The Ignatius Catholic Study Bible New Testament (236 page)

Destination and Themes
 The letter was written to Paul's associate Timothy, who was stationed in Ephesus on special assignment (1:3). The Ephesian Church was at this time threatened by a serious pastoral crisis, with teachers and shepherds leading the flock away from the certainties of divine revelation into the mists of conjecture and speculation (1:3-7; 6:3-5). Timothy was charged with the difficult task of repairing the damage done by these troublemakers, two of whom Paul was forced to excommunicate (1:20) when he passed through on his way to Macedonia (1:3). Unable to return immediately, Paul wrote to admonish Timothy and authorize his mission to help this struggling congregation to safety.

The bulk of the letter, which is personal in tone and informal in arrangement, covers the gamut of Timothy's pastoral responsibilities. Paul was counting on him to stabilize the Church with sound doctrine (4:6-7; 6:20) and the appointment of reliable pastors to shepherd the flock (3:1-13; 5:22). Among the congregation, he was to encourage prayer (2:1-8), set limits on the dress and conduct of women (2:9-15), attend to his liturgical duties (4:13), show respect for parishioners of all ages (5:1-2), manage the support of widows (5:3-16), take a public stand against wrongdoers (5:20), and, above all, keep himself unstained by sin (4:12; 5:22; 6:11-14). As a loyal friend and traveling assistant of the apostle, Timothy was well suited for this task, as he had been sent on previous assignments to other young Churches in Corinth (1 Cor 4:17), Philippi (Phil 2:19), and Thessalonica (1 Thess 3:2). «

OUTLINE OF THE FIRST LETTER OF SAINT PAUL TO TIMOTHY

1. Opening Address (
1:1-2
)

2. False Teaching in Ephesus (
1:3-11
)

   A. Speculation and God's Law (
1:3-7
)

   B. The True Purpose of the Law (
1:8-11
)

3. Paul's Conversion and Charge (
1:12-20
)

4. Paul's Pastoral Instructions (
2:1-6:2
)

   A. Prayer and Intercession in Christ (
2:1-7
)

   B. Men and Women in the Liturgy (
2:8-15
)

   C. Ordaining Bishops and Deacons (
3:1-13
)

   D. Timothy as Teacher and Shepherd (
3:14-4:16
)

   E. Ministering to Widows, Elders, and Slaves (
5:1-6:2
)

5. Final Admonitions (
6:3-19
)

   A. The Dangers of Error and Wealth (
6:3-10
)

   B. Faithfulness and Generosity (
6:11-19
)

6. Closing Appeal (
6:20-21
)

THE FIRST LETTER OF SAINT PAUL TO

Chapters

1
2
3
4
5
6

Essays and Charts

The Threefold Pastoral Ministry

Salutation

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

2
 To
Timothy
, my true child in the faith:
 
*

Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.

Warning against False Teachers

3
 
As I urged you
when I was going to
Macedonia
, remain at Ephesus that you may charge certain persons not to teach any different doctrine,
⁴
nor to occupy themselves with
myths
and endless genealogies
 
*
which promote speculations rather than the divine training
^a
that is in faith;
⁵
whereas the aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and sincere faith.
⁶
Certain persons by swerving from these have wandered away into vain discussion,
⁷
desiring to be
teachers of the law
, without understanding either what they are saying or the things about which they make assertions.

8
 Now we know that
the law
is good, if any one uses it lawfully,
⁹
understanding this, that the law is not laid down for the just but
for the lawless
and disobedient, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers,
¹⁰
immoral persons
, sodomites, kidnapers, liars, perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound doctrine,
¹¹
in accordance with the glorious gospel of the blessed God with which I have been entrusted.

Gratitude for Mercy

12
 
I thank him
who has given me strength for this, Christ Jesus our Lord, because he judged me faithful by appointing me to his service,
¹³
though I formerly blasphemed and persecuted and insulted him; but I received mercy because I had acted ignorantly in unbelief,
¹⁴
and the grace of our Lord overflowed for me with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.
¹⁵
The saying is sure and worthy of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. And I am the
foremost of sinners
;
¹⁶
but I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience for an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life.
¹⁷
To the King of ages
, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever.
^b
Amen.

18
 This charge I commit to you, Timothy, my son, in accordance with the
prophetic utterances
which pointed to you, that inspired by them you may wage the good warfare,
¹⁹
holding faith and a good conscience. By rejecting
conscience
, certain persons have made shipwreck of their faith,
²⁰
among them
Hymenae'us and Alexander
, whom I have delivered to Satan
 
*
that they may learn not to blaspheme.

Instructions concerning Prayer

2
  
First of all
, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all men,
²
for
kings and all who are in high positions
, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life, godly and respectful in every way.
³
This is good, and it is acceptable in the sight of God our Savior,
⁴
who
desires all men to be saved
and to come to the knowledge of the truth.
⁵
For there is
one God
, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,
⁶
who
gave himself
as a ransom for all,
 
*
the testimony to which was given at the proper time.
⁷
For this I was appointed a preacher and apostle (I am telling the truth, I am not lying), a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth.

8
 I desire then that in every place the men should pray,
lifting holy hands
without anger or quarreling;
⁹
also that women should adorn themselves
modestly and sensibly
in seemly apparel, not with braided hair or gold or pearls or costly attire
¹⁰
but by good deeds, as befits women who profess religion.
¹¹
Let a woman learn in silence with all submissiveness.
¹²
I permit no woman to teach
or
to have authority
over men; she is to keep silent.
¹³
For Adam was formed first, then Eve;
¹⁴
and Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived and became a transgressor.
¹⁵
Yet woman will be saved through
bearing children
,
^c
if she continues
^d
in faith and love and holiness, with modesty.

Qualifications of Bishops

3
  
The saying
is sure: If any one aspires to the office of
bishop
,
 
*
he desires a noble task.
²
Now a bishop must be above reproach, the husband of
one wife
, temperate, sensible, dignified, hospitable, an apt teacher,
³
no drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, and no lover of money.
⁴
He must manage his own household well, keeping his children submissive and respectful in every way;
⁵
for if a man does not know how to manage
his own household
, how can he care for God's Church?
⁶
He must not be a recent convert, or he may be puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil;
^f
7
moreover he must be well thought of by outsiders, or he may fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.
^f

Qualifications of Deacons

8
 
Deacons
likewise must be serious, not double-tongued, not addicted to much wine, not greedy for gain;
⁹
they must hold the
mystery of the faith
with a clear conscience.
¹⁰
And let them also be tested first; then if they prove themselves blameless let them serve as deacons.
¹¹
The
women
 
*
likewise must be serious, no slanderers, but temperate, faithful in all things.
¹²
Let deacons be the husband of one wife, and let them manage their children and their households well;
¹³
for those who serve well as deacons gain a good standing for themselves and also great confidence in the faith which is in Christ Jesus.

The Mystery of Our Religion

14
 I hope to come to you soon, but
I am writing
these instructions to you so that,
¹⁵
if I am delayed, you may know how one ought to behave in the household of God, which is the Church of the living God, the
pillar and bulwark
of the truth.
¹⁶
Great indeed, we confess, is the mystery of our religion:

  
He
^h
was manifested
in the flesh,

  
vindicated
ⁱ
in the Spirit,

  
  seen by angels,

  
preached among the nations,

  
believed on in the world,

  
  taken up in glory.

False Asceticism

4
  
Now the Spirit expressly says that
in later times
some will depart from the faith by giving heed to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons,
²
through the pretensions of liars whose consciences are seared,
³
who
forbid marriage
 
* and enjoin abstinence from foods
 
*
which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth.
⁴
For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving;
⁵
for then it is
consecrated by the word of God and prayer
.

A Good Minister of Jesus Christ

6
 If you put these instructions before the brethren, you will be a good minister of Christ Jesus, nourished on the words of the faith and of the good doctrine which you have followed.
⁷
Have nothing to do with godless and
silly myths
. Train yourself in godliness;
⁸
for while
bodily training
is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.
⁹
The saying is sure and worthy of full acceptance.
¹⁰
For to this end we toil and strive,
^j
because we have our hope set on the living God, who is the
Savior of all
men, especially of those who believe.