Introduction to 1 Timothy

Paul writes this letter around AD 62-64 to the young pastor, Timothy, who was his son in the faith (2 Timothy 1:2). Timothy was raised by Eunice (his mother) and Lois (his grandmother) who passed on their faith in Jesus Christ to him. Paul writes concerning Timothy’s upbringing in 2 Timothy 1:5: “when I call to remembrance the genuine faith that is in you, which dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and I am persuaded is in you also.” It can be assumed from 2 Timothy 3:15 that they also faithfully taught him the Holy Scriptures because they knew it was “able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.” We cannot be certain as to why his father is not mentioned by Paul, but it is possible that he had died early in Timothy’s life (see Acts 16:1).

Timothy’s mother was a Jew and his father was Greek making him a perfect candidate to minister as a missionary with Paul to both cultures. Timothy came to salvation under Paul’s ministry in Lystra during his first missionary journey (Acts 14:6-23) and when he returned to Lystra he chose Timothy to go with him because the people of Lystra and Iconium spoke highly of him (Acts 16:1-3). At this time, Timothy was very young (probably a teenager or young adult). He began ministering in many churches in the place of Paul and this letter was penned while Timothy was pastoring the church at Ephesus (1 Timothy 1:3). Having written this letter after his release from imprisonment in Rome, Paul had ministered in many cities including Ephesus but had left Timothy there in order to provide some stability and guidance to the struggling church. Issues such as false doctrine, weak leadership in the church, misconduct in worship, and apathy had crept into the church and Paul wanted Timothy to confront it head on. Sprinkled throughout the letter, Paul writes practical instructions for pastoring as well as important doctrinal truths for Timothy to grasp. This letter is meant to assist Timothy in being an effective pastor who instructs and teaches the church to mature in their faith.