Bible Commentaries
1 Timothy

A COMMENTARY

ON THE New Testament Epistles

BY

DAVID LIPSCOMB

EDITED, WITH ADDITIONAL NOTES,

BY

J. W. SHEPHERD

VOLUME V

I, II Thessalonians,

I, II Timothy,

Titus, and Philemon

GOSPEL ADVOCATE COMPANY

NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE

1942

INTRODUCTION TO THE

FIRST EPISTLE TO TIMOTHY.

LIFE OF TIMOTHY

Timothy was a native of Lystra. (Acts 16:1-3.) He had been carefully instructed in “the sacred writings” by his pious mother, Eunice, and grandmother, Lois, and trained in the knowledge and observance of the same. (2 Timothy 1:5; 2 Timothy 3:14-15.) He became obedient to the gospel under the preaching of Paul during his first missionary journey. (1 Timothy 1:2; 2 Timothy 2:2.) On the second missionary journey (A.D. 51-54) Timothy, being commended by the brethren that were at Lystra and Iconium, was selected by Paul as his assistant in the work of the Lord, and after his circumcision (Acts 16:3) was set apart to that work. Thenceforward he remained the beloved and trusted friend and fellow laborer with Paul and companion with him in all the perils and labors and triumphs of his marvelous career. Among the last words of Paul, writ­ten just before his death, these were addressed to his true and faithful “child” in the gospel.

Frequent mentions of Timothy are found in Acts of Apostles and Paul’s Epistles. From Lystra he accompanied Paul through Asia Minor to Macedonia and assisted in planting the gospel in Philippi (Philippians 2:22) and probably in Thessalonica. At Berea he was with Paul and probably accompanied him to Athens, thence he was sent back to Thessalonica to assist, to instruct, and strengthen the young congregation there. (1 Thessalonians 3:2.) On leaving there he went with Silas to Corinth, where he assisted in the establishment of the gospel, as also in the neighboring cities of Achaia. (Acts 18:5; 1 Thessalonians 3:6.) His name, with that of Silas, is associated with Paul’s in 1 Thessalonians 1:1; 2 Thessalonians 1:1, and his service in that city is mentioned with high commendation.

On Paul’s third missionary journey he is again seen with him at Ephesus, and near the close of the three years spent there, he was sent to Macedonia and Achaia on a special mission to the churches in those regions. (Acts 19:21-22; 1 Corinthians 4:17; 1 Corinthians 16:10-11.) Returning, he was with Paul in Macedonia—probably in the autumn of A.D. 57—when the Epistle to the Corinthians was written (2 Corinthians 1:1), and in the following winter he was laboring with Paul at Corinth, when the Epistle to the Romans was written, as he there writes in the salutations sent to the church in Rome (Romans 16:21). On Paul’s return eastward through Macedonia, Timothy was in the company that preceded him from Philippi and waited for him at Troas. (Acts 20:4.)

His subsequent course at this time is not indicated. It is not certain whether he accompanied Paul to Jerusalem, and was with him during the two years' imprisonment at Caesarea and the voyage to Rome. But he was with him during his first Roman imprisonment—A.D. 61-63—as he is mentioned with glowing eulogy in some of the Epistles written at that time (Colossians 1:1; Philippians 1:1; Philemon 1:1); and Paul speaks of his intention of sending him to Philippi for the comforting of the church there (Philippians 2:19-23.) It was probably at this time that Timothy suffered imprisonment at Rome (Hebrews 13:23), and possibly there in the presence of the imperial court confessed the “good confession in the sight of many wit­nesses” (1 Timothy 6:12). After Paul’s release from his first im­prisonment at Rome—A.D. 63 or 64—Timothy’s movements, like those of Paul’s, are not certainly known; but in A.D. 65 or 66 he was with Paul at Ephesus, and on Paul's passing into Macedonia, Timothy was left behind to act in Paul’s stead during his absence. (1 Timothy 1:3.) The separation seems to have been deeply sorrowful to Timothy, who trembled in view of the respon­sibility thus placed upon him. (2 Timothy 1:4.) 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 to 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.

The character of Timothy as set forth in the Scriptures is one of rare beauty. There is not an intimation in the divine record that there was ever a failure of his faith. From his call at Lystra to the end of his earthly sojourn there is not an intimation of his swerving from the faith revealed in the gospel, never a shrinking from the post of duty and danger of suffering, and never of failing in fidelity to the trust com­mitted to him or in love and loyalty to Paul.

PURPOSE OF THE EPISTLE.

After Paul’s release from his first Roman imprisonment, he went to Ephesus, where he left Timothy to set in order the things that were lacking. There were two sources of anxiety to the apostle: (1) False teachers had arisen in the church—Jewish in their origin—desiring to be teachers of the law, whose teaching was accompanied by a debased ethical standard and a factious and disorganizing spirit. (2) The other which gave him great concern was the practical administration of the work of the church. The position of Timothy was one of great and delicate responsibility, and it was especially important that his right to act should be fully authenticated by the apostle, and that he be given clear and explicit instruc­tions for his guidance. Paul, therefore, after reaching Mace­donia, writes and sends his Epistle to him, which, while adapted for this immediate end, was also especially suited to be an infallible guide for church activity throughout all future ages. The affecting circumstances in which Paul himself was placed carry home to every earnest heart his impassioned eloquence.

TIME AND PLACE OF WRITING.

This Epistle was written to Timothy in the year 66 or 67 as Paul was passing through Macedonia, possibly at Philippi or Corinth.