In meditating on these sacred texts, pastors will then be equipped for doctrinal preaching that edifies and exhorts God’s holy people in the faith and love which are in Christ Jesus.
Pericopes from 1 and 2 Timothy are assigned as the Epistle reading for a stretch of Sundays in September and October this year (Series C). Rightly called “the pastoral epistles” as they are addressed to Paul’s apprentice, Timothy, these letters accent the characteristics of those men who bear the office for the sake of the sound (literally “healthy”) doctrine of the glorious Gospel of Christ Jesus who gave Himself as a ransom for all (see 1 Timothy 2:6). Timothy and all pastors who follow in his train are to proclaim this Gospel in accordance with “the pattern of sound words” (2 Timothy 1:13) entrusted to him. Paul sets this sound teaching in contrast to the cancerous growth of Gnostic teachers who appear with speculative brilliance but know nothing of the flesh and blood Christ and His cross. Preachers today face the challenge of a resurrected form of Gnosticism expressing itself in a reliance on self-made spiritualities which promote a creedless pseudo-Christianity.
Preachers would do well to study and meditate on these texts from 1 and 2 Timothy for their own training in righteousness so they may work as craftsmen with the Word of God who have no need to be ashamed, rightly distinguishing God’s Law from His Gospel (see 2 Timothy 2:15). In meditating on these sacred texts, pastors will then be equipped for doctrinal preaching that edifies and exhorts God’s holy people in the faith and love which are in Christ Jesus.
Here are some commentaries you may wish to consult:
Hanson, A.T. The New Century Bible Commentary: The Pastoral Epistles.
Hanson, a British scholar, holds that the Pastoral Epistles have “no authentically Pauline elements in them at all” (9) even though the author wishes to claim Paul’s authority. First published in 1982, Hanson demonstrates he is acquainted with the scholarship current up to that time. This has some helpful linguistic and historical material but is theologically lacking.
Johnson, Luke Timothy. The First and Second Letters to Timothy.
A Roman Catholic contribution to the Anchor Bible Commentary Series. He defends Pauline authorship.
Kelly, J.N.D. The Pastoral Epistles.
This is a key twentieth century commentary by an English patristics scholar. It is highly informative.
Gerhard, Johann. Commentary on 1 and 2 Timothy.
A theological and churchly exposition of 1 and 2 Timothy by the “arch-theologian” of Lutheran Orthodoxy.
Lenski, R.C. H. The Interpretation of Colossians, Thessalonians, Timothy, Titus, and Philemon.
Lenski gives careful attention to the Greek and uses conservative Lutheran exegesis overall.
Leske, Elmore. Chi Rho Commentary Series: The Pastoral Letters.
This is a concise but lucid commentary by a confessional Lutheran scholar from Australia.
Luther, Martin. Lectures on Titus (AE 29:4-90).
Luther gave these lectures on Titus in late 1527, a tumultuous year for him as he was enduring the plague in Wittenberg. His lectures on Titus are given under this rubric: “The highest work of godliness is to be meditate on the Word of God in order that we may teach and exhort one another” (AE 29:3).
Luther, Martin. Lectures on 1 Timothy (AE 28;217-384).
These are the Reformer’s lectures on 1 Timothy from 1528. Luther sees the purpose of 1 Timothy as establishing and setting in order the life of Christ’s holy people so they might remain in saving faith under the governance of His Word. The epistle in Luther’s eyes addresses the call, the doctrine, and the life of the preacher.
Marshall, I. Howard. A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Pastoral Epistles.
This is a comprehensive commentary by a leading British evangelical New Testament scholar.
Moellering, H. Armin. Concordia Commentary on 1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, and Titus.
While relatively non-technical and basic, it is a solid exposition of the Pastoral Epistles.
Mounce, William. Pastoral Epistles.
Mounce delivers a generally helpful treatment of the text and has a good bibliography.
Roloff, Jürgen. Der erste Brief an Timotheus.
This is a standard German commentary on 1 Timothy in a well-known ecumenical series. While he has a higher-critical slant, it is also often informative. Roloff assumes a post-Pauline authorship.
Saarinen, Risto. Brazos Theological Commentary on the Bible: The Pastoral Epistles with Philemon & Jude.
Written by a leading proponent of the Finnish School of Luther research, this commentary seeks to “reconstruct” the Pastoral Epistles for use in today’s church by drawing on a variety of ancient commentators. At several points (like women in the church), Saarinen appears to be arguing against Paul. He is sympathetic to the so-called “New Perspective on Paul.” The book begins with a helpful chapter on the history of commentaries on the Pastoral Epistles. He also has an extensive bibliography.
Schnelle, Udo. Theology of the New Testament.
In the section of his New Testament theology entitled “The Pastoral Epistles: God’s Philanthropy” (pages 578-601), Schnelle rejects Pauline authorship but argues that these epistles play a vital role in stabilizing the church in the predominantly urban setting of Asia Minor. He sees the Pastoral Epistles as integrating Hellenistic virtues into the framework of Pauline ethics.
Quinn, Jerome and Wacker, William. The First and Second Letters to Timothy.
This selection is heavy on linguistic details but light on theological commentary.
Weiser, Alfonso. Der zweite Brief an Timotheus.
This commentary is in the same series as Roloff’s work on 1 Timothy and has a similar orientation.
Yarbrough, Robert W. The Pillar New Testament Commentary: The Letters to Timothy and Titus.
This is an insightful theological exposition of the pastoral epistles. It has a careful use of the Greek texts without burdening the reader with technicalities. If I had to limit myself to one contemporary commentary on the pastoral epistles, it would be this one.
While not commentaries, you may also wish to consult Calling and Character: Virtues of the Ordained Life, by William Willimon, as he makes significant use of the Pastoral Epistles. For important studies of 1 Timothy 2:11-15, see the chapters by John W. Kleinig, Peter Kriewaldt, Charles Gieschen, William Weinrich, and Robert Schaibley in Women Pastors? The Ordination of Women in Biblical Lutheran Perspective (Third Edition), by Matthew C. Harrison and John T. Pless.
