First Epistle to Timothy

Last updated

The First Epistle to Timothy [lower-alpha 1] is one of three letters in the New Testament of the Bible often grouped together as the pastoral epistles, along with Second Timothy and Titus. The letter, traditionally attributed to the Apostle Paul, consists mainly of counsels to his younger colleague and delegate Timothy regarding his ministry in Ephesus (1:3). These counsels include instructions on the organization of the Church and the responsibilities resting on certain groups of leaders therein as well as exhortations to faithfulness in maintaining the truth amid surrounding errors.

Contents

Most modern scholars consider the pastoral epistles to have been written after Paul's death, although "a small and declining number of scholars still argue for Pauline authorship". [3]

Authorship

The authorship of First Timothy was traditionally attributed to the Apostle Paul, although in pre-Nicene Christianity this attribution was open to dispute. [4] He is named as the author of the letter in the text (1:1). Nineteenth- and twentieth-century scholarship questioned the authenticity of the letter, with many scholars suggesting that First Timothy, along with Second Timothy and Titus, are not the work of Paul, but of an unidentified Christian writing some time in the late-first to mid-second centuries. [5] Most scholars now affirm this view. [6] [7]

As evidence for this perspective, they put forward that the pastoral epistles contain 306 words that Paul does not use in his unquestioned letters, that their style of writing is different from that of his unquestioned letters, that they reflect conditions and a church organization not current in Paul's day, and that they do not appear in early lists of his canonical works. [8] Modern scholars who support Pauline authorship nevertheless stress their importance regarding the question of authenticity: I. H. Marshall and P. H. Towner wrote that "the key witness is Polycarp, where there is a high probability that 1 and 2 Tim were known to him". [9] Similarly M. W. Holmes argued that it is "virtually certain or highly probable" that Polycarp used 1 and 2 Timothy. [10] Scholars Robert Grant, I. Howard Marshall, and Hans von Campenhausen believe that Polycarp was the actual author of First Timothy, which would date its composition to c.140. [4]

Marcion, an orthodox bishop later excommunicated for heresy, formed an early canon of scripture c.140 around the Gospel of Luke and ten of the canonical Pauline epistles excluding 1–2 Timothy and Titus. The reasons for these exclusions are unknown, and so speculation abounds, including the hypotheses that they were not written until after Marcion's time, or that he knew of them, but regarded them as inauthentic. Proponents of Pauline authorship argue that he had theological grounds for rejecting the pastorals, namely their teaching about the goodness of creation (cf. 1 Timothy 4:1 ff.). [11] The question remains whether Marcion knew these three letters and rejected them as Tertullian says, since in 1 Timothy 6:20 "false opposing arguments" are referred to, with the word for "opposing arguments" being "antithesis", the name of Marcion's work, and so a subtle hint of Marcion's heresy. However, the structure of the Church presupposed is less developed than the one Ignatius of Antioch (who wrote c.110) presupposes, as well as the fact that not only is "antithesis" itself a Greek word which simply means "opposing arguments" but as it has been noted, the attack on the heretics is not central to the three letters. [12]

Late in the 2nd century there are a number of quotations from all three pastoral epistles in Irenaeus' work Against Heresies . [13] Irenaeus also makes explicit mention of Timothy in his book and ascribes it as being written by Paul [14] The Muratorian Canon (c.170–180) lists the books of the New Testament and ascribes all three pastoral epistles to Paul. [15] Eusebius (c.330) calls it, along with the other thirteen canonical Pauline epistles, "undisputed". [16] Exceptions to this positive witness include Tatian, [17] as well as the gnostic Basilides. [18] Possible earlier allusions are found in the letters from Clement of Rome to the Corinthians (c.95), Ignatius to the Ephesians (c.110) and Polycarp to the Philippians (c.130), [10] [19] although it is difficult to determine the nature of any such literary relationships.

Date

Modern scholars generally place its composition some time in the late 1st century or first half of the 2nd century AD, with a wide margin of uncertainty. The term Gnosis ("knowledge") itself occurs in 1 Timothy 6:20. If the parallels between 1 Timothy and Polycarp's epistle are understood as a literary dependence by the latter on the former, as is generally accepted, [19] this would constitute a terminus ante quem (cut-off date) of 50–65 AD. Likewise, there are a series of verbal agreements between Ignatius and 1 Timothy which cluster around a 14 verse section in 1 Timothy 1. [lower-alpha 2] If these parallels between Ignatius and 1 Timothy represent a literary dependence by Ignatius, this would move the date of 1 Timothy even earlier. However, Irenaeus (writing c.180 AD) is the earliest author to clearly and unequivocally describe the letter to Timothy and attribute it to Paul. [20]

Early surviving manuscripts

Fragments showing 1 Timothy 2:2-6 on Codex Coislinianus, from ca. AD 550. Uncial 015 (1 Tm 2.2-6).jpg
Fragments showing 1 Timothy 2:2–6 on Codex Coislinianus, from ca. AD 550.

The original Koine Greek manuscript has been lost, and the text of surviving copies varies.

The earliest known writing of 1 Timothy has been found on Oxyrhynchus Papyrus 5259, designated P133, in 2017. It comes from a leaf of a codex which is dated to the 3rd century (330–360). [21] [22] [23] Other early manuscripts containing some or all of the text of this book are:

Content

Summary

The epistle opens by stating that it was written by Paul, to Timothy. Paul reminds Timothy that he has asked Timothy to stay in Ephesus and prevent false teaching of the law by others. Paul says that law is to be applied to sinners like rebels, murderers, and the sexually immoral. [25] The list of lawbreakers includes the Greek word ἀρσενοκοίτης, which is sometimes translated to mean "homosexual men" [26] although there is some debate on the topic.

The epistle details the roles of men and women in its second chapter, particularly the verse 1 Timothy 2:12. In the NIV translation this verse reads:

I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man; she must be silent. [27]

The epistle justifies this by saying that Adam was formed before Eve, and that Eve was tricked by the serpent. [28]

Leaders of the church are to conduct themselves in a manner worthy of respect, avoiding overindulgence in wine and managing their affairs well. [29] Timothy is advised to avoid false teachings and focus on the truth. [30]

The author discusses a list of widows to be supported by the church, setting restrictions on the types of women to help: only old widows who never remarry and who prioritize their family are to receive help. Widows younger than sixty have sensual desires that may cause them to remarry. [31]

Slaves should respect their masters, especially if their masters are believers. [32] People should avoid envy and avoid the temptation to focus on becoming rich because "the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil." [33]

In closing, Timothy is told he should continue to "fight the good fight of the faith" by helping others to be virtuous and by running his church well. [34]

Outline

Extract from 1 Timothy 3:16 in the 4th-century Codex Sinaiticus: "Beyond all question, the mystery from which true godliness springs is great: He appeared in the flesh, was vindicated..." Cod. Sinaiticus 1 Tim 3,16.jpg
Extract from 1 Timothy 3:16 in the 4th-century Codex Sinaiticus: "Beyond all question, the mystery from which true godliness springs is great: He appeared in the flesh, was vindicated..."
  1. Salutation (1:1–2)
  2. Negative Instructions: Stop the False Teachers (1:3–20)
    1. Warning against False Teachers (1:3–11)
      1. The Charge to Timothy Stated (1:3)
      2. Their Wrong Use of the Law (1:4–7)
      3. The Right Use of the Law (1:8–11)
    2. Paul's Experience of Grace (1:12–17)
    3. The Charge to Timothy Repeated (1:18–20)
  3. Positive Instructions: Repair the Church (2:1–6:10)
    1. Restoring the Conduct of the Church (2:1–3:16)
      1. Instructions on Public Worship (2:1–15)
        1. Concerning Prayer (2:1–7)
        2. Concerning the Role of Men and Women (2:8–15)
          1. Men: Pray in a Holy Manner (2:8)
          2. Women: Quiet Conduct (2:9–15)
      2. Instructions on Church Leadership (3:1–13)
        1. Qualifications of Overseers (Elders) (3:1–7)
        2. Qualifications of Deacons (3:8–13)
      3. Summary (3:14–16)
        1. Conduct of the Church (3:14–15)
        2. Hymn to Christ (3:16)
    2. Guarding the Truth in the Church (4:1–16)
      1. In the Face of Apostasy (4:1–5)
      2. Timothy's Personal Responsibilities (4:6–16)
      3. Spiritual Exercises (4:7–9)
    3. Dealing with Groups in the Church (5:1–6:10)
      1. Men and Women, Young and Old (5:1–2)
      2. Widows (5:3–16)
        1. Older Widows (5:3–10)
        2. Younger Widows (5:11–16)
      3. Elders (5:17–25)
        1. The Reward of Elders (5:17–18)
        2. The Reputation of Elders (5:19–20)
          1. The Reputation of Elders Protected (5:19)
          2. The Sins of Elders Publicly Rebuked (5:20)
        3. The Recognition of Prospective Elders (5:21–25)
      4. Slaves (6:1–2)
      5. False Teachers (6:3–10)
  4. Personal Instructions: Pursue Godliness (6:11–21)
    1. Fight the Good Fight (6:11–16)
    2. A Final Word to the Wealthy (6:17–19)
    3. Guard What has been Entrusted (6:20–21)

Music

Several composers, including Johann Sebastian Bach, set a line from the epistle as a Christmas cantata, including Stölzel's Kündlich groß ist das gottselige Geheimnis beginning with 1 Timothy 3:16.

Controversies

1 Timothy 2:12 has been the source of considerable controversy concerning gender equality. Some denominations use it as a justification to deny the ordination of women. Some theologians have interpreted it to mean that all women should be subordinate to all men, and others to mean women should not teach, pray, or speak in public.

In An Historical Account of Two Notable Corruptions of Scripture , published posthumously in 1754, Isaac Newton argues that a small change to early Greek versions of verse 3:16 increased textual support for trinitarianism, a doctrine to which Newton did not subscribe.

See also

Notes

  1. The book is sometimes called the First Letter of Paul to Timothy, or simply 1 Timothy. [1] It is most commonly abbreviated as "1 Tim." [2]
  2. Ignatius' Letter to the Magnesians chapter 11, shares the phrase "Jesus, who is our hope" with 1 Timothy 1:1. Ignatius' Letter to Polycarp chapter 3 shares the phrase "teach strange doctrines" with 1 Timothy 1:3 as a description of theological opponents. Ignatius' Letter to the Ephesians chapter 14 has the phrase "faith and love toward Christ Jesus," which parallels "faith and love which are in Christ Jesus" from 1 Timothy 1:14. This same passage of Ignatius goes on to say "the end is love," which parallels 1 Timothy 1:5, "The end of our instruction is love."

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Epistle to the Colossians</span> Book of the New Testament

The Epistle to the Colossians is the twelfth book of the New Testament. It was written, according to the text, by Paul the Apostle and Timothy, and addressed to the church in Colossae, a small Phrygian city near Laodicea and approximately 100 miles (160 km) from Ephesus in Asia Minor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">First Epistle to the Thessalonians</span> Book of the New Testament

The First Epistle to the Thessalonians is a Pauline epistle of the New Testament of the Christian Bible. The epistle is attributed to Paul the Apostle, and is addressed to the church in Thessalonica, in modern-day Greece. It is likely among the first of Paul's letters, probably written by the end of AD 52, in the reign of Claudius although some scholars believe the Epistle to the Galatians may have been written by AD 48. The original language is Koine Greek.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Epistle to Titus</span> Book of the New Testament

The Epistle to Titus is one of the three pastoral epistles in the New Testament, historically attributed to Paul the Apostle. It is addressed to Saint Titus and describes the requirements and duties of presbyters/bishops.

The New Testament (NT) is the second division of the Christian biblical canon. It discusses the teachings and person of Jesus, as well as events relating to first-century Christianity. The New Testament's background, the first division of the Christian Bible, is called the Old Testament, which is based primarily upon the Hebrew Bible; together they are regarded as Sacred Scripture by Christians.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Polycarp</span> Christian bishop of Smyrna (69-155)

Polycarp was a Christian bishop of Smyrna. According to the Martyrdom of Polycarp, he died a martyr, bound and burned at the stake, then stabbed when the fire failed to consume his body. Polycarp is regarded as a saint and Church Father in the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox Church, Oriental Orthodox Churches, Lutheranism, and Anglicanism.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Second Epistle of Peter</span> Book of the New Testament

2 Peter, also known as the Second Epistle of Peter and abbreviated as 2 Pet., is an epistle of the New Testament written in Koine Greek. It identifies the author as "Simon Peter", a bondservant and apostle of Jesus Christ". The epistle is traditionally attributed to Peter the Apostle, but most scholars consider the epistle pseudepigraphical Scholars estimate the date of authorship anywhere from AD 60 to 150.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Second Epistle to the Thessalonians</span> Book of the New Testament

The Second Epistle to the Thessalonians is a book from the New Testament of the Christian Bible. It is traditionally attributed to Paul the Apostle, with Timothy as a co-author. Modern biblical scholarship is divided on whether the epistle was written by Paul; some scholars believe Paul wrote this epistle, but others reject its authenticity based on what they see as differences in style and theology between this and the First Epistle to the Thessalonians.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Saint Timothy</span> 1st century Christian evangelist, philosopher and bishop

Timothy or Timothy of Ephesus was an early Christian evangelist and the first Christian bishop of Ephesus, who tradition relates died around the year AD 97.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Third Epistle of John</span> Book of the New Testament

The Third Epistle of John is the third-to-last book of the New Testament and the Christian Bible as a whole, and attributed to John the Evangelist, traditionally thought to be the author of the Gospel of John and the other two epistles of John. The Third Epistle of John is a personal letter sent by "the elder" to a man named Gaius, recommending to him a group of Christians led by Demetrius, which had come to preach the gospel in the area where Gaius lived. The purpose of the letter is to encourage and strengthen Gaius, and to warn him against Diotrephes, who refuses to cooperate with the author of the letter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Epistle</span> Letter written for a didactic purpose

An epistle is a writing directed or sent to a person or group of people, usually an elegant and formal didactic letter. The epistle genre of letter-writing was common in ancient Egypt as part of the scribal-school writing curriculum. The letters in the New Testament from Apostles to Christians are usually referred to as epistles. Those traditionally attributed to Paul are known as Pauline epistles and the others as catholic epistles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pauline epistles</span> Books of the New Testament attributed to Paul the Apostle

The Pauline epistles, also known as Epistles of Paul or Letters of Paul, are the thirteen books of the New Testament attributed to Paul the Apostle, although the authorship of some is in dispute. Among these epistles are some of the earliest extant Christian documents. They provide an insight into the beliefs and controversies of early Christianity. As part of the canon of the New Testament, they are foundational texts for both Christian theology and ethics.

The Apostolic Fathers, also known as the Ante-Nicene Fathers, were core Christian theologians among the Church Fathers who lived in the 1st and 2nd centuries AD who are believed to have personally known some of the Twelve Apostles or to have been significantly influenced by them. Their writings, though widely circulated in early Christianity, were not included in the canon of the New Testament. Many of the writings derive from the same time period and geographical location as other works of early Christian literature which came to be part of the New Testament.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pastoral epistles</span> Three books of the canonical New Testament

The pastoral epistles are a group of three books of the canonical New Testament: the First Epistle to Timothy, the Second Epistle to Timothy, and the Epistle to Titus. They are presented as letters from Paul the Apostle to Timothy and to Titus. However, many scholars believe they were written after Paul's death. They are generally discussed as a group and are given the title pastoral because they are addressed to individuals with pastoral oversight of churches and discuss issues of Christian living, doctrine and leadership. The term "pastorals" was popularized in 1703 by D. N. Berdot and in 1726 by Paul Anton. Alternate nomenclature for the cluster of three letters has been proposed: "Corpus Pastorale," meant to highlight the intentional forgery of the letters as a three-part corpus, and "Letters to Timothy and Titus," meant to emphasize the individuality of the letters.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Authorship of the Pauline epistles</span>

The Pauline epistles are the thirteen books in the New Testament traditionally attributed to Paul the Apostle.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Second Epistle to Timothy</span> Book of the New Testament

The Second Epistle to Timothy is one of the three pastoral epistles traditionally attributed to Paul the Apostle. Addressed to Timothy, a fellow missionary, it is traditionally considered to be the last epistle Paul wrote before his death. The original language is Koine Greek.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Epistle of Polycarp to the Philippians</span>

The Epistle of Polycarp to the Philippians is an epistle attributed to Polycarp, an early bishop of Smyrna, and addressed to the early Christian church in Philippi. It is widely believed to be a composite of material written at two different times, in the first half of the second century. The epistle is described by Irenaeus as follows:

The canon of the New Testament is the set of books many modern Christians regard as divinely inspired and constituting the New Testament of the Christian Bible. For most churches, the canon is an agreed-upon list of 27 books that includes the canonical Gospels, Acts, letters attributed to various apostles, and Revelation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Titus 1</span> Chapter of the New Testament

Titus 1 is the first chapter of the Epistle to Titus in the New Testament of the Christian Bible. The letter is traditionally attributed to Paul the Apostle, sent from Nicopolis of Macedonia, addressed to Titus in Crete. Some scholars argue that it is the work of an anonymous follower, written after Paul's death in the first century AD. This chapter contains the greetings and instructions for Titus on dealing with deceivers.

References

  1. ESV Pew Bible. Wheaton, IL: Crossway. 2018. p. 991. ISBN   978-1-4335-6343-0. Archived from the original on 3 June 2021.
  2. "Bible Book Abbreviations". Logos Bible Software. Archived from the original on 21 April 2022. Retrieved 21 April 2022.
  3. Drury, C., 73. The Pastoral Epistles, in Barton, J. and Muddiman, J. (2001), [The Oxford Bible Commentary], p. 1220
  4. 1 2 Grant, Robert M. (1963). "Chapter 14: The Non-Pauline Epistles". A Historical Introduction to the New Testament. Harper and Row. The Pastorals have certainly been regarded as Paul's since the latter half of the second century, for they were so used by Theophilus of Antioch and Irenaeus of Lyons and are to be found in the Muratorian list. Before that time they were open to criticism.
  5. Ehrman, Bart (2003). The New Testament: A Historical Introduction to the Early Christian Writings. Oxford University Press. p. 393. ISBN   0-19-515462-2. [W]hen we come to the Pastoral epistles, there is greater scholarly unanimity. These three letters are widely regarded by scholars as non-Pauline.
  6. Collins, Raymond F. (2004). 1 & 2 Timothy and Titus: A Commentary. Westminster John Knox Press. p. 4. ISBN   0-664-22247-1. By the end of the twentieth century New Testament scholarship was virtually unanimous in affirming that the Pastoral Epistles were written some time after Paul's death. [...] As always some scholars dissent from the consensus view.
  7. Aune, David E., ed. (2010). The Blackwell Companion to the New Testament. Massachusetts: Wiley-Blackwell. p. 9. While seven of the letters attributed to Paul are almost universally accepted as authentic (Romans, 1 and 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Philippians, 1 Thessalonians, Philemon), four are just as widely judged to be pseudepigraphal, i.e., written by unknown authors under Paul's name: Ephesians and the Pastorals (1 and 2 Timothy and Titus).
  8. Harris, Stephen L. (2002). The New Testament: A Student's Introduction (4th ed.). Boston: McGraw-Hill. p. 366. In the opinion of most scholars, the case against Paul's connection with the pastorals is overwhelming. Besides the fact that they do not appear in early lists of Paul's canonical works, the pastorals seem to reflect conditions that prevailed long after Paul's day, perhaps as late as the first half of the second century C.E. Lacking Paul's characteristic ideas about faith and the Spirit, they are also un-Pauline in their flat style and different vocabulary (containing 306 words not found in Paul's unquestioned letters). Furthermore, the pastorals assume a church organization far more developed than that current in the apostle's time.
  9. Marshall, I. H.; Towner, P. H. (1999). The Pastoral Epistles. T&T Clark. p. 3. ISBN   0-567-08661-5.
  10. 1 2 Holmes, MW, "Polycarp's 'Letter to the Philippians' and the Writings that later formed the NT", in Gregory & Tuckett (2005), The Reception of the NT in the Apostolic Fathers OUP, p. 226 ISBN   978-0-19-926782-8
  11. Stott, John (1996). The Message of 1 Timothy and Titus. Leicester: IVP. p. 23.
  12. Marxsen, W. (1968). Introduction to the New Testament. ET. p. 207. Can we find, nevertheless, in the light of the contents of the letters, a common key to the understanding of all three? One common factor is to be found in the attack upon heretics, but this does not really stand in the forefront of any of the letters. I Tim. and Tit. are concerned rather with codified 'rules' or 'rules' required to be codified, for the ministry among other things. 2 Tim. also deals with the ministry, not in the sense of laying down rules, but rather that Timothy in fulfilling his ministry should follow the example of Paul.
  13. "Philip Schaff: ANF01. The Apostolic Fathers with Justin Martyr and Irenaeus - Christian Classics Ethereal Library". ccel.org.
  14. "Philip Schaff: ANF01. The Apostolic Fathers with Justin Martyr and Irenaeus - Christian Classics Ethereal Library". ccel.org.
  15. "Ante-Nicene Fathers/Volume V/Caius/Fragments of Caius/Canon Muratorianus - Wikisource, the free online library". en.wikisource.org.
  16. Eusebius, Ecclesiastical History 3.3.5
  17. Moffatt, James (1911). An Introduction to the Literature of the New Testament. p. 420.
  18. Knight, George William, (1992).
  19. 1 2 Berding, K. (1999). "Polycarp of Smyrna's View of the Authorship of 1 and 2 Timothy". Vigiliae Christianae. 53 (4): 349–60. doi:10.2307/1584486. JSTOR   1584486.
  20. "Philip Schaff: ANF01. The Apostolic Fathers with Justin Martyr and Irenaeus - Christian Classics Ethereal Library". ccel.org.
  21. "5259. 1 Timothy 3:13–4:8" (PDF). 5259. 1 Timothy 3:13–4:8.
  22. Shao, Jessica. P.Oxy. 81.5259: 1 Timothy 3:13–4:8 / GA P133 in G. Smith P.Oxy. 5258. Ephesians 3:21-4:2, 14-16 (P 132)
  23. Jones, Brice. Two New Greek New Testament Papyri from Oxyrhynchus Archived 2017-06-28 at the Wayback Machine , 21 April 2017 (Accessed 11 July 2017).
  24. Treu, Kurt, "Neue neutestamentliche Fragmente der Berliner Papyrussammlung", Archiv für Papyrusforschung 18, 1966. pp. 36-37.
  25. 1 Timothy 1
  26. Magnuson, Ken (2020). Invitation to Christian Ethics: Moral Reasoning and Contemporary Issues. Kregel Publications. p. 243. ISBN   9780825434457. OCLC   1202739047.
  27. 1 Timothy 2:12
  28. 1 Timothy 2:13–14
  29. 1 Timothy 3
  30. 1 Timothy 4
  31. 1 Timothy 5
  32. 1 Timothy 6:1–2
  33. 1 Timothy 6:10
  34. 1 Timothy 6:11–20
First Epistle to Timothy
Preceded by New Testament
Books of the Bible
Succeeded by