1–Timothy
Introduction to the book of 1 Timothy
The apostle Paul wrote to Timothy, a young pastor in Ephesus. Timothy, whose father was a Greek and mother a Jewish Christian, traveled with Paul on his second missionary journey (Acts 16:1-5). Paul spoke very highly of Timothy, saying, “I have no one else like him, who will show genuine concern for your welfare” (Philippians 2:20). The letter to Timothy is a practical letter about the church, especially its life and teachings. Jesus is our Savior, our Mediator, and the Lord of the church. All worship and organization within the body falls under Jesus’ Lordship. First Timothy is the first in a group of epistles (I & II Timothy and Titus) written by Paul the Apostle and addressed to ministers, unlike his other letters that were directed toward churches (i.e., Ephesians, Corinthians) or to specific members (i.e., Philemon). Because they mainly deal with ministers and their work in the church, these writings have been referred to as the “pastoral” epistles by various scholars, the thought being that through these letters, Paul was pastoring or shepherding these young preachers and guiding them in their work. Today the pastoral epistles not only guide us in our Christian walk and direct us in the proper way to organize the church, but they also provide the qualifications to look for when selecting spiritual leaders and define the basic work of the evangelist, preacher, and minister in the local assembly.Theme & Overview
Paul writes to instruct Timothy concerning the care of the church at Ephesus. This is the first of Paul’s epistles to the young pastor Timothy. According to the “King James Study Bible,” he exhorts or urges Timothy to guard against false doctrine, protect public worship, and develop mature leadership. Much of the epistle deals with the nature of pastoral conduct, including the qualifications of a bishop (pastor) as a true teacher of God’s Word. Practical directions for elders and for widows are also given in detail.Who is Timothy?
We first encounter Timothy in (Acts 16:1) when Paul was on his second missionary journey. Timothy was a native of Lystra located in what was then Asia Minor (modern-day Turkey). His mother, Eunice, was a Jewish Christian who raised Timothy to know the Scriptures along with her mother, Lois, which eventually led him to be converted. Timothy’s father was Greek and a non-believer. This young man was converted by Paul (Frist Timothy 1:2), and he joined the apostle’s missionary journey in 51 AD. Timothy’s call to ministry was indicated by God (First Timothy 1:18), and he was commended to service by Paul and the elders (First Timothy 4:14). Along with Luke, he was one of Paul’s closest traveling companions and served in many capacities but eventually was sent to Ephesus to minister to this fast-growing church. We also know that he spent time in prison with Paul (Hebrews 13:23) and that he was timid by nature, not dealing well with confrontation. He was also a man who suffered from stomach problems (First Timothy 5:23). Paul loved him like a son, was lonely without him, and always worried about his condition. Tradition (not the Bible) says that Timothy died as a martyr under the reign of Nerva or Domitian. He was also believed to be a co-worker of John in this apostle’s later years. This letter is personally addressed to Timothy while he was working with the Ephesus church.Ephesus
Ephesus was the place where Paul had enjoyed some of his greatest success during his 54 to 57 AD missionary effort. He had written to this church while in a Roman prison between 61-62 AD and then, after his release, visited them for a time and left Timothy there to minister. Paul had planned to return but was detained in Macedonia (northern Greece), so he wrote this letter to Timothy to explain how the church should function and how an evangelist should minister to the church. At the time of Paul’s ministry in the second half of the first century, Asia Minor, with Ephesus as its main city, became Christianity’s numerical and geographical center. In 70 AD, Jerusalem was destroyed by the Roman army, and this made Ephesus an influential place for believers to gather with its many Christians and churches. Paul had established a church there, missionary efforts to plant other churches in the region had been launched from there (i.e., Colossian church - Epaphras), Timothy was sent there to minister, and after Paul’s death, John the Apostle settled and pursued his ministry from this place. Large public church buildings did not appear until the 3rd century, so early Christians met mostly in homes and in private meeting places. Each of these “house-churches” had its own leaders guiding their group. Paul is writing to Timothy about the conduct of these churches and the type of men needed to lead them during the difficult times they were experiencing because of persecution from the Roman government and division caused by false teachers promoting heretical teachings concerning the gospel.Author
The apostle Paul.Date
About AD 64.Background
When studying various epistles that describe events in the first century’s church, we have to consider the period of its development at the point of writing since it went through several important phases in a very short time. For example:Inception period – This took place on the Jewish feast of Pentecost, shortly after Jesus had ascended into heaven. At that time, 3000 people were baptized on hearing Peter’s first sermon concerning the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. This event established the church in Jerusalem (Acts 2:36-47).Expansion period – The church continued to grow in Jerusalem but expanded from its base in that city to neighboring towns and bordering countries after a time. The great breakthrough came, however, when the Apostle Paul and his associates brought the gospel to many parts of the Roman Empire, and churches were formed among the Gentiles.Consolidation period – At this point in its development, the focus was on internal growth with the appointing of local leaders and an emphasis on church organization. For example, during this period, churches became self-supporting, not needing external help to financially maintain its ministers and work. Also, local ministers like Timothy and Titus were taking charge, thus lessening the burden for teaching and preaching that the Apostles and early missionaries had done.
Understanding the three general periods is important because in this letters, Paul deals with issues and problems encountered by churches in the consolidation period when assemblies were in the process of training and establishing leadership positions within the church. I and II Timothy and Titus are specifically addressed to two preachers who were working with churches that were already well established. I believe that studying these epistles will give us a view of the early church and its development and guide us when selecting those who will serve as ministers, elders, and deacons in the Lord’s church of our day. There is not much information concerning Paul’s first imprisonment in Rome, but after spending several years in Roman detention, he finally went before the Emperor to plead his case and was successful (62 AD). While he was in prison, Paul’s intention after his release was to go to Jerusalem for a time and then return to Rome to strengthen the church there and, finally, press on to Spain in order to open up new frontiers for the gospel. Once released; however, his plans changed. He did not go to Spain during his brief time of freedom instead, he chose to spend time in Crete (Titus 1:5), travel to Ephesus (First Timothy 1:3), return to Corinth (Second Timothy 4), Miletus (Second Timothy 4), and to Troas (Second Timothy 4:13). It seems that he used his freedom to revisit and encourage established churches instead of moving on to plant new ones. The letters to Timothy and Titus suggest that Paul was free and actively working with these men and other preachers to strengthen established churches, as mentioned previously. In Second Timothy, the tone and situation will change. Paul will again be in prison, and this time will not have great hope of being released because of the rising tide of Roman persecution. During this brief period of freedom, however, Paul wrote this first letter to Timothy, a young evangelist working with the church at Ephesus.Why Study I & II Timothy and Titus?
Here are some benefits we receive from reading and studying the pastoral epistles today.They are one of the few source documents teaching church administration and organization.They stress the importance of knowing and teaching sound doctrine.These letters demand holy living of both leaders and church members.They provide historical information about Paul and the church that we might not have otherwise.In these letters, God speaks to the church today as He did then.
Heresy at Ephesus and Crete (1 Timothy 1:1-3)
Paul writes to Timothy to help him deal with various issues that have come up in that congregation. Since Paul cannot be there in person, he provides Timothy with instructions to guide the young evangelist in teaching and properly organizing the church he serves at Ephesus. ( Read First Timothy 1:1-3) One of the motivating factors for this letter may have been an earlier meeting that Paul had with elders from Ephesus and the surrounding region while he was traveling to Jerusalem (Acts 20:17-32). During this meeting, Paul encouraged these men to be diligent in carrying out their ministry and warned them to be wary of false teachers and their influence in the church (Acts 20:29-30). It seems that despite Paul’s warning, false teachers still managed to infiltrate the church and cause problems. Therefore, the first letter to Timothy deals with false teaching that had invaded the church at Ephesus, which this young minister now had to contend with. Timothy needed to stand up to these heretics and provide correct teaching to counter or neutralize their errors. The false teaching itself was complicated and not the type of thing we are familiar with today. However, understanding the nature of this heresy will help us more fully appreciate Paul’s teaching in this letter.The Heresy
The false teaching was referred to as Gnosticism. This term comes from the Greek word “gnosis,” which means knowledge or “to know.” Gnosticism was produced by the mixing of a variety of knowledge sources. They mixed ideas from Greek philosophy (Plato), concepts from mystic and pagan religions, and added teachings from Judaism and Christianity, all of which produced a different gospel message. They promoted their teachings as a type of “super” gospel, but in reality, their message was only partly true. One of the concrete doctrines produced by this Gnostic approach was something called “Dualism.”Dualism taught the following:(A.) There were only two elements in the world: God/mind, matter/flesh.(B.) Both of these were eternal in nature.(C.) God/mind was good, and matter/flesh was totally evil.(D.) Human beings were a combination of the two.They had flesh; therefore, they were totally evil because the flesh corrupted the mind.
(E.) They taught that in order to obtain salvation, the spirit in man had to escape the flesh in man.When this was done, the spirit/mind of man could return to God where it belonged and be at peace.
(F.) They also taught that there were two different ways that this escape from the flesh could be accomplished:Strict asceticism - (First Timothy 4), which included:Food lawsForbidding marriageThe spirit had to dominate the flesh - The error here, of course, was the false notion that one could be saved by works of the Law (the Jewish Law) or of the flesh and not by grace through faith as Paul had originally taught them (Ephesians 2:8).
Antinomianism (complete indulgence of the flesh)No law or restrictionsComplete sensual freedom
In essence, they taught that since the spirit and flesh were separate, one didn’t affect the other, so a person could do what they wanted in the flesh without affecting the spirit, which would ultimately be free once the flesh died. The error here was that according to the gospel, a soul could not sin without consequences from God, who judged and punished all sin (Romans 6:15).It wasn’t bad enough that this Gnostic doctrine of dualism was circulating in the church; what made matters worse was that people were arguing and debating these things! In addition to the spread of these doctrines, two destructive features were created in the character of those embracing these false notions.Speculative Intellectualism
The first of these was an ongoing discussion and argument about matters that the Bible didn’t even address rather than the study and the discussion of what it actually taught.What will I look like in heaven?What did Jesus look like?When is Jesus coming back?Etc.
An intense examination of biblical gossip, traditions, myths, genealogies, and ideas that some people thought were important but not biblical, much like the interest in the “Shroud of Turin” or the “Da Vinci Code” movies and books today. Perhaps these things make for good entertainment but have zero value in the Christian’s understanding of salvation or effort at righteous living, serving others, or glorifying and pleasing God. These things only generated endless speculation and arguments without edifying anyone. They were majoring in minors, and this led to the second deadly attitude that was affecting the church at Ephesus:Pride
Pride is the root of most false teaching. Some are too egotistical to submit to God’s word or too lazy to study it. Others are too proud to admit error and too stubborn to change. In Ephesus, some false teachers had the vain conviction that only they had access to the special gnosis, this secret knowledge, and thus only they could show others how to receive it. This, of course, was not only wrong; it was dangerous.(Read II Timothy 3:16-17) Dangerous because this attitude created pride and competition among teachers, and a resistance to hearing the teaching from the Apostles or others, like Timothy, who had been trained and sent by the Apostles. Knowing about these issues, Paul writes to a young minister who is trying to cope with these disruptions in the church. Timothy is young, unsure of himself, has a nervous stomach, and faces men who are proud and argumentative about their new and superior knowledge, their new “gnosis.” Paul writes to challenge, instruct and provide Timothy with teaching and solid Apostolic guidance so he can go forward and teach God’s word with confidence in order to settle the disruption caused by the promoters of this heretical doctrine.The Purpose & Audience
Timothy, one of Paul’s closest associates, also intended to be read to the whole church in Ephesus. The letters to Timothy and Titus are not handbooks of church government, but they do provide insight into the organization of the earliest churches. They are rare snapshots of church leadership making adaptations in response to needs. These letters incorporate summaries of essential apostolic doctrines (e.g., 1 Tim 3:16; Titus 3:4–7), which Paul wanted his readers to preserve faithfully and make central to their lives. In these letters, Paul makes a strong appeal to live the new life in Christ. He challenges the whole church to carry the Good News forward faithfully, proclaiming the message and living out God’s presence in the world. First Timothy lays the foundation for ordaining elders in the local church. It provides an apostolic guideline for ordaining men to the sacred office of the church. In essence, it is a leadership manual for church organization and administration. Its tone is practical and spiritual. Its theme is that of conduct in the church of the living God. Christ is presented in this epistle as the “mediator between God and men” (2:5). As such He is the Savior of all men who believe in Him (4:10). He is the Lord of the church to whom Timothy is responsible as an under-shepherd. Thus, the young pastor is to fulfill his duties in light of God’s authority. The term bishop (Gr. episkopos) is used synonymously with the term elder (presbuteros) and refers to the same office (cf. Acts 20:17, 28; Titus 1:5–7). The office of deacon (diakonos, “servant”) is a different office, but with similar qualifications.Key Verse(s)
1 Timothy 4:12 “Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity.”1 Timothy 2:5: "For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,”1 Timothy 3:1–3: "The saying is trustworthy: If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task. Therefore an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money."1 Timothy 4:9–10: "The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance. For to this end we toil and strive, because we have our hope set on the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe."1 Timothy 6:12: "Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses."Outline 1
Proper worship (1-3)Correct doctrine (4)Dealing with church members (5)Final instructions (6)
Outline 2
First Timothy is a mixture of personal encouragement and teaching and general instruction for the church. For this reason, First Timothy is not easily structured into neat sections since Paul moves from one topic to another. Greetings – 1:1-2Paul and Timothy – 1:3-20The church and prayer – 2:1-15The church and leadership – 3:1-16The church and apostasy – 4:1-16The church and different people – 5:1-6:2Final appeal – 6:3-21