The Ignatius Catholic Study Bible New Testament (238 page)

1:9 for the lawless:
I.e., for those who need moral direction and restraint in order to become just. 
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1:10 immoral persons:
Literally, "fornicators".
sodomites:
The Greek refers to "male homosexuals", i.e., men who perform sexual acts with other men. For Paul's condemnation of this perversity, see Rom 1:26-27 and 1 Cor 6:9. 
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1:12-17
An autobiographical aside. Paul stands as a living exemplar of Christ's redemptive work, i.e., an example of how the Lord can transform even rebellious sinners into remarkable saints. In the end, the tragic tale of Saul the Pharisee became the epic story of Paul the Apostle because of one fact: the grace and mercy of God was poured out upon him (1:13; 1 Cor 15:10) (CCC 545). 
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1:15 foremost of sinners:
The grace given to Paul at his conversion magnified his awareness of past faults. The comment is suggestive of the letter's authenticity, since it is unlikely that an admirer of Paul would describe him in more humiliating terms than the apostle himself did (1 Cor 15:9). See introduction:
Author.
 
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1:17 To the King of ages:
Possibly a Jewish doxology that passed into the liturgy of the ancient Church. Others like it punctuate the letters of Paul (6:15-16; Rom 16:27; Phil 4:20; Eph 3:21). 
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1:18 prophetic utterances:
This may indicate that Timothy's ordination was accompanied by a revelation of his precise mission to the Ephesian Church (4:14). A similar missionary calling is outlined in Acts 13:1-3. 
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1:20 Hymenaeus and Alexander:
Ringleaders of the erring teachers in Ephesus. So dangerous was their teaching that Paul surrendered them to
Satan,
i.e., he excommunicated them from the life and liturgy of the Church. This drastic measure is not an irreversible condemnation but a form of disciplinary correction designed to bring about their repentance. Nothing more is known of them unless Hymenaeus is the same person mentioned in 2 Tim 2:17 and unless this Alexander can be linked with the individual in Acts 19:33 or 2 Tim 4:14-15.
See note on 1 Cor 5:5
. 
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2:1-15
The entire chapter is devoted to prayer, the first half concerning intercessory prayer for ecclesiastical and government leaders (2:1-7), and the second with liturgical prayers offered by men and women (2:8-15). Timothy's task is to reorder public worship in Ephesus according to Paul's directives. 
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2:2 kings . . . high positions:
Prayer for civic officials is a continuation of the Jewish custom to offer prayers and sacrifices for secular rulers (Ezra 6:10; 1 Mac 7:33; CCC 1900). 
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2:4 desires all men to be saved:
The Father wants all to repent and receive the salvation offered by Christ (4:10; 2 Pet 3:9). It is wrong, therefore, to contend that Jesus died to redeem only select individuals and not the human family as a whole (1 Jn 2:2). Believers act on this conviction when they intercede for the temporal and spiritual needs of "all men" (1 Tim 2:1) (CCC 851, 1821).
knowledge of the truth:
A summary of this knowledge is formulated in the very next sentence (2:5-6), where saving truth is linked with the substance of the gospel (Gal 2:5; Col 1:5). 
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2:5 one God:
The monotheistic faith of Israel (Deut 6:4), which remains a standing truth of the gospel (Jn 17:3; 1 Cor 8:6) (CCC 200-202).
one mediator:
A middleman or negotiator who makes friends of enemies. Jesus Christ is the mediator who reconciles the world to the Father in the bonds of the New Covenant (2 Cor 5:18; Heb 9:15). The distance once separating man from God is now bridged by the Incarnation, in which divinity and humanity are forever united in God the Son. In this sense, the mediation of Christ is absolutely unique. Still, the mediation of angels and saints is not ruled out, since union with Christ enables others to share in the saving work of Christ in subordinate and participatory ways. Paul assumes as much in the immediate context, for he urges Timothy and company to
pray
for civil authorities, i.e., to intercede as mediators between God and their governors in the course of the liturgy (1 Tim 2:1-3) (CCC 618, 970, 1349, 2636). • A mediator brings together those who are separated, for extremes are united at a midpoint. Uniting men with God is the office of Christ, through whom men are reconciled to God. However, nothing forbids others from being called mediators inasmuch as they cooperate in uniting men with God by directing their way or by ministerial actions (St. Thomas Aquinas,
Summa Theologiae
III, 26, 1). 
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Word Study

Conscience
(
1 Tim 1:19
)

Syneidēsis
(Gk): "moral consciousness". The term is used six times in the Pastoral Epistles and 24 times in the rest of the NT. It refers to a hidden law in the heart that obliges us to do good and avoid evil (Rom 2:15). As an interior judge, it either approves our actions as praiseworthy (2 Cor 1:12) or accuses us of sins committed (Wis 17:11). Habitual sin can cause the voice of conscience to be muffled over time, making sinners responsible for their own inability to distinguish right from wrong (Tit 1:15). Conversely, to serve God with a good or clear conscience is to listen to its guidance and act in accord with its directives (Acts 24:16; Heb 13:18). Baptism plays an important part in this, as it gives us a new start by cleansing our conscience of past failures (Heb 10:22; 1 Pet 3:21). For Paul, our concern for conscience must also extend to our neighbor. He warns that when Christians act irresponsibly, they can cause the consciences of weaker believers to be wounded (1 Cor 8:12; 10:27-29) (CCC 1776-89).

2:6 gave himself:
The Crucifixion of Jesus was a voluntary act of sacrifice and thus a death he freely accepted (Eph 5:2).
ransom:
A price paid for the release of captives. See word study:
Ransom
at Mk 10. 
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2:8 lifting holy hands:
Raising the hands in prayer was a revered custom in ancient Israel (Ps 141:2; Is 1:15). Artwork discovered in the Roman catacombs indicates that this practice continued into the early centuries of the Church. By calling the hands "holy", Paul is saying that reverent posture must be coupled with an inward desire for personal holiness.
without anger:
Peace between believers makes worship acceptable to the Lord (Mt 5:23-24). Sin and strife can thwart the effectiveness of our prayers (Ps 66:18; 1 Pet 3:7). 
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2:9 modestly and sensibly:
Decorum guidelines for the liturgy. Female attire should be modest, not overrevealing or fitted to arouse the base passions of men in attendance. It should also be sensible, not a vain display of fashion, wealth, or social status, which are ultimately unimportant in God's eyes. Dressing for worship demands consideration for others as well as a humble reverence for the Lord. Similar instructions are given in 1 Pet 3:3-4 (CCC 2521-24). 
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2:12-16
Paul's teaching on women and gender roles has its basis in Genesis 2-3. • The creation of Adam
first
appears in Gen 2:7, and
then
Eve is formed in Gen 2:21-22. Mention that Eve was
deceived
is a reference to her words in Gen 3:13. Also, the subordination of woman to the
authority
of man, along with her difficult task of
bearing children,
recalls the penitential curse laid upon Eve in Gen 3:16. Note that Paul is not attempting to downplay the sin of Adam by shifting attention to Eve; he is fully aware of the disaster caused by the rebellion of the first man (Rom 5:12-21; 1 Cor 15:22). 
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2:12 I permit no woman to teach:
Not an absolute prohibition that applies to all circumstances, but one that excludes women from the teaching ministry exercised by ordained clergymen (1 Cor 14:34-35). Paul is not denying the equal dignity of men and women in Christ (Gal 3:28) or the propriety of women in praying and prophesying within the context of worship (1 Cor 11:5). Women perform an invaluable service when they teach the faith in other contexts by their words and Christian example (Tit 2:3-4). • According to Church teaching, Paul forbids women to exercise the official function of teaching in the Christian assembly (Sacred Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith,
Inter insigniores
[1976], 4). 
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2:15 bearing children:
Motherhood can be a means of sanc-tification and salvation, provided the woman exemplifies feminine virtues. Emphasis on the dignity of motherhood may be aimed at certain teachers who denied the goodness of marriage (4:3) or at women who found masculine roles more appealing (2:12). Notice that marriage and child rearing are not the only paths open to women, for Paul also extols the excellence of the single life (1 Cor 7:25-35) (CCC 1652-53). 
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3:1-13
Paul turns to the topic of Christian leadership, considering bishops (3:1-7) as well as deacons and deaconesses (3:8-13). He outlines not their duties so much as the human virtues expected of them, such as integrity, sobriety, and respectability. Timothy must take this to heart as he selects and ordains worthy candidates for these positions (5:22). 
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3:1 bishop:
An overseer or spiritual shepherd who carries on the mission of the original apostles. Note that the titles "bishop" and "elder/presbyter" were somewhat fluid in the earliest years of the Church, and it seems that they could be used interchangeably (Acts 20:17, 28; Tit 1:5-7). Soon, however, the distinction between bishops (1 Tim 3:1), elders (5:17), and deacons (3:8) was clearly defined and their respective titles were standardized. • As if to say that the traditions of the apostles were taken from the Old Testament, bishops, presbyters, and deacons occupy in the Church the same positions that Aaron, his sons, and the Levites occupied in the Temple (St. Jerome,
Letters
146). • The Church recognizes these offices as three degrees of the Sacrament of Holy Orders: the episcopate (bishops), the presbyterate (elders or priests), and the diaconate (deacons) (CCC 1554-71). 
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