The precise date of the tirst epistle we have, never- theless, no means of fixing. In Phil, ii, 24 the apostle expresses a hope of visiting that Church shortlv. Car- rying out this intention, he would, after his liberation, proceed to Macedonia, whence we must suppose him passing into Asia, and visiting Ephesus (A.D. 60). Thence he may have taken his proposed journey to Sjjain (Rom. xv, 24, 28), unless he took advantage of his proximity to the West to do so direct from Home. After this, and not long before his martyrdom (A.D. 64), this epistle seems to have been written.
III. Place In this respect, as in regard to time, 1 Tim.
leaves much to conjecture. The absence of any local ref- erence but that in i, 3 suggests Macedonia or some neigh- boring district. In A and other MSS. in the Peshito, Ethi- opic, and other versions, Laodicea is named in the inscrip- tion as the place whence it was sent; but this appears to have grown out of a traditional belief resting on very in- sufficient grounds (and incompatible with the conclusion which has been adopted above) that this is the epistle re- ferred to in Col. iv, 16 as that from Laodicea- (Theophj-l. ar] loc). The Coptic version, with as little likelihood, states that it was written from Athens (Huther, Einleif.).
IV. Object and Content.i. — The design of the first epis- tle is partly to instruct Timothy in the duties of that office with which he had been intrusted, partly to sup- ply him with credentials to the churches which he might visit, and partly to furnish through him guidance to the churches themselves.
It may be divided into three parts, exclusive of the introduction (i, 1, 2) and the conclusion (vi, 20, 21). In the Jirst of these parts (i, 3-20) the apostle reminds Tim- othy generally of his functions, and especially of the duties he had to discharge in reference to certain false teachers, who were anxious to bring the believers imder the yoke of the law. In the second (ii-vi, 2) he gives Timothy particular instructions concerning the orderly conducting of divine worship, the (jualifications of bish- ops and deacons, and the proper mode of behaving him- self in a church. In the third (vi, 3-19) the apostle discourses against some vices to which the Christians at Ephesus seem to have been prone.
V. Structure and Characteristics. — The pecidiarities of language, so far as they aflect the question of author- ship, have already been noticed. Assinning the genu- ineness of the ejHstles, some characteristic features com- mon to them both remain to be noticed.
1. The ever-deepening sense in Paul's heart of the Divine Mercy, of which he was the t.iyject, as shown in the insertion of tXfof in the salutations of both epistles, and in the rf\ti}5!i]v of 1 Tim. i, 13.
2. The greater abruptness of the second epistle. From first to last there is no plan, no treatment of sub- jects carefully thought out. All speaks of strong over- flowing emotion, memories of the past, anxieties about the future.
3. The absence, as compared with Paul's other epis- tles, of Old-Test, references. This may connect itself with the fact just noticed, that these epistles are not argumentative, possibly also with the request for the " books and parchments" which had been left behind (2 Tim. iv, 13). He may have been separated for a time from the 'itpa ypafifiaTa, which were commonh- his companions.
4. The conspicuous position of the " faithful sayings" as taking the place occupied in other epistles b}' the Old-Test. Scriptures. The way in which these are cited as authoritative, the variety of subjects which they cover, suggest the thought that in them we have speci- mens of the prophecies of tlie Ajjostolic Church which had most impressed themselves on the mind of the apos- tle, and of the disciples generally. 1 Cor. xiv shows how deep a reverence he was likely to feel for such sjiir- itual utterances. In 1 Tim. iv, 1 we have a distinct reference to them.
5. The tendency of the apostle's mind to dwell more on the universality of the redemptive work of Christ (J Tim. ii,3-6; iv, 10) ; his strong desire that all the teach- ing of his disciples should be "sound" (vyian'ovrra), cotnmending itself to minds in a healthy state; his fear of the corruption of that teaching by morbid subtleties.
6. The importance attached by him to the practical details of administration. The gathered experience of a long life had taught him that the life and well-being of the Church recpiired these for its safeguards.
7. The recurrence of doxologies (1 Tim. i, 17; vi, 15, 16; 2 Tim. iv, 18), as from one living perpetually in the presence of God, to whom the language of adoration was as his natural speech.
VI. Commentaries. — The following are the exegetical helps on both epistles to Timothy exclusively; to a few of the most important of which we prefix an asterisk : Megander, Expositio [inchid. Tit.] (Basil. 1536, 8vo) ; yV\tt\ch, Expositio (Argent. 1542, 8vo) ; Artopoeus, 5c^o- lia< (Stuttg. 1545; Basil. 1646, 8vo) ; Calvin, Commenta- rius (Genev. 1548, 4to; in French, ibid. 1563, fol. ; in English by Tomson, Lond. 1579, 4to ; by Pringle, Edinb. 1856, 8vo); Alesius, Disputatio (Lips. 1550-51, 2 vols. 8vo) ; D'Espence [Rom. Cath.], Commenturii (1st Ep. Lutet. 1561, fol. : 1568, 8vo ; 2d Ep. Par. 1564, fol.) ; ^la- }0T, Enari-ationes (Vitemb. 15(J3-64, 2 vols. 8vo); Hyper, Commentariiis [inchid. Tit. and Philem.] (Tigur. 1582, fol.); Magalian [R. C], Commentarii [inchid. Tit.] (Lugd. 1609, 4to); Sotto \V\..Cl^,Crimmentarius (includ. Tit.] (Par. 1610, fol.); Stewart [\\. C], Commentarius (Ingolst. 1610-11,2 vols. 4to) ; Weinrich, Commetitarius (Lips. 1618, 4to); Scultetus, Obserrationes [includ. Tit. and Philem.] (Francof. 1(;24; Vitemb. 1630, 4to); Ger- hard, Adnotdtioncs (Jen. 1643, 1666; Lips. 1712, 4to); Nethen, Disputatio (Ultraj. 1655, 4to); Habert [R. C], Expositio [includ. Tit. and Philem.] (Par. 1656, 8vo); Daille, Expositio7i [French] (Genev. 1659-61,3 vols. 8vo) ; Cocceius, Commentarius (L. B. 1667, 4to) ; Gar- gon, Oopeninf/e (Leyd. 1706, 1719, 4to) ; Hulse, Oopeninge ( Rotterd. 1727. 4to) ; *Mosheim, Erlldrung (Hamb. 17.5.5, 4to); Zachariii, /■';A7a>. (Leips. 1755, 8vo); Hesse, AV- la}it. (Gott. 1796, 8vo) ; *Hevdenreich, Erlaut. [includ. Tit.] (Hadam. 1826-28,2 vols. 8vo] ; ¥\M,Vorles. [in- clud. Tit.] (Tub. 1831, 8vo); Baumgarten, Aechtheit,