Paul’s First Letter to Timothy

Sister Kathleen McDonagh, IWBS is a member of the order of the Incarnate Word of the Blessed Sacrament.

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In the many New Testament Pauline letters, some are shorter than others. In the liturgical readings at Mass, we hear sections of the longer letters read frequently. Less frequently do we come in contact with the shorter letters; however, they too contain wise teachings.

Let us take time, then, to consider the content of Paul’s shorter letters. Of these, two are addressed to Timothy with the first containing six chapters and the second just three.

In the First Letter to Timothy, Paul addresses Timothy in loving terms as “my true child in faith, grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord (1 Tm 1:2).” After the greeting, Paul begins with a warning to Timothy to focus on the spiritual and positive and to call others to do the same.

Paul urges Timothy to “instruct certain people not to teach false doctrines or to concern themselves with myths and endless genealogies…rather than the plan of God that is to be received by faith. The aim of this instruction is love from a pure heart, a good conscience, and a sincere faith (1 Tm 1:3-5).”

Paul is obviously personally focused on the spiritually positive, and he is urging Timothy, his disciple, to make the same focus his own. Paul is aware that some people have deviated from the spiritual, putting all their emphasis on law. In his opinion, this is erroneous. Paul tells Timothy, “…law is meant not for a righteous person but for the lawless and unruly…and whatever else is opposed to sound teaching (1 TM 1:9-10).”

Later, Paul reflects on how he has experienced God’s goodness to him and expresses his gratitude for his mercy. He describes himself as having “once been a blasphemer and a persecutor and an arrogant,” but then goes on to describe how the Lord has treated him; “…I have been mercifully treated because I acted out of ignorance in my unbelief (1 Tm 1:13).” Paul then urges Timothy to “fight a good fight by having faith and a good conscience (1 Tm 1:18-19).”

In Chapter 2, Paul urges Timothy to approach God on behalf of everyone. He specifies kings and everyone in authority as people who specially need prayer, and he makes it quite clear that his objective is for the followers of Christ to lead a quiet and tranquil life in all devotion and dignity. This is good and pleasing to God our Savior who wills everyone to be saved and to come to the knowledge of truth (1 Tm 2:2-4).

In 1 Tm 2:8-15, Paul specifies how adults should pray. Today, many people would disagree with Paul’s statement that women should not teach or have authority over men. In our times, however, this has changed, and Church leaders now do appoint women to authoritative situations. Paul teaches that women “will be saved through motherhood provided that they persevere in faith and love and holiness with self-control (1 Tm 2:15).”

In Chapter 3, Paul specifies qualifications required for various ministers–these also not necessarily the same as those required today. The qualifications he lists for bishops include the statement that the bishops should be “irreproachable, married only once, temperate, self-controlled, decent, hospitable, able to teach (1 Tm 3:2).” A married bishop is urged to “keep his children under control with perfect dignity for, if a man does not know how to manage his own household, how can he take care of the church of God (1 Tm 3:5)?”

Paul then addresses the fact that Timothy and his church members should not need his presence in order to behave as members of the God’s household. They too relate directly to God. Central to the mystery of devotion in the household of God is Christ himself, “Who was manifested in the flesh, vindicated in the spirit, seen by angels, proclaimed to the Gentiles, believed in throughout the world, taken up in glory (1 Tm 3:16). ”

If we are dedicated Christian people, Christ is central in our lives. Let us live always in awareness of and response to him.