Homilies on First Timothy

1 Timothy 1:1, 2

“Paul, an Apostle of Jesus Christ by the commandment of God our Saviour, and Lord Jesus Christ, which is our hope; unto Timothy, my own son in the faith: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord.” [The R.V. omits κυρίου and translates: Christ Jesus our hope, τῆς ἐλπίδος ἡμῶν .]

1. Great and admirable is the dignity of an Apostle, and we find Paul constantly setting forth the causes of it, not as if he took the honor to himself, but as entrusted with it, and being under the necessity of so doing. For when he speaks of himself as “called,” and that “by the will of God,” and again elsewhere, “a necessity is laid upon me”, and when he says, “for this I was separated,” by these expressions all idea of arrogance and ambition is removed. For as he deserves the severest blame, who intrudes into an office which is not given him of God, so he who refuses, and shrinks from it when offered to him, incurs blame of another kind, that of rebellion and disobedience. Therefore Paul, in the beginning of this Epistle, thus expresses himself, “Paul, an Apostle of Jesus Christ by the commandment of God.” He does not say here, “Paul called,” but “by commandment.” He begins in this manner, that Timothy may not feel any human infirmity from supposing that Paul addresses him on the same terms as his disciples. But where is this commandment given? We read in the Acts of the Apostles: “The Spirit said, Separate me Paul and Barnabas.” And everywhere in his writings Paul adds the name of Apostle, to instruct his hearers not to consider the doctrines he delivered as proceeding from man. For an Apostle can say nothing of his own, and by calling himself an Apostle, he at once refers his hearers to Him that sent him. In all his Epistles therefore he begins by assuming this title, thus giving authority to his words, as here he says, “Paul, an Apostle of Jesus Christ according to the commandment of God our Saviour.” Now it does not appear that the Father anywhere commanded him. It is everywhere Christ who addresses him. Thus, “He said unto me, Depart, for I will send you far hence unto the Gentiles”; and again, “You must be brought before Cæsar.” But whatever the Son commands, this he considers to be the commandment of the Father, as those of the Spirit are the commandments of the Son. For he was sent by the Spirit, he was separated by the Spirit, and this he says was the commandment of God. What then? Does it derogate from the power of the Son, that His Apostle was sent forth by the commandment of the Father? By no means. For observe, how he represents the power as common to both. For having said, “according to the commandment of God our Saviour”; he adds, “and Lord Jesus Christ, our hope.” And observe, with what propriety he applies the titles. And indeed, the Psalmist applies this to the Father, saying, “The hope of all the ends of the earth.” And again, the blessed Paul in another place writes, “For therefore we both labor, and suffer reproach, because we have hope in the living God.” The teacher must suffer dangers even more than the disciple. For I will smite the shepherd, (he says,) “and the sheep shall be scattered abroad.” Therefore the devil rages with greater violence against teachers, because by their destruction the flock also is scattered. For by slaying the sheep, he has lessened the flock, but when he has made away with the shepherd, he has ruined the whole flock, so that he the rather assaults him, as working greater mischief by a less effort; and in one soul effecting the ruin of all. For this reason Paul, at the beginning, elevates and encourages the soul of Timothy, by saying, We have God for our Saviour and Christ for our hope. We suffer much, but our hopes are great; we are exposed to snares and perils, but to save us we have not man but God. Our Saviour is not weak, for He is God, and whatever be our dangers they will not overcome us; nor is our hope made ashamed, for it is Christ. For in two ways we are enabled to bear up against dangers, when we are either speedily delivered from them, or supposed by good hopes under them.

But Paul never calls himself the Apostle of the Father, but always of Christ. Because he makes everything common to both. The Gospel itself he calls “the Gospel of God.” And whatever we suffer here, he implies, things present are as nothing.

“Unto Timothy, my own son in the faith.”

This too is encouraging. For if he evinced such faith as to be called peculiarly Paul's “own” son, he might be confident also with respect to the future. For it is the part of faith not to be cast down or disturbed, though circumstances occur that seem contrary to the promises. But observe he says, “my son,” and even “my own son,” and yet he is not of the same substance. But what? Was he of irrational kind? “Well,” says one, “he was not of Paul, so this does not imply 'being of' another.” What then? Was he of another substance? Neither was it so, for after saying “my own son,” he adds, “in the faith,” to show that he was really “his own son,” and truly from him. There was no difference. The likeness he bore to him was in respect to his faith, as in human births there is a likeness in respect of substance. The son is like the father in human beings, but with respect to God the proximity is greater. For here a father and a son, though of the same substance, differ in many particulars, as in color, figure, understanding, age, bent of mind, endowments of soul and body, and in many other things they may be like or unlike, but there is no such dissimilarity in the divine Essence. “By commandment.” This is a stronger expression than “called”, as we learn from other passages. As he here calls Timothy “my own son,” in like manner he says to the Corinthians, “in Christ Jesus I have begotten you,” i.e. in faith; but he adds the word “own,” to show his particular likeness to himself, as well as his own love and great affection for him. Notice again the “in” applied to the faith. “My own son,” he says, “in the faith.” See what an honorable distinction, in that he calls him not only his “son,” but his “own” son.

Ver. 2. “Grace, mercy, and peace from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord.”

Why is mercy mentioned here, and not in the other Epistles? This is a further mark of his affection. Upon his son he invokes greater blessings, with the anxious apprehension of a parent. For such was his anxiety, that he gives directions to Timothy, which he has done in no other case, to attend to his bodily health; where he says, “Use a little wine for your stomach's sake, and your frequent infirmities” Teachers indeed stand more in need of mercy.

“From God our Father,” he says, “and Jesus Christ our Lord.”

Here too is consolation. For if God is our Father, He cares for us as sons, as Christ says, “What man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone?”

Ver. 3. “As I besought you to abide still at Ephesus, when I went into Macedonia.”