1 Timothy

1 Timothy is the fifty-fourth book of the Bible and the first of the three letters known as the Pastoral Epistles. It is traditionally attributed to Paul, writing to his young coworker Timothy whom he has left in charge of the church in Ephesus. The letter is generally dated to around AD 62 to 64, after Paul's first Roman imprisonment.

Paul's purpose is to give Timothy instructions for ordering church life in Ephesus. False teachers have been promoting myths, endless genealogies, and pointless speculation. Timothy is to stop them and to model the proper alternative.

The letter covers a range of practical concerns. Paul gives instructions about prayer in worship, about the conduct of men and women in the church gathering, about the qualifications for overseers (also called bishops) and deacons. He addresses how Timothy should relate to older men, older women, and younger people. He gives detailed instructions about supporting widows in the congregation. He discusses how elders should be treated and how money should be handled.

The closing chapter includes Paul's warning against the love of money, "a root of all kinds of evil," and a charge to Timothy to fight the good fight of faith. Paul closes with a final appeal for Timothy to guard what has been entrusted to him.