NOTES for Ti1 1:1-11

The Epistle to Timothy is a letter written to a disciple and friend by a teacher awaiting death. Paul instructs Timothy and tries to protect him and the communities entrusted to him from temptations and troubles. The first part of the Epistle immediately introduces us to the Apostle's concerns. He tries to convey in words what is both simplest and most difficult in Christianity. The essential thing is living faith as trust in God and constant communion with Christ: living faith, not a legal code; life, not a set of rules; Jesus, not debates about who is related to whom, who has seniority, who is a sinner, and who is righteous. Before speaking about practical life and how Christian communities can and should be organized, Paul immediately reminds us that the chief and most important things are love from a pure heart and sincere faith.