Bible Commentaries
1 Timothy 1

Verse 2

My own son ; spiritually, having been converted by his instrumentality. The connection between faithful ministers of the gospel and those who are led by them to Christ is most intimate and endearing. It may well be represented by that between parents and their children, and is a source of rich and lasting enjoyment.

Verse 3

Other doctrine ; false doctrine contrary to what Paul had taught.

Verse 4

Fables ; called "profane and old wives’ fables," chap 1 Timothy 4:7 ; and "Jewish fables." Titus 1:14 . The apostle has reference to absurd legends and stories such as abound in the writings of the later Jews.

Endless genealogies ; the exact nature of these is unknown. According to some, the reference is to the Jewish records of the descent from Abraham, by which their pride was nourished, and their confidence was withdrawn from Christ to fleshly relations. Others, with more probability, suppose that the apostle has in view fables respecting the generation of angelic orders of beings. Though the system of Gnosticism, which is filled with such "endless genealogies," was of later origin, they suppose that its germs may have existed in the apostle’s day, and have mixed themselves with Jewish fables.

Minister questions , rather than godly edifying ; lead to nothing but empty questions of speculation and dispute.

Verse 5

The end of the commandment ; its scope or aim; its substance, which all its particular precepts have in view.

Charity ; love towards God and man. The great things required of us are love to God and to men, confidence in him, and conscientious devotion to his will.

Verse 6

Swerved ; turned aside.

Vain jangling ; empty and contentious talk.

Verse 8

Lawfully ; according to its proper design. The law of God is good as a rule of duty for all men; to restrain, by fear of its penalties, those who transgress it, and to point out the punishment which they deserve, and without repentance will suffer.

Verse 9

The law is not made for a righteous man ; the apostle is combating the error of those who trusted in the law as the instrument of their justification and salvation. This end it could never accomplish. To fallen men it "worketh wrath," Romans 4:15 , and its end is death, Romans 7:10 . "Wherefore then serveth the law? It was added because of transgressions"-to restrain the transgressions of lawless men, Galatians 3:19 ; consequently not for the righteous, who are a law unto themselves, but for the lawless and disobedient .

Verse 10

Sound doctrine ; the doctrine of the gospel, called, "The doctrine which is according to godliness," chap 1 Timothy 6:3 , as having for its scope true godliness, and opposing itself to every form of wickedness.

Verse 12

Counted me faithful ; counted him a proper person to be put into the ministry, and enabled him to discharge its duties.

Verse 13

Injurious ; one who maliciously and tyrannically oppressed and put to death the people of God.

Ignorantly ; in ignorance of the true character of Christ and his disciples.

Verse 14

The grace of our Lord ; in leading him to repent and believe on Christ.

With faith and love ; he mentions these as the never failing attendants and fruits of God’s grace.

Which is in Christ Jesus ; he adds these words to show that faith and love have their ground only in the union of the soul with Christ.

Verse 16

A pattern ; to show that the chief of sinners who believe in Christ may be pardoned, sanctified, and saved. Upon all who have ever repented and believed, God has bestowed free pardon and the blessings of heavenly grace, that even the chief of sinners may be encouraged to repent of their sins and embrace the Saviour as he is offered in the gospel.

Verse 18

This charge ; the directions in this epistle.

Prophecies ; which some of the New Testament prophets had uttered concerning Timothy, before he was put into the ministry.

By them ; by these prophecies, under their auspices, as it were; in other words, having them in view, and being animated by them.

War a good warfare ; be faithful to the Captain of salvation, contending against sin and striving to save sinners.

Verse 19

Holding faith ; holding fast the faith of the gospel, which has for its natural companion a good conscience .

Which ; which good conscience.

Having put away ; literally, having thrust away. They have willfully cast away a good conscience, and, as a natural consequence, concerning faith have made shipwreck ; for he who allows his conscience to be defiled by sinful practices is prepared to reject the faith of the gospel, which opposes itself to every form of ungodliness.

Verse 20

Delivered unto Satan ; cast out of the visible kingdom of Christ, perhaps also with the additional idea of an infliction of some bodily malady. See note to 1 Corinthians 5:5 .

That they may learn ; literally, may be disciplined; may be taught, by the evils they suffer, not to continue in their erroneous and wicked courses.