Summary of the Book of 1 Timothy
This summary of the book of 1 Timothy provides information about the title, author(s), date of writing, chronology, theme, theology, outline, a brief overview, and the chapters of the Book of 1 Timothy.
Author
Both early tradition and the salutations of the Pastoral Letters (1,2 Timothy; Titus) themselves claim Paul as their author (1:1; 2Ti 1:1; Tit 1:1). Some objections have been raised in recent years on the basis of an alleged uncharacteristic vocabulary and style (see, e.g., notes on 1:15; 2:2), but other evidence stillconvincingly supports Paul's authorship. See essay, p. 2481.
Background and Purpose
During his fourth missionary journey (see map, pp. 2486-2487), Paul had instructed Timothy to care for the church at Ephesus (1:3) while he went on to Macedonia. When he realized that he might not return to Ephesus in the near future (3:14-15), he wrote this first letter to Timothy to develop the charge he had given his young assistant (1:3, 18), to refute false teachings (1:3-7; 4:1-8; 6:3-5,20-21) and to supervise the affairs of the growing Ephesian church (church worship, ch. 2; the appointment of qualified church leaders, 3:1-13; 5:17-25).
A major problem in the Ephesian church was a heresy that combined Gnosticism (see Introduction to 1 John: Gnosticism), decadent Judaism (1:3-7) and false asceticism (4:1-5).
Date
1 Timothy was written sometime after the events of Ac 28 (c. 63-65), at least eight years after Paul's three-year stay in Ephesus (see Ac 19:10 and note).
Recipient
As the salutation indicates (1:2), Paul is writing to Timothy, a native of Lystra (in modern Turkey). Timothy's father was Greek, while his mother was a Jewish Christian (Ac 16:1). From childhood he had been taught the OT (2Ti 1:5; 3:15). Paul called him "my true son in the faith" (1:2; see note there), perhaps having led him to faith in Christ during his first visit to Lystra. At the time of his second visit Paul invited Timothy to join him on his missionary travels, circumcising him so that his Greek ancestry would not be a liability in working with the Jews (Ac 16:3). Timothy helped Paul evangelize Macedonia and Achaia (Ac 17:14-15; 18:5) and was with him during much of his long preaching ministry at Ephesus (Ac 19:22). He traveled with him from Ephesus to Macedonia, to Corinth (see Ac 20:3 and note), back to Macedonia, and to Asia Minor (Ac 20:1-6). He may even have accompanied him all the way to Jerusalem. He was with Paul during the apostle's first imprisonment (Php 1:1; Col 1:1; Phm 1).
Following Paul's release (after Ac 28), Timothy again traveled with him but eventually stayed at Ephesus to deal with the problems there, while Paul went on to Macedonia. Paul's closeness to and admiration of Timothy are seen in Paul's naming him as the co-sender of six of his letters (2 Corinthians, Philippians, Colossians, 1,2 Thessalonians and Philemon) and in his speaking highly of him to the Philippians (Php 2:19-22). At the end of Paul's life he requested Timothy to join him at Rome (2Ti 4:9,21). According to Heb 13:23, Timothy himself was imprisoned and subsequently released -- whether at Rome or elsewhere, we do not know.
Timothy was not an apostle. It may be best to regard him as an apostolic representative, delegated to carry out special work (cf. Tit 1:5).
Outline
- Greetings (1:1-2)
- Warning against False Teachers (1:3-11)
- The Nature of the Heresy (1:3-7)
- The Purpose of the Law (1:8-11)
- The Lord's Grace to Paul (1:12-17)
- The Purpose of Paul's Instructions to Timothy (1:18-20)
- Instructions concerning Church Administration (chs. 2-3)
- Public Worship (ch. 2)
- Prayer in public worship (2:1-8)
- Women in public worship (2:9-15)
- Qualifications for Church Officers (3:1-13)
- Overseers (3:1-7)
- Deacons (3:8-13)
- Purpose of These Instructions (3:14-16)
- Instructions concerning False Teaching (ch. 4)
- False Teaching Described (4:1-5)
- Methods of Dealing with It Explained (4:6-16)
- Instructions concerning Different Groups in the Church (5:1;6:2)
- The Older and Younger (5:1-2)
- Widows (5:3-16)
- Elders (5:17-25)
- Slaves (6:1-2)
- Miscellaneous Matters (6:3-19)
- False Teachers (6:3-5)
- Love of Money (6:6-10)
- Charge to Timothy (6:11-16)
- The Rich (6:17-19)
- Concluding Appeal and Benediction (6:20-21)
From the NIV Study Bible, Introductions to the Books of the Bible, 1 Timothy
Copyright 2002 © Zondervan. All rights reserved. Used with permission.
FAQs
WHAT'S IT ABOUT? The First Letter to Timothy is primarily about leadership in the early church: it exhorts its readers to resist false teaching, hold on to the faith as delivered, exhibit good conduct, and order the church in such a way that all of this can be accomplished.
What is the message of the book of 1 Timothy? ›
In a nutshell, the theme of 1 Timothy is Christ-centered godliness for the sake of the gospel. Personal godliness (Christ-infused godliness) is not only indispensable to perseverance in faithfulness, but absolutely essential to the proclamation of the gospel to the lost world. This gospel theme is explicit in 1 Tim.
What is the big idea of 1 Timothy? ›
In 1 Timothy, we read about a holistic vision of the nature and mission of the Church. Just as in Timothy's time, corrupt teachers can confuse believers, but Paul instructs on how the Church and its leaders can stay faithful to the way of Jesus.
What lesson can be learned from 1 Timothy? ›
He teaches that Jesus Christ is the ransom for all and is our Mediator with the Father. He instructs men and women how to conduct themselves during worship. He outlines the qualifications for bishops and deacons.
What is the key verse in 1 Timothy? ›
1 Tim. 4:4–5 For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected, provided it is received with thanksgiving; for it is sanctified by God's word and by prayer.
What was Paul's purpose in writing 1 Timothy? ›
Paul wrote 1 Timothy to advise his coworker Timothy about issues in the church in Ephesus. False teachers are the main cause for the letter. Their teaching apparently involved incorrect assumptions about the law (1:7–11) and not allowing marriage and certain foods (4:1–5).
What can we learn from Timothy? ›
Timothy was to study, learn, and grow himself from God's Word, and then preach what he was learning. The letter also points out that the quality of leaders affects the quality of the members. This, in fact, is why Paul was so concerned that Timothy develop the right kind of leaders.
What does the Bible tell us about Timothy? ›
Timothy is said to have been acquainted with the Scriptures since childhood. In 1 Corinthians 16:10, there is a suggestion that he was by nature reserved and timid: "When Timothy comes, see that you put him at ease among you, for he is doing the work of the Lord". Timothy's father was a Greek Gentile.
What happened to Timothy in the Bible? ›
Tradition, probably based on New Testament inferences, made him first bishop of Ephesus, where he was allegedly martyred under the Roman emperor Nerva. One legend asserts that he was clubbed to death by a mob for protesting against the orgiastic worship of the goddess Artemis.
What is the greatest gain according to the Book of Timothy? ›
But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that.
Overview of 1 Timothy
Repeated words and phrases point to the themes of a book. In Paul's first letter to Timothy, he refers to "sound doctrine" seven times, "faith" nine times, and "godliness" nine times. The phrase "the faith" appears another nine times.
Why was Timothy special? ›
Paul was impressed by several character qualities in Timothy. This included his knowledge of Judaism and the Hebrew Scriptures, his Gentile connections through his Greek father, and Timothy's reputation as a devout Christian.
What was a major issue in 1 Timothy? ›
First Timothy presents the most explicit and complete instructions for church leadership and organization in the entire Bible. This includes sections on appropriate conduct in worship gatherings, the qualifications of elders and deacons, and the proper order of church discipline.
What is the main message of the book of Timothy? ›
More clearly than any other New Testament book, 1 Timothy describes the divinely ordained structure of church leadership. Paul tells us of the need for elders who are qualified in certain ways, and of deacons (1 Tim. 3:1–13).
What is the conclusion of the book of 1 Timothy? ›
1 Timothy 1: The True Purpose of the Torah
Paul says that this is a clear sign that their message is distorted because true Christian teaching that's faithful to the way of Jesus results in love and genuine faith. ). Paul closes with a poem that honors Jesus as King.
What is the global message of 1 Timothy? ›
The Global Message of 1 Timothy for Today
First, the qualifications Paul gives for both elders and deacons have to do with godliness more than with competency as defined by the world. Elders, for example, are to be self-controlled, respectable, and hospitable (1 Tim. 3:2).
What is the significance of Timothy? ›
Timothy is a masculine name of Greek origin. Coming from the name “Timotheos,” the name means “honoring God,” and is a wonderful way to introduce baby to your faith. In the New Testament, Timothy was a saint and companion of Saint Paul, which can make for a meaningful set of twin names.
