1 Timothy

Definition and Meaning

1 Timothy is the fifteenth book of the New Testament and the fifty-fourth book of the Bible as a whole. It consists of six chapters. Traditionally regarded as a letter from the apostle Paul to his disciple Timothy, it belongs to the Pauline Epistles. Together with 2 Timothy and Titus, it is called one of the Pastoral Epistles because these letters deal with the care and leadership of the church, that is, pastoral ministry. The designation "First" indicates that it is the earlier of the two letters addressed to Timothy.

Biblical and Historical Background

The letter states that Paul left Timothy in Ephesus when he departed for Macedonia (1 Timothy 1:3). Its main contents are as follows:

• Warnings against false teaching (chapter 1)
• Worship and prayer (chapter 2)
• Qualifications for bishops and deacons (chapter 3)
• Instructions for the treatment of widows and elders (chapter 5)
• Warnings about wealth (chapter 6)

Views differ on the letter's authorship and date. Conservative scholars hold that Paul wrote it in the mid-60s, after his release from his first imprisonment in Rome. Many critical scholars, by contrast, point to its vocabulary, style, and the form of church organization reflected in the letter, and regard it as having been written in Paul's name after his death. In the Korean church, the traditional view of Pauline authorship is widely accepted.

Practice in the Korean Church

• Ordination: 1 Timothy 3:1–13 is frequently read at ordination and installation services for elders and deacons. It is also cited as the basis for the qualifications of church officers set out in denominational constitutions. Presbyterians read the "bishop" of this chapter in connection with the offices of minister and elder, while Methodists use "bishop" as the title of a denominational leader. The phrase "the husband of one wife" (3:2) is also raised in discussions of divorce and remarriage among church officers.
• Women's ordination: "But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man" (2:12) is a central text in the debate over women's ordination. Denominations such as the Presbyterian Church in Korea (HapDong) do not ordain women as ministers or elders on the basis of this verse. The Presbyterian Church of Korea (TongHap), the Korean Methodist Church, the Presbyterian Church in the Republic of Korea, and others interpret the verse as guidance addressed to the particular circumstances of the church in Ephesus at that time and permit women's ordination.
• Prayer: The exhortation to pray for kings and for all who are in authority (2:1–2) is frequently cited as the basis for praying for the nation and its leaders in representative prayer offered on behalf of the congregation.
• Preaching and debate: "Exercise thyself rather unto godliness" (4:7) and "For the love of money is the root of all evil" (6:10) are often quoted in sermons. The verse in which Timothy is told to use a little wine (5:23) is cited in the alcohol and tobacco debate by both advocates of total abstinence and their opponents, each of whom interprets it differently.