The Analysed Bible, Volumes 1, 2, 3, by Rev. G. Campbell Morgan: The Book of 1 Timothy - Analysed and Explained in Detail (Full Text and PDF).

A detailed analysis of the book of 1 Timothy: Christ and His Minister.

To the best of our knowledge we are of the understanding that this book, being published in 1907, and freely available elsewhere on the internet is in the public domain.

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The Book of 1 Timothy - Analysed and Explained in Summary - Volumes 1, 2, and 3 of "The Analysed Bible" by G. Campbell Morgan.

To the best of our knowledge we are of the understanding that this book, taken from Volumes 1, 2, & 3 of the "Analysed Bible" by G. Campbell Morgan published in 1907, and freely available elsewhere on the internet is in the public domain.

1 TIMOTHY - CHRIST AND HIS MINISTER

INTRODUCTION - 1 Timothy 1:1-1:2

1. Paul's Introduction of himself - 1Tim. 1:1

  1. A Declaration of Authority

2. Paul's Greeting to Timothy - 1Tim. 1:2

  1. A Revelation of Tenderness

Part A: TIMOTHY'S CHARGE - THE CHURCH - 1 Timothy 1:3-3:16

A1. The Church and Man. Her Gospel - 1Tim. 1:3-1:20

  1. The Gospel - 1:3-1:11
  2. Experimental Illustration - 1:12-1:17
  3. Timothy Charged and Warned - 1:18-1:20

A2. The Church and God. Her Intercession - 1Tim. 2:1-2:15

  1. Common Prayer - 2:1-2:7
  2. The Worshippers - 2:8-2:15

A3. The Church Herself. Her Officers and Office - 1Tim. 3:1-3:16

  1. Her Officers - 3:1-3:13
    1. The Bishop - 3:1-3:7
    2. Deacons - 3:8-3:13
  2. Her Office - 3:14-3:16
    1. The Depository of Truth - 3:14-3:15
    2. The Truth Deposited - 3:16

Part B: CHARGE TO TIMOTHY - THE MINISTRY - 1 Timothy 4:1-6:16

B1. His Duty toward the Truth - 1Tim. 4:1-4:16

  1. The Perils of Spurious Pietism - 4:1-4:3
  2. The Breadth of True Godliness to be declared by Timothy as Corrective - 4:4-4:9
  3. The Strength in which he is to do this - 4:10-4:16

B2. His Duty toward the Flock - 1Tim. 5:1-6:2

  1. Men - 5:1
  2. Women - 5:2
  3. Widows - 5:3-5:16
  4. Bishops - 5:17-5:22
  5. (Personal Parenthesis - 5:23-5:25)
  6. Servants - 6:1-6:2

B3. His Duty toward Himself - 1Tim. 6:3-6:16

  1. The Manner and Method of False Teachers - 6:3-6:10
  2. Timothy's Duty by Contrast - 6:11-6:16

CONCLUSION - 1 Timothy 6:17-6:21

1. Postscript - 1Tim. 6:17-6:19

2. Summing up - 1Tim. 6:20-6:21a

3. Benediction - 1Tim. 6:21b

Introduction - 1 Timothy 1:1-1:2

The subject of Paul's association with Timothy is very full of interest, and of beauty. It is the story of a sacred and beautiful comradeship in Christ between an old and a young man. The apostle's references to Eunice and Lois would suggest a long acquaintance with them; and from the fact that Lystra is not far from Tarsus it has been conjectured that these women had been influenced by the apostle during the early days of his Christian life in which he lived there, before Barnabas sought him and brought him to Antioch. The first recorded visit to Lystra ended in the terrible stoning of the apostle, when he seemed to be dead. Almost immediately he returned to confirm the disciples. In all probability the boy Timothy was led to Christ then, for Paul speaks of him as his son in the faith, and on the occasion of his next visit Timothy is a disciple, "well reported of by the brethren."

It was at this time that the apostle officially set him apart to the work of the ministry, and from that time onward he shared his journeyings and helped him in his work. Near the end of the life of Paul, certain conditions obtaining in the church at Ephesus made it necessary that some one should be stationed there, having apostolic authority to set things in order. To this work Timothy was assigned. Paul's supreme passion was ever that of the well-being of the Church as "the pillar and ground of the truth," and he parted from Timothy, sacrificing his own personal comfort, as many tender touches reveal, in order that the church at Ephesus might be cared for.

This epistle was sent to Timothy at Ephesus, and contains such instructions as are necessary to fit him for the work he has to do. It may broadly be divided thus; Introduction (1:1-1:2); Timothy's Charge, the Church (1:3-3:16); Charge to Timothy, the Ministry (4:1-6:16); Conclusion (6:17-6:21).

In the apostolic salutation two elements are revealed which characterize the whole epistle, those namely of authority and tenderness. Paul's introduction of himself is a declaration of authority. In order to the proper government of the church there must be duly constituted authority, and this is traced and set in its true relation. Paul's greeting to Timothy is a revelation of tenderness in his form of address, "My true child in faith"; and in the words of actual salutation, "Grace, mercy, peace."

A. Timothy's Charge. The Church - 1 Timothy 1:3-3:16

Through all the personal and local values of this section there may be discovered the apostolic conceptions of the Church itself, and these constitute the bases of interpretation. The apostle first had in mind the Church and man, her Gospel; then the Church and God, her intercession; finally the Church herself, her office and officers.

The Church's Gospel is the Gospel of "the blessed God," and therefore Timothy is to safeguard it against any different doctrine. The law is good, but it is for the lawless. All the things of evil, against which it protests, are absent in the lives of those obedient to sound doctrine. The power of the Gospel is illustrated by an experimental passage in which he confessed the sin of the past, triumphed in the grace which overcame it, and claimed the service resulting. All ended in a great song of praise. Timothy is charged to "war the good warfare," which means a great deal more than fighting the good fight of faith in personal life. The words convey the thought of a campaign, and include all the responsibilities of the officer in command. He is to engage in the warfare, remembering the prophecies uttered concerning him, and holding faith in a good conscience. The apostle emphasized the urgency of his charge by words of warning, in which he cited instances of those who had failed.

The Church is not only called to proclaim to men the evangel of God, but to plead with God the cause of men. The apostle exhorted to the exercise of this function, which he described by the use of words covering the whole ground, "supplications, prayers, intercessions, thanksgivings." He then named the subjects of prayer, declared its warrant, and insisted that those who prayed should be clean in conduct, and strong in character. The subject of the public assemblies of the church in Ephesus was evidently in the mind of the apostle as he described the demeanour and position of women.

In order to the proclamation of the evangel, and the exercise of intercession, the church itself must be properly governed, and recognize the true meaning of her existence. Turning to the subject of government, the apostle dealt with two orders, bishops and deacons. The bishop is an overseer - that is, one whose duty it is to watch over the flock, and know them, to become acquainted with their condition and their needs. After declaring the excellence of the office, he proceeded to describe the qualifications necessary for its fulfilment. The picture is that of a perfectly balanced life, neither given to excess in any direction, nor ascetic. The office of the deacon was not inferior, but different. It was complementary and co-operative. In a description of the qualifications therefore for this work the apostle was as careful as when dealing with the calling of the bishop. He also recognized the possible necessity of appointing women to the office, under certain circumstances; and in a few words defined their qualifications, showing them to be practically the same as those for men.

All this leads to the final declaration of this first division, which is a remarkable and singularly beautiful description of the Church and her purpose. She is the house of God, and moreover, the pillar and ground of the truth - that is, the institution which upholds and manifests truth in the sight of all. This led the apostle further, and he declared what that truth was which the Church supports and reveals.

B. Charge to Timothy. The Ministry - 1 Timothy 4:1-6:16

Having thus dealt with the Church as the charge committed to Timothy, the apostle charged Timothy as to how he was to fulfil his responsibility; and dealt with his duty toward the truth, his duty toAvard his flock, and his duty toward himself.

With regard to the first, Paul first definitely and solemnly warned him of an approaching danger. There would be a decline in faith consequent upon ascetic practices. The corrective consists in a declaration of the breadth of true godliness, which takes in life as a whole; both in its present and future realizations. Godliness does not starve any life, does not produce any crippling of the powers, has nothing to do with limitation. The secrets of strength for those who are called upon to defend the truth against error are next set forth. Hope is to be set on God. The teacher must be such a man as to carry conviction and command respect. In order to this, he must give himself to reading, exhortation, teaching, which words here undoubtedly all refer to the public work, and their combination suggests the true type of preaching. Again, in order to such public ministry there must be the cultivation of the gift, and then earnest devotion to the things to be declared. This is expressed in the charge, "give thyself wholly to them." No man gifted for the ministry can afford to devote himself, giving part of his strength of body or of mind, to other things. So sacred and so spacious is the glorious work, that it demands the whole man. The general attitude therefore is expressed in the language, "Take heed to thyself, and to thy teaching." That is the duty of the preacher to truth, first the answer of his own life to its claims, and then the teaching of it to others.

The next section deals with the duty of the minister to his flock. His demeanour toward men and women is described. The large section devoted to widows indicates the local conditions and dangers. Elders in the church are to be held in honour, and provided for. If an elder is found guilty of sin, his public position demands public reproof, for the sake of the maintenance of a general discipline. The responsibility in this connection is so great that the apostle solemnly charged Timothy as to how he is to act in the light of God, of Jesus Christ, and the elect angels. At this point in the letter there occurs a personal parenthesis; in all probability on a subject occurring to his mind at the moment, and dealt with immediately lest it should be forgotten. The last injunction of the apostle concerning Timothy's duty toward his flock indicated the line of his teaching of those Christian slaves who were members thereof. Those who serve unbelieving masters are to let their service be a testimony to the profession they make. Those who serve Christian masters are not to presume upon their spiritual relation to such as a reason for the neglect of duty. They are rather to serve all the more zealously, out of love and respect.

The apostle now reverted to the prime occasion of Timothy's appointment to Ephesus, that namely of the false teachers. His reference to this consisted of a scathing description of them, and a startling revelation of the real reason of their action. This prepared the way for his dealing with Timothy's duty toward himself. The apostolic form of address here recognized the character of Timothy, "O man of God." His charge to him was three-fold: he was to flee, to follow, to fight. The young ambassador of the Cross is placed between the sad and sorrowful Jesus testifying to truth in the court of the Roman governor, and the glorious Person of the manifested King at the day of His advent.

Conclusion - 1 Timothy 6:17-6:21

The conclusion seems to be of the nature of a postscript. The final charge to Timothy had brought to the mind of the apostle the perils which threatened all those who were rich in this world, and for their sakes he described the true attitude of a Christian man. The letter closes in an outburst of personal appeal which seems to gather within itself all the varied tones of what had already been written - personal tenderness, apostolic authority, a great sense of wrong being done to truth, and consequent anger, with tremendous urgency in the special charge. Positive responsibility is that he guard the deposit; and negative that he turn away from the things which oppose. The brief final benediction is full of comfort. For such responsibilities as rested upon this man, how much was needed of the full grace of God; and there need be no anxiety, no panic, for that grace is ever the portion of such as are appointed to responsibility.