▼ Grk “Paul.” The word “from” is not in the Greek text, but has been supplied to indicate the sender of the letter.

▼ God our Savior. Use of the title “Savior” for God the Father is characteristic of 1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, and Titus. It occurs six times in these letters, but only twice elsewhere in the NT. However, it occurs commonly in the OT, especially in Isaiah. It emphasizes the Father as the initiator and source of salvation.

▼ For location see Journey of Paul map 1-D2; Journey of Paul map 2-D2; Journey of Paul map 3-D2; Journey of Paul map 4-D2.

▼ This word implies authoritative instruction: “direct, command, give orders” (cf. 1 Tim 4:11; 5:7; 6:13, 17). See BDAG 760 s.v. παραγγέλλω.

▼ Grk “to teach other doctrines,” different from apostolic teaching (cf. 1 Tim 6:3).

▼ Myths and interminable genealogies. These myths were legendary tales characteristic of the false teachers in Ephesus and Crete. See parallels in 1 Tim 4:7; 2 Tim 4:4; and Titus 1:14. They were perhaps built by speculation from the patriarchal narratives in the OT; hence the connection with genealogies and with wanting to be teachers of the law (v. 7).

▼ A few Western mss (D* latt Ir) read οἰκοδομήν (oikodomēn, “[God’s] edification”) rather than οἰκονομίαν (oikonomian, “[God’s] redemptive plan”), which is read by the earliest and best witnesses.

▼ More literally, “the administration of God that is by faith.”

▼ God’s redemptive plan. The basic word (οἰκονομία, oikonomia) denotes the work of a household steward or manager or the arrangement under which he works: “household management.” As a theological term it is used of the order or arrangement by which God brings redemption through Christ (God’s “dispensation, plan of salvation” [Eph 1:10; 3:9]) or of human responsibility to pass on the message of that salvation (“stewardship, commission” [1 Cor 9:17; Eph 3:2; Col 1:25]). Here the former is in view (see the summary of God’s plan in 1 Tim 2:3–6; 2 Tim 1:9–10; Titus 3:4–7), and Paul notes the response people must make to God’s arrangement: It is “in faith” or “by faith.”

▼ Grk “the instruction,” referring to orthodox Christian teaching and ministry in general, in contrast to that of the false teachers mentioned in 1:3–4.

▼ Grk “love from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.”

▼ The Greek reinforces this negation: “understand neither what they are saying nor the things they insist on…”

▼ Law. There is no definite article (“the”) with this word in Greek and so the inherent quality of the OT law as such is in view. But the OT law is still in mind, since the types of sinful people surveyed in vv. 9b–11a follow the general outline of sins prohibited in the Decalogue.

▼ On this term BDAG 135 s.v. ἀρσενοκοίτης states, “a male who engages in sexual activity w. a pers. of his own sex, pederast 1 Cor 6:9…of one who assumes the dominant role in same-sex activity, opp. μαλακός…1 Ti 1:10; Pol 5:3. Cp. Ro 1:27.” L&N 88.280 states, “a male partner in homosexual intercourse - ‘homosexual.’…It is possible that ἀρσενοκοίτης in certain contexts refers to the active male partner in homosexual intercourse in contrast with μαλακός, the passive male partner” (cf. 1 Cor 6:9). Since there is a distinction in contemporary usage between sexual orientation and actual behavior, the qualification “practicing” was supplied in the translation, following the emphasis in BDAG.

▼ A continuation of the preceding idea: Grk “teaching, according to the gospel.” This use of the law is in accord with the gospel entrusted to Paul (cf. Rom 7:7–16; Gal 3:23–26). Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.

▼ Grk “the gospel of the glory of the blessed God.”

▼ Grk “with which I was entrusted.” The translation is more in line with contemporary English style.

▼ Or “violent,” “cruel.”

▼ Grk “with faith and love in Christ Jesus.”

▼ Grk “the saying,” referring to the following citation (see 1 Tim 3:1; 4:9; 2 Tim 2:11; Titus 3:8 for other occurrences of this phrase).

▼ Grk “of whom I am the first.”

▼ Grk “but because of this I was treated with mercy, so that…”

▼ Grk “in me first,” making the connection with the last phrase of v. 15.

▼ Or more literally, “king of the ages.”

▼ Most later witnesses (א² D¹ H^c Ψ 1881 Maj.) have “wise” (σόφῳ, sōfō) here (thus, “the only wise God”), while the earlier and better witnesses (א* A D* F G H* 33 1739 lat co) lack this adjective. Although it could be argued that the longer reading is harder since it does not as emphatically affirm monotheism, it is more likely that scribes borrowed σόφῳ from Rom 16:27 where μόνῳ σόφῳ θεῷ (monō sofō qeō, “the only wise God”) is textually solid.

▼ Grk “unto the ages of the ages,” an emphatic way of speaking about eternity in Greek.

▼ This charge refers to the task Paul described to Timothy in vv. 3–7 above.

▼ The prophecies once spoken about you were apparently spoken at Timothy’s ordination (cf. 1 Tim 4:14) and perhaps spoke of what God would do through him. Thus they can encourage him in his work, as the next clause says.

▼ Grk “that by them you might fight…” (a reference to the prophecies which can encourage him in his work).

▼ In Greek this continues the same sentence from v. 18, a participle showing the means by which Timothy will accomplish his task: Grk “fight the good fight, holding firmly…”

▼ The expression handed over to Satan refers to an act of discipline mentioned by Paul here and in 1 Cor 5:5, with a remedial goal, not a punitive one. The Greek word translated taught in this verse is used of “discipline, training of children” to lead them to correct behavior.