The first letter is one of three letters known as the pastoral epistles. The others being 2 Timothy and Titus. These are his last three recorded letters, written near the end of his life, to exhort Timothy and Titus in their ministry to the churches in Ephesus and Crete and focus on church life.
There has been some question over the authorship of the letters, but I am content to accept that it was the Apostle Paul, because he says so in the very first verse. External and internal evidence strongly supports Paul’s authorship, particularly the many personal facts. According to history, Christianity had become an illegal religion in the empire (the burning of Rome took place in 64AD) and Paul was again imprisoned by 67AD.
Paul is now a much older man; he describes himself as ‘the aged’ in his letter to Philemon v9, which was written around AD60, so, for him to be an old man he must have been living at the same time as Jesus. He was a contemporary of Jesus; thus, he knew all about the person whose followers he persecuted before his conversion.
The apostle Paul probably wrote this letter to Timothy in the mid-60s A.D., during a mission trip not recorded in Scripture. This trip took place after the events described in the Acts of the Apostles, between Paul’s first and final Roman imprisonments. His theme is that the gospel leads to practical, visible change in believers’ lives. The true gospel, in contrast to false teaching, must and will always lead to godliness. Paul focuses on the fact that true Christianity is shown in lifestyles shaped by the gospel. Those whose lives are not shaped by the gospel have turned away from the faith
The letter is traditionally attributed to the Apostle Paul and is mainly counsel to his younger colleague Timothy regarding his ministry in Ephesus. They include instructions on the organisation of the church and the responsibilities of leadership as well as exhortations to being faithful in maintaining truth in a growing culture of error. False teachers are the main cause for the letter. Their teaching apparently involved incorrect assumptions about the law (1:7–11) and not allowing marriage and certain foods (4:1–5).
Writing from an unknown location, but probably Macedonia, Paul wrote to Timothy at Ephesus to instruct him on how to lead the church there, to appoint godly elders. Ephesus was a wealthy and highly influential port city in the Roman province of Asia, renowned for its temple of Artemis (Diana). In Acts 20:29,30 he predicted to the Ephesians elders that false teachers would come. Apparently, he returned to Ephesus for a short time after his release from prison, but later had to leave for Macedonia, thus, the letter was to support Timothy in dealing with the false teachers.
Paul stresses the conduct of ministers and tells Timothy to be on his guard lest his youthfulness became a liability, rather than an asset. He was to be careful to avoid false teachers and greedy motives, rather, he must pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance and gentleness that befits a man of God. The name Timothy means ‘Honouring God’ or ‘Honoured by God’.
