First Epistle to Timothy is a New Testament pastoral letter that forms a homogeneous group with the Second Epistle to Timothy and the Epistle to Titus .
Summary
[ hide ]
- 1 timothy
- 2 Date and place of writing
- 3 Outline of content
- 4 Reference
- 5 Source
Timothy
On his second journey, the apostle came to Lystra, met Timothy , who lived there. He was a young man of about twenty years of age, the son of a believing Jewish woman, but of a Greek father (Acts 16.1). That is, his mother, Eunice, was a Christian (2 Ti 1.5) of Jewish origin , and her father, a pagan.
Paul incorporated Timothy into that missionary group that was soon to bring the first proclamation of the gospel to Europe. Later, after a few years, the young disciple would be entrusted to watch over the “sound doctrine” in Asia Minor , and to prevent possible deviations towards other false and destructive teachings (1.3–4; 4.6, 9, 13, 16; 6.3–5), which had begun to penetrate newly formed Christian communities (1.3–11). The allusion to the “doctors of the Law” as well as the emphasis placed on the authentic values of the Law of Moses (1.6–10) denounce the activity that the Judaizers were carrying out in the Asian churches.
Timothy’s loyal company and faithful collaboration were a constant and essential help in the missionary work of the apostle Paul . From the first moment a relationship was established between them, never broken, of trust and friendship. Repeated mentions of Timothy in the book of Acts (Acts 17.14–15; 18.5; 19.22; 20.4), which Paul himself makes of him in eight of his twelve letters (Ro 16.21; 1 Cor. 4.17; 16.10; 2 Co 1.1; Flp 2.19; Col 1.1; 1 Ts 1.1; 3.2, 6; 2 Ts 1.1; Flm 1) and the fact that, in addition, he addressed two epistles in which he called him “true son in faith “(1 Ti 1.1) and” beloved son “(2 Ti 1.2; 2.1).
Date and place of writing
The letter says nothing about the date or place of writing. Perhaps it was written in Macedonia , as is likely, Paul continued in this region after being released from his first prison in Rome (cf. Acts 28.16, 30–31). By that same time, Timothy would be living in Ephesus, where perhaps the letter (1.3) would have been sent to him.
It may be thought that Paul was nearing the end of his life when he wrote this letter, in which an ecclesiastical structure is discovered that seems to be after the first organizational efforts in the history of Christianity .
Content outline
I Salutation (1.1–2)
II Warning against false doctrines (1.3–11)
III Paul’s ministry (1.12–20)
IV Instructions on prayer (2.1–15)
V Requirements of the bishops (3.1–7)
VI Requirements of deacons (3.8–13)
VII The mystery of piety (3.14–16)
VIII Prediction of Apostasy (4.1–5)
IX A good minister of Jesus Christ (4.6–16)
X Duties to others (5.1–6.2)
XII Piety and contentment (6.3–10)
XIII The good fight of faith (6.11–19)
XIV Paul’s final commission to Timothy (6.20–21)
Reference
- Reina-Valera 1995 — Study Edition, (United States of America: United Bible Societies) 1998.
