Book 54 of 66 · New Testament

1 Timothy

A mentor's guide to a young pastor on leading and guarding a church.

6 chapters113 versesWritten in GreekSet To Timothy, at Ephesus

Overview

1 Timothy is a letter from Paul to his young protégé Timothy, left in charge of the church at Ephesus. It is practical: how to deal with false teachers, how to pray, what to look for in leaders, how to treat different groups in the church, and a warning that "the love of money is the root of all evil." It reads like a mentor's handbook.

Book facts

Author: Paul (traditionally)Addressed from Paul to Timothy; many scholars date the Pastoral Letters later.
Date written: c. AD 63 (traditional)One of the three "Pastoral Epistles"; their date and authorship are debated.
Original language: GreekPractical instruction on church order.
Setting: To Timothy, at EphesusGuiding a young leader left in charge of a church.

How it came to be

1 Timothy is addressed from Paul to his younger colleague Timothy. It is one of the three "Pastoral Epistles" (with 2 Timothy and Titus), about leading churches.

Many scholars date these letters later than Paul; traditionally they are his own.

What is arguedWhether Paul wrote the Pastoral Epistles, which differ in vocabulary and church setting from his other letters.

The whole book, chapter by chapter

Chapter	What this chapter covers
Guarding the church — leaders, worship, and godliness, chapters 1–6
Chapter 1The charge to Timothy	Paul charges Timothy to oppose false teachers and hold to a good conscience.
Chapter 2The prayers for all	Instructions on prayer for all people, and on worship.
Chapter 3The overseers and deacons	The qualifications for overseers and deacons.
Chapter 4The latter times	A warning of falling away in later times; train yourself in godliness.
Chapter 5The widows and elders	How to treat widows, elders, and the different members of the church.
Chapter 6The love of money	Contentment, and the warning that "the love of money is the root of all evil."

All 6 chapters. Start reading →

Worth knowing

Key people

The apostle who wrote the letter, and the young leader it was written to.

Key places

Timothy was left in charge of the church here.

Known for

Some of the best-known verses in 1 Timothy — tap the verse to read it.

"Christ came into the world to save sinners"1 Timothy 1:15
Godliness with contentment1 Timothy 6:6
"The love of money is the root of all evil"1 Timothy 6:10
"Fight the good fight"1 Timothy 6:12