1 Timothy 1:1-2--Introduction and Greeting

1 Timothy 1:1-2
English Standard Version

Greeting
1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by command of God our Savior and of Christ Jesus our hope,

2 To Timothy, my true child in the faith:

Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.

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After what seems like a long time focusing on the Old Testament, we're coming back to the New Testament to finish the Pastoral Epistles and the book of Revelation (some of the last books of the Bible to be written when considering them chronologically).  Both Paul and John were prisoners as the times they wrote these letters--Paul was in a Roman prison and John was exiled to the Isle of Patmos.

I'll give you a link to the Introduction to the book of 1 Timothy from the ESV Study Bible (published by Crossway and available on The Gospel Coalition's website in partnership with Crossway):  TGC Course | Introduction to 1 Timothy.  You'll notice this is not just an introduction to the book, but also some teaching and preaching tips if you are going to be teaching this book of the Bile as a course (we are currently covering 1 & 2 Timothy and Titus in our Men's Ministry as these are Paul's instructions to His proteges, thought the instructions there are great for men and women of all ages).

So, let's look at today's verses.  Paul is not just speaking directly to Timothy, because he feels the need to introduce himself by both name and position as an apostle (he's writing this book with apostolic authority to teaching something to the Church at large).  He is not an apostle by his own making or by the making of the Church in Jerusalem or the Church in Antioch or any other body that might say they ordained or commissioned representatives of the Church, but He was chosen, appointed, and sent by Jesus Christ Himself (see the book of Acts, chapter 9 for the story for how Saul of Tarsus is converted.  It's an amazing story that gets told three different times in the book of Acts.

The letter is addressed specifically to Timothy, Paul's spiritual son.  Timothy would go ahead of Paul to prepare the way on Paul's missionary journeys, would stay behind to pastor new churches and help appoint elders to lead those churches and would visit churches for Paul when Paul could not visit them himself (like now when he was in prison and awaiting execution).  Paul knows that the end is soon for him, so you will see verses in 1 and 2 Timothy like "I have fought the good fight, I have stayed the course, I have kept the faith."  Paul was looking forward to the day when he would be poured out like a drink offering and Jesus would say to him, "Well done My good and faithful servant."

As we mentioned, this is an open letter that was passed around to the churches, which is why we have it today.  Like most of Paul's letters, he opens by wishing his readers grace and peace which can only be found in the Lord Jesus Christ.  We can only find grace (God's unmerited favor) because Christ stood in our place and took the curse, punishment and wrath that we deserve so that we might have the blessings, grace, and mercy that only He deserved at the Son of God.  Now we can all be children of God by Adoption (more on this in the book of Romans) and be co-heirs with Jesus so that when the Father looks at us, He sees His Son and will withhold nothing from us that He would not also withhold from his only begotten Son.

Peace is peace with God because we are no longer enemies with God once we are born again and become citizens of His kingdom, and we have peace from God which surpasses all understanding which will guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.  However, we also have peace with each other and we become peacemakers.  As much as it is up to us, we are to be at peace with all men.  Though the world will want to be at war with us, it is our desire for them to also find peace with God and peace with their fellow men that only comes from God.  True peace is not something the world can offer.  It can only come from the Prince of Peace (that's Jesus) and we will see the true and lasting peace and rest that He will bring to His people when we study the book of Revelation in a little bit..

We'll get into the heart of the letter next time as Paul will warn Timothy and the Church in general about false teachers (a big theme).  Not everything in this book will be easy for us to hear--in fact, much of it might be very difficult for us to hear as it speaks of how the church needs to contend for the faith even more so as the Day of the LORD is approaching.  We must boldly proclaim the one and only gospel of Jesus Christ.  There is no modern or more palatable version for today.  It is the same gospel given to us by Jesus and His apostles (like Paul) and preserved in His Word for all generations.  That is why we must "Preach the Word, both in season and out of season" (another theme of the letter to Timothy as Timothy seemed to have some trouble as a young preacher and Paul encouraged him to simply preach the Word).