1 & 2 Timothy: A Pentecostal Commentary

Abbreviations

Part 1—

1 Timothy

Introduction to

First Timothy

The books of 1 and 2 Timothy and Titus are collectively called the Pastoral Epistles (PE) or Pastoral Letters since the eighteenth century, even though the word pastor does not appear in the books. The PE were written to individuals rather than churches. First Timothy is the longest of the three; this accounts for the reason it appears first in the Bible. (Generally speaking, the letters are arranged in the canon according to their length, beginning with the longest and ending with the shortest.)

The PE are the only letters in Scripture written specifically to direct and order the church. They tell us about church structure, church worship, church leadership, and the role of women in church. They read like challenges facing the church today.

Before we start on our journey through this exciting letter, we should first consider some preliminary matters—authorship, the recipient, the occasion, and the message—concerning this letter.

Authorship

All evidence points to Paul as the author of the Pastoral Epistles. Until recent times, that claim went unchallenged. There is claim by the letters themselves that Paul wrote them and the unanimous witness of the early church fathers supports Paul’s authorship.

Many scholars today believe that the PE were written by a later follower of Paul who used Paul’s name. Some have suggested Luke as the amanuensis (secretary) who actually wrote the PE for Paul. There are plausible answers to each of the arguments against Pauline authorship. A work that is a fraud should be considered as incompatible with the character of a message from God. Therefore, I believe we can safely accept the Pauline authorship of the PE. As John Stott said, Both the internal claims and the external witness are strong, substantial and stubborn. The burden of proof rests on those who deny them.¹

Paul means little, in contrast to his former name Saul, which means asked or prayed for. We know for sure that Paul was a Jew and was born in Tarsus, a city about 700 miles north of Jerusalem and capital of the Roman province of Cilicia (Acts 22:3). Paul’s father was a Jew who migrated to Tarsus. He was a Pharisee. His son Paul was raised a Pharisee (Acts 23:6). Therefore, Paul was born a Roman citizen, not a naturalized citizen. As a Jew, Paul learned the OT, the law and the traditions. As a Greek, he received typical Greek education comprising music, history, religion, philosophy, poetry, and science. Roman culture, Jewish culture, and Greek culture—all summed up in this one man and prepared him to write the PE.

Paul’s fast track took a U-turn on the road to Damascus. His encounter with the Lord on his way to Damascus was also his commissioning to serve as an apostle to the Gentiles. Paul was the church’s greatest thinker, the church’s greatest missionary, and the church’s greatest apologist. In spite of all his weaknesses, Paul is the greatest character since Jesus Christ.

Paul was about 70 years of age when he wrote the PE. Although the Bible does not mention this, Bible scholars believe that Paul was released from prison after two years. Eventually, he was arrested again and returned to Rome. He was put to death by Emperor Nero, who committed suicide in June of AD 68.

Recipient

First Timothy was written to Timothy, Paul’s coworker, who was temporarily in Ephesus. Timothy was a younger colleague of Paul; Timothy grew up in Lystra, a town in the Roman province of Galatia in south-central Asia Minor.

During their first missionary journey, Paul and Barnabas preached in Lystra (Acts 14:1-20). It is possible that Timothy, his mother and grand mother responded to Paul’s message. During the second missionary journey, Paul invited Timothy to join their team (Acts 16:1-3). Since Timothy was the son of a Jewish mother and a Greek father, Paul had to circumcise him. Thus began a long-term relationship of mutual affection. He collaborated in six of Paul’s epistles (1 and 2 Thessalonians, 2 Corinthians, Colossians, Philemon, Philippians). Although Timothy did the work of a pastor while in Ephesus, Paul called him to do the work of an evangelist. Timothy might have been in his mid-thirties when he received the epistles from Paul.

Ephesus, known as the gateway to Asia, was a city on the western coast of Asia Minor, now modern Turkey. The city was famous for its cult and temple dedicated to the worship of Artemis (or Diana to the Romans). Diana’s temple in Ephesus was one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. Paul preached and taught there for 2 years (Acts 19:10). Definitely, Ephesus was not an easier place to pastor a church.

Occasion

The Pastoral Epistles were written to deal with the false teaching faced by young churches under the care of Timothy and Titus. They were designed to serve as manuals for ministers, like Timothy and Titus.

In 1 Timothy and Titus, we see Paul traveling east of Rome after his release from his initial imprisonment. He probably traveled as far as Spain as he had hoped (Romans 15:24,28). He visited Crete with Titus and established some churches there. Due to opposition, Paul left Titus in Crete to continue the work. Paul and Timothy stopped over in Ephesus and noticed that false teaching had arisen. Timothy was left behind to take of the problem as Paul continued on to Macedonia. Paul wrote to his associates (1 Timothy and Titus) from Macedonia. He probably wrote 1 Timothy and Titus between AD 63 and 67. Paul was rearrested and returned to Rome to await his final trial. During this final imprisonment, Paul wrote 2 Timothy. Bible scholars believe that Paul was beheaded in Rome in AD 68.

Message

The main message of Paul’s letter is found in 1 Timothy 3:14, 15: I am writing you these instructions so that, if I am delayed, you will know how people ought to conduct themselves in God’s household, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth. First Timothy was written to help the church understand the fact that all of life is subject to God’s will. Timothy’s responsibilities were twofold: to defend sound doctrines and maintain sound discipline. He was to be a model to the church.

Although Paul speaks about bishops and deacons in 1 Timothy, there is a wealth of doctrine and down-to-earth common sense for everyone. Those involved in church ministry will find 1 Timothy practical and inspiring.

Some of the popular hymns today are based on the PE. These include:² Immortal, Invisible, God only wise (1 Timothy 1:17), Fight the Good Fight (1 Timothy 6:12), and I know Whom I have believed (2 Timothy 1:12).

NOTES

1. John R. W. Stott, The Message of 1 Timothy & Titus (Downers Grove, IL: Inter-Varsity Press, 1996), p.33.

2. David R. Shepherd, D. R., I, II Timothy (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1997), p.5.

Map locating Crete, Ephesus, and Rome.

Source: http://www.ccel.org/bible/phillips/CN092MAPS1.htm

CHAPTER 1

Salutation

1 Timothy 1:1-2

The Author

Verse 1: Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the command of God our Savior and of Christ Jesus our hope,

In Paul’s days, epistles or letters were vital means of communication. There were no telephones, no radios, no televisions, no fax machines, no printers, no computers, no satellites, and no Internet or emailing. Letters were usually hand-written and hand-delivered.

1 The author of the epistle identifies himself by his Roman name Paul instead of his Hebrew name Saul. He may have been given Saul by his parents when he was born. When his ministry expanded into the world of Gentiles, he used the Gentile or Christian name Paul. Saul was first called Paul in Acts 13:9. Some scholars have observed this change of names with Paul’s transition from Jewish orientation to his role as an apostle to the Gentiles.

Paul was an apostle of Jesus Christ by the command of God. An apostle (apostolos, Greek) is someone sent with a commission. He/she

is sent as a messenger, an envoy or an ambassador to proclaim the message of Jesus Christ. Jesus Himself is considered an apostle in that He was sent by God the Father (Hebrews 3:1). The term apostle applied to the original Twelve who were selected at the beginning of the earthly ministry of Jesus Christ. Its later usage includes people who were not directly part of the earthly ministry of Christ or witnessed His resurrection. Such people include Barnabas (Acts 14:14), Silas and Timothy (1 Thessalonians 1:1; 2:7), and others (Romans 16:7). The apostles were, as Calvin put it, the highest order in the church.¹

In the case of Paul, no human means was involved in his apostolic commission. His authority was not man-given but God-given. Paul was not commissioned by human beings such as Peter, James, or Ananias. He was not an apostle of the apostles. He did not have the other apostles lay hands on his head or anoint him. His call was the highest possible because he was called by Jesus Christ, whose resurrection won the victory over sin, the flesh, the law, the devil, the world, and every evil. Jesus and God the Father are the source of Paul’s authority. They work together as a team, not in isolation. Paul served by God’s command and under direct orders from the King of kings.

Why is Paul referring to his apostleship when writing Timothy who knows him very well? For two reasons. First, it seems the letter is to be read to the entire local church at Ephesus. Paul is addressing the whole church through his son, Timothy, intending that the letter be heard by the church(es) in public readings. Second, what Paul is about to say needs the weight of apostolic authority. To reject apostolic teaching and authority is to reject the Lord Jesus Christ who sent the apostles.

Today, we have those who are called as apostles in our midst. We have men and women who have rediscovered the apostolic gospel and regard themselves as Christ-appointed. They have the power to heal the sick and cast out demons, performing those signs of a true apostle (2 Corinthians 12:12; Hebrews 2:4). Those who operate without a call seek no good purpose. As Charles Spurgeon said, Ordination can do nothing for a man who has not received his call from God. It is simply a matter of laying empty hands on an empty head.²

One would expect Paul to refer to Jesus Christ as the Savior and God the Father as the object of hope. Paul reverses the normal designation. He pictures God the Father as the actor in the process of salvation. The designation reminds Paul of Israel’s history, rooted in God’s saving act in the Exodus and experienced throughout their history (Psalm 24:5; 95:12; Hosea 13:4). It is God who delivers us from sin and its consequences. Remember that God so loved the world that He gave His son (John 3:16). God the Father’s plan of salvation was carried our by His Son Jesus Christ. Jesus is our hope for the future because of what He did in the past and what He is doing now. In Titus 2:13 (TLB), we read of looking forward to that wonderful time we’ve been expecting, when his glory shall be seen—the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ.

The Recipient

Verse 2a: To Timothy my true son in the faith.

2a The letter is addressed to Timothy. The name Timothy is derived from two Greek words and it means one who honors God. Timothy was Paul’s number one coworker.

We first meet Timothy in the NT in Acts 16:1-3 when Paul was on his second missionary journey. Lystra was Timothy’s hometown. His father was Greek, while his mother was Jewish. Timothy’s mother, Eunice, and grandmother, Lois, were devout Jews who had been converted to faith in Jesus Christ. Paul took Timothy along on the journey and circumcised him in order to avoid a problem with the Jews.

Paul regards Timothy as a true son in the faith. Parents derive joy as they see their children grow into well-developed adults. This is true in the spiritual realm as well. Paul describes Timothy’s faithfulness in Philippians 2:19-22: I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, that I also may be cheered when I receive news about you. I have no one else like him, who will show genuine concern for your welfare. For everyone looks out for their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ. But you know that Timothy has proved himself, because as a son with his father he has served with me in the work of the gospel. More information about Timothy will emerge as the commentary unfolds.

Greeting

Verse 2b: Grace, mercy and peace from