General Comments on 1 Timothy The main thesis of this letter is given to us in the conclusion, found in 6:20-21. Comments on 1 Timothy 1 v1-2 Standard opening address. v3-5 As he asked him to do previously, Paul continues to ask Timothy to stay at Ephesus to prevent certain men from teaching false doctrine among the ecclesia (v. 3). These men should not pay attention to myths or "endless genealogies" which give rise to pointless speculation rather than administering the things of God to people by faith (v. 4). The goal of their teaching ought to be pure love, a good conscience, and sincere faith (v. 5). Paul similarly attacks pseudointellectualism in 1 Cor. 2, where he rejects man's learning in favor of the Spirit of revelation. v4 "endless genealogies", the Jamiesen-Faussett-Brown _Commentary Critical and Expository on the Bible_(JFB) entry for this phrase states: not merely such civil genealogies as were common among the Jews, whereby they traced their descent from the patriarchs, to which Paul would not object, and which he would not as here class with "fables," but Gnostic genealogies of spirits and aeons, as they called them, "Lists of Gnostic emanations" [ALFORD]. So TERTULLIAN [Against Valentinian, c. 3], and IRENAEUS [Preface]. The Judaizers here alluded to, while maintaining the perpetual obligation of the Mosaic law, joined with it a theosophic ascetic tendency, pretending to see in it mysteries deeper than others could see. The seeds, not the full-grown Gnosticism of the post-apostolic age, then existed. This formed the transition stage between Judaism and Gnosticism. "Endless" refers to the tedious unprofitableness of their lengthy genealogies (compare Tit 3:9). Paul opposes to their "aeons," the "King of the aeons (so the Greek, 1Ti 1:17), whom be glory throughout the aeons of aeons." The word "aeons" was probably not used in the technical sense of the latter Gnostics as yet; but "the only wise God" (1Ti 1:17), by anticipation, confutes the subsequently adopted notions in the Gnostics' own phraseology. Conybeare and Hoswon in _The Life and Epistles of St. Paul_ make a similar statement on page 356: in the Pastoral Epistles, the 'self-styled Gnostics' (1 Tim. 4:20) are occupied with 'endless genealogies,' which were probably fanciful myths, concerning the origin and emanation of spiritual beings [Footnote: According to the Cabbala, there were ten Sephiroth, or emanations proceeding from God, which appear to have suggested the Gnostic aeons. Upon this theory was grafted a system of magic, consisting mainly of the use of Scriptural words to produce supernatural effects.]. This latter is one of the points in which Jewish superstition was blended with Gentile speculation; for we find in the Cabbala [Footnote: St. Paul denounces 'the tradition of men' (Col. 2:8) as the source of these errors; and the word Cabbala means tradition. Dr. Burton says, 'the Cabbala had certainly grown into a system at the time of the destruction of Jerusalem; and there is also evidence that it had been cultivated by the Jewish doctors long before.], or collection of Jewish traditional theology, many fabulous statements concerning such emanations. v5-6 Paul drives home what the purpose of teaching within the ecclesia is to be. It is to get the people to be filled with charity and pure love, to have a good conscience, and to be filled with real faith. Anything that fails to do this is "vain jangling", or in other words, "pointless discussion". This then is the test for what is or what is not appropriate to be taught in the Church, or what the teacher should ideally be striving for. Those things that encourage a person to do and have the things described in v. 5 are what should be taught. If they do not, then they are leading the people astray and corrupt in themselves, cp. 6:3-5. v6-11 These men, referenced in v. 3, have strayed from the primary purpose of teaching, referenced in v. 5, and are therefore involved in fruitless discussion (v. 6). These men seek to be teachers of the Law, but they do not understand what they are talking about, despite their confidence (v. 7). The Law is good if used correctly (v. 8), knowing that the Law was not made for the righteous, but for the sinners (v. 9-10) and whatever is contrary to the gospel, which Paul is to defend (v. 11). Paul's line of reasoning appears to be that the physical commandments of the Law are aimed at stemming carnal behaviors (v. 9-10). The spiritual applications of the Law are the same as those of the gospel (v. 5), which Paul preached to them (v. 11), and these false teachers do not grasp that fact (v. 7). Instead, they are fabricating some new pseudo-spiritual tangent derived from the Law because they do not understand its true spiritual significance. The result is they are wasting their time on pointless speculation (v. 6). v10 "whoremongers", the Greek term is "pornos", the Strong's entry follows: 4205 pornos {por'-nos} from pernemi (to sell, akin to the base of 4097); TDNT - 6:579,918; n m AV - fornicator 5, whoremonger 5; 10 1) a man who prostitutes his body to another's lust for hire 2) a male prostitute 3) a man who indulges in unlawful sexual intercourse, a fornicator "them that defile themselves with mankind", the Greek term is "arsenokoites", the Strong's entry for that term and it's two origin terms follow: 733 arsenokoites {ar-sen-ok-oy'-tace} from 730 and 2845;; n m AV - abuser of (one's) self with mankind 1, defile (one's) self with mankind 1; 2 1) one who lies with a male as with a female, sodomite, homosexual 730 arrhen {ar'-hrane} or arsen {ar'-sane} probably from 142;; adj AV - male 4, man 3, man child 1, man child + 5207 1; 9 1) a male 2845 koite {koy'-tay} from 2749;; n f AV - bed 2, conceive 1, chambering 1; 4 1) a place for laying down, resting, sleeping in 1a) a bed, couch 2) the marriage bed 2a) of adultery 3) cohabitation, whether lawful or unlawful 3a) sexual intercourse The meaning of this term is hotly contested among those seeking to legitimize homosexual conduct. For a lengthy discussion on the translation of "arsenokoites" to "homosexual", see: http://www.cybcon.com/~kurtn/homo.txt "men-stealers", the JFB entry on this phrase states: that is, slave dealers. The most heinous offense against the eighth commandment. No stealing of a man's goods can equal in atrocity the stealing of a man's liberty. It is important to recognize the difference between the forms of slavery practiced anciently. The type of "slavery" acceptable to the Law was what we would classify an indentured servant. One forced into labor by personal or family debt. This type of servitude was limited in duration and the master was required to treat the servant well. The other type of slavery is more akin to what we would think of as slavery, where an individual becomes the personal property of someone else. This was commonly the result of war with the losers going into slavery. But, in the case addressed by Paul, it was a result of abduction or treachery, as with Joseph being sold by his brothers, cf. Gen. 37:28. v12-17 Paul confesses that he himself was once one who failed to understand the Law, but the Lord had mercy on him and so he became His servant. Paul gives thanks that the Lord put him to service (v. 12), even though he was a violent persecutor of His church, one acting in ignorance (v. 13). This is because of the Lord's abundant grace made available through His mortal ministry as Jesus Christ (v. 14), who came to save sinners. Among the worst of whom Paul places himself (v. 15). And grace was offered to him so as to show by example that God is willing to forgive even the worst of sinners (v. 16). Paul praises God for being so merciful (v. 17). Paul's intent here is probably twofold, and perhaps threefold. One, he wants to show that those who go against the Law can repent, be forgiven, and be serviceable to the Lord. Second, he wants to make it clear he isn't acting self- righteously or presumptuously in condemning the present teachers of false doctrine. He admits that he himself was one who taught and acted on false doctrine out of ignorance. Paul may also be insinuating a warning as well. He was granted grace and mercy because he acted in ignorance (v. 13). However, if these teachers of false doctrine are rebelling deliberately, there may not be such an extension of grace and mercy, as he suggests later in v. 19-20. v13 For Paul's prior exploits see Acts 8:1-3, Acts 9:1-2. v17 "invisible", cp. 2 Cor. 4:18, eternal things cannot be seen or perceived by the natural eye, and so eternal and heavenly things are "invisible", or not seeable, cp. 6:16. v18-20 Paul admonishes Timothy to continue on in the truth of the previously received prophecies (v. 18), keeping the faith, unlike others who have abandoned it (v. 19-20). v20 "Hymenaeus and Alexander", Hymenaus was a heretic who opposed the resurrection and was apparently quite skilled at sophistry, cf. 2 Tim. 2:16-18. Alexander, a coppersmith, was also anathema, his particular doctrines are not identified, only that he vigorously opposed Paul and Timothy, cf. 2 Tim. 4:14-15.. "delivered unto Satan", i.e., excommunicated, cf. 1 Cor. 5:5, 2 Cor. 2:6-11. Copyright © 2002 by S. Kurt Neumiller . 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