Bible Commentaries
1 Timothy

CONTENDING FOR THE FAITH

A Commentary On

THE BOOK OF FIRST TIMOTHY

By CARL JOHNSON

Publisher Charles Allen Bailey

Editor

Executive Editor - Joe L. Norton, Ph.D.
Associate Editor - Steven R. Bowen
Publishing Editor - Charles Allen Bailey

Copyright © 2021
Contending for the Faith Publications
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All scripture quotations,
unless otherwise indicated, are taken from
The King James Version, KJV

Introduction

Timothy was a native of Derbe or Lystra (Acts 16:1-3). His father was a Greek; but his mother, a woman named Eunice, was a Jewess. She, along with Timothy’s grandmother, Lois, carefully trained Timothy in the "holy scriptures" (2 Timothy 1:5; 2 Timothy 3:14-15).

Paul, in the course of his first missionary journey, came to Lystra. It probably was then that Timothy obeyed the gospel (1 Timothy 1:2; 2 Timothy 2:2). There is no way of determining exactly how old Timothy was at that time, although Paul refers to him as a "youth" in 1 Timothy 4:12.

Servius Tullius, in classing the Roman people, as Anlus Gellins relates, divided their age into three periods. Childhood, he limited to the age of seventeen: youth, from that to forty-six: old-age, from forty-six to the end of life (MacKnight 160).

During Paul’s second missionary journey, he again came to Lystra. By this time Timothy’s zeal and faithfulness to the cause of Christ had become well known by the brethren in that area. It was at this time that Paul selected Timothy to assist him in the work of the Lord.

Although Timothy was a Jew, he had not been circumcised, probably because his father was a Greek. Paul had him circumcised, not because it was necessary to salvation, but to avoid any prejudice toward him from the Jews. Afterwards, to set Timothy apart to the work of an evangelist, he was ordained by the laying on of hands (1 Timothy 4:14) and by prayer. Then the apostle laid hands on Timothy for the purpose of imparting to him the gifts of the Holy Ghost (2 Timothy 1:6). From that time, Timothy remained Paul’s beloved and trusted friend as well as his fellow laborer.

Timothy is frequently mentioned in Acts of the Apostles as being with Paul during his second and third missionary journeys. He was with Paul during his Roman imprisonment (A.D. 61-63), and Paul mentions his name in some of the epistles written at that time (Colossians 1:1; Philippians 1:1; Philemon 1:1). Paul also speaks of his intention of sending Timothy to Philippi to comfort the church there (Philippians 2:19-23).

At a later period, in the fall of A.D. 67, Paul, then a prisoner at Rome, wrote the second epistle to Timothy, charging him to hasten his coming to Rome, and gave him his farewell counsels. Beyond this nothing is certainly known concerning Timothy. Whether he reached Rome before Paul’s execution, and was present to cheer him in his closing hours, is not known. Tradition says he suffered martyrdom (Lipscomb 120).

Purpose of the Epistle

After Paul was released from his initial imprisonment in Rome and Timothy had returned to him from Philippi, they probably went together to Judea to exhort and comfort the brethren there. Later, they visited the churches in Colosse and Ephesus.

Upon arriving in Ephesus, Paul found that false teachers had arisen in the church. Consequently, he decided that Timothy should remain in Ephesus to restrain these false teachers as he proceeded on into Macedonia.

Timothy was young, however, and undoubtedly felt the weight of such a responsibility. So, as Paul was passing through Macedonia, he wrote Timothy this excellent letter. The letter endorsed Timothy as one having authority and gave him clear instructions on how he should discharge his duty.

The epistle of Timothy occupies a very important place in the New Testament. Paul’s words here relate mainly to the offices of the church (pastors and deacons) and to the practical administration of the work of the church. For that reason, this letter, the second epistle to Timothy, and the epistle to Titus are called the pastoral epistles.

Time and Place of Writing

Paul wrote this epistle while in Macedonia, possibly in Philippi or Corinth. It was written probably in the year 66 or 67 A.D.