New Testament Commentary - 1 Timothy 1

by Don R. Hender


Scriptural Text [& Editorial]
Commentary & Explanation
Footnotes ~ References ~ JST
                    CHAPTER 1

Exhortation to teach true doctrine only—Christ came to save repentant sinners.

 1 PAUL, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the commandment of God our Saviour, and Lord Jesus Christ, which is our hope;
 2 Unto aTimothy, bmy cown son in the faith: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord.
 3 As I besought thee to abide still at Ephesus, when I went into Macedonia, that thou mightest charge some that they ateach no bother doctrine,
 4 Neither give heed to afables and endless genealogies, which bminister cquestions, rather than godly dedifying which is in faith: so do.
 5 Now the end of the acommandment is bcharity out of a cpure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned:
 6 From which some having aswerved have bturned aside unto cvain jangling;
 7 Desiring to be teachers of the law; understanding neither what they say, nor whereof they aaffirm.
 8 But we know that the law is good, if a man use it lawfully;
 9 Knowing this, that the alaw is not made for a brighteous man, but for the clawless and ddisobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers,
 10 For awhoremongers, for bthem that cdefile themselves with mankinda, for dmenstealers, for liars, for perjured persons, and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound edoctrine;
 11 According to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, which was committed to my atrust.
 10a defile themselves with mankind This is a clear statement against homosexuality. Though spoken in terms of man and man, this also does imply and apply to woman and woman. A woman is not to defile herself, that is be sexually intimate with another woman as neither is a man to be sexually intimate with another man. Compulation, the sexual drives of mankind, is soley for the purpose and given in connection with the propagation of the species. The procreative powers and the sexual attrations which lead thereto are reserved of God to be strickly to the relationship between a man and a woman. Sodom and Gommorrah is an example of God's destructive forces against such degenerative behavior.
 12 And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath aenabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry;
 13 Who was before a ablasphemer, and a bpersecutor, and cinjurious: but I obtained dmercy, because I did it eignorantly in unbelief.
 14 And the agrace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.
 15 This is a faithful asaying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to bsave csinners; of whom I am chief.
 16 Howbeit for this cause I obtained amercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all blongsuffering, for a cpattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting.
 17 Now unto the aKing eternal, bimmortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen.
 18 This charge I commit unto thee, son Timothy, according to the aprophecies which went before on thee, that thou by them mightest war a good warfare;
 19 aHolding faith, and a good conscience; which some having put away concerning faith have made bshipwreck:
 20 Of whom is aHymenaeus and bAlexander; whom I have cdelivered unto Satan, that they may learn not to blaspheme.