Pauline Epistles · New Testament
1 Timothy
c. AD 63
- Section
- Pauline Epistles · New Testament
- Events span
- c. AD 63
- Written
- c. AD 63, from Macedonia (in modern-day northern Greece)
- Author
- Paul the Apostle
Paul writes to his protégé Timothy, pastoring at Ephesus, with instructions for ordering the church: sound doctrine against false teachers, qualifications for elders and deacons, guidance for worship and various groups, and a charge to guard the faith and pursue godliness.
Historical setting: The church spreading through the Roman Empire; the Second Temple still standing, before Nero's persecution.
Key themes
- Sound doctrine
- Church leadership
- Godliness
- Guarding the faith
- The love of money
The letter's charge
- Paul charges Timothy to oppose false teachers and hold to sound doctrine
- Instructions for prayer and conduct in public worship
- Qualifications for overseers (elders) and deacons
- Guard against coming apostasy; "be thou an example" in godliness
- Guidance for widows, elders, and various groups in the church
- Flee the love of money; "fight the good fight of faith"
Key lessons
- Sound doctrine matters, and leaders must guard it; error is not harmless, and genuine love itself depends on holding to the truth. 1 Tim 1:3–5
- Christian leaders are chosen for character, not charisma; the qualifications for elders and deacons are mostly proven godliness at home and in daily life. 1 Tim 3:1–7
- The love of money is “the root of all evil”; contentment with godliness is great gain, while greed pierces people through with many sorrows. 1 Tim 6:9–10
“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.”
Critical scholarship view
Where mainstream critical scholarship dates or attributes this book differently from the traditional view above.
- Written
- Disputed; possibly c. AD 90–100
- Author
- Pseudonymous, an unknown author writing in Paul’s name