Outline of I Timothy

David Mitchell
Pastor, Mount Calvary Baptist Church, Charleston, West Virginia

1. Introduction.
   1. Author: Paul (1:1).
   2. Recipient:   Timothy (1:2), evidently a young convert won to Christ by Paul.   The son of a mixed marriage, his mother was a Jew and his father a Greek (Acts 16:1).   He was a native of Lystra(Acts 16:1) who was highly esteemed by the believers there and in Iconium.   He was still evidently a young man when Paul left him at Ephesus as his personal delegate to make corrections needed in the church.
   3. Date:   About A.D. 64-65.   The events of I Timothy were after Acts had been completed.   Paul was, at that time, still imprisoned following his third missionary journey.   It is generally accepted that after the events of Acts, Paul was set free and continued his labors.   I Timothy and Titus were probably written during this period of freedom before the final imprisonment when II Timothy was penned.
   4. Theme:   Church order (3:15).
   5. Purpose:   Directions were given to Timothy concerning both practical and doctrinal matters in the Lord’s churches.
   
   
2. Salutation, 1:1-2, follows the normal epistolary style of New Testament times.
   
   
3. The charge to refute false doctrine, 1:3-10.
   1. This was going on at the time.   The Greek grammar suggests that he charge some to stop teaching other doctrines.   This was a serious problem among the early churches (Acts 15:1; Galatians 1:6-7).
   2. The purpose of sound doctrine is always soundness of life, 1:5-6, love, a pure heart, a good conscience, and genuine faith.
   3. The error being taught was evidently a Judaizing form of legalism such as that in Antioch (Acts 15:1), as some wanted to be teachers of the law, but they failed to understand the purpose of the Law.   The Law is not for a righteous man.   It is neither a means of salvation (Romans 3:20) for the lost nor a rule of faith to the redeemed.   The Law was made for the lawless and disobedient (1:9).
   
   
4. Paul’s rejoicing at being put into the ministry, 1:11-17.
   1. The gospel was committed to his trust, 1:11.
   2. It is God who calls men into the ministry, 1:12.
   3. It is God who enables those who are called, 1:12.
   4. Paul's transformed life was designed to bring glory and honor to God, 1:16.
   5. Paul's experience is ground for any sinner to have hope and confidence in believing, 1:16.
   
   
5. A charge to Timothy, 1:18-20.
   1. He has a solemn charge to carry out the commission Paul had given him (1:3-4).
   2. He appeals to the hopeful expectations of those who had commended Timothy to him as a worthy associate (1:18; Acts 16:2).
   3. Timothy must hold faith (trust in God) and a good conscience lest he make shipwreck of the faith (the body of revealed truth). The second occurrence of faith has the definite article in the Greek testament and hence refers to the body of sound doctrine from which some have erred.
   
   
6. Instructions concerning public worship in the Lord’s church, Chapter 2.
   1. Prayer must be central, first of all, 2:1-7.
      1. The objects of prayer, all men. Probably we ought to understand this to be all kinds of men (see below). Even the despotic Roman emperor was to be an object of prayer. We should regularly pray for our national leaders.
      2. The purpose of our praying is the salvation of men. Missions is at the heart of prayer. God desires the salvation of all men. This verse does not con­tradict other revelation about election.
         1. It perfectly harmonizes with such passages of Ezekiel 18:23, 32; 33:11.
         2. However, in light of all the scripture teaches about elective grace, we should understand this passage to refer to all kinds of men whether Jew or Gentile, rich or poor, bond or free.
   2. There are differing spheres of service for men and women in the church, 2:8-15.
      1. The men (a gender specific word, aner) are to lead in public prayer.
      2. Men are to do the teaching of the church and exercise administrative oversight, 2:12.
         1. Women may teach other women, Titus 2:3-4.
         2. Women may teach children.
      3. The godly woman is to be chaste in appearance, 2:9. Modesty and simplicity in dress and appearance is appropriate in worship. Hair styles, dress styles, and jewelry should not attract attention to the worshipper, and these things not fitting at worship are not hereby forbidden in other settings.
      4. The woman's role in the assembly is to be that of a silent learner, 2:11. This accords with the clear principle of I Corinthians 14-34-35.
      5. This order of things is supported by appeal to:
         1. The order of creation, Adam first, then Eve, 2:13.
         2. The fact that Eve was deceived by the tempter, 2:14.
      6. Yet the godly woman need not despair even in the travail of childbirth (and its connection with the fall and its curse). She will be delivered through   childbearing, it is not a sign of divine displeasure. This passage does not teach a new way of salvation (i.e., childbirth).
      
      
7. The officers of the New Testament Church, Chapter 3.
   1. The office of bishop (overseer), 3:1-7. The man who fills this office is termed an elder and the work he does is called pastoring (or shepherding in the sense of feeding), Acts 20.17,28. Qualifications include:
      1. Personal, 3:2-3, orderly, scriptural, gentle, free of greed and anger.
      2. As to family, 3:4-5 require it to be well conducted.
      3. As regards the church, 3:5-6 he is not to be a novice (neophyte) to the faith.
      4. As regards the world, 3:7, a good report
   2. The office of deacon (servant), 3:8-13.
      1. As to personal qualities, he should be serious, honest, and free of greed, 3:8.
      2. As to spiritual qualities he ought to be sound in doctrine, 3:9.
      3. As to experience, deacons ought to be well proven.
      4. As to family life, their home should be well conducted, and their marriage scriptural, 3:12.
      5. The reward to faithful deacons is great, 3:13.
   
   
8. The church as the house of God, 3:14-16.
   1. These instructions are to govern our conduct in the house of God which equals the church of the living God This is obviously a reference to the church as a local, assembling body-the only kind in which we could behave or be guilty of misconduct.
   2. The Lord's church is the mainstay of God's truth in the world and is the bastion of orthodoxy.
   3. The central truth of the church concerns the incarnation and glorification of God the Son. 3:16 is very poetic and it has been suggested that it may be a portion of an early Christian hymn.
   
   
9. Future dangers of the church, Chapter 4.
   1. Various forms of error will develop, 4:1-5. Among these are doctrine of devils, false asceticism, and rejection of marriage (celibacy).
   2. The walk of a good minister in days of apostasy, 4:6-16.
      1. As touching heresy, 4:6, he must keep laying the foundation of truth.
      2. As touching himself, as an example, 4:7-12, he must maintain his walk by godly self-discipline, labor, patience in reproach, in love, in faith, and in purity.
      3. As touching himself and doctrine, 4:13-16, he must give attention to study, exhorting and teaching. He is to meditate therein and give himself to doctrine. How this charge conflicts with the modern cry to forget doctrine and let's just all be Christians.
   
   
10. The discipline and benevolence of the church, Chapter 5.
    1. The treatment to be accorded various classes in the church, 5:1-3, emphasizes the family nature of the church.
    2. The care of widows is according to established guidelines, 5:4-16.
       1. Families are responsible for their own.
       2. A widow to be supported by the church must have a good record of faithful service and be or proper age (over 60).
       3. Younger widows ought to remarry (compare 5:11 and 5:14) as a means of avoiding falling into sin.
    3. The care of pastors, 5:17-25.
       1. They should be paid well (double honor means double wages, in several places the same word is translated price Matthew 27:49; Acts 4:34; Acts 5:2,3). The following verse clearly establishes that as Paul's intended meaning.
       2. They should not be needlessly subject to slander, 5:19.
       3. Those who are guilty should be censured, 5:20.
       4. Churches should proceed cautiously in ordaining men to the ministry, 5:22.
       5. Pastor’s need to give due regard to their health, 5:23.
    
    
11. Christian social responsibilities, Chapter 6.
    1. Concerning servants and masters, 6:1-5, there ought to be mutual honor and respect. Scripture does not condone slavery but regulates its practice where it was found.
    2. Concerning material possessions, 6:6-16:
       1. Godliness with contentment is the guiding principle, 6:6-9.
       2. The love of money is the root of all sorts of other evils, 6:10.
       3. The man of God (whether preacher or not) must flee covetousness and lay hold on eternal life and its proper values, 6:11-12.
    3. Concerning the wealthy, 6:17-19:
       1. They must not trust their riches.
       2. They must be ready to share their goods with those in need.
    
    
12. Conclusion, 6:20-21.
    1. Timothy is charged to faithfully preserve the body of truth, the faith, which is   committed to him as it was to Paul (1:11).
    2. God's servant must every be watchful about the opposition of false knowledge and must not pander to the academic elitism of our age.