4:14 the elders: Includes Paul, along with the assembled bishops of the Ephesian Church (2 Tim 1:6). laid their hands upon: The imposition of hands is a gesture with various meanings in the Bible. It was done to (1) perform healings (Mk 16:18), (2) confer blessings (Mt 19:13), (3) appoint missionaries (Acts 13:1-3), (4) bestow the Spirit on believers (Acts 8:17; 19:6), (5) unload the sins of Israel onto sacrificial beasts (Lev 16:21), (6) transfer religious authority from one leader to another (Num 27:18-23; Deut 34:9), and (7) appoint the Levites for sacred ministry (Num 8:10-11). • These last two examples (6 and 7) provide the immediate background for the New Covenant rite of priestly ordination. Timothy's consecration as a bishop gives him the fullness of priestly and apostolic authority to ordain others, as well (1 Tim 5:22). Jewish rabbis were similarly appointed by a council of synagogue elders who laid hands on the candidate (CCC 1573-76). Back to text.

5:1-6:2 Paul instructs Timothy on how to treat older and younger believers (5:1-2), widows (5:3-16), elders (5:17-25), and slaves (6:1-2). He leads in with a reminder that every Christian under his care is a member of the spiritual family of Christ (5:1-2). Back to text.

5:3-16 Widows had special needs in ancient society, where no economic or governmental programs were in place to assist them. Paul advises different support systems for different circumstances. (1) Widows with a surviving family should be cared for by their children and relatives (5:4). (2) Older widows without family or wealth are to receive material support from the local church (5:16). (3) Younger widows are advised to remarry, lest their energies and idle time be spent in unwholesome conduct and conversation (5:14). Back to text.

5:5 prayers night and day: A good example is the aged widow Anna in Lk 2:37. Back to text.

5:6 dead: Spiritually lifeless (Eph 2:1; Rev 3:1). Back to text.

5:9 enrolled: Either added to a list of widows who qualify to receive assistance or registered among an organized group of widows committed to prayer (5:5) and works of service (5:10). The character expected of these women is comparable to that of a prospective bishop (3:2) or deacon (3:8). Back to text.

5:10 washed the feet: An act of hospitality common in societies where sandals are worn and dusty roads are traveled on foot (Lk 7:44). Jesus made it a symbol of Christian service (Jn 13:14-17). Back to text.

5:17 the elders: Or "presbyters" (priests). Being servants of the gospel, they deserve our highest respect as well as a share of our material resources. Only in extreme cases where sin is at issue should Timothy rebuke an elder in public (5:20). See chart: The Threefold Pastoral Ministry at 1 Tim 3. Back to text.

5:18 Scripture says: By the time Paul wrote 1 Timothy, certain books of the NT were apparently being revered as part of holy Scripture. In this passage, Paul seems to assume that the citations from Deuteronomy and the Gospel of Luke share the same authority as inspired writings. Some of his own letters were esteemed in this way as well (2 Pet 3:15-16). You shall not muzzle: A quotation of Deut 25:4. For Paul, permitting animals to eat while they work carries a hidden significance now revealed by the gospel, so that what is true for oxen is even truer for ordained elders: their work entitles them to a share in the community's food and provisions (1 Cor 9:9-10). The allegorical meaning of this OT passage corresponds to the literal meaning of the NT passage that follows. laborer deserves his wages: A verbatim quotation of Lk 10:7, where Jesus insists that ministers of the Word have a right to fair compensation for their preaching (CCC 2122). See note on Lk 10:7. Back to text.

5:19 two or three witnesses: Judicial criteria in a Jewish court of law (Deut 19:15). See note on 2 Cor 13:1. Back to text.

5:22 Do not be hasty: Timothy is told to screen candidates for pastoral ministry before ordaining them by the sacramental imposition of hands. Otherwise, the hurried promotion of immature or poorly formed believers might have ruinous consequences (3:6). See note on 1 Tim 4:14. Back to text.

5:23 your frequent ailments: Timothy's fragile health was a concern to Paul. He is advised to consume wine in moderation and so benefit from its medicinal properties. Wine can sometimes offset the uncomfortable effects of drinking impure water. See note on Eph 5:18. Back to text.

6:1 slavery: The conversion of slaves and their masters in the early Church raised questions of how these relationships should be handled by believers (Col 3:22-4:1). Paul insists that slaves must honor their masters and that masters must respect their slaves, lest Christians acquire a reputation for being either insubordinate or inhumane. Without approving the institution of slavery as such, he is stressing that every station in life provides opportunities to serve the Lord. See note on Eph 6:5. Back to text.

6:3-10 Paul resumes his criticism of false teachers wreaking havoc in Ephesus (1:3-11). He contends that the driving force behind their novelties is pride, an infatuation with controversy, and a distorted view of leadership. Not only that, but they exact a price for their preaching in order to accumulate wealth for themselves (6:10; Tit 1:11). Back to text.

6:7 nothing into the world: Recalls similar statements in Job 1:21 and Eccles 5:15. Back to text.

6:10 the love of money: Paul reproves, not the wealthy, but lovers of wealth. So dangerous is the allurement of riches that he warns in the strongest possible terms against piling it up for ourselves. Unless we become "poor in spirit" (Mt 5:3), the downward pull of money and material possessions will eventually lead to destruction (Lk 12:15-21). • What evils are caused by wealth! There are frauds, robberies, miseries, enmities, contentions, battles. Take away the love of money, and you put an end to war, conflict, enmity, strife, and contention (St. John Chrysostom, Homilies on 1 Timothy 17). Back to text.

6:12 the good confession: Probably Timothy's profession of faith enunciated at his Baptism. Paul is urging him to live out his baptismal promises to the full (CCC 2145). Back to text.

6:13 before Pontius Pilate: Refers to Jesus' testimony to the truth at his trial before the governor (Mk 15:1-2; Jn 18:3337). Back to text.

6:14 the appearing: The visible manifestation of Christ at his Second Coming (1 Thess 4:16; Tit 2:13). Back to text.

6:15 King of kings . . . Lord of lords: A reference to God's superiority over every earthly ruler (Ps 136:2-3; Dan 2:47; 2 Mac 13:4). These titles are applied directly to Christ in Rev 17:14 and 19:16. Back to text.

6:20 O Timothy, guard: The faith that Timothy holds and teaches is a sacred trust given to him for safekeeping (2 Tim 1:14; 2:2; Jude 3). The duty to preserve it intact is all the more important in places such as Ephesus, where counterfeit doctrines are vying for the hearts and minds of local believers (1 Tim 1:3-7) (CCC 84). • What is entrusted to you is not what you have discovered. It is what you have received, not what you have thought up for yourself. It is a matter, not of ingenuity, but of doctrine; not of personal opinion, but of public tradition. You are not the author, but the guardian. So preserve inviolate and undamaged the trust of the Catholic faith (St. Vincent of Lérins, The Commonitory 22). falsely called knowledge: The perverted teachings of the Ephesian troublemakers. Interpreters have often taken this to mean that the false teachers are Gnostics, i.e., proponents of a second-century religious system that viewed the possession of "secret knowledge" as a pathway to salvation. This verse alone cannot support the conclusion, but see note on 1 Tim 4:3. Back to text.

6:21 Grace be with you: Since the best Greek manuscripts have "you" in the plural, many have reasoned that the letter, while primarily sent to Timothy, was also intended to be read before the Ephesian congregation. Back to text.

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