Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary 1 Timothy 1

In keeping with the custom of that day, every one of Paul’s thirteen letters begins with his name. Born a Roman citizen (Acts 22:27–28), he had been given the Latin name “Paulus” in addition to his Jewish name Saul. At the beginning of his Gentile mission the apostle adopted the habit of using Paul (Acts 13:9).

Paul identifies himself as “an apostle” (GK 693). This word means “one sent on a mission.” It was the title Jesus gave to his first twelve disciples . After the death of Judas Iscariot, Matthias was elected to take his place (Acts 1:23–26). Later the term was extended to take in Paul and Barnabas (Acts 14:14), the first two missionaries to the Gentile world. Paul’s use of this word underscores the fact that he is writing with apostolic authority.

He was an apostle “of Christ Jesus.” That is, Christ had commissioned and sent him as a missionary. It was not by his own choice but “by the command of God... and of Christ Jesus.” Paul was conscious of his divine call to the apostolic ministry. He had evidently expected to be a Jewish rabbi, but God had other plans for his life. Only the firm assurance of this could have carried him through all his hardships.

Why did Paul feel a need to mention his apostolic authority in writing to his two faithful colleagues, who never questioned his authority? The answer seems to be that he intended these letters to be read to local church congregations. He knew that both his recipients were being challenged by false teachers and he wanted to strengthen the hands of these two pastors.

The expression “God our Savior” occurs five times in the Pastorals and nowhere else in Paul’s letters (Titus 1:3; Titus 2:10; Titus 3:4). Elsewhere in the NT we find it only in Jude 25. A similar phrase, “God my Savior,” occurs in Lk 1:47, in a hymn that is characterized largely by OT language. It is possible that Luke as the amanuensis may have had some influence on the apostle’s language at this point (see introduction). It may be, too, that Nero’s claim to the title “Savior of the world” caused Paul to assert emphatically that the only real Savior is God, the Supreme Being.

Another unique feature is the designation of Christ as “our hope” . Jesus Christ is the only one in whom we may place our hope for this life and the life to come.

The letter is addressed to “Timothy my true son in the faith.” Elsewhere Paul refers to him as “my son whom I love, who is faithful in the Lord” (1 Corinthians 4:17). The word “true” (GK 1188) means “genuine, true-born.” Perhaps the thrust here is twofold: Timothy was a true believer and he was also a genuine convert of Paul’s ministry.

We first meet Timothy in Ac 16:1–3. There we are told that on Paul’s second missionary journey he found at Lystra a young disciple named Timothy, the son of a Jewish Christian mother and a Greek father. Paul was so impressed with the young man that he asked him to join the missionary party. It seems clear that Timothy had been converted under Paul’s preaching at Lystra on the first missionary journey (about A. D. 47).

He had matured so well as a Christian that only two years later (A. D. 49) he was ready to become an apprentice to the great apostle. He became one of Paul’s most trusted helpers, so that the apostle could write, “I have no one else like him, who takes a genuine interest in your welfare” .

The life of Timothy is a constant challenge to every young Christian to imitate his devotion and faithfulness. After the name of the writer (v.1) and the recipient (v.2a) comes the greeting (v.2b). In all ten of Paul’s previous letters the greeting is twofold—“grace and peace.” Here and in 2 Timothy it is “grace, mercy and peace,” which come to us “from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Two things may have suggested the addition of “mercy” (GK 1799). One would be Timothy’s frail health ; as a loving father, the apostle wishes mercy for his son. The other would be the difficu1Ties that Timothy was encountering at Ephesus; he was in need of God’s mercy and help. “Grace” (GK 5921) is a favorite word with Paul, occurring nearly one hundred times in his letters. First meaning “gracefulness” and then “graciousness,” it is used in the NT for the divine favor that God bestows freely on all who believe.

“Peace” (GK 1645) has always been the typical greeting of the East (shalom; GK 8934). It is one of God’s best gifts to people. In a world of war, hate, and disharmony, this term is particularly significant. In Christ we have peace of heart and mind.

Paul’s Fourth Missionary Journey c. A. D. 62–68

1. Rome—released from prison in A. D. 62

2. Spain—62–64 (Romans 15:24, 28)

3. Crete—64–65 (Titus 1:5)

4. Miletus—65 (2 Timothy 4:20)

5. Colosse—66 (Phm 22)

6. Ephesus—66 (1 Timothy 1:3)

7. Philippi—66 (1 Timothy 1:3)

8. Nicopolis—66–67 (Titus 3:12)

9. Rome—67

10. Martyrdom—67/68

It is clear from Ac 13:1—21:17 that Paul went on three missionary journeys. There is also reason to believe that he made a fourth journey after his release from the Roman imprisonment recorded in Ac 28. The conclusion that such a journey did indeed take place is based on: (1) Paul’s declared intention to go to Spain (Romans 15:24, 28), (2) Eusebius’s implication that Paul was released following his first Roman imprisonment (Ecclesiastical History, 2:22.2–3) and (3) statements in early Christian literature that he took the gospel as far as Spain (Clement of Rome, Epistle to the Corinthians, ch. 5; Actus Petri Vercellenses, chs. 1–3; Muratorian Canon, lines 34–39).

The places Paul may have visited after his release from prison are indicated by statements of intention in his earlier writings and by subsequent mention in the Pastoral Letters. The order of his travel cannot be determined with certainty, but the itinerary at the right seems likely.

(3a) When Paul went into Macedonia—at exactly what time we do not know—he urged Timothy to remain in Ephesus. As noted in the introduction, it appears that Paul was released from his first Roman imprisonment of two years (cf. Acts 28:30) and that he made another visit to Ephesus. There he discovered some conditions that needed extended attention. So he left Timothy as pastor of this important church.

(3b–4a) What was the problem that concerned Paul? We find the answer here in the purpose for which Timothy was to remain: “that you may command certain men not to teach false doctrines any longer nor to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies.” The church has always had false teachers—they appeared on the scene in the very first generation, within thirty-five years of the church’s birth at Pentecost (A. D. 30–65). What was the nature of these “false doctrines,” and what is meant by “myths and endless genealogies”? There are two possible answers. (1) The reference could be to the vagaries of what became known as Gnosticism, with its endless genealogies of intermediary beings (aeons) between God and humankind. (2) But v.7 suggests that these were Jewish teachers, who were caught up in the mythological treatment of OT genealogies, and Tit 1:14 speaks of “Jewish myths.” There is abundant evidence that both these features were found in the Judaism of that day.

(4b) Paul declares that such teachings “promote controversies rather than God’s work— which is by faith.” The word translated “work” (GK 3873) means “stewardship” or “dispensation.” God’s dispensation of truth does not produce whimsical fables but true faith.

The “goal” (GK 5465) of this instruction of Paul (and really, all of Paul’s teaching and preaching can be included here) is “love” (GK 27). The highest goal of true religion is the unselfish love of full loyalty to God and boundless goodwill to our fellow human beings. This must be our ultimate goal in life. This love comes “from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.” Our hearts must be cleansed from self-centered thoughts if we are going to obey the two greatest commandments enunciated by Jesus (Matthew 22:37–40). Then we must maintain a good conscience if love is to function properly. And all this is based on “sincere” (lit., “unhypocritical”; GK 537) faith. All love comes from God, and it comes to us only as we are united to him by faith.

Unfortunately, some at Ephesus had “wandered away” (lit., “missed the mark”; GK 1762) from a sincere life of faith and had turned to “meaningless talk.” They were doing much talking, but saying nothing of value.