BACKGROUND NOTES ON
PAUL'S FIRST LETTER TO TIMOTHY

Author
     The Apostle Paul. After he was released from the imprisonment described in Acts 28, Paul immediately started his travelling ministry, which brought him again to Ephesus. Apparently he spent some time there before travelling to Macedonia, but he asked Timothy to stay in Ephesus and take care of the church there. (Timothy was not the "head" or "bishop" of the church, but Paul's representative, helping the church grow and develop.)
(Some scholars maintain that it wasn't written by Paul, mostly based on the fact that the writing style is too different to be ascribed to Paul. However, taking into account that writers' styles do change with time, and that Paul was writing this letter without the help of a literary assistant recording his dictation, there is really no reason to doubt Paul's authorship.)
 
Why was it written?
     False teaching has crept into the church at Ephesus, so when Paul had to leave he left Timothy theere to deal with the false teaching, and also to get the church properly organised.
     Exactly what this false teaching was is not clear, but it included Jewish "controversial speculations" ("myths and endless genealogies", in chapter 1:4), and also elements of Greek philosophy ("godless chatter and the opposing ideas of what is falsely called knowledge" - chapter 6:20).
     Paul writes this letter to his "true son in the faith" (1:2) to encourage Timothy, and also to give detailed instructions about church life for Timothy to implement.
 
How and when was it written?
     Paul wrote this letter shortly after leaving Ephesus, probably from somewhere in Macedonia. It was written after Paul's release from his first imprisonment, about AD 63.
 
First audience and destination:
     The letter is adressed to Timothy, who had the task of being Paul's apostolic representative. He came from Lystra and had probably come to faith during Paul's first visit to his hometown. When Paul came to Lystra again at the beginning of his second missionary journey, Timothy joined his traveling party and assisted Paul in Macedonia and Achaia. He was also with Paul during the first imprisonment, and assisted in writing some of Paul's letters, probably as Paul's scribe.
     After Paul's release and visit to Ephesus, he requested Timothy to stay there and assist the church. From Paul's comments in Philippians 2:19-24 and 1 and 2 Timothy it is clear that there was a very close bond between Paul and his young assistant who Paul considered, according to the salutation of this letter, to be his "true son in the faith". Whether Timothy joined Paul during his second imprisonment as requested (2 Tim. 4:9, 21) is unclear, but according to Hebrews 13:23 Timothy himself was later imprisoned.
 
Literary style:
     A typical first century epistle (but the thanksgiving is missing), written in Koine (common) Greek.
     The two letters to Timothy and the letter to Titus are of a similar style and share certain common vocabulary not found in Paul's other letters (due to the specific subject matter of these letters), and clearly belong together (they are often referred to as "The Pastoral Epistles").
 
Special themes:
· Sound doctrine: Paul presents sound doctrine as the crucial cure for false teaching, and implores Timothy to keep on teaching the sound doctrine of the faith.
· Church officers: This letter list the necessary qualifications for the church offices of overseers (bishops,elders) and deacons (helpers fulfilling a variety of functions in the church).
· Widows: Paul gives instruction about dealing with widows in the church, including those officially serving in the church.
 
Special features
· The letter covers a variety of topics relative to life in and organisation of the church. Chapters 1-5 focus mostly on Timothy's public responsibilities in the church and chapter 6 deals more with his private spiritual life.
· The Pastoral Epistles contain 5 "Trustworthy Sayings", which were probably early confessions used by the churches in public worship. (These sayings will be dealt with in the notes on 2 Timothy.)
· This is the only New Testament book listing the necessary qualifications for both elders and deacons. (The letter to Titus deals only with overseers.)
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General structure:
¤ Salutation — Chapter 1:1-2
¤ Main body — Chapter 1;3-6:19
· Concerning sound doctrine — Chapter 1:3-20
  ·· Charge to Timothy to teach sound doctrine — Chapter 1:3-11
  ·· Paul's thanksgiving for grace and mercy — Chapter ;12-17
  ·· Timothy's responsibility reiterated — Chapter 1:18-20
· Concerning the church — Chapter 2:1-3:13
  ·· Regarding prayer — Chapter 2:1-8
  ·· Instructions for women — Chapter 2:9-15
  ·· Qualifications for church leaders — Chapter 3:1-13
· Advice to Timothy — Chapter 3:14-4:16
  ·· Paul's purpose for writing to Timothy — Chapter 3:14-16
  ·· The warning of coming apostasy — Chapter 4:1-6
  ·· Practise godliness — Chapter 4:7-16
· Concerning members of the church — Chapter 5:1-6:19
  ·· Maintaining proper relationships — Chapter 5:1-2
  ·· Widows — Chapter 5:3-16
  ·· Elders — Chapter 5:17-25
  ·· Servants (employees) — Chapter 6:1-2
  ·· Regarding teachers motivated by greed — Chapter 6:3-10
  ·· Paul's final charge to Timothy — Chapter 6:11-16
  ·· Regarding the rich — Chapter 6:17-19
¤ Farewell — Chapter 6:20-21
 
 

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