1 Timothy Chapter 1 – A Commentary & Explanation (Verse by Verse Study)
When I open the Scriptures, especially the pastoral letters, I feel this old familiar smell—like an aged leather Bible that sat too close to the warmth of the fireplace. The pages feel soft, kinda fragile, like they’ve absorbed the breaths and prayers of a hundred tired saints. That’s kinda the feeling I get with 1 Timothy Chapter 1, because Paul wasn’t just writing theology; he was speaking like a spiritual father with fire in his bones and love dripping off every sentence.
And the Greek terms he uses… oh wow, they got a weight to them, like stones you carry in your pocket to remember the path you came from. Hebrew echoes, too, hidden in the way he thinks—the old covenant shaping the new.
So, let’s walk through this chapter slow, sometimes stumbling a little, but real. Like a friend sitting down with coffee, or maybe tea with too much sugar because you weren’t paying attention, and now it’s too sweet but you still drink it.
Verse 1 – “Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the command of God our Savior…”
Right away Paul’s not shy about the authority behind his mission. The Greek word apostolos (ἀπόστολος) literally means “one who is sent, a messenger with a commission.” Not just a mailman. More like someone carrying a King’s decree.
He says he’s an apostle by the command—the Greek word epitagē (ἐπιταγῇ), meaning “order, authoritative instruction.” It’s not suggestion. God didn’t whisper; He commanded.
And He calls God “our Savior”, which always reminds me that salvation isn’t some dusty doctrine. It’s rescue. Like being yanked out of a stormy sea.
And Christ Jesus—Elpis (ἐλπίς)—our hope. Not wishful thinking hope, but anchored, weighty hope.
Honestly, just in verse 1, I feel like Paul is grounding Timothy: “Remember who sent me, and remember who holds you.”
Verse 2 – “To Timothy my true son in the faith…”
This one warms me. Paul doesn’t sound like a cold theologian here. He sounds like a father whose heart is tied to Timothy.
The Greek word for “true” here is gnēsios (γνήσιος), meaning genuine, legitimate, coming from the same spiritual womb. Timothy isn’t just some assistant. He’s a son born out of ministry labor.
And then that triple blessing:
Grace (charis), mercy (eleos), peace (eirēnē).
Mercy is added here specially—Paul only adds it in letters to pastors, almost like he knows leadership wounds you in secret places. Mercy becomes like a bandage.
Verse 3 – “Stay in Ephesus…”
I imagine Timothy hearing this and sighing. Ephesus wasn’t exactly a peaceful vacation spot. It was loud, chaotic, spiritually cluttered. False teachers popped up like weeds after rain.
Paul says, “Remain.” Prosmeinai (προσμεῖναι) — stay near, stick it out, don’t run.
We all need that sometimes, right? That voice saying, Hey, I know it’s messy, but stay put. Your assignment isn’t over.
Verse 4 – Myths & Endless Genealogies
These myths—probably Jewish fanciful stories and Gnostic-ish speculations. People chasing knowledge that didn’t help nobody.
Paul says these things promote speculations, ekzētēsis (ἐκζήτησις)—meaning fruitless debates. Stuff that spirals and spirals and never ends.
He wants God’s oikonomia (οἰκονομία), “house management, stewardship.” God works like a well-ordered home, not chaotic clutter.
Sometimes in Bible study groups, I feel this too—folks arguing circles around tiny things while forgetting the simple wonder of the Gospel. Paul says nope, let’s not lose the plot.
Verse 5 – “The goal of this command is love…”
Ahhh. This verse is like a deep breath after a tense argument.
The goal (Greek telos, τέλος) is LOVE. Not pride. Not winning debates. Not proving you’re smarter. Love from a pure heart (katharas kardias), good conscience (agathēs syneidēseōs), sincere faith (anupokritou pisteōs—“unhypocritical faith”).
Imagine Paul leaning forward saying, “Timothy, all this teaching stuff ain’t for ego; it’s for love.”
Sometimes I forget this myself. Especially when I get fired up over doctrine. Love is the point.
Verse 6 – “Some have wandered away…”
The Greek astocheō (ἀστοχέω) means “to miss the mark,” like an arrow off-target. These folks drifted into meaningless talk. Words without life.
I picture them sounding smart but empty. Like pots making noise with nothing inside.
Verse 7 – Wanting to be teachers of the law…
They desired to be “law-teachers” (nomodidaskaloi), but they didn’t actually understand the Torah or the Gospel. They spoke with confidence but without clarity.
I’ve sometimes heard people do that—talking loud, sounding confident, but their words taste hollow. Like stale bread.
Verse 8 – “The law is good if used lawfully.”
Here Paul honors the Torah. The Hebrew word Torah (תּוֹרָה) literally means “instruction, guidance.” It was never the enemy.
But you gotta use it properly. Not as a weapon to beat people down. More like a mirror. A tutor. A guide showing what sin really is.
Verses 9–10 – The Law for the Lawless
Paul lists folks who need the law: rebels, ungodly, sinful, unholy.
Some words are heavy in Greek:
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Anomois (ἀνόμοις) – “lawless ones.”
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Asebesin (ἀσεβέσιν) – “irreverent, pushing God aside.”
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Pornois (πόρνοις) – sexual immorality.
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Arsenokoitais (ἀρσενοκοίταις) – a debated word, but tied to sexual sin.
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Andrapodistais (ἀνδραποδισταῖς) – slave traders, literally “man-stealers.”
That’s dark stuff. You can almost smell the corruption—sweaty, cold, metallic like chains in a slave market. Paul’s not playing around.
The law shines a light on darkness, exposing it.
Verse 11 – “The glorious gospel…”
To euangelion tēs doxēs (τὸ εὐαγγέλιον τῆς δόξης) — “the Gospel of glory.”
Glorious like sunlight after weeks of rain.
Paul says he was entrusted with it. Episteuthēn (ἐπιστεύθην) — “entrusted like a treasure.”
I sometimes feel small reading that, like holding a priceless vase with trembling hands.
Verse 12 – “I thank Christ Jesus our Lord…”
This is where Paul gets personal. Emotional.
He thanks Christ because He strengthened him—endynamōsanti (ἐνδυναμώσαντι). Empowered. Like spiritual adrenaline.
And He considered Paul faithful, even though Paul’s past was… well, not pretty.
Verse 13 – “Formerly a blasphemer…”
Paul doesn’t hide. He says he was blasphēmon (βλάσφημον), “one who insults God,” a persecutor, diōktēn (διώκτην), and violent, hybristēn (ὑβριστήν)—a person full of arrogance that harms.
But he received mercy because he acted in ignorance.
Mercy tastes like cold water after a long dusty walk. Refreshing in ways you can’t explain.
Verse 14 – “Grace overflowed…”
The Greek is beautiful: huper epleonasen (ὑπερεπλεόνασεν) — “overflowed beyond measure.” Like a cup running over and spilling everywhere.
Grace mixed with faith and love in Christ. It’s messy, abundant, unstoppable.
Verse 15 – “Christ Jesus came to save sinners, of whom I am chief.”
This verse hits like thunder.
Paul says protos (πρῶτος), “first, foremost, chief.” Not “I was the chief sinner.” He says “I am.”
I feel this honesty in my bones. Like when you remember who you were and know you still need grace every day.
Jesus didn’t come for the shiny perfect ones. He came for broken ones who knew they were broken.
Verse 16 – Mercy as an Example
Paul becomes a living illustration. A trophy of grace.
Christ shows makrothumia (μακροθυμία) — “great long-suffering.” It’s a patience that stretches long, like a rope that doesn’t snap even when pulled hard.
Paul’s life becomes a billboard of God’s patience.
Verse 17 – The Doxology
This burst of praise feels spontaneous, like Paul got overwhelmed mid-sentence.
“Now to the King eternal” — basilei aiōniō (βασιλεῖ αἰωνίῳ)
“Immortal” — aphthartō (ἀφθάρτῳ)
“Invisible” — aoratō (ἀοράτῳ)
“The only God” — monō theō (μόνῳ θεῷ)
Honor and glory forever.
This verse feels like Paul dropped to his knees.
Verse 18 – “Fight the good warfare.”
Strateia (στρατεία) — not a casual fight, but a military campaign.
Timothy has prophecies spoken over him, like spiritual fingerprints.
Paul says use them to fight—strateuē (στρατεύῃ). Not in fear, but with courage.
Sometimes you need to remember what God has spoken over you to keep moving forward.
Verse 19 – Faith & a Good Conscience
Some rejected this. The Greek word is apōsamenoi (ἀπωσάμενοι), meaning “to push away like trash.”
They tossed away their conscience, and then their faith shipwrecked.
Shipwreck—nauageō (ναυαγέω). You can almost hear the creaking wood, the splintering as the boat crashes on rocks. Faith doesn’t collapse instantly; it wrecks slowly when you ignore conscience.
Verse 20 – Hymenaeus and Alexander
Paul names names. That’s bold.
He says he handed them over to Satan—not meaning cruelty, but discipline, letting them experience the consequences outside church protection so they’d learn not to blaspheme.
Like a child touching a hot stove, learning not to do it again.
It’s painful love.
Closing Reflection – Walking With Paul and Timothy
If you breathe deeply, you can almost smell the parchment this letter was written on. Maybe the ink had that earthy scent, kinda like clay mixed with oil. And Timothy reading it in a dim room, maybe with the flickering oil lamp, shadows moving across the wall. His hands trembling a little because the weight of Ephesus was heavy.
This chapter feels like a spiritual father pouring both truth and tenderness into a young leader’s heart.
Paul says:
Hold on.
Stay grounded.
Don’t get lost in nonsense debates.
Love is the goal.
Remember the Gospel.
Fight well.
Don’t throw away your conscience.
And always, always trust the mercy of God.
Sometimes my heart aches reading it because it feels so human… Paul’s past, his passion, his deep affection for Timothy, his seriousness about false teaching, his overwhelming awe of God.
I hope as you read this that something stirred in you too—maybe a reminder of why you follow Jesus, or maybe a nudge back toward grace if you wandered into guilt or confusion lately.
1 Timothy 1 isn’t just theology.
It’s a beating heart on parchment.
It’s a mentor whispering courage to a younger soul.
It’s the Gospel reaching out with both tenderness and truth.
And honestly… we all need that.
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