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1 Timothy 1

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Greeting and Authority 1–2

1
Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the commandment of God our Saviour, and Lord Jesus Christ, which is our hope; ​
2
Unto Timothy, my own son in the faith: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord. ​

The Charge Against False Teaching 3–11

3
As I besought thee to abide still at Ephesus, when I went into Macedonia, that thou mightest charge some that they teach no other doctrine, ​
4
Neither give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which minister questions, rather than godly edifying which is in faith: so do. ​
5
Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned: ​
6
From which some having swerved have turned aside unto vain jangling;
7
Desiring to be teachers of the law; understanding neither what they say, nor whereof they affirm. ​
8
But we know that the law is good, if a man use it lawfully; ​
9
Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, ​
10
For whoremongers, for them that defile themselves with mankind, for menstealers, for liars, for perjured persons, and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine;
11
According to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, which was committed to my trust. ​

Paul’s Testimony of God's Grace 12–17

12
And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry; ​
13
Who was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious: but I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief. ​
14
And the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.
15
This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief. ​
16
Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting. ​
17
Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen. ​

Final Charge and Warning 18–20

18
This charge I commit unto thee, son Timothy, according to the prophecies which went before on thee, that thou by them mightest war a good warfare; ​
19
Holding faith, and a good conscience; which some having put away concerning faith have made shipwreck: ​
20
Of whom is Hymenaeus and Alexander; whom I have delivered unto Satan, that they may learn not to blaspheme. ​

Bible text: King James Version (1769 Blayney text) · Public domain

Study Notes for 1 Timothy 1

Verse 1

commandment of God our Saviour — Epitage is an authoritative order, the word Titus 1:3 uses for the same commission. 'God our Saviour' is a title found five times in Paul's letters to Timothy and Titus (1 Tim 2:3; Titus 1:3; 2:10; 3:4). Christ is 'our hope', as in Col 1:27, 'Christ in you, the hope of glory'.

Verse 2

my own son in the faith — Gnesios is genuine, a true-born child; Paul says the same of Titus (Titus 1:4). Timothy's faith 'dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice' (2 Tim 1:5). 'Mercy' joins 'grace' and 'peace' here, in 2 Tim 1:2 and in Titus 1:4.

Verse 3

charge some that they teach no other doctrine — 'Charge' is paraggello, the verb of the noun 'commandment' in v.5 and 'charge' in v.18. 'Teach no other doctrine' is one Greek verb, heterodidaskaleo, found only here and in 6:3. Paul had warned the Ephesian elders: 'of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things' (Acts 20:30).

Verse 4

fables and endless genealogies — Muthos is a tale, and the same warning stands in Titus 1:14, 'Jewish fables', and Titus 3:9, 'genealogies'. 'Endless' (aperantos) occurs only here. Such things 'minister questions' rather than 'godly edifying' (oikodomia, building up, also found only here), which is 'in faith'.

Verse 5

the end of the commandment is charity — Telos is the point aimed at, the goal. The charge (paraggelia, as in v.18) aims at agape, love, which 'is the fulfilling of the law' (Rom 13:10), from a pure heart, a good conscience and 'faith unfeigned' (anupokritos, without hypocrisy), the faith Paul saw in Timothy (2 Tim 1:5).

Verse 7

teachers of the law — Nomodidaskalos occurs elsewhere only of the 'doctors of the law' who sat by while Christ taught (Luke 5:17) and of Gamaliel, 'a doctor of the law, had in reputation among all the people' (Acts 5:34). These men desired to be teachers of the law, yet understood 'neither what they say, nor whereof they affirm'.

Verse 8

if a man use it lawfully — The law is 'holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good' (Rom 7:12). 'Lawfully' is nomimos, according to the law's own rule; the only other use is the athlete who must 'strive lawfully' (2 Tim 2:5). The law is good when used for what it was given to do, which v.9 names.

Verse 9

not made for a righteous man — The law is directed at the 'lawless' and 'disobedient'. 'Murderers of fathers' and 'of mothers' (patraloas, metraloas) are words found only here; with 'manslayers' they recall the fifth and sixth commandments (Ex 20:12–13; Ex 21:15). The law 'was added because of transgressions' (Gal 3:19).

Verse 11

glorious gospel of the blessed God — 'Blessed' (makarios) is said of God only here and in 6:15. 'Glorious' renders the Greek 'of the glory' (doxa), as in 2 Cor 4:4, 'the glorious gospel of Christ'. 'Committed to my trust' is the verb pisteuo in the passive, 'I was entrusted', as in Gal 2:7, 'the gospel of the uncircumcision was committed unto me'.

Verse 12

hath enabled me — Endunamoo is to put power into. Paul uses it of the strength Christ gives in Phil 4:13 and 2 Tim 4:17, 'the Lord stood with me, and strengthened me'. The Lord 'counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry' (diakonia, service): the appointment is Christ's, as v.1 said of the apostleship.

Verse 13

a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious — Paul's own account is Acts 26:9–11: he 'compelled them to blaspheme' and 'persecuted them even unto strange cities'. 'Injurious' is hubristes, an insolent, violent man; the only other place is Rom 1:30, 'despiteful'. Mercy came 'because I did it ignorantly in unbelief'.

Verse 15

a faithful saying — The formula stands five times in the letters to Timothy and Titus (1 Tim 1:15; 3:1, 'a true saying'; 4:9; 2 Tim 2:11; Titus 3:8). The saying echoes Luke 19:10, 'the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost'. 'Chief' is protos, first, the word rendered 'first' in v.16; 'acceptation' (apodoche) occurs only here and in 4:9.

Verse 16

for a pattern — Hupotuposis is an outline sketch to be copied; it occurs only here and in 2 Tim 1:13, 'the form of sound words'. Paul, 'first' (protos, as 'chief' in v.15), is the specimen of Christ's 'all longsuffering' (makrothumia), shown to those who 'should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting'.

Verse 17

King eternal, immortal, invisible — 'Eternal' is literally 'of the ages' (aion), and 'for ever and ever' is 'to the ages of the ages'. 'Immortal' is aphthartos, incorruptible (Rom 1:23, 'the uncorruptible God'). Col 1:15 calls Christ 'the image of the invisible God', and Jude 25 has 'the only wise God our Saviour'.

Verse 18

the prophecies which went before on thee — These stand with Timothy's setting apart: 'the gift that is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy, with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery' (1 Tim 4:14). 'Warfare' (strateia) occurs only here and in 2 Cor 10:4, 'the weapons of our warfare'; Paul's own word at the end is 'I have fought a good fight' (2 Tim 4:7).

Verse 19

made shipwreck — Nauageo is to be wrecked at sea; elsewhere only 2 Cor 11:25, 'thrice I suffered shipwreck'. 'Faith' and 'a good conscience' are held together as in v.5. 'Put away' is apotheomai, to thrust from oneself, the verb of Rom 11:1, 'Hath God cast away his people?'

Verse 20

delivered unto Satan — The act is that of 1 Cor 5:5, 'to deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved'. Its aim is instruction: 'learn' is paideuo, to train as a child, rendered 'chastened' in 1 Cor 11:32. Hymenaeus appears again in 2 Tim 2:17–18, saying 'that the resurrection is past already'.