Bible Version: New International Version (NIV)

Application Notes: Life Application Study Bible (NIV)

1 TIMOTHY 1

1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the command of God our Savior and of Christ Jesus our hope,

2 To Timothy my true son in the faith:

Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.

Timothy Charged to Oppose False Teachers

3 As I urged you when I went into Macedonia, stay there in Ephesus so that you may command certain people not to teach false doctrines any longer 4 or to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies. Such things promote controversial speculations rather than advancing God’s work—which is by faith. 5 The goal of this command is love, which comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. 6 Some have departed from these and have turned to meaningless talk. 7 They want to be teachers of the law, but they do not know what they are talking about or what they so confidently affirm.

8 We know that the law is good if one uses it properly. 9 We also know that the law is made not for the righteous but for lawbreakers and rebels, the ungodly and sinful, the unholy and irreligious, for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers, 10 for the sexually immoral, for those practicing homosexuality, for slave traders and liars and perjurers—and for whatever else is contrary to the sound doctrine 11 that conforms to the gospel concerning the glory of the blessed God, which he entrusted to me.

The Lord’s Grace to Paul

12 I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me trustworthy, appointing me to his service. 13 Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief. 14 The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.

15 Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst. 16 But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his immense patience as an example for those who would believe in him and receive eternal life. 17 Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen.

The Charge to Timothy Renewed

18 Timothy, my son, I am giving you this command in keeping with the prophecies once made about you, so that by recalling them you may fight the battle well, 19 holding on to faith and a good conscience, which some have rejected and so have suffered shipwreck with regard to the faith. 20 Among them are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan to be taught not to blaspheme.

Application Notes

1:1 This letter was written to Timothy in AD 64 or 65, after Paul's first imprisonment in Rome (Acts 28:16-31). Apparently, Paul had been out of prison for several years, and during that time he had revisited many churches in Asia and Macedonia. When he and Timothy returned to Ephesus, they found widespread false teaching in the church. Paul had warned the Ephesian elders to be on guard against the false teachers who inevitably would come after he had left (Acts 20:17-31). Direct action was needed. Paul sent Timothy to lead the Ephesian church while he moved on to Macedonia. From there, Paul wrote this letter of encouragement and instruction to help Timothy deal with the difficult people and situations in the Ephesian church. Later, Paul was arrested again and brought back to a Roman prison. 

1:1 Paul calls himself an apostle, meaning "one who is sent." Paul was sent by Jesus Christ to bring the message of salvation to the Gentiles (Acts 9:1-20). He was an apostle "by the command of God" because the Holy Spirit, through the prophets, had said, "set apart for me Barnabas and Saul [Paul] for the work to which I have called them" (Acts 13:2). From Romans 16:25-26 and Titus 1:3, we see that Paul regarded his commission as direct from God. (For more on Paul, see his profile on page 1899.) 

1:3-7 Many causes, movements, and leaders today demand allegiance. Some of them would even have us turn from Christ to follow them or their way of thinking about God and the Bible. If the leaders seem to know the Bible, their influence can be dangerously subtle. These are modern-day false teachers. How can you recognise false teachers? (1) They teach ideas contrary to the truth found in Scripture (1:3, 6-7; 4:1-3). (2) They promote trivial and divisive controversies instead of help­ing people come to Jesus (1:4). (3) They aren't concerned with having God's presence in their lives but instead spend their time on "meaningless talk" (1:6). (4) Their motivation is to make a name for themselves or their platforms (1:7). (5) They ask you to submit to their authority instead of submitting to God's authority. To protect yourself from the deception of false teachers, learn what the Bible teaches and remain steadfast in your faith in Christ alone.

1:3-4 Paul first visited Ephesus on his second missionary journey (Acts 18:19-21). Later, on his third missionary journey, he stayed there for almost three years (Acts 19-20). Ephesus, along with Rome, Corinth, Antioch, and Alexandria, was one of the major cities in the Roman Empire. It was a centre for the commerce, politics, and religions of Asia Minor and was the location of the temple dedicated to the goddess Artemis (Diana). 

1:3-4 The church in Ephesus may have been plagued by the same heresy that was threatening the church in Colossae--the false teaching that to be acceptable to God, a person had to discover certain hidden knowledge and worship angels (Colossians 2:8,18). The false teachers were motivated by their own interests rather than Christ's. They em­broiled the church in endless and irrelevant questions and controversies, taking precious time away from the study of the truth. We must also avoid religious speculation and pointless theological arguments. Such exercises may seem harmless at first, but they have a way of sidetracking us from the central message of the gospel--the person and work of Jesus Christ. They expend time we should use to share the gospel with others, and they don't help people grow in the faith. Avoid anything that keeps you from doing God's work. Seek out wise and discerning believers who are truly following God's Word and who can keep you on track. 

1:5 Paul wanted all believers to be full of love, which he says comes from having (1) a pure heart, devoted to God and free from guilt and corruption; (2) a good conscience, clean from unconfessed sin and free from pride and greed for personal gain; and (3) sincere faith, based in Christ and motivated by genuineness. 

1:6 Arguing about trivial details in the Bible can send us off on in­teresting but irrelevant tangents and cause us to miss the intent of God's message. The false teachers at Ephesus had constructed vast speculative systems and were arguing about the minor details of their wholly imaginary ideas. We should allow nothing to distract us from the gospel of salvation in Jesus Christ, the main point of Scripture. We should know what the Bible says, apply it to our lives daily, and teach it to others. When we do this, we will be able to evaluate all teachings in light of the central truth about Jesus. 

1:7-11 The false teachers wanted to become famous as teachers of God's law, but they didn't even understand the law's purpose. The law was not meant to give believers a list of commands for every occasion but to show unbelievers their sinful condition and their need for God's forgiveness. (For more of what Paul taught about our relationship to the law, see Romans 5:20-21; 13:9-10; and Galatians 3:24-29.) 

1:10 We tend to emphasise sexual sin as worse than other sins, like pride, lying, or greed. But Paul lists liars on the same level as the sexu­ally immoral. The law shows that all of us need forgiveness. Christians should not selectively condemn one form of immorality while turning a blind eye to other kinds of sin, and we should certainly not look down on others while excusing our own wrongs. 

1:10 Many people legitimise same-sex sexual relations as an accept­able alternative life choice on the grounds that any two people who love each other can freely engage in sexual activity to express that love. Some Christians even affirm that people have a right to determine their own sexual identity or orientation. separating sexual identity from the biological sex God gave at birth. Our first orientation should be to God, and our primary identity should be as his children. The entire Bible (both in the Old and New Testaments) calls all sexual relations outside of marriage sin (see Leviticus 18:22; Romans 1:18-32; 1 Corinthians 6:9-11), and God clearly defines marriage as a union between one man and one woman (see Genesis 2:21-24; Matthew 19:4-6). 

     We must be careful, however. to condemn only the practice and not the person. Experiencing attraction to people of the same sex is not inherently sinful; however, acting on those desires is sinful. People who have sexual relationships contrary to God's plan can be forgiven, and their lives can be transformed. The church should be a haven of forgiveness and healing for all repentant men and women without com­promising its stance in support of God's instructions for sex as found in His Word. (For more on this subject, see the notes on Romans 1:26-27.) 

1:12-17 People can feel so guilt-ridden by their pasts that they think God could never forgive and accept them. But consider Paul's past. He had scoffed at the teachings of Jesus ("a blasphemer") and had hunted down and persecuted God's people ("a persecutor and a violent man") before coming to faith in Christ (Acts 9:1-9). God forgave Paul and used him mightily for his kingdom. No matter how shameful your past is. God also can forgive and use you to accomplish much for him. 

1:14 Paul's thankfulness for Christ's mercy should be tremendously encouraging. This generous mercy from God is available to us all: ·He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus· (Philippians 1:6). How has God been generous and gracious in your life? Were you rebellious against him, his Word, or the church? Did you resist the advice of those who loved you? Thank the Lord that he brings new mercy every day (Lamentations 3:22-23). Accept the faith and love that God gives you as your relationship with him deepens. 

1:15 Here, Paul summarises the gospel: Jesus came into the world to save sinners, and no sinner is beyond his saving power. (See Luke 5:32 for Jesus' purpose for being on earth.) Jesus didn't come merely to show us how to live better lives or challenge us to be better people. He came to offer us salvation that leads to eternal life. Paul humbly affirms that he was a sinner who also needed to be saved. As you reach out to others, remember to be honest and vulnerable about your own journey in coming to Christ. 

1:15 Paul was not nearly as interested in protecting his image as he was in being an example. He did not hesitate to share his past. because he knew his failures would allow others to have hope. At times, we hesitate to share our past struggles with others because we are afraid people will think less of us. But Paul demonstrated that vulnerability can open the way to sharing the gospel. People will not believe the gospel is important if they can't see that it is crucial in your life. How has Christ shown patience with you? Did he stay with you when you doubted and rebelled? Did he remain faithful when you ignored his prior claim on your life? Did he love you when you disregarded his Word and his church? Remember that his patience is unlimited for those who love him. Don't be afraid to let others know what Christ has done for you. Your testimony will help them. 

1:18 Paul highly valued the gift of prophecy (1 Corinthians 14:1). Through prophecy important messages of warning and encourage­ment came to the church. Just as pastors are ordained and set apart for ministry in the church today. Timothy had been set apart for ministry when elders laid their hands on him (see 1 Timothy 4:14). Apparently, at this ceremony, prophetic words were given about Timothy's gifts and strengths. These words from the Lord must have encouraged Timothy throughout his ministry. 

1:19 How can you hold on to a good conscience? Treasure your faith in Christ more than anything else and do what you know is right. Each time you deliberately ignore your conscience, you are hardening your heart. Eventually, your capacity to tell right from wrong will diminish. As you walk with God, he will speak to you through your conscience, letting you know the difference between right and wrong and when you are making a bad choice. Be sure to act on those inner tugs so that you do what is right; then your conscience will remain clear. Timothy also had Paul to hold him accountable and to encourage him. Who can be like Paul in your walk with God? Ask that person to help you keep a clean conscience. 

1:20 We don't know who Alexander was, though he may have been an associate of Hymenaeus. Hymenaeus·s error is explained in 2 Timothy 2:17-18. He weakened people's faith by teaching that the resurrection of the dead had already occurred. Paul says that he handed both of these men "over to Satan," meaning that Paul had removed them from the fellowship of the church. Paul did this so that they would see their error and repent. The ultimate purpose of this punishment was correc­tion. Churches today are too often lax in disciplining Christians who deliberately sin. Deliberate disobedience should be responded to quickly and sternly to prevent entire congregations from being affected. But discipline must be done with the goal of bringing offenders back to Christ and into the loving fellowship of the church. Discipline should be about strengthening, purifying, training, correcting, and perfecting. It should not involve condemnation, suspicion, the withholding of forgiveness. or permanent exile if there is repentance. 

Taken from Life Application Study Bible - Third Edition - (NIV)