The Pastoral Epistles Through the Centuries

Drawing on scholarly insights and a comprehensive array of texts from the entirety of Christian tradition, The Pastoral Epistles Through the Centuries explores the rich legacy of the Pastorals as it has unfolded over the centuries.

• Explores the important role of the New Testament letters to Timothy and Titus, known collectively as the Pastoral Epistles, in the development of early Christianity
• Surveys the many theological, cultural, literary, political, and artistic uses of the Pastorals, and the broader influence these letters have had throughout the ages
• Considers the Pastorals’ complex influence on issues such as church structure and rites, the roles of women in Christian religious life, the authority of scripture, and the development of monastic orders
• Examines the many ways in which language and concepts from the Pastoral Epistles (such as “fight the good fight” and “the root of all evils”) have filtered into our cultural vernacular
• References the works of major theologians and interpreters from all periods, and places special emphasis on traditionally underrepresented interpreters

Series Editors’ Preface ix

Acknowledgments xi

Introduction 1

Historical Overview 1

The Interpretations 4

Areas of Interpretive Interest 8

The Commentary 14

1 1 Timothy 1 16

The Salutation (1:1–2; 2 Tim. 1–2; Titus 1:1–4) 17

The Opponents: Speculators (1:3–7; 4:1–5, 7; Titus 3:9) 19

The Opponents: On the Law (1:8–11) 23

“Paul” (1:12–17; Titus 3:3–4) 25

The Opponents: Excommunication (1:18–20; 2 Tim. 2:17; 4:14–15) 27

2 1 Timothy 2 32

The Church: Politics (2:1–2; Titus 3:1) 33

Theological Speculation: Christ as Mediator (2:4–6) 36

Women: Silence in the Church (2:8–14) 39

3 1 Timothy 3 49

The Church: Bishops and Deacons (3:1–13; 5:1, 17; Titus 1:5–9) 49

Theological Speculation: The Mystery (3:14–16) 59

4 1 Timothy 4 64

The Opponents: End Times (4:1–10; 2 Tim. 3:1) 65

5 1 Timothy 5 73

Women: Widows (5:1–10) 74

The Church: Elders (5:17–22; Titus 1:5) 83

Timothy (5:23–25) 86

6 1 Timothy 6 89

The Church: Slaves (6:1–2; Titus 2:9) 90

The Church: Wealthy Christians (6:6–10, 17–19) 95

Theological Speculation: God’s Dwelling and Being (6:12–16; 1 Tim. 1:17) 104

The Opponents: Dissent (6:2b–5, 20, 2 Timothy: 12, 14) 110

7 2 Timothy 1 114

The Thanksgiving (1:3–7) 115

Timothy: Ordination (1:6–8; 1 Tim. 1:18, 4:14–15) 117

Theological Speculation: God’s Plan (1:9–10; 4:1, 8; 1 Tim. 6:14; Titus 1:2; 3:4–5) 120

“Paul” (1:13–18; 4:11, 19) 125

8 2 Timothy 2 129

The Church: Pauline Succession (2:1–2) 129

The Church: Christian Soldiers (2:3–7) 132

“Paul”: The Gospel (2:8–10) 138

Theological Speculation: Divine Consistency (2:11–13; Titus 1:2) 139

The Opponents (2:14–18) 145

The Church: A Large House (2:19–26) 147

9 2 Timothy 3 153

The Opponents: Home Breakers (3:1–9) 154

“Paul”: Suffering (3:10–13) 158

The Church: Scripture (2:14–17) 160

10 2 Timothy 4 168

The Opponents: Entertaining Teachers (4:1–4) 168

“Paul”: The Good Fighter (4:6–8; cf. 1 Tim. 1:18; 6:12; 2 Tim. 2:5) 175

Conclusion and Greetings (4:9–22) 184

11 Titus 1 189

The Salutation (1:1–4; 2 Tim. 1:9) 190

The Opponents: Cretan Liars (1:9–16) 191

12 Titus 2 203

The Church: A Household Code (2:2–10) 203

Theological Speculation: Christ the God (2:11–14) 206

13 Titus 3 213

The Church: Baptism (3:1–11) 214

The Opponents: And Also Some Friends (3:10–11, 13) 218

Conclusion 226

Brief Biographies 230

Bibliography 236

Index of Biblical References 252

General Index 256

Jay Twomey is an Associate Professor in the Department of English at the University of Cincinnati. He specializes in the reception of the Bible, and particularly Paul, in literary, cultural, and political contexts.

The New Testament letters to Timothy and Titus, known collectively as the Pastoral Epistles, have had a subtle but profound effect upon Christian culture. In these letters the work and thought of the historical Paul is extended for the Church, its ministers and its society in the post-Apostolic age. The Pastoral Epistles Through the Centuries explores the important role of the Pastorals in the development of early Christianity and in the much broader impact and influence these letters have had throughout the ages.

This commentary surveys the many theological, cultural, literary, political, and artistic uses of the Pastorals, offering both an overview of their place in the tradition and an in-depth study of key moments in the interpretation history of their most important passages. In the process we learn about the Pastorals' complex influence on church structures and rites, the roles of women in Christian religious life, the authority of scripture, the development of monastic orders and much more. We also discover the many ways in which language and concepts from the Pastoral Epistles (such as "fight the good fight" and "the root of all evils") have filtered into the cultural vernacular more generally.

Drawing on scholarly insights and a comprehensive array of texts from the entirety of Christian tradition, The Pastoral Epistles Through the Centuries explores the rich legacy of the Pastorals as it has unfolded over the centuries.

The Pastoral Epistles Through the Centuries is published within the Wiley Blackwell Bible Commentaries series. Further information about this innovative reception history series is available at www.bbibcomm.info.