Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary 1 Timothy 1:9-11

"as knowing this, that law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and unruly, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, for fornicators, for abusers of themselves with men, for menstealers, for liars, for false swearers, and if there be any other thing contrary to the sound doctrine; according to the gospel of the glory of the blessed God, which was committed to my trust." — 1 Timothy 1:9-11 (ASV)

(9a) “Law” in this verse has no definite article and probably refers to law in general. The apostle indicates that the purpose of law is not to police good people but bad ones. In other words, we need law for the punishment of criminals and the protection of society.

The list that follows is typically Pauline (cf. Romans 1:24–32). It starts with more general terms, in three pairs: “lawbreakers and rebels, the ungodly and sinful, the unholy and irreligious.” These represent attitudes or states of mind. “Lawbreakers” are those who ignore the law, and “rebels” are people who are insubordinate and refuse to be ruled. The word for “ungodly” means one who is deliberately guilty of irreverence. The adjective “irreligious” means having no sense of what is sacred—a common sin of secular society.

(9b-10a) The sins that follow covers the fifth to the ninth commandments. “Those who kill their fathers... mothers” refers especially to dishonoring one’s parents. For this outrageous violation of the fifth commandment the punishment of death was provided in the Mosaic Law (Exodus 21:15). The fact that “murderers” (cf. the sixth commandment) immediately follows suggests that the sin of murder is also included in this sin concerning the “smiting” of one’s parents.

Paul goes on to say that law was made “for adulterers and perverts” (the last term means “male homosexuals”; GK 780; see also 1 Corinthians 6:9); both of these sins are against the seventh commandment. Despite its being condoned by some church leaders today, homosexual practices are categorically condemned in both the OT and NT. It is this particular sin that led to the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. It is widely recognized as one of the causes for the downfall of the Roman Empire, and its rapid increase today in Europe and North America poses a threat to the future of Western civilization.

“Slave traders” may also be translated “kidnappers” (GK 437). Jewish rabbis specifically applied the eighth commandment about stealing to kidnapping—a crime that has greatly increased in the last few years.

Finally, “liars and perjurers” are both sins that relate to the ninth commandment about honesty and truth-telling.

(10b–11) Lest he miss any other important item, Paul adds a general comment about any other sin that opposes “sound doctrine that conforms to the glorious gospel of the blessed God.” “Sound” (GK 5617) is one of the key words of the Pastoral Letters. It means “be in good health, to be healthy or sound.” It refers to physical health in the Gospels, but an ethical, metaphorical usage as here is widely paralleled in Greek literature.

Does “sound” mean “healthy” or “healthful” (i.e., conducive to good health)? Really, both are included in the meaning. The Gospel is like healthy food, and the law is a sort of medicine that is only applied when one’s moral nature is diseased.

“The glorious gospel of the blessed God” is the Gospel that displays God’s glory, showing his moral character and perfections as they are exhibited in the person and work of Christ. Paul declares that this Gospel was “entrusted to me” (see 1 Corinthians 9:17; Galatians 2:7; 1 Thessalonians 2:4). It amazed him that God should have placed such trust in him—the one who had formerly opposed the Gospel and persecuted the church (cf. vv.12–14). The last clause of this paragraph is therefore a fitting introduction to the next section, in which he thanks God for choosing him.