Fathers

1 Timothy 1

Tap a verse to read the Fathers. Press and hold, then drag, to make a card.

Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ according to the commandment of God our Savior and the Lord Jesus Christ our hope; to Timothy, my true child in faith: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God our Father and Christ Jesus our Lord. As I urged you when I was going into Macedonia, stay at Ephesus that you might command certain men not to teach a different doctrine, and not to pay attention to myths and endless genealogies, which cause disputes, rather than God’s stewardship, which is in faith— but the goal of this command is love, out of a pure heart and a good conscience and sincere faith, from which things some, having missed the mark, have turned away to vain talking, desiring to be teachers of the law, though they understand neither what they say, nor about what they strongly affirm. But we know that the law is good, if a person uses it lawfully, as knowing this, that law is not made for a righteous person, but for the lawless and insubordinate, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, for the sexually immoral, for homosexuals, for slave-traders, for liars, for perjurers, and for any other thing contrary to the sound doctrine, according to the Good News of the glory of the blessed God, which was committed to my trust. I thank him who enabled me, Christ Jesus our Lord, because he counted me faithful, appointing me to service; although I used to be a blasphemer, a persecutor, and insolent. However, I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief. The grace of our Lord abounded exceedingly with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus. The saying is faithful and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief. However, for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first, Jesus Christ might display all his patience for an example of those who were going to believe in him for eternal life. Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen. I commit this instruction to you, my child Timothy, according to the prophecies which were given to you before, that by them you may wage the good warfare, holding faith and a good conscience, which some having thrust away made a shipwreck concerning the faith, of whom are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I delivered to Satan, that they might be taught not to blaspheme.

About · Privacy · Credits · Support VRSZ

What the Fathers say

1 Timothy 1:17

Eastern Fathers

John Chrysostom

"Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen." For these things, then, we glorify not the Son only, but the Father. Here let us argue with the heretics. Speaking of the Father, he says, "To the only God." Is the Son then not God? "The only immortal." Is the Son then not immortal? Or does He not possess that Himself, which hereafter He will give to us? Yes, they say, He is God and immortal, but not such as the Father. What then? …

Homily on 1 Timothy 4 ↗

Gregory of Nyssa

We know that of all the names by which Deity is indicated some are expressive of the Divine majesty, employed and understood absolutely, and some are assigned with reference to the operations over us and all creation. For when the Apostle says "Now to the immortal, invisible, only wise God," and the like, by these titles he suggests conceptions which represent to us the transcendent power, but when God is spoken of in the Scriptures as gracious, merciful, full of pity, true, good, Lord, Physician, Shepherd, Way, Bread, Fountain, …

Against Eunomius 2.11 ↗

Theophylact of Ohrid

Since the apostle said something very great about the Son, namely, that He saves the despairing, lest anyone think that the Father is deprived of His glory, he also sends up glory to Him. All this is common to the Son as well. For He too is the King of the ages. If He is the Creator of the ages, then how is He not the King, incorruptible, invisible in His Divinity, and the only wise One? He Himself is the wisdom of the Father. The same must be said also of the Spirit. …

Commentary on 1 Timothy ↗

Western Saints

Augustine of Hippo

So this faith is also a rule for salvation, to "believe in God the Father almighty," creator of all things, "king of the ages, immortal and invisible." He is indeed the almighty God who at the origin of the world made all things out of nothing. He is before the ages and made and governs the ages. He doesn't, after all, grow with time, or stretch out in space, nor is he shut in or bounded by any material. He abides with and in himself as full and perfect eternity, which neither human thought can comprehend nor tongue describe.

Sermons 215.2 ↗

Jerome

But if you think that God is seen by those who are pure in heart in this world, why did Moses, who had previously said, "I have seen the Lord face to face, and my life is preserved," afterwards plead that he might see him distinctly? And because he said that he had seen God, the Lord told him, "You cannot not see my face. For no one shall see my face and live." For this reason also the apostle calls him the only invisible God, who dwells in light unapproachable, whom no man has seen nor can see.

Against the Pelagians 3.12 ↗

Thomas Aquinas

Then when he says, to the King of ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever, he expresses his gratitude: In regard to the first he does two things: first, he commends the one to whom he gives thanks; second, he expresses the thanks, at honor and glory. First, he commends him because of his power; second, because of his unique nature. In regard to the first he says, to the King. …

Commentary on 1 Timothy ↗