1-2 Timothy, Titus

42 1 Timothy 4 Marriage Embodies Godliness Following the poetic closing verses of 1 Timothy 3, our author refocuses on what he sees as the immediate conflictual situation of his recipients. This chapter first describes and contradicts the teachings of the opponents and then instructs “Timothy” how to act as a leader in that challenging context. The first two verses evoke aspects of the person and writings of the apostle Paul: his spiritual authority, his activities as a prophet, his hope for the near-future return of the Lord, and his hostility toward his opponents . Our author seeks to bolster the influence of his letter by drawing on the memory of the historical Paul who claimed to have the Spirit as an authoritative presence within himself and as a convincing source for his opinion about an issue.11 2 By naming the “Spirit,” the pseudonymous author then suggests that “Paul” knows a particular inspired prophecy on this topic. Both Jewish and Christian Scriptures view the Spirit as the source of prophetic statements. To name just two examples: (1) the Lord takes a portion of the Spirit given to Moses and puts it on the seventy chosen elders who then begin to prophesy (Num 11:24-25); and (2) throughout 1 Cor 14, Paul links the Spirit to the gift of prophetic speech, including his own (1 Cor 14:37-38). When referring to the “later times,” 1. For example, Rom 9:1; 1 Cor 2:10-13; 7:40; 14:37-38; 2 Cor 1:21-22; 3:18. 1 Timothy 4 43 the author of the Pastorals reminds the audience of Paul’s enthusiastic expectation that the Lord Jesus would return and that this Parousia would mark the end of time (1 Cor 7:29-31; 1 Thess 4:14–5:6). Finally, the author denounces in unabashedly belligerent terms the “some” who oppose his teachings, just as Paul condemned the “superlative apostles,” for example, in 2 Cor 11:12-15. The invective employed here and elsewhere in the Pastorals (e.g., 1 Tim 1:19-20; 2 Tim 2:16-18; Titus 1:10-16) disparages the opponents as both spiritually and ethically immoral, a favorite tactic of this author.213 Next we read of two examples of the wrong teaching, both of which point to an ascetic approach to life: forbidding marriage and rejecting the eating of certain foods (1 Tim 4:3). Since the author not only explicitly promotes marriage for community leaders and especially for women 2. See my comments on 1 Tim 1:8-11 in this volume, pp. 5–7. 1 Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will renounce the faith by paying attention to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons, 2 through the hypocrisy of liars whose consciences are seared with a hot iron. 3 They forbid marriage and demand abstinence from foods, which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. 4 For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected, provided it is received with thanksgiving ; 5 for it is sanctified by God’s word and by prayer. 1 Tim 4:1-5 TRANSLATION MATTERS: “TO MARRY AND TO ABSTAIN FROM FOODS” The Greek text in the first part of 1 Tim 4:3 is a bit complicated because it says literally: “forbidding to marry, to abstain from foods” (κωλυόντων γαμεῖν, ἀπέχεσθαι βρωμάτων). Clearly, the opponents do not forbid but rather support abstaining from foods or else the author would not argue in this manner. To clear up this confusion, the NRSV translation reads “and demand abstinence from foods” (italics added). The Greek in the second part of the verse implies that it is only the “foods” that are “created by God.” Yet by alluding to the Genesis accounts where male and female human beings are created (1:27-31; 2:18-25), the author also conveys the impression that marriage is likewise a divine creation. [3.144.252.140] Project MUSE (2024-04-27 03:14 GMT) 44 1–2 Timothy, Titus (3:2, 12; 5:14; Titus 1:6; 2:4) but also holds a family-friendly attitude in general (1 Tim 5:1-2, 3-4, 8-10; also 2 Tim 3:6; Titus 2:11), we can predict that he would strongly disapprove of celibacy or other practices that would lead to changes in the conventional household model. It remains puzzling to me, therefore, that...