Introduction

Timotheos was a Christian from Asia Minor. His mother was a Yehudi but his father was a Greek. When Paulos (Heb. Shaul) saw Timotheos’s genuine faith, he accepted him as one of his companions and helpers at preaching and teaching the good message (Acts 16:1-3) and they had ended up in Efesos together, where Paulos left Timotheos behind in order to look after the new believers there. After Timotheos had been in Efesos for some time, Paulos sent this letter to him. Timotheos’s age was likely around thirty at that time.

There seem to be three main purposes in this letter of Paulos to Timotheos:

1. Firstly Paulos warned him about false teaching that was affecting the assembly of believers there. This teaching contained the philosophies of both Yehudim and non-Jews, because according to them, this world that we live in is evil but a person can be saved if they have the correct wisdom or knowledge and doesn’t eat certain types of food and doesn’t marry. Paulos writes that that’s not right.

2. This letter also teaches about the behaviour of the assembly of believers and about worship. Paulos writes about the desired behaviour of teachers of the message, of helpers in the assembly, and of other believers including widows and slaves.

3. Finally he advised Timotheos how to become good servant of Yeshua the messiah, and concerning his responsibility to believers.

This is still an early look into the unpolished text of the Open English Translation of the Bible. Please double-check the text in advance before using in public.