1 Timothy Background

Background (Constable):

Acts 14:1–7 (ESV) — 1 Now at Iconium they entered together into the Jewish synagogue and spoke in such a way that a great number of both Jews and Greeks believed. 2 But the unbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles and poisoned their minds against the brothers. 3 So they remained for a long time, speaking boldly for the Lord, who bore witness to the word of his grace, granting signs and wonders to be done by their hands. 4 But the people of the city were divided; some sided with the Jews and some with the apostles. 5 When an attempt was made by both Gentiles and Jews, with their rulers, to mistreat them and to stone them, 6 they learned of it and fled to Lystra and Derbe, cities of Lycaonia, and to the surrounding country, 7 and there they continued to preach the gospel.

• This is the first missionary journey. The next passage we will pick up in the second missionary journey

Acts 16:1–5 (ESV) — 1 Paul came also to Derbe and to Lystra. A disciple was there, named Timothy, the son of a Jewish woman who was a believer, but his father was a Greek. 2 He was well spoken of by the brothers at Lystra and Iconium. 3 Paul wanted Timothy to accompany him, and he took him and circumcised him because of the Jews who were in those places, for they all knew that his father was a Greek. 4 As they went on their way through the cities, they delivered to them for observance the decisions that had been reached by the apostles and elders who were in Jerusalem. 5 So the churches were strengthened in the faith, and they increased in numbers daily.

• What was the issue?
• Acts 15 (Ac 15:19-21)
• what does it mean to be a Christian?
• Do believers have to follow the OT law?
• On the second journey Timothy helped Paul in Troas, Philippi, Berea, Thessalonica, Athens, and Corinth. (Constable)

Acts 19:21–22 (ESV) — 21 Now after these events Paul resolved in the Spirit to pass through Macedonia and Achaia and go to Jerusalem, saying, “After I have been there, I must also see Rome.” 22 And having sent into Macedonia two of his helpers, Timothy and Erastus, he himself stayed in Asia for a while.

• During this third missionary trip, we see him with Paul in Ephesus
• He is sent to Macedonia

2 Corinthians 1:1 (ESV) — 1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, To the church of God that is at Corinth, with all the saints who are in the whole of Achaia:

2 Corinthians 1:19 (ESV) — 19 For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, whom we proclaimed among you, Silvanus and Timothy and I, was not Yes and No, but in him it is always Yes.

• This suggests he was preaching / teaching in Corinth

Romans 16:21 (ESV) — 21 Timothy, my fellow worker, greets you; so do Lucius and Jason and Sosipater, my kinsmen.

• Most people assume that Paul wrote the letter from Corinth

Acts 20:1–6 (ESV) —

1 After the uproar ceased, Paul sent for the disciples, and after encouraging them, he said farewell and departed for Macedonia. 2 When he had gone through those regions and had given them much encouragement, he came to Greece. 3 There he spent three months, and when a plot was made against him by the Jews as he was about to set sail for Syria, he decided to return through Macedonia. 4 Sopater the Berean, son of Pyrrhus, accompanied him; and of the Thessalonians, Aristarchus and Secundus; and Gaius of Derbe, and Timothy; and the Asians, Tychicus and Trophimus. 5 These went on ahead and were waiting for us at Troas, 6 but we sailed away from Philippi after the days of Unleavened Bread, and in five days we came to them at Troas, where we stayed for seven days.

• This suggest Timothy may have returned to Paul at Ephesus and traveled up to Troas
• Finally we see Timothy in Rome (read Col 1:1; Phile 1:1; Phil 1:1) before being sent to to Philippi …

Philippians 2:19–24 (ESV) — 19 I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, so that I too may be cheered by news of you. 20 For I have no one like him, who will be genuinely concerned for your welfare. 21 For they all seek their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ. 22 But you know Timothy’s proven worth, how as a son with a father he has served with me in the gospel. 23 I hope therefore to send him just as soon as I see how it will go with me, 24 and I trust in the Lord that shortly I myself will come also.

• This is where it gets a little complicated
• It looks like after the first acquittal from Caesar, Paul went to Ephesus, and it appears he left Timothy in Ephesus
• 1 Timothy 1:3–5 (ESV) — 3 As I urged you when I was going to Macedonia, remain at Ephesus so that you may charge certain persons not to teach any different doctrine, 4 nor to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies, which promote speculations rather than the stewardship from God that is by faith. 5 The aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.
• Constable conjectures Timothy has written Paul asking if he could join him
• 1 Timothy 3:14–15 (ESV) — 14 I hope to come to you soon, but I am writing these things to you so that, 15 if I delay, you may know how one ought to behave in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, a pillar and buttress of the truth.
• 1 Timothy 4:13 (ESV) — 13 Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching.

Purpose (Constable):

• 1 and 2 Timothy, and Titus are called the Pastoral Epistles
• Main pastoral duties
• Defend sound doctrine
• Maintain sound discipline
• The Pastoral Epistles deal with the same subject -  the order of the local church
• Paul had already expounded the doctrines of the church and ministry of the saints in Christ's body
• Now, it is the effective operation of the church
• The purpose of the local church then is to proclaim godliness. We do this by presenting Christ and by demonstrating before the world godlike behavior ourselves by the power of the Holy Spirit. Audio witness builds on visual witness. (Constable, T. (2003). Tom Constable’s Expository Notes on the Bible (2 Th 3:18). Galaxie Software.)
• The purpose of the leaders of the local church, in the second place, is to expound the truth in the church. Church leaders do this by teaching, by exhortation, and by example. The exposition of the truth is not only spoken or written communication (teaching) followed by intellectual comprehension. It also requires encouragement and sensitivity to the condition of the learners (exhortation). The church leader prepares others to reveal God’s truth most importantly by exemplifying the truth and illustrating it in his or her life. Truth must be incarnate in the teacher before the learner can thoroughly grasp it. (Constable, T. (2003). Tom Constable’s Expository Notes on the Bible (2 Th 3:18). Galaxie Software.)
• Constables suggest three main applications:
1. The local church should beware of false doctrine. This weakens our testimony
2. The local church should beware of a failure in prayer. This weakens our life witness and change
3. The local church should beware of feeble government. This occurs when deacons and elders lack godly character

Potential Issues:

1 Timothy 2:8–10 (RSV): I desire then that in every place the men should pray, lifting holy hands without anger or quarreling; also that women should adorn themselves modestly and sensibly in seemly apparel, not with braided hair or gold or pearls or costly attire but by good deeds, as befits women who profess religion.

1 Timothy 5:3 (RSV): Honor widows who are real widows.