1 Timothy, Volume 2

A Charge to God's Missional Household

Paul S. Jeon

• Publisher: Pickwick Publications
• Year: 2017
• ISBN:
  9781498241847
• Topic: Theology & Religion
• Subtopic: Biblical Commentary

1 Timothy is one of the more controversial documents in the New Testament. For years, critical scholars have rejected Pauline authorship, highlighted the apparent misogynistic quality of the text, and argued against any coherence in the letter. Jeon takes a fresh look at the letter, incorporating many recent advancements in NT scholarship. In detail he demonstrates the macro- and micro- chiastic arrangement of the entire letter and explains how the presumed first-century audience would have heard and responded to an oral performance of the letter. In doing so, Jeon offers a fresh challenge to more popular ways of (mis)understanding the letter and points a way forward for appropriating the letter both in academia and in the church.

1

Synopsis of Volume 1

In volume 1, chapter 1, an overview of the 1 Timothy letter was provided regarding its main message, authorship, and historical background; in addition, my commentary’s text-centered, literary-rhetorical, and audience-oriented approach to the 1 Timothy letter was explicated. Overall, the message of 1 Timothy is summarized in the title of this book, 1 Timothy: A Charge to God’s Missional Household. Regarding authorship and the historical background, the 1 Timothy letter was composed by the apostle Paul to address the problem of false teaching overseers within the mid-sixties Ephesian church. For the approach of my commentary, I demonstrated how the public, performative aspect of 1 Timothy as a first-century letter shapes the way in which a modern audience is to understand, experience, and analyze the apostle Paul’s message.1

In volume 1, chapter 2, the performative aspect of 1 Timothy was analyzed according to the ancient linguistic structuring device of chiasm—a rhetorical method of organizing a letter’s content to enable its oral delivery and aural comprehension. In ancient letters, a chiasm conveyed a parallel structure in language that intentionally led the audience through introductory themes toward a central point (or points); at the central point, the chiasm pivoted and moved the audience’s attention toward a cumulative conclusion that recalled and developed aspects of the introductory themes. It was demonstrated that the 1 Timothy letter is organized into one overall chiastic arrangement, referred to in this commentary as a macrochiasm. It was also demonstrated that there are six literary units that comprise and arrange the 1 Timothy macrochiasm, which are referred to in this commentary as microchiasms. Still, within each microchiasm of 1 Timothy, there are smaller literary units, referred to as minichiasms. The aggregation of the minichiasms, microchiasms, and macrochiasm of 1 Timothy effectively build and convey meaning to the audience.

Also in volume 1, chapter 2, an in-depth explanation of my translation methodology was provided. The basis of my English translation of 1 Timothy in this commentary seeks to maintain the dynamic sense of the original Greek words and to demonstrate how these Greek words were instrumental to the performance and rhetorical strategy of the letter.2

In volume 1, chapters 3 and 4, the first two microchiasms were analyzed according to their rhetorical organization, content, and themes. In volume 1, chapter 3, it was demonstrated that the first microchiasm—the A unit of the 1 Timothy letter (1:1–20)—established an inseparable link of authority from God and Jesus to Paul and Timothy (1:1, 2, 11, 18). In contrast, a group of “some” within the Ephesian church who “teach-different” (1:3) were identified by Paul as both the problem and motivation of the letter; over and against Paul, this group was teaching “some-thing different” that “lies-opposed to the sound teaching” (1:10b).

In volume 1, chapter 4, it was demonstrated that the second microchiasm—the B unit of the 1 Timothy letter (2:1–15)—highlighted the proper lifestyle of “godliness” (2:3, 10) that flows from Paul’s sound teaching. Interrelated, there was a sustained emphasis on salvation—God’s desire and activity to enable humans to be saved (2:3–6)—and the Ephesian church’s missional duty to attract others to Jesus Christ for salvation. To this end, the apostle Paul identified the unique roles of men and women in the church (2:8–12, 15), which ulitimately derived from the creational roles of men and women by God (2:13–14).3

1. For a detailed explanation of the main message, authorship, historical background, and performance of 1 Timothy as a communal letter, see volume 1, chapter 1.

2. For the establishment of 1 Timothy as a macrochiasm, clarifications of terminology, and an explanation of my translation methodology, see volume 1, chapter 2.

3. For a detailed explanation of 1 Timothy 1–2, see volume 1, chapters 3 and 4.

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1 Timothy 3:1–16: Godly Leadership in God’s Household

(C Unit)

This chapter examines the C unit of the macrochiasm—the third of six microchiasms within the 1 Timothy letter.4 Within this third microchiasm (3:1–16), two minichiasms are heard (3:1–5; 3:8–16).

The Third Microchiasm

The 3:1–16 microchiasm is composed carefully of four elements (A-B-B’-A’); linguistic parallels identifying chiastic arrangements are indicated by the Greek text:

A. 3:1 Faithful (pisto,j) is the word: If someone aspires to overseer, a commendable work he longs-for. 2 It is necessary, therefore, for the overseer to be irreproachable, man of one woman (mia/j gunaiko.j a;ndra), temperate (nhfa,lion), self-controlled, cosmopolitan, affectionate-of-stranger, able-to-teach, 3 not addicted-to-wine (pa,roinon), not violent; rather kind, without-fighting, without-affection-of-money, 4 leading (proi?sta,menon) his own household (oi;kou) commendably, holding children (te,kna) in submissiveness with all respectability, 5 but if someone does not know (oi=den) how to lead (prosth/nai) his own household (oi;kou), how (pw/j) will he care-for the church of God (evkklhsi,aj qeou/)?

B. 6 Not a young-plant, that he might not—being-puffed-up—fall (evmpe,sh|) into the condemnation of the devil (diabo,lou).

B’. 7 But it is necessary to hold a commend...

Table of contents

• Title Page
• Preface
• Acknowledgments
• Abbreviations
• Chapter 1: Synopsis of Volume 1
• Chapter 2: 1 Timothy 3:1–16: Godly Leadership in God’s Household
• Chapter 3: 1 Timothy 4:1–16: Preserving the Teaching and Promoting Godliness amidst Apostasy
• Bibliography