1 Timothy 1:3-11

A. The task Timothy faced 1:3-11

Paul penned these opening words to remind Timothy to correct teachers in the Ephesian church who were majoring on minor matters in their Bible teaching. In so doing he reminded Timothy of his own responsibility as a communicator of God’s truth.

"That the false teachers were . . . probably elders [of the house-churches in Ephesus] is supported by several items from 1 Timothy: their presuming to be ’teachers of the law’ (1 Timothy 1:7), a responsibility of the elders (1 Timothy 5:17; cf. 1 Timothy 3:2); the fact that two are named and excommunicated by Paul (1 Timothy 1:19-20), not by the church as in 2 Thessalonians 3:14 and 1 Corinthians 5:1-5; and the repeated concern about elders in this letter, both as to their qualifications-with no mention of duties-in 1 Timothy 3:1-7 and their discipline and apparent replacement in 1 Timothy 5:19-25." [Note: Ibid., p. 40.]