Pastoral Epistles
First Timothy, Second Timothy, and Titus
Pastoral Epistles
First Timothy, Second Timothy, and Titus
This item is unavailable.
Enter your email address below and we will email you when the item comes into stock.
Paperback
£23.99
Publisher: Liturgical Press
ISBN: 9780814659809
Number of Pages: 280
Published: 01/12/2009
Width: 15.2 cm
Height: 22.9 cm
First and Second Timothy and Titus have for many years borne the collective title "The Pastoral Epistles." Both their style and their content make it difficult to locate them within the corpus of Pauline letters, and recent scholarship most often considers them pseudonymous, works that imitate Paul's letters but apply the apostle's teaching to the concerns of a later time, two or more decades after Paul's death.
The Pastorals differ from Paul's own letters in being addressed to single individuals, coworkers of Paul who have been placed in charge of particular churches—Timothy apparently in Ephesus, Titus in Crete. They provide instruction for community leaders, both the individual addressees and other leaders whom they will appoint. The specification of certain offices within the local churches is one of the features that appear to locate these works in a later phase of church development.
In this commentary Benjamin Fiore, SJ, places the Pastorals in their historical and literary context. The reader will find here a solid introduction to parallel literary forms in Latin and Greek literature and particular descriptions of the way in which these documents use ancient rhetorical forms to achieve their paraenetic and hortatory purpose. Drawing on his parish experience as well as his academic training, Fiore also provides reflections on the contemporary pastoral application of these books, giving readers a renewed appreciation for the "pastoral" label these epistles bear.
CONTENTS
Editor’s Preface xi
Abbreviations xiii
FIRST TIMOTHY, SECOND TIMOTHY, TITUS
Author’s Preface 3
Introduction
I. Methodology and Interpretive Approach 5
II. Literary Character of the Letters 8
1. Testamentary Letters 8
2. Church Order Epistles 9
3. Exhortation Letters 12
III. Historical Background 14
1. Jewish/Jewish–Christian Opponents 14
2. Authorship 15
3. Date 19
IV. Hortatory Strategy and Content 21
1. Exemplary Figures 21
2. Christology 21
3. Soteriology 22
General Bibliography 23
1 TIMOTHY
Introduction and Outline 27
Translation, Notes, Interpretation
1. Greeting (1:1-2) 31
2. Reminder and Appeal; False Teachers (1:3-11) 39
3. Thanksgiving; Mercy; Timothy’s Task (1:12-20) 48
4. Church Order: Community Prayer (2:1-7) 56
5. Rules for Men and Women (2:8-15) 64
6. Qualities of Leadership Candidates: Overseer/Bishop (3:1-7) 73
7. Qualities of Leadership Candidates: Assistants/Deacons (3:8-13) 80
8. Credal Summary (3:14-16) 83
9. False Teaching; Asceticism; Exhortation to Timothy (4:1-16) 88
10. Dealing with the Elderly; Care for Widows (5:1-16) 100
11. Presbyters; Public Correction (5:17-25) 110
12. Slaves; False Teaching; Contentment: (6:1-8) 115
13. On Riches; Final Charge to Timothy; Conclusion (6:9-21) 120
2 TIMOTHY
Introduction and Outline 131
Translation, Notes, Interpretation
1. Greeting; Timothy’s Faith; Salvation (1:1-10) 133
2. Paul as Exemplar; Support in Prison (1:11-18) 142
3. Designated Teachers; Credal Summary (2:1-13) 146
4. False Teachers; God’s Household (2:14-23) 156
5. Strategy for Correction (2:24-26) 163
6. Vices of False Teachers; Paul’s Virtues; Timothy’s Teaching (3:1-17) 165
7. Charge to Timothy; Paul’s End Foreseen (4:1-8) 176
8. Final Requests; Support and Abandonment; Closing Greetings (4:9-22) 182
TITUS
Introduction and Outline 193
Translation, Notes, Interpretation
1. Greeting; Choosing Elders on Crete (1:1-9) 195
2. False Teachers (1:10-16) 203
3. Sound Teaching; Rules for the Household; Salvation in Christ (2:1-15) 208
4. Community Profile:
Virtuous, Made Righteous, Engaged in Good Works (3:1-11) 216
5. Travel Notices; Letter Closing (3:12-15) 225
Indexes
Index of Scripture and Other Ancient Writings 229
Index of Authors 247
Index of Subjects 250 Supplementary Bibliography 254
Editor’s Preface xi
Abbreviations xiii
FIRST TIMOTHY, SECOND TIMOTHY, TITUS
Author’s Preface 3
Introduction
I. Methodology and Interpretive Approach 5
II. Literary Character of the Letters 8
1. Testamentary Letters 8
2. Church Order Epistles 9
3. Exhortation Letters 12
III. Historical Background 14
1. Jewish/Jewish–Christian Opponents 14
2. Authorship 15
3. Date 19
IV. Hortatory Strategy and Content 21
1. Exemplary Figures 21
2. Christology 21
3. Soteriology 22
General Bibliography 23
1 TIMOTHY
Introduction and Outline 27
Translation, Notes, Interpretation
1. Greeting (1:1-2) 31
2. Reminder and Appeal; False Teachers (1:3-11) 39
3. Thanksgiving; Mercy; Timothy’s Task (1:12-20) 48
4. Church Order: Community Prayer (2:1-7) 56
5. Rules for Men and Women (2:8-15) 64
6. Qualities of Leadership Candidates: Overseer/Bishop (3:1-7) 73
7. Qualities of Leadership Candidates: Assistants/Deacons (3:8-13) 80
8. Credal Summary (3:14-16) 83
9. False Teaching; Asceticism; Exhortation to Timothy (4:1-16) 88
10. Dealing with the Elderly; Care for Widows (5:1-16) 100
11. Presbyters; Public Correction (5:17-25) 110
12. Slaves; False Teaching; Contentment: (6:1-8) 115
13. On Riches; Final Charge to Timothy; Conclusion (6:9-21) 120
2 TIMOTHY
Introduction and Outline 131
Translation, Notes, Interpretation
1. Greeting; Timothy’s Faith; Salvation (1:1-10) 133
2. Paul as Exemplar; Support in Prison (1:11-18) 142
3. Designated Teachers; Credal Summary (2:1-13) 146
4. False Teachers; God’s Household (2:14-23) 156
5. Strategy for Correction (2:24-26) 163
6. Vices of False Teachers; Paul’s Virtues; Timothy’s Teaching (3:1-17) 165
7. Charge to Timothy; Paul’s End Foreseen (4:1-8) 176
8. Final Requests; Support and Abandonment; Closing Greetings (4:9-22) 182
TITUS
Introduction and Outline 193
Translation, Notes, Interpretation
1. Greeting; Choosing Elders on Crete (1:1-9) 195
2. False Teachers (1:10-16) 203
3. Sound Teaching; Rules for the Household; Salvation in Christ (2:1-15) 208
4. Community Profile:
Virtuous, Made Righteous, Engaged in Good Works (3:1-11) 216
5. Travel Notices; Letter Closing (3:12-15) 225
Indexes
Index of Scripture and Other Ancient Writings 229
Index of Authors 247
Index of Subjects 250 Supplementary Bibliography 254
[A]n excellent commentary on the Pastoral Epistles, I would recommend it for courses in Paul as well as the history of the early church.Catholic Books Review [R]eaders will find this commentary most helpful for matters of exegesis, ecclesiology, and biblical as well as Greco-Roman parallels, and least helpful for issues related to the theology and place of the Pastoral Epistles in the development of the early church.The Catholic Biblical Quarterly
