Who wrote the book of 1 Timothy? Who was the author of 1 Timothy?

Answer

Similar to other letters attributed to Paul, 1 Timothy derives its name from its recipient, not its author. The salutation discloses both the author and recipient, “Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the command of God our Savior and of Christ Jesus our hope, To Timothy my true son in the faith: Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord” ‭‭(1 Timothy 1:1-2). The book of 1 Timothy is classified as a Pastoral Epistle, along with 2 Timothy and Titus. All three letters demonstrate unity, indicating shared authorship.

Among the letters commonly attributed to Paul, the authorship of the Pastoral Epistles is the most contested, with even some conservative scholars expressing doubts about Paul’s authorship of these epistles. Critics suggest that 1 Timothy is a pseudepigraphal text, similar to some later gospels composed in the second century. According to this perspective, 1 Timothy was written by someone closely associated with Paul, likely one of his disciples.

Scholars who challenge the Pauline authorship of 1 Timothy present several reasons for their position. Firstly, they highlight the acceptance of pseudonymous works in the ancient world. Secondly, they observe that 1 Timothy deals with the heresy of Gnosticism, which thrived in the second century. However, Gnosticism had already started to emerge in the first century, often incorporating Jewish elements, which aligns with the themes of the Pastoral Epistles.

Another objection relates to stylistic variances between the Pastoral Epistles and other, less disputed letters of Paul. Nonetheless, Paul employed the assistance of an amanuensis for Romans «I Tertius, who wrote this epistle, greet you in the Lord. », (Romans 16:22) and conceivably some other letters. If he personally wrote 1 Timothy and the other Pastoral Epistles, itWould easily explain the difference in style. Moreover, 1 Timothy is a personal letter, unlike Romans, so the two letters would naturally differ in style. Also, who’s to say that writing style cannot evolve as the author grows older?

Critics further suggest that Paul had a theological school, and one of his students wrote 1 Timothy. They cite ancient figures like Plato and Pythagoras whose students wrote works in their names. This view lacks merit due to the lack of substantial evidence of a Pauline theological school, even among the writings of the early church fathers. Also worth noting are the personal words used by the author in the text. For example, 1 Timothy 1:15 states, “Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst.” It is unlikely that a student of Paul would call Paul the worst of sinners.

Other scholars reject the pseudepigraphal hypothesis in favor of a fragment theory, mainly due to the personal statements in the text. The fragment theory views 1 Timothy and other Pastoral Epistles as compilations of personal correspondence from Paul. This view is difficult to prove.

In conclusion, despite ongoing debates, the traditional view remains the most likely. Paul is the author of 1 Timothy.