Summary of 1 Timothy, Chapter 1

Paul, an Apostle of Christ Jesus, by the command of God our Savior, and Jesus Christ our hope, writes to Timothy, his true son in the faith and wishes him grace, mercy, peace from God the Father and Jesus Christ the Lord.

Just as he had urged him before, when setting out for Macedonia to stay at Ephesus . . . [so now] he urges him to command certain persons not to teach a different doctrine, and to give up myths and endless genealogies, which are the occasion for discussions instead of divine learning in faith. Paul commands this out of love, from a clean heart, and a good conscience, and unfeigned faith. But certain persons have not complied, and instead have gone into vain talk, wanting to be teachers of the law, without understanding what they say, or the things they strongly assert.

We know the law is good if one uses it lawfully. We know that the law is not laid down for the righteous, but for lawless and disobedient ones, who are impious and sinners, unholy and profane, killers of fathers and mothers, murderers of men, sexually loose, who lie with males, kidnappers, liars, perjurers and whatever else is contrary to sound doctrine as it is found in the Gospel of the glory of the Blessed God, the doctrine entrusted to Paul.

Paul thanks Christ Jesus the Lord who has made him able to work, for the Lord considered Paul faithful and established him in the ministry, even though he was formerly a blasphemer and a persecutor and a proud man. But Paul received mercy, since he acted in ignorance and in unbelief. But the grace of the Lord has been superabundant for him, along with faith and love that are in Christ. We can be sure of this: that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of which Paul is the chief. On account of this Paul was given mercy, so that in him first of all Jesus Christ might display all His long-suffering, and might provide a compendious example of those who are going to believe in Him for everlasting life. Therefore: to the King of the ages, incorruptible, invisible, the only God, may there be honor and glory for ages of ages. Amen.

Paul solemnly commands his son Timothy, according to the prophecies previously spoken about him, to fight a good fight according to these prophecies, having faith and a good conscience, which certain persons reject, and as a result have made a shipwreck of their faith. Such are Hymenaeus and Alexander whom Paul has handed over to Satan, so they may learn not to blaspheme.

Comments on Chapter 1

In verse three Paul starts a sentence, and then completes it in a different structure: anacolouthon. The summary above makes the sense clear.

We see soon that Paul is concerned about errors in doctrine, involving myths and endless genealogies. These could be Gnostic errors, equally well could be Jewish speculations. He asks Timothy, who is in charge of Ephesus, to guard against them.

He indulges in a play on words: the law is good if used lawfully. He means that the just, since they follow the Spirit of Christ, do not have to look at the law -- they will be led by the Spirit and so avoid any violations. Paul enumerates some of the chief great sins against the law. For to violate the law means eternal ruin.¹ As one student said, whom we have quoted more than once above: "As to salvation, you cannot earn it, but you can blow it."

Paul next says he was once a persecutor and a blasphemer -- he means, when he persecuted Christians. He was in good faith, but that did not excuse it. So he calls himself the chief of sinners. Please recall the comments made on 1 Corinthians 4:4.

In verse 18 he solemnly commands Timothy to fight a good fight, according to the prophecies previously made about him. Most likely by prophecy Paul means not predictions of the future -- though that is possible -- but the words spoken with the imposition of Paul's hands in ordination, as we could gather from 4:14 below, and from the way Paul uses the word prophecy elsewhere, especially in 1 Corinthians 12-14.

Paul even mentions by name two of the false teachers. Hymenaeus, according to 2 Timothy 2:17-18, taught that the resurrection had already taken place. The Alexander mentioned here is probably the same as Alexander the coppersmith of whom Paul speaks in 2 Timothy 4:14-15, who did Paul harm at his trial. Paul considers both as apostates, they have made shipwreck of the faith. So he has handed them over to Satan. This is probably more than a mere excommunication. Compare comments on 1 Corinthians 5:5. Paul hands them over to Satan to be worked over, to be brought to their senses, so save them from final ruin.