, nor by men,

by the commandment of God; the appointment and decree of God, by which he was separated to this office, even from eternity, and is the same with the counsel or will of God, Eph 1:1 or it may refer to the order given by the Holy Ghost to the church; to set apart him and Barnabas, to the work of the ministry, Act 13:2 though this commandment is called the commandment of God

our Saviour; by whom is meant God the Father; and this character of him is mentioned, to show that the embassy the apostle was sent on as such, and in which the discharge of his office greatly lay, was the affair of salvation, to publish and declare that to the sons of men; and also to show the concern which God the Father has in that work: he resolved upon it, and appointed his people to it, and determined upon saving them by his Son, whom he pitched upon to be his salvation; he drew the scheme of it by his infinite wisdom, and sent his Son into the world to execute it; and he sends his ministers to publish the Gospel of it, and his Spirit to reveal and apply it to the hearts of his chosen ones; and keeps them by his power unto it, and will at last put them into the full possession of it; so that this character well suits with him, to whom it is also given, Tit 3:4 as well as with his Son Jesus Christ, to whom it is more commonly ascribed, and from whom he is here distinguished: for it follows,

and Lord Jesus Christ, which is our hope; who is both the author, and the ground and foundation of the grace of hope of salvation, and eternal life; not earthly enjoyments, nor any external thing whatever; not birth privileges, carnal descent, religious education, morality and civility, obedience to the law of Moses, moral or ceremonial; nor a profession of Christ, nor a bare subjection to his ordinances, but he himself: and there is good ground to hope for pardon through his blood, which was shed for it; and for justification by his righteousness, which is freely wrought out, and freely imputed; and for salvation by him, since it is in him, and in no other, and is completely effected by him, and that for the worst of sinners, and is wholly of free grace, and which everyone that believes in him shall enjoy; and so for eternal life, which hope is conversant with; and good reason there is for it in Christ, seeing it is in him, and in his gift; what his grace gives a meetness for, and his righteousness a title to; and which he is possessed of in the name of his people, prepares for them, and will introduce them into. The Complutensian edition reads, "of the Father, and, our Saviour Jesus Christ"; and so the Ethiopic version, "of God, and our Saviour Jesus Christ".

Gill: 1Ti 1:2

Unto Timothy my own son in the faith,.... Not in the flesh, or by natural descent, but in a spiritual sense, in the faith of Christ; for Timothy was not related to the apostle according to the flesh, as some have thought, but the relation was spiritual; though the apostle was not properly his spiritual father, or the instrument of his conversion; for Timothy was a converted person, and a disciple of Christ, and well reported of by the brethren, when the apostle first met with him, Act 16:1 but he calls him his son, either because of his age, being a young man; or because of his affection for him, so the Vulgate Latin version reads, "a beloved son"; or rather, because he was instructed more largely by the apostle into the doctrine of faith; and as a son, with a father, served with him in the Gospel of Christ. It may be rendered "a true or genuine son in the faith", in distinction from nominal Christians, formal professors and hypocrites. Timothy was a real Christian, a true believer, and an hearty and upright professor and preacher of the faith of Christ, as well as truly regenerated by the Spirit of God,

Grace, mercy, and peace from God our Father, and Jesus Christ our Lord; the Arabic version reads, "and Lord Jesus Christ our Lord". The form of salutation is the same as in all the epistles of the apostle, only that "mercy" is here inserted; and when he wishes "grace" to Timothy, he may mean a fresh discovery of the love and free favour of God unto him, and an increase of grace in him, and of the gifts of the Spirit upon him; and by "mercy" he may intend a fresh application of the pardoning mercy of God, through Christ, and all assistance, and success in his work as a minister, and all succour and support under every trial and exercise, and mercy at the last day, or the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life; and by "peace" he may design peace of conscience through the blood of Christ, and all prosperity, temporal, spiritual, and eternal. And all this being wished for equally from Christ, as from God the Father, is a proof of the proper deity of our Lord.

Gill: 1Ti 1:3

As I besought thee to abide, still at Ephesus,.... Where it seems he now was, being left here by the apostle, and where he was desired by him to continue:

when I went into Macedonia; not when he went his first journey there, for Timothy was then along with him, Act 16:3 and so he seems to be in his journey through it, in Act 20:3. It may be this may refer to a journey which Luke has given no account of:

that thou mightest charge some, that they teach no other doctrine; than the doctrine of Christ and his apostles; than what had been preached by the apostle at Ephesus, and the saints there had received; than what was agreeably to the Scriptures of truth, and was according to godliness; for all other doctrines must be divers and strange ones: nor would he have them teach in another way, in new words, but hold fast the form of sound words; for new words often produce new doctrines: the apostle perhaps by other doctrine chiefly respects the doctrine of justification by the works of the law. It seems as if there were some teachers in this place the apostle was suspicious of, or he had heard that they began to innovate in the doctrine of faith; wherefore he desires Timothy to continue a while, in order to be a check on these persons, and to charge them not to introduce any new doctrine; for it was only "some", and not all that taught there, he was so to charge. Some refer this to hearers; and render, the words, "that they follow no other doctrine"; but it seems best to understand it of teachers; the Syriac and Arabic versions render the words as we do.

Gill: 1Ti 1:4

Neither give heed to fables,.... Old wives' fables, 1Ti 4:7 or Jewish fables, Tit 1:14 the traditions of the elders; anything that was not true; or if it was, yet idle, vain, trifling, and unprofitable:

and endless genealogies; not of deities, as the Theogony of the Gentiles, or the ten Sephirot or numbers in the Cabalistic tree of the Jews, or the Aeones of the Gnostics and Valentinians, which are said to proceed from one another, as some have thought; but both the public and private genealogies of the Jews, which they kept to show of what tribe they were, or to prove themselves priests and Levites, and the like; of which there was no end, and which often produced questions and debates. By reason of their captivities and dispersions, they were much at a loss to distinguish their tribes and families. Some care Ezra took of this matter, when the Jews returned from the Babylonish captivity. It is said ^a, that עשרה יוחסין,

"ten genealogies (or ten sorts of persons genealogized) came out of Babylon; priests, Levites, Israelites, profane (or unfit for the priesthood, though they sprung from priests) proselytes, freemen (servants made free), bastards, Nethinim or Gibeonites, such whose father was not known, and those that were took up in the streets.

These Ezra brought up to Jerusalem thus distinguished, that they might be taken care of by the sanhedrim, and kept distinct; but these would often intermix and cause disputes; and sometimes these mixtures were connived at through partiality or fear ^b.

"Says R. Jochanan, by the temple, it is in our hands, (the gloss adds, to discover the illegitimate families of the land of Israel,) but what shall I do? for lo, the great men of this age are hid (or impure): in which he agreed with R. Isaac, who said, the family that is hid, let it be hid. Abai also saith, we have learned this by tradition, there was a family of the house of Tzeriphah, beyond Jordan, and a son of Zion, (a famous man, a man of authority,) set it at a distance, (proclaimed it illegitimate,) by his authority. And again, there was another, and he made it near (or pronounced it right) by his power. Again, there was another family, and the wise men would not discover it.

By which we may see what management there was in these things, and what a foundation was laid for questions and debates. Of these public and private genealogies; see Gill on Mat 1:16, to which may be added what R. Benjamin says ^c of some Jews in his time, who were the Rechabites, and were very numerous, and had a prince over them of the house of David; and, adds he, they have a genealogical book, ומשגרות שאלות, "and extracts of questions", which I should be tempted to render "clusters of questions", which are with the head of the captivity; and this comes very near to what our apostle here says. And when it is observed, that Herod, that he might hide the meanness of his descent and birth, burnt all the genealogical writings in the public archives ^d, it must be still more difficult to fix the true account of things; and for the loss of the genealogical book, the public one, the Jews express a very great concern: for they say ^e, that "from the time the book of genealogies was hid, the strength of the wise men was weakened, and the light of their eyes grew dim. Says Mar Zutra, between Azel and Azel, (that is, between 1Ch 8:38 and 1Ch 9:44) there is need of four hundred camel loads of commentaries.

So intricate an affair, and such an endless business was this. And this affair of genealogies might be now the more the subject of inquiry among judaizing Christians, since there was, and still is, an expectation among the Jews, that in the times of the Messiah these things will be set aright. Says Maimonides ^f,

"in the days of the King Messiah, when his kingdom shall be settled, and all Israel shall be gathered to him, יתייחסו כולם, "they shall all of them be genealogized", according to his word, by the Holy Ghost, as it is said, Mal 3:3 he shall purify the sons of Levi, and say, this is a genealogized priest, and this is a genealogized Levite; and shall drive them away who are not genealogized (or related) to Israel, as it is said, Ezr 2:63. Hence you learn, that by the Holy Ghost they shall be genealogized, those that arrogate and proclaim their genealogy; and he shall not genealogize Israel but by their tribes, for he shall make known that this is of such a tribe, and this is of such a tribe; but he shall not say concerning such an one he is a bastard, and this is a servant; for so shall it be, that the family that is obscure shall be obscure.

Or else the genealogical account of their traditions may be meant, which they trace from Moses to Joshua, from Joshua to the elders, from the elders to the prophets, from the prophets to the men of the great synagogue, and from one doctor to another ^g, which to pursue is endless, tedious, and tiresome:

which minister questions; as the traditions of the elders, and the genealogical account of them did; the Talmud is full of the questions, debates, contentions, and decisions of the doctors about them:

rather than godly edifying, which is in faith; and which is the principal end of preaching, hearing, and conversation; and that may be called "godly edifying, or the edification of God", as it may be rendered, which he is the author of, and which he approves of, and is by, and according to his word; or that in which souls are built up an habitation for God, and are built up in faith and holiness, and by an increase of every grace: and this is "in faith", not only in the grace of faith, but by the doctrine of faith, on which the saints may build one another, and by which they are edified through the faithful ministration of it by the ministers of the word; when fabulous stories and disputes, about genealogies, are useless and unedifying: not that the apostle condemns all genealogies, such as we have in the writings of the Old Testament, and in the evangelists, nor all inquiries into them, and study of them, which, rightly to settle, is in some cases of great importance and use, but the private and unprofitable ones before mentioned. Some copies read, "the dispensation of God, which is in faith"; meaning the dispensation of the mysteries of grace, which are in the doctrine of faith, which becomes a faithful steward of them, and not fables and genealogies, which issue in questions, quarrels, and contentions,

Gill: 1Ti 1:5

Now the end of the commandment is charity,.... By the "commandment" may be meant, the order given to Timothy, or the charge committed to him; see 1Ti 1:18 to forbid the teaching of another doctrine, and to avoid fables and endless genealogies; the end and design of which was to cultivate peace, to maintain and secure brotherly love, which cannot long subsist, when a different doctrine is introduced and received; and to promote godly edification, which is brought about by charity or love, for charity edifies; but is greatly hindered by speculative notions, fabulous stories, and genealogical controversies and contentions: or by it may be intended the ministration of the Gospel, called the commandment, 1Ti 6:14, because enjoined the preachers of it by Christ; the end of which is to bring persons to the obedience of faith, or to that faith which works by love, to believe in Christ, to love the Lord, his truths, ordinances, people, and ways; or rather the moral law is designed, which is often called the commandment, Rom 7:8 since of this the apostle treats in some following verses; the end and design, sum and substance, completion and perfection of which law are love to God, and love to one another; see Mat 22:36, which charity or love, when right,

springs out of a pure heart; which no man has naturally; every man's heart is naturally impure; nor can he make it pure; by the strength of nature, or by anything that he can do: there are some that are pure in their own eyes, and in the esteem of others, and yet are not cleansed from their filthiness, and are inwardly full of all manner of impurity; though there are some that have pure hearts, and they are such, who have clean hearts created in them by the Spirit of God; who are regenerated and sanctified by him; whose hearts are purified by faith; and who have their hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience by the blood of Christ; and who are not double minded, speak with a heart and a heart, but whose hearts are sincere and upright, and without hypocrisy; so that charity or love, from such a heart, is love without dissimulation, which is not in tongue and words only, but in deed and in truth; it is an unfeigned love, or loving with a pure heart fervently,

And of a good conscience; there is a conscience in every man, that accuses or excuses, unless it is cauterized or seared: but this conscience is naturally evil and defiled, and does not perform its office aright; either it takes no notice of, and is not concerned about sin, and has no remorse for it, or it takes notice of little things, and lets pass greater ones, or speaks peace when destruction is at hand: a good conscience is a conscience purified by the grace of God, and purged from dead works by the blood of Christ; under the influence of which a man acts uprightly in the discharge of his duty, and exercises a conscience void of offence towards God and man; and charity, proceeding from such a conscience, is of the right kind: and of faith unfeigned; with which a man really, and from the heart, believes what he professes; so did not Simon Magus, and all other temporary believers, whose faith is a feigned faith, a dead and inactive one; whereas true faith is an operative grace, it is attended with good works, and particularly it works by love: and that charity or love, which springs from faith unfeigned, is unfeigned love also, such as answers the design, and is the substance of the commandment. These words may be considered in a gradation, or as a spiritual genealogy, in opposition to the endless ones before mentioned, thus; that charity which is the end of the commandment comes out of a pure heart, out of which proceeds a good conscience, and from thence faith unfeigned. But the other way of interpreting seems best.

Gill: 1Ti 1:6

From which some having swerved,.... The apostle, in this verse and the next, describes the persons he suspected of teaching other doctrines, and of introducing fables and endless genealogies; they were such who departed from the above things; they erred from the commandment, or law, notwithstanding their great pretensions to a regard unto it; at least they missed the mark, the end and design of it; they went astray from that, and instead of promoting charity or love, created feuds, contentions, and divisions in the churches; and were far from having a pure heart, being filthy dreamers, and sensual persons, destitute of the Spirit of God, and were such who put away a good conscience, and made shipwreck of faith: such were Hymenaeus, Philetus, Alexander, and others, of whom he also says, they

have turned aside to vain jangling; which he elsewhere calls empty talk, and vain babblings, 1Ti 6:20, from the solid doctrines of the Gospel, and a solid way of handling them, they turned to vain, idle, useless, and unprofitable subjects of discourse, and to treating upon subjects in a vain, jejune, and empty manner; entertaining their hearers with foolish and trifling questions and answers to them about the law, and with strifes about words, which were unserviceable and unedifying; they were unruly and vain talkers, Tit 1:10.

Gill: 1Ti 1:7

Desiring to be teachers of the law,.... They were very fond of being called Rabbi, Rabbi, and styled doctors of the law, and of being thought to have skill in interpreting the law, and good talents in expounding it, and preaching upon it; which was now most in vogue, and gained the greatest applause, when the preaching of the Gospel was treated with contempt, not only by the unbelieving Jews, but by judaizing Christians, and carnal professors,

Understanding neither what they say, nor whereof they affirm: they did not understand the law, the nature and end, the purity and spirituality, and perfection of it, which they were so fond of teaching, and went into many foolish and unlearned questions about it; see 2Ti 2:23, and which they as foolishly answered: these are the ignorant and unlearned men, who, notwithstanding their vain show of learning, and pretence to skill in interpreting the law, wrested the Scriptures to their own destruction, and that of others; they were ignorant of the things they talked of, and knew not by what arguments to confirm them, and yet were very bold and confident in their assertions: and generally speaking so it is, that those who can prove least assert most, and that with the greatest assurance.

Gill: 1Ti 1:8

But we know that the law is good,.... The apostle says this to prevent an objection that might be made to him, that seeing he bore so hard on such who were fond of being teachers of the law, he was himself against the law, and the preaching and proper use of it; but this he would not have concluded, for he and his fellow labourers in the ministry, and all true believers know, from the Scriptures of truth, from the agreement of the law with the Gospel, and from their own experience, that the law is good, provided it be used in a lawful way, and to lawful purposes: and this is to be understood not of the ceremonial law, which was now disannulled, because of the weakness and unprofitableness of it, so that there was no lawful use of that; but of the moral law, which must needs be good, since the author of it is God, who is only good; and nothing but good can come from him: the law, strictly moral, is a copy of his nature, transcribed out of himself, as well as with his own hands; and is a declaration of his will, and is stamped with his authority, and therefore must be good: the matter of it is good, it contains good, yea, great and excellent things; the matter of it is honestly and morally good, as to love mercy, do justice, and walk humbly with God: and it is pleasantly good to a regenerate man, who loves it, and delights in it after the inner man, and serves it with his spirit; though the carnal mind cannot be subject to it, but rejects it, and rebels against it: and it is also profitably good; for though obedience to it is not profitable to God, yet it is to men; and though eternal life is not obtained hereby, nor any reward given for keeping it, yet in keeping it there is a reward; and that peace is enjoyed, which the transgressors of it are strangers to: it is good in the uses of it, both to sinners and to saints. To sinners it is useful for the knowledge of sin, to convince of it, and bring them to a sense of it, and concern for it, which is effectually done, when the Spirit of God sets in with it, or brings this commandment home to the heart; and if it has not this use, it is sometimes a means of restraining men from sin, which is the use of civil laws among men; and if it has not this, it is of use however to accuse men rightly of sin, and to pronounce justly guilty before God for it, to curse them as they deserve it, and to sentence to condemnation and death: and to believers it is of use, though they are not under it as in the hands of Moses, and as a covenant of works, and are freed from its curse and condemnation, and under no obligation to seek for life and righteousness by it; to them it is of use, to point out to them what is the will of God, and what should be done, and not done; and it is a rule of walk and conversation to them, as in the hands of Christ; and is as a glass to them to behold their own deformity, the impurity of their nature, the plague of their own hearts, and the imperfection of their obedience; by which they see the insufficiency of their own righteousness, how far they are from perfection, and what carnal creatures they are, when compared with this law: and as this serves to put them out of conceit with themselves, so it tends to make Christ and his righteousness more lovely and valuable in their esteem; who has wrought out a righteousness as broad and as long as the law is, and by which it is magnified and made honourable, and has delivered them from its curse and condemnation. And this law is good as it is holy, in its author, nature, and use; and as it is just, requiring just things, and doing that which is just, by acquitting those who are interested in Christ's righteousness, and in condemning those that have no righteousness; and as it is a spiritual and perfect law, which reaches the spirit and soul of man, and is concerned with inward thoughts and motions, as well as outward actions; and especially the end of it, the fulfilling end of it is good, which is Jesus Christ, who was made under it, came to fulfil it, and has answered all the demands of it: so that it must be good, and which cannot be denied,

if a man use it lawfully; for if it is used in order to obtain life, righteousness, and salvation by the works of it, or by obedience to it, it is used unlawfully: for the law does not give life, nor can righteousness come by it; nor are, or can men be saved by the works of it; to use the law for such purposes, is to abuse it, as the false teachers did, and make that which is good in itself, and in its proper use, to do what is evil; namely, to obscure and frustrate the grace of God, and make null and void the sufferings and death of Christ. A lawful use of the law is to obey it, as in the hands of Christ, the King of saints, and lawgiver in his church, from a principle of love to him, in the exercise of faith on him, without any mercenary selfish views, without trusting to, or depending on, what is done in obedience to it, but with a view to the glory of God, to testify our subjection to Christ, and our gratitude to him for favours received from him.

Gill: 1Ti 1:9

Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man,.... No man is naturally righteous since Adam, excepting the man Christ Jesus: some that are righteous in their own opinion, and in the esteem of others, are not truly and really so; none are righteous, or can be justified in the sight of God by the works of the law; those only are righteous men, who are made so through the imputation of Christ's righteousness to them: and such a righteous man is here intended, who believes in Christ with the heart unto righteousness, who lays hold on Christ's righteousness, and receives it by faith; in consequence of which he lives soberly, righteously, and godly, though not without sin, since there is no such just man upon earth. Now for such a man the law was not made; which must be understood not of its original constitution and make, for it was certainly made for, and given to Adam, who was a righteous man, and was written upon his heart in a state of innocence; and who had a positive law made also for him, and given to him as a trial of his obedience to this: it was also delivered to the Israelites on Mount Sinai, who were, many of them, at least, righteous men; and besides all this, the law was made for Jesus Christ; he was the end, the mark, and scope at which it aimed, and for whose sake it was given to Israel, that he might be made under it, and fulfil it. Nor does this expression deny all use of the law to a righteous man, which has been pointed out on the preceding verse, but only removes an unlawful use, and a wrong end of the law: it never was made with any such view as to obtain righteousness by it; for, a righteous man, as Adam, in innocence, and all that are justified by Christ's righteousness, need it not for such a purpose, because they are already righteous; and sinners can never attain to righteousness by it, since it cannot give life unto them: it is made therefore not for the former with the view now mentioned, but for the latter, and that both for the restraining of sin, and punishing of sinners. The words δικαιω νομος ου κειται, may be rendered, "the law does not lie upon a righteous man", or against him. It does not lie as a weight or burden on him; its precept does not lie on him, as a task to be performed; nor does its penalty, the curse, lie on him as a punishment to be bore by him: it does not lie upon him, nor against him, as an accusing law, its mouth is stopped by the righteousness of Christ, by which he is denominated a righteous man; nor as a terrifying law, and bringing into bondage by its threats and menaces; nor as a rigorous law, obliging to obedience in a forcible and compulsive way; seeing there is no need of it, the righteous man delights in it, and cheerfully serves it, and the love of Christ constrains him to obey it freely. And much less does it lie on him, or against him as a cursing or condemning law, since Christ has redeemed him from the curse of it,

But for the lawless and disobedient; by the "lawless" are meant, not the Gentiles, which were without the written law, but such who have it, and despise and reject it, and live not according to it, but transgress it: and "the disobedient" design such who are not subject to it: who are sons of Belial, children without the yoke; who cast the law of the Lord behind their backs; who are not, nor can they be subject to it, without the powerful and efficacious grace of God. Now the law lies upon, and against such persons, as an accusing, terrifying, cursing, and condemning law,

For the ungodly, and for sinners; by the "ungodly" are intended, such as are without God in the world, who neither fear God, nor regard man, who neglect and despise the worship of God, and say to him, depart from us, Job 21:14 and by "sinners" are designed notorious ones, who are exceeding great sinners, always sinning, making sin their constant business and employment; on and against these the law lies:

for unholy and profane: such are unholy persons, who are destitute of inward principles of truth and holiness, and who live unholy lives and conversations; and "profane" persons are those who profane the name of the Lord by cursing and swearing, and who profane his day, doctrines, and ordinances, and live dissolute and profane lives, being abandoned to all sin and wickedness; these three couples of wicked men, expressed in general terms, seem to have respect greatly to the moral part of the four precepts of the decalogue, as the following particulars do to the other six:

for murderers of fathers, and murderers of mothers; though there is no law that expressly mentions this, yet is beyond all doubt a breach both of the fifth and sixth commands; and if cursing parents, and disobedience to them, were punishable by the law with death, then much more the murder of them; see Lev 20:9 though the words will bear to be rendered, "for strikers of fathers, and strikers of mothers"; and so the Syriac and Arabic versions render them, and against this there was an express law, Exo 21:15. According to the Pompeian law, one guilty of parricide was to be sewed up in a sack with a dog, a cock, a viper, and an ape, and cast into the sea, or into a river ^h:

for manslayers, guilty of the murder of any man, which was always punishable with death, and was a breach of the sixth command; see Gen 9:6.

Commentary -- Verse Notes / Footnotes

NET Notes: 1Ti 1:1

¹ tn Grk “Paul.” The word “from” is not in the Greek text, but has been supplied to indicate the sender of the letter.

² sn God our Savior. Use of the title “Savior” for God the Father is characteristic of 1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, and Titus. It occurs six times in these letters, but only twice elsewhere in the NT. However, it occurs commonly in the OT, especially in Isaiah. It emphasizes the Father as the initiator and source of salvation.

NET Notes: 1Ti 1:3

¹ map For location see JP1 D2; JP2 D2; JP3 D2; JP4 D2.

² tn This word implies authoritative instruction: “direct, command, give orders” (cf. 1 Tim 4:11; 5:7; 6:13, 17). See BDAG 760 s.v. παραγγέλλω.

³ tn Grk “to teach other doctrines,” different from apostolic teaching (cf. 1 Tim 6:3).

NET Notes: 1Ti 1:4

¹ sn Myths and interminable genealogies. These myths were legendary tales characteristic of the false teachers in Ephesus and Crete. See parallels in 1 Tim 4:7; 2 Tim 4:4; and Titus 1:14. They were perhaps built by speculation from the patriarchal narratives in the OT; hence the connection with genealogies and with wanting to be teachers of the law (v. 7).

² tc A few Western mss (D* latt Ir) read οἰκοδομήν (oikodomhn, “[God’s] edification”) rather than οἰκονομίαν (oikonomian, “[God’s] redemptive plan”), which is read by the earliest and best witnesses.

tn More literally, “the administration of God that is by faith.”

sn God’s redemptive plan. The basic word (οἰκονομία, oikonomia) denotes the work of a household steward or manager or the arrangement under which he works: “household management.” As a theological term it is used of the order or arrangement by which God brings redemption through Christ (God’s “dispensation, plan of salvation” [Eph 1:10; 3:9]) or of human responsibility to pass on the message of that salvation (“stewardship, commission” [1 Cor 9:17; Eph 3:2; Col 1:25]). Here the former is in view (see the summary of God’s plan in 1 Tim 2:3-6; 2 Tim 1:9-10; Titus 3:4-7), and Paul notes the response people must make to God’s arrangement: It is “in faith” or “by faith.”

NET Notes: 1Ti 1:5

¹ tn Grk “the instruction,” referring to orthodox Christian teaching and ministry in general, in contrast to that of the false teachers mentioned in 1:3-4.

² tn Grk “love from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.”

NET Notes: 1Ti 1:7

¹ tn The Greek reinforces this negation: “understand neither what they are saying nor the things they insist on…”

NET Notes: 1Ti 1:9

¹ sn Law. There is no definite article (“the”) with this word in Greek and so the inherent quality of the OT law as such is in view. But the OT law is still in mind, since the types of sinful people surveyed in vv. 9b-11a follow the general outline of sins prohibited in the Decalogue.

Geneva Bible: 1Ti 1:1

Paul, ^{( 1 )} an apostle of Jesus Christ by the commandment of God our Saviour, and Lord Jesus Christ, [which is] our hope;

^{( 1 )} First of all, he affirms his own free vocation and also Timothy's, that the one might be confirmed by the other: and in addition he declares the sum of the apostolic doctrine, that is, the mercy of God in Christ Jesus apprehended by faith, the end of which is yet hoped for.

Geneva Bible: 1Ti 1:2

Unto Timothy, [my] own son in the faith: Grace, ^{( a )} mercy, [and] peace, from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord.

^{( a )} There is as much difference between mercy and grace, as is between the effect and the cause: for grace is that free good will of God, by which he chose us in Christ, and mercy is that free justification which follows it.

Geneva Bible: 1Ti 1:3

^{( 2 )} As I besought thee to abide still at Ephesus, when I went into Macedonia, that thou mightest charge some that they teach no other doctrine,

^{( 2 )} This whole epistle consists in admonitions, in which all the duties of a faithful pastor are plainly set out. And the first admonition is this, that no innovation is made either in the apostle's doctrine itself, or in the manner of teaching it.

Geneva Bible: 1Ti 1:4

^{( 3 )} Neither give heed to fables and endless ^{( b )} genealogies, which minister questions, rather than godly edifying which is in faith: [so do].

^{( 3 )} The doctrine is corrupted not only by false opinions, but also by vain and curious speculations: the declaration and utterance of which can help our faith in no way.

^{( b )} He makes note of one type of vain question.

Geneva Bible: 1Ti 1:5

^{( 4 )} Now the end of the ^{( c )} commandment is ^{( d )} charity out of a pure heart, and [of] a good conscience, and [of] faith unfeigned:

^{( 4 )} The second admonition is, that the right use and practice of the doctrine must be joined with the doctrine. And that consists in pure charity, and a good conscience, and true faith.

^{( c )} Of the Law.

^{( d )} There is neither love without a good conscience, nor a good conscience without faith, nor faith without the word of God.

Geneva Bible: 1Ti 1:6

^{( 5 )} From which some having swerved have turned aside unto vain jangling;

^{( 5 )} That which he spoke before generally of vain and curious controversies, he applies to those who, pretending a zeal of the Law, dwelled upon outward things, and never made an end of babbling of foolish trifles.

Geneva Bible: 1Ti 1:7

^{( 6 )} Desiring to be teachers of the law; understanding neither what they say, nor whereof they affirm.

^{( 6 )} There are none more unlearned, and more impudent in usurping the name of holiness, than foolish babblers, who reason fallaciously.

Geneva Bible: 1Ti 1:8

^{( 7 )} But we know that the law [is] good, if a man use it lawfully;

^{( 7 )} The taking away of an objection: he does not condemn the Law, but requires the right use and practice of it.

Geneva Bible: 1Ti 1:9

^{( 8 )} Knowing this, that the law is not made for a ^{( e )} righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for ^{( f )} sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers,

^{( 8 )} He indeed escapes the curse of the Law, and therefore does not abhor it, who fleeing and avoiding those things which the Law condemns, gives himself with all his heart to observe it: and he does not make a vain babbling of outward and curious matters.

^{( e )} And such a one is he, whom the Lord has endued with true doctrine, and with the Holy Spirit.

^{( f )} To those who make an art, as it were, of sinning.

Commentary -- Verse Range Notes

TSK Synopsis: 1Ti 1:1-20

1 Timothy is put in mind of the charge which was given unto him by Paul at his going to Macedonia.

5 Of the right use and end of the law.

11 Of Saint Paul's calling to be an apostle;

20 and Hymenaeus and Alexander.

Maclaren: 1Ti 1:5

The End Of The Commandment

Now, the end of the commandment is love, out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned.'--1 Tim. 1:5.

THE Apostle has just said that he left Timothy in Ephesus, in order to check some tendencies there which were giving anxiety. Certain teachers had appeared, the effect of whose activity was to create parties, to foster useless speculations, and to turn the minds of the Ephesian Christians away from the practical and moral side of Christianity. In opposition to these, the Apostle here lays down the broad principle that God has spoken, not in order to make acute theologians, or to provide materials for controversy, but in order to help us to love. The whole of these latest letters of the Apostle breathe the mellow wisdom of old age, which has learned to rate brilliant intellectualism, agility, incontroversial fence and the like, far lower than homely goodness. And so, says Paul, the end of the commandment is love.'

Now he here states, not only the purpose of the divine revelation, but gives us a summary, but yet sufficient, outline of the method by which God works towards that purpose. The commandment is the beginning, love is the end or aim. And between these two there are inserted three things, a pure heart,' a good conscience,' faith unfeigned.' Now of these three the two former are closely connected, and the third is the cause, or condition, of both of them. It is, therefore, properly named last as being first in order, and therefore last reached in analysis. When you track a stream from its mouth to its source, the fountain-head is the last thing that you come to. And here we have, as in these great lakes in Central Africa --out of which finally the Nile issues--the stages of the flow. There are the twin lakes, a good conscience' and a pure heart.' These come from unfeigned faith,' which lies higher up in the hills of God; and they run down into the love which is the end of the commandment.' The faith lays hold on the commandment, and so the process is complete. Or, if you begin at the top, instead of at the bottom, God gives the word; faith grasps the word, and thereby nourishes a pure heart' and a good conscience,' and thereby produces a universal love. So, then, we have three steps to look at here.

I. First Of All, What God Speaks To Us For.

The end of the commandment is love.'

Now, I take it that the word commandment' here means, not this or that specific precept, but the whole body of Christian revelation, considered as containing laws for life. And to begin with, and only to mention, it is something to get that point of view, that all which God says, be it promise, be it self-manifestation, be it threatening, or he it anything else, has a preceptive bearing, and is meant to influence life and conduct. I shall have a word or two more to say about that presently, but note, just as we go on, how remarkable it is, and how full of lessons, if we will ponder it, that one name for the Gospel on the lips of the man who had most to say about the contrast between Gospel and Law is commandment.' Try to feel the stringency of that aspect of evangelical truth and of Christian revelation.

Then I need not remind you how here the indefinite expression love' must be taken, as I think is generally the case in the New Testament, when the object on which the love rests is not defined, as including both of the twin commandments, of which the second, our Master says, is like unto the first, love to God and love to man. In the Christian idea these two are one. They are shoots from the one root. The only difference is that the one climbs and the other grows along the levels of earth. There is no gulf set in the New Testament teaching, and there ought to be none in the practice and life of a Christian man, between the love of God and the love of man. They are two aspects of one thing.

Then, if so, mark how, according to the Apostle's teaching here, in this one thought of a dual-sided love, one turned upwards, one turned earthwards, there lies the whole perfection of a human soul. You want nothing more if you are rooted and grounded in love.' That will secure all goodness, all morality, all religion, everything that is beautiful, and everything that is noble. And all this is meant to be the result of God's speech to us.

So, then, two very plain practical principles may be deduced and enforced from this first thought. First, the purpose of all revelation and the test of all religion is--character and conduct.

It is all very well to know about God, to have our minds filled with true thoughts about Him, His nature, and dealings with us. Orthodoxy is good, but orthodoxy is a means to an end. There should be nothing in a man's creed which does not act upon his life. Or, if I may put it into technical words, all a man's credenda should be his agenda; and whatsoever he believes should come straight into his life to influence it, and to shape character. Here, then, is the warning against a mere notional orthodoxy, and against regarding Christian truth as being intended mainly to illuminate the understanding, or to be a subject of speculation and discussion. There are people in all generations, and there are plenty of them to-day, who seem to think that the great verities of the Gospel are mainly meant to provide material for controversy--As if religion were intended For nothing else but to be mended'! and that they have done all that can be expected when they have tried to apprehend the true bearing of this revelation, and to contend against misinterpretations. This is the curse of religious controversy, that it blinds men to the practical importance of the truths for which they are fighting. It is as if one were to take some fertile wheat-land, and sand it all over, and roll it down, and make it smooth for a gymnasium, where nothing would grow. So the temper which finds in Christian truth simply a ministration of questions,' as my text says, mars its purpose, and robs itself of all the power and nourishment that it might find there.

No less to be guarded against is the other misconception which the clear grasp of our text would dismiss at once, that the great purpose for which God speaks to us men, in the revelation of Jesus Christ, is that we may, as we say, be forgiven,' and escape any of the temporal or eternal consequences of our wrongdoing. That is a purpose, no doubt, and men Will never rise to the apprehension of the loftiest purposes, nor penetrate to a sympathetic perception of the inmost sweetness of the Gospel, unless they begin with its redemptive aspect, even in the narrowest sense of that word. But there are a miserable number of so-called and of real Christians in this world, and in our churches to-day, who have little conception that God has spoken to them for anything else than to deliver them from the fear of death, and from the incidence on them of future condemnation. He has spoken for this purpose, but the ultimate end of all is that we may be helped to love Him, and so to be like Him. The aim of the commandment is love, and if you ever are tempted to rest in intellectual apprehensions, or to pervert the truth of God into a mere arena on which you can display your skill of fence and your intellectual agility, or if ever you are tempted to think that all is done when the sweet message of forgiveness is sealed upon a man's heart, remember the solemn and plain words of my text--the final purpose of all is that we may love God and man.

But then, on the other side, note that no less distinctly is the sole foundation of this love laid in God's speech. My text, in its elevation of sentiment and character and conduct above doctrine, falls in with the prevailing tendencies of this day; but it provides the safeguards which these tendencies neglect. Notice that this favourite saying of the most advanced school of broad thinkers, who are always talking about the decay of dogma, and the unimportance of doctrine as compared with love, is here uttered by a man who was no sentimentalist, but to whom the Christian system was a most distinct and definite thing, bristling all over with the obnoxious doctrines which are by some of us so summarily dismissed as of no importance. My very text protests against the modern attempt to wrench away the sentiments and emotions produced in men, by the reception of Christian truth, from the truth which it recognises as the only basis on which they can be produced. It declares that the commandment' must come first, before love can follow; and the rest of the letter, although, as I say, it decisively places the end of revelation as being the moral and religious perfecting of men into assimilation with the divine love, no less decisively demands that for such a perfecting there shall be laid the foundation of the truth as it is revealed in Jesus Christ.

And that is what we want to-day in order to make breadth wholesome, and if only we will carry with us the two thoughts, the commandment and love, we shall not go far wrong. But what would you think of a man that said, I do not want any foundations. I want a house to live in'? And pray how are you going to get your house without the foundations? Or would he be a wise man who said, Oh, never mind about putting grapes into the vine vat, and producing fermentation; give me the wine!' Yes! But you must have the fermentation first. The process is not the result, of course, but there is no result without the process. And according to New Testament teaching, which, I am bold to say, is verified by experience, there is no deep, all-swaying, sovereign, heart-uniting love to God which is not drawn from the acceptance of the truth as it is in Jesus Christ.

II. And So I Come, Secondly, To Note The Purifying Which Is Needed Prior To Such Love.

Our text, as I said, divides the process into stages; or, if I may go back to a former illustration, into levels. And on the level immediately above the love, down into which the waters of the twin lakes glide, are a pure heart and a good conscience. These are the requisites for all real and operative love. Now they are closely connected, as it seems to me, more closely so than with either the stage which precedes or that which follows. They are, in fact, two twin thoughts, very closely identified, though not quite identical.

A pure heart is one that has been defecated and cleansed from the impurities which naturally attach to human affections. A good conscience' is one which is void of offence towards God and man, and registers the emotions of a pure heart. It is like a sheet of sensitive paper that, with a broken line, indicates how many hours of sunshine in the day there have been. We need not discuss the question as to which of these two great gifts and blessings which sweeten a whole life come first. In the initial stages of the Christian life I suppose the good conscience precedes the pure heart. For forgiveness which calms the conscience and purges it of the perilous stuff which has been injected into it by our corruptions--forgiveness comes before cleansing, and the conscience is calm before the heart is purified. But in the later stages of the Christian life the order seems to be reversed, and there cannot be in a man a conscience that is good unless there is a heart that is pure.

But however that may be--and it does not affect the general question before us--mark how distinctly Paul lays down here the principle that you will get no real love of God or man out of men whose hearts are foul, and whose consciences are either torpid or stinging them. I need not dwell upon that, for it is plain to anybody that will think for a moment that all sin separates between a man and God; and that from a heart all seething and bubbling, like the crater of a volcano, with foul liquids, and giving forth foul odours, there can come no love worth calling so to God, nor any benevolence worth calling so to man. Wherever there is sin, unrecognised, unconfessed, unpardoned, there is a black barrier built up between a man's heart and the yearning heart of God on the other side. And until that barrier is swept away, until the whole nature receives a new set, until it is delivered from the love of evil, and from its self-centred absorption, and until conscience has taken into grateful hands, if I might so say, the greatest of all gifts, the assurance of the divine forgiveness, I, for one, do not believe that deep, vital, and life transforming love to God is possible. I know that it is very unfashionable, I know it is exceedingly narrow teaching, but it seems to me that it is Scriptural teaching; and it seems to me that if we will strip it of the exaggerations with which it has often been surrounded, and recognise that there may be a kind of instinctive and occasional recognition of a divine love, there may be a yearning after a clear light, and fuller knowledge of it, and yet all the while no real love to God, rooted in and lording over and moulding the life, we shall not find much in the history of the world, or in the experience of ourselves or of others, to contradict the affirmation that you need the cleansing of forgiveness, and the recognition of God's love in Jesus Christ, before you can get love worth calling so in return to Him in men's hearts.

Brethren, there is much to-day to shame Christian men in the singular fact which is becoming more obvious daily, of a divorce between human benevolence and godliness. It is a scandal that there should be so many men in the world who make no pretensions to any sympathy with your Christianity, and who set you an example of benevolence, self-sacrifice, enthusiasm for humanity, as it is called. I believe that the one basis upon which there can be solidly built benevolence to men is devotion to God, because of God's great love to us in Jesus Christ. But I want to stir, if I might not say sting, you and myself into a recognition of our obligations to mankind, more stringent and compelling than we have ever felt it, by this phenomenon of modern life, that a divorce has been proclaimed between philanthropy and religion. The end of the commandment is love, out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience.

III. Lastly, Notice The Condition Of Such Purifying.

To recur to my former illustration, we have to go up country to a still higher level. What feeds the two reservoirs that feed the love? What makes the heart pure and the conscience good? Paul answers, faith unfeigned'; not mere intellectual apprehension, not mere superficial or professed, but deep, genuine, and complete faith which has in it the element of reliance as well as the element of credence. Belief is not all that goes to make faith. Trust is not all that goes to make faith. Belief and trust are indissolubly wedded in the conception of it. Such a faith, which knows what it lays hold of--for it lays hold upon definite truth, and lays hold on what it knows, for it trusts in Him whom the truth reveals--such a faith makes the heart pure and the conscience good.

And how does it do so? By nothing in itself. There is no power in my faith to make me one bit better than I am. There is no power in it to still one accusation of conscience. It is only the condition on which the one power that purges and that calms enters into my heart and works there. The power of faith is the power of that which faith admits to operate in my life. If we open our hearts the fire will come in, and it will thaw the ice, and melt out the foulness from my heart. It is important for practice that we should clearly understand that the great things which the Bible says of faith it says of it only because it is the channel, the medium, the condition, by and on which the real power, which is Jesus Christ Himself, acts upon us. It is not the window, but the sunshine, that floods this building with light. It is not the opened hand, but the gift laid in it, that enriches the pauper. It is not the poor leaden pipe, but the water that flows through it, that fills the cistern, and cleanses it, whilst it fills. It is not your faith, but the Christ whom your faith brings into your heart and conscience, that purges the one, and makes the other void of offence towards God and man.

So, brethren, let us learn the secret of all nobility, of all power, of all righteousness of character and conduct. Put your foot on the lowest round of the ladder, and then aspire and climb, and you will reach the summit. Take the first step, and be true to it after you have taken it, and the last will surely come. He that can say,' We have known and believed the love that God hath to us,' will also be able to say, We love Him because He first loved us.' And this commandment have we of God, that he who loves God loves his brother also.'

MHCC: 1Ti 1:1-4

Jesus Christ is a Christian's hope; all our hopes of eternal life are built upon him; and Christ is in us the hope of glory. The apostle seems to have been the means of Timothy's conversion; who served with him in his ministry, as a dutiful son with a loving father. That which raises questions, is not for edifying; that which gives occasion for doubtful disputes, pulls down the church rather than builds it up. Godliness of heart and life can only be kept up and increased, by the exercise of faith in the truths and promises of God, through Jesus Christ.

MHCC: 1Ti 1:5-11

Whatever tends to weaken love to God, or love to the brethren, tends to defeat the end of the commandment. The design of the gospel is answered, when sinners, through repentance towards God and faith in Jesus Christ, are brought to exercise Christian love. And as believers were righteous persons in God's appointed way, the law was not against them. But unless we are made righteous by faith in Christ, really repenting and forsaking sin, we are yet under the curse of the law, even according to the gospel of the blessed God, and are unfit to share the holy happiness of heaven.

Matthew Henry: 1Ti 1:1-4

Here is, I. The inscription of the epistle, from whom it is sent: Paul an apostle of Jesus Christ, constituted an apostle by the commandment of God our Saviour, and Lord Jesus Christ. His credentials were unquestionable. He had not only a commission, but a commandment, not only from God our Saviour, but from Jesus Christ: he was a preacher of the gospel of Christ, and a minister of the kingdom of Christ. Observe, God is our Saviour. - Jesus Christ, who is our hope. Observe, Jesus Christ is a Christian's hope; our hope is in him, all our hope of eternal life is built upon him; Christ is in us the hope of glory, Col 1:27. He calls Timothy his own son, because he had been an instrument of his conversion, and because he had been a son that served him, served with him in the gospel, Phi 2:22. Timothy had not been wanting in the duty of a son to Paul, and Paul was not wanting in the care and tenderness of a father to him.

II. The benediction is, grace, mercy, and peace, from God our Father. Some have observed that whereas in all the epistles to the churches the apostolical benediction is grace and peace, in these two epistles to Timothy and that to Titus it is grace, mercy, and peace: as if ministers had more need of God's mercy than other men. Ministers need more grace than others, to discharge their duty faithfully; and they need more mercy than others, to pardon what is amiss in them: and if Timothy, so eminent a minister, must be indebted to the mercy of God, and needed the increase and continuance of it, how much more do we ministers, in these times, who have so little of his excellent spirit!

III. Paul tells Timothy what was the end of his appointing him to this office: I besought thee to abide at Ephesus. Timothy had a mind to go with Paul, was loth to go from under his wing, but Paul would have it so; it was necessary for the public service: I besought thee, says he. Though he might assume an authority to command him, yet for love's sake he chose rather to beseech him. Now his business was to take care to fix both the ministers and the people of that church: Charge them that they teach no other doctrine than what they have received, that they do not add to the Christian doctrine, under pretence of improving it or making up the defects of it, that they do no alter it, but cleave to it as it was delivered to them. Observe, 1. Ministers must not only be charged to preach the true doctrine of the gospel, but charged to preach no other doctrine. If an angel from heaven preach any other doctrine, let him be anathema, Gal 1:8. 2. In the times of the apostles there were attempts made to corrupt Christianity ( we are not as many, who corrupt the word, 2Co 2:17), otherwise this charge to Timothy might have been spared. 3. He must not only see to it that he did not preach any other doctrine, but he must charge others that they might not add any thing of their own to the gospel, or take any thing from it, but that they preach it pure and uncorrupt. He must also take care to prevent their regarding fables, and endless genealogies, and strifes of words. This is often repeated in these two epistles (as 1Ti 4:7; 1Ti 6:4; 2Ti 2:23), as well as in the epistle to Titus. As among the Jews there were some who brought Judaism into Christianity; so among the Gentiles there were some who brought paganism into Christianity. "Take heed of these,"says he, "watch against them, or they will be the corrupting and ruining of religion among you, for they minister questions rather than edifying. "That which ministers questions is not for edifying; that which gives occasion for doubtful disputes pulls down the church rather than builds it up. And I think, by a parity of reason, every thing else that ministers questions rather than godly edifying should be disclaimed and disregarded by us, such as an uninterrupted succession in the ministry from the apostles down to these times, the absolute necessity of episcopal ordination, and of the intention of the minister to the efficacy and validity of the sacraments he ministers. These are as bad as Jewish fables and endless genealogies, for they involve us in inextricable difficulties, and tend only to shake the foundations of a Christian's hope and to fill his mind with perplexing doubts and fears. Godly edifying is the end ministers should aim at in all their discourses, that Christians may be improving in godliness and growing up to a greater likeness to the blessed God. Observe, further, Godly edifying must be in faith: the gospel is the foundation on which we build; it is by faith that we come to God at first (Heb 11:6), and it must be in the same way, and by the same principle of faith, that we must be edified. Again, Ministers should avoid, as much as may be, what will occasion disputes; and would do well to insist on the great and practical points of religion, about which there can be no disputes; for even disputes about great and necessary truths draw off the mind from the main design of Christianity, and eat out the vitals of religion, which consist in practice and obedience as well as in faith, that we may not hold the truth in unrighteousness, but may keep the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience.

Matthew Henry: 1Ti 1:5-11

Here the apostle instructs Timothy how to guard against the judaizing teachers, or others who mingled fables and endless genealogies with the gospel. He shows the use of the law, and the glory of the gospel.

I. He shows the end and uses of the law: it is intended to promote love, for love is the fulfilling of the law, Rom 13:10.

1. The end of the commandment is charity, or love, Rom 13:8. The main scope and drift of the divine law are to engage us to the love of God and one another; and whatever tends to weaken either our love to God or love to the brethren tends to defeat the end of the commandment: and surely the gospel, which obliges us to love our enemies, to do good to those who hate us (Mat 5:44) does not design to lay aside or supersede a commandment the end whereof is love; so far from it that, on the other hand, we are told that though we had all advantages and wanted charity, we are but as sounding brass and a tinkling cymbal, 1Co 13:1. By this shall all men know that you are my disciples, if you love one another, Joh 13:35. Those therefore who boasted of their knowledge of the law, but used it only as a colour for the disturbance that they gave to the preaching of the gospel (under pretence of zeal for the law, dividing the church and distracting it), defeated that which was the very end of the commandment, and that is love, love out of a pure heart, a heart purified by faith, purified from corrupt affections. In order to the keeping up of holy love our hearts must be cleansed from all sinful love; our love must arise out of a good conscience, kept without offence. Those answer the end of the commandment who are careful to keep a good conscience, from a real belief of the truth of the word of God which enjoins it, here called a faith unfeigned. Here we have the concomitants of that excellency grace charity; they are three: - (1.) A pure heart; there it must be seated, and thence it must take its rise. (2.) A good conscience, in which we must exercise ourselves daily, that we may not only get it, but that we may keep it, Act 24:16. (3.) Faith unfeigned must also accompany it, for it is love without dissimulation: the faith that works by it must be of the like nature, genuine and sincere. Now some who set up for teachers of the law swerved from the very end of the commandment: they set up for disputers, but their disputes proved vain jangling; they set up for teachers, but they pretended to teach others what they themselves did not understand. If the church be corrupted by such teachers, we must not think it strange, for we see from the beginning it was so. Observe, [1.] When persons, especially ministers, swerve from the great law of charity - the end of the commandment, they will turn aside to vain jangling; when a man misses his end and scope, it is no wonder that every step he takes is out of the way. [2.] Jangling, especially in religion, is vain; it is unprofitable and useless as to all that is good, and it is very pernicious and hurtful: and yet many people's religion consists of little else but vain jangling. [3.] Those who deal much in vain jangling are fond and ambitious to be teachers of others; they desire (that is, they affect) the office of teaching. [4.] It is too common for men to intrude into the office of the ministry when they are very ignorant of those things about which they are ton speak: they understand neither what they say nor whereof they affirm; and by such learned ignorance, no doubt, they edify their hearers very much!

2. The use of the law (1Ti 1:8): The law is good, if a man use it lawfully. The Jews used it unlawfully, as an engine to divide the church, a cover to the malicious opposition they made to the gospel of Christ; they set it up for justification, and so used it unlawfully. We must not therefore think to set it aside, but use it lawfully, for the restraint of sin. The abuse which some have made of the law does not take away the use of it; but, when a divine appointment has been abused, call it back to its right use and take away the abuses, for the law is still very useful as a rule of life; though we are not under it as under a covenant of works, yet it is good to teach us what is sin and what is duty. It is not made for a righteous man, that is, it is not made for those who observe it; for, if we could keep the law, righteousness would be by the law (Gal 3:21): but it is made for wicked persons, to restrain them, to check them, and to put a stop to vice and profaneness. It is the grace of God that changes men's hearts; but the terrors of the law may be of use to tie their hands and restrain their tongues. A righteous man does not want those restraints which are necessary for the wicked; or at least the law is not made primarily and principally for the righteous, but for sinners of all sorts, whether in a greater or less measure, 1Ti 1:9, 1Ti 1:10. In this black roll of sinners, he particularly mentions breaches of the second table, duties which we owe to our neighbour; against the fifth and sixth commandments, murderers of fathers and mothers, and manslayers; against the seventh, whoremongers, and those that defile themselves with mankind; against the eighth, men-stealers; against the ninth, liars and perjured persons; and then he closes his account with this, and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine. Some understand this as an institution of a power in the civil magistrate to make laws against such notorious sinners as are specified, and to see those laws put in execution.

II. He shows the glory and grace of the gospel. Paul's epithets are expressive and significant; and frequently every one is a sentence: as here (1Ti 1:11), According to the glorious gospel of the blessed God. Let us learn hence, 1. To call God blessed God, infinitely happy in the enjoyment of himself and his own perfections. 2. To call the gospel the glorious gospel, for so it is: much of the glory of God appears in the works of creation and providence, but much more in the gospel, where it shines in the face of Jesus Christ. Paul reckoned it a great honour put upon him, and a great favour done him, that this glorious gospel was committed to his trust; that is, the preaching of it, for the framing of it is not committed to any man or company of men in the world. The settling of the terms of salvation in the gospel of Christ is God's own work; but the publishing of it to the world is committed to the apostles and ministers. Note here, (1.) The ministry is a trust, for the gospel was committed unto this apostle; it is an office of trust as well as of power, and the former more than the latter; for this reason ministers are called stewards, 1Co 4:1. (2.) It is a glorious trust, because the gospel committed to them is a glorious gospel; it is a trust of very great importance. God's glory is very much concerned in it. Lord, what a trust is committed to us! How much grace do we want, to be found faithful in this great trust!

Barclay: 1Ti 1:1-2

Never a man magnified his office as Paul did. He did not magnify it in pride; he magnified it in wonder that God had chosen him for a task like that. Twice in the opening words of this letter he lays down the greatness of his privilege.

(i) First, he calls himself an apostle of Christ Jesus. Apostle is the Greek word apostolos (652), from the verb apostellein (649) which means to send out; an apostolos (652) was one who was sent out. As far back as Herodotus it means an envoy, an ambassador, one who is sent out to represent his country and his king. Paul always regarded himself as the envoy and ambassador of Christ. And, in truth, that is the office of every Christian. It is the first duty of every ambassador to form a liaison between the country to which he is sent and the country from which he has come. He is the connecting link. And the first duty of every Christian is to be a connecting link between his fellow-men and Jesus Christ.

(ii) Secondly, he says that he is an apostle by the royal command of God. The word he uses is epitage (2003). This is the word Greek uses for the injunctions which some inviolable law lays on a man; for the royal command which comes to a man from the king; and above all for the instructions which come to a man either directly or by some oracle from God. For instance, a man in an inscription dedicates an altar to the goddess Cybele, kat' (2596) epitagen (2003), in accordance with the command of the goddess, which, he tells us, had come to him in a dream. Paul thought of himself as a man holding the king's commission.

If any man can arrive at this consciousness of being despatched by God, a new splendour enters into life. However humble his part may be in it, he is on royal service.

"Life can never be dull again

When once we've thrown our windows open wide

And seen the mighty world that lies outside,

And whispered to ourselves this wondrous thing,

'We're wanted for the business of the King!' "

It is always a privilege to do even the most menial things for someone whom we love and respect and admire. All his life the Christian is on the business of the King.

Paul goes on to give to God and to Jesus two great titles.

He speaks of God, our Saviour. This is a new way of speaking. We do not find this title for God in any of Paul's earlier letters. There are two backgrounds from which it comes.

(a) It comes from an Old Testament background. It is Moses' charge against Israel that Jeshurun "forsook God who made him, and scoffed at the Rock of his Salvation" (Deu 32:15). The Psalmist sings of how the good man will receive righteousness from the God of his salvation (Psa 24:5). It is Mary's song, "My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour" (Luk 1:46-47). When Paul called God Saviour, he was going back to an idea which had always been dear to Israel.

(b) There is a pagan background. It so happened that just at this time the title soter (4990), Saviour, was much in use. Men had always used it. In the old days the Romans had called Scipio, their great general, "our hope and our salvation." But at this very time it was the title which the Greeks gave to Aesculapius, the god of healing. And it was one of the titles which Nero, the Roman Emperor, had taken to himself. So in this opening sentence Paul is taking the title which was much on the lips of a seeking and a wistful world and giving it to the only person to whom it belonged by right.

We must never forget that Paul called God Saviour. It is possible to take a quite wrong idea of the Atonement. Sometimes people speak of it in a way which indicates that something Jesus did pacified the anger of God. The idea they give is that God was bent on our destruction and that somehow his wrath was turned to love by Jesus. Nowhere in the New Testament is there any support for that. It was because God so loved the world that he sent Jesus into the world (Joh 3:16). God is Saviour. We must never think or preach or teach of a God who had to be pacified and persuaded into loving us, for everything begins from his love.

Barclay: 1Ti 1:1-2

Paul uses a title which was to become one of the great titles of Jesus--"Christ Jesus, our hope." Long ago the Psalmist had demanded of himself: "Why are you cast down, O my soul?" And he had answered: "Hope in God" (Psa 43:5). Paul himself speaks of "Christ in you, the hope of glory" (Col 1:27). John speaks of the dazzling prospect which confronted the Christian, the prospect of being like Christ; and goes on to say: "Every one who thus hopes purifies himself as he is pure" (1Jo 3:2-3).

In the early Church this was to become one of the most precious titles of Christ. Ignatius of Antioch, when on his way to execution in Rome, writes to the Church in Ephesus: "Be of good cheer in God the Father and in Jesus Christ our common hope" (Ignatius: To the Ephesians 21:2). Polycarp writes: "Let us therefore persevere in our hope and the earnest of our righteousness, who is Jesus Christ" (Epistle of Polycarp 8).

(i) Men found in Christ the hope of moral victory and of self-conquest. The ancient world knew its sin. Epictetus had spoken wistfully of "our weakness in necessary things." Seneca had said that "we hate our vices and love them at the same time." He said, "We have not stood bravely enough by our good resolutions; despite our will and resistance we have lost our innocence. Nor is it only that we have acted amiss; we shall do so to the end." Persius, the Roman poet, wrote poignantly: "Let the guilty see virtue, and pine that they have lost her for ever." Persius talks of "filthy Natta benumbed by vice." The ancient world knew its moral helplessness only too well; and Christ came, not only telling men what was right, but giving them the power to do it. Christ gave to men who had lost it the hope of moral victory instead of defeat.

(ii) Men found in Christ the hope of victory over circumstances. Christianity came into the world in an age of the most terrible personal insecurity. When Tacitus, the Roman historian, came to write the history of that very age in which the Christian Church came into being, he began by saying, "I am entering upon the history of a period rich in disaster, gloomy with wars, rent with seditions; nay, savage in its very hours of peace. Four emperors perished by the sword; there were three civil wars; there were more with foreigners, and some had the character of both at once ... Rome wasted by fires; its oldest temples burned; the very capitol set in flames by Roman hands; the defilement of sacred rites; adultery in high places; the sea crowded with exiles; island rocks drenched with murder; yet wilder was the frenzy in Rome; nobility, wealth, the refusal of office, its acceptance, everything was a crime, and virtue was the surest way to ruin. Nor were the rewards of the informers less odious than their deeds. One found his spoils in a priesthood or a consulate; another in a provincial governorship, another behind the throne. All was one delirium of hate and terror; slaves were bribed to betray their masters, freedmen their patrons; and he who had no foe was betrayed by his friend." (Tacitus: Histories 1, 2). As Gilbert Murray said, the whole age was suffering from "the failure of nerve." Men were longing for some ring-wall of defence against "the advancing chaos of the world." It was Christ who in such times gave men the strength to live, and the courage, if need be, to die. In the certainty that nothing on earth could separate them from the love of God in Christ Jesus, men found victory over the terrors of the age.

(iii) Men found in Christ the hope of victory over death. They found in him, at one and the same time, strength for mortal things and the immortal hope. Christ, our hope, was--and still should be--the battle-cry of the Church.

Barclay: 1Ti 1:1-2

It is to Timothy that this letter is sent, and Paul was never able to speak of him without affection in his voice.

Timothy was a native of Lystra in the province of Galatia. It was a Roman colony; it called itself "the most brilliant colony of Lystra," but in reality it was a little place at the ends of the civilized earth. Its importance was that there was a Roman garrison quartered there to keep control of the wild tribes of the Isaurian mountains which lay beyond. It was on the first missionary journey that Paul and Barnabas arrived there (Act 14:8-21). At that time there is no mention of Timothy; but it has been suggested that, when Paul was in Lystra, he found a lodging in Timothy's home, in view of the fact that he knew well the faith and devotion of Timothy's mother Eunice and of his grandmother Lois (2Ti 1:5).

On that first visit Timothy must have been very young, but the Christian faith laid hold upon him, and Paul became his hero. It was at Paul's visit to Lystra on the second missionary journey that life began for Timothy (Act 16:1-3). Young as he was, he had become one of the ornaments of the Christian Church in Lystra. There was such a charm and enthusiasm in the lad that all men spoke well of him. To Paul, he seemed the very man to be his assistant. Maybe even then he had dreams that this lad was the very person to train to take up his work when his day was over.

Timothy was the child of a mixed marriage; his mother was a Jewess, and his father a Greek (Act 16:1). Paul circumcised him. It was not that Paul was a slave of the law, or that he saw in circumcision any special virtue; but he knew well that if Timothy was to work amongst the Jews, there would be an initial prejudice against him if he was uncircumcised, and so he took this step as a practical measure to increase Timothy's usefulness as an evangelist.

From that time forward Timothy was Paul's constant companion. He was left behind at Beroea with Silas when Paul escaped to Athens, and later joined him there (Act 17:14-15, Act 18:5). He was sent as Paul's emissary to Macedonia (Act 19:22). He was there when the collection from the Churches was being taken to Jerusalem (Act 20:4). He was with Paul in Corinth when Paul wrote his letter to Rome (Rom 16:21). He was Paul's emissary to Corinth when there was trouble in that unruly Church (1Co 4:17; 1Co 16:10). He was with Paul when he wrote 2 Corinthians (2Co 1:1; 2Co 1:19). It was Timothy whom Paul sent to see how things were going in Thessalonica and he was with Paul when he wrote his letter to that Church (1Th 1:1; 1Th 3:2, 1Th 3:6). He was with Paul in prison when he wrote to Philippi, and Paul was planning to send him to Philippi as his representative (Phi 1:1; Phi 2:19). He was with Paul when he wrote to the Church at Colossae and to Philemon (Col 1:1; Phm 1:1). Constantly Timothy was by Paul's side, and when Paul had a difficult job to do Timothy was the man sent to do it.

Over and over again Paul's voice vibrates with affection when he speaks of Timothy. When he is sending him to that sadly divided Church at Corinth, he writes: "I have sent to you Timothy, my beloved and faithful child in the Lord" (1Co 4:17). When he is planning to send him to Philippi, he writes: "I have no one like him.... As a son with a father he has served with me in the gospel" (Phi 2:20, Phi 2:22). Here he calls him "his true son." The word that he uses for "true" is gnesios (1103). It has two meanings. It was the normal word for a legitimate child in contradistinction to illegitimate. It was the word for genuine, as opposed to counterfeit.

Timothy was the man whom Paul could trust and could send anywhere, knowing that he would go. Happy indeed is the leader who possesses a lieutenant like that. Timothy is our example of how we should serve in the faith. Christ and his Church need servants like that.

Barclay: 1Ti 1:1-2

Paul always began his letters with a blessing (Rom 1:7; 1Co 1:3; 2Co 1:2; Gal 1:3; Eph 1:2; Phi 1:2; Col 1:2; 1Th 1:1; 2Th 1:2; Phm 1:3). In all these other letters only Grace and Peace occur. It is only in the letters to Timothy that Mercy is used (2Ti 1:2; Tit 1:4). Let us look at these three great words.

(i) In Grace there are always three dominant ideas.

(a) In classical Greek the word means outward grace or favour, beauty, winsomeness, sweetness. Usually, although not always, it is applied to persons. The English word charm comes near to expressing its meaning. Grace is characteristically a lovely and a winsome thing.

(b) In the New Testament there is always the idea of sheer generosity. Grace is something unearned and undeserved. It is opposed to that which is a debt. Paul says that if it is a case of earning things, the reward is not a matter of grace, but of debt (Rom 4:4). It is opposed to works. Paul says that God's election of his chosen people is not the consequence of works, but of grace (Rom 11:6).

© In the New Testament there is always the idea of sheer universality. Again and again Paul uses the word grace in connection with the reception of the Gentiles into the family of God. He thanks God for the grace given to the Corinthians in Jesus Christ (1Co 1:4). He talks of the grace of God bestowed on the Churches of Macedonia (2Co 8:1). He talks of the Galatians being called into the grace of Christ (Gal 1:6). The hope which came to the Thessalonians came through grace (2Th 2:16). It was God's grace which made Paul an apostle to the Gentiles (1Co 15:10). It was by the grace of God that he moved amongst the Corinthians (2Co 1:12). It was by grace that God called him and separated him from his mother's womb (Gal 1:15). It is the grace given to him by God which enables him to write boldly to the Church at Rome (Rom 15:15). To Paul the great demonstration of the grace of God was the reception of the Gentiles into the Church and his apostleship to them.

Grace is a lovely thing; it is a free thing; and it is a universal thing. As F. J. Hort wrote so beautifully: "Grace is a comprehensive word, gathering up all that may be supposed to be expressed in the smile of a heavenly king, looking down upon his people."

(ii) Peace was the normal Jewish word of greeting, and, in Hebrew thought, it expresses, not simply the negative absence of trouble, but "the most comprehensive form of well-being." It is everything which makes for a man's highest good. It is the state a man is in when he is within the love of God. F. J. Hort writes: "Peace is the antithesis to every kind of conflict and war and molestation, to enmity without and distraction within."

"Bowed down beneath a load of sin,

By Satan sorely pressed,

By war without and fears within,

I come to thee for rest."

(iii) Mercy is the new word in the apostolic blessing. In Greek the word is eleos (1656), and in Hebrew chesed (02617). Now chesedh is the word which is often in the Old Testament translated loving-kindness; and when Paul prayed for mercy on Timothy, he is saying, to put it very simply, "Timothy, may God be good to you." But there is more to it than that. Chesed (02617) is used in the Psalms no fewer than one hundred and twenty-seven times. And time and time again it has the meaning of help in time of need. It denotes, as Parry puts it, "God's active intervention to help." As Hort puts it, "It is the coming down of the Most High to help the helpless." In Psa 40:11the Psalmist rejoices, "Thy steadfast love and thy faithfulness ever preserve me." In Psa 57:3he says, "He will send from heaven and save me... God will send forth his steadfast love and his faithfulness." In Psa 86:14-16he thinks of the forces of the evil men which are arrayed against him, and comforts himself with the thought that God is "abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness." It is by God's abundant mercy that he has given us the living hope of the resurrection (1Pe 1:3). The Gentiles should glorify God for that mercy which has rescued them from sin and hopelessness (Rom 15:9). God's mercy is God active to save. It may well be that Paul added Mercy to his two usual words, Grace and Peace, because Timothy was up against it and he wanted in one word to tell him that the Most High was the help of the helpless.

Barclay: 1Ti 1:3-7

It is clear that at the back of the Pastoral Epistles there is some heresy which is endangering the Church. Right at the beginning it will be well to try to see what this heresy is. We will therefore collect the facts about it now.

This very passage brings us face to face with two of its great characteristics. It dealt in idle tales and endless genealogies. These two things were not peculiar to this heresy but were deeply engrained in the thought of the ancient world.

First, the idle tales. One of the characteristics of the ancient world was that the poets and even the historians loved to work out romantic and fictitious tales about the foundation of cities and of families. They would tell how some god came to earth and founded the city or took in marriage some mortal maid and founded a family. The ancient world was full of stories like that.

Second, the endless genealogies. The ancient world had a passion for genealogies. We can see that even in the Old Testament with its chapters of names and in the New Testament with the genealogies of Jesus with which Matthew and Luke begin their gospels. A man like Alexander the Great had a completely artificial pedigree constructed in which he traced his lineage back on the one side to Achilles and Andromache and on the other to Perseus and Hercules.

It would be the easiest thing in the world for Christianity to get lost in endless and fabulous stories about origins and in elaborate and imaginary genealogies. That was a danger which was inherent in the situation in which Christian thought was developing.

It was peculiarly threatening from two directions.

It was threatening from the Jewish direction. To the Jews there was no book in the world like the Old Testament. Their scholars spent a lifetime studying it and expounding it. In the Old Testament many chapters and many sections are long genealogies; and one of the favourite occupations of the Jewish scholars was to construct an imaginary and edifying biography for every name in the list! A man could go on for ever doing that; and it may be that that was what was partly in Paul's mind. He may be saying, "When you ought to be working at the Christian life, you are working out imaginary biographies and genealogies. You are wasting your time on elegant fripperies, when you should be getting down to life and living." This may be a warning to us never to allow Christian thinking to get lost in speculations which do not matter.

Barclay: 1Ti 1:3-7

But this danger came with an even greater threat from the Greek side. At this time in history there was developing a Greek line of thought which came to be known as Gnosticism. We find it specially in the background of the Pastoral Epistles, the Letter to the Colossians and the Fourth Gospel.

Gnosticism was entirely speculative. It began with the problem of the origin of sin and of suffering. If God is altogether good, he could not have created them. How then did they get into the world? The Gnostic answer was that creation was not creation out of nothing; before time began matter existed. They believed that this matter was essentially imperfect, an evil thing; and out of this essentially evil matter the world was created.

No sooner had they got this length than they ran into another difficulty. If matter is essentially evil and God is essentially good, God could not himself have touched this matter. So they began another set of speculations. They said that God put out an emanation, and that this emanation put out another emanation, and the second emanation put out a third emanation and so on and on until there came into being an emanation so distant from God that he could handle matter; and that it was not God but this emanation who created the world.

They went further. They held that each successive emanation knew less about God so that there came a stage in the series of emanations when the emanations were completely ignorant of him and, more, there was a final stage when the emanations were not only ignorant of God but actively hostile to him. So they arrived at the thought that the god who created the world was quite ignorant of and hostile to the true God. Later on they went even further and identified the God of the Old Testament with this creating god, and the God of the New Testament with the true God.

They further provided each one of the emanations with a complete biography. And so they built up an elaborate mythology of gods and emanations, each with his story and his biography and his genealogy. There is no doubt that the ancient world was riddled with that kind of thinking; and that it even entered the Church itself. It made Jesus merely the greatest of the emanations, the one closest to God. It classed him as the highest link in the endless chain between God and man.

This Gnostic line of thought had certain characteristics which appear all through the Pastoral Epistles as the characteristics of those whose heresies were threatening the Church and the purity of the faith.

(i) Gnosticism was obviously highly speculative, and it was therefore intensely intellectually snobbish. It believed that all this intellectual speculation was quite beyond the mental grasp of ordinary people and was for a chosen few, the elite of the Church. So Timothy is warned against "godless chatter and contradictions of what is falsely called knowledge" (1Ti 6:20). He is warned against a religion of speculative questions instead of humble faith (1Ti 1:4). He is warned against the man who is proud of his intellect but really knows nothing and dotes about questions and strifes of words (1Ti 6:4). He is told to shun "godless chatter," for they can produce only ungodliness (2Ti 2:16). He is told to avoid "stupid, senseless controversies" which in the end can only engender strife (2Ti 2:23). Further, the Pastoral Epistles go out of their way to stress the fact that this idea of an intellectual aristocracy is quite wrong, for God's love is universal. God wants all men to be saved and all men to come to a knowledge of the truth (1Ti 2:4). God is the Saviour of all men, especially those who believe (1Ti 4:10). The Christian Church would have nothing to do with any kind of faith which was founded on intellectual speculation and set up an arrogant intellectual aristocracy.

(ii) Gnosticism was concerned with this long series of emanations. It gave to each of them a biography and a pedigree and an importance in the chain between God and men. These gnostics were concerned with "endless genealogies" (1Ti 1:4). They went in for "godless and silly myths" about them (1Ti 4:7). They turned their ears away from the truth to myths (2Ti 4:4). They dealt in fables like the Jewish myths (Tit 1:14). Worst of all, they thought in terms of two gods and of Jesus as one of a whole series of mediators between God and man; whereas "there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus" (1Ti 2:5). There is only one King of ages, immortal, invisible, there is only one God (1Ti 1:17). Christianity had to repudiate a religion which took their unique place from God and from Jesus Christ.

Barclay: 1Ti 1:3-7

The danger of Gnosticism was not only intellectual. It had serious moral and ethical consequences. We must remember that its basic belief was that matter was essentially evil and spirit alone was good. That issued in two opposite results.

(i) If matter is evil, the body is evil; and the body must be despised and held down. Therefore Gnosticism could and did issue in a rigid asceticism. It forbade men to marry, for the instincts of the body were to be suppressed. It laid down strict food laws, for the needs of the body must as far as possible be eliminated. So the Pastorals speak of those who forbid to marry and who command to abstain from meats (1Ti 4:3). The answer to these people is that everything which God has created is good and is to be received with thanksgiving (1Ti 4:4). The Gnostic looked on creation as an evil thing, the work of an evil god; the Christian looks on creation as a noble thing, the gift of a good God. The Christian lives in a world where all things are pure; the Gnostic lived in a world where all things were defiled (Tit 1:15).

(ii) But Gnosticism could issue in precisely the opposite ethical belief. If the body is evil, it does not matter what a man does with it. Therefore, let him sate his appetites. These things are of no importance, therefore a man can use his body in the most licentious way and it makes no difference. So the Pastorals speak of those who lead away weak women until they are laden with sin and the victims of all kinds of lusts (2Ti 3:6). Such men profess to know God, but they deny him by their deeds (Tit 1:16). They used their religious beliefs as an excuse for immorality.

(iii) Gnosticism had still another consequence. The Christian believes in the resurrection of the body. That is not to say that he ever believed that we are resurrected with this mortal, human body; but he always believed that after resurrection from the dead a man would have a spiritual body, provided by God. Paul discusses this whole question in 1Cor 15 . The Gnostic held that there was no such thing as the resurrection of the body (2Ti 2:18). After death a man would be a kind of disembodied spirit. The basic difference is that the Gnostic believed in the body's destruction; the Christian believes in its redemption. The Gnostic believed in what he would call soul salvation; the Christian believes in whole salvation.

So behind the Pastoral Epistles there are these dangerous heretics, who gave their lives to intellectual speculations, who saw this as an evil world and the creating god as evil, who put between the world and God an endless series of emanations and lesser gods and spent their time equipping each of them with endless fables and genealogies, who reduced Jesus to the position of a link in a chain and took away his uniqueness, who lived either in a rigorous asceticism or an unbridled licentiousness, who denied the resurrection of the body. It was their heretical beliefs that the Pastorals were written to combat.

Barclay: 1Ti 1:3-7

In this passage there is a clear picture of the mind of the dangerous heretic. There is a kind of heresy in which a man differs from orthodox belief because he has honestly thought things out and cannot agree with it. He does not take any pride in being different; he is different simply because he has to be. Such a heresy does not spoil a man's character; it may in fact enhance his character, because he has really thought out his faith and is not living on a second-hand orthodoxy. But that is not the heretic whose picture is drawn here. Here are distinguished five characteristics of the dangerous heretic.

(i) He is driven by the desire for novelty. He is like someone who must be in the latest fashion and must undergo the latest craze. He despises old things for no better reason than that they are old, and desires new things for no better reason than that they are new. Christianity has always the problem of presenting old truth in a new way. The truth does not change, but every age must find its own way of presenting it. Every teacher and preacher must talk to men in language which they understand. The old truth and the new presentation go ever hand in hand.

(ii) He exalts the mind at the expense of the heart. His conception of religion is speculation and not experience. Christianity has never demanded that a man should stop thinking for himself, but it does demand that his thinking should be dominated by a personal experience of Jesus Christ.

(iii) He deals in argument instead of action. He is more interested in abstruse discussion than in the effective administration of the household of the faith. He forgets that the truth is not only something which a man accepts with his mind, but is also something which he translates into action. Long ago the distinction between the Greek and the Jew was drawn. The Greek loved argument for the sake of argument; there was nothing that he liked better than to sit with a group of friends and indulge in a series of mental acrobatics and enjoy "the stimulus of a mental hike." But he was not specially interested in reaching conclusions, and in evolving a principle of action. The Jew, too, liked argument; but he wished every argument to end in a decision which demanded action. There is always a danger of heresy when we fall in love with words and forget deeds, for deeds are the acid test by which every argument must be tested.

(iv) He is moved by arrogance rather than by humility. He looks down with a certain contempt on simple-minded people who cannot follow his flights of intellectual speculation. He regards those who do not reach his own conclusions as ignorant fools. The Christian has somehow to combine an immovable certainty with a gentle humility.

(v) He is guilty of dogmatism without knowledge. He does not really know what he is talking about nor really understand the significance of the things about which he dogmatizes. The strange thing about religious argument is that everyone thinks that he has a right to express a dogmatic opinion. In all other fields we demand that a person should have a certain knowledge before he lays down the law. But there are those who dogmatize about the Bible and its teaching although they have never even tried to find out what the experts in language and history have said. It may well be that the Christian cause has suffered more from ignorant dogmatism than from anything else.

When we think of the characteristics of those who were troubling the Church at Ephesus we can see that their descendants are still with us.

Barclay: 1Ti 1:3-7

As this passage draws the picture of the thinker who disturbs the Church, it also draws the picture of the really Christian thinker. He, too, has five characteristics.

(i) His thinking is based on faith. Faith means taking God at his word; it means believing that he is as Jesus proclaimed him to be. That is to say, the Christian thinker begins from the principle that Jesus Christ has given the full revelation of God.

(ii) His thinking is motivated by love. Paul's whole purpose is to produce love. To think in love will always save us from certain things. It will save us from arrogant thinking. It will save us from contemptuous thinking. It will save us from condemning either that with which we do not agree, or that which we do not understand. It will save us from expressing our views in such a way that we hurt other people. Love saves us from destructive thinking and destructive speaking. To think in love is always to think in sympathy. The man who argues in love argues not to defeat his opponent, but to win him.

(iii) His thinking comes from a pure heart. Here the word used is very significant. It is katharos (2513), which originally simply meant clean as opposed to soiled or dirty. Later it came to have certain most suggestive uses. It was used of corn that has been winnowed and cleansed of all chaff. It was used of an army which had been purified of all cowardly and undisciplined soldiers until there was nothing left but first-class fighting men. It was used of something which was without any debasing admixture. So, then, a pure heart is a heart whose motives are absolutely pure and absolutely unmixed. In the heart of the Christian thinker there is no desire to show how clever he is, no desire to win a purely debating victory, no desire to show up the ignorance of his opponent. His only desire is to help and to illumine and to lead nearer to God. The Christian thinker is moved only by love of truth and love for men.

(iv) His thinking comes from a good conscience. The Greek word for conscience is suneidesis (4893). It literally means a knowing with. The real meaning of conscience is a knowing with oneself. To have a good conscience is to be able to look in the face the knowledge which one shares with no one but oneself and not be ashamed. Emerson remarked of Seneca that he said the loveliest things, if only he had the right to say them. The Christian thinker is the man whose thoughts and whose deeds give him the right to say what he does--and that is the most acid test of all.

(v) The Christian thinker is the man of undissembling faith. The phrase literally means the faith in which there is no hypocrisy. That simply means that the great characteristic of the Christian thinker is sincerity. He is sincere both in his desire to find the truth--and in his desire to communicate it.

Barclay: 1Ti 1:8-11

This passage begins with what was a favourite thought in the ancient world. The place of the law is to deal with evil-doers. The good man does not need any law to control his actions or to threaten him with punishments; and in a world of good men there would be no need for laws at all.

Antiphanes, the Greek, had it: "He who does no wrong needs no law." It was the claim of Aristotle that "philosophy enables a man to do without external control that which others do because of fear of the laws." Ambrose, the great Christian bishop, wrote: "The just man has the law of his own mind, of his own equity and of his own justice as his standard; and therefore he is not recalled from fault by terror of punishment, but by the rule of honour." Pagan and Christian alike regarded true goodness as something which had its source in a man's heart; as something which was not dependent on the rewards and punishments of the law.

But in one thing the pagan and the Christian differed. The pagan looked back to an ancient golden time when all things were good and no law was needed. Ovid, the Roman poet, drew one of the most famous pictures of that ancient golden time (Metamorphoses 1: 90-112). "Golden was that first age, which with no one to compel, without a law, of its own will, kept faith and did the right. There was no fear of punishment, no threatening words were to be read on brazen tablets; no suppliant throng gazed fearfully upon the judge's face; but without judges men lived secure. Not yet had the pine tree, felled on its native mountains, descended thence into the watery plain to visit other lands; men knew no shores except their own. Nor, yet were cities begirt with steep moats; there were no trumpets of straight, no horns of curving brass, no swords or helmets. There was no need at all of armed men, for nations, secure from war's alarms, passed the years in gentle peace." Tacitus, the Roman historian, had the same picture (Annals 3: 26). "In the earliest times, when men had as yet no evil passions, they led blameless, guiltless lives, without either punishment or restraint. Led by their own nature to pursue none but virtuous ends, they required no rewards; and as they desired nothing contrary to the right, there was no need for pains and penalties." The ancient world looked back and longed for the days that were gone. But the Christian faith does not look back to a lost golden age; it looks forward to the day when the only law will be the love of Christ within a man's heart, for it is certain that the day of law cannot end until the day of love dawns.

There should be only one controlling factor in the lives of every one of us. Our goodness should come, not from fear of the law, not even from fear of judgment, but from fear of disappointing the love of Christ and of grieving the fatherly heart of God. The Christian's dynamic comes from the fact that he knows sin is not only breaking God's law but also breaking his heart. It is not the law of God but the love of God which constrains us.

Barclay: 1Ti 1:8-11

In an ideal state, when the Kingdom comes, there will be no necessity for any law other than the love of God within a man's heart; but as things are, the case is very different. And here Paul sets out a catalogue of sins which the law must control and condemn. The interest of the passage is that it shows us the background against which Christianity grew up. This list of sins is in fact a description of the world in which the early Christians lived and moved and had their being. Nothing shows us so well how the Christian Church was a little island of purity in a vicious world. We talk about it being hard to be a Christian in modern civilization; we have only to read a passage like this to see how infinitely harder it must have been in the circumstances in which the Church first began. Let us take this terrible list and look at the items on it.

There are the lawless (anomoi, 459). They are those who know the laws of right and wrong and break them open-eyed. No one can blame a man for breaking a law he does not know exists; but the lawless are those who deliberately violate the laws in order to satisfy their own ambitions and desires.

There are the undisciplined (anupotaktoi, 506). They are the unruly and the insubordinate, those who refuse to obey any authority. They are like soldiers who mutinously disobey the word of command. They are either too proud or too unbridled to accept any control.

There are the irreverent (asebeis, 765). Asebeis is a terrible word. It describes not indifference nor the lapse into sin. It describes "positive and active irreligion," the spirit which defiantly withholds from God that which is his right. It describes human nature "in battle array against God."

There are the sinners (hamartoloi, 268). In its commonest usage this word describes character. It can be used, for instance, of a slave who is of lax and useless character. It describes the person who has no moral standards left.

There are the impious (anosioi, 462). Hosios (3741) is a noble word; it describes, as Trench puts it, "the everlasting ordinances of right, which no law or custom of man has constituted, for they are anterior to all law and custom." The things which are hosios (3741) are part of the very constitution of the universe, the everlasting sanctities. The Greek, for instance, shudderingly declared that the Egyptian custom where brother could marry sister and the Persian custom where son could marry mother, were anosia, unholy. The man who is anosios (462) is worse than a mere lawbreaker. He is the man who violates the ultimate decencies of life.

There are the polluted (bebeloi, 952). Bebelos is an ugly word with a strange history. It originally meant simply that which can be trodden upon, in contradistinction to that which is sacred to some god and therefore inviolable. It then came to mean profane in opposition to sacred, then the man who profanes the sacred things, who desecrates God's day, disobeys his laws and belittles his worship. The man who is bebelos (952) soils everything he touches.

There are those who strike or even kill their parents (patraloai, 3964, and metraloai, 3389). Under Roman law a son who struck his parents was liable to death. The words describe sons or daughters who are lost to gratitude, lost to respect and lost to shame. And it must ever be remembered that this most cruel of blows can be one, not upon the body, but upon the heart.

There are the murderers (androphonoi, 409), literally man-slayers. Paul is thinking of the Ten Commandments and of how breach after breach of them characterizes the heathen world. We must not think that this at least has nothing to do with us, for Jesus widened the commandment to include not only the act of murder, but also the feeling of anger against a brother.

There are the fornicators and the homosexuals (pornoi, 4205, and arsenokoitai, 733). It is difficult for us to realize the state of the ancient world in matters of sexual morality. It was riddled with unnatural vice. One of the extraordinary things was the actual connection of immorality and religion. The Temple of Aphrodite, goddess of love, at Corinth had attached to it a thousand priestesses who were sacred prostitutes and who at evening came down to the city streets and plied their trade. It is said that Solon was the first law-maker in Athens to legalize prostitution and that with the profits of the public brothels he instituted a new temple was built to Aphrodite, the goddess of love.

E. F. Brown was a missionary in India, and in his commentary on the Pastoral Epistles he quotes an extraordinary section from the Penal Code of India. A section of that code forbade obscene representations and then went on to say: "This section does not extend to any representation or sculpture, engraved, painted or otherwise represented on or in any temple, or any car used for the conveyance of idols, or kept or used for any religious purpose." It is an extraordinary thing that in the non-Christian religions time and time again immorality and obscenity flourish under the very protection of religion. It has often been said and said truly that chastity was the one completely new virtue which Christianity brought into this world. It was no easy thing in the early days to endeavour to live according to the Christian ethic in a world like that.

There are the andrapodistai (405). The word may either mean slave-dealers or slave-kidnappers. Possibly both meanings are involved here. It is true that slavery was an integral part of the ancient world. It is true that Aristotle declared that civilization was founded on slavery, that certain men and women existed only to perform the menial tasks of life for the convenience of the cultured classes. But even in the ancient world voices were raised against slavery. Philo spoke of slave-dealers as those "who despoil men of their most precious possession, their freedom."

But this more probably refers to kidnappers of slaves. Slaves were valuable property. An ordinary slave with no special gifts fetched from 16 to 20 British pounds. A specially accomplished slave would fetch three or four times as much. Beautiful youths were in special demand as pages and cupbearers and would fetch as much as 800 or 900 British pounds. Marcus Antonius is said to have paid 2,000 British pounds for two well-matched youths who were wrongly represented to be twins. In the days when Rome was specially eager to learn the arts of Greece and slaves who were skilled in Greek literature and music and art were specially valuable, a certain Lutatius Daphnis was sold for 3,500 British pounds. The result was that frequently valuable slaves were either seduced from their masters or kidnapped. The kidnapping of specially beautiful or specially accomplished slaves was a common feature of ancient life.

Finally, there are liars (pseustai, 5583) and perjurers (epiorkoi, 1965), men who did not hesitate to twist the truth to gain dishonourable ends.

Here is a vivid picture of the atmosphere in which the ancient Church grew up. It was against an infection like that that the writer of the Pastorals sought to protect the Christians in his charge.

Barclay: 1Ti 1:8-11

Into this world came the Christian message, and this passage tells us four things about it.

(i) It is sound teaching. The word used for sound (hugiainein, 5198) literally means health-giving. Christianity is an ethical religion. It demands from a man not only the keeping of certain ritual laws, but the living of a good life. E. F. Brown draws a comparison between it and Islam; a Mohammedan may be regarded as a very holy man if he observes certain ceremonial rituals, even though his moral life is quite unclean. He quotes a writer on Morocco: "The great blot on the creed of Islam is that precept and practice are not expected to go together, except as regards the ritual, so that a man may be notoriously wicked yet esteemed religious, having his blessing sought as that of one who has power with God, without the slightest sense of incongruity. The position of things was very well put to me one day by a Moor in Fez, who remarked: 'Do you want to know what our religion is? We purify ourselves with water while we contemplate adultery; we go to the mosque to pray and as we do so we think how best to cheat our neighbours; we give alms at the door and go back to our shop to rob; we read our Korans and go out to commit unmentionable sins; we fast and go on pilgrimage and yet we lie and kill.' " It must always be remembered that Christianity does not mean observing a ritual, even if that ritual consists of bible-reading and church-going; it means living a good life. Christianity, if it is real, is health-giving; it is the moral antiseptic which alone can cleanse life.

(ii) It is a glorious gospel; that is to say, it is glorious good news. It is good news of forgiveness for past sins and of power to conquer sin in the days to come, good news of God's mercy, God's cleansing and God's grace.

(iii) It is good news which comes from God. The Christian gospel is not a discovery made by man; it is something revealed by God. It does not offer only the help of man; it offers the power of God.

(iv) That good news comes through men. It was entrusted to Paul to bring it to others. God makes his offer and he needs his messengers. The real Christian is the person who has himself closed with the offer of God and has realized that he cannot keep such good news to himself but must share it with others who have not yet found it.

Constable: 1Ti 1:1-2

I. SALUTATION 1:1-2

Paul began this very personal letter with a customary salutation to set the tone for what followed. The salutation reveals that this was not just a personal letter, however, as was Paul's epistle to Philemon, but it was also official.

"The opening and closing sections of the pastoral epistles vary considerably from the standard formulae. This suggests a calculated focus toward certain aspects of the author/reader relationship."⁸

1:1 As usual, except in 1 and 2 Thessalonians, Philippians, and Philemon, Paul reminded his readers of his authority as an apostle. Timothy would have read this letter publicly in the Ephesian church, and others would have read it in other congregations later as well.

Paul wrote here that his calling came to him by the commandment or commission of God, not simply by His "will," the term Paul used more often in this connection. Paul received his commission in Damascus (Acts 9). This stronger word is one of many indications that Paul stressed the importance of faithful perseverance in God's calling in this epistle, as he did in 2 Timothy as well.

The idea of God being our Savior is a characteristic emphasis in the Pastorals (2:3; 4:10; Titus 1:3; 2:10; 3:4; cf. Ps. 25:5; 27:1, 9; Hab. 3:18; Isa. 12:2). Jesus Christ is our hope generally in that we have set our hope on Him, and specifically in that we look for His appearing when God will complete our salvation. Paul was not describing the relationship of the Persons in the Godhead to each other but to believers.

"The designation of God as Savior, unusual in Paul, is in keeping with the Old Testament presentation of God (Deut 32:15; Ps 24:5; 27:1; Is 12:2; 17:10). It described the God who delivered his people from their bondage in Egypt and many times thereafter as the initiator and originator of salvation. In the New Testament, of course, God as the Savior is the initiator of the program of deliverance through Christ."⁹

1:2 Paul may have led Timothy to faith in Christ personally, or Timothy may simply have been Paul's "child in the faith" in that he was Paul's protégé (cf. Acts 14:6; 16:1).

Paul added "mercy" to his customary benediction of grace and peace here and in 2 Timothy (cf. 2 John 3). He probably did so because the Jewish blessing "mercy and peace" was one that Paul could appropriately share with his half Jewish child in the faith.¹⁰ However, "mercy" also reminds us that we need God not to give us what we deserve, namely chastisement. These three words summarize all the Christian's blessings.

"It is much more natural to think that the keen solicitude of the aged apostle for his young friend in his difficult position led him to insert the additional prayer for mercy as springing from his own enlarged experience of divine mercy."¹¹

"With these three terms, then, Paul greets Timothy and the church: charis [grace]--God's ongoing forgiveness and enabling, eleos [mercy]--God's sympathy and concern, eirene [peace]--God's tranquility and stability within and among them as individuals and as a Christian community."¹²

The two relationships with God that Paul cited, as our Father and our Lord, are especially significant in this letter. Timothy had a tendency to be fearful, so the reminder that God is our Father would have encouraged him. However, Paul eliminated the possibility of permissiveness implied in "Father" by using "Lord." Timothy needed to remember that the Lord had called him to serve a God who loved him as a father yet deserved complete obedience as a lord. We share Timothy's need.

"Only fifteen times was God referred to as the Father in the Old Testament. Where it does occur, it is used of the nation Israel or to the king of Israel. Never was God called the Father of an individual or of human beings in general (though isolated instances occur in second temple Judaism, Sirach 51:10). In the New Testament numerous references to God as Father can be found."¹³

Constable: 1Ti 1:3-20

II. TIMOTHY'S MISSION IN EPHESUS 1:3-20

In chapter 1 Paul charged Timothy to remain faithful to the task with which Paul had entrusted him in Ephesus. He began by reminding Timothy what that task was and how he should carry out his chief duty. Then he exhorted Timothy to be faithful. He reminded his young protégé of God's power to transform lives and warned him of the danger of acting contrary to his own spiritually sensitive conscience.

"The absence of . . . [a thanksgiving] here supports the observation . . . that 1 Timothy is really for the sake of the church as much as, or more than, for Timothy himself; what is taking place in the church gives no cause for thanksgiving."¹⁴

Constable: 1Ti 1:3-11

A. The task Timothy faced 1:3-11

Paul penned these opening words to remind Timothy to correct teachers in the Ephesian church who were majoring on minor matters in their Bible teaching. In so doing he reminded Timothy of his own responsibility as a communicator of God's truth.

"That the false teachers were . . . probably elders [of the house-churches in Ephesus] is supported by several items from 1 Timothy: their presuming to be teachers of the law' (v. 7), a responsibility of the elders (5:17; cf. 3:2); the fact that two are named and excommunicated by Paul (1:19-20), not by the church as in 2 Thessalonians 3:14 and 1 Corinthians 5:1-5; and the repeated concern about elders in this letter, both as to their qualifications--with no mention of duties--in 3:1-7 and their discipline and apparent replacement in 5:19-25."¹⁵

1:3-4 Paul's geographical movements, to which he referred here, probably took place between his first Roman imprisonment and the writing of this epistle. We cannot fit them into the chronology of Acts. Acts concludes with Paul's first Roman imprisonment. The apostle had left Timothy in Ephesus for the general purpose of acting as his special representative. He was under Paul but over the elders of the church in his authority. As such Timothy occupied a position unique to the apostolic period of church history.¹⁶

"Paul repeats in writing what he had outlined orally for Timothy in order that Timothy might have it black on white and that he might present it as written evidence to those who objected to Timothy's activities . . ."¹⁷

The error of the objects of Paul's criticism seems to have been more in their emphasis than in their content. "Strange doctrines" (Gr. heterodidaskalein) is a general term that contrasts their novel teaching with what is edifying.

"Some see in this teaching the influence of Gentile gnostic philosophy with its speculative views of religious beliefs and practices. Such incipient gnostic elements did circulate in Asia during the latter half of the first century and may have been present here. But that the false teaching combatted in the Pastorals had already become Gnostic in character is doubtful. The Jewish character of the teaching here denounced is obvious."¹⁸

In particular, these teachers seem to have been emphasizing extra-biblical stories that had become part of the traditions of Judaism that grew out of the genealogies of the Old Testament (cf. Titus 1:14; 3:9). "Myths" and "endless genealogies" evidently describe two aspects of one aberration rather than two separate problems. Certain myths about what Jesus did are an example of this ear-tickling entertainment, though these specific myths were not the subject of these false teachers. One of these was that when Jesus was a child he formed a bird out of clay, blew on it, it came to life and flew away.¹⁹

"The lists of bare names in Old Testament genealogies were easily expanded into fictitious histories, supposed to illustrate God's dealings with His people and an example is still preserved to us in the apocalyptic Book of Jubilees. The practice, indeed, was so common that the word genealogy' was often used in the sense of mythical history, and this would seem to be its meaning in the present verse."²⁰

This kind of emphasis, Paul warned, simply generated questions for which there are no real answers rather than contributing to the spiritual maturation of believers (cf. Eph. 4:11-16). John Bunyan reportedly said, "Some love the meat; some love to pick the bones."²¹ Growth is God's goal for Christians, and it involves the exercise of our "faith" (cf. Rom. 1:17).

Examples of similar errors in teaching today would be preoccupation with typology, numerology, or the details of exegesis along with a failure to emphasize the point of the passage being expounded. This failure to emphasize what the writer of Scripture emphasized and to emphasize something else seems to be at the heart of the problem Paul addressed here.²²

"I am personally of the opinion that one of the causes of weakness in the churches today is the virtual disappearance from our pulpits of sound, steady, Scriptural, expository teaching, and that a widespread return to that desirable practice is essential to the solid building-up of our members in the faith."²³

1:5 The ultimate aim of a Bible teacher should not be to generate debate and controversy. It should be to cultivate the lives of his or her students so they manifest love in their daily living. This love should spring from a pure heart, a conscience void of shame, and a genuine trust in God.²⁴

"For Paul and the ancient Mediterranean culture in general, conscience was the internal judgment of one's actions by that one's group--'pain one feels because others consider one's actions inappropriate and dishonorable.'²⁵ Honor and shame, rather than guilt, were the operative feelings. Therefore, Paul's readers would perceive the conscience as sending internal signals evaluating the rightness or wrongness of behavior (past, present or future) as a member of a group. We, on the other hand, view the conscience as concerned with right and wrong on an individual basis, not necessarily taking into account what others think and expect about us."²⁶

We need to approach confrontation carefully (cf. Gal. 6:1). Is our motivation to help or to hurt the other person? Is our attitude loving, and does this come through in our non-verbal as well as verbal communication? Loving confrontation expresses care and respect for the other person. It communicates that we want the other person to respect us and understand how we feel. The timing, location, and setting are all very important in confrontation. We need to be sensitive to other pressures that may be on the other person. We should also give help with an openness to accept confrontation from the other person as well.

1:6-7 The "Law" is the Mosaic Code but also the Scriptures of Paul's day, the Old Testament, particularly the legal parts of it. Paul probably did not mean that these erring teachers failed to understand the letter of their content, though this may have been true of some of them. He probably meant that they did not understand what they were really saying and not saying by their emphasis. They missed the point of the Law.

". . . Paul's description of their confidence' implies in this context stubbornness, a refusal to be denied. We might say they are dogmatic, which (along with the claim to authority) Paul regards with irony, since they have no real understanding of the matters they teach."²⁷

"This apostasy' on the part of both the erring elders and their followers is the great urgency of 1 Timothy."²⁸

1:8-11 The Law (Gr. nomos) is profitable if one uses it properly, according to its original intention ("lawfully," Gr. nomimos, a play on words).

"Here its goodness' is related to its being used properly, that is, treated as law (intended for the lawless, v. 9) and not used illegitimately' as a source for myths and endless genealogies, or for ascetic practices."²⁹

"Thus Paul is saying that the law is not given to apply in some mystical way to people who are already righteous,' i.e., those already seeking to conform to the law. It is, rather, given to deal with people who are specifically violating its sanctions and to warn them against their specific sins (as the list in vv. 9b-10 goes on to do)."³⁰

Paul arranged his first six epithets in pairs (v. 9a).³¹ The leading attitude in each pair precedes the resulting action. There is a progression in these three couplets from more general to more specific lawlessness. The first two terms are introductory.

The disobedient

"Lawless" people refuse to recognize law.

"Rebellious" individuals refuse to obey laws.

The following sins are violations of the first through the third commandments.

The irreverent

"Ungodly" men and women have no regard for God.

"Sinners" live in opposition to God.

The impure

"Unholy" people are those whose lives are impure.

"Profane" persons treat sacred things as common.

The second group of offenders (vv. 9b-10a) provides examples of individuals who break the fifth through the ninth commandments of the Decalogue. They are sinners arrayed against society.

The violent

"Father-strikers and mother-strikers" (better than those who kill these people)³² have no reverence or affection for their own parents (cf. Exod. 20:12, the fifth commandment).

"Murderers" kill people deliberately (cf. Exod. 20:13, the sixth commandment).

The immoral

"Immoral men" deal perversely with people of the opposite sex (cf. Exod. 20:14, the seventhe commandment).

"Homosexuals" abuse people of their own sex (the seventh commandment).³³

The deceitful

"Kidnappers" steal and sell other people (cf. Exod. 20:15, the eighth commandment).

"Liars and perjurers" bear false witness (cf. Exod. 20:16, the nineth commandment).

"Most likely the list is a conscious reflection of the Mosaic Law as law and expresses the kinds of sins such law was given to prohibit."³⁴

Paul concluded his list (vv. 10b-11) with a general category of anything contrary to not only the Law of Moses but the larger gospel that Paul preached.³⁵ That gospel encompassed the Old Testament. "Sound doctrine" does not just describe correct or accurate doctrine but what is healthful and wholesome.³⁶

"Healthy teaching leads to proper Christian behavior, love and good works; the diseased teaching of the heretics leads to controversies, arrogance, abusiveness, and strife (6:4)."³⁷

"Missionaries of one particular cult say that their scriptures are authoritative because they stem from God. Its elders usually insist that the Holy Spirit will move in the heart' to confirm the veracity of their teaching. But when their doctrines do not pass the more objective test applied by the church fathers, what does it matter how one feels' about their teaching? Such counterclaims to authority are clearly wrong."³⁸

"It will be clear from any careful reading that this concern for the gospel is the driving force behind the P[astoral]E[pistles]."³⁹

Paul's points in this pericope are the following. When a person teaches the Scriptures, he or she should distinguish speculation that goes beyond what God has revealed from the teaching of God's Word (the method, v. 4). Second, love should be primary (the motive, v. 5). Third, the teacher should present a portion of Scripture considering the purpose for which God intended it (the meaning, vv. 8-10). Knowledge of the letter is not enough. A teacher should communicate the spirit of the divine Author as well.

College: 1Ti 1:1-20

1 TIMOTHY 1

I. THE SALUTATION (1:1-2)

¹ Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the command of God our Savior and of Christ Jesus our hope, ² To Timothy my true son in the faith:

Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.

1:1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus

Paul follows the normal pattern of the Hellenistic letter by first introducing himself as the author and then moving to address his audience. In 1 Timothy Paul calls himself an "apostle," a designation that is common in letters where his authority is in question or where he wishes to give added weight to his exhortations (1 Corinthians, 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Colossians). On other occasions he will indicate his work as "servant" (Philippians) or "prisoner" (Philemon). It may on the surface seem strange that Paul will use such a designation to write to his "true son in the faith." That designation takes on special meaning, however, when one remembers that 1 Timothy was written to be read not only by Timothy but also by the entire church at Ephesus, a church facing false teachers who would likely have emphasized their authority.

by the command of God our Savior and of Christ Jesus our hope,

Paul notes that his authority was not self-acquired but rather came "by the command of God." Ordinarily Paul will indicate that he is an apostle "by the will of God" (2 Tim 1:1). One cannot help but wonder whether Paul is preparing Timothy for the charge or command to instruct the church to live as Christians ought by indicating that he himself has been issued a command by God.

The source of this command is "God our Savior and Christ." God is frequently referred to as "Savior" in the OT, indicating that he is the powerful deliverer. In the Roman world the term "savior" (swthvr , sôtçr ) was applied to the emperor in the emperor cult, in particular to Nero. Outside the Pastoral Epistles Paul never uses the term "savior" to refer to God the Father, rather reserving the term to describe the work of Jesus. In the Pastoral Epistles both God the Father (1 Tim 1:1; 2:3; 4:10; Titus 1:3; 2:10; 3:4) and Jesus Christ the Son (Titus 1:4; 2:13; 3:6; 2 Tim 1:10) are designated "savior." Although Paul does not use the word savior to describe the Father in his other epistles, he still does designate the work of the Father as providing salvation for believers (1 Cor 1:21; 1 Thess 5:9).

Jesus is the source of the Christian's hope. Hope is not merely wishful thinking but indicates the desire of one who is earnestly expecting something. Here there is an eschatological note of the completion of the salvation that is offered through Jesus when he returns.

1:2 To Timothy my true son in the faith:

Paul both indicates the closeness of his relationship with Timothy and points to Timothy's authority by declaring him to be his "true son in the faith." He is Paul's "true," i.e., "legitimate" son. Knight has suggested three options for understanding the father-son relationship between Paul and Timothy: (1) Timothy may well have received the gospel through the preaching of Paul; (2) Paul may be describing his nurturing relationship with Timothy; he is an adopted son; or (3) Paul is simply indicating that he is older than Timothy both in physical years and in the faith. Knight is probably correct in concluding that Paul's primary emphasis is (1), but (2) and (3) may be included as well.

Not only is Paul encouraging Timothy with these words but perhaps also ensuring his positive reception by the church at Ephesus. Note that Timothy is Paul's son "in the faith." Is Paul referring to Timothy's faith in Christ which has produced this unique relationship, to his faithfulness to Christ as the sphere in which the relationship exists, or to the cause or belief system for which he and Paul labor? The middle option seems best to describe Paul's intent.

Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.

The threefold salutation of Paul, "grace, mercy and peace," is used by Paul only here and in 2 Tim 1:2 (cf. 2 John 3; Jude 2). Paul's normal greeting is simply "grace and peace." "Grace" (cavri" , charis ) represents the noun form of the Greek verb normally used in a greeting. It indicates the unmerited goodness of God. "Mercy" (e[leo" , eleos ) is God's help to the discouraged, the down-and-out. The verb form appears in 1 Tim 1:13, 16 where the plight of sinners and their need for divine favor is the focus. "Peace" (eijrhvnh , eirçnç ) represents the normal greeting among Jews, mlv ( shalom ) in Hebrew. The term refers not to absence of warfare, but to the wholeness of the relationship between a person and God.

II. PAUL'S CHARGE TO TIMOTHY (1:3-20)

A. THE CHARGE AND THE FALSE TEACHERS (1:3-7)

³ As I urged you when I went into Macedonia, stay there in Ephesus so that you may command certain men not to teach false doctrines any longer ⁴ nor to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies. These promote controversies rather than God's work - which is by faith. ⁵ The goal of this command is love, which comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.

⁶ Some have wandered away from these and turned to meaningless talk. ⁷ They want to be teachers of the law, but they do not know what they are talking about or what they so confidently affirm.

Paul's primary concern in the remainder of this section is that "certain men" be instructed "not to teach false doctrines." He reminds Timothy of the real message of the gospel and warns against these false teachers' abuse of the law. Timothy must fight on and not follow the bad example of Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom Paul will mention in v. 20.

1:3 As I urged you when I went into Macedonia,

The NIV translation of vv. 3-4 conceals the fact that the Greek text is a bit awkward. The text begins with "as," with no conclusion to the sentence: "As I urged you, journeying into Macedonia to stay . . . to command certain people not to teach. . . ." The KJV completes Paul's thought with "so do." Paul had previously warned the Ephesian elders about the coming of false teachers (Acts 20:29-30). That heresy has now arisen, and Paul instructs Timothy how he is to deal with it.

stay there in Ephesus

Paul's apparent ministry at Ephesus after being released from imprisonment at the end of Acts provides an interesting postscript to his telling the Ephesian elders that he would not see them again in Acts 20. It would seem that he does indeed see them and work with them. Timothy has stayed on at Ephesus at Paul's urging. This may indicate some reluctance on Timothy's part to stay on rather than travel with Paul. It may also be Paul's way of indicating to the Ephesian church that Timothy is acting on his behalf with his authority.

so that you may command certain men not to teach false doctrines any longer

The word "command" is a very strong word. When followed by the word "not" and an infinitive, it carries the idea "forbid." Timothy is thus to forbid these people from teaching falsehood and devoting themselves to "myths and endless genealogies." The false teachers are spreading their falsehoods and spending their time in speculations that are both irrelevant and contrary to the gospel.

1:4 nor to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies.

Many scholars have argued that the "endless genealogies" refer to the second century gnostic emanations that proceed like a progression of ripples from the one true God. One need not propose such a drastic solution. Such speculative exploration of genealogies and myths can clearly be seen in Judaism. The occurrence of the same word "myths" (muvqoi , mythoi ) in Titus 1:14 with the clarifying adjective "Jewish" supports this conclusion. The term "myths" also appears in 1 Tim 4:7 where Paul terms them "old wives' tales." Myths are seen as enticing and attractive snares which would lure hearers from the truth. In Titus 3:9 Paul reflects on genealogies that are "unprofitable and useless."

These promote controversies rather than God's work - which is by faith.

All of this speculation was bound to promote "controversies rather than God's work - which is by faith." The phrase "God's work" (oijkonomiva , oikonomia ) refers to the stewardship of another's property, here God's. The work of God which had been entrusted to believers, his plan for redeeming his people, was being perverted by this heresy. In a manner that is characteristic of Paul, he informs his readers that God's work is accomplished through faith.

1:5 The goal of this command is love, which comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.

The goal of Timothy's "command" (paraggeliva , parangelia ) is love, a quality which is not likely to be found among the false teachers. This love issues from (1) a pure heart, (2) a good conscience, and (3) a sincere faith. From a biblical perspective the heart is the seat of the will. A "pure heart" is then the conscience which wills to do what is right and noble. For Paul the "conscience" is the inner awareness of moral right and wrong (Rom 13:5; 1 Cor 8:10). Since the conscience can become calloused and marred (1 Tim 4:2; Titus 1:15), the Christian must so live within the will of God that his conscience is trained (1 Cor 8:7-12). "Sincere faith" refers to a genuine faith. In fact the Greek word behind "sincere" (ajnupovkrito" , anypokritos ) could well be rendered "unhypocritical."

1:6 Some have wandered away from these and turned to meaningless talk.

The "some" of v. 6 were the same persons as the "certain men" of v. 3. The false teachers have wandered away from the pure heart, good conscience, and sincere faith of v. 5. "Wandered away" comes from a Greek word (ajstocevw , astocheô ) which means "to miss the mark" or "to go beyond the goal." The false teachers have missed the mark set for them by a pure heart, a good conscience, and a sincere faith. Instead they have turned to meaningless talk. "Meaningless talk" represents a single word in the original which could literally be rendered "empty or useless discourse." All of the talk of the false teachers leads nowhere. It may draw some followers, but it does not produce the godly life.

1:7 They want to be teachers of the law, but they do not know what they are talking about or what they so confidently affirm.

These false teachers want to be known as "teachers of the law." Like many of the Jewish rabbis of the day, they suggest extravagant interpretations of the Old Testament stories and laws pretending to be scholars. These men have no real grasp of the intent of the sacred Scriptures and little concern with regard to the gospel's implications for Christian living. Here one can see the Jewish character of the false teaching at Ephesus. Like some modern day preachers these men may hide the gospel with senseless minutiae.

B. THE LAWFUL USE OF THE LAW (1:8-11)

⁸ We know that the law is good if one uses it properly. ⁹ We also know that law ^a is made not for the righteous but for lawbreakers and rebels, the ungodly and sinful, the unholy and irreligious; for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers, ¹⁰ for adulterers and perverts, for slave traders and liars and perjurers - and for whatever else is contrary to the sound doctrine ¹¹ that conforms to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, which he entrusted to me.

^a 9 Or that the law

1:8 We know that the law is good

Paul does not want his readers to misunderstand his last statement about the false teachers and their relationship with the law. The law is "good" because it reflects the will of God. The difficulty is not in the law but in the false teachers' ignorance of its intent and their misuse of it. "Ignorance" and "mindlessness" are recurring descriptions of the false teachers in the Pastoral Epistles (1 Tim 6:4, 20; Titus 1:15; 3:9; 2 Tim 2:23). The law (Paul is here using that term in a much broader sense than the Ten Commandments or law of Moses) is itself an honorable and valuable resource for the Christian. Paul himself uses adjectives like "holy," "spiritual," "just," and "good" to describe it (Rom 7:12-14; cf. Gal 3:23-26 for Paul's understanding of its value).

if one uses it properly.

Proper use of the law was to make it clear that actions or sins like those in vv. 9-10 were wrong. The adverb "properly" (nomivmw" , nomimôs , sometimes literally rendered "lawfully") appears only here and in 2 Tim 2:5. God intended that the law bring human beings to a consciousness of sin (Rom 5:12; 6:23; 7:11, 13).

1:9 We also know that law is made not for the righteous but for lawbreakers and rebels, the ungodly and sinful, the unholy and irreligious;

The purpose of law is the restraint of evil-doing. The purpose of the law is to be seen not in what it does to or for the "righteous," but rather in relation to those who practice evil. Paul begins his vice list by using three pairs of adjectives which describe these sinful people in terms of their relationship with God and may well be seen as paralleling the earlier section of the Decalogue: "lawbreakers and rebels" (those who willfully break the law and rebel against it); "the ungodly and sinful" (those whose disobedient lifestyle indicates that God has no place in their lives); and "the unholy and irreligious" (those who have no sense of the sacred).

for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers, 1:10 for adulterers and perverts, for slave traders and liars and perjurers

As Fee has noted, Paul's catalogue of vices bears a striking resemblance to the Ten Commandments (the fifth commandment through the ninth). These lawless people are "those who kill their fathers or mothers," a very gruesome way to break the fifth commandment (Exod 20:12; cf. Exod 21:15); "murderers" (literally "man-slayers," i.e., those who break the sixth commandment; cf. Exod 21:13); "adulterers" (literally "the sexually immoral") and "perverts" ("homosexuals"), both groups would break commandment seven (Exod 21:14); "slave traders" (literally "those who catch a man by the foot"), perhaps not too far a stretch to be seen as breakers of the eighth commandment (Exod 21:15); and "liars and perjurers," those who bear false witness and break the ninth commandment (Exod 21:16). The order of these vices is hardly accidental. Paul is demonstrating that God gave the law, not for idle speculation and meaningless talk, but to prohibit sin.

- and for whatever else is contrary to the sound doctrine

Paul completes his list with a phrase designed to cover all the bases: "and for whatever else is contrary to the sound doctrine." A final summation of this sort is quite common for Paul (Rom 13:9; Gal 5:21). The term "sound doctrine" will appear regularly in the Pastoral Epistles (1 Tim 1:10; 6:3; Titus 1:9, 13; 2:2, 8). Literally, the phrase (uJgiainouvsh/ didaskaliva/ , hygiainousç didaskalia ; cf. the English word "hygiene") might be translated "healthy teaching." This metaphor provides a clear contrast with the sick, "unhealthy interest" or craving of the false teachers in 6:4 and the teaching of these folks which "will spread like gangrene" in 2 Tim 2:17. Knight suggests that his metaphorical use of medical language may be the result of Paul's association with Luke the physician. While this may be true, it is also possible that Paul is simply using a common figure of speech.

1:11 that conforms to the glorious gospel of the blessed God,

This sound doctrine is teaching which "conforms to the glorious gospel of the blessed God." The original reads literally "to the gospel of the glory of the blessed God," providing the translator with two alternatives: 1) a descriptive genitive, "the glorious gospel"; or 2) a genitive of content, "the gospel which is the manifestation of God's glory." The differences between the two choices are minimal. The gospel is glorious because it manifests the glory of God. "Blessed" (makavrio" , makarios ) is used of God only here and in 6:15 although it is frequently used in such a fashion by Philo. Paul probably intends to indicate that "blessedness" rests in and comes from God.

which he entrusted to me.

Paul concludes this section by noting that God had "entrusted" (pisteuvw , pisteuô ) him with the gospel and the doctrine. His use of this verb indicates that God had faith in him and that the gospel was a trust given to his care (cf. Rom 3:2; 1 Cor 9:17; Gal 2:4; 1 Thess 2:4; 1 Tim 2:7; 2 Tim 1:11; 2:9; Titus 1:3).

C. PAUL'S OWN MINISTRY, A POSITIVE EXAMPLE (1:12-17)

¹² I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me faithful, appointing me to his service. ¹³ Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief. ¹⁴ The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.

¹⁵ Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners - of whom I am the worst. ¹⁶ But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on him and receive eternal life. ¹⁷ Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen.

1:12 I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me faithful, appointing me to his service.

Paul now expands on the personal reference of the last phrase of verse 11, expressing his gratitude to Jesus who empowered him ("given strength," ejnduvnamai , endynamai ), deeming him trustworthy ("faithful," pistov" , pistos ) and "appointing [him] to his service" ("ministry," diakoniva , diakonia ).

1:13 Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man,

Paul notes that God could well have looked at his former life and denied him such a privilege. After all he was "once a blasphemer" (having denied what God had done and said in Jesus) and "a persecutor" (Acts 22:4, 7; 26:11) and a "violent man" (one who acted as an insolent bully, a thoroughly objectionable fellow with outrageous disregard of other men's rights, cf. Acts 9:1, 2; 22:4, 5, 19, 20; 26:10, 11; Gal 1:13).

I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief.

But God had shown him mercy. Paul sees the reason for this mercy in the fact that he "acted in ignorance and unbelief," not that he merits the mercy, but that he was not acting in defiance. Here Paul is not minimizing the significance of his sin, but rather indicating something of its nature. His sin was not one that was "presumptuous" or "defiant" (Num 15:22-31).

1:14 The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.

While many would question the authorship of this book, the theology of this passage is thoroughly Pauline. Grace had been "poured out abundantly" upon Paul; that grace then stimulated his own faith and love. God's actions are always prior to man's. It is noteworthy that faith and love are located "in Christ Jesus."

1:15 Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance:

In verse 15 Paul elaborates upon the grace God had shown him in Christ Jesus. This passage is the first of five sections in the Pastoral Epistles that contain the term "trustworthy saying" (1 Tim 1:15; 3:1; 4:9; Titus 3:8; 2 Tim 2:11). Two of the passages contain the additional affirmation that the saying "deserves full acceptance" (this verse and 1 Tim 4:9). Three issues arise when the formula appears: 1) Does the formula follow or precede the trustworthy saying? Here the formula obviously precedes the saying; in 4:9 it follows the saying; scholars debate the order in 3:1. 2) What portion of the verse or verses in question contain the trustworthy saying? 3) Just what is the meaning of the formula?

Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners

The saying which appears here - "Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners" - emphasizes both the incarnation and the redemptive work of Christ; Christ came and he came to save. The origin of the saying has been much debated. It seems likely that Paul is simply citing something that these Christians have frequently heard preached and perhaps have themselves recited or sung.

- of whom I am the worst.

The simple mention of the word "sinners" causes Paul once again to reflect upon his own life. The term "worst" is literally "first" (prw'to" , prôtos ). The term refers not to the sequence of Paul's sin or conversion but to its magnitude. This may well seem to be an exaggeration to the reader, but for Paul it is no exaggeration (1 Cor 15:9, 10; Gal 1:13; Eph 3:8). As Lea and Griffin put it, "[Paul] never got beyond a response of wonder and gratitude to God's act of saving him 'warts and all.' We must never move beyond the excitement and joy our conversion generates in us."

1:16 But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on him and receive eternal life.

In v. 16 Paul repeats the fact that he "was shown mercy" (v. 13) and his evaluation of his own sinfulness as "worst of sinners" (v. 15), but this time he gives reason that God had "shown mercy" on terrible sinner Paul. Christ Jesus was clearly demonstrating "his unlimited patience" (literally "the all longsuffering," thΙn a{pasan makroqumivan , tçn hapasan makrothymian ) to Paul which serves as an "example" of that patience for all believers. Paul is contending that, if God can be patient with him and show mercy to him, any believer should have confidence that he too can be forgiven and "receive eternal life."

1:17 Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen.

The fact that God has shown mercy on him and that same mercy is available to all "those who would believe in him" leads Paul to break into a doxology. Such a reflection on the grace of God is not unusual in Paul's letters (cf. Rom 1:25; 9:5; 11:36; Gal 1:5; Eph 3:21; Phil 4:20; 1 Tim 6:17).

He begins by designating God as "the King eternal." This phrase (oJ basileuΙ" tw'n aijwvnwn , ho basileus tôn aiônôn ) may mean either "eternal king" (NASB, NIV) or "king of the ages" (RSV, NEB, NRSV). Perhaps one should not be too concerned about the difference since the king over all ages differs little from the eternal king.

Paul continues by describing God as "immortal" (literally "incorruptible"), "invisible" (cf. Rom 1:20; Col 1:15), and "the only God" (cf. this theme throughout the OT, especially Deut 6:4). On account of God's nature all "honor and glory" are due him "for ever and ever." The "amen," common as the sign of assent to a prayer or proclamation in the synagogue and in the early church, serves as the conclusion of this doxology (cf. Rom 1:25; 9:5; 11:36; 16:27; Gal 3:21; Eph 3:21; Phil 4:20; 1 Tim 6:17).

The doxology concludes the digression on Paul's ministry and God's grace begun at v. 12. Paul is now ready to return to instructions for Timothy regarding the false teachers and his ministry.

D. THE NEGATIVE EXAMPLE OF HYMENAEUS AND ALEXANDER (1:18-20)

¹⁸ Timothy, my son, I give you this instruction in keeping with the prophecies once made about you, so that by following them you may fight the good fight, ¹⁹ holding on to faith and a good conscience. Some have rejected these and so have shipwrecked their faith. ²⁰ Among them are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan to be taught not to blaspheme.

1:18 Timothy, my son, I give you this instruction

Vv. 18-20 return to the discussion of vv. 3-7. This is even clearer in Greek than in English. The word translated "instruction" (paraggeliva , parangelia ) in v. 18 also appeared in vv. 3 and 5 where it was translated "command" in the NIV. The material in this section is not mere repetition. Paul is concerned that Timothy endure whatever hardship may come his way and thus fulfill his ministry. Paul uses examples of two failed ministers and their ministries to drive home his message.

in keeping with the prophecies once made about you,

Paul's instructions to Timothy are not merely his whim; they are "in keeping with the prophecies once made" about him. Paul will later refer to Timothy's "spiritual gift" (likely his ministry, 4:14) which was accompanied by a "prophetic message" from the elders and by the laying on of hands. It seems likely that Timothy's Spirit-bestowed gift was his ministry, something recognized through some prophecy when Timothy was originally designated to assist Paul in his missionary work. This is consistent with the Spirit's designation of Barnabas and Saul in Acts 13:1-3.

so that by following them you may fight the good fight,

By means of these prophecies Timothy is to "fight the good fight." The battle against Satan and heterodoxy is a genuine one. Paul's description of the "fight" (strateiva , strateia ) is a term filled with the military imagery of strategy, tactics, and preparation for an all-out battle.

1:19 holding on to faith and a good conscience. Some have rejected these and so have shipwrecked their faith.

In fighting the good fight Timothy must hold on to or keep faith and a good conscience - two of the three qualities that accompanied Paul's charge in v. 5. "Conscience" becomes the compass of one's life. Rejecting or repudiating it results in spiritual shipwreck. Although conscience can be mistaught or defiled, one who refuses to be sensitive to his conscience will lose his faith. In 1 Timothy Paul places special emphasis on both "good conscience" and "sound doctrine." One should note Paul's change in metaphor from the soldier ("fight the good fight") to the sailor ("shipwrecked their faith").

1:20 Among them are Hymenaeus and Alexander,

Hymenaeus and Alexander, along with certain others, provide Paul with examples of those who have rejected conscience and made shipwreck of their faith. Hymenaeus will be mentioned again later with Philetus in 2 Tim 2:17. Other than these two brief references and his occurrence in the second-century apocryphal work Acts of Paul and Thecla , he is unknown. There are two other references to an Alexander who is connected to Ephesus: Acts 19:33-34 where a Jew by that name was hindered from speaking by a rowdy crowd and 2 Tim 4:14-15 where Paul warns Timothy about a metal worker bearing that name. Although many will link the Alexander of this passage with the Alexanders in one or both of the other texts, it is impossible to demonstrate that this is the case with any certainty. Fee is likely correct in suggesting that this Alexander may well be the one of 2 Tim 4:14-15.

whom I have handed over to Satan to be taught not to blaspheme.

Paul states that he has handed these men "over to Satan" in order that they might be "taught not to blaspheme." The serious state of these men and the threat they offered to the church had led Paul to place an anathema on them. There has been much debate about the phrase and the parallel in 1 Cor 5:5 "hand this man over to Satan, so that the sinful nature" (literally "that his body") "may be destroyed and his spirit saved on the day of the Lord." There are at least two primary interpretations for the phrase to "hand over to Satan": some would suggest that Paul was allowing Satan to inflict the evil doers with physical illness, and others that the term is a semi-technical reference to disfellowshipping. The latter interpretation for this text and 1 Cor 5:5 seems most likely. Paul is turning the sinner back over to Satan's sphere of influence and removing offenders from the fellowship of believers. The point of such action for Paul is always the redemption of the sinner. Here the discipline is clearly that they might learn "not to blaspheme." Discipline is to teach, not to punish. Here Paul hopes that turning the offenders over to the influence of Satan will teach them not to insult the Lord with their words and deeds.

-College Press New Testament Commentary: with the NIV

Commentary -- Other

Evidence: 1Ti 1:5

In the context of this passage( 1Ti 1:5-11 ), Paul is speaking of the Law of God when he refers to the "commandment." Its purpose is to bring a sinner to genuine conversion, with the evidence of the fruit of love from a pure heart, a good conscience, and true faith. The purpose of a mirror is to send us to the water that we might be made clean. The purpose of the Law is to reveal sin and send us to be washed clean by the blood of Jesus Christ.

Evidence: 1Ti 1:8

The way to use the Law "lawfully" is to use it in evangelism as a "schoolmaster" to bring sinners to Christ ( Gal 3:24 ). See 1Ti 1:9-10 .

"I have found by long experience that the severest threatenings of the Law of God have a prominent place in leading men to Christ. They must see themselves lost before they will cry for mercy. They will not escape from danger until they see it." A. B. Earle

THE FUNCTION OF THE LAW

"As that which is straight discovers that which is crooked, so there is no way of coming to that knowledge of sin which is necessary to repentance, but by comparing our hearts and lives with the Law.

"Paul had a very quick and piercing judgment and yet never attained the right knowledge of indwelling sin till the Spirit by the Law made it known to him. Though brought up at the feet of Gamaliel, a doctor of the Law, though himself a strict observer of it, yet without the Law. He had the letter of the Law, but he had not the spiritual meaning of it-the shell, but not the kernel. He had the Law in his hand and in his head, but he had it not in his heart. But when the command-ment came (not to his eyes only, but to his heart), sin revived, as the dust in a room rises when the sunshine is let into it. Paul then saw that in sin which he had never seen be-fore-sin in its consequences, sin with death at the heels of it, sin and the curse entailed upon it. 'The Spirit, by the commandment, convinced me that I was in a state of sin, and in a state of death because of sin.' Of this excellent use is the Law; it is a lamp and a light; it opens the eyes, prepares the way of the Lord." Matthew Henry

QUESTIONS & OBJECTIONS

"How should I witness to a homosexual?"

Rather than offend homosexuals by directly confronting the issue of their sinful lifestyle, modern evangelism often tries to soften the approach by saying that "God hates the sin, but loves the sinner." This isn't a new concept. Charles Finney stated, "God is not angry merely against the sin abstracted from the sinner, but against the sinner himself. Some persons have labored hard to set up this ridiculous and absurd abstraction, and would fain make it appear that God is angry at sin, yet not at the sinner. He hates the theft, but loves the thief. He abhors adultery, but is pleased with the adulterer. Now this is supreme nonsense. The sin has no moral character apart from the sinner. The act is nothing apart from the actor. The very thing that God hates and disapproves is not the mere event-the thing done in distinction from the doer; but it is the doer himself. It grieves and displeases Him that a rational moral agent, under His government, should array himself against his own God and Father, against all that is right and just in the universe. This is the thing that offends God. The sinner himself is the direct and the only object of his anger.

"So the Bible shows. God is angry with the wicked ( Psa 7:11 ), not with the abstract sin. If the wicked turn not, God will whet His sword-He has bent His bow and made it ready-not to shoot at the sin, but the sinner-the wicked man who has done the abominable thing. This is the only doctrine of either the Bible or of common sense on this subject" (The Guilt of Sin).

The biblical way to witness to a homosexual is not to argue with him about his lifestyle but to use the Law to bring the knowledge of sin. This will show him that he is guilty of breaking God's holy Law, and he is damned not because of, but despite his sexual preference. The Law was made for homosexuals, as well as other lawbreakers. See Psa 5:5 and 2Pe 2:6-8 footnotes.

Introduction / Outline

Robertson: 1 Timothy (Book Introduction)

First Timothy

Probably a.d. 65 From Macedonia

By Way of Introduction

Assuming the Pauline authorship the facts shape up after this fashion. Paul had been in Ephesus (1Ti_1:3) after his arrival from Rome, which was certainly before the burning of Rome in a.d. 64. He had left Timothy in charge of the work in Ephesus and has gone on into Macedonia (1Ti_1:3), possibly to Philippi as he had hoped (Phi_2:24). He wishes to help Timothy meet the problems of doctrine (against the Gnostics), discipline, and church training which are increasingly urgent. There are personal touches of a natural kind about Timothy’s own growth and leadership. There are wise words here from the greatest of all preachers to a young minister whom Paul loved.

Vincent: 1 Timothy (Book Introduction)

The Pastoral Epistles

Introduction

The two Epistles to Timothy and the Epistle to Titus are called the Pastoral Epistles because they consist chiefly of instructions and admonitions to pastors. Their authenticity is disputed. The current of modern criticism is against their Pauline authorship, but it is supported by high authorities.

I. The three letters are closely allied, and stand or fall together. While each has its peculiarities, they contain considerable common matter; and their general situation and aim are substantially the same. They oppose heresies, seek to establish a definite church polity, and urge adherence to traditional doctrine. Their style is similar. Certain expressions which occur nowhere else in the N.T. are found in all three. Whole sentences are in almost verbal agreement.

II. They exhibit certain resemblances to the Pauline Epistles, notably to Romans. If the writer is not Paul, he is manifestly familiar with Paul's teachings.

III. As to the external evidence for these letters, there seems good reason to believe in the existence, at an early date, either of the letters in their present form, or of documents on which the letters were constructed later. Not much reliance can be placed on the traces which occur in Clement's Epistle to the Corinthians: perhaps a little more on those in the Ignatian Epistles, although many of these are merely analogies of expression which may have been accidental, or echoes of current religious phraseology. An unmistakable reminiscence appears in Polycarp's Epistle to the Philippians ( Philip . iv.; 1Ti 6:7, 1Ti 6:10). There are no echoes in Hermas or in the Didache, and none of importance in Barnabas. Justin Martyr has a few characteristic expressions of the Pastorals, which may be only accidental coincidences. The Muratorian Canon enrolls the three as canonical, and expressly justifies their reception because, being private letters, their canonicity might be called in question. They are found in the Peshitto and Old Latin Versions, and are accepted and cited as Pauline by Clement of Alexandria, Irenaeus, and Tertullian. At the end of the second century they have a recognized place among the Pauline Epistles. It is, however, significant, that they were excluded from Marcion's Canon. It cannot be positively affirmed that Marcion knew them, although his acquaintance with them would seem to be implied by Tertullian ( Adv . Marc . v., 21), who says that it was strange how Marcion could have accepted a letter written to one man (Philemon), and have rejected the two to Timothy and the one to Titus.

On the assumption that they were known to Marcion, it is said that he cut and carved the New Testament Scriptures to suit his own views, and that there was therefore nothing strange in his rejecting the Pastorals. But besides rejecting the whole of the New Testament with the exception of ten Epistles of Paul and the Gospel of Luke which he mutilated, Marcion applied the knife to the Pauline Epistles. In view of his reverence for Paul as the only true apostle and representative of Jesus Christ, and for Paul's Epistles as containing the only true gospel, - it is strange that, knowing the Pastorals as Pauline, he should have rejected them en masse , instead of merely altering or abridging them to suit himself. Tatian also rejected the two letters to Timothy, but accepted Titus, because it contained nothing adverse to ascetic practices.

IV. Chronological Considerations. - Was Paul released from his first imprisonment and imprisoned a second time? Can a place be found for the three letters in his recorded history?

It is claimed that Paul was released from prison after his first confinement at Rome (Acts 28:16-31) and that he then continued his missionary labors in Ephesus, Epirus, Macedonia, and Crete: that he was again arrested and imprisoned, and that the second imprisonment was terminated by his execution.

Of this there is no sound historical evidence whatever. The narrative of Acts leaves him in his first confinement. The ordinary course of argument forms a circle. The hypothesis of a second imprisonment can be sustained only by the Pastoral Epistles if they are authentic. Their authenticity can be shown only on that hypothesis. The only evidence adduced for the second imprisonment outside of these letters is, 1. A passage in Clement's Epistle to the Corinthians (v.), as follows: (Paul) " having preached the gospel both in the East; and in the West, received the glorious renown due to his faith, having taught righteousness to the whole world, and having come to the boundary of the West, and having born his testimony before the rulers. Thus he departed out of the world." The main point is having come to the boundary of the West (ἐπὶ τὸ τέρμα τῆς δύσεως ἐλθών ). It is claimed that this expression refers to Spain, and that Clement thus records the fulfillment of the apostle's intention stated in Rom 15:24, Rom 15:28. Others, however, hold that it refers to Rome. Apart from this difference, which it is impossible to settle, the whole statement is general, vague, and rhetorical, and has no historical value.

2. The Muratorian Canon (about 170 a.d.) contains a passage apparently to the effect that Luke relates to Theophilus the things which fell under his own notice, and evidently declares as apart from his purpose the martyrdom of Peter; but the departure of Paul setting out from the city to Spain - here the text is mutilated. How the writer intended to complete it can only be guessed. The passage is worthless as evidence. 3. After these two we have nothing until the fourth century, when Eusebius says that there was a tradition that the apostle again set forth to the ministry of his preaching, and having a second time entered the same city of Rome, was perfected by his martyrdom before Nero. That in this imprisonment he wrote the second Epistle to Timothy ( H . E . ii. 22, 25). This is all. Jerome merely echoes Eusebius. Eusebius does not mention Spain. History does not show any apostolic foundation in Spain. Neither Irenaeus, Caius, Tertullian, nor Origen allude to such a mission; and although Irenaeus, Tertullian, and Origen mention the death of Paul at Rome, they say nothing of any journeys subsequent to his first arrival there. Dr. McGiffert remarks (note on Euseb. ii. 22, 2): " The strongest argument against the visit to Spain is the absence of any trace of it in Spain itself. If any church there could have claimed the great apostle to the Gentiles as its founder, it seems that it must have asserted its claim, and the tradition have been preserved at least in that church."

It is also said that 2Ti 4:16, 2Ti 4:17 implies that Paul had had a hearing and been discharged and permitted to preach. The assumption is entirely gratuitous. The words may have referred to a hearing during his first captivity, when he was delivered from imminent danger, but not set at liberty.

In short, historical evidence for a release from the first Roman imprisonment, a subsequent missionary activity, and a second imprisonment, is utterly wanting. It seems hardly conceivable that no traces of a renewed ministry should be left in history except these instructions to friends and pupils. If Paul was liberated from his first imprisonment, it is singular that Luke should not have recorded the fact as a triumph of the gospel.

Such being the case, it remains only to find a place for these letters in the recorded ministry of Paul. This cannot be done. There is no period of that ministry, from Damascus to Rome, into which they will fit.

V. Style and Diction. - The most formidable objection to the Pauline authorship of these Epistles is furnished by their style and diction, which present a marked contrast with those of the Pauline letters. That the three Pastorals contain 148 words which appear nowhere else in the N.T., and 304 which are not found in Paul's writings, are facts which, by themselves, must not be allowed too much weight. Hapaxlegomena are numerous in the several Pauline Epistles. Second Corinthians has about 90: Romans and 1st Corinthians each over a hundred: Ephesians about 40. That words like πολυτελής and οἰκουργός appear in the Pastorals and not in Paul, counts for no more than that ὁλοτελής occurs only in 1st Thessalonians, and ἀβαρής only in 2nd Corinthians.

But we are not dealing with individual letters, but with a group of letters, nearly, if not absolutely, contemporaneous. It is a striking fact that this entire group, closely allied in all its three parts in vocabulary and style, presents, as a whole, such marked variations in these particulars from the accepted Pauline letters. In their lexical peculiarities the Pastorals form a class by themselves.

One who is thoroughly steeped in Paul's style and diction, and who reads these letters out of hand, is at once impressed with the difference from Paul. He feels that he is in a strange rhetorical atmosphere. The sentences have not the familiar ring. The thought does not move with the accustomed rush. The verve of Corinthians and Galatians, the dialectic vigor of Romans, the majesty of Ephesians, are alike wanting. The association of ideas is loose, the construction is not compact, the movement is slow and clumsy. We miss the heavily freighted utterance of Paul. The thought is scanty in proportion to the volume of words; as Holtzmann says: " We miss those characteristic dam-breakings which the construction suffers from the swelling fullness of thought." We miss the frequent anacolutha, the unclosed parentheses, the sudden digressions, the obscurities arising from the headlong impetus of thought and feeling. The construction of sentences is simple, the thoughts are expressed without adornment, everything is according to rule and easy, but without momentum or color. Strange compounds, great, swelling words, start up in our path: a Pauline thought appears in a strange dress: the voice is the voice of Jacob, but the hands are the hands of Esau.

Some of these unusual compounds, for which the writer has a great liking, occur neither in the N.T. nor in profane Greek, High-sounding words are chosen where simpler terms would have suited the thought better. It seems, occasionally, as if the diction were being employed to pad the meagerness of the thought. A class of words which occur principally in the Pauline letters is wanting, as ἄδικος, ἀκαθαρσία, ἀκροβυστία, γνωρίζειν, διαθήκη, περιπατεῖν, χρηστός and σῶμα which, in the four principal Epistles alone, Paul uses 71 times. We miss entire families of Pauline words, as ἐλεύθερος, φρονεῖν, πράσσειν, τέλειος, ἐνεργεῖν, περισσός , and the numerous derivatives and compounds growing out of these.

Again, we look in vain for certain expressions most characteristic of the Pauline vocabulary, as ὑπακούειν, ἀποκαλύπτειν, καυχᾶσθαι , and their kindred words. Still more significant is the fact that the article, which is freely used by Paul before entire sentences, adverbs, interjections, numerals, and especially before the infinitive, is never so employed in the Pastorals. Τοῦ with the infinitive disappears. The prepositions, the conjunctions, and especially the particles are quite differently handled. The lively γὰρ appears oftener in the Epistle to the Galatians than in all the three Pastorals. The movement of the Pauline thought indicated by ἄρα and ἄρα οὖν is lacking. Ἁντὶ, ἄχρι, διὸ, διότι, ἔμπροσθεν, ἕνεκεν, ἔπειτα, ἔτι, ἴδε, ἰδού, μήπως, ὅπως, οὐκέτι, οὔπω, οὔτε, πάλιν, παρὰ with the accusative, ἐν παντί, πότε, ποῦ, σύν, ὥσπερ - none of these appear. There is no trace of Paul's habit of applying different prepositions to the same object in one sentence, for the purpose of sharper definition. See Gal 1:1; Rom 1:17.

Similar ideas are differently expressed by Paul and in the Pastorals. Comp. 1Ti 1:3 and 2Co 11:4; Gal 1:6 : 1Ti 1:9 and Gal 5:18, Gal 5:23; Rom 6:14 : 1Ti 1:12 and 1Co 12:28. For Paul's ἐπιθυμεῖν or ἐπιποθεῖν the Pastorals give ὀρέγεσθαι . For Paul's ἄμωμος , ἄμεμπτος , ἀνέγκλητος , the Pastorals give ἀνεπίλημπτος (not elsewhere in N.T.). For ἐπιπλήσσω (not elsewhere in N.T.) Paul has ἐλέγχω though ἐλέγχω occurs several times in the Pastorals. For ἀμοιβή (not elsewhere in N.T.) Paul has ἀντιμισθία or ἀνταπόδοσις . Paul uses ὄντως only adverbially (see 1Co 14:25; Gal 3:21): in the Pastorals it is prefixed to a substantive, and converted into an adjective by means of an article, and is used only in this way, a construction unknown to Paul (see 1Ti 5:3, 1Ti 5:5,1Ti 5:16; 1Ti 6:19).

To these should be added expressions in all the three Epistles which indicate a peculiar mode of thought and of literary expression on the part of the writer. Such are εὐσεβῶς to live godly ; διώκειν δικαιοσύνην to pursue righteousness ; φυλάσσειν τὴν παραθήκην to guard the deposit ; παρακολουθεῖν to follow the teaching ; τὸν καλὸν ἀγῶνα ἀγωνίζεσθαι to fight the good fight . Also designations like ἄνθρωποι κατεφθαρμένοι corrupt men ; ἄνθρωπος θεοῦ man of God ; constructions like διαβεβαιοῦσθαι περὶ τινος to affirm concerning something ; and the introduction of examples by ὧν ἐστίν of whom are .

Many more might be added to these, but these are amply sufficient to show the wide gulf which separates the vocabulary and style of these letters from those of Paul.

By way of explaining away these facts we are reminded that these are private letters; but even in his private letters a man does not so entirely abjure his literary peculiarities, and the letter to Philemon exhibits no lack of distinctive Pauline characteristics. It is further urged that Paul's style had developed, and that, in his advanced age, he had lost the vivacity once peculiar to him. One is tempted to smile at the suggestion of a development of style in the easy commonplaces of these Epistles over the nervous vigor of Romans, the racy incisiveness of Galatians and 2nd Corinthians, and the majestic richness of Ephesians. As to a decline on account of age, Paul, on this showing, must have aged very rapidly. He styles himself " the aged" in Phm 1:9. Colossians was written at the same time with Philemon, and Philippians and Ephesians shortly before or after. The Pastorals (assuming Paul's authorship) cannot have been written more than three or four years later than these; but the Epistles of the Captivity certainly betray no lack of vigor, and exhibit no signs of senility; and the differences between these and the Pastorals are far greater than between the former and Paul's earliest letters, written ten years before. The production of an old man may indeed exhibit a lack of energy or a carelessness of style, but an old writer does not abandon his favorite words or his characteristic turns of expression. After following Paul for a dozen years through ten Epistles, all marked by the essential features of his style, one finds it hard to believe that he should suddenly become a writer of an entirely different type, ignoring his own characteristic and favorite modes of expression. Surely the themes treated in the Pastorals would have furnished abundant occasion for υἱὸς, θεοῦ, ἀπολύτρωσις, υἱοθεσία, δικαιοσύνη θεοῦ , and δικαιόω , which occurs only twice, and in one of these instances is applied to Christ.

VI. As to the character of the teaching, it is possible that the divergence of the teaching and of the Christian ideal of the Pastorals from those of the Pauline Epistles may have been somewhat exaggerated. On a fair construction, the Pastorals may be said to contain the essentials of the Pauline teaching, expressed or implied. More exaggerated, however, is the claim of Godet and Findlay, that the Pastorals represent an advanced and rounded expression of Pauline teaching, " bringing the doctrines of grace to a rounded fullness and chastened ripeness of expression that warrants us in seeing in them the authentic conclusion of the Pauline gospel of salvation in the mind which first conceived it" (Findlay).

No special pleading can get round the clear difference between the types of Christianity and of Christian teaching as set forth in the Pastorals and in the Pauline Epistles; between the modes of presenting the doctrine of salvation and the relative emphasis on its great factors.

The death and resurrection of Christ are matters of allusion rather than central truths. As regards resurrection, the Pastorals resemble the Epistle to the Hebrews. The vital union of the believer with Christ, which is the essence of Paul's Christian ideal, may possibly be implied, but is not emphasized, and certainly does not underlie the Pastoral teaching. The conception of Justification is not sharply defined. Δικαιοῦν occurs but twice, and in one of the cases is predicated of Christ (1Ti 3:16). The teaching is predominantly ethical. Its two key-notes are practical piety and sound doctrine. Ἑυσέβεια piety or godliness plays the part which is born by πίστις faith in the Paulines. Πίστις does not occupy the commanding and central position which it does in Paul's teaching. Only in 1Ti 1:16; 2Ti 3:15, does faith clearly appear as the means of the subjective appropriation of salvation. In Tit 3:5, just where we should expect it, we do not find faith set sharply over against righteousness by works. Faith is emphasized as confiding acknowledgment of the truth, and sometimes as the virtue of fidelity. See 1Ti 5:12; Tit 2:10. It appears either as one of the cardinal virtues following in the train of εὐσέβεια , or as the acknowledgment of the teaching in which εὐσέβεια finds expression.

These Epistles deal much with the character and attributes of God, and exhibit them in terms which are mostly foreign to Paul, such as God our Savior . This, however, may have been partly due to the false representations of contemporary heresies. I cannot but feel that there is too much truth in the remark of Schenkel, that " the image of Christ presented in the Pastorals is indeed composed of Pauline formulas, but is lacking in the Pauline spirit and feeling, in the mystic inwardness, the religious depth and moral force, that live in the Christ of Paul." Still, the Pauline conception appears in the emphasis upon the manhood of Christ (1Ti 2:5; 2Ti 2:8), and the clear implication of his preexistence (1Ti 1:15; 1Ti 3:16; 2Ti 1:10). In 1Ti 3:16 the representation is nearer to that of John.

VII. The Writer's Allusions to Himself and His Companions. - Grave suspicions as to the Pauline authorship are awakened by the writer's mode of speaking of himself, and to intimate and trusted companions and disciples like Timothy and Titus. We know how near these two were to him, and how he confided in them (see Phi 2:19-22). It is strange that in writing to them he should find it necessary to announce himself formally as an apostle of Jesus Christ (Comp. Philemon, δέσμιος prisoner ), just as to the Galatians, who had impugned his apostolic authority, or to the Romans, to whom he was personally a stranger. Such an announcement is singularly out of place in a private letter, even though official. Equally strange is his assuring such friends that he is appointed of God to be a herald of the gospel; that he speaks the truth and does not lie; that he has served God from his fathers with a pure conscience. One might doubt his entire confidence in these trusted ministerial helpers and personal friends, when he feels it incumbent upon him to commend to them the most elementary and self-evident duties, as abstinence from youthful lusts. It is singular that he should exhort Timothy to let no man despise his youth, when Timothy had attended him for at least thirteen years, and must have been a mature man. And if Paul, before writing 1st Timothy and Titus, had recently been with them both (1Ti 1:3; Tit 1:5), and had given them their commissions by word of mouth, why does he do the same thing so soon after, especially when he is looking forward to a speedy reunion (1Ti 3:14; Tit 3:12)? Why does he picture the Cretans in such detail to Titus, who was in the midst of them, and who must have known their characteristics quite as well as himself?

VIII. The Heresies. - Before it can be decisively asserted that the heresies treated in these Epistles are later than Paul's time, it must be settled what these heresies were, and this, with our present knowledge, is impossible. There are almost as many different views as there are critics. In the Epistles themselves the statements regarding heresies are general and sweeping, and, taken together, do not point to any particular system. It would seem that the writer was assailing, not a particular form of heresy, but a tendency, of which he does not discuss the details. Indeed, the allusions to heresies appear intended principally to point the exhortations to hold fast sound teaching and the instructions concerning church polity, as safeguards against false teaching and immoral practice. The moral developments of the heresies, rather than their doctrinal errors, are treated. Their representatives are wicked men and impostors: they are deceiving and deceived: they are of corrupt mind, destitute of truth, with their consciences seared: they lead captive silly women, laden with sins, led away by divers lusts: they are greedy of gain. At the root of the moral errors there seem to be indicated Gnostic tendencies and Jewish corruptions, and traits akin to those which appear in the Colossian heresy. All of the writer's theology is anti-Gnostic. Individual features of Gnosticism can be recognized, but a consistent reference throughout to Gnosticism cannot be shown. In any case, it is noticeable how the treatment of heresies and false teachers differs from that of Paul. The treatment in the Pastorals is general, sweeping, vague, and mainly denunciatory. No vital differences between the forms of error and between their teachers are defined, but all are indiscriminately denounced as concerned with foolish and ignorant questioning, disputes about words, strifes about the law, fables, endless genealogies, and profane babblings. This is quite unlike the controversial method of Paul, who defines what he assails, demonstrates its unsoundness, and shows the bearing of the gospel upon it.

IX. Church Polity. - The church polity of the Pastorals is of a later date than Paul. Within the circle of the Pauline Epistles there is no trace of formally constituted church officers. The greeting to Bishops and Deacons in Philippians is unique, but it does not imply a polity differing substantially from that exhibited in 1st Corinthians and 1st Thessalonians. The greeting is to the church first, and the special mention of Bishops and Deacons by way of appendage is explained by the fact that the letter was cancel out by the pecuniary contribution of the Philippian church to Paul, of the collection and sending of which these functionaries would naturally have charge. The names Bishop and Deacon designate functions and not official titles. In the formal list, in Eph 4:11, of those whom God has set in the church, neither Bishops, Elders, nor Deacons occur; and yet that Epistle was written within a short time of the writing of the Philippian letter. The offices in the Pauline church were charismatic. The warrant of leadership was a divine, spiritual endowment. Paul recognizes certain functions as of divine institution; and those functions are assumed in virtue of a special, divine gift in prophecy, speaking with tongues, teaching, healing, or helping, as the case may be (see 1 Corinthians 12). There is no recognition of official distinctions, or of formal appointment to definite offices, in the Pauline Epistles. Apostles, prophets, teachers, powers, helps, healings, kinds of tongues, do not represent offices resting on the appointment of the church. The Pastorals recognize Bishops, Deacons, and Presbyters. The recognition of three distinct orders is not as sharp and clear as in the Ignatian Epistles (100-118 a.d.), but the polity is in advance of that of the Pauline churches as set forth in the Epistles of Paul. The Pastorals seem to mark a transition point between the earlier republican simplicity and the later monarchical tendency. If these letters are the work of Paul before his first imprisonment, their notes of church polity do not consist with those of his other letters written during that period. If they were composed by Paul a few years after his first imprisonment, the period is too early for the change in polity which they indicate.

In view of all these facts, it seems unlikely that these Epistles are the work of Paul. The writer was probably a Pauline Christian in the early part of the second century, who, in view of the doctrinal errors and moral looseness of his age, desired to emphasize the orthodox doctrine of the church, to advocate a definite ecclesiastical polity as a permanent safeguard against error, and to enforce practical rules of conduct. These counsels and warnings he issued in the name of Paul, whose letters he evidently knew, whose character he revered, and whose language he tried to imitate. To this he was, perhaps, moved by the fact that contemporary heretics, in some cases, laid claim to the authority of Paul, and in other cases openly repudiated it. It is probable that he based these letters upon genuine Pauline material - despatches, or fragments of letters to Timothy and Titus, which had fallen into his hands. It may be conceded that the letters have a Pauline nucleus. The writer probably assumed that the addresses of his letters to Timothy and Titus would attract attention and carry weight, since these teachers were representatives of churches.

To stigmatize such a proceeding as forgery is to treat the conditions of that early time from the point of view of our own age. No literary fraud was contemplated by the writer or ascribed to him. The practice of issuing a work in the name of some distinguished person was common, and was recognized as legitimate. A whole class of writings, chiefly apocalyptical and known as pseudepigraphic or pseudonymous, appeared in the times immediately preceding and succeeding the beginning of the Christian era. Such were the Book of Enoch, the Sibylline Oracles, and the Psalter of Solomon. Precedent was furnished by the Old Testament writings. The Psalmists adopted the names of David, Asaph, and the Sons of Korah. Neither Samuel nor Ruth nor Esther were supposed to be the authors of the books which bore their names. Koheleth, in the Book of Ecclesiastes, impersonates Solomon, and the Proverbs and the Canticles both bear his name.

The church of the second century thankfully accepted these three Epistles, and, inferior though they were in spiritual power and richness of idea to the genuine Pauline letters or the Epistle to the Hebrews, incorporated them with these among the New Testament writings. They are valuable in exhibiting to us certain features of post-Pauline Christianity. They testify to the energy and purity of the church's moral impulses as nourished by the religious principles of Christendom. They show us the causes out of which grew the increased emphasis upon authority and external regimen. By their strong attestation of the value of the inheritance from the apostolic age, by their high ethical character, based on religion and exhibiting the moral consequences of the Christian faith, by their emphasis upon the practical rather than the doctrinal edification of the church, upon the significance of the church, and upon the representation of Christianity by Christian personality - they justify their canonization.

Lists of Words Found Only in the Pastoral Epistles, and in the Pastoral Epistles and Not in Paul's Writings.

Pastorals Only

ἀγαθοεργέω

ἀγνεία

ἀγωγή

ἀδηλότης

ἀθλέω

αἰδώς

αἱρετικός

αἰσχροκερδής

ἀκαίρως

ἀκατάγνωστος

ἀκρατής

ἄλλως

ἄμαχος

ἀμοιβή

ἀναζωπυρέω

ἀνάλυσις

ἀνανήφω

ἀναψύχω

ἀνδραποδιστής

ἀνδροφόνος

ἀνεξίκακος

ἀνεπαίσχυντος

ἀνεπίλημπτος

ἀνήμερος

ἀνόσιος

ἀντιδιατίθεμαι

ἀντίθεσις

ἀντίθεσις

ἀντίλυτρον

ἀπαίδευτος

ἀπέραντος

ἀπόβλητος

ἀπόδεκτος

ἀποδοχή

ἀποθησαυρίζω

ἀποτρέπομαι

ἀπρόσιτος

ἄρτιος

ἄσπονδος

ἀστοχέω

αὐθοντέω

αὐτοκατάκριτος

ἀφθορία

ἀφιλάγαθος

ἀψευδής

βαθμός

βδελυκτός

βέλτιον

βλαβερός

γάγγραινα

γενεαλογία

γόης

γραώδης

γυμνασία

γυναικάριον

δειλία

διαβεβαιόομαι

διάβολος, as adj.

διάγω

διαπαρατριβή

διατροφή

διδακτικός

δίλογος

διώκτης

ἐγκρατής

ἑδραίωμα

ἔκγονος

ἔκδηλος

ἐκζήτησις

ἐκστρέφομαι

ἔλαττον, as adv.

ἐλεγμός

ἐνδύνω

ἔντευξις

ἐντρέφομαι

ἐπαγγέλλομαι in sense of professing

ἐπανόρθωσις

ἐπαρκέω

ἐπιδιορθόω

ἐπίορκος

ἐπιπλήσσω

ἐπιστομίζω

ἐπισωρεύω

ἑτεροδιδασκαλέω

εὐμετάδοτος

εὐσεβῶς

ἤρεμος

θεόπνευστος

θεοσέβεια

ἱεροπρεπής

Ἱουδαΐκός

καλοδιδάσκαλος

καταλέγομαι

κατάστημα

καταστολή

καταστρηνιάω

καταφθείρω

καυστηριάζομαι

κενοφωνία

κνήθω

κοινωνικός

κόσμιος

κοσμίως (alt. for κοσμίῳ )

λογομαχέω

λογομαχία

μάμμη

ματαιολογία

μααταιολόγος

μεμβράνα

μετάλημψις

μηδέποτε

μητρολῴης

μονόομαι

νεόφυτος

νεωτερικός

νηφάλιος

νομίμως

νοσέω

ξενοδοχέω

οἰκοδεσποτέω

οἰκουργός

ὁμολογουμένως

ὀργίλος

ὀρθοτομέν

παραθήκη

πάροινος

πατρολῴης

περιούσιος (citn.)

περιπείρω

περιφρονέω

πιστόομαι

πλέγμα

πλήκτης

πορισμός

πραγματία

πραΰπαθία

πρεσβῦτις

πρόγονος

πρόκριμα

πρόσκλισις

ῥητῶς

σεμνότης

σκέπασμα

στόμαχος

στρατολογέω

στυγητός

συνκακοπαθέω

σωτήριος

σωφρονίζ

σωφρονισμός

σωφρόνως

σώφρων

τεκνογονέω

τεκνογονία

τεκνοτροφέω

τυφόομαι ὑγιαίνω , (metaphorical use of the participle as attributive)

ὑδροποτέω

ὐπερπλεονάζω

ὑπόνοια

ὑποτύπωσις

ὑψηλοφρονέω

φελόνης

φιλάγαθος

φίλανδρος

φιλαργυρία

φίλαυτος

φιλήδονος

φιλόθεος

φιλότεκνος

φλύαρος

φρεναπάτης

φροντίζω

χαλκεύς

χρήσιμος

ψευδολόγος

ψευδώνυμος

ὠφέλιμος

Pastorals and Not in Paul

αἰτία

ἀμελέω

ἀνατρέπω

ἄνοια

ἀντιλαμβάνομαι

ἀνυπότακτος

ἀνωφελής

ἀπόλαυσις

ἀποπλανάω

ἀργός

ἀργύρεος

ἀρνέομαι

ἄσπιλος

αὐθάδης

ἀφιλάργυρος

ἀχάριστος

βέβηλος

βίος

βλάσφημος

βραδύνω

βρέφος

βυθίζω

γεωργός

γυμνάζω

δεσπότης

διπλόος

δρόμος

δυνάστης

εἰσφέρω

ἐκτρέπομαι

ἐκφέρω

ἐμπίπτω

ἐμπλέκω

ἐξαρτίζω

ἑξήκοντα

ἐπακολουθέω

ἐπίθεσις

ἐπιλαμβάνομαι

ἐπιμελέομαι

ἐπισκοπή

ἐπίσταμαι

ἐπιτίθημι

ἐπιτιμάω

ἐπιφαίνω

εὐεργεσία

εὐκαίρως

εὐσέβεια

εὐσεβέω

ζήτησις

ζωγρέω

ζωογονέω

ἡδονή

ἡσύχιος

θηρίον

θνήσκω

ἱματισμος

κακοπαθέω

κακοῦργος

καταστροφή

κατηγορία

κῆρυξ

κοσμέω

κοσμικός

κριτής

κτιτής

κτίσμα

λαός (in Paul always in citn.)

λείπω

λέων

λίαν

λοιδορία

λυτρόομαι

μαργαρίτης

μαρτυρία

μάχομαι

μελετάω

μέντοι

μεταλαμβάνω

μήποτε

μιαίνω

μῦθος

νέστης

νίπτω

νομή

νομικός

νομοδιδάσκαλος

νοσφίζομαι

ξύλινος

ὀρέγομαι

ὅσιος

παλινγενεσία

παραδέχομαι

παραιτέομαι

παρακολουθέω

πειθαρχέω

περίεργος

περιέρχομαι

περιίστημι

περιποιέομαι

ποικίλος

πολυτελής

πρεσβυτέριον

πρεσβύτερος

προάγω

πρόδηλος

προδότης

προπετής

προσέρχομαι

προσέχω

προσμένω

πυκνός

σοφίζω

σπαταλάω

στερεός

στεφιανόω

στρατιώτης

σωματικός

σωφροσύνη

τάχειον

ὑβρίζω

ὑγιαίνω

ὐγιής

ὑπομιμνήσκω

ὑπόμνησις

ὕστερος

φιλανθρωπία

φιλάργυρος

φιλόξενος

χαλεπός

χειμών

χείρων

χρυσός

A List of Phrases Which Occur Only in the Pastoral Epistles

Χριστὸς Ιησοῦς ἡ ἐλπὶς ἡμῶν, 1Ti 1:1

πέκνον ἐν πίστει, 1Ti 1:2

νόμος κεῖται, 1Ti 1:9

ἡ ὐγιαίνουσα διδασκαλία, 1Ti 1:10

τὸ εὐαγγέλιον τῆς δόξης τοῦ μακαρίου θεοῦ 1Ti 1:11

ὁ μακάριος θεὸς 1Ti 1:11

πιστὸς ὁ λόγος, 1Ti 1:15

πάσης ἀποδοχῆς ἄξιος, 1Ti 1:15

πίστις καὶ ἀγαθή συνείδησις, 1Ti 1:19

πρῶτον πάντων 1Ti 2:1

οἱ ἐν ὑπεροχῇ, 1Ti 2:1

εἰς ἐπίγνωσιν ἀληθείας ἐλθεῖν, 1Ti 2:4

καιροῖς ἰδίοις, 1Ti 2:6

διδάσκαλος ἐθνῶν (of Paul), 1Ti 2:7

ἐν πίστει καὶ ἀληθείᾳ 1Ti 2:7

ἐπαίροντες ὁσίους χεῖρας, 1Ti 2:8

χωρὶς ὀργῆς καὶ διαλογισμῶν, 1Ti 2:8

ἔχων ἐν ὑποταγῇ, 1Ti 3:4

ἐμπιπτεῖν εἰς κρίμα, 1Ti 3:6

τὸ μυστήριον τῆς πίστεως, 1Ti 3:9

οἶκος θεοῦ (of the church), 1Ti 3:15

στύλος καὶ ἐδραίωμα τῆς ἀληθείας, 1Ti 3:15

ἐδικαιώθη ἐν πνεύματι (of Christ), 1Ti 3:16

ἐν ὑοτέροις καιροῖς , 1Ti 4:1

ἀφίστασθαι τῆς πίστεως, 1Ti 4:1

ἐπαγγελίαν ἔχειν, 1Ti 4:8

νῦν (with an article and adjectively, as ὁ νῦν αἰών; ζωῆς τῆς νῦν ), 1Ti 5:3

ὄντως (with an article and adjectively, as τὰς ὄντως χήρας ), 1Ti 5:3

ἀμοιβὰς ἀποδιδόναι, 1Ti 5:4

ἔχειν κρίμα, 1Ti 5:12

ἐκλεκτοὶ ἄγγελοι, 1Ti 5:21

χωρὶς προκρίματος, 1Ti 5:21

προέρχεσθαι ὑγιαίνουσι λόγοις, 1Ti 6:3

ἡ κατ ' εὐσέβειαν διδασκαλία, 1Ti 6:3

ἄνθρωπος θεοῦ, 1Ti 6:11

ἀγωνίζεσθαι τὸν καλὸν ἀγῶνα, 1Ti 6:12

ὁμολγεῖν τὴν καλὴν ὁμολογίαν, 1Ti 6:12

μαρτυρεῖν τὴν καλὴν ὁμολογίαν, 1Ti 6:13

δυνάστης (of God), 1Ti 6:15

οἱ κυριεύοντες for κύριοι, 1Ti 6:15

ἔχειν ἀθανασίαν, 1Ti 6:16

ἀποστόλος κατὰ - , 1Ti 1:1; 2Ti 1:1; Tit 1:1

ἐπαγγελία ζωῆς, 2Ti 1:1

ἀπὸ προγόνων, 2Ti 1:3

ἐν καθαρᾷ συνειδήσει, 1Ti 3:9; 2Ti 1:3

πίστις ἐνῴκησεν, 2Ti 1:5

κλῆσις ἁγία, 2Ti 1:9

πρὸ χρόνων αἰωνίων, 2Ti 1:9; Tit 1:2

σωτηρία ἡ ἐν Χριστῷ Ἱησοῦ, 2Ti 2:10

νομὴν ἔχειν, 2Ti 2:17

θεμέλιος τοῦ θεοῦ, 2Ti 2:19

ἡ τοῦ διαβόλου παγίς, 2Ti 2:26

τοῦτο γίνωσκε, 2Ti 3:1

διώκειν (in sense of persecute), 2Ti 3:13

ἱερὰ γράμματα, 2Ti 3:15

ἑααυτοῖς ἐπισωρεύειν διδασκάλους, 2Ti 4:3

κνηθόμενοι τὴν ἀκοήν, 2Ti 4:3

ὁ τῆς δικαιοσυ.νης στέφανος, 2Ti 4:8

τοῖς ἠγαπηκόσι τὴν ἐπιφάνειαν αὐτοῦ, 2Ti 4:8

παραγίνομαι (in the sense of standing by as a friend), 2Ti 4:16

κατὰ κοινὴνπίστιν, Tit 1:4

σεαυτὸν παρέχεσθαι, Tit 2:7

ὁ ἐξ ἐναντίας, Tit 2:8

πᾶσαν πίστιν ἐνδείκνυσθαι ἀγαθήν, Tit 2:10

τὴν διδασκαλίαν κοσμεῖν, Tit 2:10

ἡ χάρις τοῦ θεοῦ σωτήριος, Tit 2:11

κοσμικαὶ ἐπιθυμίαι, Tit 2:12

ἡ μακαρία ἐλπίς, Tit 2:13

ὁ μέγας θεὸς, Tit 2:13

μάχαι νομικαί, Tit 3:9

οἱ φιλοῦντες ἡμᾶς ἐνπίστει, Tit 3:15

JFB: 1 Timothy (Book Introduction)

GENUINENESS.--The ancient Church never doubted of their being canonical and written by Paul. They are in the Peschito Syriac version of the second century. MURATORI'S Fragment on the Canon of Scripture, at the close of the second century, acknowledges them as such. IRENÆUS [Against Heresies, 1; 3.3.3; 4.16.3; 2.14.8; 3.11.1; 1.16.3], quotes 1Ti 1:4, 1Ti 1:9; 1Ti 6:20; 2Ti 4:9-11; Tit 3:10. CLEMENT OF ALEXANDRIA [Miscellanies, 2, p. 457; 3, pp. 534, 536; 1, p. 350], quotes 1Ti 6:1, 1Ti 6:20; Second Timothy, as to deaconesses; Tit 1:12. TERTULLIAN [The Prescription against Heretics, 25; 6], quotes 1Ti 6:20; 2Ti 1:14; 1Ti 1:18; 1Ti 6:13, &c.; 2Ti 2:2; Tit 3:10-11. EUSEBIUS includes the three in the "universally acknowledged" Scriptures. Also THEOPHILUS OF ANTIOCH [To Autolychus, 3.14], quotes 1Ti 2:1-2; Tit 3:1, and CAIUS (in EUSEBIUS [Ecclesiastical History, 6.20]) recognizes their authenticity. CLEMENT OF ROME, in the end of the first century, in his first Epistle to the Corinthians [29], quotes 1Ti 2:8. IGNATIUS, in the beginning of the second century, in Epistle to Polycarp, [6], alludes to 2Ti 2:4. POLYCARP, in the beginning of the second century [Epistle to the Philippians, 4], alludes to 2Ti 2:4; and in the ninth chapter to 2Ti 4:10. Hegisippus, in the end of the second century, in EUSEBIUS [Ecclesiastical History, 3.32], alludes to 1Ti 6:3, 1Ti 6:20. ATHENAGORAS, in the end of the second century, alludes to 1Ti 6:16. JUSTIN MARTYR, in the middle of the second century [Dialogue with Trypho, 47], alludes to Tit 3:4. The Gnostic MARCION alone rejected these Epistles.

The HERESIES OPPOSED in them form the transition stage from Judaism, in its ascetic form, to Gnosticism, as subsequently developed. The references to Judaism and legalism are clear (1Ti 1:7; 1Ti 4:3; Tit 1:10, Tit 1:14; Tit 3:9). Traces of beginning Gnosticism are also unequivocal (1Ti 1:4). The Gnostic theory of a twofold principle from the beginning, evil as well as good, appears in germ in 1Ti 4:3, &c. In 1Ti 6:20 the term Gnosis ("science") itself occurs. Another Gnostic error, namely, that "the resurrection is past," is alluded to in 2Ti 2:17-18. The Judaism herein opposed is not that of the earlier Epistles, which upheld the law and tried to join it with faith in Christ for justification. It first passed into that phase of it which appears in the Epistle to the Colossians, whereby will-worship and angel-worship were superadded to Judaizing opinions. Then a further stage of the same evil appears in the Epistle to the Philippians (Phi 3:2, Phi 3:18-19), whereby immoral practice accompanied false doctrine as to the resurrection (compare 2Ti 2:18, with 1Co 15:12, 1Co 15:32-33). This descent from legality to superstition, and from superstition to godlessness, appears more matured in the references to it in these Pastoral Epistles. The false teachers now know not the true use of the law (1Ti 1:7-8), and further, have put away good conscience as well as the faith (1Ti 1:19; 1Ti 4:2); speak lies in hypocrisy, are corrupt in mind, and regard godliness as a means of earthly gain (1Ti 6:5 Tit 1:11); overthrow the faith by heresies eating as a canker, saying the resurrection is past (2Ti 2:17-18), leading captive silly women, ever learning yet never knowing the truth, reprobate as Jannes and Jambres (2Ti 3:6, 2Ti 3:8), defiled, unbelieving, professing to know God, but in works denying Him, abominable, disobedient, reprobate (Tit 1:15-16). This description accords with that in the Catholic Epistles of St. John and St. Peter, and, in the Epistle to the Hebrews. This fact proves the later date of these Pastoral Epistles as compared with Paul's earlier Epistles. The Judaism reprobated herein is not that of an earlier date, so scrupulous as to the law; it was now tending to immortality of practice. On the other hand, the Gnosticism opposed in these Epistles is not the anti-Judaic Gnosticism of a later date, which arose as a consequence of the overthrow of Judaism by the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple, but it was the intermediate phase between Judaism and Gnosticism, in which the Oriental and Greek elements of the latter were in a kind of amalgam with Judaism, just prior to the overthrow of Jerusalem.

The DIRECTIONS AS TO CHURCH GOVERNORS and ministers, "bishop-elders, and deacons," are such as were natural for the apostle, in prospect of his own approaching removal, to give to Timothy, the president of the Church at Ephesus, and to Titus, holding the same office in Crete, for securing the due administration of the Church when he should be no more, and at a time when heresies were rapidly springing up. Compare his similar anxiety in his address to the Ephesian elders (Act 20:21-30). The Presbyterate (elders; priest is a contraction from presbyter) and Diaconate had existed from the earliest times in the Church (Act 6:3; Act 11:30; Act 14:23). Timothy and Titus, as superintendents or overseers (so bishop subsequently meant), were to exercise the same power in ordaining elders at Ephesus which the apostle had exercised in his general supervision of all the Gentile churches.

The PECULIARITIES OF MODES OF THOUGHT AND EXPRESSION, are such as the difference of subject and circumstances of those addressed and those spoken of in these Epistles, as compared with the other Epistles, would lead us to expect. Some of these peculiar phrases occur also in Galatians, in which, as in the Pastoral Epistles, he, with his characteristic fervor, attacks the false teachers. Compare 1Ti 2:6; Tit 2:14, "gave Himself for us," with Gal 1:4; 1Ti 1:17; 2Ti 4:18, "for ever and ever," with Gal 1:5 : "before God," 1Ti 5:21; 1Ti 6:13; 2Ti 2:14; 2Ti 4:1, with Gal 1:20 : "a pillar," 1Ti 3:15, with Gal 2:9 : "mediator," 1Ti 2:5, with Gal 3:20 : "in due season," 1Ti 2:6; 1Ti 6:15; Tit 1:3 with Gal 6:9.

TIME AND PLACE OF WRITING.--The First Epistle to Timothy was written not long after Paul had left Ephesus for Macedon (1Ti 1:3). Now, as Timothy was in Macedon with Paul (2Co 1:1) on the occasion of Paul's having passed from Ephesus into that country, as recorded, Act 19:22; Act 20:1, whereas the First Epistle to Timothy contemplates a longer stay of Timothy in Ephesus, MOSHEIM supposes that Paul was nine months of the "three years" stay mostly at Ephesus (Act 20:31) in Macedonia, and elsewhere (perhaps Crete), (the mention of only "three months" and "two years," Act 19:8, Act 19:10, favors this, the remaining nine months being spent elsewhere); and that during these nine months Timothy, in Paul's absence, superintended the Church of Ephesus. It is not likely that Ephesus and the neighboring churches should have been left long without church officers and church organization, rules respecting which are giver in this Epistle. Moreover, Timothy was still "a youth" (1Ti 4:12), which he could hardly be called after Paul's first imprisonment, when he must have been at least thirty-four years of age. Lastly, in Act 20:25, Paul asserts his knowledge that the Ephesians should not all see his face again, so that 1Ti 1:3 will thus refer to his sojourn at Ephesus, recorded in Act 19:10, whence he passed into Macedonia. But the difficulty is to account for the false teachers having sprung up almost immediately (according to this theory) after the foundation of the Church. However, his visit recorded in Acts 19:1-41 was not his first visit. The beginning of the Church at Ephesus was probably made at his visit a year before (Act 18:19-21). Apollos, Aquila and Priscilla, carried on the work (Act 18:24-26). Thus, as to the sudden growth of false teachers, there was time enough for their springing up, especially considering that the first converts at Ephesus were under Apollos' imperfect Christian teachings at first, imbued as he was likely to be with the tenets of PHILO of Alexandria, Apollos' native town, combined with John the Baptist's Old Testament teachings (Act 18:24-26). Besides Ephesus, from its position in Asia, its notorious voluptuousness and sorcery (Act 19:18-19), and its lewd worship of Diana (answering to the Phœnician Ashtoreth), was likely from the first to tinge Christianity in some of its converts with Oriental speculations and Asiatic licentiousness of practices. Thus the phenomenon of the phase of error presented in this Epistle, being intermediate between Judaism and later Gnosticism (see above), would be such as might occur at an early period in the Ephesian Church, as well as later, when we know it had open "apostles" of error (Rev 2:2, Rev 2:6), and Nicolaitans infamous in practice. As to the close connection between this First Epistle and the Second Epistle (which must have been written at the close of Paul's life), on which ALFORD relies for his theory of making the First Epistle also written at the close of Paul's life, the similarity of circumstances, the person addressed being one and the same, and either in Ephesus at the time, or at least connected with Ephesus as its church overseer, and having heretics to contend with of the same stamp as in the First Epistle, would account for the connection. There is not so great identity of tone as to compel us to adopt the theory that some years could not have elapsed between the two Epistles.

However, all these arguments against the later date may be answered. This First Epistle may refer not to the first organization of the Church under its bishops, or elders and deacons, but to the moral qualifications laid down at a later period for those officers when scandals rendered such directions needful. Indeed, the object for which he left Timothy at Ephesus he states (1Ti 1:3) to be, not to organize the Church for the first time, but to restrain the false teachers. The directions as to the choice of fit elders and deacons refer to the filling up of vacancies, not to their first appointment. The fact of there existing an institution for Church widows implies an established organization. As to Timothy's "youth," it may be spoken of comparatively young compared with Paul, now "the aged" (Phm 1:9), and with some of the Ephesian elders, senior to Timothy their overseer. As to Act 20:25, we know not but that "all" of the elders of Ephesus called to Miletus "never saw Paul's face" afterwards, as he "knew" (doubtless by inspiration) would be the case, which obviates the need of ALFORD'S lax view, that Paul was wrong in this his positive inspired anticipation (for such it was, not a mere boding surmise as to the future). Thus he probably visited Ephesus again (1Ti 1:3; 2Ti 1:18; 2Ti 4:20, he would hardly have been at Miletum, so near Ephesus, without visiting Ephesus) after his first imprisonment in Rome, though all the Ephesian elders whom he had addressed formerly at Miletus did not again see him. The general similarity of subject and style, and of the state of the Church between the two Epistles, favors the view that they were near one another in date. Also, against the theory of the early date is the difficulty of defining, when, during Paul's two or three years' stay at Ephesus, we can insert an absence of Paul from Ephesus long enough for the requirements of the case, which imply a lengthened stay and superintendence of Timothy at Ephesus (see, however, 1Ti 3:14, on the other side) after having been "left" by Paul there. Timothy did not stay there when Paul left Ephesus (Act 19:22; Act 20:1; 2Co 1:1). In 1Ti 3:14, Paul says, "I write, hoping to come unto thee shortly," but on the earlier occasion of his passing from Ephesus to Macedon he had no such expectation, but had planned to spend the summer in Macedon, and the winter in Corinth, (1Co 16:6). The expression "Till I come" (1Ti 4:13), implies that Timothy was not to leave his post till Paul should arrive; this and the former objection, however, do not hold good against MOSHEIM'S theory. Moreover, Paul in his farewell address to the Ephesian elders prophetically anticipates the rise of false teachers hereafter of their own selves; therefore this First Epistle, which speaks of their actual presence at Ephesus, would naturally seem to be not prior, but subsequent, to the address, that is, will belong to the later date assigned. In the Epistle to the Ephesians no notice is taken of the Judaeo-Gnostic errors, which would have been noticed had they been really in existence; however, they are alluded to in the contemporaneous sister Epistle to Colossians (Col. 2:1-23).

Whatever doubt must always remain as to the date of the First Epistle, there can be hardly any as to that of the Second Epistle. In 2Ti 4:13, Paul directs Timothy to bring the books and cloak which the apostle had left at Troas. Assuming that the visit to Troas referred to is the one mentioned in Act 20:5-7, it will follow that the cloak and parchments lay for about seven years at Troas, that being the time that elapsed between the visit and Paul's first imprisonment at Rome: a very unlikely supposition, that he should have left either unused for so long. Again, when, during his first Roman imprisonment, he wrote to the Colossians (Col 4:14) and Philemon (Phm 1:24), Demas was with him; but when he was writing 2Ti 4:10, Demas had forsaken him from love of this world, and gone to Thessalonica. Again, when he wrote to the Ephesians, Colossians, Philippians, and Philemon, he had good hopes of a speedy liberation; but here in 2Ti 4:6-8, he anticipates immediate death, having been at least once already tried (2Ti 4:16). Again, he is in this Epistle represented as in closer confinement than he was when writing those former Epistles in his first imprisonment (even in the Philippians, which represent him in greater uncertainty as to his life, he cherished the hope of soon being delivered, Phi 2:24; 2Ti 1:16-18; 2Ti 2:9; 2Ti 4:6-8, 2Ti 4:16). Again (2Ti 4:20), he speaks of having left Trophimus sick at Miletum. This could not have been on the occasion, Act 20:15. For Trophimus was with Paul at Jerusalem shortly afterwards (Act 21:29). Besides, he would thus be made to speak of an event six or seven years after its occurrence, as a recent event: moreover, Timothy was, on that occasion of the apostle being at Miletum, with Paul, and therefore needed not to be informed of Trophimus' sickness there (Act 20:4-17). Also, the statement (2Ti 4:20), "Erastus abode at Corinth," implies that Paul had shortly before been at Corinth, and left Erastus there; but Paul had not been at Corinth for several years before his first imprisonment, and in the interval Timothy had been with him, so that he did not need to write subsequently about that visit. He must therefore have been liberated after his first imprisonment (indeed, Heb 13:23-24, expressly proves that the writer was in Italy and at liberty), and resumed his apostolic journeyings, and been imprisoned at Rome again, whence shortly before his death he wrote Second Timothy.

EUSEBIUS [Chronicles, Anno 2083] (beginning October, A.D. 67), says, "Nero, to his other crimes, added the persecution of Christians: under him the apostles Peter and Paul consummated their martyrdom at Rome." So JEROME [On Illustrious Men], "In the fourteenth year of Nero, Paul was beheaded at Rome for Christ's sake, on the same day as Peter, and was buried on the Ostian Road, in the thirty-seventh year after the death of our Lord." ALFORD reasonably conjectures the Pastoral Epistles were written near this date. The interval was possibly filled up (so CLEMENT OF ROME states that Paul preached as far as "to the extremity of the west") by a journey to Spain (Rom 15:24, Rom 15:28), according to his own original intention. MURATORI'S Fragment on the Canon of Scripture (about A.D. 170) also alleges Paul's journey into Spain. So EUSEBIUS, CHRYSOSTOM, and JEROME. Be that as it may, he seems shortly before his second imprisonment to have visited Ephesus, where a new body of elders governed the Church (Act 20:25), say in the latter end of A.D. 66, or beginning of 67. Supposing him thirty at his conversion, he would now be upwards of sixty, and older in constitution than in years, through continual hardship. Even four years before he called himself "Paul the aged" (Phm 1:9).

From Ephesus he went into Macedonia (1Ti 1:3). He may have written the First Epistle to Timothy from that country. But his use of "went," not "came," in 1Ti 1:3, "When I went into Macedonia," implies he was not there when writing. Wherever he was, he writes uncertain how long he may be detained from coming to Timothy (1Ti 3:14-15). BIRKS shows the probability that he wrote from Corinth, between which city and Ephesus the communication was rapid and easy. His course, as on both former occasions, was from Macedon to Corinth. He finds a coincidence between 1Ti 2:11-14, and 1Co 14:34, as to women being silent in Church; and 1Ti 5:17-18, and 1Co 9:8-10, as to the maintenance of ministers, on the same principle as the Mosaic law, that the ox should not be muzzled that treadeth out the corn; and 1Ti 5:19-20, and 2Co 13:1-4, as to charges against elders. It would be natural for the apostle in the very place where these directions had been enforced, to reproduce them in his letter.

The date of the Epistle to Titus must depend on that assigned to First Timothy, with which it is connected in subject, phraseology, and tone. There is no difficulty in the Epistle to Titus, viewed by itself, in assigning it to the earlier date, namely, before Paul's first imprisonment. In Act 18:18-19, Paul, in journeying from Corinth to Palestine, for some cause or other landed at Ephesus. Now we find (Tit 3:13) that Apollos in going from Ephesus to Corinth was to touch at Crete (which seems to coincide with Apollos' journey from Ephesus to Corinth, recorded in Act 18:24, Act 18:27; Act 19:1); therefore it is not unlikely that Paul may have taken Crete similarly on his way between Corinth and Ephesus; or, perhaps been driven out of his course to it in one of his three shipwrecks spoken of in 2Co 11:25-26; this will account for his taking Ephesus on his way from Corinth to Palestine, though out of his regular course. At Ephesus Paul may have written the Epistle to Titus [HUG]; there he probably met Apollos and gave the Epistle to Titus to his charge, before his departure for Corinth by way of Crete, and before the apostle's departure for Jerusalem (Act 18:19-21, Act 18:24). Moreover, on Paul's way back from Jerusalem and Antioch, he travelled some time in Upper Asia (Act 19:1); and it was then, probably, that his intention to "winter at Nicopolis" was realized, there being a town of that name between Antioch and Tarsus, lying on Paul's route to Galatia (Tit 3:12). Thus, First Timothy will, in this theory, be placed two and a half years later (Act 20:1; compare 1Ti 1:3).

ALFORD'S argument for classing the Epistle to Titus with First Timothy, as written after Paul's first Roman imprisonment, stands or falls with his argument for assigning First Timothy to that date. Indeed, HUG'S unobjectionable argument for the earlier date of the Epistle to Titus, favors the early date assigned to First Timothy, which is so much akin to it, if other arguments be not thought to counterbalance this. The Church of Crete had been just founded (Tit 1:5), and yet the same heresies are censured in it as in Ephesus, which shows that no argument, such as ALFORD alleges against the earlier date of First Timothy, can be drawn from them (Tit 1:10-11, Tit 1:15-16; Tit 3:9, Tit 3:11). But vice versa, if, as seems likely from the arguments adduced, the First Epistle to Timothy be assigned to the later date, the Epistle to Titus must, from similarity of style, belong to the same period. ALFORD traces Paul's last journey before his second imprisonment thus: To Crete (Tit 1:5), Miletus (2Ti 4:20), Colosse (fulfilling his intention, Phm 1:22), Ephesus (1Ti 1:3; 2Ti 1:18), from which neighborhood he wrote the Epistle to Titus; Troas, Macedonia, Corinth (2Ti 4:20), Nicopolis (Tit 3:12) in Epirus, where he had intended to winter; a place in which, as being a Roman colony, he would be free from tumultuary violence, and yet would be more open to a direct attack from foes in the metropolis, Rome. Being known in Rome as the leader of the Christians, he was probably [ALFORD] arrested as implicated in causing the fire in A.D. 64, attributed by Nero to the Christians, and was sent to Rome by the Duumvirs of Nicopolis. There he was imprisoned as a common malefactor (2Ti 2:9); his Asiatic friends deserted him, except Onesiphorus (2Ti 1:16). Demas, Crescens, and Titus, left him. Tychicus he had sent to Ephesus. Luke alone remained with him (2Ti 4:10-12). Under the circumstances he writes the Second Epistle to Timothy, most likely while Timothy was at Ephesus (2Ti 2:17; compare 1Ti 1:20; 2Ti 4:13), begging him to come to him before winter (2Ti 4:21), and anticipating his own execution soon (2Ti 4:6). Tychicus was perhaps the bearer of the Second Epistle (2Ti 4:12). His defense was not made before the emperor, for the latter was then in Greece (2Ti 4:16-17). Tradition represents that he died by the sword, which accords with the fact that his Roman citizenship would exempt him from torture; probably late in A.D. 67 or A.D. 68, the last year of Nero.

Timothy is first mentioned, Act 16:1, as dwelling in Lystra (not Derbe, compare Act 20:4). His mother was a Jewess named Eunice (2Ti 1:5); his father, "a Greek" (that is, a Gentile). As Timothy is mentioned as "a disciple" in Act 16:1, he must have been converted before, and this by Paul (1Ti 1:2), probably at his former visit to Lystra (Act 14:6); at the same time, probably, that his Scripture-loving mother, Eunice, and grandmother, Lois, were converted to Christ from Judaism (2Ti 3:14-15). Not only the good report given as to him by the brethren of Lystra, but also his origin, partly Jewish, partly Gentile, adapted him specially for being Paul's assistant in missionary work, laboring as the apostle did in each place, firstly among the Jews, and then among the Gentiles. In order to obviate Jewish prejudices, he first circumcised him. He seems to have accompanied Paul in his tour through Macedonia; but when the apostle went forward to Athens, Timothy and Silas remained in Berea. Having been sent back by Paul to visit the Thessalonian Church (1Th 3:2), he brought his report of it to the apostle at Corinth (1Th 3:6). Hence we find his name joined with Paul's in the addresses of both the Epistles to Thessalonians, which were written at Corinth. We again find him "ministering to" Paul during the lengthened stay at Ephesus (Act 19:22). Thence he was sent before Paul into Macedonia and to Corinth (1Co 4:17; 1Co 16:10). He was with Paul when he wrote the Second Epistle to Corinthians (2Co 1:1); and the following winter in Corinth, when Paul sent from thence his Epistle to the Romans (Rom 16:21). On Paul's return to Asia through Macedonia, he went forward and waited for the apostle at Troas (Act 20:3-5). Next we find him with Paul during his imprisonment at Rome, when the apostle wrote the Epistles to Colossians (Col 1:1), Philemon (Phm 1:1), and Philippians (Phi 1:1). He was imprisoned and set at liberty about the same time as the writer of the Hebrews (Heb 13:23). In the Pastoral Epistles, we find him mentioned as left by the apostle at Ephesus to superintend the Church there (1Ti 1:3). The last notice of him is in the request which Paul makes to him (2Ti 4:21) to "come before winter," that is about A.D. 67 [ALFORD]. EUSEBIUS [Ecclesiastical History, 3.42], reports that he was first bishop of Ephesus; and [NICOPHORUS, Ecclesiastical History, 3.11], represents that he died by martyrdom. If then, St. John, as tradition represents, resided and died in that city, it must have been at a later period. Paul himself ordained or consecrated him with laying on of his own hands, and those of the presbytery, in accordance with prophetic intimations given respecting him by those possessing the prophetic gift (1Ti 1:18; 1Ti 4:14 2Ti 1:6). His self-denying character is shown by his leaving home at once to accompany the apostle, and submitting to circumcision for the Gospel's sake; and also by his abstemiousness (noted in 1Ti 5:23) notwithstanding his bodily infirmities, which would have warranted a more generous diet. Timidity and a want of self-confidence and boldness in dealing with the difficulties of his position, seem to have been a defect in his otherwise beautiful character as a Christian minister (1Co 16:10; 1Ti 4:12; 2Ti 1:7).

The DESIGN of the First Epistle was: (1) to direct Timothy to charge the false teachers against continuing to teach other doctrine than that of the Gospel (1Ti. 1:3-20; compare Rev 2:1-6); (2) to give him instructions as to the orderly conducting of worship, the qualifications of bishops and deacons, and the selection of widows who should, in return for Church charity, do appointed service (1Ti. 2:1-6:2); (3) to warn against covetousness, a sin prevalent at Ephesus, and to urge to good works (1Ti. 6:3-19).

JFB: 1 Timothy (Outline)

• ADDRESS: PAUL'S DESIGN IN HAVING LEFT TIMOTHY AT EPHESUS, NAMELY, TO CHECK FALSE TEACHERS; TRUE USE OF THE LAW; HARMONIZING WITH THE GOSPEL; GOD'S GRACE IN CALLING PAUL, ONCE A BLASPHEMER, TO EXPERIENCE AND TO PREACH IT; CHARGES TO TIMOTHY. (1Ti. 1:1-20)
• PUBLIC WORSHIP. DIRECTION AS TO INTERCESSIONS FOR ALL MEN, SINCE CHRIST IS A RANSOM FOR ALL. THE DUTIES OF MEN AND WOMEN RESPECTIVELY IN RESPECT TO PUBLIC PRAYER. WOMAN'S SUBJECTION; HER SPHERE OF DUTY. (1Ti 2:1-15)
• RULES AS TO BISHOPS (OVERSEERS) AND DEACONS. THE CHURCH, AND THE GOSPEL MYSTERY NOW REVEALED TO IT, ARE THE END OF ALL SUCH RULES. (1Ti. 3:1-16) Translate as Greek, "Faithful is the saying." A needful preface to what follows: for the office of a bishop or overseer in Paul's day, attended as it was with hardship and often persecution, would not seem to the world generally a desirable and "good work."
• PREDICTION OF A COMING DEPARTURE FROM THE FAITH: TIMOTHY'S DUTY AS TO IT: GENERAL DIRECTIONS TO HIM. (1Ti. 4:1-16)
• GENERAL DIRECTIONS AS TO HOW TIMOTHY SHOULD DEAL WITH DIFFERENT CLASSES IN THE CHURCH. (1Ti. 5:1-25)
• EXHORTATIONS AS TO DISTINCTIONS OF CIVIL RANK; THE DUTY OF SLAVES, IN OPPOSITION TO THE FALSE TEACHINGS OF GAIN-SEEKERS; TIMOTHY'S PURSUIT IS TO BE GODLINESS, WHICH IS AN EVERLASTING POSSESSION: SOLEMN ADJURATION TO DO SO AGAINST CHRIST'S COMING; CHARGE TO BE GIVEN TO THE RICH. CONCLUDING EXHORTATION. (1Ti. 6:1-21)

TSK: 1 Timothy (Book Introduction)

This Epistle bears the impress of its genuineness and authenticity, which are corroborated by the most decisive external evidence; and its Divine inspiration is attested by the exact accomplishment of the prediction which it contains respecting the apostasy in the latter days. This prophecy is similar in the general subject to that in the second Epistle to the Thessalonians, though it differs in the particular circumstances; and exactly corresponds with that of the prophet Daniel on the same subject (Dan 11:38). This important prediction might be more correctly rendered, " Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall apostatize from the faith, giving heed to erroneous spirits, and doctrines concerning demons, through the hypocrisy of liars, having their consciences seared with a hot iron, forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats," etc. How applicable these particulars are to the corruptions of the Church of Rome need scarcely be insisted on. The worship of saints in that church is essentially the same with the worship of demons among the heathen; which has been established in the world by books forged in the name of the Apostles and saints, by lying legends of their lives, by false miracles ascribed to their relics, and by fabulous dreams and relations; while celibacy was enjoined and practised under pretence of chastity, and abstinence under pretence of devotion. None but the SPIRIT OF GOD could foresee and foretell these remarkable events.

TSK: 1 Timothy 1 (Chapter Introduction)

Overview

1Ti 1:1, Timothy is put in mind of the charge which was given unto him by Paul at his going to Macedonia; 1Ti 1:5, Of the right use and end of the law; 1Ti 1:11, Of Saint Paul’s calling to be an apostle; 1Ti 1:20, and Hymenaeus and Alexander.

Poole: 1 Timothy 1 (Chapter Introduction)

ARGUMENT

Timothy is thought to have been a native of Lystra in Lycaonia, Act 16:1 . His mother, Eunice, was a Jewess, Act 16:1 ; a believer, 2Ti 1:5 . His father a Greek, Act 16:1 , but (possibly) proselyted to the Jewish religion. They gave Timothy his name, signifying thereby their pious desire that their son should fear and honour God, and be put in mind of his duty by his name. They bred him up in the knowledge of the Scriptures from a child. When it was he first became a disciple to Paul doth not appear; but it appears from 2Ti 3:11 , that he was with Paul at Antioch and Iconium, which was before he came to Lystra, Act 16:1 , where Paul circumcised him. After this Paul made him his companion, and sent him upon several messages. He was a sickly person, 1Ti 5:23 , but eminent in gifts and graces, 2Ti 1:5 3:15 1Co 4:17 . After this he was ordained a minister by Paul and the presbytery, 2Ti 1:6 . He became very dear to Paul for his faithfulness, Phi 2:19-21 ; so as he calls him his beloved son, and faithful, 1Co 4:17 , his son in the faith, 1Ti 1:2 , his dearly beloved son, his fellow worker, fellow labourer, & c. Paul left him a time at Thessalonica and Berea, Act 17:13,14 ; then sent for him to Athens, Act 17:15 . He came to him at Corinth, Act 18:5 . Thence he sent him into Macedonia, Act 19:22 . From thence he came to Corinth, and goes with Paul into Asia. Act 20:4 ; where Paul entreats him to stay some time at Ephesus, as an evangelist, to settle the churches there, 2Ti 4:5 . From thence he sends for him to Rome, 2Ti 4:9 , and sends Tychicus in his room to Ephesus, 2Ti 4:12 . Paul having left Timothy, a young man, in this great trust, being himself to be absent, writes this Epistle to him, to encourage him against all dangers, and to direct him in the management of his office. The scope of the Epistle is to direct Timothy in the first place, and then all ministers of the gospel, how to behave themselves in the ministerial work, as to preaching, praying, government, opposing gainsayers, &c.; so as it is the most perfect direction we have in all Scripture for the discharge of the ministerial office. The time when Paul wrote this Epistle is uncertainly judged, but guessed to be the one and twentieth year after Christ’ s death, and about the nineteenth after Paul’ s conversion; it is certain it was when he was in Macedonia, and before he returned to Ephesus, Act 19:1 .

1 TIMOTHY CHAPTER 1

1Ti 1:1,2 The salutation.

1Ti 1:3,4 Timothy is put in mind of the charge before given him by Paul.

1Ti 1:5-7 The end of the commandment is charity, from which

some had turned aside to teach the law, which they

understood not.

1Ti 1:8-11 The scope of the law was to condemn wickedness, which

is the design of the gospel also.

1Ti 1:12-17 Paul blesseth God for calling him to the ministry

notwithstanding his great demerit, whereby all

penitent sinners that believe are assured of mercy

through Christ.

1Ti 1:18-20 He urgeth Timothy to a due discharge of his trust,

warning him of some who had deserted the truth, of

whom Hymeneus and Alexander had been delivered by

him unto Satan.

Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ one immediately sent by Jesus Christ, by his voice from heaven, Act 9:15 , though not by his voice upon earth, as those, Mat 10:1-42 .

By the commandment of God our Saviour, and Lord Jesus Christ:

through the will of God 1Co 1:1 , not his permissive, but preceptive will; and this is the same with his being called to be an apostle, Rom 1:1 1Co 1:1 . By our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father not being excluded, but the Son only being named, to whom the mediatory kingdom was committed.

Which is our hope: our hope there is no more in the Greek, that is, the object of our hope: as when it is said, Gen 31:53 , that Jacob sware by the fear of his father Isaac, that is, by the Deity whom his father feared. This glorious eulogy belongs to our Saviour, in whom there is a concurrence of all that is requisite to free us from destructive evils, and to make us everlastingly happy: for he is wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption. Hence the Gentiles without Christ are said to be without hope, Eph 2:12 . And from hence it is evident that Jesus Christ is the eternal God, for if he were only a man, though in excellence above all others, he could not be our hope, for cursed is he that trusteth in man, Jer 17:5 .

MHCC: 1 Timothy (Book Introduction)

The design of the epistle appears to be, that Timothy having been left at Ephesus, St. Paul wrote to instruct him in the choice of proper officers in the church, as well as in the exercise of a regular ministry. Also, to caution against the influence of false teachers, who by subtle distinctions and endless disputes, corrupted the purity and simplicity of the gospel. He presses upon him constant regard to the greatest diligence, faithfulness, and zeal. These subjects occupy the first four chapters; the fifth chapter instructs respecting particular classes; in the latter part, controversies and disputes are condemned, the love of money blamed, and the rich exhorted to good works.

MHCC: 1 Timothy 1 (Chapter Introduction)

(1Ti 1:1-4) The apostle salutes Timothy.

(1Ti 1:5-11) The design of the law as given by Moses.

(1Ti 1:12-17) Of his own conversion and call to the apostleship.

(1Ti 1:18-20) The obligation to maintain faith and a good conscience.

Matthew Henry: 1 Timothy (Book Introduction)

An Exposition, with Practical Observations, of The First Epistle of St. Paul to Timothy

Hitherto Paul's epistles were directed to churches; now follow some to particular persons: two to Timothy, one to Titus, and another to Philemon - all three ministers. Timothy and Titus were evangelists, an inferior order to the apostles, as appears by Eph 4:11, Some prophets, some apostles, some evangelists. Their commission and work was much the same with that of the apostles, to plant churches, and water the churches that were planted; and accordingly they were itinerants, as we find Timothy was. Timothy was first converted by Paul, and therefore he calls him his own son in the faith: we read of his conversion, Act 16:3.

The scope of these two epistles is to direct Timothy how to discharge his duty as an evangelist at Ephesus, where he now was, and where Paul ordered him for some time to reside, to perfect the good work which he had begun there. As for the ordinary pastoral charge of that church, he had very solemnly committed it to the presbytery, as appears from Act 20:28, where he charges the presbyters to feed the flock of God, which he had purchased with his own blood.

Matthew Henry: 1 Timothy 1 (Chapter Introduction)

After the inscription (1Ti 1:1, 1Ti 1:2) we have, I. The charge given to Timothy (1Ti 1:3, 1Ti 1:4). II. The true end of the law (1Ti 1:5-11), where he shows that it is entirely agreeable to the gospel. III. He mentions his own call to be an apostle, for which he expresses his thankfulness (1Ti 1:12-16) IV. His doxology (1Ti 1:17). V. A renewal of the charge to Timothy (1Ti 1:18). And of Hymenaeus and Alexander (1Ti 1:19, 1Ti 1:20).

Barclay: 1 Timothy (Book Introduction)

A GENERAL INTRODUCTION TO THE LETTERS OF PAUL

The Letters Of Paul

There is no more interesting body of documents in the New Testament than the letters of Paul. That is because of all forms of literature a letter is most personal. Demetrius, one of the old Greek literary critics, once wrote, "Every one reveals his own soul in his letters. In every other form of composition it is possible to discern the writercharacter, but in none so clearly as the epistolary." (Demetrius, On Style, 227). It is just because he left us so many letters that we feel we know Paul so well. In them he opened his mind and heart to the folk he loved so much; and in them, to this day, we can see that great mind grappling with the problems of the early church, and feel that great heart throbbing with love for men, even when they were misguided and mistaken.

The Difficulty Of Letters

At the same time, there is often nothing so difficult to understand as a letter. Demetrius (On Style, 223) quotes a saying of Artemon, who edited the letters of Aristotle. Artemon said that a letter ought to be written in the same manner as a dialogue, because it was one of the two sides of a dialogue. In other words, to read a letter is like listening to one side of a telephone conversation. So when we read the letters of Paul we are often in a difficulty. We do not possess the letter which he was answering; we do not fully know the circumstances with which he was dealing; it is only from the letter itself that we can deduce the situation which prompted it. Before we can hope to understand fully any letter Paul wrote, we must try to reconstruct the situation which produced it.

The Ancient Letters

It is a great pity that Paulletters were ever called epistles. They are in the most literal sense letters. One of the great lights shed on the interpretation of the New Testament has been the discovery and the publication of the papyri. In the ancient world, papyrus was the substance on which most documents were written. It was composed of strips of the pith of a certain bulrush that grew on the banks of the Nile. These strips were laid one on top of the other to form a substance very like brown paper. The sands of the Egyptian desert were ideal for preservation, for papyrus, although very brittle, will last forever so long as moisture does not get at it. As a result, from the Egyptian rubbish heaps, archaeologists have rescued hundreds of documents, marriage contracts, legal agreements, government forms, and, most interesting of all, private letters. When we read these private letters we find that there was a pattern to which nearly all conformed; and we find that Paulletters reproduce exactly that pattern. Here is one of these ancient letters. It is from a soldier, called Apion, to his father Epimachus. He is writing from Misenum to tell his father that he has arrived safely after a stormy passage.

"Apion sends heartiest greetings to his father and lord Epimachus.

I pray above all that you are well and fit; and that things are

going well with you and my sister and her daughter and my brother.

I thank my Lord Serapis [his god] that he kept me safe when I was

in peril on the sea. As soon as I got to Misenum I got my journey

money from Caesar--three gold pieces. And things are going fine

with me. So I beg you, my dear father, send me a line, first to let

me know how you are, and then about my brothers, and thirdly, that

I may kiss your hand, because you brought me up well, and because

of that I hope, God willing, soon to be promoted. Give Capito my

heartiest greetings, and my brothers and Serenilla and my friends.

I sent you a little picture of myself painted by Euctemon. My

military name is Antonius Maximus. I pray for your good health.

Serenus sends good wishes, Agathos Daimonboy, and Turbo,

Galloniuson." (G. Milligan, Selections from the Greek Papyri,

36).

Little did Apion think that we would be reading his letter to his father 1800 years after he had written it. It shows how little human nature changes. The lad is hoping for promotion quickly. Who will Serenilla be but the girl he left behind him? He sends the ancient equivalent of a photograph to the folk at home. Now that letter falls into certain sections. (i) There is a greeting. (ii) There is a prayer for the health of the recipients. (iii) There is a thanksgiving to the gods. (iv) There are the special contents. (v) Finally, there are the special salutations and the personal greetings. Practically every one of Paulletters shows exactly the same sections, as we now demonstrate.

(i) The Greeting: Rom_1:1 ; 1Co_1:1 ; 2Co_1:1 ; Gal_1:1 ; Eph_1:1 ; Phi_1:1 ; Col_1:1-2 ; 1Th_1:1 ; 2Th_1:1 .

(ii) The Prayer: in every case Paul prays for the grace of God on the people to whom he writes: Rom_1:7 ; 1Co_1:3 ; 2Co_1:2 ; Gal_1:3 ; Eph_1:2 ; Phi_1:3 ; Col_1:2 ; 1Th_1:1 ; 2Th_1:2 .

(iii) The Thanksgiving: Rom_1:8 ; 1Co_1:4 ; 2Co_1:3 ; Eph_1:3 ; Phi_1:3 ; 1Th_1:3 ; 2Th_1:3 .

(iv) The Special Contents: the main body of the letters.

(v) Special Salutations and Personal Greetings: Rom 16 ; 1Co_16:19 ; 2Co_13:13 ; Phi_4:21-22 ; Col_4:12-15 ; 1Th_5:26 .

When Paul wrote letters, he wrote them on the pattern which everyone used. Deissmann says of them, "They differ from the messages of the homely papyrus leaves of Egypt, not as letters but only as the letters of Paul." When we read Paulletters we are not reading things which were meant to be academic exercises and theological treatises, but human documents written by a friend to his friends.

The Immediate Situation

With a very few exceptions, all Paulletters were written to meet an immediate situation and not treatises which he sat down to write in the peace and silence of his study. There was some threatening situation in Corinth, or Galatia, or Philippi, or Thessalonica, and he wrote a letter to meet it. He was not in the least thinking of us when he wrote, but solely of the people to whom he was writing. Deissmann writes, "Paul had no thought of adding a few fresh compositions to the already extant Jewish epistles; still less of enriching the sacred literature of his nation. He had no presentiment of the place his words would occupy in universal history; not so much that they would be in existence in the next generation, far less that one day people would look at them as Holy Scripture." We must always remember that a thing need not be transient because it was written to meet an immediate situation. All the great love songs of the world were written for one person, but they live on for the whole of mankind. It is just because Paulletters were written to meet a threatening danger or a clamant need that they still throb with life. And it is because human need and the human situation do not change that God speaks to us through them today.

The Spoken Word

One other thing we must note about these letters. Paul did what most people did in his day. He did not normally pen his own letters but dictated them to a secretary, and then added his own authenticating signature. (We actually know the name of one of the people who did the writing for him. In Rom_16:22 Tertius, the secretary, slips in his own greeting before the letter draws to an end). In 1Co_16:21 Paul says, "This is my own signature, my autograph, so that you can be sure this letter comes from me." (compare Col_4:18 ; 2Th_3:17 .)

This explains a great deal. Sometimes Paul is hard to understand, because his sentences begin and never finish; his grammar breaks down and the construction becomes involved. We must not think of him sitting quietly at a desk, carefully polishing each sentence as he writes. We must think of him striding up and down some little room, pouring out a torrent Paul composed his letters, he had in his mindeye a vision of words, while his secretary races to get them down. When of the folk to whom he was writing, and he was pouring out his heart to them in words that fell over each other in his eagerness to help.

INTRODUCTION TO THE LETTERS TO TIMOTHY AND TITUS

Personal Letters

1 and 2 Timothy and Titus have always been regarded as forming a separate group of letters, different from the other letters of Paul. The most obvious difference is that they, along with the little letter to Philemon, are written to persons, whereas all other Pauline letters are written to Churches. The Muratorian Canon, which was the earliest official list of New Testament books, says that they were written "from personal feeling and affection." They are private rather than public letters.

Ecclesiastical Letters

But it very soon began to be seen that, though these are personal and private letters, they have a significance and a relevance far beyond the immediate. In 1Ti_3:15 their aim is set down. They are written to Timothy "that you may know how one ought to behave in the household of God, which is the Church of the living God." So, then, it came to be seen that these letters have not only a personal significance, but also what one might call an ecclesiastical significance. The Muratorian Canon says of them that, though they are personal letters written out of personal affection, "they are still hallowed in the respect of the Catholic Church, and in the arrangement of ecclesiastical discipline." Tertullian said that Paul wrote "two letters to Timothy and one to Titus, which were composed concerning the state of the Church (de ecclesiastico statu)." It is not then surprising that the first name given to them was Pontifical Letters, that is, written by the pontifex, the priest, the controller of the Church.

Pastoral Letters

Bit by bit they came to acquire the name by which they are still known--The Pastoral Epistles. In writing of I Timothy Thomas Aquinas, as long ago as 1274, said, "This letter is as it were a pastoral rule which the Apostle delivered to Timothy." In his introduction to the second letter, he writes, "In the first letter he gives Timothy instructions concerning ecclesiastical order; in this second letter he deals with a pastoral care which should be so great that it will even accept martyrdom for the sake of the care of the flock." But this title, The Pastoral Epistles, really became affixed to these letters in 1726 when a great scholar, Paul Anton by name, gave a series of famous lectures on them under that title.

These letters then deal with the care and organization of the flock of God; they tell men how to behave within the household of God; they give instructions as to how Godhouse should be administered, as to what kind of people the leaders and pastors of the Church should be, and as to how the threats which endanger the purity of Christian faith and life should be dealt with.

The Growing Church

The supreme interest of these letters is that we get in them a picture of the infant Church. In those early days it was an island in a sea of paganism. The people in it were only one remove from their heathen origin. It would have been so easy for them to relapse into the pagan standards from which they had come; the tarnishing atmosphere was all around. It is most significant that missionaries tell us that of all letters the Pastoral Epistles speak most directly to the situation of the younger Churches. The situation with which they deal is being re-enacted in India, in Africa, in China every day. They can never lose their interest because in them we see, as nowhere else, the problems which continually beset the growing Church.

The Ecclesiastical Background Of The Pastorals

From the beginning these letters have presented problems to New Testament scholars. There are many who have felt that, as they stand, they cannot have come directly from the hand and pen of Paul. That this is no new feeling may be seen from the fact that Marcion, who, although he was a heretic, was the first man to draw up a list of New Testament books, did not include them among Paulletters. Let us then see what makes people doubt their direct Pauline authorship.

In them we are confronted with the picture of a Church with a fairly highly developed ecclesiastical organization. There are elders (1Ti_5:17-19 ; Tit_1:5-6 ); there are bishops, superintendents or overseers (1Ti_3:1-7 ; Tit_1:7-16 ); there are deacons (1Ti_3:8-13 ). From 1Ti_5:17-18 we learn that by that time elders were even salaried officials. The elders that rule well are to be counted worthy of a double pay and the Church is urged to remember that the labourer is worthy of his hire. There is at least the beginning of the order of widows who became so prominent later on in the early Church (1Ti_5:3-16 ). There is clearly here a quite elaborate structure within the Church, too elaborate some would claim for the early days in which Paul lived and worked.

The Days Of Creeds

It is even claimed that in these letters we can see the days of creeds emerging. The word faith changed its meaning. In the earliest days it is always faith in a person; it is the most intimate possible personal connection of love and trust and obedience with Jesus Christ. In later days it became faith in a creed; it became the acceptance of certain doctrines. It is said that in the Pastoral Epistles we can see this change emerging.

In the later days men will come who will depart from the faith and give heed to doctrines of devils (1Ti_4:1 ). A good servant of Jesus Christ must be nourished in the words of faith and good doctrine (1Ti_4:6 ). The heretics are men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith (2Ti_3:8 ). The duty of Titus is to rebuke men that they may be sound in the faith (Tit_1:13 ).

This comes out very particularly in an expression peculiar to the Pastorals. Timothy is urged to keep hold of "the truth that has been entrusted to you" (2Ti_1:14 ). The word for that has been entrusted is paratheke (G3866). Paratheke means a deposit which has been entrusted to a banker or someone else for safe-keeping. It is essentially something which must be handed back or handed on absolutely unchanged. That is to say the stress is on orthodoxy. Instead of being a close, personal relationship to Jesus Christ, as it was in the thrilling and throbbing days of the early Church, faith has become the acceptance of a creed. It is even held that in the Pastorals we have echoes of the earliest creeds.

"God was manifested in the flesh;

Vindicated in the Spirit;

Seen by angels;

Preached among the nations;

Believed on in the world;

Taken up in glory" (1Ti_3:16 ).

That indeed sounds like the fragment of a creed to be recited.

"Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, descended from

David, as preached in my gospel" (2Ti_2:8 ).

That sounds like a reminder of a sentence from an accepted creed.

Within the Pastorals there undoubtedly are indications that the day of insistence on acceptance of a creed has begun, and that the days of the first thrilling personal discovery of Christ are beginning to fade.

A Dangerous Heresy

It is clear that in the forefront of the situation against which the Pastoral Epistles were written there was a dangerous heresy which was threatening the welfare of the Christian Church. If we can distinguish the various characteristic features of that heresy, we may be able to go on to identify it.

It was characterized by speculative intellectualism. It produced questions (1Ti_1:4 ); those involved in it doted about questions (1Ti_6:4 ); it dealt in foolish and unlearned questions (2Ti_2:23 ); its foolish questions are to be avoided (Tit_3:9 ). The word used in each case for questions is ekzetesis (compare G1567 and G2214), which means speculative discussion. This heresy was obviously one which was a play-ground of the intellectuals, or rather the pseudo-intellectuals of the Church.

It was characterized by pride. The heretic is proud, although in reality he knows nothing (1Ti_6:4 ). There are indications that these intellectuals set themselves on a plane above the ordinary Christian; in fact they may well have said that complete salvation was outside the grasp of the ordinary man and open only to them. At times the Pastoral Epistles stress the word all in a most significant way. The grace of God, which brings salvation, has appeared to all men (Tit_2:11 ). It is Godwill that all men should be saved and come to a knowledge of the truth (1Ti_2:4 ). The intellectuals tried to make the greatest blessings of Christianity the exclusive possession of a chosen few; and in contradistinction the true faith stresses the all-embracing love of God.

There were within that heresy two opposite tendencies. There was a tendency to asceticism. The heretics tried to lay down special food laws, forgetting that everything God has made is good (1Ti_4:4-5 ). They listed many things as impure, forgetting that to the pure all things are pure (Tit_1:15 ). It is not impossible that they regarded sex as something unclean and belittled marriage, and even tried to persuade those who were married to renounce it, for in Tit_2:4 the simple duties of the married life are stressed as being binding on the Christian.

But this heresy also issued in immorality. The heretics even invaded private houses and led away weak and foolish women in evil desires (2Ti_3:6 ). They professed to know God, but denied him by their deeds (Tit_1:16 ). They were out to impose upon people and to make money out of their false teaching. To them gain was godliness (1Ti_6:5 ); they taught and deceived for base gain (Tit_1:11 ).

On the one hand this heresy issued in an unchristian asceticism, and on the other it produced an equally unchristian immorality.

It was characterized, too, by words and tales and genealogies. It was full of godless chatter and useless controversies (1Ti_6:20 ). It produced endless genealogies (1Ti_1:4 ; Tit_3:9 ). It produced myths and fables (1Ti_1:4 ; Tit_1:14 ).

It was at least in some way and to some extent tied up with Jewish legalism. Amongst its devotees were those of the circumcision (Tit_1:10 ). The aim of the heretics was to be teachers of the law (1Ti_1:7 ). It pressed on men Jewish fables and the commandments of men (Tit_1:14 ).

Finally, these heretics denied the resurrection of the body. They said that any resurrection that a man was going to experience had been experienced already (2Ti_2:18 ). This is probably a reference to those who held that the only resurrection the Christian experienced was a spiritual one when he died with Christ and rose again with him in the experience of baptism (Rom_6:4 ).

The Beginnings Of Gnosticism

Is there any heresy which fits all this material? There is, and its name is Gnosticism. The basic thought of Gnosticism was that all matter is essentially evil and spirit alone is good. That basic belief had certain consequences.

The Gnostic believed that matter is as eternal as God; and that when God created the world he had to use this essentially evil matter. That meant that to them God could not be the direct creator of the world. In order to touch this flawed matter he had to send out a series of emanations--they called them aeons--each one more and more distant from himself until at last there came an emanation or aeon so distant that it could deal with matter and create the world. Between man and God there stretched a series of these emanations, each with his name and genealogy. So Gnosticism literally had endless fables and endless genealogies. If a man was ever to get to God, he must, as it were, ascend this ladder of emanations; and to do that he needed a very special kind of knowledge including all kinds of passwords to get him past each stage. Only a person of the highest intellectual calibre could hope to acquire this knowledge and know these passwords and so get to God.

Further, if matter was altogether evil, the body was altogether evil. From that, two opposite possible consequences sprang. Either the body must be held down so that a rigorous asceticism resulted, in which the needs of the body were as far as possible eliminated and its instincts, especially the sex instinct, as far as possible destroyed; or it could be held that, since it was evil, it did not matter what was done with the body and its instincts and desires could be given full rein. The Gnostic therefore became either an ascetic or a man to whom morality had ceased to have any relevance at all.

Still further, if the body was evil, clearly there could be no such thing as its resurrection. It was not the resurrection of the body but its destruction to which the Gnostic looked forward.

All this fits accurately the situation of the Pastoral Epistles. In Gnosticism we see the intellectualism, the intellectual arrogance, the fables and the genealogies, the asceticism and the immorality, the refusal to contemplate the possibility of a bodily resurrection, which were part and parcel of the heresy against which the Pastoral Epistles were written.

One element in the heresy has not yet been fitted into place--the Judaism and the legalism of which the Pastoral Epistles speak. That too finds its place. Sometimes Gnosticism and Judaism joined hands. We have already said that the Gnostics insisted that to climb the ladder to God a very special knowledge was necessary; and that some of them insisted that for the good life a strict asceticism was essential. It was the claim of certain of the Jews that it was precisely the Jewish law and the Jewish food regulations which provided that special knowledge and necessary asceticism; and so there were times when Judaism and Gnosticism went hand in hand.

It is quite clear that the heresy at the back of the Pastoral Epistles was Gnosticism. Some have used that fact to try to prove that Paul could have had nothing to do with the writing of them, because, they say, Gnosticism did not emerge until much later than Paul. It is quite true that the great formal systems of Gnosticism, connected with such names as Valentinus and Basilides, did not arise until the second century; but these great figures only systematized what was already there. The basic ideas of Gnosticism were there in the atmosphere which surrounded the early Church, even in the days of Paul. It is easy to see their attraction, and also to see that, if they had been allowed to flourish unchecked, they could have turned Christianity into a speculative philosophy and wrecked it. In facing Gnosticism, the Church was facing one of the gravest dangers which ever threatened the Christian faith.

The Language Of The Pastorals

The most impressive argument against the direct Pauline origin of the Pastorals is a fact which is quite clear in the Greek but not so clear in any English translation. The total number of words in the Pastoral Epistles is 902, of which 54 are proper names; and of these 902 words, no fewer than 306 never occur in any other of Paulletters. That is to say more than a third of the words in the Pastoral Epistles are totally absent from Paulother letters. In fact 175 words in the Pastoral Epistles occur nowhere else in the New Testament at all; although it is only fair to say that there are 50 words in the Pastoral Epistles which occur in Paulother letters and nowhere else in the New Testament.

Further, when the other letters of Paul and the Pastorals say the same thing they say it in different ways, using different words and different turns of speech to express the same idea.

Again, many of Paulfavourite words are absent entirely from the Pastoral Epistles. The words for the cross (stauros, G4716) and to crucify (stauroun, G4717) occur 27 times in Paulother letters, and never in the Pastorals. Eleutheria (G1657) and the kindred words which have to do with freedom occur 29 times in Paulother letters, and never in the Pastorals. Huios (G5207), "son," and huiothesia (G5206), "adoption," occur 46 times in Paulother letters, and never in the Pastorals.

Moreover, Greek has many more of those little words called particles and enclitics than English has. Sometimes they indicate little more than a tone of voice; every Greek sentence is joined to its predecessor by one of them; and they are often virtually untranslatable. Of these particles and enclitics there are 112 which Paul uses altogether 932 times in his other letters that never occur in the Pastorals.

There is clearly something which has to be explained here. The vocabulary and the style make it hard to believe that Paul wrote the Pastoral Epistles in the same sense as he wrote his other letters.

PaulActivities In The Pastorals

But perhaps the most obvious difficulty of the Pastorals is that they show Paul engaged in activities for which there is no room in his life as we know it from the book of Acts. He has clearly conducted a mission in Crete (Tit_1:5 ). And he proposes to spend a winter in Nicopolis, which is in Epirus (Tit_3:12 ). In Paullife as we know it that particular mission and that particular winter just cannot be fitted in. But it may well be that just here we have stumbled on the solution to the problem.

Was Paul Released From His Roman Imprisonment?

Let us sum up. We have seen that the Church organization of the Pastorals is more elaborate than in any other Pauline letter. We have seen that the stress on orthodoxy sounds like second or third generation Christianity, when the thrill of the new discovery is wearing off and the Church is on the way to becoming an institution. We have seen that Paul is depicted as carrying out a mission or missions which cannot be fitted into the scheme of his life as we have it in Acts. But Acts leaves it quite uncertain what happened to Paul in Rome. It ends by telling us that he lived for two whole years in a kind of semi-captivity, preaching the gospel without hindrance (Act_28:30-31 ). But it does not tell us how that captivity ended, whether in Paulrelease or his execution. It is true that the general assumption is that it ended in his condemnation and death; but there is a by no means negligible stream of tradition which tells that it ended in his release, his liberty for two or three further years, his reimprisonment and his final execution about the year A.D. 67.

Let us look at this question, for it is of the greatest interest.

First, it is clear that when Paul was in prison in Rome, he did not regard release as impossible; in fact, it looks as if he expected it. When he wrote to the Philippians, he said that he was sending Timothy to them, and goes on, "And I trust in the Lord that shortly I myself shall come also" (Phi_2:24 ). When he wrote to Philemon, sending back the runaway Onesimus, he says, "At the same time prepare a guest room for me, for I am hoping through your prayers to be granted to you" (Phm_1:22 ). Clearly he was prepared for release, whether or not it ever came.

Second, let us remember a plan that was very dear to Paulheart. Before he went to Jerusalem on that journey on which he was arrested, he wrote to the Church at Rome, and in that letter he is planning a visit to Spain. "I hope to see you in passing," he writes, "as I go to Spain." "I shall go on by way of you," he writes, "to Spain" (Rom_15:24 , Rom_15:28 ). Was that visit ever paid?

Clement of Rome, when he wrote to the Church at Corinth about A.D. 90, said of Paul that he preached the gospel in the East and in the West; that he instructed the whole world (that is, the Roman Empire) in righteousness; and that he went to the extremity (terma, the terminus) of the West, before his martyrdom. What did Clement mean by the extremity of the West? There are many who argue that he meant nothing more than Rome. Now it is true that someone writing away in the East in Asia Minor would probably think of Rome as the extremity, of the West. But Clement was writing from Rome; and it is difficult to see that for anyone in Rome the extremity of the West could be anything else but Spain. It certainly seems that Clement believed that Paul reached Spain.

The greatest of all the early Church historians was Eusebius. In his account of Paullife he writes: "Luke who wrote the Acts of the Apostles, brought his history to a close at this point, after stating that Paul had spent two whole years at Rome as a prisoner at large, and preached the word of God without constraint. Thus, after he had made his defence, it is said that the Apostle was sent again on the ministry of preaching, and that on coming to the same city a second time he suffered martyrdom" (Eusebius: Ecclesiastical History, 2.22.2). Eusebius has nothing to say about Spain, but he did know the story that Paul had been released from his first Roman imprisonment.

The Muratorian Canon, that first list of New Testament books, describes Lukescheme in writing Acts: "Luke related to Theophilus events of which he was an eye-witness, as also, in a separate place, he evidently declares the martyrdom of Peter (he probably refers to Luk_22:31-32 ); but omits the journey of Paul from Rome to Spain."

In the fifth century, two of the great Christian fathers are definite about this journey. Chrysostom in his sermon on 2Ti_4:20 says: "Saint Paul after his residence in Rome departed to Spain." Jerome in his Catalogue of Writers says that Paul "was dismissed by Nero that he might preach Christgospel in the West."

Beyond doubt a stream of tradition held that Paul journeyed to Spain.

This is a matter on which we will have to come to our own decision. The one thing which makes us doubt the historicity of that tradition is that in Spain itself there is not and never was any tradition that Paul had worked and preached there, no stories about him, no places connected with his name. It would be indeed strange if the memory of such a visit had become totally obliterated. It could well be that the whole story of Paulrelease and journey to the west arose simply as a deduction from his expressed intention to visit Spain (Rom 15 ). Most New Testament scholars do not think that Paul was released from his imprisonment; the general consensus of opinion is that his only release was by death.

Paul And The Pastoral Epistles

What then shall we say of Paulconnection with these letters? If we can accept the tradition of his release, and of his return to preaching and teaching, and of his death as late as A.D. 67, we might well believe that as they stand they came from his hand. But, if we cannot believe that--and the evidence is on the whole against it--are we to say that they have no connection with Paul at all?

We must remember that the ancient world did not think of these things as we do. It would see nothing wrong in issuing a letter under the name of a great teacher, if it was sure that the letter said the things which that teacher would say under the same circumstances. To the ancient world it was natural and seemly that a disciple should write in his mastername. No one would have seen anything wrong in one of Pauldisciples meeting a new and threatening situation with a letter under Paulname. To regard that as forgery is to misunderstand the mind of the ancient world. Are we then to swing completely to the other extreme and say that some disciple of his issued these letters in Paulname years after he was dead, and at a time when the Church was much more highly organized than ever it was during his lifetime?

As we see it, the answer is no. It is incredible that any disciple would put into Paulmouth a claim to be the chief of sinners (1Ti_1:15 ); his tendency would be to stress Paulholiness, not to talk about his sin. It is incredible that anyone writing in the name of Paul would give Timothy the homely advice to drink a little wine for the sake of his health (1Ti_5:23 ). The whole of 2Tim 4 is so personal and so full of intimate, loving details that no one but Paul could have written it.

Wherein lies the solution? It may well be that something like this happened. It is quite obvious that many letters of Paul went lost. Apart from his great public letters, he must have had a continuous private correspondence; and of that we possess only the little letter to Philemon. It may well be that in the later days there were some fragments of Paulcorrespondence in the possession of some Christian teacher. This teacher saw the Church of his day and his locality in Ephesus threatened on every side. It was threatened with heresy from without and from within. It was threatened with a fall away from its own high standards of purity and truth. The quality of its members and the standard of its office-bearers were degenerating. He had in his possession little letters of Paul which said exactly the things that should be said, but, as they stood, they were too short and too fragmentary to publish. So he amplified them and made them supremely relevant to the contemporary situation and sent them out to the Church.

In the Pastoral Epistles we are still hearing the voice of Paul, and often hearing it speak with a unique personal intimacy; but we think that the form of the letters is due to a Christian teacher who summoned the help of Paul when the Church of the day needed the guidance which only he could give.

FURTHER READING

Timothy

D. Guthrie, The Pastoral Epistles (TC; E)

W. Lock, The Pastoral Epistles (ICC; G)

E. F. Scott, The Pastoral Epistles (MC; E)

E. K. Simpson, The Pastoral Epistles

Abbreviations

CGT: Cambridge Greek Testament

ICC: International Critical Commentary

MC: Moffatt Commentary

TC: Tyndale Commentary

E: English Text

G: Greek Text

Barclay: 1 Timothy 1 (Chapter Introduction)

The Royal Command (1Ti_1:1-2)

The Hope Of The World (1Ti_1:1-2 Continued)

Timothy, My Son (1Ti_1:1-2 Continued)

Grace, Mercy And Peace (1Ti_1:1-2 Continued)

Error And Heresy (1Ti_1:3-7)

The Speculations Of The Greeks (1Ti_1:3-7 Continued)

The Ethics Of Heresy (1Ti_1:3-7 Continued)

The Mind Of The Heretic (1Ti_1:3-7 Continued)

The Mind Of The Christian Thinker (1Ti_1:3-7 Continued)

Those Who Need No Law (1Ti_1:8-11)

Those Whom The Law Condemns (1Ti_1:8-11 Continued)

The Cleansing Word (1Ti_1:8-11 Continued)

Saved To Serve (1Ti_1:12-17)

The Means Of Conversion (1Ti_1:12-17 Continued)

The Unforgotten Shame And The Undying Inspiration (1Ti_1:12-17 Continued)

The Summons Which Cannot Be Denied (1Ti_1:18-20)

Despatched On God's Campaign (1Ti_1:18-20 Continued)

A Stern Rebuke (1Ti_1:18-20 Continued)

Constable: 1 Timothy (Book Introduction)

Introduction

Historical background

Timothy apparently became a Christian as a result of Paul's missionary work in Lystra (Acts 14:6-23). He joined Paul on the second missionary journey when the apostle's evangelistic team passed through that area where Timothy lived (Acts 16:1-3). On the second journey Timothy helped Paul in Troas, Philippi, Berea, Thessalonica, Athens, and Corinth. During the third journey he was with Paul in Ephesus. From there Paul sent him to Macedonia (Acts 19:22). Later he was with Paul in Macedonia (2 Cor. 1:1, 19) and apparently traveled with the apostle to Corinth (Rom. 16:21). On the return trip to Ephesus, Timothy accompanied Paul through Macedonia as far as Troas (Acts 20:3-6). Still later Timothy was with Paul in Rome (Col. 1:1; Phile. 1; Phil. 1:1), and from there he probably made a trip to Philippi (Phil. 2:19-23).

At the end of the Book of Acts, Paul was under house arrest in Rome (Acts 28:30-31). Our knowledge of his activities after that time comes mainly from scanty references in his epistles and conjectures since we have no canonical history of his work.

Following his trial before Caesar and his acquittal, Paul evidently left Rome. He made his way eastward and eventually arrived in Ephesus. While in Ephesus Paul doubtless visited other churches in the area and later set out for Macedonia and probably for other provinces intending to continue his pioneer missionary work (cf. Rom. 15:24, 28). When Paul departed from Ephesus he left Timothy in charge as his special representative to continue the work there (1 Tim. 1:3). Sometime after that Timothy evidently wrote to Paul probably asking if he could leave Ephesus perhaps to rejoin Paul. Paul responded with this letter in which he instructed Timothy to remain in Ephesus and to continue his needed ministry until Paul would rejoin him there (3:14; 4:13).

Timothy's function in Ephesus was to represent Paul to the church.¹ He evidently was not an elder in that church. Paul spoke of the Ephesian elders in this epistle as individuals different from Timothy.

When Paul had met with the Ephesian elders toward the end of his third missionary journey, he had warned them about false teachers who would arise in their midst (Acts 20:29-30). This situation had happened (cf. 1:6; 6:21; 2 Tim. 2:18). Evidently Hymenaeus and Alexander were two of those "wolves" (1:20). Paul alluded to others in this epistle as well (1:3-11; 4:1-5; 6:3-10). We shall consider their errors in the exposition to follow.

If Caesar released Paul from prison in Rome in the early 60s A.D., he may have written this epistle in the middle 60s, perhaps 63-66 A.D. Paul's reference to his going from Ephesus to Macedonia (1:3) suggests that he may have been in Macedonia when he wrote 1 Timothy. Nevertheless, since we have no other references to guide us, he could have been in any one of a number of other provinces as well.

The authorship of the Pastorals is a major critical problem in New Testament studies, but I believe the arguments for Pauline authorship are most convincing.²

"The majority of modern scholars maintain that the Pastoral Epistles are pseudepigraphical--that is, written pseudonymously (in Paul's name) sometime after Paul's death (so Dibelius and Conzelmann, Brox, Barrett, Hanson, Houlden, Karris, Hultgren). Most today locate these three letters around the turn of the century, suggesting that the author aimed to revive Pauline teaching for his day or to compose a definitive and authoritative Pauline manual for denouncing heresy in the postapostolic church."³

Purpose

First and 2 Timothy and Titus are called "Pastoral Epistles" because Paul wrote them to pastors (shepherds) of churches outlining their pastoral duties.⁴ Their main pastoral duties were to defend sound doctrine and to maintain sound discipline.⁵

"The pastoral Epistles are primarily practical rather than theological. The emphasis lies rather on the defense of doctrine than on its explication or elaboration. The distinctively doctrinal passages comprise only a small part of the whole; Timothy and Titus had already been instructed."⁶

Message⁷

All three of the Pastoral Epistles (1 and 2 Timothy and Titus) deal with the same subject: the order of the local church. Paul had already expounded the doctrines of the church universal and the ministry of the saints in Christ's body in his other epistles. In these he also gave some direction concerning life in the local churches. Now in the Pastorals he expounded on the effective operation of the local church as a microcosm of the universal church. Remember that the church is people.

First Timothy deals with two aspects of the subject of order in the local church: the life of the church, and the leadership of the church. Titus elaborates on the leadership of the church. Second Timothy elaborates on the life of the church. First Timothy is more general and fundamental. Titus expounds how to set the church in order, and 2 Timothy expounds the leader's personal responsibility.

In 1 Timothy, Paul taught that the function of the local church is to proclaim God's truth in the world. He also taught that the function of the church leaders (Timothy and the elders) is to expound God's truth in the church. The purpose for which the church exists is the proclamation of God's truth in the world. The purpose for which the leaders of the church exist is the exposition of God's truth in the church. This is the message statement.

These are the same points Paul made in Ephesians 4:11-12 concerning the universal church. The saints are to do the work of the ministry, and the gifted men (apostles, prophets, etc.) are to equip the saints for their work. In 1 Timothy he applied the same truth to the local church.

On the one hand then the purpose of the church is to declare God's truth to the world (3:14-16). The key terms in this central passage are "church" and "mystery of godliness."

The local church is an instrument God designed to support and display His truth. Every individual believer is a light in a dark world. God has called us to let our light shine among men (Matt. 5:14-16).

The local church exists to support and display the light of the testimony of believers, not only individually but also corporately.

The "mystery of godliness" is essentially Christ. It is more broadly the truth that the church proclaims that centers on Christ. It is a mystery in that we know it only by special revelation. "Godliness" means piety. This word describes faith in Christ worked out in everyday living. Where does one find godliness? We see it in concrete manifestation in Jesus Christ (3:16). Paul summarized the three stages of His ministry in the three couplets of an ancient hymn. These are His past humiliation, His present proclamation, and His future glorification.

The purpose of the local church then is to proclaim godliness. We do this by presenting Christ and by demonstrating before the world godlike behavior ourselves by the power of the Holy Spirit. Audio witness builds on visual witness.

The purpose of the leaders of the local church, in the second place, is to expound the truth in the church. Church leaders do this by teaching, by exhortation, and by example. The exposition of the truth is not only spoken or written communication (teaching) followed by intellectual comprehension. It also requires encouragement and sensitivity to the condition of the learners (exhortation). The church leader prepares others to reveal God's truth most importantly by exemplifying the truth and illustrating it in his or her life. Truth must be incarnate in the teacher before the learner can thoroughly grasp it. God did this for us in the incarnation of His Son. Jesus said, "You are the light of the world," not, "You announce the light of the world."

Paul drew several implications from these truths.

Notice first some implications concerning the purpose of the local church.

In view of its purpose the local church must be careful to present an unchanged gospel. There must be no majoring in the minors, no claim to "higher knowledge," and no distortion of the truth. In this epistle Paul warned Timothy about all these threats to the purity of God's truth. Preachers and teachers take note. We should be creative in delivering the message, but we must not be creative in the content of the message.

Second, the local church's worship must be unceasing. This was Paul's point when he gave instructions concerning the priority of prayer in church life (2:1-7).

Third, the local church must persevere in its ministry without failing. If it is to do this it needs leaders who incarnate the truth and consistently minister to and motivate the saints. Thus the need for qualified leaders is obvious (3:1-13). Personal example is every bit as important as persuasive explanation.

Note also some implications of the truth that the purpose of the church leader is to expound God's truth to the saints. These are the same as those already pointed out for the church, but they are true of the leader on a personal level.

First, the leader must be absolutely loyal to the truth. "Preach the Word!" (2 Tim. 4:2).

Second, his behavior toward others must be consistent. He must have a deep commitment to fulfilling his purpose of being a good example as well as to his purpose of communicating verbally.

Third, in his personal life he must persevere. He must continue to let God's truth sit in judgment on his life. He must continue to be responsive to the truth. He must also continue to behave in harmony with the truth. Watch out for spiritual calluses.

By way of application let me point out three things the church needs to watch out for and then three things the church leader should beware of. They are very similar.

The local church, Paul warns in this epistle, should beware of false doctrine. By this I mean any doctrine that deviates from the essential teaching of the faith. This will weaken her testimony to the world. Guard the doctrine of your church.

Second, the church should beware of a failure in prayer. This will hinder both her witness to the world and her own growth in godliness (cf. James 4:2; John 15:5).

Third, the church should beware of feeble government. By feeble government I mean government by elders and deacons who lack godly character. Too often church leaders gain appointment for other reasons. Church oversight must fulfill the purposes of God's truth by men who incarnate God's truth. Don't recognize elders too soon, or at all, if they are unqualified.

The dangers to the church leader correspond to these. There must be no failure in his doctrine, nor in his duty, nor in his diligence. If we know and respond to God's truth we will be free from those influences that would hinder us from fulfilling our ministry.

Teaching is life-changing not only to the extent people understand it and appreciate its importance but also to the extent that the life of the teacher illustrates it. We can be completely orthodox and effective in our methods of presentation. However if our life does not harmonize with what we say, those who listen will reject what we say. Not only does our preaching then become ineffective, it also becomes blasphemous. The life of the preacher can promote the growth of his church as much as his pastoral skill. People will put up with many deficiencies, and we all have many, if they can have a good example of a sincere Christian. You can be effective because you have God's Word, God's Spirit, and God's grace.

Constable: 1 Timothy (Outline)

Outline

I. Salutation 1:1-2

II. Timothy's mission in Ephesus 1:3-20

A. The task Timothy faced 1:3-11

B. Exhortations to be faithful 1:12-20

1. A positive encouragement 1:12-17

2. A negative warning 1:18-20

III. Instructions concerning the life of the local church 2:1-4:5

A. The priority of prayer in church life 2:1-7

B. The primary responsibilities of the men and the women in church meetings 2:8-15

C. The qualifications for church leaders 3:1-13

1. Qualifications for elders 3:1-7

2. Qualifications for deacons 3:8-13

D. The nature of the local church 3:14-16

E. The problem of apostasy in the church 4:1-5

IV. Instructions concerning leadership of the local church 4:6-5:25

A. The leader's personal life and public ministry 4:6-16

B. Basic principles of effective interpersonal relationships 5:1-2

C. How to deal with widows and elders 5:3-25

1. Provisions for widows 5:3-16

2. The discipline and selection of elders 5:17-25

V. Instructions for groups within the church 6:1-19

A. Slaves 6:1-2

B. False teachers 6:3-10

C. Those committed to Christ 6:11-16

D. The wealthy 6:17-19

VI. Concluding charge and benediction 6:20-21

Constable: 1 Timothy

1 Timothy

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_____. S.v. "prophetes, prophelikos, propheteuo . . .," by Helmut Kramer, Rolf Rendtorff, Rudolf Meyer, and Gerhard Friedrich. 6 (1968):781-861.

Thiessen, Henry Clarence. Introduction to the New Testament. Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1962.

Towner, Philip H. 1-2 Timothy & Titus. The IVP New Testament Commentary series. Downers Grove, Il., and Leicester, England: InterVarsity Press, 1994.

_____. The Goal of Our Instruction. Sheffield: Journal for the Study of the Old Testament, 1989.

Trench, Richard Chenevix. Synonyms of the New Testament. Reprint ed., London: James Clarke & Co., 1961.

Ukleja, P. Michael. "Homosexuality in the New Testament." Bibliotheca Sacra 140:560 (October-December 1983):350-58.

Wallis, Wilbur B. "The First Epistle to Timothy." In Wycliffe Bible Commentary, pp. 1367-81. Edited by Charles F. Pfeiffer and Everett F. Harrison. Chicago: Moody Press, 1962.

Waltke, Bruce K. "1 Corinthians 11:2-16: An Interpretation." Bibliotheca Sacra 135:537 (January-March 1978):46-57.

White, Newport J. D. "The First and Second Epistles to Timothy and the Epistle to Titus." In Expositor's Greek Testament. 5 vols. London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1910.

Wiersbe, Warren W. Be Faithful. BE Books series. Wheaton: Scripture Press Publications, Victor Books, 1984.

Wilkin, Robert N. "Saving Faith and Apostasy: Do Believers Ever Stop Believing?" Grace Evangelical Society News 6:11 (November 1991):1, 4.

Winter, B. W. "Providentia for the Widows of ! Timothy 5:3-16." Tyndale Bulletin 39 (1988):83-99.

Witmer, John A. "The Truth about Error." Bibliotheca Sacra 124:495 (July-September 1967):248-53.

Wuest, Kenneth S. The Pastoral Epistles in the Greek New Testament. Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1964.

Copyright 2003 by Thomas L. Constable

Haydock: 1 Timothy (Book Introduction)

THE FIRST

EPISTLE OF ST. PAUL, THE APOSTLE,

TO TIMOTHY.

INTRODUCTION.

St. Paul passing through Lycaonia, about the year 51, some of the brethren at Derbe or Lystra recommended to him a disciple, by name Timothy, who from his infancy had studied the Holy Scriptures. St. Paul took him, making him his companion and fellow-labourer in the gospel: and not to offend the Jews, who could not be ignorant that Timothy's father was a Gentile, he caused him to be circumcised. Afterwards he ordained him bishop of Ephesus. (Witham) --- St. Paul writes this epistle to his beloved Timothy, to instruct him in the duties of a bishop, both in respect to himself and to his charge; and that he ought to be well informed of the good morals of those on whom he was to impose hands: Impose not hands lightly upon any man. He tells him also how he should behave towards his clergy. This epistle was written about thirty-three years after our Lord's ascension; but where it was written is uncertain: the more general opinion is, that it was in Macedonia. (Challoner) --- After his epistles to the Churches, now follow those to particular persons; to Timothy and Titus, who were bishops, and to Philemon. Timothy was the beloved disciple of St. Paul, whom he frequently styles his son; but it is not certain that they were at all related. After having accompanied the apostle in many of his travels, the latter at last ordained him bishop, and fixed him permanently at Ephesus. Shortly after he wrote him this epistle, to instruct him in the episcopal duties, as he was but young for those great functions. He might be then about thirty-five. He mentions, likewise, in short the chief heresies which were then making mischief at Ephesus, and gives regulations and instructions for different states of persons in the Church. St. Timothy, who had been so long the disciple of St. Paul, and who never left him except when ordered by his master, could not be ignorant of his duties, but it was destined for the use of bishops of every age. Hence St. Augustine says that such as are destined to serve the Church, should have continually before their eyes the two epistles to Timothy and that to Titus.

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Gill: 1 Timothy (Book Introduction)

INTRODUCTION TO 1 TIMOTHY

Timothy, to whom this epistle is written, was eminent for his early piety and acquaintance with the sacred Scriptures; his mother was a Jewess, and his father a Greek, which was the reason why he was not circumcised in his infancy. Mention is made in the second epistle to him of his mother Eunice, and grandmother Lois, as believers, and of his knowledge of the Scriptures from a child: this excellent person the apostle meeting with at Lystra, and having a good report of him from the brethren there, he chose him to be his companion in his travels, and to assist him in the spread of the Gospel; and knowing that it would be very disagreeable to the Jews to hear the word of God from the lips of an uncircumcised person, he took him and circumcised him, becoming all things to all, that he might gain some. This being done, he went along with him into several parts, and he made great use of him, in preaching the word, planting churches, and writing epistles; he sent him to various places with messages from him, to Corinth, Philippi, and Thessalonica; and now had left him at Ephesus, where he besought him to abide for a while; for that he was the bishop, pastor, or overseer of that church is not likely, since his residence here was not constant, and was afterwards called away from hence by the apostle, who desired his stay there, under whom, and by whose directions, he acted while there; and seeing that this church had elders, bishops, or overseers, whom the Holy Ghost had set over them, whom the apostle called to him at Miletus, and gave them some advice and instructions. The design of Timothy's continuance there was to check growing errors and heresies, and to take care of, and preserve the discipline of God's house; and to charge him with these things was the design of this epistle; in which he teaches him how to behave himself in the church of God, by taking heed to his doctrine and conversation; and gives rules relating to the qualifications of bishops and deacons, and to the care of widows, and with regard to church censures, and the becoming walk and conversation of all sorts of persons of every office, age, sex, rank, and order. This epistle is thought to be written about the year 55.

Gill: 1 Timothy 1 (Chapter Introduction)

INTRODUCTION TO 1 TIMOTHY 1

In this chapter, after the inscription and salutation, the apostle having entreated Timothy to abide at Ephesus, observes, that his end was, that he might check the false teachers there, whom he describes; and then he gives an account of his apostleship, and also of his conversion, to the encouragement of sinners, and to the glory of the grace of God; and closes with an exhortation to Timothy to constancy and perseverance in his Christian warfare. The inscription and salutation are in 1Ti 1:1 and much in the common form; and whereas, when he went into Macedonia, he desired Timothy to continue at Ephesus, his end was, to restrain the false teachers from preaching the doctrine they did, which was contrary to the Gospel, fabulous, useless, and unedifying, 1Ti 1:3 for though these men set up for teachers of the law, they went off, and strayed from its general end, which was love with faith, through their ignorance of it, 1Ti 1:5 not but that the law itself was good, as Gospel ministers full well knew; which is said to prevent an objection against them, as laying it aside as useless; but the abuse of it is what is complained of, it being made for some persons, and not for others who are mentioned, between which, and the sound doctrine of the Gospel, there is an agreement, 1Ti 1:8 which leads on the apostle to observe his call to the office of a preacher of it by Christ, his qualification for it, and investiture with it, for which he gives thanks, 1Ti 1:12 And in order to illustrate the grace of God in converting him first, and then making him a minister of the word, he takes notice of his state and condition before conversion, what a vile sinner he had been, and of the abundant grace God bestowed on him in it, 1Ti 1:13 And that this case of his might not seem strange and incredible, he observes, that this is the sum of the Gospel, that Christ came into the world to save the chief of sinners, such an one as he was, 1Ti 1:15. And besides, the end of the Lord in his conversion was, by the pattern of longsuffering he showed in him, that others might be encouraged to believe in Christ also, 1Ti 1:16 and then for all this grace bestowed on him, he ascribes honour and glory to God, 1Ti 1:17 and renews his charge to Timothy to fight manfully against the false teachers, to which he should be the more induced by the consideration of the prophecies that went before of him, 1Ti 1:18 and to hold faith and good conscience, which had been dropped by some professors; of which instances are given in Hymenaeus and Philetus, 1Ti 1:19.

College: 1 Timothy (Book Introduction)

FOREWORD

A movement which prides itself in its back-to-the-Bible underpinnings and its plea for unity should welcome any effort of the stature of the College Press NIV Bible Commentary. The exegesis of the biblical text must always be at the heart of who we are, and the effort to do so in a way that reaches across lines that have divided our movement signals an emphasis on the original hallmarks of the movement.

Having taught Bible and Greek at David Lipscomb University for eleven years, I have come to appreciate how many good commentaries there are on nearly every book in the New Testament. I am, in some ways, reluctant about adding another book to that pile. All of those commentaries have helped to shape my understanding of the biblical text for its original audiences and its import for Christians today.

I especially want to thank my family who have supported me and encouraged me when I spend hours at my computer typing away, my students whose questions have always caused me to look at the biblical text in fresh ways, and my colleagues who have always served as a constant encouragement.

When I was asked to participate as an author in this project, I was hesitant. When I was asked to write on Timothy and Titus, I was even more hesitant. To be a part of this series is an honor. To undertake writing a commentary on 1 and 2 Timothy and Titus is a challenging task. This is, after all, the section of Scripture that has fueled the debate about the role of women, has been at the heart of effort to redefine church leadership, and has provided encouragement to those who feel as if they "have fought the good fight" and are about to "finish the course." I began the study hoping for wonderful insights, and, although I gained a few, I came out of the study convinced that many of the more traditional interpretations were still reasonable. I discovered that, although I did not have all the answers, Paul's advice to those two young preachers and to their churches still made sense both for Paul's original audiences and for the preacher and his church today. May we today heed the words of Paul to "guard what has been entrusted to" our care and to "preach the Word."

-College Press New Testament Commentary: with the NIV

GENERAL INTRODUCTION

While several passages in 1 and 2 Timothy and Titus have provided the fodder for tomes of theological discussion (e.g., 1 Tim 2:9-15 and the role of women; 1 Tim 3:11 and deaconesses; 1 Tim 3:1-8 and Titus 1:6-9 and the characteristics of those to serve as elders), the real value of these epistles lies in their message to two young ministers, to second generation believers in Ephesus and to a young church facing a pagan world in Crete. These epistles provide teaching which the church in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries needs to hear.

The two letters to Timothy and the letter to Titus stand in a very close relationship to one another. They are written to fellow workers of the Apostle Paul; they are bound together by similar content: false teachers who bear similar characteristics, a discussion of church leaders, similar situations for the churches addressed, and the same basic time frame.

1 and 2 Timothy and Titus have been known as the Pastoral Epistles since the eighteenth century. As early as the thirteenth century Thomas Aquinas referred to 1 Timothy as a "pastoral rule." In 1703 D.N. Berdot described Titus as a "Pastoral Epistle," based on the assumption that it was an instruction manual for a pastor. In reality, neither the term "pastor" nor its equivalent, "shepherd," appears in any of the three epistles. Paul Anton popularized the term in lectures he delivered on Timothy and Titus published posthumously in 1753-1755. Anton applied the term "Pastoral Epistles" to all three epistles.

Although the term "the Pastoral Epistles" has become a convenient designation for these three epistles which have much in common, it can be misleading. These epistles are not really a manual of pastoral theology. Only a fraction of these books contains what could be termed ecclesiastical teaching (1 Tim 3:1-13; 5:3-22; Titus 1:5-9). The three epistles are very different. There is nothing within the epistles that would indicate they were written from the same place and time or that the author intended them to be studied together.

AUTHORSHIP

A crucial issue in the Pastoral Epistles (PE) is the authorship of the epistles. Despite widespread denial of Pauline authorship in modern times, ancient authors generally accepted the works as authentic epistles of the Apostle Paul. Serious challenges to Pauline authorship of the Pastoral Epistles began in the nineteenth century, especially with the forceful challenge espoused by Schleiermacher in 1807.

Testimony of the Books Themselves

The letters claim to be by Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus (1 Tim 1:1; Titus 1:1; 2 Tim 1:1). This assertion matches claims of the other Pauline letters. The author describes himself as "a blasphemer, a persecutor and a violent man" (1 Tim 1:13), a description which fits the account of Paul's pre-Christian life as seen in Acts. The author describes Timothy and Titus as his spiritual sons (1 Tim 1:2; Titus 1:4); this too is in full accord with their relationship to Paul as seen in Acts and the other Pauline epistles. The epistles frequently refer to events in the Apostle's life and mention co-workers like Tychicus, Apollos, Barnabas, and Mark who are known from the other Pauline epistles.

With all of this data in mind, it is little wonder that there was almost unanimous agreement regarding Pauline authorship of the Pastoral Epistles for nearly 1800 years.

Attestation by the Early Church

The early church clearly regarded Paul as the author of the Pastoral Epistles. Clement of Alexandria (ca. 155-ca. 220) frequently referred to and cited the Pastoral Epistles. He even cited 1 Tim 6:20, "what is falsely called knowledge," and ascribed the passage to "the apostle." Similarly Origen, his student, ascribed 1 Tim 1:15 to Paul: "Moreover, Paul, who himself also at a later time became an apostle of Jesus, says in his epistle to Timothy, 'This is a faithful saying, that Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief.'" Eusebius (ca. 265-ca. 339) attributed the Pastoral Epistles to Paul. He said, "The epistles of Paul are fourteen, all well known and beyond doubt. It should not, however, be overlooked that some have set aside the epistle to the Hebrews." The Muratorian Canon (ca. 200) refers to the Pastoral Epistles as Pauline. The extensive citations of the Pastoral Epistles by the church fathers, including Justin Martyr, Polycarp, Ignatius, and Irenaeus, demonstrate the early consensus that the Pastoral Epistles are Pauline.

The evidence is not, however, all positive. According to Tertullian, Marcion (ca. 140) excluded the Pastoral Epistles from his canon. Marcion, of course, rejected any book which did not fit his heretical view of Christianity. He omitted Matthew, Mark, and John; and he accepted only a mutilated copy of Luke. It seems likely that Marcion objected to the Pastoral Epistles because of their denunciation of tenets of his brand of Christianity (cf. 1 Tim 1:8; 6:20; 2 Tim 3:16).

An additional bit of negative evidence is seen in the apparent absence of the Pastoral Epistles from ⁴⁶ of the Chester Beatty papyri. The codex dates from the mid-third century and contains Pauline epistles. Portions of the manuscript are missing. It lacks a portion of Romans which stood at the beginning of the codex, a portion of 1 Thessalonians, and all of 2 Thessalonians. Most scholars feel that the manuscript did not have room for the Pastoral Epistles and Philemon, which are also missing.

If one looks only at external evidence, the victory would clearly be won in favor of acceptance of the Pastoral Epistles as Pauline.

Modern Times

Until the nineteenth century the Pastoral Epistles were deemed authentic and Pauline. The first attack on apostolic authorship was made by Schmidt (1804) and Schleiermacher (1807).

Today Pauline authorship of the Pastoral Epistles is disputed on five grounds:

Historical Allusions. Scott has said, "That Paul cannot have been the author [of the PE] is most clearly apparent when we examine the historical framework of the letters." The problem may be summarized as follows: the Pastoral Epistles do not fit into the historical framework of Acts and the Pauline epistles. Acts mentions only two imprisonments: Caesarea and Rome.

The modern reader is not provided with many of the details of Paul's early life (i.e., the period described in Acts). Nowhere in Acts, or for that matter anywhere in the Pauline corpus outside 2 Corinthians, can one find Paul's frequent imprisonments, his five beatings, or his three shipwrecks (2 Cor 11:23-27). Also one is not bound to place the events described in the Pastoral Epistles into the period described in Acts. In fact the situation there seems to indicate likelihood of Paul's being released from prison. The traditional interpretation which proposes a release from the imprisonment mentioned in Acts during which 1 Timothy and Titus were written and a subsequent Roman imprisonment as described in 2 Timothy has much to offer and provides few difficulties. There is nothing improbable about Paul being released from prison, engaging in the kind of ministry indicated in 1 Timothy and Titus, and then later being imprisoned again with death being imminent.

Ecclesiastical Situation. It is argued that the church situation described in the Pastoral Epistles is akin to the second century and far too developed for Paul. At this juncture it is worth noting that very little of the Pastoral Epistles can really be termed "ecclesiastical teaching."

Paul does have an interest in ecclesiastical matters: he and Barnabas appoint elders (Acts 14:23); Paul addresses the bishops and deacons at Philippi (Phil 1:1); Paul lists pastor-teachers among the divine gifts provided to the early church (Eph 4:11-13); and Paul calls for the elders at Ephesus on his way to Rome, calling upon them to oversee (verb from which the noun "bishop" comes) and shepherd (verb from which the noun "pastor" comes) their flocks (Acts 20:13-35).

Nothing in the Pastoral Epistles would demand the later phenomenon of monarchical bishops. As Carson, Moo, and Morris have noted, "Clearly none of this amounts to much in the way of organization, certainly to nothing more than can have appeared in the church in comparatively early days."

The Nature of the False Teaching. It is usually assumed that all three Pastoral Epistles face the same false teaching, an assumption which has been questioned in recent years. Many have wanted to see the Pastoral Epistles addressing a heresy seen only after the early second century and therefore as being non-Pauline. Easton argued that the Pastoral Epistles painted a picture of Christianity threatened by a "coherent and powerful heresy," a heresy which claimed to be more profound than the revelation of the Church. That the heresy seen here is "coherent and powerful" and that one must see it as second century Gnosticism is still to be demonstrated. The heresy or heresies seen in the Pastoral Epistles betray a strong Jewish element much akin to what one meets in the Qumran literature and the apocryphal work, Jubilees. There are no real grounds to see the false teaching confronted in the Pastoral Epistles as something which would not, indeed did not (cf. Colossians), arise in Paul's lifetime.

It does seem that the false teaching and false teachers encountered in all three of the Pastoral Epistles are of the same sort. They have similar tendencies and use similar language even though every element seen in one book may not appear in the other. One must simply piece together the elements that compose this heresy: emphasis on myths and genealogies (1 Tim 1:4; Titus 1:14; 3:9; 2 Tim 4:4); concern for the Law and Jewishness (1 Tim 1:7; Titus 1:10, 14; 3:9); emphasis on "knowledge" (1 Tim 6:20; 2 Tim 3:6-9); controversy, speculation and arguments (1 Tim 1:4, 6; 6:4, 20; Titus 1:10; 3:9; 2 Tim. 2:14, 16, 23; 3:1-5); immorality (1 Tim 1:19, 20; Titus 1:15, 16; 2 Tim 2:16, 19; 3:1-5); deception (1 Tim 4:1-3; Titus 1:10-13; 2 Tim 3:6-13); some ascetic practices (1 Tim 4:1-5); and teaching for material gain (1 Tim 6:5; Titus 1:11; 2 Tim 3:2-4).

Vocabulary and Style. As Guthrie has noted, "the majority of those who favor the non-Pauline authorship of the Epistles are swayed more by linguistic considerations than by any of the objections mentioned above." Perhaps no scholar has presented this argument for non-Pauline authorship in stronger fashion than P.N. Harrison. Harrison built upon the work of previous scholars to argue that the vocabulary and style of the Pastoral Epistles indicated that they did not share the same author as the ten epistles generally accepted as Pauline.

Harrison noted that well over one third of the words, excluding proper names, used in the Pastoral Epistles occur nowhere else in the New Testament. Many of the words used in the Pastoral Epistles and the universally accepted Pauline epistles have different meanings. Many of the words used only in the Pastoral Epistles are found in the early church fathers and in the apologists. On the surface Harrison's arguments seem most convincing; however, Carson, Moo, and Morris have noted that one could use the same line of argument to suggest that the three Pastoral Epistles were themselves written by different authors.

In examining the style of the Pastoral Epistles, Harrison gives special emphasis to particles, prepositions, and pronouns - elements that are indicative of style which an imitator might not follow. After noting a drastic difference in usage, he concludes that it is unlikely that "within a very few years we should find the same writer producing three epistles without once happening to use a single word in all that list - one or the other of which has hitherto appeared on the average nine times to every page that Paul wrote. " Guthrie, however, has noted that Harrison's data is selective and "would seem to be invalid."

One must allow any author to use differing vocabulary and styles which would fit a differing situation, audience, purpose, and time frame. Arguments offered thus far on the basis of vocabulary and style neither prove nor disprove Pauline authorship of the Pastoral Epistles.

The Theology of the Pastoral Epistles. It has been argued that the theology of the Pastoral Epistles is not that of Paul: the cross is no longer the center of theology, and there is undue emphasis on works. This argument fails to take into consideration the whole of the teaching, both in the ten epistles generally accepted as Pauline and in the Pastoral Epistles as a whole. Hendriksen has rightly noted, "The truth is that the doctrine taught and presupposed in the Pastorals is clearly the same as that which is held before us in the ten [Pauline epistles]." Hendriksen goes on to list nine theological concepts, including salvation by grace through faith, which are central to the ten epistles generally accepted as Pauline and then delineates their occurrence in the Pastoral Epistles.

Modern Solutions to These Issues. Several solutions have been offered to these apparent inconsistencies by serious critics. Some have suggested one must simply opt for non-apostolic authorship. Others, like Harrison (1921), Scott (1936), and Easton (1948), have suggested non-Pauline authorship for the documents as a whole while allowing for a few genuine Pauline fragments.

A central issue in the discussion is the attitude of the early church toward the pseudepigrapher. Carson, Moo, and Morris have noted that the contention that pseudonymous epistles circulated freely and were widely accepted by early Christians cannot be supported. Tertullian spoke of a church leader who composed writings which wrongly bore the name of Paul. Even though this was done out of love, the man was dismissed from his office. Similarly, the Muratorian Canon says that forgeries in Paul's name were to be rejected. As Carson, Moo, and Morris have noted, "Nowhere is evidence cited that any member of the New Testament church accepted the idea that a pious believer could write something in the name of an apostle and expect the writing to be welcomed." Indeed discussion of canonicity tended to focus on the issue of authorship.

The traditional position of Pauline authorship of the Pastoral Epistles fits the data. One who deems these works to be authentic Pauline epistles is not without support from a good number of excellent scholars (cf. Carson, Fee, Guthrie, Hendriksen, Johnson, Moo, and Morris). When one accepts Pauline authorship, the issues of language and style remain. They are still more like Paul than different from Paul. Is the change due simply to subject? Can it be an aging Paul? Should one see an amanuensis as the one responsible for the differences? The final words of Fee on the issue of authorship of the Pastoral Epistles are worth repeating:

To say that Paul is the author of the Pastoral Epistles means that the letters ultimately come from him in the historical settings contained within them. It does not say how they came from him; the final answer to that question is not available to us.

-College Press New Testament Commentary: with the NIV

INTRODUCTION

PLACE OF ORIGIN AND DATE

Little can be said with certainty of Paul's location when he penned 1 Timothy. Although Paul does not say explicitly that he was in Macedonia, he appears to indicate that he had been in Ephesus with Timothy, had left Timothy behind, and had gone on to Macedonia: "As I urged you when I went into Macedonia, stay there in Ephesus" (1:3).

If Paul was released from "house arrest" in Rome as the data in Acts 28:30 and the prison epistles might suggest and wrote this epistle at a subsequent time, the date for 1 Timothy would likely be 63-66. A chronology of Paul's life from Acts would indicate his imprisonment lasted until 61/62. The Neronian persecution of 64 would indicate that his release should precede that date. Eusebius recorded that Paul died in 67. If one accepts those dates, Paul would have penned 1 Timothy between 63 and 66.

Other suggestions are given by those who would contend that Paul died at the height of the Neronian persecution of 64. Some would, therefore, provide a date of 62-63 for composition of 1 Timothy. Robinson has suggested Paul's departure for Macedonia, leaving behind Timothy in Ephesus (1:3), reflects the situation seen in Acts 20:1-4. He, therefore, places 1 Timothy within the historical data of Acts and suggests a date of 55. Scholars who argue for pseudonymity generally date the epistle during the second century (cf. Kümmel).

A date of 63-66 seems best to fit the data currently available.

DESTINATION AND AUDIENCE

Although on the surface 1 Timothy seems to be personal correspondence between Paul and Timothy, his son in the faith, there is much in the epistle that indicates Paul intended the letter to be read and heeded by the congregation at Ephesus. "Grace be with you" in 6:21 is plural. Many of Paul's admonitions to Timothy (e.g., "Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young," 4:21) may also have served to advise the church of their correct path of action.

Timothy is well known from Acts and the epistles of Paul. He was a native of Lystra; his mother was Jewish and his father a Gentile. About A.D. 49 he became a co-worker of Paul. As a young man likely converted and trained by Paul, Paul found a special place in his heart for him (1 Cor 4:17; Phil 2:22; 1 Tim 1:2). Timothy appears alongside Paul in the opening greetings of several epistles (2 Cor 1:1; Phil 1:1; Col 1:1; 1 Thess 1:1; 2 Thess 1:1). He was undoubtedly considered a trusted colleague and co-worker (1 Thess 3:2) who could be trusted to be sent on special missions (1 Cor 16:10; Phil 2:20). If one accepts the traditional site for the place of writing of the prison epistles, Timothy was with Paul in Rome (Col 1:1; Phlm 1). He has, at this juncture, been left behind in Ephesus to set things in order. He is a young man (see the discussion of 1 Tim 4:12) who was perhaps not in the best of health (1 Tim 5:23).

The church where Timothy was laboring found itself in the midst of the fourth largest city in the Roman Empire. Ephesus housed a famous shrine to Artemis, the great mother goddess, known by the Romans as Diana of the Ephesians. Upon arriving at Ephesus Paul met a group of disciples whose knowledge of the gospel was so incomplete that it would seem they were still looking for the Messiah and they clearly knew nothing of the Holy Spirit (Acts 19:1-7). Paul's next encounter was with a group of Jews, the seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest. These men were seeking to do exorcisms in the name of Jesus (Acts 19:8-16). The citizens of Ephesus were so impressed with what happened to these men and with the preaching of Paul that many came to belief. Some who had previously practiced sorcery even burned their books (Acts 19:17-20). During this stay Timothy worked with Paul at Ephesus before being sent by Paul on to Macedonia (Acts 19:21-22). Feeling the pinch of their pocketbooks, the silversmiths, who made their livelihood selling images of Artemis, instigated a riot that led to Paul's moving on to other fields (Acts 19:23-20:1). Paul's love and concern for the Ephesian church did not end there. As Paul headed along the coast of Asia Minor on his way to Jerusalem, he summoned the elders from that church to meet him at Miletus. Paul warns them of the impending dangers, especially the false teachers, and charges them to watch after the flock (Acts 20:13-38). These dangers facing the church are a recurrent theme whenever the church at Ephesus is mentioned (1 Cor 16:8-9; Eph 4:14, 17-24; 5:6-14; Rev 2:6). The nature of Paul's correspondence with Timothy in the two epistles addressed to him follows this same theme.

THE CONTRIBUTION OF 1 TIMOTHY

Perhaps the greatest contribution 1 Timothy makes is the insight it provides into Paul's view of ministry: his own, that of Timothy, and that of the church (elders/bishops, deacons, women, and believers called to godliness). The church today needs to heed that call to ministry and godliness. Paul's emphasis on prayer (2:8), the demeanor of women in worship (2:9-15), the relationships between the old and the young (5:1-2), the treatment of widows (5:3-16), the response of slaves to their masters and ultimately to the Lord (6:1-2), and the warning against arrogance and trusting in wealth (6:17-19) produce a book rich in wisdom for the believer.

Paul does warn of needless controversies which do not produce growth. While the "godless myths" (1:4), forbidding of marriage, and enforcing of food laws (4:3) may seem far removed from the issues facing the church today, it is not immune from "an unhealthy interest in controversies and arguments that result in envy, quarreling, malicious talk, evil suspicions and constant friction" (6:4-5). Similarly the modern church should give heed to Paul's warning against those "who think that godliness is a means to financial gain" (6:5).

-College Press New Testament Commentary: with the NIV

SELECTED

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Allan, J.A. "The 'In Christ' Formula in the Pastoral Epistles," New Testament Studies 10 (1963) 115-121.

Barclay, William. The Letters to Timothy, Titus, and Philemon ( DSB rev. ed.). Philadelphia: Westminster, 1975.

. "Paul's Certainties VII. Our Security in God - 2 Timothy 1,12," Expository Times 69 (1958) 324-327.

Barnett, Paul W. "Wives and Women's Ministry (1 Timothy 2:11-15)," Evangelical Quarterly 61 (1989) 225-238.

Barrett, C.K. The Pastoral Epistles ( NCB). Oxford: Clarendon, 1963.

Berdot, D.N. Exercitatio theologica-exegetica in epistulam Pauli ad Titum. 1703.

Bernard, J.H. The Pastoral Epistles. Thornapple Commentaries, 1899; reprinted Grand Rapids: Baker, 1980.

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. The Role Relationship of Men and Women. Revised ed. Phillipsburg, NJ. 1985.

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-College Press New Testament Commentary: with the NIV

ABBREVIATIONS

BAGD Bauer-Arndt-Gingrich-Danker Greek Lexicon (2nd. ed.)

DSB Daily Study Bible

ICC International Critical Commentary

JBL Journal of Biblical Literature

JETS Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society

JSNT Journal of Studies for the New Testament

KJV King James Version

LWC Living Word Commentary

LXX Septuagint

MNTC Moffatt New Testament Commentary

NAC New American Commentary

NCB New Clarendon Bible

NCBC New Century Bible Commentary

NEB New English Bible

NIBC New International Bible Commentary

NIGTC New International Greek Testament Commentary

NRSV New Revised Standard Version

NTC New Testament Commentary

NTS New Testament Studies

PNTC Pelican New Testament Commentary

RSV Revised Standard Version

TBC Torch Bible Commentaries

TDNT Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, ed. by

Gerhard Kittel and Gerhard Friedrich

TEV Today's English Version

-College Press New Testament Commentary: with the NIV

College: 1 Timothy (Outline)

OUTLINE

I. THE SALUTATION - 1:1-2

II. PAUL'S CHARGE TO TIMOTHY - 1:3-20

A. The Charge and the False Teachers - 1:3-7

B. The Lawful Use of the Law - 1:8-11

C. Paul's Own Ministry, A Positive Example - 1:12-17

D. The Negative Example of Hymenaeus and Alexander - 1:18-20

III. DIRECTION FOR PUBLIC WORSHIP - 2:1-15

A. Prayers by All for All - 2:1-7

B. Respective Roles of Men and Women - 2:8-15

IV. DIRECTIONS FOR CHURCH ;LEADERS - 3:1-16

A. Bishops/Overseers - 3:1-7

B. Deacons and "Women" - 3:8-13

C. The Basis for These Directions - 3:14-16

V. SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS FOR TIMOTHY - 4:1-16

A. The Apostasy Timothy Was to Face - 4:1-5

B. The Discipline of a Good Minister - 4:6-16

VI. RELATIONSHIPS WITHIN THE CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY - 5:1-6:2

A. The Minister and the Church - 5:1-2

B. The Care of Widows - 5:3-16

1. Family Responsibilities - 5:3-8

2. Widows to Be Enrolled - 5:9-10

3. Younger Widows - 5:11-15

4. Women and Widows - 5:16

C. Elders - 5:17-25

D. Slaves - 6:1-2

VII. FINAL EXHORTATIONS - 6:3-21

A. An Indictment of False Teachers - 6:3-5

B. Godliness, Contentment, and Money - 6:6-10

C. A Charge to Timothy - 6:11-16

D. Instructions for the Rich - 6:17-19

E. Paul's Final Charge to Timothy 6:20-21

-College Press New Testament Commentary: with the NIV