Introduction

What is the Book of 1 Timothy About?

Read this 3-minute introduction to help you find your bearings in the Bible story, and be inspired to read 1 Timothy!

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Historical Context

The apostle Paul probably wrote this letter to Timothy in the mid-60s AD, during a mission trip not recorded in Scripture. This trip took place after the events described in Acts, between Paul’s first and final Roman imprisonments.

From Bibles.net: Remember that the ultimate author of every book of the Bible is the Holy Spirit (2 Peter 1:21). He has written this book to equip you for life, to help you know the true God, and to give you hope (2 Timothy 3:16; Romans 15:4). The Holy Spirit wrote 1 Timothy for your good and to lead you into joy.

As it stands, the letter is a private communication to Timothy, written by his mentor to give him the guidance he needed for his work as a superintendent of churches. … This is a very personal letter. From elsewhere in the New Testament we know that Paul was very fond of Timothy; he speaks of his love for the younger man and of his conviction that he was faithful (1 Corinthians 4:17). … All this gives point to Paul’s greeting, “to Timothy my true son in the faith” (1 Timothy 1:2 NIV). The letter is written to a younger man for whom the apostle [Paul] had a deep affection and with whom he had for years entrusted important missions.

—D. A. Carson and Douglas J. Moo

Source: Taken from An Introduction to the New Testament, Second Edition by D. A. Carson and Douglas J. Moo Copyright © 2009 by D. A. Carson and Douglas J. Moo. Used by permission of HarperCollins Christian Publishing. www.harpercollinschristian.com

The Setting of 1 Timothy 

c. AD 62-64

Paul likely wrote 1 Timothy during a fourth missionary journey not recorded in the book of Acts. Writing from an unknown location, Paul wrote to Timothy at Ephesus to instruct him on how to lead the church there. Ephesus was a wealthy and highly influential port city in the Roman providence of Asia, renowned for its temple of Artemis (Diana).  

Unless otherwise indicated, this content is adapted from the ESV Global Study Bible® (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright ©2012 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Books
Message Series

Household of Faith by Alistair Begg

Check out this phenomenal message series on 1 Timothy by Pastor Alistair Begg. With passion and clarity, Alistair will direct our minds to the precious good news about Jesus. He will help us understand the principles God lovingly prescribes for his church in 1 Timothy, and show us how relevant this book is to our contemporary context.

1 Timothy Dictionary

As you read through 1 Timothy, you might come across words and ideas that are foreign to you. Here are a few definitions you will want to know! Note that this dictionary was created for the New International Version (NIV) Bible.

A Hebrew word that means “Let it be so!” or “This is the truth!” Amen is often said after a prayer to show that people agree with what has been said and believe that it will happen.

Heavenly beings created by God before he created Adam and Eve. Angels act as God’s messengers to men and women. They also worship God.

To have faith or to trust that something is true. The Bible tells us that we can believe that Jesus Christ is God’s Son and trust him to keep his promise to forgive sins. We show that we believe that God loves us and wants what is best for us by obeying his commands.

To say bad things against God, to swear using God’s name, or to do actions that show disrespect to God. The Bible says that blasphemy is a sin. The Jews punished blasphemers by stoning them to death. Jesus and Stephen were falsely accused of blasphemy.

The Greek word that means “God’s Chosen One.” “Messiah” is the Hebrew word meaning the same thing. Jesus was the Christ.

An assembly or gathering. The word church is used to refer both to local groups of believers in Christ (church) as well as to all believers (Church).

Tell or agree about what is true. Confess sometimes means telling God your sins. Confess can also mean to say in front of other people that you believe that Jesus is God’s Son and that he died and rose again to forgive you for your sins.

A feeling about what is right and what is wrong; a sense of knowing what is good and what is bad.

(1) To be certain about the things we cannot see or to trust someone because of who he or she is. For example, a Christian has faith that Jesus is God’s Son. (2) The whole message about Jesus Christ—that he is God’s Son and that he came to take the punishment for our sin so that we may become members of God’s family. This describes the faith of a Christian.

A person who settles differences or arguments between two or more people. Jonathan was a mediator between David and Saul. Moses was a mediator between God and Israel. By paying the punishment for sin, Jesus became the Mediator who makes it possible for us to have peace with God.

The most powerful enemy of God and all people. Other names for Satan include the devil, the evil one, the prince of this world, the father of lies, the enemy, the adversary, and Lucifer. Satan is the ruler of a kingdom made up of demons. He hates God and tries to destroy God’s work. The Bible tells us that in the end, God will destroy Satan and the demons.

One who saves. The Old Testament almost always speaks of God as the Savior of his people. Sometimes God sent someone to help his people and that person was called a savior. In the New Testament, Savior refers to Jesus. He died and rose again to rescue, or save, us from our sins.

What the Bible Is All About NIV Henrietta Mears

Dictionary Source

This content is from What the Bible Is All About, written by Henrietta Mears. Copyright © 1953, 2011 by Gospel Light. Copyright assigned to Tyndale House Publishers, 2015. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, a division of Tyndale House Ministries, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved. 

Tough Questions

We have found answers to some tough questions that we anticipate may arise as you read this book of the Bible. We know we can’t answer every question you will have; therefore, we have written this article, so you know how to find answers for your kids: How Do I Answer Tough Questions About the Bible?

Insights

The following insights are from pastors and scholars who have spent significant time studying the book of 1 Timothy.

In 1 Timothy, Paul is writing a letter of encouragement to a young pastor of a church in a growing, multicultural city. Paul’s letter is a battle field pep talk for Christians seeking to live out their faith. It’s full of strong language—command, strive, guard, fight, warfare, strength, entrust, train. Paul regularly speaks of the truth, the faith, the good doctrine, and the gospel as a solid and trustworthy body of knowledge that has been passed down containing the life-changing essential beliefs of Christians. He explains that the church was given pastors and leaders to guard the truth and to protect the lives of people in the church. Paul offers direction for how the church is supposed to function in order to help the way of Jesus advance in any generation. 

First Timothy, along with 2 Timothy and Titus, make up what we call the “Pastoral Epistles.” These three books, or letters, explain what the church is supposed to be and how it is supposed to function. Paul writes, “I am writing these things to you so that, 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 3:14-15 ESV). 

—Redemption Church 

Source: Quoted from The Good Fight: A Study of 1 Timothy, published by Redemption Church of Oklahoma City. Used by permission of Redemption Church. 

First Timothy 3:15 offers three important descriptions of the church. First, God’s new covenant people are “the household of God” (ESV). Paul does not mean that the church is a building; rather, it is a family, and God is the authority figure who determines the order and conduct of his household. Second, being “the church of the living God” (ESV) means that the true God dwells among his redeemed people. Third, Paul describes the church’s identity and role using temple imagery. The church is a “pillar” in that it upholds and displays the truth of the gospel for the world to see. The church is built on the foundation of Christ and the apostolic gospel (1 Corinthians 3:11; Ephesians 2:20), but 1 Timothy 3:15 portrays the church as a “buttress” that protects the truth. Paul writes 1 Timothy to explain how Christians “ought to behave” (ESV), given their identity as God’s household and assembly and their mission of proclaiming and protecting the truth.

—Brian Tabb

Source: Content taken from 1–2 Timothy and Titus: A 12-Week Study © 2017 by Brian Tabb. All rights reserved. Used by permission of Crossway Books, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

The overarching purpose of the book is to teach the proper ordering and conduct of the church, as Paul so clearly states it to Timothy: “I hope to come to you soon, but I am writing these things to you so that, 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 3:14, 15 ESV). 

. . . 

So the letter of 1 Timothy provides the exhilarating essentials to both leader and congregation as to how they must conduct themselves to the glory of God. This is cause for marked enthusiasm in our day, when there is so much confusion about what the church ought to be like. 

—R. Kent Hughes  

Source: Content adapted from 1-2 Timothy and Titus: To Guard the Deposit © 2012 by R. Kent Hughes. All rights reserved. Used by permission of Crossway Books, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

Paul exhibits a huge concern in the Pastorals for sound doctrine. Paul mentions doctrine (didaskalia) seven times in 1 Timothy, not to mention its verbal forms. These seven occurrences are variously translated here as “doctrine” or “teaching.” These references are: 1 Timothy 1:10, 4:6, 4:13, 4:16, 5:17, 6:1, 6:3-4.

Having observed Paul’s repeated emphasis on sound doctrine, we must make this connection: 1 Timothy, with its great emphasis on doctrine, has a basic practical purpose—to teach the people in Ephesus how to live—to “know how . . . to behave in the household of God, which is the church” (1 Timothy 3:15 ESV). There is a dynamic connection between our doctrine and the way we live. This truth is directly opposite to much contemporary Christian thinking. Often today we hear people say, “We don’t need more doctrine. What we need is practical preaching.” Now, we must certainly agree that preaching must be applied. But we must not agree that there is no connection between the doctrinal and the practical. What we know and believe has everything to do with how we live. Doctrine is at the heart of practical living.  

Do you love God now? Will you love him less if you learn more about him? Absolutely not! You will love him more. The more you learn of his excellencies, his holiness, his grace, his mercy, his love, the greater will be your grasp of his character, and the closer to him you will draw.  

The greatest need of the church today is not less doctrine but more doctrine—about God, about salvation, about ourselves, about character, about church, about family. Our greatest need is to know God better—and we can learn more only from his Word.  

—R. Kent Hughes  

Source: Content adapted from 1-2 Timothy and Titus: To Guard the Deposit © 2012 by R. Kent Hughes. All rights reserved. Used by permission of Crossway Books, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

“Conscience” is a person’s sense of what he or she believes to be right or wrong. Paul’s charge to Timothy is motivated by a “good conscience” (1 Timothy 1:5 ESV), and Timothy must maintain “faith and a good conscience” in his ministry (1 Timothy 1:19 ESV; compare 1 Timothy 3:9). A good conscience accurately reflects God’s revealed standards for right and wrong and guides a person’s judgments and actions. When our hearts are pure and we think and behave consistently with a good conscience, the fruit is love (1 Timothy 1:5). Someone with a seared conscience has lost all bearings for what is right or wrong, true or false (1 Timothy 4:2); that person feels no remorse or guilt for sinning against God or promoting false teaching. The conscience is a gift from God that we should consistently heed and keep tuned to God’s standards for truth.

—Brian Tabb

Source: Content taken from 1–2 Timothy and Titus: A 12-Week Study © 2017 by Brian Tabb. All rights reserved. Used by permission of Crossway Books, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

“Fight the good fight of the faith” (1 Timothy 6:12 NIV). Christ appeals to all men and women to show courage. The Christian life is not a thing to be entered into lightly. We will not be carried into heaven on flowery beds of ease. We must fight if we intend to be conquerors. But it is a “good fight.”  

—Henrietta Mears  

Source: This content is from What the Bible Is All About, written by Henrietta Mears. Copyright © 1953, 2011 by Gospel Light. Copyright assigned to Tyndale House Publishers, 2015. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, a division of Tyndale House Ministries, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

1 Timothy Playlist

Discover music inspired by the message and content of the book of 1 Timothy.

The Good Confession (I Believe)
by Andrew Peterson | Folk
Fight On, Fighter
by for KING & COUNTRY | Pop
Immortal, Invisible
by Steve Green | Hymn
Guard the Trust
by Steve Camp | 70s 80s 90s
Godliness with Contentment
by Abe & Liza Philip | Acoustic
Thank You for Everything
by Jason Gray | Pop 
How Deep the Father’s Love for Us
by Nichole Nordeman | Hymn
In Christ Alone
by Shane & Shane | Praise & Worship
More Songs
Featured Resource
Men and Women in the Church
A Book by Kevin DeYoung
In this short, clear book that is rooted in Scripture, and enjoyable to read, Kevin DeYoung answers our questions from 1 Timothy 2:8-15. This book will wonderfully and succinctly answer any questions you may have arising from 1 Timothy about men and women’s roles in the church, and we highly recommend it to you.
Men and Women in the Church