1st and 2nd Timothy, Titus, and Philemon Paul's Letters to Christian Workers

By Practical Christianity Foundation

Paul's Letters to Christian Workers Guiding the Servant
Paul's letters to Timothy, Titus, AND Philemon offer practical instructions to Christian leaders and workers. Written by the apostle well-schooled in debate and persuasion, the inspired words of these theologically rich and practically viable epistles provide godly wisdom to churches across the ages in the administration and direction of the Lord's work, by faithfully applying God's timeless truth recorded in these small yet powerful books.
"The PCF Commentary Series is an invaluable tool. It gives a fresh perspective on what the bible tells God's people, with practical instructions for pastors,teachers, and church leaders. Chris Gates Youth Pastor

• Language: English
• Publisher: Practical Christianity Foundation
• Release date: Aug 21, 2020
• ISBN: 9781600980633

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3:18).

FIRST TIMOTHY

INTRODUCTION

During Paul’s ministry, he often wrote letters to the churches that had begun under his leadership. Throughout these letters and Luke’s history of the early church, we learn of associates who traveled with Paul. Luke and Timothy were two of Paul’s closest companions. As Paul neared the end of his life, he wrote this letter to Timothy, advising him how to guide believers in the growth of their Christian faith. It represents Paul’s careful advice to pastors and leaders who would follow in his footsteps. For this reason this letter, along with others, is called a pastoral letter.

Paul was one of the foremost characters portrayed throughout the New Testament narrative. Most of the Book of Acts follows the arduous efforts that this great man of God endured as he fearlessly proclaimed the Good News of Christ’s redemption to both Jew and Gentile. Luke, the author of Acts, tells of Paul’s conversion in Paul’s own words.

⁶But as I was on my way and approaching the city of Damascus about noon, a bright light from heaven suddenly flashed around me. ⁷I fell to the ground and heard a voice asking me, Saul! Saul! Why are you persecuting me? ⁸I answered, Who are you, sir? The person told me, I’m Jesus from Nazareth, the one you’re persecuting. ⁹The men who were with me saw the light but didn’t understand what the person who was speaking to me said. ¹⁰Then I asked, What do you want me to do, Lord? (Acts 22:6–10)

Paul had been imprisoned in Rome for testifying about Jesus. He was released and immediately returned to his previous efforts, traveling through Macedonia(view image). Paul had dispatched Timothy to Ephesus to address some important doctrinal issues that had cropped up while he was in prison. He wrote this letter to Timothy in Ephesus around A.D. 63 to 65.¹

Timothy was from Lystra, a town of Lycaonia in Asia Minor(view image). Its location was unknown until 1885, when a Roman altar was found, still in place, inscribed with the city’s Latin name (Lustra) indicating that it was a Roman colony.² Timothy’s mother was a believing Jew and his father Greek (Acts 16:1). Timothy’s mother, Eunice, and grandmother, Lois, were wonderful practicing believers. Timothy was raised in the environment of their God-given knowledge and faith. In that believing household, Timothy observed their faith and learned from their instruction. There is a very real sense in which Timothy reflected the ancient Hebrew proverb: ²⁰My son, do not disregard the teachings of your mother. ²¹Fasten them on your heart forever. Hang them around your neck. ²²When you walk around, they will lead you. When you lie down, they will watch over you. When you wake up, they will talk to you (Proverbs 6:20–22). Paul recognized Timothy’s unusual spiritual gifts, loved him as though he were his own son, and continued to mentor him in the Christian faith as his spiritual father (2 Timothy 2:4–5; 1 Corinthians 4:17).

Timothy had a very commendable reputation in the Christian community (Acts 16:2). Because of his Christian witness and his love for the Lord, Paul chose Timothy to accompany him on many of his travels. As they traveled from town to town, Paul always went first to proclaim the Gospel in the Jewish synagogue. However, since Timothy was born in the Greek culture and had a Greek father, he was not circumcised on the eighth day in accordance to the Jewish law. The Jews would never permit Timothy to enter their synagogue unless he was fully indoctrinated into the Jewish practices, observing all of the rabbinical traditions. In view of the perspectives of the Jews, both believers and unbelievers, making no sacrifice of principle, Paul, who had refused to permit the circumcision of Titus, took and circumcised Timothy (Acts 16:3).³

Timothy was obedient to the Lord and greatly used as he accompanied Paul on his many travels. Timothy was an able assistant and followed Paul’s orders with devotion, not to Paul, but to the Lord. Paul’s confidence in Timothy was demonstrated by trusting Timothy to visit those churches Paul had already established with the assignment of observing and correcting their doctrine and practice in their Christian walk. He directed church leaders to remain true to the Holy Scriptures and to the doctrines established by the Lord’s apostles. Paul sent him to Corinth(view image), Philippi, and Thessalonica(view image). When Paul wrote this letter to Timothy, he was in Ephesus fulfilling these assigned tasks.

Tradition says that after Paul’s death, Timothy remained in Ephesus and devoted himself to the care of the Ephesian church. First Timothy 1:3 suggests that he became Paul’s representative at Ephesus, and Eusebius (A.D. 263–339), an early church historian, stated that he was the first bishop of that city.⁴ Tradition states that Timothy was put to death during the reign of the emperor Domitian on January 22, 97, when he opposed the licentious festivities of the goddess Diana.⁵

LUKE — Author of the Third Gospel and the book of Acts in the NT, as well as a close friend and traveling companion of Paul. The apostle called him loved (Colossians 4:14). Luke referred to his journeys with Paul and his company in Acts 16:10–17; 20:5–15; 21:1–18; 27:1–

28:16. Many scholars believe Luke wrote his Gospel and the book of Acts while in Rome with Paul during the apostle’s first Roman imprisonment. Apparently Luke remained nearby or with Paul also during the apostle’s second Roman imprisonment. Shortly before his martyrdom, Paul wrote that only Luke is with me (2 Timothy 4:11).

Early church fathers Jerome (ca. A.D. 400) and Eusebius (ca. A.D. 300) identified Luke as being from Antioch. His interest in Antioch is clearly seen in his many references to that city (Acts 11:19–27; 13:1–3; 14:26; 15:22, 35; 18:22). Luke adopted Philippi as his home, remaining behind there to superintend the young church while Paul went on to Corinth during the second missionary journey (Acts 16:40).

Paul identified Luke as a physician (Colossians 4:14) and distinguished Luke from those of the circumcision (Colossians 4:11). Early sources indicate that Luke was a Gentile. Tradition holds that he was Greek. The circumstances of Luke’s conversion are not revealed. An early source supplied a fitting epitaph: He served the Lord without distraction, having neither wife nor children, and at the age of 84 he fell asleep in Boeatia, full of the Holy Spirit.¹

¹ T. R. McNeal, Luke, Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary, ed. Chad Brand, Charles Draper, Archie England, Steve Bond, E. Ray Clendenen and Trent C. Butler (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2003). 1056-57.

TIMOTHY — One of Paul’s most significant traveling companions and coworkers. Timothy was already a Christian (probably converted during the apostle’s first missionary journey) when Paul and Silas passed through Lystra, Timothy’s home, during the second missionary journey (Acts 16:1; cf. 14:6–8, 21). Timothy’s mother was Jewish but a believer, and his father, probably deceased, a Gentile. Timothy had not been circumcised, but had received some training in the Jewish scriptures (2 Tim. 3:15). Wanting Timothy to join him and Silas, Paul circumcised the young disciple so that traveling with the son of a marriage regarded as illegal according to Jewish law would not be such an immediate hindrance to work among Jews (Acts 16:2–3).

Forced to leave Macedonia for Athens, Paul left Timothy and Silas behind in Macedonia (17:1–15). When Timothy joined Paul at Athens, the apostle sent him back northward to Thessalonica (1 Thess. 3:1–2). When they were rejoined at Corinth, Timothy again worked alongside Paul (Acts 18:5; 2 Cor. 1:19). His name occurs with Paul’s in the letters to Thessalonica written from Corinth (1 Thess. 1:1; 3:6; 2 Thess. 1:1). Again on his third missionary journey, Paul sometimes had Timothy with him as an assistant and sometimes sent him to some location where help was needed but where the apostle could not himself be present (Acts 19:22; 1 Cor. 4:17; 16:10; 2 Cor. 1:1). When Paul was in Corinth on the eve of his journey to Jerusalem, and at least during part of that journey, Timothy was with Paul (Acts 20:4; Rom. 16:21). Later Timothy worked at Ephesus (1 Tim. 1:3), perhaps going there while Paul went on to Jerusalem. If Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon were written from Rome, then Timothy was there with Paul at least for a short time (Phil. 1:1; 2:19; Col. 1:1; Phlm. 1).

Toward the end of Paul’s life, Timothy proved to be an especially significant helper whose faithful service was remembered by the apostle, as 2 Timothy bears witness (cf. 1 Cor. 4:17; Phil. 2:22). Paul indeed wanted Timothy to be with him (2 Tim. 4:9, 21). It appears that alongside his faithfulness was a timidity on Timothy’s part, which Paul considered a difficulty, and problems with physical health as well (1 Tim. 4:12; 2 Tim. 1:7; 4:1–5). At some time during his career as a Christian worker Timothy was imprisoned (Heb. 13:23).¹

¹Allen C. Myers, The Eerdmans Bible Dictionary (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1987). 1006.

MACEDONIA — Roman province in NT times, beginning as a kingdom in the 7th century B.C. Little is known about the first several centuries of its history, but with the coming to power of the Greek king Philip II (359–336 B.C.), and especially his son Alexander III (the Great, 336–323 B.C.), Macedonia became a world power. After Alexander’s death, the empire was divided among his successors into several regions, one of them the original Macedonian kingdom. Instability held sway for the next 150 years, and in 167 B.C. Macedonia came under Roman rule. Initially divided into four districts by the Romans (Acts 16:12 is a possible reference to this division), this territory was made into a Roman province in 14 B.C. with Thessalonica as its capital. Briefly, from A.D. 15–44, Macedonia was combined with Achaia and Moesia (other parts of Greece) into one large province; however, in A.D. 44, the three were again separated. Macedonia’s importance continued through the Roman era, and it remained a separate entity down to modern times, though at present no Macedonian state exists.

The Roman province of Macedonia included the northern region of Greece and southern sections of present-day Yugoslavia and Bulgaria. Noted for its gold, silver, timber, and farm lands, the region also served as a land route for trade between Asia and the West. Shortly after the Romans incorporated Macedonia as a province they built the Via Egnatia, a paved road over 500 miles long, running from the Adriatic coast to the Aegean, no doubt traveled by the apostle Paul as he moved through the Macedonian cities of Neapolis, Philippi, Amphipolis, Apollonia, and Thessalonica (Acts 16:11, 12; 17:1).

The gospel was introduced to Europe by way of Macedonia when Paul responded to a vision while on his second missionary journey (Acts 16:9–12). Details of that work, centering in Philippi and Thessalonica, are described in Acts 16:11–17:15. On his third journey, though delayed initially (19:21, 22), Paul later returned to Macedonia, and again after a stay in Corinth (20:1–3; see 1 Corinthians 16:5; 2 Corinthians 1:16 and 2:13 for other references to Macedonian visits).

Macedonian believers played an important part in the collection Paul gathered for the poor in Jerusalem (Romans 15:26; 2 Corinthians 9:2, 4); Paul commended them for their liberality (2 Corinthians 8:1, 2). He also praised them for their example of faith, even in times of adversity (7:5; 1 Thessalonians 1:7), and for their love of others (1 Thessalonians 4:10). Some of the Macedonians worked directly with Paul in carrying out the gospel commission (Acts 19:29; 20:4; 27:2), and he addressed letters to churches in two Macedonian cities, Philippi and Thessalonica.¹

¹ Walter A. Elwell and Barry J. Beitzel, Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1988). 1372-73.

EPHESUS — Ephesus, capital of the wealthy province of Asia.

This city was home to Paul for more than two years. This proud city, whose heritage reached back a thousand years to the Ionian Greeks, boasted of her fame as the Warden of the great temple of Artemis, an ancient fertility/mother goddess worshiped by the Romans as Diana. One of the seven wonders of the ancient world, the Artemision was the largest marble temple of the Greek world (about 420 × 240 feet); it replaced an earlier structure burned in 356 B.C. The temple stood northeast of the city on a marshy plain beneath a hill. Ionic capitals crowned over a hundred columns set in double rows around the shrine. Some of the columns were sculpted with mythological scenes and overlaid with gold. A U-shaped altar stood in a forecourt. The Artemision was burned by the Goths in A.D. 263, and the emperor Justinian cannibalized the ruins shortly after A.D. 500 for building materials. Little remains of this once mighty edifice, but in Paul’s day pilgrims from all over Asia Minor and beyond converged on Ephesus annually in the spring to pay homage to the mother goddess with special celebrations. Images of the goddess found in excavations show Artemis wearing an unusual corselet composed of eggs or multiple breasts.¹

Ephesus’ political importance increased when Domitian awarded the city a provincial imperial temple dedicated to the Flavian Dynasty. As a temple warden (Greek Neokoros) of a provincial imperial temple, Ephesus received political and commercial benefits and increased status among the cities of Asia. Prominent Ephesians served the Provincial Assembly (Koinon) whose mission was to cultivate and enforce emperor worship within the province. Several scholars identify this assembly with the second beast in Revelation 13 who made war on the Christians of Asia by requiring worship of the emperor (Revelation 13:11–18).

Ephesus’ strategic location ensured the city was a large, important commercial center. A well-protected harbor at the mouth of the Cayster River afforded good anchorage despite the continual problem of silting. Links with the Meander and Hermus Valleys afforded access to the agricultural wealth and interior cities of western Asia Minor. Paul evangelized the interior by sending his disciples from Ephesus (for example, Epaphras, (Colossians 1:7), and carried on correspondence from Ephesus with churches (the Corinthian correspondence; perhaps the Prison Epistles—Colossians, Ephesians, Philippians, and Philemon—according to some scholars).

Hellenistic/Roman Ephesus occupied an area south of the Artemision between two prominences, Mounts Pion and Koressos. Lysimachus built the new city about 290 B.C., forcing the inhabitants of the earlier city to move from the earliest site. Ephesus was the fourth or fifth largest city of the empire when Paul visited the city, with a population estimated at 250,000. As the administrative capital of Asia, Ephesus was well endowed with monumental buildings, whose remains are impressive even today. An upper agora contained civic buildings, including an Odeum used as a town council chamber, the Prytaneion used as a town hall, and an imperial temple dedicated to Augustus and Rome.

The large imperial temple built by Domitian stood nearby at the beginning of Curetes Street. Later, Hadrian and Trajan added a fountain and temple along this impressive street known for its fine monuments. Shops lurked behind colonnaded street ways, while fine houses crept up the slopes of the hill. The Library of Celsus, built shortly after 100 A.D., stood at the intersection of Curetes and Marble Streets. Close by, the 360-foot-square commercial agora with its many shops tucked behind a double-aisle stoa served the business needs of the city. A large theater built into Mount Pion seated about twenty-five thousand people and overlooked the harbor. From the theater, the Harbor Road stretched westward toward the busy port facilities. Later, the emperor Arcadius (A.D. 383–408) rebuilt this road into a spacious colonnaded thoroughfare with shops on either side. Several large bath complexes and gymnasia bordered the harbor area near the Harbor Road.

Ephesus’ stature as a center of banking, commerce, provincial government, and religion made it one of the major centers of the Roman world. Little wonder that Paul spent more time in Ephesus than any other city on his missionary journeys. Ephesus provided a strong base of operations to evangelize the province of Asia, a province that fostered a large Christian community by A.D. 100.²

¹ Thomas V. Brisco, Holman Bible Atlas, Holman Reference (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1998). 254.

² Thomas V. Brisco, Holman Bible Atlas, Holman Reference (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1998). 255.

LYSTRA — a city in the region of Lycaonia, about twenty-five miles south-by-southwest of Iconium in central Asia Minor. Its location was unknown until 1885, when a Roman altar was found, still in place, inscribed with the city’s Latin name (‘Lustra’) indicating that it was a Roman colony. Lystra remains unexcavated, but surface finds indicate settlement as early as 3000 B.C. Ca. 6 B.C., Augustus made the city a Roman stronghold against mountain tribes in the region. The Lycaonians had a district language, and a temple to Zeus graced the city of Lystra (Acts 14:11-13). Paul and Barnabas stopped here during the first journey and were mistaken for gods (Acts 14:6-23), and Paul returned later with Silas, when he recruited Timothy as a companion (Acts 15:40-16:4).¹

¹Paul J. Achtemeier, Harper & Row and Society of Biblical Literature, Harper’s Bible Dictionary, 1st ed. (San Francisco: Harper & Row, 1985). 586.

ASIA MINOR — great peninsula, approximately 250,000 sq mi (647,500 sq km), extreme Western Asia, Asian Turkey, also called Anatolia.

It is washed by the Black Sea in the north, the Mediterranean Sea in the south, and the Aegean Sea in the west. The Black and Aegean seas are linked by the Sea of Marmara and the two straits of the Bosporus and the Dardanelles. Near the southern coast of Asia Minor are the Taurus Mountains; the rest of the peninsula is occupied by the Anatolian plateau, which is crossed by numerous mountains interspersed with lakes. In ancient times most Eastern and Western civilizations intersected in Asia Minor, for it was connected with Mesopotamia by the Tigris and Euphrates rivers and with Greece by the Aegean and Mediterranean seas.

The Hittites established the first major civilization in Asia Minor about 1800 B.C. Beginning in the 8th cent. B.C. Greek colonies were established on the coastlands, and the Greeks thus came into contact with Lydia, Phrygia, and Troy. The conquest (6th cent. B.C.) of Asia Minor by the Persians led to the Persian Wars. Alexander the Great incorporated the region into his empire, and after his death it was divided into small states ruled by various Diadochi (rulers). It was reunified (2nd cent. B.C.) by the Romans. After A.D. 395 the country was re-Hellenized and became part of the Eastern Roman, or Byzantine Empire. It was prosperous until the early part of the 6th cent. when it was successively invaded by the Persians (616–26), Arabs (668), Seljuk Turks (1061), and Mongols (1243). The Mongols obliterated almost all traces of Hellenic civilization. Asia Minor was then gradually (13th–15th cent.) conquered by the Ottoman Turks. It remained part of the Ottoman Empire until the establishment of the Republic of Turkey after World War I.¹

¹Paul Lagassé and Columbia University, The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed. (New York; Detroit: Columbia University Press; Sold and distributed by Gale Group, 2000).

LAW — an orderly system of rules and regulations by which a society is governed. In the Bible, particularly the Old Testament, a unique law code was established by direct revelation from God to direct His people in their worship, in their relationship to Him, and in their social relationships with one another.

Israel was not the only nation to have a law code. Such collections were common among the countries of the ancient world. These law codes generally began with an explanation that the gods gave the king the power to reign, along with a pronouncement about how good and capable he was. Then came the king’s laws grouped by subject. The code generally closed with a series of curses and blessings.

The biblical law code, or the Mosaic Law, was different from other ancient Near Eastern law codes in several ways. Biblical law was different, first of all, in its origin. Throughout the ancient world, the laws of most nations were believed to originate with the gods, but they were considered intensely personal and subjective in the way they were applied. Even the gods were under the law, and they could suffer punishment if they violated it—unless, of course, they were powerful and able to conquer the punishers. The king ruled under the god whose temple and property he oversaw. Although he did not live under a written law code, he had a personal relationship to the god. Therefore, law was decided case by case and at the king’s discretion. For most of a king’s lifetime, his laws were kept secret.

By contrast, the biblical concept was that law comes from God, issues from His nature, and is holy, righteous, and good. Furthermore, at the outset of God’s ruling over Israel at Sinai, God the great King gave His laws. These laws were binding on His people, and He upheld them. Furthermore, His laws were universal. Ancient oriental kings often tried to outdo their predecessors in image, economic power, and political influence. This was often their motivation in setting forth law codes. God, however, depicts His law as an expression of His love for His people (Exodus 19:5–6).¹

¹ Nelson’s New Illustrated Bible Dictionary, ed. Ronald F. Youngblood, F. F. Bruce, R. K. Harrison and Thomas Nelson Publishers (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, Inc., 1995).

CORINTH — Prominent city of Greece, formerly the capital of the ancient province of Achaia, in which the apostle Paul preached. The site of ancient Corinth lies to the west of the isthmus separating the Peloponnesian peninsula from mainland Greece. The ancient ruins, largely of Roman origin, are situated about eight/tenths of a mile (1.3km) from present-day Corinth. The area was inhabited from Neolithic times.

Corinth is dominated by an outcrop of rock known as Acrocorinth (Upper Corinth). The grandeur of the Greek period is evident in the remains of the temple of Apollo, whose massive columns dominate the site. Entrance to the ancient city is by means of a very broad avenue which lies in a straight line from the city gate. That avenue ends in the marketplace, with roads leading from there to the Acrocorinth. In the apostolic period the city was a bustling commercial and industrial center boasting a population of almost 700,000.¹

¹ Walter A. Elwell and Barry J. Beitzel, Baker encyclopedia of the Bible (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1988) 513–514.

PHILIPPI — Formerly Crenides, the fountain, the capital of the province of Macedonia. It stood near the head of the Sea, about 8 miles north-west of Kavalla. It is now a ruined village, called Philibedjik. Philip of Macedonia fortified the old Thracian town of Crenides, and called it after his own name Philippi (B.C. 359-336). In the time of the Emperor Augustus this city became a Roman colony, a military settlement of Roman soldiers, there planted for the purpose of controlling the district recently conquered. It was a miniature Rome, under the municipal law of Rome, and governed by military officers, called duumviri, who were appointed directly from Rome. Having been providentially guided thither, here Paul and his companion Silas preached the gospel and formed the first church in Europe. This success stirred up the enmity of the people, and they were shamefully entreated (Acts 16:9–40; 1 Thessalonians 2:2). Paul and Silas at length left this city and proceeded to Amphipolis.¹

¹ M. G. Easton, Easton’s Bible Dictionary (New York: Harper & Brothers, 1893).

THESSALONICA — Name of modern Thessaloniki, given to the city about 315 B.C. by Cassander, a general of Alexander the Great. He founded the city in that year, naming it after his wife who was the daughter of Philip II and half sister of Alexander. Located on the Thermaic Gulf (Gulf of Salonika) with an excellent harbor—and at the termination of a major trade route from the Danube—it became, with Corinth, one of the two most important commercial centers in Greece. In the Roman period it retained its Greek cultural orientation and functioned as the capital of Macedonia after 146 B.C. See Macedonia.

When the Apostle Paul visited the city, it was larger than Philippi and reflected a predominantly Roman culture. Thessalonica was a free city, having no Roman garrison within its walls and maintaining the privilege of minting its own coins. Like Corinth, it had a cosmopolitan population due to the commercial prowess of the city. The recent discovery of a marble inscription, written partly in Greek and partly in a Samaritan form of Hebrew and Aramaic, testifies to the presence of Samaritans in Thessalonica. The book of Acts testifies to the presence of a Jewish synagogue there (17:1).

Since most of the ancient city still lies under modern Thessaloniki, it has been impossible to excavate it. However, in the center of town, a large open area has been excavated revealing a Roman forum (marketplace), about 70 by 110 yards (64 by 91m), which dates from about A.D. 100 to 300. An inscription found in the general area, dating to 60 B.C., mentions an agora (Gk. for the Roman forum) and opens the possibility that a Hellenistic marketplace was located here just prior to the construction of this Roman one. In Hellenistic times there was a stadium, a gymnasium, and a temple of Serapis in the city. A third-century odeum (small theater) is preserved on the east side of the forum.

The authenticity of Acts has been questioned due to Luke’s mention of Roman officials in Thessalonica by the name of politarchs (Acts 17:6), who are otherwise unknown in extant Greek literature. However, a Roman arch at the western end of ancient Vardar Street contained an inscription from before A.D. 100 that began, In the time of the Politarchs. Several other inscriptions from Thessalonica, one of them dating from the reign of Augustus Caesar, mention politarchs.¹

¹ John McRay, Thessalonica, ed. Chad Brand et al., Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2003) 1590–1591.

EUSEBIUS — Eusebius of Caesarea (ca. A.D. 260–340), bishop of Caesarea and prolific historian, biblical scholar, and Christian apologist. Educated in the Alexandrian tradition by the presbyter Pamphilus (hence his designation also as Eusebius Pamphilii), his text-critical skills were employed as copyist for the emperor Constantine. His ten-volume Historiaecclesiastica (Church History) records the history of the Church from apostolic times until ca. 323; the many quotations and paraphrases preserve portions of ancient works which otherwise have not survived. Eusebius’ earlier Chronicle provides a comparative chronology of ancient Near Eastern, classical, and biblical history. Although he composed extensive commentaries using literal and allegorical modes of exegesis, Eusebius’ most important contributions to biblical studies were his Onomasticon, a topographical catalogue of biblical sites, and the Eusebian Canons, a system of tables indicating parallel passages in the Gospels.¹

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¹ Allen C. Myers, The Eerdmans Bible dictionary (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1987) 358.

DOMITIAN — Roman emperor (A.D. 81–96) who persecuted both Jews and Christians. Tradition says that under Domitian the apostle John was banished to Patmos, where he wrote the Book of Revelation (Revelation 1:9).¹

His full name was Titus Flavius Domitianus. He was born A.D. 51 and died A.D. 96. Was the son of Vespasian and brother to Titus, who defeated the Jews and destroyed Jerusalem in A.D.70. Although intended as the heir to his older brother, he was given no important posts. On Titus’ death he succeeded to the throne and proved himself at once proud and more absolutist than his father. In his first years, however, he governed in the interests of order and public welfare.

Except for his victory in A.D. 83 over the Chatti, a German tribe, Domitian’s campaigns were only partially successful. He recalled (A.D. 84) Agricola from his successful campaign in Britain, probably because he thought it would overtax the empire. As time went on, Domitian became more despotic, particularly after the rebellion in A.D. 89 of Antonius Saturninus, governor of Upper Germany. His despotism caused plots against him, which brought on a reign of terror during the last years of his rule. Finally his wife, Domitia, had a freedman, Stephanus, stab him. Nerva succeeded. Tacitus and Juvenal describe Domitian’s reign of terror with bitterness, but modern historians recognize that he governed the empire well.²

¹ Walter A. Elwell and Barry J. Beitzel, Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1988). 639.

² Paul Lagassé and Columbia University, The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed. (New York; Detroit: Columbia University Press; Sold and distributed by Gale Group, 2000).

Acts 16:1

¹Paul arrived in the city of Derbe and then went to Lystra, wherea disciple named Timothy lived. Timothy’s mother was a Jewish believer, but his father was Greek.

2 Timothy 2:4–5

⁴Whoever serves in the military doesn’t get mixed up in non-military activities. This pleases his commanding officer. ⁵ Whoever enters an athletic competition wins the prize only when playing by the rules.

1 Corinthians 4:17

¹⁷That’s why I’ve sent Timothy to you to help you remember my Christian way of life as I teach it everywhere in every church. Timothy is my dear child, and he faithfully does the Lord’s work.

Acts 16:2

²The believers in Lystra and Iconium spoke well of Timothy.

Acts 16:3

³Paul wanted Timothy to go with him. So he circumcised him because of the Jews who lived in those places and because he knew that Timothy’s father was Greek.

First Timothy 1:3

³When I was going to the province of Macedonia, I encouraged you to stay in the city of Ephesus. That way you could order certain people to stop teaching false doctrine

1. Walter A. Elwell, Evangelical Commentary on the Bible, Baker Reference Library (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1996), 1 Timothy 1:3.

2. Paul J. Achtemeier, Harper’s Bible Dictionary, 1st ed. (San Francisco: Harper & Row, 1985), 586.

3. William Smith, Smith’s Bible Dictionary (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1997).

4. F. L. Cross and Elizabeth A. Livingstone, The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church, 3rd ed. rev. (New York: Oxford University Press, 2005), 1634.

5. Ibid.

1 TIMOTHY

1 Timothy 1:1–7

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1:1 From Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the command of God our Savior and Christ Jesus our confidence.

Paul opened his letter to Timothy by defining his office in the work of Christ’s kingdom. Paul did not take on this task because he wanted it. Rather he was assigned to be an apostle of Christ Jesus by the authority of God. Often Jesus Christ is held up as the believer’s Savior, but here Paul stated that God was the believer’s Savior, not because Jesus did not die for the sins of the world, but because God gave Jesus, His Son, to die for the sins of the world. Under that authority Paul could firmly state that Christ Jesus was his confidence. The confidence that motivated Paul throughout his life was not some self-induced pride in what he did, but in the Person of Christ Himself. In his own humanity, Paul always acknowledged his weakness, but in Christ that weakness was swept away in the victory that Christ won over sin, death, and hell (Romans 7:24–25).

1:2 To Timothy, a genuine child in faith. Good will, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord are yours!

Paul addressed the letter to Timothy, not only his companion in the work and ministry of evangelism, but also a young man whom he regarded as his own child in the faith.

Immediately after his address, Paul continued in the normal structure of a salutation by conferring God’s good will, mercy, and peace on Timothy. He really put forth the framework in which and through which Paul wrote this letter and Timothy should receive its instruction. Indeed, it is this framework in which every believer should receive the instruction of God’s Word. These gifts are given when the Holy Spirit completes His work of regeneration in the hearts of sinners. These attributes of the redeemed life belong to God’s people because of the intercessory work of Jesus Christ seen in His atoning death, resurrection, and ascension. God alone imparts grace, mercy, and peace to those He has chosen. Nothing in this world can provide the depth of comfort and satisfaction provided by the reconciliation the Son of God purchased by His sacrificial death.

1:3–4 ³When I was going to the province of Macedonia, I encouraged you to stay in the city of Ephesus. That way you could order certain people to stop teaching false doctrine ⁴and occupying themselves with myths and endless genealogies. These myths and genealogies raise a lot of questions rather than promoting God’s plan, which centers in faith.

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When Paul was going to Macedonia(view image), he advised Timothy to remain in Ephesus. They had journeyed through Phrygia, Galatia, Mysia, Troas, Philippi, and Berea.¹ Paul needed his most trusted emissary to correct the false doctrine that was creeping into the Christian community. Some people were preoccupied with myths and genealogies rather than focused on the work of Christ that had saved them. The result was their dependence on human stories that raised more questions than could be answered. In the process, God’s plan was pushed to the side and the work of proclaiming the Good News lost its driving forcefulness.

According to Webster’s New Collegiate Dictionary, a myth is an ill-founded belief held uncritically.² The culture of these times was founded on a religious devotion mired in a host of mythological legends about numerous gods. These concepts continued to influence the thinking of those who had been redeemed and tended to confuse the clear Gospel message. Many Christians were put to death, not simply because they believed in Jesus, but because they refused to swear allegiance to this hierarchy of mythological gods.

Genealogies are the studies of family backgrounds. Knowing one’s background was not in itself a detriment to the Gospel. Nevertheless, Jewish believers still relied heavily on their heritage, showing that they were biologically the descendants of Abraham. They tended to use this heritage to enforce their will over those who could not prove any heritage, let alone a Jewish heritage. It became a wedge that separated Jew from Gentile in a way that attempted to prove the superiority of one over the other. This kind of debate was useless and occupied people’s time in fruitless endeavors.

1:5 My goal in giving you this order is for love to flow from a pure heart, from a clear conscience, and from a sincere faith.

Paul was instructing Timothy to correct the Ephesian church with true doctrine that would result in a genuine attitude of God’s love flowing from a heart unencumbered by foolish, useless debates about things that really didn’t matter. For this goal to be achieved, Timothy had to rid the believing community from the effects of a culturally influenced belief, purifying the heart with the clearly defined Gospel of Jesus Christ.

The Ephesian believers had wavered from the clear, concisely stated message of God’s redemption that Paul had declared to them. They needed Timothy’s strong hand to bring them back from their wandering pathways. They needed to renounce the influences of the corrupt culture, which had captured the imagination of their sin nature and return to the Lord who had brought them from that darkness into the light of His salvation. Their consciences needed to be cleared from the twilight regions of a halfhearted profession of faith that did not fully restore one to the Lord who created them. Only the unadulterated, sincere faith imparted to the believer through the teaching of the Holy Spirit would restore them fully to the fellowship of the Lord and His people. Paul simply wanted the Ephesian believers to experience the tremendous exhilaration of living in full submission and single-minded devotion to the Lord. "We are proud that our conscience is clear. We are proud of the way that we have lived in this world. We have lived with a God-given holiness and sincerity, especially toward you. It was not by human wisdom that we have lived but by God’s kindness" (2 Corinthians 1:12).

1:6 Some people have left these qualities behind and have turned to useless discussions.

Many believers become trapped by the negative influences of the culture from which they have been snatched by the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit. As such, they forsake their calling in Christ and the qualities of love, pure heart, good conscience, and sincere faith are left behind. They become preoccupied with useless discussions. Many of these discussions are false, many are majoring on minor issues, others are senseless, foolish questions, and others are silly and very unprofitable. In his letter to Titus, Paul advised: "Avoid foolish controversies, arguments about genealogies, quarrels, and fights about Moses’ Teachings. This is useless nonsense" (Titus 3:9). In the early church, some of the worst offenders were those with a Jewish background. "There are many believers, especially converts from Judaism, who are rebellious. They speak nonsense and deceive people" (Titus 1:10). Paul is telling Timothy to find these people who are causing these problems and in love show them the truth (Ephesians 4:15).

1:7 They want to be experts in Moses’ Teachings. However, they don’t understand what they’re talking about or the things about which they speak so confidently.

Many people aspire to be teachers, not because they love the Lord, but because of the respect they can garner from their position. The people that troubled the Ephesian church were self-seeking teachers who didn’t understand the truth of the Gospel and therefore wrongly interpreted what the Old Testament Scriptures were saying about Jesus (Luke 24:44). They had no Spirit-guided perception of the subject matter of God’s Word. They could recite the history, the stories, and even the Psalms. But they had absolutely no idea what they meant. They did not realize that they all spoke of Jesus. They intellectually knew the Mosaic Law, but they did not understand the spirit of the Law, the intent of the Law, the safety of the Law, and the purity of the Law. They did not comprehend the love that God showered on humanity as He carefully revealed His redemptive plan that would lift people out of the darkness of their sin. In their folly, they had no idea that they were bad. The opposite was true. Because of their forceful delivery, they felt that they knew the mind of God and laid out their theological strategies with misguided confidence.

Notes/Applications

Paul was deeply concerned about the welfare of the churches that were established through his ministry. When the people veered from the simple truth of the Good News about Christ’s redemption and the forgiveness of their sins, he made every effort to correct them by his letters or by sending an emissary to personally oversee the correction of wrong doctrine.

Paul’s letter to Timothy is another example of Paul’s abiding concern for the church in Ephesus. In this letter, Paul was not addressing the church directly as much as he was helping Timothy to understand his responsibilities, providing practical guidance to the man he had placed in charge of the church’s correction.

Paul reminded Timothy that the overriding qualities of the believer’s life were to be found in purity, a clear conscience, and a genuine faith. This was the goal. This was the framework in which all believers were to live in relationship to their Lord. When this goal was achieved, then the love of God flowed from the hearts of believers. This is not a matter of theological accuracy, although these qualities are cultivated in adherence to the apostles’ doctrine. Rather, this is the practical outcome of good doctrinal understanding.

Peter, leader of the apostles and co-laborer of Paul, provided a wonderful summation of this principle: Love each other with a warm love that comes from the heart. After all, you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth. As a result you have a sincere love for each other (1 Peter 1:22).

1 Timothy 1:8–13

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1:8 We know that Moses’ Teachings are good if they are used as they were intended to be used.

In light of what Paul had just told Timothy about those teachers who do not properly understand the Law’s purpose, he goes on to say that the Law is good as long as people use it with the proper understanding of God’s intended purpose.

This verse is pivotal in the proper perception of the Law’s purpose as God intended. People from a wide spectrum of theological persuasions have offered a variety of interpretations that impact the overall doctrine of differing church bodies. As such, believers are often confused by this wide variety of ideas about the Law and end up disregarding them altogether. Paul’s perception of the Law will be clearly defined in the verses that follow as he had explained in other letters.

Nevertheless, it must be understood at the outset that God gave the Law as an integral part of His plan of redemption. He had nothing but humanity’s welfare in mind as He put forth the principles by which His covenant people were to live (Romans 7:12).

⁷The teachings of the Lord are perfect. They renew the soul. The testimony of the Lord is dependable. It makes gullible people wise. ⁸The instructions of the Lord are correct. They make the heart rejoice. The command of the Lord is radiant. It makes the eyes shine. ⁹The fear of the Lord is pure. It endures forever. The decisions of the Lord are true. They are completely fair. ¹⁰They are more desirable than gold, even the finest gold. (Psalm 19:7–10)

Psalm 119, the longest chapter of the entire Old and New Testament Scriptures, is a glorious summary of the benefits of God’s law, not so much for the rigidity falsely ascribed to it, but for the joy and freedom that God’s people experience when they live within the safety of God’s provision.

1:9 For example, a person must realize that laws are not intended for people who have God’s approval. Laws are intended for lawbreakers and rebels, for ungodly people and sinners, for those who think nothing is holy or sacred, for those who kill their fathers, their mothers, or other people.

Laws set boundaries for the actions of the people of God’s creation. A person who obeys the Law does not need to be concerned about the Law. He is obedient. However, the Law does show the lawless man how much of a rebel he really is.

The Law was designed to show ungodly people that there are sacred standards that have been set by Almighty God. The Law commands that God be the exclusive Person to whom man’s adoration and praise are offered, respecting Him as their Creator and Redeemer. The Law demands genuine respect for those the Lord has created, those who are created in His image. People who kill their mothers, fathers, or any other people fall under the judgment of the Law. When anyone defies this fundamental principle of God’s Law, punishment is prescribed. The community is then required to take the life of the one who has committed murder. "³⁰Whoever kills another person will be put to death as a murderer only on the testimony of more than one witness. No one can be put to death on the testimony of only one witness. ³¹Never accept a cash payment in exchange for the life of a convicted murderer who has been given the death penalty. Murderers must be put to death" (Numbers 35:30–31). God has clearly revealed His perspective that all of human life is sacred in His eyes.

1:10 Laws are intended for people involved in sexual sins, for homosexuals, for kidnappers, for liars, for those who lie when they take an oath, and for whatever else is against accurate teachings.

Paul states that God’s moral law is made for those who are lawless, rebels, ungodly people, and sinners. Then he progresses from this general description to specific offenses against God’s moral standard. He first exposed those who offend God’s directive that all human life is to be considered sacred and then further delineates a wide spectrum of transgressions.

Many actions demonstrate a person’s rebellion against the precepts of the accurate teachings found in God’s Word, what other translations call sound doctrine. When Paul wrote to the Corinthian church about the sexual sins that held them captive, he provided a similar list of offenses:

⁹Don’t you know that wicked people won’t inherit the kingdom of God? Stop deceiving yourselves! People who continue to commit sexual sins, who worship false gods, those who commit adultery, homosexuals, ¹⁰or thieves, those who are greedy or drunk, who use abusive language, or who rob people will not inherit the kingdom of God. (1 Corinthians 6:9–10)

Paul enumerated these transgressions in letters to newly developed, struggling, believing communities. Nevertheless, God’s Law had enumerated these same transgressions from the time when Moses received the Law from the hand of God:

When a man has sexual intercourse with another man as with a woman, both men are doing something disgusting and must be put to death. They deserve to die. (Leviticus 20:13)

Whoever kidnaps another Israelite must die. The kidnapper must die, whether he treated the other person like a slave or sold him. You must get rid of this evil. (Deuteronomy 24:7)

"I will come to judge you. I will be quick to testify against sorcerers, adulterers, lying witnesses, and those who cheat workers out of their wages and oppress widows and orphans. I will also testify against those who deprive foreigners of their rights. None of them fear me," says the Lord of Armies. (Malachi 3:5)

As God’s creature made in God’s image, man possesses God’s moral standards within his conscience, inherently knowing right from wrong. Paul also showed the effect of man’s awareness of God’s Law on their behavior.

¹⁵They show that some requirements found in Moses’ Teachings are written in their hearts. Their consciences speak to them. Their thoughts accuse them on one occasion and defend them on another. ¹⁶This happens as they face the day when God, through Christ Jesus, will judge people’s secret thoughts. He will use the Good News that I am spreading to make that judgment. (Romans 2:15–16)

1:11 Moses’ Teachings were intended to be used in agreement with the Good News that contains the glory of the blessed God. I was entrusted with that Good News.

False teachers were delivering strong messages as to the value of the Law. Many of these teachers believed that Paul was opposed to the Law, because he did not demand that new converts become full proselytes to Judaism. He did not require men to be circumcised. Converts did not have to adhere to the Jewish dietary practices. However, Paul here stated that his opponents were wrong! Moses’s Law actually stood in agreement with the Good News that Paul was proclaiming. These were not two opposing philosophical systems of thought that supported each other. The Gospel was the natural outgrowth of