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1 Timothy 1

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Greeting and Authority 1–2

1
Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus according to the commandment of God our Saviour, and Christ Jesus our hope; ​
2
unto Timothy, my true child in faith: Grace, mercy, peace, from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord. ​

The Charge Against False Teaching 3–11

3
As I exhorted thee to tarry at Ephesus, when I was going into Macedonia, that thou mightest charge certain men not to teach a different doctrine, ​
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neither to give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which minister questionings, rather than a dispensation of God which is in faith; so do I now. ​
5
But the end of the charge is love out of a pure heart and a good conscience and faith unfeigned: ​
6
from which things some having swerved have turned aside unto vain talking;
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desiring to be teachers of the law, though they understand neither what they say, nor whereof they confidently affirm. ​
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But we know that the law is good, if a man use it lawfully, ​
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as knowing this, that law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and unruly, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, ​
10
for fornicators, for abusers of themselves with men, for menstealers, for liars, for false swearers, and if there be any other thing contrary to the sound doctrine;
11
according to the gospel of the glory of the blessed God, which was committed to my trust. ​

Paul’s Testimony of God's Grace 12–17

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I thank him that enabled me, even Christ Jesus our Lord, for that he counted me faithful, appointing me to his service; ​
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though I was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious: howbeit I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief; ​
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and the grace of our Lord abounded exceedingly with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.
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Faithful is the saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief: ​
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howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me as chief might Jesus Christ show forth all his longsuffering, for an ensample of them that should thereafter believe on him unto eternal life. ​
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Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen. ​

Final Charge and Warning 18–20

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This charge I commit unto thee, my child Timothy, according to the prophecies which led the way to thee, that by them thou mayest war the good warfare; ​
19
holding faith and a good conscience; which some having thrust from them made shipwreck concerning the faith: ​
20
of whom is Hymenæus and Alexander; whom I delivered unto Satan, that they might be taught not to blaspheme. ​

Bible text: American Standard Version (1901) · 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'.