1 Timothée
Summary First Timothy is a pastoral letter the apostle Paul sent to Timothy, urging him to guard against false teaching in the church at Ephesus and to establish sound church order. Paul emphasizes that the essence of the gospel is love that comes from a pure heart, a good conscience, and a sincere faith, and through the qualifications of overseers and deacons he presents the importance of godliness and self-control. He also warns against greed for material things, encourages a life of contentment, and stresses that believers must live out the good fight of keeping the faith.
- Date written
- AD 62–67
- Historical period
- Apostolic era (estimated to be the period after Paul’s first Roman imprisonment)
Background
The historical background of First Timothy is closely tied to the religious and cultural environment of Ephesus, where Timothy was ministering, and to the circumstances of Paul’s ministry. Ephesus was an important port city linking Europe and Asia and a thriving center of commerce and culture, and at the same time it was a place rife with syncretism, mixing the worship of the goddess Artemis, magic, and many religions. In this environment, false teachers arose in the church who were obsessed with myths and endless genealogies, distorted the law, and added ascetic teachings, causing confusion. A spirit of pursuing material wealth also seeped into the church, so that some treated godliness as a means of gain, and as a result the order of the church and sound faith were being shaken. Meanwhile, Paul, having been released after his first Roman imprisonment and continuing his ministry, had left Timothy in Ephesus, and he sent this letter so that Timothy could resolve these problems. Through this letter Paul sought to stop false teaching, to set the order of the church right, and to urge believers to hold fast to godliness and faith.
Content
Chapter 1: Guarding Against False Teaching & the Essence of the Gospel It warns against false teachers who focus on myths and genealogies and emphasizes that the aim of the law is love. Paul bears witness to God’s grace through his own past. Chapter 2: Public Worship & Order in the Community It commands prayer for all people and for those in authority and urges the church to live in godliness and peace. It sets out order and attitude in worship. Chapter 3: Qualifications of Church Leaders It lays out in detail the qualifications of overseers and deacons, requiring godliness proven not only in personal faith but in the home and in the whole of life. Chapter 4: Renewed Warning Against False Teaching & Training in Godliness It warns again against apostasy and false teaching and urges Timothy to be an example in word and life and to train himself for godliness. Chapter 5: Order in Relationships Within the Community It deals with practical order in relationships within the community, including relationships across age groups, the care of widows, and the honoring and rebuking of elders. Chapter 6: Slaves, Wealth, and Final Exhortations After addressing the attitude of slaves toward their masters, it warns against false teaching and greed for material things. It then emphasizes contentment and the good fight and urges Timothy to guard to the end the gospel entrusted to him.