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 TIMOTHY -
16But for that reason I was mercifully treated, so that in me, as the foremost, Christ Jesus might display all his patience as an example for those who would come to believe in him for everlasting life. 17To the king of ages,* incorruptible, invisible, the only God, honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.n
Responsibility of Timothy.* 18I entrust this charge to you, Timothy, my child, in accordance with the prophetic words once spoken about you.* Through them may you ght a good ghto 19by having faith and a good conscience. Some, by rejecting conscience, have made a shipwreck of their faith,p 20among them Hymenaeus* and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan to be taught not to blaspheme.q
III. PROBLEMS OF DISCIPLINE
2Prayer and Conduct.
1* First of all, then, I ask that supplications, prayers, petitions, and
a2
thanksgivings be o ered for everyone, for kings and for all in
authority, that we may lead a quiet and tranquil life in all devotion and dignity. 3This is good and pleasing to God our savior,b 4who wills everyone to be saved and to come to knowledge of the truth.c
5For there is one God.
There is also one mediator between God and the human race, Christ Jesus, himself human,d
6who gave himself as ransom for all.
This was the testimony* at the proper time.e 7For this I was appointed preacher and apostle (I am speaking the truth, I am not lying), teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth.f
1:19
“In the depths of their conscience, people detect a law which they do not impose upon themselves, but which holds them to obedience. Always summoning them to love good and avoid evil, the voice of conscience when necessary speaks to his heart: do this, shun that. For the human person has in his heart a law written by God; to obey it is the very dignity of humanity; according to it he will be judged. Conscience is the most secret core and sanctuary of a person. There he is alone with God, Whose voice echoes in his depths” (The Church in the Modern World, 16).
Whom do you pray for? Paul reminds Timothy to pray for everyone—for kings and leaders, and not just for ourselves or our fellow Christians. In the Mass, we do this during the “Universal Prayer” or “Prayer of the Faithful,” which includes petitions not only for those assembled and for the Church, but for the world, the nation, and all the a icted.
CHAPTER 1
n. [1:17] Rom 16:27.
o. [1:18] 4:14 / 6:12; 2 Tm 4:7; Jude 3.
p. [1:19] 3:9.
q. [1:20] 2 Tm 2:17; 4:14 / 1 Cor 5:5.
CHAPTER 2
a. [2:1] Eph 6:18; Phil 4:6.
b. [2:3] 1:1; 4:10.
c. [2:4] 2 Tm 3:7; 2 Pt 3:9.
d. [2:5] 1 Cor 8:6; Heb 8:6; 9:15; 12:24 /
Rom 5:15.
e. [2:6]Mk10:45;Gal1:4;2:20;Eph5:25;
Ti 2:14.
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* [1:17] King of ages: through Semitic in uence, the Greek expression could mean “everlasting king”; it could also mean “king of the universe.”
* [1:18–20] Timothy is to be mindful of his calling, which is here compared to the way Barnabas and Saul were designated by Christ as prophets for missionary service; cf. Acts 13:1–3. Such is probably the sense of the allusion to the prophetic words (1 Tm 1:18). His task is not to yield, whether in doctrine or in conduct, to erroneous opinions, taking warning from what has already happened at Ephesus in the case of Hymenaeus and Alexander (1 Tm 1:19–20).
* [1:18] The prophetic words once spoken about you: the Greek may also be translated, “the prophecies that led (me) to you.” It probably refers to testimonies given by charismatic gures in the Christian communities. Fight a good ght: this translation preserves the play on words in Greek. The Greek terms imply a lengthy engagement in battle and might well be translated “wage a good campaign.”
* [1:20] Hymenaeus: mentioned in 2 Tm 2:17 as saying that the resurrection has already taken place (in baptism). Alexander: probably the Alexander mentioned in 2 Tm 4:14 as the coppersmith who “did me a great deal of harm.” Whom I have handed over to Satan: the same terms are used in the condemnation of the incestuous man in 1 Cor 5:5.
* [2:1–7] This marked insistence that the liturgical prayer of the community concern itself with the needs of all, whether Christian or not, and especially of those in authority, may imply that a disposition existed at Ephesus to refuse prayer for pagans. In actuality, such prayer aids the community to achieve peaceful relationships with non-Christians (1 Tm 2:2) and contributes to salvation, since it derives its value from the presence within the community of Christ, who is the one and only savior of all (1 Tm 2:3–6). The vital apostolic mission to the Gentiles (1 Tm 2:7) re ects Christ’s purpose of universal salvation. 1 Tm 2:5 contains what may well have been a very primitive creed. Some interpreters have called it a Christian version of the Jewish shema: “Hear, O Israel, the LORD is our God, the LORD alone. . .” (Dt 6:4–5). The assertion in 1 Tm 2:7, “I am speaking the truth, I am not lying,” reminds one of similar a rmations in Rom 9:1; 2 Cor 11:31; and Gal 1:20.
* [2:6] The testimony: to make sense of this overly concise phrase, many manuscripts supply “to which” (or “to whom”); two others add “was given.” The translation has supplied “this was.”