Read or listen First Epistle to Timothy online (ESV, Bible Gateway)

Introduction – 1:1-2

In the familiar style, Paul introduces himself as an apostle of God (verse 1). In only three letters does he not do so (=Phil, 1 Thess, 2 Thess). In these letters several senders are mentioned. An apostle was a preacher of the gospel authorized and sent by God.

The very beginning of the letter reveals that this is not a purely private letter, but an “official letter” that talks about the tasks that Timothy is to handle and partly pass on.

Paul calls God the Savior (verse 1), when usually that Greek word - sooteer - is used of Jesus (Eph 5:23, Phil 3:20, 2 Tim 1:10, Tit 1:4, 3:6).

Timothy was Paul’s spiritual son (v. 2). Timothy had become a Christian through Paul’s work (cf. 1 Cor. 4:15-17, 2 Tim. 1:2, 2:1, Titus 1:4, Philem 10).

Hope (v. 2) in the New Testament is not just a wish, but a firm confidence that God will give what he has promised (cf. Heb. 11:1).

False and True Faith – 1:3-11

The initial greeting was usually followed by thanksgiving and prayer (compare, for example, 1 Cor 1:4-9, Eph 1:3-14, Col 1:3-8), but this time Paul gets straight to the point.

Paul had left Timothy in Ephesus and continued his journey to Macedonia (verse 3), from where the letter was apparently sent to Ephesus. The Acts of the Apostles does not say anything about this journey, but it was made after the events with which Luke concludes the account of the Acts of the Apostles.

Timothy’s task was to stop the spread of false doctrine that had come into the church (verses 3 and 4).

About five years earlier, Paul had predicted that false teachers would arise from within the church at Ephesus (Acts 20:29-31). There is only one true gospel, and to deviate from it is to move to the side of false doctrine (see 2 Cor. 11:1-4, Gal. 1:6, 1 Tim. 4:1-8, 6:3-5,20-21, Titus 1:13-16).

We do not know exactly what the Ephesian heresy was, but the above list includes some of the features mentioned in the pastoral letters. It was evidently (pre-)Gnosticism, which emphasized the importance of hidden knowledge that could free one from the shackles of matter and enter the world of spiritual beings, which genealogies attempted to study.

It is good to remember that the church in Ephesus had been founded only about eight years earlier (Acts 19:1-20:1). Heresies came quickly, and even the fact that Paul had been teaching in the church for about three years did not help (Acts 19:10). Where God is at work, the enemy of souls also begins his destructive work. The most effective way to fight against heresies is through correct teaching (verse 8).

Often, only this of the verse is remembered from Titus 3:10: “have nothing more to do with him” and not this: “after warning him once and then twice”. God wants to save Christians who have fallen into error too! God wants to save Christians who have gone astray!

The law has a purpose according to God's will (verse 8, Romans 8:12,16). If it is used for anything else, it is misused. The law is not the way to salvation. Lutheranism speaks of three uses of the law:

1. To protect society: the law restrains evil and wickedness; Romans 13:1-10

2. Spiritual use: the law drives a person to see his own sinfulness and his need for salvation through God's grace alone; Galatians 3:22

3. The law also exhorts believers and guides them to do God's will; Romans 8:4

In verses 9 and 10, Paul gives eleven examples of breaking the law. They relate to the Ten Commandments, specifically the 1st, 4th, 5th, 6th, and 8th. This list is a reminder that while everything can be forgiven, not everything can be permitted.

Various attempts to remove homosexuality from the Bible as a sin (see Leviticus 18:22, 20:13, Romans 1:26-27, 1 Corinthians 6:9) have failed, although numerous attempts have been made in recent years.

Sound doctrine (verse 10) is in harmony with the observance of God’s law. Christ did not come to abolish the law, but to fulfill its purpose (Matthew 5:17, compare verse 8). Christ brought salvation by grace, thus fulfilling the righteousness required by the law (Romans 8:3-4).

But sound doctrine is also - and above all - linked to the gospel that Paul had received from God (verse 11). Sound doctrine is living according to the gospel. The gospel is not a philosophy or a learned system, but precisely the revelation of God (verse 11).

Paul had received from God not only the message, but also the task of proclaiming it to the Gentiles (1 Cor 9:17, Gal 2:7, 1 Thess 2:4, 2 Tim 1:12-14). He required that Timothy also pass on the gospel he had received from Paul (2 Tim 2:2).

The greatest sinner receives mercy – 1:12-17

Paul’s thanks and prayer come only now. Paul tells how God called him (verse 12) to be his apostle. Paul himself would have liked to take other roads, but on the road to Damascus God took him into his service (Acts 9:1-6).

Paul received from God not only a task but also the power to carry out the task (verse 12, Phil 4:13). The work of the gospel is always done with God’s help and power, it does not bear fruit with human strength.

Paul had tried to destroy the church of Christ (verse 13, Acts 9:1, 22:4-5, 26:9-12, Gal 1:13). Paul did not know what he was doing at the time (verse 13). He thought he was serving God, but in reality he was fighting against God. Jesus prayed for his crucifiers, for they “knew not what they were doing” (Luke 23:34). Man in his own wisdom does not know the living God, but rather fights against him (cf. Acts 3:17, 17:30). Conscious opposition to God's will is already condemned in the Old Testament more severely than sin arising from ignorance (Num. 15:22-31). Conscious violation of God's will shows contempt for God (cf. Acts 9:4).

However, God's grace is always greater than man's sinfulness (v. 14), grace always overcomes sin (Rom. 5:20-21).

At the beginning of verse 15 there is a term that is typical only of the pastoral letters: “The saying is trustworthy...” It occurs five times in the pastoral letters: see 1 Tim 3:1, 4:9, 2 Tim 2:11, and Titus 3:8.

Notice that Paul says that he is the greatest sinner. He does not say that he was the greatest sinner, but is speaking of the time of writing. Should this be seen only as a literary stylistic device (compare 1 Cor 15:9, Eph 3:8)? How can Paul know the extent of the sins of others? Basically, a person cannot - and should not - compare his sinfulness with other people, but with God’s law and will. Before God, everyone is the greatest sinner. Note that Paul became the greatest sinner only in the company of Christ; before his conversion he felt that he was pious and good.

Paul’s words also have a comforting meaning: if God had mercy on the greatest sinner, he will have mercy on the lesser sinners, that is, on anyone (verse 16). Christ is the Savior of sinners (Matthew 9:13, Mark 2:17, Luke 5:32, 19:10, 1 John 3:5).

Unbelief is the beginning of all sin. It leads man to false religiosity and doubt God's promises (John 16:8-9, cf. Phil 3:2-6).

The praise in verse 17 apparently contains quotes from the prayers of the church services of that time (cf. 1 Tim 6:15-16).

God is invisible (verse 17). First, it is a reminder that it is impossible to make various statues, etc. of him, their makers serve idols (Isa 44:9-20). There is only one living, true God (verse 17). Second, God's invisibility means that man cannot see him (cf. Exodus 33:20, John 1:18, 1 John 4:12).

Be Faithful – 1:18-20

Paul renews his commission to Timothy (v. 18, cf. v. 3). Timothy is to do the work for which he remained in Ephesus. The prophecies given to Timothy relate to the situation in which he became Paul’s co-worker (v. 18, Acts 16:1-3, 1 Tim 4:14). Paul himself had received a similar prophetic confirmation of his apostolic mission (Acts 13:1-3, cf. Acts 9:15-16). We can rightly speak of ordination in both cases. Timothy had joined Paul about twelve years earlier. Timothy was to be faithful to the work entrusted to him (v. 18, 1 Tim 6:20).

A bad conscience has often been a breeding ground for various heresies. When one’s life has not been in harmony with God’s Word, one has tried to change God’s Word instead of changing one’s life (verse 19; see also 1 Tim 3:9, 4:1-2).

It is possible to fall away from the faith (verse 19). Paul mentions two examples, apparently from the church at Ephesus (verse 20).

Hymenaeus is also mentioned in 2 Tim 2:17-18, where he is said to have claimed that the resurrection had already occurred.

The Alexander mentioned in 2 Tim 4:14 may be the same person as the Alexander mentioned in verse 20. However, the Jewish Alexander mentioned in Acts 19:33 is probably a different person. The name was common in ancient times.

The purpose of the "handing over to Satan" (verse 20) was to turn the two men from their wrong ways and return to the true faith (compare 1 Cor 5:1-5, 2 Cor 2:5-11). It was evidently a question of excommunication, at least of being excluded from the Holy Communion (1 Cor 5:13, cf. Matt 18:15-18).

This detail speaks for the authenticity of the letter. Why would something be written decades later that no longer had any practical significance? The idea that Hymenaeus and Alexander had lived only later, at the time of the (late) writing of the letter, and that the purpose of the verses was to pronounce Paul’s judgment on these heretics, is too philosophical; wouldn’t readers have immediately seen the contradiction: Paul is dealing with an issue that occurred only years after his death?