1 Timoteo 1:3-11

( b) 1 Timothy 1:3-Proverbs : . Reminder of Paul’ s Verbal Charge.

1 Timothy 1:3-1 Kings : . The False Teaching, and a Digression on the Law.— Some years before, Paul had foretold that error would assail the Church in Asia ( Acts 20:29 f.). His fear had now been realised. On his recent visit to Macedonia (Intro. § 5 ) he had already given Timothy instruction concerning it, and this he here renews. The authority of the errorists to teach is not disputed. Perhaps all Christian men could engage in teaching; Zahn, INT, ii. 96 : it is the content of their doctrine that is challenged. This seems to have taken the forra of a speculative Judaism— its exponents posed as “ teachers of the law”— dealing with legendary matter ( e.g. the Haggadah) alien to the Gospel’ s purpose. Such doctrine is ( a) evil in tendency, leading to “ vain talking” and aimless discussions (including, perhaps, “ the trivial casuistry which constituted no small part of the Halacha”— Hort) ( cf. Titus 1:10); ( b) irrelevant, missing the true end of the Christian teaching— not useless controversy, but love ( 1 Timothy 1:5)— and so constituting a “ different doctrine” ( 1 Timothy 1:3); ( c) ignorant, its propounders understanding neither their own assertions nor their subject-matter ( 1 Timothy 1:7). This disparaging reference to self-styled “ teachers of the law,” however— here follows a brief digression ( 1 Timothy 1:8-1 Kings :)— does not imply condemnation of the Law itself. It is only its misuse that Paul deprecates. The Law is good if a teacher builds on knowledge of its true design, the restraining of wrongdoers. Such a view of the Law, indeed, is that which harmonises with Paul’ s own Gospel of God’ s glory.

1 Timothy 1:5 . conscience and faith: viewed throughout the Pastorals as closely inter-related.

1 Timothy 1:6 . swerved: perhaps “ failed” or “ forgotten” (Exp. VII, vi. 373 ).

1 Timothy 1:8 . good: the Gr. word signifies beauty as well as goodness ( cf. Romans 7:16).

1 Timothy 1:9 . law: either the Mosaic Law or “ law” in general, probably the former if the accompanying list of sins follows, as some hold, the order of the Decalogue. For supplementary view, see Romans 5:20. Moffatt (INT, p. 410 ) needlessly sees in this paragraph proof of the writer’ s sub-Pauline environment.— murderers: more probably “ smiters” ( mg.) .

1 Timothy 1:10 . sound: contrast 2 Timothy 2:17. This apt metaphor ( cf. mg.) , not found in Paul outside the Pastorals, was common in ancient Gr., and must have been familiar to him.— doctrine: the conception, found in the Pastorals, of a system of belief to be accepted and guarded, has erroneously been declared un-Pauline. Not only was it an inevitable development in the Church’ s thought, but it is revealed in Paul’ s earliest epistles ( 1 Thessalonians 4:1, 2 Thessalonians 2:15, 1 Corinthians 15:2 f., etc.).