The Pastoral Epistles

1
The Pastoral Epistles

• I Timothy, Titus, II Timothy

2

• These three letters are called Pastoral because
  they are addressed to individuals working as
  pastors ministers.
• Paul had left Timothy to work with the churches
  in Ephesus.
• Paul had left Titus to work with the churches on
  the island of Crete.
• The date of all three of these is uncertain
  because we dont know where Paul was when he
  wrote them.

3
Timothy

• Paul met Timothy in Lystra on his first
  missionary tour.
• Timothy began traveling with Paul as he came
  through Lystra again on his 2nd trip.
• His mother was Jewish and his father Gentile.
• Paul had Timothy circumcised before he took him
  through Jewish communities.

4

• Paul called him my beloved and faithful child in
  the Lord and my loyal child in the faith ( 1
  Cor. 417 1 Tim 12).
• Timothy is mentioned in the prescripts for 6
  letters of Paul
• 1 Thess., 2 Thess., 2 Cor., Philip., Philem.,
  Col.
• He was with Paul when he wrote Rom. (1621).
• Worked with Paul and Silas in Thessalonica and
  Corinth (probably in Philippi).

5

• Was with Paul in Ephesus
• Took the letters to Thessalonica, Corinth
• Timothy was the trouble shooter for Paul.
• Thessalonica, Corinth (after the painful visit
  Paul sent Timothy back)
• Philippians 220, 22
• I have no one like him who will be genuinely
  concerned for your welfare. . . . Timothys worth
  you know, how like a son with a father he has
  served with me in the work of the gospel.

6
1 Timothy

• At some point Paul left Timothy in Ephesus to
  work with the churches.
• He wrote to him to encourage him in the struggles
  that Paul knew he was having.
• Paul had worked there for 3 years and knew the
  community and churches well.

7

• Date and location
• Paul left Timothy in Ephesus while he went to
  Macedonia.
• No mention in Acts or Pauls letters when he
  could have done this.
• Possibly during the third missionary journey,
  except that Timothy is going back and forth
  between Ephesus Corinth.
• Maybe when Paul went to Corinth, Tim went to
  Ephesus?
• Possibly after his release from prison in Rome.

8
Main Themes of 1 Timothy

• Warnings about false teachers
• Emphasize love, conscience, faith in teaching.
• Encourage people to live faithful and moral
  lives.
• Discusses qualities and responsibilities of
  leaders (elders, deacons).

9

• Timothy is to focus on sound (healthy)
  teaching as he instructs people (46)
• Godliness
• Let no one despise your youth (412)
• Set an example for others in your speech,
  conduct, love, faith, and purity.
• Pay particular attention to widows.
• The church is to support them.

10

• Another warning about the effects of the false
  teaching.
• Leads to envy, dissension, slander, base
  suspicions, etc.
• Timothy is to pursue righteousness, godliness,
  faith, love, endurance, gentleness.
• Dont let ministry make you bitter or unfaithful.
• Pauls final words
• Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to you.

11
Authorship

• Many do not accept Pauline authorship of the
  pastoral epistles for several reasons.
• Unusual vocabulary hapax legomena
• Framework of Pauls ministry
• Church order
• Argumentative strategy
• Theology
• (Categories from DeSilva, An Introduction to the
  New Testament, 736ff.)

12
Titus

• Titus was Greek not sure where his home was.
• He worked with Paul and Timothy in Ephesus,
  Macedonia, and Achaia.
• He took the sorrowful letter to Corinth and
  brought good news to Paul in Macedonia.
• Helped Paul with the collection for Jerusalem
  Christians. (2 Cor. 86)

13

• At some point Paul went to Crete and left Titus
  there to continue the work they began.
• This is not mentioned by Luke in Acts or in any
  other letters of Paul.
• Possibly during Pauls 3 year ministry in
  Ephesus.
• Possibly after release from prison in Rome.

14
Crete

• Very difficult place to work.
• Very rough place
• It had a long standing reputation
• Cretans are always liars, vicious brutes, lazy
  gluttons.
• Paul (Titus 112, quoting Epimenides of Crete,
  600 BC)
• Pirates would use Crete as a place to hide from
  the Romans the Cretans welcomed them.

15
Themes in Titus

• Godliness that leads to sound and productive
  lives.
• Titus was to appoint elders in each city.
• Healthy (sound) teaching
• Older men
• Temperance, prudence, sound faith, love, endurance

16

• Older women
• Reverent in behavior
• No slandering
• Not be a slave to drink
• Teach what is good
• Encourage younger women to love their husbands,
  their children, be self-controlled, good managers
  of the household, etc.
• Younger men
• Be self-controlled

17

• Titus
• Be a model of good works
• Integrity, gravity, sound speech
• Slaves
• Be submissive to masters
• Dont steal
• Show complete fidelity in your work
• General teachings
• Be subject to rulers
• Be ready for every good work
• Speak evil of no one

18

• Remind people to be careful to devote themselves
  to good works
• Avoid stupid controversies, etc.
• Let people learn to devote themselves to good
  works in order to meet urgent needs, so they may
  not be unproductive.

19
2 Timothy

• Paul is in prison, most likely Rome.
• Timothy evidently still or back in Ephesus.
• Paul is more reminiscent, seems to feel that his
  end is near.
• Perhaps while in Rome, after his earlier release.
• Writing to encourage Timothy in his ministry.

20

• Paul is not optimistic about the possibility of a
  release (cf. Philip. and Phm).
• Paul reflects back over his ministry .
• 47 I have fought the good fight . . .
• He has a good conscience about serving the Lord
  well and is looking forward to being with the
  Lord.
• He knows Timothy well and compliments him and his
  family background.

21

• Paul reflects on his own sufferings and what he
  has learned about depending on the Lord.
• He knows Timothy is in a difficult place,
  Ephesus, so he encourages him to remain faithful.

22
Specific Instructions

• Be a good worker, faithful.
• Maintain your own purity.
• Be an example of righteousness, faith, love,
  peace.
• Avoid useless arguments.
• Devote yourself to studying and teaching.
• Follow through with your commitment, in spite of
  the problems and challenges.

23
Where in Pauls Ministry?

• Neither Acts nor Paul gives us enough information
  to determine for sure when Paul wrote these
  letters.
• He could have written 1 Timothy from Macedonia
  after he had left Ephesus on his way to Corinth
• He had sent Titus ahead perhaps he left Timothy
  in Ephesus.

24

• At some point he and Titus worked together on the
  island of Crete.
• This could have been during his stay in Ephesus.
• It could also have been after Paul was released
  from his Roman imprisonment.
• Paul may have gone to Crete at that point either
  before or after he went to Spain.

25

• 2 Timothy was probably written from prison in
  Rome after he had traveled to Spain.
• Tradition (not the NT) indicates that Paul did
  make it to Spain and that later he was executed
  during Neros persecution around 64-65.
• Clement of Rome (ca. 96) having reached the
  limit of the west. (1 Clement 51-7 Clement
  was writing from Rome)