The Book of 1 Timothy
1 Timothy is a pastoral letter guiding Timothy as he leads the church in Ephesus — on church leadership, sound teaching, and godly living.
- Testament
- New (6 chapters)
- Type
- Epistle
- Author
- Paul, writing to his protégé Timothy.
- Date
- Probably 62-64 AD, between Paul's two imprisonments.
Sound teaching and godly leadership
The book gives the clearest New Testament profile of overseers and deacons (chapter 3). It is also blunt about false teaching: 'the love of money is the root of all evil' (6:10) — a verse routinely misquoted by dropping 'the love of'.
Godliness with contentment
Against a culture chasing wealth and reputation, Paul urges 'godliness with contentment is great gain' (6:6). Few sentences are more counter-cultural in any era.
Key verses (KJV)
“Godliness with contentment is great gain.” — 1 Timothy 6:6 (KJV)
“For the love of money is the root of all evil.” — 1 Timothy 6:10 (KJV)
“Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity.” — 1 Timothy 4:12 (KJV)
How to read 1 Timothy
Six short chapters; read in one sitting. Especially relevant if you're in any leadership role — formal or informal — in a Christian community.
Read 1 Timothy on your iPhone
Read the full book of 1 Timothy in Quiethaven — choose your translation, read offline, and pick up where you left off. Pair it with a daily verse and a prayer timer.
Read 1 Timothy free on iPhone.
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