1 Timothy, Volume 3

A Charge to God's Missional Household

Paul S. Jeon

• Publisher: Pickwick Publications
• Year: 2017
• ISBN:
  9781498241861
• 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.

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Synopses of Volumes 1 and 2

Synopsis of Volume 1

In volume 1, chapter 1, I provided an overview of the 1 Timothy letter 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, I analyzed the performative aspect of 1 Timothy 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. I demonstrated that the 1 Timothy letter is organized into one overall chiastic arrangement, referred to in this commentary as a macrochiasm. I 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, I provided an in-depth explanation of my translation methodology. 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, I analyzed the first two microchiasms according to their rhetorical organization, content, and themes. In volume 1, chapter 3, I 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, I 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) that ulitimately derived from the creational roles of men and women by God (2:13–14).3

Synopsis of Volume 2

In volume 2, chapters 2 and 3, I analyzed the second two microchiasms according to their rhetorical organization, content, and themes. In volume 2, chapter 2, I demonstrated that the third microchiasm—the C unit of the 1 Timothy letter (3:1–16)—outlined the qualifications for church leadership as a result of the unqualified overseers in the Ephesisan church. An emphasis was placed on the sacrificial manner in which an overseer cherishes his wife and on his leadership within his own home. The theme of God’s church as a familial household was explicitly conveyed to the audience (3:15; cf. 3:5). Finally, we heard the pivot point of the overall 1 Timothy macrochiasm in the Christ hymn (3:16), which initated a movement toward the letter’s conclusion.

In volume 2, chapter 3, I demonstrated that the fourth microchiasm—the C’ unit of the 1 Timothy letter (4:1–16)—oriented the audience’s attention to the problem of “some” in the Ephesian church. Specifically, I articulated the dichotomy between the group of “some” and Timothy via comparison: the lifestyle of “some” who were “holding-toward deceitful spirits and teachings of demons” (4:1) was defined by ascetic “bodily training” (4:8a); in stark contrast, the lifestyle of Timothy who was “being-nourished in . . . the commendable teaching” (4:6) was defined by training “toward godliness” (4:7b). The C’ unit concluded by challenging the audience to consider whether or not they were listening to Timothy and “the teaching” (4:16).

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Table of contents

• Title Page
• Preface
• Acknowledgments
• Abbreviations
• Chapter 1: Synopses of Volumes 1 and 2
• Chapter 2: 1 Timothy 5:1—6:2: Godly Conduct from All Members of God’s Household
• Chapter 3: 1 Timothy 6:3–21: The Teaching that is According to Godliness Is Great Gain for Eternal Life
• Bibliography