1Ti 1:3-7 | TNotes | STEP | Summary for 1Tim 1:3-11: 1:3-11 Paul’s greetings are usually followed by thanksgiving or blessing to God; Greco-Roman letters often did the same. First Timothy and Titus probably do not include this because of their character as official letters authorizing a delegate (see 1 Timothy Book Introduction, “Literary Genre”). Instead, Paul first addresses his concern to silence the false teachers. 1:3 stop those ... contrary to the truth: Just as Paul had previously warned (Acts 20:29-31 ), false teachers came into the church in Ephesus ; this letter was written to help Timothy to deal with them.

Summary for 1Tim 1:3-11: 1:3-11 ^a Paul’s greetings are usually followed by thanksgiving or blessing to God; Greco-Roman letters often did the same. First Timothy and Titus probably do not include this because of their character as official letters authorizing a delegate (see 1 Timothy Book Introduction, “Literary Genre”). Instead, Paul first addresses his concern to silence the false teachers. 1:3 ^b stop those ... contrary to the truth: Just as Paul had previously warned (Acts 20:29-31 ^c), false teachers came into the church in Ephesus; this letter was written to help Timothy to deal with them.
1:4 ^d in endless discussion ... meaningless speculations: Paul might be dismissing their teaching as trivial, or he might be rejecting the fanciful nature of their interpretations (1:7 ^e; see also 2 Tim 4:3-4 ^f; Titus 1:14 ^g; 3:9 ^h; 2 Pet 1:16 ⁱ) and their justification of immoral behavior (1 Tim 1:8-11 ^j; 4:1-2 ^k, 7 ^l; see also Titus 1:15-16 ^m).

• spiritual pedigrees (literally endless genealogies): In Judaism, one’s genealogy established one’s spiritual pedigree; the false teachers might have been preoccupied with this. They were probably also exploiting Old Testament genealogies (Gen 2–4 ⁿ; 5:1-32 ^o) in fanciful interpretations of the law.

• which don’t help people live a life of faith in God (literally rather than a stewardship of God in faith): The Greek uses an important word (“stewardship,” “household management”) that has to do with the household (see 1 Tim 3:15 ^p); this phrase can be translated in a number of ways, such as faithfulness to God’s household management or faithfulness in managing God’s household.
1:5 ^q The purpose of my instruction: Paul seeks godliness that flows out of sound faith and renewal (see Titus 3:5 ^r; see also 1 Cor 13:1-13 ^s; Col 3:14 ^t).

• In 1 Timothy and Titus, all allusions to a clear conscience are in contrast to the false teachers’ dead consciences (e.g., 1 Tim 1:19 ^u; 4:2 ^v; Titus 1:15 ^w).
Summary for 1Tim 1:6-11: 1:6-11 ^x Paul now elaborates on the false teachers and turns their subject matter against them. 1:6 ^y Some people is probably a put-down, demoting the false teachers to a general class of opponents of the Good News (cp. Rom 3:8 ^z; 1 Cor 4:18 ^aa; 2 Cor 3:1 ^ab; Gal 1:7 ^ac).

• They were professing believers who had missed the whole point of the Good News and had turned away.
1:7 ^ad Their aspirations to be teachers of the law of Moses were ironic; their handling of the law was deficient in the light of the Good News, and they neither understood nor fulfilled the law (see 1:8-11 ^ae).