1 Timothy
Introduction
The
three letters, First and Second Timothy and Titus, form a distinct group within
the Pauline corpus. In the collection of letters by the Apostle to the
Gentiles, they differ from the others in form and contents. All three suggest
they were written late in Paul's career. The opponents are not
"Judaizers" as in Galatians but false teachers stressing
"knowledge" (gnosis; see the note on 1 Tim 6:20-21).
Attention is given especially to correct doctrine and church organization.
Jesus' second coming recedes into the background compared to references in
Paul's earlier letters (though not Colossians and Ephesians). The three letters
are addressed not to congregations but to those who shepherd congregations
(Latin, pastores). These letters were first named "Pastoral Epistles"
in the eighteenth century because they all are concerned with the work of a
pastor in caring for the community or communities under his charge.
The first of the Pastorals, 1
Timothy, is presented as having been written from Macedonia. Timothy, whom Paul
converted, was of mixed Jewish and Gentile parentage (Acts 16:1-3). He
was the apostle's companion on both the second and the third missionary
journeys (Acts 16:3;
19:22) and was
often sent by him on special missions (Acts 19:22; 1 Cor
4:17; 1
Thes 3:2). In 1 Timothy (1 Tim 1:3),
he is described as the administrator of the entire Ephesian community.
The letter instructs Timothy
on his duty to restrain false and useless teaching (1 Tim 1:3-11;
4:1-5; 6:3-16) and
proposes principles pertaining to his relationship with the older members of
the community (1 Tim 5:1-2)
and with the presbyters (5, 17-22). It gives rules for aid to widows (1 Tim 5:3-8)
and their selection for charitable ministrations (1 Tim 5:9-16)
and also deals with liturgical celebrations (1 Tim 2:1-15),
selections for the offices of bishop and deacon (1 Tim 3:1-13),
relation of slaves with their masters (1 Tim 6:1-2),
and obligations of the wealthier members of the community (1 Tim 6:17-19).
This letter also reminds Timothy of the prophetic character of his office (1 Tim 1:12-20)
and encourages him in his exercise of it (1 Tim 4:6-16).
The central passage of the letter (1 Tim 3:14-16)
expresses the principal motive that should guide the conduct of
Timothy--preservation of the purity of the church's doctrine against false
teaching. On this same note the letter concludes (1 Tim 6:20-21).
From the late second century
to the nineteenth, Pauline authorship of the three Pastoral Epistles went
unchallenged. Since then, the attribution of these letters to Paul has been
questioned. Most scholars are convinced that Paul could not have been
responsible for the vocabulary and style, the concept of church organization,
or the theological expressions found in these letters. A second group believes,
on the basis of statistical evidence, that the vocabulary and style are
Pauline, even if at first sight the contrary seems to be the case. They state
that the concept of church organization in the letters is not as advanced as
the questioners of Pauline authorship hold since the notion of hierarchical
order in a religious community existed in Israel before the time of Christ, as
evidenced in the Dead Sea Scrolls. Finally, this group sees affinities between
the theological thought of the Pastorals and that of the unquestionably genuine
letters of Paul. Other scholars, while conceding a degree of validity to the
positions mentioned above, suggest that the apostle made use of a secretary who
was responsible for the composition of the letters. A fourth group of scholars
believes that these letters are the work of a compiler, that they are based on
traditions about Paul in his later years, and that they include, in varying
amounts, actual fragments of genuine Pauline correspondence.
If Paul is considered the
more immediate author, the Pastorals are to be dated between the end of his
first Roman imprisonment (Acts 28:16) and
his execution under Nero (A.D. 63-67); if they are regarded as only more
remotely Pauline, their date may be as late as the early second century. In
spite of these problems of authorship and dating, the Pastorals are
illustrative of early Christian life and remain an important element of
canonical scripture.
The principal divisions of
the First Letter to Timothy are the following:
I.
Address
(1 Tim 1:1-2)
II.
Sound
Teaching (1
Tim 1:3-20)
III.
Problems
of Discipline (1ti 2:1-4:16)
IV.
Duties
toward Others (1 Tim 5:1-6:2a)
V.
False
Teaching and True Wealth (1 Tim 6:2b-19)
VI.
Final
Recommendation and Warning (1 Tim 6:20-21)
Table of Contents 
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1
Timothy Introduction Ends.
Easter
Sunday 12 April 2009.