A note from our Pastor:

“Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the commandment of God our Saviour, and Lord Jesus Christ, which is our hope;”

1 Timothy 1:1

Good Morning Dearly Beloved,

With our study verse this week we consider the salutation with which the Apostle Paul begins this letter. The unique tone of this letter, which we know as 1st Timothy, is founded in its two fold nature. It was written to both Timothy and also to the church at Ephesus.

As a letter written from the aging Paul to the younger Timothy the letter is quite personal. The love Paul had for Timothy is made clear in verse two of this chapter. From this perspective, Paul is writing a letter of encouragement. He desires to support Timothy and mentor him in the faith. As we study this letter let us not forget this aspect of Paul’s writing.

However, as a letter written to the church at Ephesus it is a stark warning to avoid false teaching. Paul cared about the disciples at Ephesus and had spent much time mentoring and teaching them. As a result, when he hears the church is drifting into false teachings and adopting practices contrary to God, Paul is going to address it. This aspect of the letter accounts for the more strict tone at points.

It is the warning nature of the letter which necessitates Paul opening with such a salutation. He is expressing his authority as an Apostle, pointing back to Acts 13:2, and the power of God which has resided with him because of his calling. The opening of this letter serves as a reminder to the church at Ephesus of the need to pay heed to the words he is sending to them by Timothy.

Finally, let us consider the last phrase of this verse. The last phrase says, “Lord Jesus Christ, which is our hope.” In most bibles the words “which is” will be written in italics. This font is not by accident, but rather indicates the translators added these words for the flow of the text in English. However, the actual verse simply reads “Lord Jesus Christ, our hope”. As Paul was nearing the end of his life he loved to dwell on Jesus. To him and to us, Jesus is simply our hope.

Our Prayers are with you daily,

Brother Jeremiah