I, II Timothy & Titus (The New Testament Library Series | NTL)
Digital Logos Edition
Overview
The Pastoral Epistles present difficult questions for the modern interpreter, including such matters as their authorship, literary characteristics, and social orientations. Raymond Collins carefully leads the reader through the texts of these three documents, attending to the flow of the pastor’s thought and locating it within the Jewish and Hellenistic culture of his day.
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Key Features
- Locates the pastoral letters within the Jewish and Hellenistic culture of his day
- Opens fresh perspectives on Pauline studies
- Addresses difficult interpretive questions
Top Highlights
“To some extent, the errors involve a misreading of the law (1 Tim. 1:7; see Titus 1:14), a misunderstanding of the resurrection (2 Tim. 2:18), an elite sectarianism (1 Tim. 2:1–6), and the worship of divinized emperors (1 Tim. 6:15–16). It is difficult to conceive that this variety of errors comes from a single source, whether in the form of Gnosticism,16 Judaizing intrusion, or some other form. It is therefore misleading to speak of the Pastor’s ‘opponents’ as if they were some well-defined group. It rather seems to be the case that the Pastor wants to put the community on guard against various kinds of error, no matter what their source.” (Page 12)
“The first exhortation in 2 Timothy is structured chiastically as an a-b-c-b’-a’ pattern in which the two a and b elements correspond with one another. At the center of the scheme is the hymn-like 1:9–10. This is the focal point around which the other elements of the pericope are organized. Suffering is the dominant motif of the b elements (1:8; 1:11–12). The a elements (1:6–7; 1:13–14) speak about the spirit and delimit the pericope as a literary unit. The ring construction, a literary inclusio, is marked by two lexical elements, ‘spirit’ (pneuma) and ‘in’ (en). These terms appear in both a and a’.” (Page 194)
“For Paul, the law is not sinful in itself. Rather, the law makes sin known; it identifies evil behavior as a violation of God’s covenant with his people (Rom. 7:7, 13).” (Page 29)
“Timothy has been mandated by Paul to remain in Ephesus in order to confront false teachers with heartfelt love, a good conscience, and an authentic faith (1:3–5).” (Page 18)
About Raymond F. Collins
Raymond F. Collins PhD, is a priest of the Diocese of Providence and is the dean of the School of Religious Studies at The Catholic University of America. He is the author of John and His Witness and Divorce in the New Testament.