1Ti 1:1          Why was it important for Paul to identify himself as an apostle of Christ Jesus in this letter to Timothy, who was one of his closest and most trusted companions?  Hint: “you” in 1Ti 6:21 is plural in the Greek.  How was Paul unique in the history of the Church, and why would his associates have had a more difficult time exercising authority over people?  See Acts 9:15, Rom 15:15-16, Phlm 1:8.  What was the source of Paul’s authority?  What was the source of his associates’ authority?  What must be the source of authority of any true man of God today?  Did Paul have a choice in regard to God’s call upon his life to be an apostle of Christ Jesus?  See also Tit 1:3, 1 Cor 9:16.  To whom does Paul refer as our Savior in this verse?  See also 1Ti 2:3, 4:10, Tit 1:3, 2:10, 3:4.  To whom does he refer as our Savior in 2 Tim 1:10 and Tit 1:4, and 3:6?  What must Paul have believed about Jesus in order to use the term “Savior” so interchangeably for both God and Jesus?  See Tit 2:13.  What does Paul say is our hope in this verse?  What does he say is our hope in Tit 1:2 and 3:7?  How are these related?  See Jn 17:3.

1Ti 1:2          Describe Paul’s affection for Timothy (and Titus).  See also 1 Cor 4:17, Phil 2:19-22, 2 Tim 1:2, Titus 1:4.  From Paul’s words in 1 Cor 4:17 and his high esteem for Timothy, explain the great importance to us of these letters to his closest associate.  What does Paul mean by calling Timothy his true child in the faith?  Note: “true” means genuine, legitimate, or sincere.  Are there natural children who are not genuine or legitimate?  How might one’s spiritual children not be genuine or legitimate?  See Is 30:9, Heb 12:7-8.  What is the significance of calling Christ Jesus our Lord?  See Luke 6:46.  If Christ Jesus in not our Lord, can we expect him to be our hope (1Ti 1:1)?  See Mat 7:21-23.

1Ti 1:3-4     For what main reason had Paul left Timothy in Ephesus?  See 1Ti 1:3.  What does this teach us about the importance of the purity of the Gospel and the truth which we believe?  See also Paul’s warning to the Ephesian elders in Acts 20:28-30, and note that Ephesus was the capital city of the Roman province of Asia and hence a strategic center for the propagation of the gospel, as well as for error.  Do Paul’s words lead us to believe that the things being advocated by those Timothy was left to counter were necessarily blatant heresies or denials of the faith?  What was the nature of the things they were advocating?  What does he mean by “myths and endless genealogies”?  Note: some suppose he is referring to Gnostic speculations about Aeons that were arising in Paul’s day: According to Gnostic philosophy matter is evil, and thus if God (who is good) became a man in the person of Christ, then it must have been through a series of Aeons, each of which was a little less God and a little more man than the previous.  What does Paul say in 1Ti 1:4 the devotion of these men to such topics gave rise to?  What would be the result of such speculations in a body of believers?  See 1Ti 6:4.  Note: the root meaning of the word “heresy” refers not to false teaching, but to a division or faction.  What sorts of things do religious people today speculate about that likewise result in controversial questions and disputes?  What should be the true Christian’s response to such speculations?  See 2Ti 2:14,16,23, Tit 3:9, Deut 5:32, Josh 1:7.  Instead of paying attention (occupying ourselves, or devoting our time) to such things that are speculative, to what should we be giving our attention?  See 1Ti 1:4, 4:13, Acts 8:6, Heb 2:1, 2 Pet 1:19.  What does Paul mean by the administration^[1] of God in 1Ti 1:4?  Paul writes that the administration of God is by faith; what part of faith is neglected by those who are given to speculate about matters about which Scripture is silent or unclear?  See Deut 29:29, Rom 11:33-34.