1 Timothy

Lore & Background

The authorship of First Timothy was traditionally attributed to the Apostle Paul, although in pre-Nicene Christianity this attribution was open to dispute. He is named as the author of the letter in the text (1:1). Nineteenth- and twentieth-century scholarship questioned the authenticity of the letter, with many scholars suggesting that First Timothy, along with Second Timothy and Titus, are not the work of Paul, but of an unidentified Christian writing some time in the late-first to mid-second centuries. Most scholars now affirm this view. As evidence, they put forward that the pastoral epistles contain 306 words that Paul does not use in his unquestioned letters, that their style of writing is different, that they reflect conditions and a church organization not current in Paul's day, and that they do not appear in early lists of his canonical works. Modern scholars who support Pauline authorship stress the importance of Polycarp, where there is a high probability that 1 and 2 Timothy were known to him. Scholars Robert Grant, Ian Howard Marshall, and Hans von Campenhausen believe that Polycarp was the actual author of First Timothy, which would date its composition to c. 140. Marcion formed an early canon of scripture c. 140 around the Gospel of Luke and ten of the canonical Pauline epistles excluding 1–2 Timothy and Titus. The reasons for these exclusions are unknown. Late in the 2nd century there are quotations from all three pastoral epistles in Irenaeus' work Against Heresies. The Muratorian Canon (c. 170–180) lists the books of the New Testament and ascribes all three pastoral epistles to Paul. Eusebius (c. 330) calls it, along with the other thirteen canonical Pauline epistles, 'undisputed'. Exceptions to this positive witness include Tatian, as well as the gnostic Basilides.

Reader's Guide

The epistle opens by stating that it was written by Paul, to Timothy. Paul reminds Timothy that he has asked Timothy to stay in Ephesus and prevent false teaching of the law by others. Paul says that law is to be applied to sinners like rebels, murderers, and the sexually immoral. The list of lawbreakers includes the Greek word ἀρσενοκοίτης, which is sometimes translated to mean 'homosexual men' although there is considerable debate on the word's meaning. The epistle details the roles of men and women in its second chapter, particularly the verse 1 Timothy 2:12. In the NIV translation this verse reads: 'I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man; she must be silent.' The epistle justifies this by saying that Adam was formed before Eve, and that Eve was tricked by the serpent. Leaders of the church are to conduct themselves in a manner worthy of respect, avoiding overindulgence in wine and managing their affairs well. Timothy is advised to avoid false teachings and focus on the truth. The author discusses a list of widows to be supported by the church, setting restrictions on the types of women to help: only old widows who never remarry and who prioritize their family are to receive help. Widows younger than sixty have sensual desires that may cause them to remarry. Slaves should respect their masters, especially if their masters are believers. People should avoid envy and avoid the temptation to focus on becoming rich because 'the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil.' In closing, Timothy is told he should continue to 'fight the good fight of the faith' by helping others to be virtuous and by running his church well.

Did You Know?

• The earliest known writing of 1 Timothy has been found on Oxyrhynchus Papyrus 5259, designated P133, in 2017, dated to the 4th century (330–360).
• Several composers used lines from the epistle in Christmas cantatas, such as Gottfried Heinrich Stölzel's Kündlich groß ist das gottselige Geheimnis beginning with 1 Timothy 3:16.
• Jonathan Edwards identified reading 1 Timothy 1:17 as an important moment in his religious experience.
• 1 Timothy 2:12 has been the source of considerable controversy concerning gender equality, with certain Christian churches using it to reject the ordination of women.