Thomas Aquinas Commentary 1 Timothy 1:1-2

"Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus according to the commandment of God our Saviour, and Christ Jesus our hope; unto Timothy, my true child in faith: Grace, mercy, peace, from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord." — 1 Timothy 1:1-2 (ASV)

1. This letter is divided into the greeting and the main message, which begins with the phrase as I urged you.

   In the greeting, he does three things:

   • He mentions the person sending the greeting.
   • He mentions the person being greeted.
   • He mentions the blessing he wishes for him.

2. The person sending the greeting is described, first, by his name, Paul, a name fitting for one in authority for two reasons. First, apostleship involves lofty power, to which the humble are raised: When you were small in your own eyes, were you not made the head of the tribes of Israel? (1 Samuel 15:17). Second, the name Paul means ‘small,’ and the Lord offers the brilliance of wisdom to the humble: you have revealed these things to little ones (Matthew 11:25).

   Second, he is described by his authority, because he is an apostle, that is, one who is sent: As the Father has sent me, I also send you (John 20:21); you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord (1 Corinthians 9:2).

   Third, he is described by the origin of this authority; hence he says, of Jesus Christ by the command of God our Savior and of Christ Jesus our hope. This is supported by Scripture: Set apart for me Saul and Barnabas for the work to which I have taken them (Acts 13:2); The LORD has sought for himself a man according to his own heart, and the LORD has commanded him to be prince over his people (1 Samuel 13:14). From this it is clear that church leaders are bound by a direct command to the duties of their office: Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel! (1 Corinthians 9:16).

   He adds, And Christ Jesus our hope, because Christ is our hope of coming to him: having a desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ (Philippians 1:23). Or, He is our hope because through him we hope to obtain eternal gifts: He has regenerated us to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead (1 Peter 1:3); that through the comfort of the Scripture we might have hope (Romans 15:4).

3. He describes the person being greeted from three perspectives:

   • First, by his name, when he says, to Timothy: A disciple was there, named Timothy (Acts 16:1).
   • Second, by his love, when he calls him his beloved son: For I have no one like-minded who will be genuinely concerned for you (Philippians 2:20).
   • Third, by his relationship as a son, when he says, son in the faith, meaning, converted by him: I have sent to you Timothy, who is my beloved and faithful son in the Lord (1 Corinthians 4:17).

4. Then he mentions the blessings he wishes for Timothy and shows their origin.

   It should be noted here that in the other letters two blessings are usually mentioned, but here there are three, because church leaders need more. Thus he says, grace and mercy, first to Timothy, and then to the others. Mercy is taken here to mean the forgiveness of sins, because this comes from God’s mercy, while grace refers to the public display of gifts that church leaders need. Alternatively, grace could mean sanctifying grace, while mercy could mean the divine gift of being elevated to possess spiritual gifts: The grace of God and his mercy are with his saints, and he cares for his chosen . He also wishes for peace with Timothy and, through him, to others: Let the mountains receive peace (Psalms 72:3).

   But from whom do these blessings come? They come from God, to be given to the people: Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights (James 1:17). They also come from Christ Jesus our Lord: by whom he has given us his precious and very great promises (2 Peter 1:4).