Read The Jewish Annotated New Testament Online
Authors: Amy-Jill Levine
4
–5
:
Myths and endless genealogies
, the author dismisses all opponents as “myth-makers” rather than true teachers. There is no consensus on the specific content of these teachings, though they may indicate some form of fanciful reading of biblical texts; see also 4.7; Titus 1.14; 3.9.
Faith
here has as much to do with correct beliefs or teachings as it does with trust.
Conscience
(Gk “syneidēsis”), the self-awareness that comes with moral maturity (cf. Rom 2.15); see 1.19; 3.9; 4.2; 2 Tim 1.3.
7
–8
:
Law
here is seen as a
good
if subordinate part of the teaching. The writer presumably means “Torah,” not secular, civil law.
9
–11
: The list of sins is conventional (see 1 Cor 6.9–10; Mk 7.21
–
23; Gal 5.19
–
20) and may be loosely tied to the Decalogue, the Holiness Code of Leviticus (Lev 18
–
19), and a general fear of immorality, although vice lists are common (e.g., Col 3.5
–
9; see also, e.g., Tob 4.12;
Jub
. 7.20), especially in later NT writings.
Sound teaching
is the key both to
the glorious gospel
and to proper action.
1.12
–20: Paul’s experience as lesson. 13–14.
Formerly a blasphemer
, in 1 Cor 15.9 (cf. Acts 8.1; 9.1–2) Paul cites his own past as a persecutor of the early Jesus followers.
Mercy … grace
(Gk “eleos,” “compassion”; Heb “
ḥ
esed”; Gk “charis,” “grace,” “favor”; Heb “
ḥ
en”), the loving actions of God to which the believer responds with
faith and love … in Christ Jesus
.
16
:
An example
, a standard exhortation, to imitate one’s teachers as they in turn imitate Christ (1 Cor 11.1).
17
:
King of the ages
(Gk “basilei tōn aiōnōn”), perhaps a rendering of Heb “melekh ha-olam,” “king of the universe/king of eternity/king forever.” See Ps 10.16.
18
:
Prophecies
, see 4.14; these are not predictions of the future but words presumed to be from God, spoken during worship, in this case concerning the ministry for which Timothy is being set aside.
19
:
Conscience
, see 1.4–5n.
20
:
Turned over to Satan
, for correction leading to amendment of life (1 Cor 5.5) or for punishment (3.6–7; 2 Tim 2.26). The devil is seen as one who leads believers astray (5.15).
2.1
–15: Social order and creation. 2.1–2
: One should pray for the welfare of the government (see Jer 29.7; Rom 13.1–7). The goal of such accommodation is
a quiet and peaceable life
in which believers can exist with
godliness and dignity
. This suggestion follows common practice throughout the Second Temple period in which a sacrifice on behalf of the emperor’s health was offered in the Jerusalem Temple. Both Paul (Rom 13.1–2) and the rabbis (e.g.,
b. Ned
. 28a) advocated deference to the governing authority.
3
–4
: Paul supports this position by claiming both that his God is universal and that through his gift of Jesus, God wants everyone to participate in salvation.
God our savior
, see 1.1n.
Saved … knowledge of the truth
, in the writer’s view, salvation is clearly linked with right doctrine.
5
–6
: The passage is set in poetical form to indicate that it might be an extract from a hymn.
Ransom
(Gk “antilutron,” only place in NT where this form occurs; “lutron” in LXX for “pidyon,” “ge’ulah,” “kofer,” payment as for a life [Ex 21.30] or for freeing slaves [Lev 19.20]), a payment for redemption or liberation, presumably here from sin; see Mk 10.45; Mt 20.28.
8
:
Lifting up holy hands
, a gesture of prayer (Ps 28.2; 63.4 [Heb v. 5]; 134.2; 141.2).
9
–10
:
Modestly … reverence for God
, concern for female modesty is elsewhere in the Pastorals (e.g., 5.11–15; Titus 2.5).
11
–15
: This strong gender differentiation contradicts Gal 3.28, in which gender differentiation is abrogated, and Rom 16.1–3,7, which depict women in leadership roles. The passage is, however, consistent with 1 Cor 14.33b–36, which many scholars regard as a non-Pauline addition to that letter.
13
–15
: One could claim that 1 Cor 14.33b–36 is specific to the Corinthian church, but 1 Timothy grounds female subordination in creation. For the author, Adam knowingly gave up Eden for the sake of his deceived wife.
Through childbearing
, i.e., by keeping busy with household tasks, these women will be kept from giving in to worldly temptation (see 5.14–15). By stating that women’s salvation is based on bearing children, however, the author condemns women, including married women, who choose celibacy as part of their Christian calling. The view that women are subordinate to men and that the subordination derives from Genesis appears in later Jewish circles and is native to some rabbinic understanding of womanhood (e.g.,
b. Ber
. 61a).
3.1
–16: Church leaders.
Church leaders should be blameless in personal conduct and prove themselves through their well-managed households, for the church is the household of God. In the Mishnah, worship of God is moved from the Temple (which no longer existed) into the home. In both cases, the issue is that behavior in religious settings is seen as the standard for behavior in daily life.
1
–7
: Qualifications for a bishop.
1
:
Bishop
(Gk “episkopos,” “one who oversees,” “supervisor”), the bishop was the head of a local church. Later (second century CE and following) the bishop became the chief pastor of a geographical area that could include a number of local congregations.
2
: The author points to single marriage (only one spouse, no remarriage). If this statement refers to divorce, it could be based on Mt 19.3–12; see also 1 Thess 4.4, if it is translated “each one of you [should] know how to take a wife for himself in holiness and honor.” If it means no remarriage after the loss of a spouse through death, it would contradict 1 Cor 7.39. It probably reflects a reaction to Roman society, which sanctioned divorce.
4
:
Submissive
, Gk “hypotagē,” “under subjection,” i.e., subordinate to the parent.
7
:
Well thought of
, lit., “a good witness” (Gk “kalēn martyrian”);
by outsiders
, those not members of the community.
8
–13
: Qualifications for deacons.
8
: A
deacon
(Gk “diakonos”) was “one who serves,” but not necessarily a slave (Gk “doulos”).
9
:
Mystery of the faith
, the (presumably secret) instruction for those newly joining the community; the deacons were apparently those responsible for such instruction, so they must
hold fast
to it both in the sense of keeping it safe and in adhering to it themselves.
10
:
Tested
, lit., “proved genuine” (Gk “dokimazō,” “to assay [as metal],” “try”).
11
:
Women
, the text is ambiguous; it is possible but not certain that the writer means “women deacons”; see translators’ note
e
. See also Rom 16.1.
14
–16
: Further exhortation about proper behavior.
15
:
Household … church
, behavior should be consistent no matter where the believer is.
16
:
Mystery
, see v. 9n.
Religion
, lit., “good (or proper) reverence” (Gk “eusebeia”).
Revealed … glory
, presumably a fragment of an early Christian hymn that expresses the teaching conveyed to members of the community when they are initiated.
Vindicated in spirit
, or “justified by the Spirit” (see translators’ notes
h
and
i
): either proved worthy by resurrection or shown to be right by the later manifestation of the Spirit in Christian communities.
4.1
–16: Practice. 1–5
: Paul returns to creation theology to counter asceticism: there is no reason to reject either marriage or food when both were created and deemed good by God.
1
:
The Spirit expressly says
, perhaps a reference to words of prophecy (i.e., purported messages from God) delivered during worship.
Later times
, or “the last times” (see translators’ note
a
), the times leading up to the end of the age and the inauguration of the new era.
4
–5
:
Everything … sanctified
, all foods are licit (cf. Mk 7.19; Acts 10.15).
Sanctified
, lit., “made holy”; things holy are set apart for God,
by God’s word and by prayer
. God’s word (command) is the means by which all that God created was good (Gen 1.31).
6
–7
: The author contrasts
the words of the faith
and
sound teaching
with those of his opponents, which are nothing but
myths
(see 1.4–5n.) and
old wives’ tales
(the Gk phrase is lit., “profane [things] and old-womanish myths”), or worse, demonic (v. 1). Labeling one’s opponents’ teachings “demonic” or “false” was a known first-century Greco-Roman, Jewish, and Christian practice (e.g., 1QpHab 14.22; Wis 14.22–28; Mt 23; Jn 8.44–47).
Godliness
, lit., “good (or proper) reverence” (Gk “eusebeia”); the same word is translated “religion” in 3.16.
8
:
Physical training
was a Greco-Roman cultural ideal, part of the good life; the point here is that spiritual training is of value not only in
the present life
but also in
the life to come
.