Timothy was originally a native of the city of Lystra in Lycaonia; his father was a Greek, and his mother Eunice was a converted Jewess (Acts 16:1-2). It is likely that Timothy first met the Apostle Paul during his first visit to Lystra (Acts 14:6); but he became one of Paul’s traveling companions after his second visit (Acts 16:1-3), when he was circumcised by the Apostle in order to avoid offending the Jews in that country. He followed the great missionary through Asia Minor into Macedonia, where he remained for a time (Acts 17:15); but he rejoined the Apostle at Athens, and was sent from that city on a special mission to Thessalonica. He joined Paul again at Corinth (1 Thess. 3:1-6), and seems to have accompanied him until he settled in Ephesus. We find him being sent from that city into Macedonia (Acts 19:22), with the intention of proceeding to Corinth (1 Cor. 16:10-11). Whether he actually reached that place is uncertain, but he joined Paul afterward in Macedonia (2 Cor. 1:1). He was later found in Troas, awaiting the arrival of the Apostle, together with several of his other companions (Acts 20:4-5); and he probably accompanied him to Jerusalem. It would appear from Acts 27:2 that he was not with him during his journey to Rome, but he must have joined him there during his first imprisonment (Phil. 1:1; Col. 1:1; Philemon 1). After Paul’s liberation, it seems that Timothy accompanied him to Ephesus and was left by him in charge of the Ephesian Church upon Paul’s departure into Macedonia. And the words of Hebrews 13:23 lead us to believe that he suffered imprisonment for the cause of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
This letter was probably written by Paul soon after his departure from Ephesus, and it contains directions for Timothy’s official conduct in his position of leadership in the Ephesian Church. The Apostle begins and ends with warnings against false teachers (chapters 1 and 5:1-20); but the greater part of it is occupied with directions for the organization and discipline of the Church (chapter 2:1–6:2), with a digression relating to the great mystery of Godliness which formed the substance of his teaching (chapter 3:14–4:11), followed by special exhortations to Timothy himself (chapter 4:12-16).
Toward the beginning of this first chapter, Paul instructs Timothy on how to guard the Church against the Judaizers, or other false teachers who mingled fables with the pure Gospel. First, he shows the proper use of the Law, as well as the glory of the Gospel. The purpose of the Law is to promote love, for love is the fulfilling of the law (Rom. 13:10). “The end of the commandment is charity” (Rom. 13:8). The main drift of the Divine Law is to engage us to the love of God and of one another, and whatever tends to weaken either our love for the Lord or our love for our brothers or sisters is essentially defeating the purpose of the commandment. “By this,” said Jesus, “shall all men know that you are my disciples, if you love one another!” (John 13:35) As for the purpose of the Gospel, it is fulfilled when guilty sinners – through repentance toward God and faith in Jesus Christ – are brought to exercise Christian love. Believers are made righteous persons only by the appointed way of the Savior, and so the law of God is not against them. But unless we are made righteous by faith in Christ alone, and unless we really repent and forsake sin, we are still under the curse of the law and we are unfit to share the holy happiness of heaven.
In verses 12-17, the Apostle returns thanks to Jesus Christ for putting him into the ministry. And in order to magnify the grace of Christ even more, he gives an account of his conversion. He had formerly been a blasphemer and a persecutor; he breathed out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord (Acts 9:1). Frequently, those who are designed for great and eminent services for God are left to themselves before their conversion, to fall into great wickedness, so that the mercy and grace of the Savior may be even more glorified in their regeneration. The greatness of our sin is no bar to our acceptance with the Lord, nor to our being employed for Him, if it is truly repented of.
The conversion and salvation of great sinners are owing to the grace of Christ alone, which appears in His glorious Gospel. And “this is a faithful saying!” The sum of the whole Gospel is that Jesus Christ came into the world – taking our nature upon Himself, and dwelling among us (John 1:14). He did not come into the world to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance (Matt. 9:13). His errand into the world was to seek, find, and save those who are lost (Luke 19:10). And this is a faithful saying, worthy to be accepted by all! It is good news; and yet it is not too good to be true, for it is a faithful saying. Let us admire and praise the grace of God our Savior!
O Lord, we acknowledge, with Paul, that we are indeed the chiefest of sinners! But we also pray for grace so that we may see You in Your holiness, and truly repent of our sins in dust and ashes. Amen.
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