| 1 TIMOTHY |
| Explanatory Footnotes |
| 2:1 Time to Get Organized Chapters 2 and 3 give detailed instructions concerning worship and church organization. When Paul wrote this letter, near the end of his life, churches such as Ephesus had been established for many years. The time had come for a more formal organization and for instructions governing appropriate and inappropriate behavior in church. 4:14 Timothy's Calling In three separate places in his letters to Timothy, Paul refers to his associate's special calling to the ministry. Chapter 1:18 alludes to prophecies made about him. This passage mentions a special ceremony when the church elders "laid their hands" on him. And in 2 Timothy (1:6) Paul specifies that he, too, had been part of such a ceremony. Timothy came from a Christian household; both his grandmother and mother were believers (2 Timothy 1:5). 5:9 Welfare Mentality Chapter 5 gives fascinating insight into early church problems that have parallels in today's social programs. Evidently, some members of the Ephesus congregation had been taking advantage of others' charity. Young widows were using the church's resources when they should have been looking for other means of support. Paul outlines a form of "enrollment" to establish who was truly needy. 6:7 Two Familiar Quotes Paul's parting advice to Timothy includes two saying that have become familiar quotations. Verse 7 is usually quoted accurately. But verse 10, also familiar, is often misquoted as "money is the root of all evil." An established church had already developed a professional class of Christian workers, and Paul warned against the motive of profit-seeking. |