Introduction to 1 Timothy-Recipients of 1 Timothy
Wenstrom Bible Ministries
Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom
Sunday January 9, 2011
1 Timothy: Introduction to 1 Timothy-Recipients of 1 Timothy
Lesson # 4
Please turn in your Bibles to 1 Timothy 1:1.
This morning we will continue our introduction of 1 Timothy by noting the recipients of this letter.
The recipient of 1 Timothy is Timothy.
1 Timothy 1:1, “Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus according to the commandment of God our Savior, and of Christ Jesus, who is our hope, 2 to Timothy, my true child in the faith: Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.” (NASU)
The personal reference to Timothy supports the idea that he is the recipient of this epistle.
However, not only is Timothy the recipient of this epistle but also the local assembly in Ephesus that was instructed through this man is the recipient of this letters as well.
This is indicated implicitly by the plural “you” that appears in the concluding benediction of this letter “grace be with you” (1 Timothy 6:21).
All of this, should not negate the idea that this letter was written explicitly to Timothy.
William Mounce correctly observes that 1 Timothy and Titus “while private in form, are public in intention, speaking through Paul’s delegates to the churches.” (Word Biblical Commentary, volume 46, Pastoral Epistles; page xcvi; Thomas Nelson)
Timothy’s name means “one who honors God” since it is composed of the noun time, “honor” and the noun theos, “God.”
His name appears 24 times in the Greek New Testament and is found 6 times in Acts (16:1; 17:14-15; 18:5; 19:22; 20:4) as well as 18 times in Pauline epistles (Romans 16:21; 1 Corinthians 4:17; 16:10; 2 Corinthians 1:1, 19; Philippians 1:1; 2:19; Colossians 1:1; 1 Thessalonians 1:1; 3:2, 6; 2 Thessalonians 1:1; 1 Timothy 1:2, 18; 6:20; 2 Timothy 1:2; Philemon 1:1; Hebrews 13:23).
His name appears at the head of eight of the Pauline epistles (2 Cor. 1:1; Phlp. 1:1; Col. 1:1, 1 Th. 1:1, 2 Th. 1:1, 1 Tm. 1:2; 2 Tm. 1:2; Phlm 1:1).
On his second missionary journey Paul met Timothy at Lystra (Acts 16:1-5).
Timothy, who may have been converted as the result of Paul’s first visit to Lystra, was highly regarded by the royal family at Lystra and Iconium.
His Jewish mother had become a believer with his grandmother (2 Tm. 1:5) but yet his father is described as a Greek (Acts 16:1) and thus would have belonged to the small elite class of Lystra who had been educated in the Greek language and culture.
The absence of any personal allusion to the father in Acts or the Epistles suggests the inference that he must have died or disappeared during his son’s infancy.
The care of the boy thus devolved upon his mother Eunice and her mother Lois (2 Tm. 1:5).
The fact that he had not been circumcised implies either that his mother was not a practicing Jew or that his Gentile father had refused to allow the sign of the covenant to be performed on his son.
2 Timothy 1:5 speaks of the sincere Jewish faith of Timothy’s grandmother Lois and of his mother Eunice, and 2 Timothy 3:15 speaks of Timothy’s early instruction in the Hebrew Scriptures.
His mother Eunice is identified as a Jewess as well as a Christian believer in Acts 16:1 who had probably believed on the Lord Jesus Christ during Paul and Barnabas’ first visit to Lystra (Acts 14:20-23).
Likewise, from Paul’s reference to Timothy in 1 Corinthians 4:17 as his son, we may assume that Timothy’s conversion to Christ also dates from the proclamation of the gospel on that first missionary journey.
Timothy became an associate and traveling companion of the apostle Paul.
1 Timothy 1:18 strongly suggests that some prophetic utterances about Timothy had first pointed him out to Paul and had encouraged Paul to enlist him as a fellow-soldier of Christ.
1 Timothy 1:18, “This command I entrust to you, Timothy, my son, in accordance with the prophecies previously made concerning you, that by them you fight the good fight, 19 keeping faith and a good conscience, which some have rejected and suffered shipwreck in regard to their faith.” (NASU)
He is called a “disciple” or “student” (mathetes) in Acts 16:1.
Paul was at least indirectly responsible for Timothy’s conversion and since he had such a close working relationship with him, he could justly call him his “true child in the faith” (1 Tm. 1:2; Phlp. 2:22).
Paul calls him “my beloved and faithful student in the Lord” (1 Cor. 4:17).
These two statements indicate that Paul was indeed Timothy’s spiritual father and mentor.
Some time after Timothy had been ordained with the laying on of hands by the pastor-teachers at Lystra (1 Tm. 4:14), he became a nearly constant companion of Paul.
Timothy is probably the best known of all of Paul’s co-workers, although Acts mentions his name infrequently and does not record all of his movements.
Paul links Timothy’s name with his own in saluting the churches in: (1) Corinth (2 Cor. 1:1). (2) Philippi (Phlp. 1:1). (3) Colosse (Col. 1:1). (4) Thessalonica (1 Th. 1:1; 2 Th. 1:1).
This indicates either that Timothy served with Paul in each of these churches, or that he had been sent there by the apostle, or that he had come to be known by them because of his close association with Paul (cf. Rm. 16:21).
As Silas took Barnabas’s place as Paul’s senior associate on his second missionary journey (Acts 15:36-41), so Timothy replaced Mark as Paul’s junior associate.
Timothy was a diligent student of Paul’s as well as becoming a trusted and invaluable colleague.
Paul describes him as: (1) “My fellow-worker” (Rm. 16:21). (2) “God’s fellow-worker” (1 Th. 3:2). (3) “My beloved and faithful student in the Lord” (1 Cor. 4:17). (4) “True child in the faith” (1 Tm. 1:2; Phlp. 2:22). (5) “A Christian gentleman of proven worth” (Phlp. 2:22). (6) “Brother” (2 Cor. 1:1; Col. 1:1). (7) “My son” (1 Tm. 1:18; cf. v. 1; 1 Cor. 4:14). (8) “I have no one like-minded” (Phlp. 2:20). (9) “Slave of Christ Jesus” (Phlp. 1:1). (10) “Seeks the things of Jesus Christ” (Phlp. 2:21). (11) “Loyal” (2 Tm. 3:10). (12) “Doing the Lord’s work” (1 Cor. 16:10).
Apparently the apostle Paul derived special comfort from Timothy’s presence (Phlp. 2:20-22).
Paul’s request for Timothy to leave Ephesus and come to him at Rome during his second and last Roman imprisonment demonstrates once again Paul’s deep and lasting affection for Timothy and his need for Timothy’s sympathy and care, especially at the end of his life (2 Tm. 4:9).
Evidently, Timothy was a young man with exceptional leadership qualities since Paul authorized him to appoint pastor-teachers and to establish order in the churches throughout the Roman Empire.
On occasion Paul left Timothy behind while he went on ahead, in order that Timothy might accomplish some unnamed task (Acts 17:14) or, perhaps, act as a decoy, allowing Paul to escape danger (vv. 13f.).
On other occasions Paul enlisted Timothy as an emissary to do what he himself could not do such as when the Macedonian Christians were suffering persecution Paul sent him to Thessalonica to encourage them and teach them doctrine (1 Th. 3:1-3).
Later Paul sent him from Ephesus to other Macedonian churches with perhaps the same mission (Acts 19:22).
Paul sent him to Corinth (1 Cor. 4:17-21) and Philippi (Phlp. 2:19).
On at least one return journey Timothy brought with him a monetary gift, which seems to have freed Paul from the need to work with his hands (cf. Acts 18:5; Phlp. 4:15).
Timothy accompanied Paul on his last recorded journey to Jerusalem (Acts 20:4) and was at his side during his first Roman imprisonment (Phlp. 1:1; Phlp. 2:19).
The Scriptures indicate that Timothy was the pastor-teacher at Ephesus (1 Tm. 1:3).
He was frequently ill (1 Tm. 5:23), timid (2 Tm. 1:7), and even despised because of his youthfulness (1 Tm. 4:12; 1 Cor. 16:10), yet he was loyal (1 Cor. 16:10; Phlp. 2:19ff. 2 Tm. 3:10ff.).
Paul had to command him to be diligent in his studies as a pastor-teacher (2 Tm. 3:16) as well as to persevere in his own spiritual life (1 Tm. 4:12-16; 2 Tm. 1:6; 3:14 f.).
He needed instruction on how to: (1) Behave toward various groups of people (1 Tm. 5) (2) Control his own inclinations (2 Tm. 2:22 f.) (3) Respond to persons in error (3:1-8).
Paul also reminded him to set an example for his congregation by his conduct (1 Tm. 4:12) through the execution of his own spiritual life.
He was commanded by Paul to fight the noble fight of doctrine (1 Tm. 1:18), to guard the doctrine in his soul (1:19), and to protect his soul from the cosmic system and non-essentials (1:4; 4:7).
The last reference of Timothy in the Scriptures is Hebrews 13:23 which indicates that Timothy was well-known to the readers of this epistle.
Timothy was still young when Paul was put to death in A.D. 68 and was probably not more than 35 years old.
Church history dates Timothy’s martyrdom as after the date of Revelation in A.D. 96.