1 Timothy 1

     The Pastoral Epistles (1 and 2 Timothy and Titus) are thought to be Paul’s last letters, with 2 Timothy being his last.  Many assume that Paul was released from his house imprisonment in Rome mentioned in Acts 28:30, and that events described here were subsequent to that.  If all that is so, by the time he wrote 2 Timothy, it seems he had been arrested and taken to Rome again (cf. 2 Tim.1:17), and he realized his work on earth was nearly over (2 Tim.4:6-8).  

     1:1-2.  Paul to Timothy.   Though a very personal letter, Paul’s defense of his calling as Christ’s apostle as coming by the command of God, not men, and his address to Timothy suggests a wider audience.  Such a letter could not only encourage and instruct Timothy, but give him the clout to deal with those who were departing from the body of teaching the Lord had delivered through the apostles (cf. Gal.1:6-9, 11-12).

        1:3-7.  Paul doesn’t bother to refute point by point the strange doctrines that “certain men” were teaching in Ephesus.  Timothy knew, and Paul’s good advice seems to be to clearly proclaim the one truth and goal of the gospel (5), and to refuse to be drawn into fruitless discussions (6) trying to refute endlessly changing versions of error (4; cf. 4:1-11).

      These false teachers seem to be teaching some variety of Judaism, wanting to teach the Law (7), but not really understanding it or its purpose.  Once the gospel had broken down the barrier between Jew and Gentile, these men would apparently follow Paul around to the churches, like jackals behind a lion, seeking to instruct the new converts in their version of salvation.  This was not according to the goals of the gospel set out in v.5, but according to intricate and ever more involved distortions of the Law (cf. Mt.23:13, 15).

      1:8-11.  The Law is good and has a good purpose, but these men did not really understand it.  It was not made for a righteous man, who did not need it, nor was it to make men righteous, which it had no power to do.  Its purpose was to restrain evil men, and to arrest, convict, and bring just retribution upon violators.  Those who rejected the glorious gospel with which Paul had been entrusted by Christ (1,11) had no escape from the Law.

      1:9-10.  The list of sins here is a virtual check-off list of violations of the Ten Commandments stated in extreme form.  V.9 would easily cover the first five, and v.10 the last five, if kidnapping is considered as an extreme form of stealing.  The tenth commandment, which deals with the spiritual nature of the Law in that it forbids the inner motives that lead to bad acts rather than a particular outward act, is nicely covered by the “and whatever else” phrase.

     1:12-17.  Paul interrupts the flow from v.11 to v.18 with the parenthetical prayer to thank Christ Jesus our Lord for his mercy to him.  He sees himself as no less a sinner than any man, being once afflicted with a similarly distorted view of how to please God that these men have, and because of his zeal being perhaps even worse (15).  Yet he did these things in ignorance and unbelief (cf. Luke 23:34; Ro.10:2-3; Job 42:1-6).  He had blasphemed the holy name of Jesus (Acts 26:9-11), and persecuted Christ in the persecution of his people (Acts 26:14-18; cf. Ps.51:4).  What a demonstration he is, Paul says, of the patience (longsuffering) of Christ (16), and that Christ came into the world to save sinners (14).   He is Christ’s exhibit and example for all those who need mercy, and would believe in Jesus Christ for eternal life.  He ends his praise by naming some of the divine attributes of the one true God and King who is able to deliver us, to whom be glory and honor forever.

     1:18-19.  The command (charge) entrusted to Paul by Christ to proclaim the glorious gospel (11), Paul now entrusts to Timothy.  The torch is passed to him, in accordance with prophecies previously made of him that he would fight the good fight faithfully with a good conscience.  Some had not done so, and had suffered shipwreck in regard to the faith (19 margin).

     The definite article (the faith) makes a difference.  Their faith is their inner belief and trust in something.  The faith is the body of instruction which Paul was charged with and now entrusts to Timothy.  He is to keep faith with the faith, unlike others who have not been seaworthy with it.  The faith (cf.6:10) is synonymous with this command (18), and the glorious gospel…of God (11).

     1:20.  He names two whom he has excommunicated.  This is an extreme measure of discipline done in the hope of bringing the offender to repentance.  In this case, the offence was blasphemy against the name of Jesus.  (Cf. 1 Cor.5:5; 2 Tim.2:17; 2 Tim.4:14).  They may find Satan a hard master (Luke 15:15-16).