The Pastoral
Epistles
1 Timothy, 2 Timothy and Titus
Rex Banks
Lesson 20
Introduction
Since the 18th
century, 1 Timothy, 2 Timothy and Titus have commonly
been referred to as The Pastoral Epistles. It is often explained that this title is given to these letters
“...because they are addressed to pastors of churches to outline their pastoral
duties. These responsibilities were
two-fold: to defend sound doctrine and
maintain sound discipline. This double
emphasis is especially obvious in the Epistle to Titus, but it appears in all
three letters” (Ralph Earle Expositors Bible
Commentary).
However:
“The title is
not strictly scriptural. Timothy, like
Titus, was an evangelist or preacher, and the term pastor or shepherd in the New Testament involves the work of elders (Acts
Timothy and
Titus were official representatives of the apostle Paul, and as such they were
his spokesmen in certain situations where special needs, difficulties or
problems were encountered.
Authorship
Paul (1 Tim 1:1; 2 Tim 1:1; Tit 1:1).
External evidence
(1) The writings of the
early “church fathers” “establish conclusively the
acceptance of these Epistles as authentic by the unanimous consent of Church
writers of the three first centuries of the Christian era…” (A. C. Hervey Pulpit Commentary).
“The external evidence
is all in favor of the reception of these epistles, which were known not only
to Clement and Polycarp, but also to Ireneaus, Tertullian, the author of the
Epistle to the churches of
Likely too, the writings of others like Athenagoras and Justin Martyr show the influence of the Pastoral Epistles.
(2)
Examples:
“He who has commanded us not to lie, shall
much more Himself not lie; for nothing is impossible with God, except to lie”
(cf. Tit 1:2) (Clement of
‘“But the love of money is the root of all
evils.’ Knowing, therefore, that ‘as we
brought nothing into the world, so we can carry nothing out,’ let us arm
ourselves with the amour of righteousness; and let us teach, first of all,
ourselves to walk in the commandments of the Lord (cf. 1 Tim 6:10, 7) (Polycarp Epistle to the Philippians chapter 4).
“Be not deceived with strange doctrines, ‘nor
give heed to fables and endless genealogies,’ and things in which the Jews make
their boast” (cf. 1 Tim 1:4) (Ignatius Epistle to the
Magnesians 8).
“‘Honour widows that are
widows indeed’” (cf. 1 Tim 5:3) (Ignatius Epistle to Hero
chapter 3).
“Inasmuch as certain men have set the truth
aside, and bring in lying words and vain genealogies, which, as the apostle
says, ‘minister questions rather than godly edifying which is in faith,’ and by
means of their craftily-constructed plausibilities
draw away the minds of the inexperienced and take them captive, [I have felt
constrained, my dear friend, to compose the following treatise in order to
expose and counteract their machinations]” (cf. 1Tim 1:4) (Ireneaus
Against Heresies Preface 1).
“That he (i.e. Luke) was not merely a
follower, but also a fellow-laborer of the apostles, but especially of Paul,
Paul has himself declared also in the Epistles, saying: ‘Demas hath forsaken
me, ...and is departed unto Thessalonica; Crescens to
Galatia, Titus to Dalmatia. Only Luke is
with me’” (cf. 2 Tim
“‘Desiring to be teachers of the law, they
understand,’ says the apostle, ‘neither what they say, nor whereof they
affirm.’ ‘Now the end of the commandment
is charity out of a pure heart, and a good conscience, and faith unfeigned’”
(cf. 1 Tim 1:7, 5) (Clement of
“‘For God hath not given us the spirit of
bondage again to fear; but of power, and love, and of a sound mind. Be not therefore ashamed of the testimony of
our Lord, or of me his prisoner,’ he writes to Timothy (cf. 2 Tim 1:7, 8) (Clement of
“Whence spring those ‘fables and endless
genealogies,” and ‘unprofitable questions,’ and ‘words which spread
like a cancer?’” (cf. 1Tim 1:4; Tit 3:9; 2 Tim
“‘Be not thou,
therefore, ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me His prisoner;’” for
he had said before: ‘For God hath not
given us the spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind’”
(cf. 2 Tim 1:8, 7) (Tertullian Scorpiace
chapter 13).
“By means of these organs, indeed, we are to enjoy flowers; but if he
declares that those who make idols will be like them, they already are so who
use anything after the style of idol adornings. ‘To the pure all things are pure: so,
likewise, all things to the impure are impure;’” (cf. Tit
“(As) Paul, too, distinctly says, who was a
convert from Judaism to Christianity, ‘I thank my God, whom I serve from my
forefathers with a pure conscience’” (cf. 2 Tim 1:3) (Origen
Against Celsus 5.61).
“But as for the things which are called
impure, ‘All things become pure to the pure,’ for, ‘To them that are defiled
and unbelieving nothing is pure, since both their minds and their conscience
are defiled’” (cf. Tit 1:15) (Origen Commentary on Matthew
11.12).
“Now he, (i.e. the apostle Paul) predicting
the novelties that were to be hereafter introduced ineffectually by certain
(heretics), made a statement thus: ‘The
Spirit speaketh expressly, In the latter times
certain will depart from sound doctrine, giving heed to seducing spirits and
doctrines of devils, uttering falsehoods in hypocrisy, having their own
conscience seared with a hot iron, forbidding to marry, to abstain from meats,
which God has created to be partaken of with thanksgiving by the faithful, and
those who know the truth; because every creature of God is good, and nothing to
be rejected which is received with thanksgiving; for it is sanctified by the
word of God and prayer’” (cf. 1Tim 4:1-5) (Hippolytus
Refutation of All Heresies 8.13).
“A time to speak, when there are hearers who
receive the word; but a time to keep silence, when the hearers pervert the
word; as Paul says: ‘A man that is an heretic, after the first and second admonition, reject’”
(cf. Tit
According to the Muratorian Fragment (see our New Testament Canon), the apostle Paul “wrote out of affection and love one (letter) to Philemon, one to Titus, and two to Timothy; and these are held sacred in the esteem of the Church catholic for the regulation of ecclesiastical discipline.” Writing at the beginning of the fourth century, Eusebius says in his Ecclesiastical History that “Paul’s fourteen epistles are well known and undisputed” (3.3.5), providing evidence that the orthodox church accepted the Pastorals as having been written by Paul.
“It
is true that certain heretics of the second century rejected some or all of
them. Marcion, and perhaps Basilides, rejected all three. Tatian, while maintaining the Apostolicity of
the Epistle to Titus, repudiated those to Timothy… But it is well known that Marcion, in framing
his mutilated and meagre canon of the Scriptures, did not profess to do so on critical grounds. He rejected everything except an expurgated
edition of St. Luke and certain Epistles of St. Paul, - not because he doubted
their authenticity, but because he disliked their contents. They did not fit into his system. And the few
others who rejected one or more of these Epistles did so in a similar spirit. They did not profess to find that these
documents were not properly authenticated, but they were displeased with
passages in them” (Alfred Plummer The Expositors Bible).
We
might add that the teaching of the books and the details of the writer’s life fit
Paul perfectly (see especially 1 Tim 1:12-17; 2:7; 2 Tim 1:1-8; 4:9-22; Tit
1:5; 3:12-13).
(3) Pauline authorship was not called into question until the beginning of the nineteenth century when a number of influential scholars began to raise objections to the traditional view. Sadly, many commentators today affirm that the Pastoral Epistles are products of the post-apostolic period and they typically cite the following arguments in support of their position:
The Pastorals
contain details of Paul’s travels which do not fit into the historical account
as recorded by Luke in Acts
For
example, according to 1 Tim 1:3, Paul left Timothy at
There
may be some extra-Biblical evidence for Paul’s release and subsequent
missionary activity.
·
Polycarp says: “Paul...having taught righteousness to the
whole world and having gone to the limits of the
West, and having
given testimony before the rulers, thus passed from the world and was taken up
into the Holy Place, having become the outstanding model of endurance” (1st Epistle of Clement to the Corinthians).
Although there is disagreement about the meaning of the words “to the
limits of the West,” the fact that early writers like Strabo and Philostratus
used similar language to speak of
·
In the Muratorian Canon
we have:
“Luke summarizes the several things that in
his own presence have come to pass, as also by the omission of the passion of
Peter he makes quite clear, and equally by (the omission) of the journey of
Paul, who from the city proceeded to Spain.”
Other early documents (eg
The Acts of Peter) support the tradition that Paul visited
“Thus after he had made his defence it is said that the apostle was sent again upon the ministry of preaching, and that upon coming to the same city a second time he suffered martyrdom. In this imprisonment he wrote his second epistle to Timothy, in which he mentions his first defence and his impending death” (Ecclesiastical History 2.22.1, 2).
Thus there is every reason to suppose that
Paul was released from prison and resumed his missionary activities making his
planned trip to
The church organization described in
the Pastorals is too advanced for Paul’s time and betrays a second century
setting
In
response we need only point out that as early as Acts 11:30, there is evidence
of elders exercising authority in the local church, and in Acts 14:23 we find
Paul appointing “elders in every church” (also Acts 15:2; 20:17 ff; Eph 4:11
ff; Phil 1:1).
In
fact, the pattern of church organization described in the Pastorals is evidence
against a second century date for these epistles
because by the second century there was a movement away from the pattern set
forth in these letters. Discussing “the rise of the monarchial bishop beginning in the early second century” Everett Ferguson explains:
“The first step in this
process was the beginning of a differentiation of function within the local
presbyteries. This may be reflected in
some passages in Hermas and would have involved the regular
assigning of certain duties to one of the presbyters who was the “overseer” (episkopos) of this work. The next step was the full recognition of one
man in each congregation as the “bishop” with this name
exclusively his. This is the situation
in
By the mid-century the monarchial bishop was a general feature of the church
throughout the Empire. The writings of
Hegesippus, Ireneaus, and Tertullian make this certain. It is likely that the “president” of the assembly who preaches the sermon and has charge of alms, in
Justin’s description of a worship service, is such a proto-bishop…
The final stage of this development was
reached at the close of the second century when the position of the single
bishop over each church was greatly strengthened by the doctrine of apostolic
succession” (The Ministry of the Word in the First Two
Centuries, Restoration Quarterly vol 1 no 1).
Thus:
“The
directions which Paul gives to Timothy and Titus in regard to the ordaining of
presbyters in every church are in agreement with similar notices found
elsewhere in the New Testament, and do not coincide with the state of church
organization as that existed in the 2nd century, the period when, objectors to
the genuineness of the epistles assert, they were composed” (International Standard Bible Encyclopaedia).
Paul’s concern
for church organization in the Pastorals is largely explained by the fact that
Timothy is having to deal with rebellious leaders
while Titus has been left in
The Pastorals address errors which did not exist in the first century
This
used to be confidently asserted by opponents of Pauline authorship. According to Goodspeed:
“(The) historical
background, disclosed by the letters, of rampant sectarian movements with
strange doctrinal perversions cannot be matched until a hundred years after
Paul wrote his first extant letter in A.D. 50. But about 150 every element falls into place. The vague polemic against heresy and schism,
which is on every page of the Pastorals, is fully satisfied by the ravages of
the Marcionite and Gnostic sects.”
However, “the
most advanced critics have now abandoned the theory....that the Epistles were
written against Marcion and other Gnostics about the middle of the second
century. It is now conceded that (the
errors)…were known to Sts. Ignatius and Polycarp and therefore written not
later than the end of the first century or early part of the second” (Catholic Encyclopaedia).
In fact, “(there) is nothing in the way of false teaching as described
in these letters that does not fit into what is known during the time of Paul’s
ministry. Though some will continue to
see the heresy as belonging to the second century, there are no real grounds
for saying that it could not have arisen while Paul was actively engaged in his
life’s work” (Carson et al).
The
vocabulary and style of the Pastoral Epistles proves that they were authored by
someone other than the apostle Paul
·
Vocabulary
In his
influential book The Problem of the Pastoral
Epistles, published in 1921, P. N. Harrison argued against Pauline authorship of the Pastorals on the basis of word
usage and grammatical style and many have adopted his conclusions. J. C. Beker gives the following summary of
“The
vocabulary of the pastorals contains 902 words, of which 54 are proper names.
Of the 848 remaining, 306 or more than one third are not found in the ten other
Pauline letters. There is an astonishing
number of hapax legomena (words occurring only once) among
them: 175 do not occur in the NT at all;
131 words do occur in the Pastorals and other NT books, but not in the Pauline
letters. The words then, which Paul and
the pastorals share, are 542. Of these,
only 50 can be characterised as exclusively Pauline, since they do not appear
in the other books of the NT. And only
three of them…occur more than twice in any Pauline letters” (Interpreter’s Dictionary of the Bible).
Moreover, it
is alleged that “the vocabulary of the Pastorals is
closer to that of popular Hellenistic philosophy than it is to the vocabulary of
Paul or the deutero-Pauline letters. Furthermore, in the Pastorals use Pauline
words in a non-Pauline sense: dikaios in Paul means ‘righteous’ and here means
‘upright’; pistis, ‘faith,’ has become ‘the
body of Christian faith’; and so on” (Norman Perrin, The New Testament: An Introduction). It
is also argued that the “less dynamic” style of the Pastorals, the writer’s use
of participles and various other features of the Pastoral Epistles reveal their
non-Pauline character.
However, despite the apparent objectivity of arguments based on vocabulary and style they are far
from convincing. Ryrie
is surely correct that “Vocabulary used to describe church organization, for
instance, would be expected to be different from that used to teach the
doctrine of the Holy Spirit. There is no argument against Pauline authorship
that does not have a reasonable answer.”
Significantly:
“Over sixty out of the seventy-five hapax legomena in 1 Tim. occur
in forty-four verses, where the words, for the most part, naturally arise out
of the new subjects treated of. The
remaining two-thirds of the Epistle have as few hapax legomena as any other portion of
Clearly too
“(People) use somewhat different styles in different circumstances” (Carson et al).
“No one writes
a business letter, for example, in the same style as a love letter. The question is whether the difference in
style between the Pastorals and the ten Pauline letters is greater than that
might legitimately be expected between private letters to trusted fellow
workers and the public letters to churches usually addressing specific
difficulties. So far that has not been
shown” (ibid).
Commenting upon Harrison’s analysis of the Pastorals, A.T. Robertson points out that although “there is a larger proportion of new words in the Pastorals (about twice as many) than in the other Pauline Epistles” it is also relevant to note that “Harrison’s tables show remarkable differences in the other Epistles also” (Word Pictures). He continues:
“The average of such words per page in Romans
is 4, but 5.6 in II Corinthians, 6.2 in Philippians, and only 4 in Philemon. Parry (Comm. p. CXVIII) notes that of the 845
words in the Pastorals as compared with each other 278 occur only in I Tim., 96
only in Titus, 185 only in II Tim. ‘If
vocabulary alone is taken, this would point to separate authorship of each
epistle.’ And yet the same style clearly
runs through all three. After all
vocabulary is not wholly a personal problem” (ibid).
Clearly hapax legomena are not proof of pseudonymity. Nor does the fact, that many of the words in question are found in the literature of the second century, prove that the pastorals are products of the post-apostolic period. Unfortunately, those who so argue “do not usually notice for example that most of the words shared by the Pastorals and the second century writers are also found in other writings prior to A.D. 50. It cannot be argued that Paul would not have known them, nor can it be argued that Paul’s total vocabulary is the number of words in the ten letters (2,177 words)” (Carson et al).
·
Style
Donald Guthrie points out that “many
writers who are prepared to concede the possibility of changes in Paul’s
vocabulary are reluctant to do so for Paul’s style” (New
Testament Introduction). Evidently
“(the) large number of
particles, pronouns and prepositions which can be collected from the other
Pauline Epistles but are absent from the Pastorals (
“But this evidence is not
quite as impressive as it at first seems, as Colossians and 2 Thessalonians
have very few of them (less than twenty) and there is considerable variation
within the other Pauline Epistles.
Various other arguments against Pauline
authorship of the Pastorals have arisen in recent years including the claim
that the theology of 1 Timothy, 2 Timothy and Titus is
“non-Pauline” failing to emphasize such things as the Fatherhood of God, union
with Christ and the activity of the Holy Spirit. However, subject matter and circumstances are
sufficient to account for different emphases and there is nothing in the
Pastorals which cannot be harmonized with Pauline doctrine. Coupled with this is the claim that “the
writer of the Pastorals lives in an age when doctrine has become formalized, when Paul’s dynamic conception of ‘faith’ has
become fixed into ‘the faith’, representing a body of received teaching” (Guthrie). Along with the fact that the writer speaks of
“sound teaching” and the “deposit” this supposedly suggests that “we have
passed out of the apostolic age into an age when the conservation is
all-important and when Christianity may be thought of as involving acceptance
of an official body of doctrine” (ibid). A glance at Paul’s use of the term “faith” in
Philippians 1:27, Colossians 2:7 and Ephesians 4:5 prove that the apostle did
indeed use this word to speak of a body of received teaching.
William Hendriksen asks “Can it truthfully be maintained that in this negative attitude the critics are as thoroughly objective as they claim to be?” (New Testament Commentary, Thessalonians, Timothy, Titus). “Is it just possible” he asks “that the manner in which these three little gems deal with ‘some of the fondest shibboleths of the modern mind’ has something to do with the decisive way in which their Pauline authorship is denied?” He adds:
“The Pastorals place particular emphasis on
such matters as the reality and importance of
ecclesiastical officers (1 Tim 3; Tit 1), the
inspiration of the written word (2 Tim 3:16)
the necessity of maintaining doctrinal soundness (1 Tim 4:1-6; 2 Tim
3:14; 4:3; Tit 2:1) the reality of the resurrection
(2 Tim 2:18) and the divine requirement that faith
shall make itself militantly manifest (2 Tim 4:2, 7, 8).”
We might add that in many quarters today, any suggestion that scripture imposes certain permanent restrictions upon the ministry of women is strenuously resisted, and thus it is very tempting for many to argue that Paul could not have written 1 Tim 2:8-15. (Some allege that this passage is in conflict with the apostle’s teaching that in Christ, there is neither male nor female -Gal 3:28).
The bottom line
is that the Pastorals declare Paul as the author (1 Tim 1:1; 2 Tim 1:1, Tit
1:1), the early Christian community attested to Pauline authorship and the doctrinal
teaching and autobiographical details fit with the life of an aged Paul at the
close of his ministry (see 1 Tim 1:12-17; 2:7; 2 Tim 1:1-8; 4:9-22;
Tit 1:5; 3:12-13).
Composition:
Date, Place and Circumstances
(1)
When the Book of Acts comes to
an end, Paul is in prison at
(2)
However, when 2 Timothy is
written, Paul is a prisoner in
(3)
This together with the fact
that the Pastoral Epistles will not fit into the time-frame of Acts, indicates
that Paul suffered two imprisonments at
(4) Merril C. Tenney comments:
“A definite
change took place after the (first) imprisonment of Paul. The man himself was different, for although he
was unready to quit the ardent pursuit of his calling as Philippians showed (
(5) Tradition has it that Paul was beheaded in the last year of Nero’s reign (probably 68 AD). During the five year period from the time of Paul’s release from his first imprisonment until the time of his martyrdom, the apostle visited Ephesus, leaving Timothy there and then went on to Macedonia from whence 1 Timothy was written (1 Tim 1:3; 3:14-15).
(6)
Also during this period, Paul
visited
(7)
Perhaps Paul went to Nicopolis, was arrested there and taken to
Most likely the Pastorals were written over the
period 62 - 67 AD
Addressees
The letters are addressed to Timothy and Titus. Notice however that in 1 Tim 6:21, Paul concludes: “Grace be with you all” (NIV). J. W. Roberts has:
“In passages
like the closing of 1 Timothy (Chapter 6, verse 21), the pronoun is plural,
indicating that the whole church is considered. This accounts for the inclusion of many things
in the epistles which would certainly already be known by Timothy, who had been
Paul’s companion for years.”
However the personal character of the letters must not be overlooked.
“It is not
easy to think that (1 Timothy) as a whole is meant for a wide public. In such a case, what are we to make of words
such as ‘Timothy, my son’ (
Timothy
Paul’s “...true
child in the faith” (1 Tim 1:2), “beloved son” (2 Tim 1:2) and “fellow-worker”
(Rom
·
We
first meet Timothy in Acts 16:l ff, where he is
described as “a disciple,” “well spoken of by the brethren who were in Lystra
and Iconium” (Acts 16:1-2B).
·
Evidently
an inhabitant of Lystra, Timothy’s father was a Greek but his mother was a
devout Jewess who had taught Timothy the sacred writings (Old Testament) from
an early age (2 Tim
·
Paul
had preached in the city of
·
From
2 Tim
·
When
Paul returned to Lystra in the course of his second missionary journey (51-54
AD), Paul had Timothy circumcised “because of the Jews” (Acts 16:3), - ie, to enhance Timothy’s ability to reach Jews with the
gospel. Probably at this time Timothy
was formally appointed to his new task by the local elders (1 Tim 1:18; 4:14)
and he may have received a miraculous gift by the laying
on of Paul’s hands (2 Tim 1:6).
Timothy
accompanied Paul and others into
·
During
the third missionary journey (53/54-57/58 AD), Timothy is found with Paul at
·
Likely
Timothy was with Paul when the apostle arrived in
·
Read
Philippians 2:19-22 for Paul’s assessment of Timothy. Perhaps Timothy is a little timid by nature
(1 Cor
Titus
Paul’s “true child” (Tit 1:4).
·
Titus
was a Gentile (Gal 2:1, 3) evidently converted by Paul who calls him “...my
true child” (Tit 1:4). Although one of
the apostle’s travelling companions, he is not
mentioned in Acts, a surprising omission.
(Perhaps he was a relative of Luke, who for purposes of modesty, omits his name).
·
From
Gal 2:1-10 we learn that in Jerusalem Paul resisted all attempts to bind the
Mosaic law of circumcision upon Titus, a Gentile.
·
From
2 Cor (7:6-9; 8:6;
·
At
·
Titus
was then sent on to
·
Titus
was at
·
Titus
appears to have been a capable, resourceful individual, trusted by Paul and
perhaps older than Timothy (cp 1 Tim
Purpose, Theme
and Characteristics
“There is
however nothing to indicate that (the Pastorals) were written at the same time
or from the same place, or that the author intended them to be studied
together. They are routinely treated as a group in modern studies, and it is
necessary to consider the three together if we are to follow modern writing. But there are differences among them that may
be important” (Carson et al).
In this context
we could mention the fact that, for example, whereas 1
Timothy has a great deal of material relating to the ministry of the
church, 2 Timothy has practically nothing. Moreover, in some ways, 2 Timothy is unlike 1 Timothy and Titus. 2
Timothy is the most personal of the Pastorals. “Possibly no other of the New Testament
letters makes so tender and so pathetic appeal. Every paragraph is suffused with emotion,
every sentence throbs with the pulse beats of the human heart” (Erdman). In 1 Timothy and Titus “(Paul)
writes
plain practical instructions (on) how to order and
rule the Churches” but “(the) main purpose (of 2 Timothy) was to encourage Timothy, under the new danger which had come
upon the Church through the
Neronian persecutions, and the apostle’s imprisonment under a capital charge” (Hervey). In 2 Timothy,
Paul strives to encourage Timothy “(by) his own noble example of faith and
constancy, by cogent reasonings and exhortations, and
by the strongest Christian motives” (ibid). “(He) adds some prophetic warnings concerning
coming heresies, and directions as to how Timothy is to meet them” (ibid).
However, having
noted this, we will treat the Pastorals as a unit in this short summary.
The Problem of Error
As we have
seen, it is evident that especially from the early 50s,
the church was confronted by two real problems:
Judaism
Certain
Judaists insisted that believing Gentiles needed to be circumcised to keep the
Law of Moses (see esp. Acts 15; Galatians; Phil 3:2-16). The leaders of this faction were out of
Religious syncretism
Gentile
converts brought with them a background of religious and philosophical
speculation (see our material on the Colossian epistle). Many evidently felt that such ideas could be
harmonized with their faith in Christ (some Hellenistic Jews evidently felt the
same way). Common to
much of this speculation was the idea that the world of matter was evil and
that the body was an enemy to be conquered. Thus, often this philosophical
speculation expressed itself in the abuse of the flesh which manifested itself
in two diametrically opposed practices:
·
On
the one hand, some advocated overcoming the flesh by indulging it. Likely it is this error which
inspired men were combating in such passages as 1 Jn 3:4-10 (“No one who is
born of God practices sin”); Rev 2:15, 20, 24; 2 Pet 2:12-19; Jude 4, 8, 11,
19. This dangerous idea resulted in
practices which could not be permitted to exist among those who were called to
holy living.
·
On
the other hand, some advocated overcoming the flesh by ascetic practices. Likely this is what lies behind such passages as 1 Cor 7:1-7; Col
2:18-23 9. (“Let no one keep defrauding you of your prize by delighting in self
abasement”... ”Do not handle, do not
taste, do not touch” and the like). Too, this view of the flesh may explain why
some denied the reality of a future bodily resurrection (1 Cor
These two
problems of Judaism and religious
syncretism are
relevant to our study of the Pastoral Epistles.
·
In
these letters the apostle Paul confronts, exposes and combats “strange
doctrine” which contains elements of the above.
The errors contain a definite Jewish flavour. The “myths and endless genealogies” (1 Tim
1:4 cf 2 Tim 4:4) and “worldly fables” (1 Tim 4:7)
are fostered by “those of the circumcision” (Tit
·
At
the same time, evidence of Greek dualism is apparent in the advocacy of certain
teachings which Paul describes as the “doctrines of demons” (1 Tim 4:1). Some kind of asceticism is involved which
included certain prohibitions relating to marriage and foods (1 Tim 4:3). Also likely, this dualism is seen in the
denial of a future bodily resurrection (“men who have gone astray from the
truth saying that the resurrection has taken place” – 2 Tim
Paul had warned
the elders at
The errorists
at
The antidote to
error is the preaching of “sound doctrine” (1:3-11, 18-20; 4:1-16; 6:3ff. Sound doctrine nourishes
(1 Tim 4:6);
Timothy is to “persevere” in the teaching (1 Tim
“Pay close attention to
yourself and to your teaching; persevere in these things, for as you do this
you will ensure salvation both for yourself and for those who hear you”
(1 Tim 4:16).
Correct Organization
Because of the
leadership problem at
Qualifications
for a group known as “deacons” are also set forth (1 Tim 3:8-10). They were to
serve under the elders. Commenting upon
1 Tim 3:11, Guy N. Woods says:
“The Greek
word (here) is simply that which designates ‘women.’ This has led many Bible students to accept the
view that reference is here made to a class of women in the early church who
served in special capacity, even as some faithful and godly women, at the
behest of the elders, perform special functions in the church today” (Difficult Texts of the New Testament Explained).
Others
understand Paul to be speaking of women in general or the wives of elders or
deacons. If we keep in mind that elders
are the overseers of the local church, including the deacons, the existence of
a special group of female servants in the local church does not violate the
scriptural principle of male leadership.
Directions
concerning correct organization relate to proper conduct “in the household of
God” (1 Tim.
“(The
Pastorals) fill a department which nothing else in the New Testament would
enable us to supply... (These
instructions) relate mainly to the office of the ministry... They are as full and complete as we could desire in regard to the nature
of the office, the qualifications for it, and the duties which grow out of it. They are fitted not only to direct Timothy and
Titus in the work to which they were specifically appointed, but to counsel the
ministry in every age and in every land.”
Public Worship
Instructions
relating to proper conduct “in the household of God” also involve direction for
conduct during public worship (1 Tim 2).
Likely these directions also grow out of the charge to Timothy to oppose
the errorists whose influence has had a negative effect upon the spiritual life
of the church. Prayer is to be offered
up on behalf of all men (1 Tim 2:1).
“The best
explanation for this emphasis lies with the false teachers, who through the
esoteric, highly speculative nature of their teaching (1:4-6) or through its “Jewishness” (1:7) or ascetic character (4:3) are promoting
an elitist or exclusivist mentality among their followers” (Gordon Fee, 1st and 2nd Timothy, Titus).
Controversy,
division and contention invariably accompany error, and Paul stresses that
those who pray on behalf of the assembly are to do so with “holy
hands” and with hearts free from “wrath and dissension” (1 Tim 2:8).
The role of men
and women in worship is set forth, with emphasis upon male leadership (1 Tim
2:8-15). It seems clear that women in
particular had been negatively influenced by the errorists (eg
1 Tim
Holy and Blameless Living
A major
emphasis in Titus is the need for Christians to live
holy and blameless lives. The Cretan
reputation is not good (“One of themselves, a prophet of their own, said, ‘Cretans
are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons.’ This testimony is true...” – Tit
In this context
of holy living, specific instructions are given to different groups: older men, older women, young men and bond
slaves (Tit 2:1-9). Instructions are
also given about proper conduct towards different groups: older men, older women, widows (1 Tim 5:1
ff). Particular attention is given to
the proper treatment of widows along with guidelines for determining who qualifies
for special care.
Sanctified
living also involves obeying civil authorities, showing consideration to all men
(3:1-2) and engaging in “good deeds.”
Reference to “good deeds” is found some six times in Titus (
Personal Instructions to
Paul’s Co-Workers
In 1 Timothy, Paul’s young co-worker is reminded not to “neglect the spiritual gift”
which he had received (1 Tim
We do not want
to get more out of the text than is there, but perhaps there is a suggestion in
2 Tim 1:6-7 that Timothy was a little timid:
“And for this reason I remind you to kindle afresh the gift of God which
is in you through the laying on of my hands. For God has not
given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline” (2 Tim
1:6-7). However:
“It is a
mistake to argue from the serious exhortations found in Paul’s epistles that
Timothy was lacking in vigour, in moral courage, or in spiritual power. The deep affection felt for him by the apostle
and expressed repeatedly in these letters must argue for a character of
peculiar beauty and depth and charm” (Charles R Erdman The Pastoral Epistles of
Paul).
Timothy is to
go to
The letter to
Titus is not as personal as 2 Timothy.
Titus is urged to come to Paul at Nicopolis
when Artemas or Tychicus arrives (Tit
Outline - 1 Timothy
(1)
The Salutation (1 Tim 1:1-2).
(2)
About Doctrine (1 Tim 1:3-20).
(3)
About Worship (1 Tim 2:1-2:15).
(4)
About Leaders (1 Tim 3:1-16).
(5)
Be Alert to Dangers (1 Tim 4:1-16).
(6)
Instructions Concerning Various
Responsibilities (1 Tim 5:1-6:10).
(7)
Final Instructions to Timothy (1
Tim