The Book of 1 Timothy
1 Timothy is a pastoral letter guiding Timothy as he leads the church in Ephesus — on church leadership, sound teaching, and godly living.
- Testament
- New (6 chapters)
- Type
- Epistle
- Date
- Probably 62-64 AD, between Paul's two imprisonments.
Sound teaching and godly leadership
The book gives the clearest New Testament profile of overseers and deacons (chapter 3). It is also blunt about false teaching: 'the love of money is the root of all evil' (6:10) — a verse routinely misquoted by dropping 'the love of'.
Godliness with contentment
Against a culture chasing wealth and reputation, Paul urges 'godliness with contentment is great gain' (6:6). Few sentences are more counter-cultural in any era.
Key verses (KJV)
“Godliness with contentment is great gain.” — 1 Timothy 6:6 (KJV)
“For the love of money is the root of all evil.” — 1 Timothy 6:10 (KJV)
“Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity.” — 1 Timothy 4:12 (KJV)
How to read 1 Timothy
Six short chapters; read in one sitting. Especially relevant if you're in any leadership role — formal or informal — in a Christian community.
Read 1 Timothy on your iPhone
Read the full book of 1 Timothy in Quiethaven — choose your translation, read offline, and pick up where you left off. Pair it with a daily verse and a prayer timer.
Read 1 Timothy free on iPhone.
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From the blog
Frequently asked questions
What is the Book of 1 Timothy about?
1 Timothy is a book of Epistle, running to 6 chapters. Its main threads: Sound teaching and godly leadership; Godliness with contentment.
Who wrote the Book of 1 Timothy?
Paul, writing to his protégé Timothy.
Where does 1 Timothy come in the Bible?
1 Timothy is one of the 27 books of the New Testament in the Protestant canon, grouped with the Epistle books. You can walk the canon in order using the previous and next links on this page.