First Timothy Chapter One Series

1 Timothy

Chapter 1

(What you will find here are my notes from a Bible Study I am attending on 1 Timothy. I hope they will prove helpful. AMP – Amplified Bible. MSG – Message Bible. BBE – Bible in Basic English. The main text I am using is the New American Standard Version.)

GREETING

1Ti 1:1 – Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus according to the commandment of God our Savior, and of Christ Jesus, who is our hope,

1Ti 1:2 – To Timothy, my true child in the faith: Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.

Here we have the sender (Paul) and to whom the letter is being sent (Timothy).

Paul is an apostle (special messenger, personally chosen representative – AMP; an apostle on special assignment – MSG) of Christ Jesus according to the commandment (Under God our Savior's command) – MSG; by the order of God – BBE) our savior.

Three things we need to live a godly life:

Grace

Mercy

Peace

Grace – Mercy – Peace come from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.

Some have rightly side – “There can be no peace without grace.” Here we have mercy thrown in for good measure.

Grace is the Greek greeting – Peace is the Hebrew greeting.

WARNING AGAINST FALSE TEACHERS

1Ti 1:3 – As I urged you upon my departure for Macedonia, remain on at Ephesus so that you may instruct certain men not to teach strange doctrines,

1Ti 1:4 – nor to pay attention to myths and endless genealogies, which give rise to mere speculation rather than furthering the administration of God which is by faith.

Three things to stay away from:

Strange Doctrines – different doctrines

Myths – legends, fables, fantasy stories

Endless Genealogies – fanciful family trees

These three things can get people off track. “Stay right there on top of things so that the teaching stays on track.” MSG

“mere speculation” – ventures into the world of unknown and unanswerable – questionings and doubts – majoring on minor matters.

It is easy to speculate – but it is better to stick with the things that are known.

“Strange Doctrines” – (Gr. heterodidaskalein) is a general term that contrasts their novel teaching with what is edifying.

“Myths” – Certain myths about what Jesus did are an example of this ear-tickling entertainment, though these specific myths were not the subject of these false teachers. One of these was that when Jesus was a child he formed a bird out of clay, blew on it, it came to life and flew away. This myth appears in the Koran, which was written several centuries after this epistle. The story can also be found in the Gospel of Thomas – a book NOT in the canon – and for good reason.

“Endless Genealogies” – The lists of bare names in Old Testament genealogies were easily expanded into fictitious histories.

John Bunyan reportedly said, "Some love the meat; some love to pick the bones."

1Ti 1:5 – But the goal of our instruction is love from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.

The ultimate aim of a Bible teacher should not be to generate debate and controversy. It should be to cultivate the lives of their students so they manifest love in their daily living.

The goal of our instruction: IS LOVE

Three things that promote love:

A Pure Heart

A Good Conscience

A Sincere Faith

Love springs from – a pure heart – a good conscience – a sincere faith

“The whole point of what we're urging is simply love--love uncontaminated by self-interest and counterfeit faith, a life open to God.” MSG

1Ti 1:6 – For some men, straying from these things, have turned aside to fruitless discussion,

1Ti 1:7 – wanting to be teachers of the Law, even though they do not understand either what they are saying or the matters about which they make confident assertions.

“some men” – individuals – but not all men

“straying” – swerving – wandering – turning away

“fruitless discussion” – vain jangling – foolish talking – “wander off into cul-de-sacs of gossip” MSG

Their desire was to be teachers of the law – but…

The "Law" is the Mosaic Code but also the Scriptures of Paul's day, the Old Testament, particularly the legal parts of it.

“confident assertions” – confident declarations – stubbornness with a refusal to be denied – dogmatic – it may be presented with confidence – but that does not mean that it is true.

1Ti 1:8 – But we know that the Law is good, if one uses it lawfully,

1Ti 1:9 – realizing the fact that law is not made for a righteous person, but for those who are lawless and rebellious, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers