Fathers

1 Timothy 1

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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.

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What the Fathers say

1 Timothy 1:4

Eastern Fathers

John Chrysostom

"Neither give heed to fables and endless genealogies." By "fables" he does not mean the law; far from it; but inventions and forgeries and counterfeit doctrines. For, it seems, the Jews wasted their whole discourse on these unprofitable points. "That thou mightest charge some," he says, "that they teach no other doctrine, neither give heed to fables and endless genealogies." Why does he call them "endless"? It is because they had no end, or none of any use, or none easy for us to apprehend. Mark how he disapproves of questioning. …

Homily on 1 Timothy 1 ↗

Athanasius of Alexandria

And herein one may especially admire the novelty as well as wickedness of their device, and how they go beyond all other heresies. For these support their madness by persuasive arguments calculated to deceive the simple; the Greeks, as the Apostle has said, make their attack with excellency and persuasiveness of speech, and with plausible fallacies; the Jews, leaving the divine Scriptures, now, as the Apostle again has said, contend about "fables and endless genealogies;" and the Manichees and Valentinians with them, and others, …

History Of The Arians 8.66 ↗

Theophylact of Ohrid

Fables he calls not the law itself, but the observances and false dogmas. They used to enumerate grandfathers and great-grandfathers, hoping thereby to claim for themselves a certain historical glory. He called them "endless" either because they go back to remote times, or because they have no good purpose, or because they lack clarity, are hard to grasp, and are tangled. It is likely that the apostle here also hints at the Greeks, for they have myths and genealogies in which they enumerate their gods. …

Commentary on 1 Timothy ↗

Western Saints

Ambrose of Milan

I will take the fool's line and propound some examples drawn from the things of a lower world. "I am become a fool; you have compelled me." What indeed is more foolish than to debate over the majesty of God, which rather occasions questionings, than receiving godly instruction which is by faith. But to arguments let arguments reply. Let words make answer to them. Rather we will answer with love, the love which is in God, issuing of a pure heart and good conscience and faith unfeigned.

Exposition of the Christian Faith 4.5.60 ↗

Thomas Aquinas

But there have been certain heretics who, disdaining the Old Testament, explained that the Apostle repudiated it when he said: do not give heed to fables and endless genealogies. Augustine answers them by saying that the Apostle makes use of the stories and genealogies of the Old Testament: Abraham had two sons; the one by a bondwoman, and the other by a free woman (Gal 4:22). Therefore, if he had repudiated it, he would not have made use of it. …

Commentary on 1 Timothy ↗