(Pioneer Bible Translators and The Word for the World use the following introduction in many of their translation projects around the world.)
The book of 1 Timothy is a letter written from the Apostle Paul to his disciple Timothy. 1 Timothy was probably written around 62-64 years after the birth of Christ. This would have been near the end of Paul’s life. Paul had a close relationship with Timothy and referred to him as a son several times (Phil. 2:22, 1 Tim 1:2, 1:18).
This is one of four letters from Paul that are addressed to a person instead of a church. The other three letters are 2 Timothy, Titus, and Philemon. 1 Timothy contains a lot of instruction on church worship (2:1–15), qualifications for church leaders (3:1–13), and warnings against false teachers (1:3–11, 4:1–5, 6:3–5). This reflects how Paul was training Timothy to be a leader among the churches. 1 Timothy contains many principles that can help church leaders in our day to manage the ministry of the local church.
Outline:
1. Paul starts by greeting Timothy (1:1-2).
2. Then he gives Timothy a warning against false teachers (1:3-11).
3. Paul continues by explaining how thankful he is for Jesus Christ (1:12-20).
4. Next he instructs Timothy about worship and church leaders (2-3).
5. Paul finishes his letter by giving Timothy some final instructions (4-6).
Le livre de 1 Timothée est une lettre écrite par l’apôtre Paul à son disciple Timothée. 1 Timothée a probablement été écrit entre 62-64 années après la naissance de Christ. Ceci aurait eu lieu près de la fin de la vie de Paul. Paul avait un lien étroit avec Timothée et il l’appelait plusieurs fois son fils (Phil. 2 :22, 1 Tim 1 :2, 1 :18).
C’est l’une des quatre lettres que Paul a adressées à une personne au lieu d’une église. Les trois autres lettres sont 2 Timothée, Tite et Philémon. 1 Timothée contient de nombreuses instructions au sujet du culte dans l’église (2 :1-15), des qualifications des responsables dans l’église (3 :1-13), et des avertissements contre les faux docteurs (1 :3-11, 4 :1-5, 6 :2-5). Ceci montre la façon dont Paul formait Timothée à être un responsable parmi les églises. 1 Timothée contient de nombreux principes qui peuvent aider aujourd’hui nos responsables d’église à diriger le ministère dans l’église locale.
Résumé
1. Paul commence par saluer Timothée (1 :1-2).
2. Il donne ensuite à Timothée un avertissement au sujet des faux docteurs (1 :3-11).
3. Paul continue en expliquant combien il est reconnaissant pour Jésus- Christ (1 :12-19).
4. Il donne ensuite à Timothée des instructions au sujet du culte ainsi que des responsables de l’église (2-3).
5. Paul termine sa lettre en donnant à Timothée certaines instructions finales (4-6).
Translation: Swahili
Utangulizi wa kitabu cha 1 Timotheo
Kitabu cha 1 Timotheo ni barua iliyoandikwa na Mtume Paulo kwenda kwa mwanafunzi wake Timotheo. Yamkini kitabu cha 1 Timotheo kiliandikwa kati ya mwaka 62 hadi 64 baada ya kuzaliwa Yesu Kristo. Kipindi ambacho kilikaribiana na mwisho wa maisha ya Paulo. Paulo alikuwa na uhusiano wa karibu na Timotheo, na mara nyingi anamzungumzia akimwita mwanae (Filemoni 2:22, 1 Timotheo 1:2,18).
Barua hii ni moja kati ya barua nne za Paulo ambazo zimeandikwa kwa watu binafsi badala ya kanisa. Barua zingine tatu ni 2 Timotheo, Tito, na Filemoni. Kitabu cha 1 Timotheo kina maelekezo mengi sana kuhusu ibada ya kanisa (2:1-15), sifa zinazotakiwa kwa viongozi wa kanisa kuwa nazo (3:1-13), na maonyo kuhusiana na waalimu wa uwongo (1:3-11, 4:1-5, 6:3-5). Barua hii inaonesha jinsi Paulo alivyokuwa akimfundisha Timotheo kuwa kiongozi kati ya makanisa. Kitabu cha 1 Timotheo kina kanuni nyingi sana zinazoweza kuwasaidia viongozi wa kanisa kuendesha mambo ya huduma ya kanisa la mahali.
Muhtasari
1. Paulo anaanza kwa kumsalimu Timotheo (1:1-2).
2. Kisha anamuonya Timotheo dhidi ya waalimu wa uwongo (1:3-11).
3. Paulo anaendelea kueleza jinsi anavyoshukuru kwa ajili ya Yesu Kristo (1:12-20).
4. Baadaye anamwelekeza Timotheo kuhusu ibada na viongozi wa kanisa (2-3).
5. Paulo anamaliza barua yake kwa kumpa Timotheo maagizo kadhaa ya mwisho (4-6).
(The Catholic Christian Community Bible [first English edition 1997, other translations into Indonesian, Chinese, Cebuano, Chavacano, French, Ilonggo, Korean, Quechuan, Spanish, and Tagalog] “for the Christian Communities of the Third World” uses the following introduction.)
Cultural changes taking place in all areas of existence also affect the Church. In the beliefs and practices we have been taught, not all comes from Christ, and consequently, many things may change. There is nevertheless a risk of distorting authentic faith. Where then is the rule of faith, to which all our opinions must submit?
This problem already arose in the Church when in 64-67 A.D. Peter and Paul died as martyrs in Rome. The Church, especially in the West, no longer had these witnesses of Christ capable of proclaiming both his deeds and his words. It was as difficult for the Greeks to accept the Christian message as it was for the Jews, and even those of good will among the listeners understood the message—as we do today—through their own ways of thinking, distorting it in proportion to the prejudices of their time.
Then came an opportunity for people eager to discuss, to recount in a better way than did the apostles, even to say what they had not said, and some even took the liberty of teaching their own doctrine. How quickly the imitation of Christ could be replaced by theories and discourses on religion!
So it was that the successors of the apostles had to defend the doctrine they had received from them. At the same time they had to take care in the choice and in the formation of the ministers of the Church for these would have to keep the genuine message. Such are the concerns that we find in these letters to Timothy and Titus.
These letters of similar origin are entitled Paul’s letters. Both the form and content of these letters show that they are not from him. They must have been written in the pressure of circumstances we have just mentioned about 90-100 A.D. It was thought well to place this teaching of the Church under the authority of Paul and doubtless some more personal paragraphs written by him have been inserted: in several passages, we certainly find Paul’s counsels to Timothy and Titus or to other of his assistants.
These three letters of Timothy and Titus are called “pastoral letters” because they address Church shepherds. They truly deserve this name for still another reason that is not always perceived. They are addressed to Paul’s delegates who, although they did not enjoy the title of apostles, were like the itinerant ministers and had authority over the local churches. They are reminded of their missionary ideal for they had devoted their life to Christ and to preaching the Word. Yet at the same time they are ordered to watch over the Church local ministers. Whether they are bishops, elders or deacons, they were elected by the community and spent part of their time in leading and in teaching their brothers and sisters; they also celebrated the sacred sacraments of the Church, baptism, Eucharist and the anointing of the sick.
So we find here two kinds of ministries which complement one another to fulfill the pastoral duties. The first, of which Timothy and Titus are examples extends the mission of the apostles, follows the patterns of their consecrated life and enjoys apostolic authority. The second, trained themselves within the community which elected them. Today we would speak of lay ministers, for they go on belonging to their family and community, although they have been ordained by a laying on of hands and have been accepted or acknowledged by the apostolic authority. We shall strive to understand this complementarity because the subsequent evolution of Latin Church unified these very different ministries in the span of some centuries framing them into one hierarchical clergy. See on this point Num 4:1 and Heb 9:1. New Testament witnesses the different organizations of the early Church in the many cultural areas of Roman Empire. For a part it wanted to be and to remain the Church founded on the apostles, on the other hand, it took example of the Jewish communities with their elders. Afterwards the ministries would evolve or become fixed according to the needs and the social context.
Down below are the introductions in the Mandarin Chinese, Tagalog, Cebuano, and Spanish editions.
Ang mga pagbabagong kultural na nagaganap sa lahat ng anyo ng buhay ay may kina-laman din sa simbahan. Hindi nagmula kay Kristo ang lahat ng mga kapaniwalaan at ka-ugaliang itinuturo sa atin, kaya maaaring baguhin ang maraming bagay. Gayunman, may panganib na itakwil natin kasama ng mga ito ang tunay na pananampalataya. Ano ang nakatakdang pananampalatayang dapat nating sundin?
Lumitaw na ang problemang ito sa naunang simbahan, nang mga taong 64-67, nang mamatay sina Pedro at Pablo sa Roma bilang mga martir para kay Kristo. Sapagkat wala na sa piling ng simbahan ang mga nagpapatotoo kay Kristo, ipinalagay ng ilan na higit nilang malayang ipangaral ang kanilang sariling doktrina. Wala nang mas madali pa kaysa palitan ang pagsunod kay Kristo ng mga talakayan at talumpatiang relihiyoso!
Sa gayon, kinailangang ipagtanggol ng mga humalili sa mga apostol ang doktrinang tinanggap nila mula sa mga ito, kasabay sa pagpili at pagbuo sa mga ministrong karapat-dapat. Ang mga bagay na ito ang tampok sa kabalisahang mapapansin sa mga kasalukuyang sulat kina Timoteo at Tito.
Ilang talata sa mga sulat na ito ang naglalaman ng mga payo ni Pablo sa kanyang mga katulong, sina Timoteo at Tito. Gayunman, matitiyak din na naragdagan iyon ng iba pang talata nang sumunod na mga panahon, maaaring noong 90 o 100 pagkasilang kay Kristo, at nasaklaw ng kapangyarihan ni Pablo ang pagtuturong ito ng unang Iglesya.
Ang tatlong sulat na ito kina Timoteo at Tito ay tinatawag na “pastoral” sapagkat patungkol sa mga “pastol ng kaluluwa”. Tungkol kay Timoteo, sangguniin ang Gawa 16:1 – kung paano siya nakatagpo ni Pablo. Sangguniin din ang 1 Corinto 16:10 at Filipos 2:19.
Translation: Cebuano
Mga Sulat nga Pastoral alang ni Timoteo ug Tito
Ang kausaban sa kultura sa katilingban makaapektar kaayo sa Simbahan. Daghang tulumanon ug tinoohan nga gitudlo wala maggikan ni Cristo busa, mahimong usbon. Hinuon, peligro ang paghimo ini, ang lunsayng pagtoo masagolan sa mga mining pagtulon-an. Unsay sumbanan sa pagtoo nga angay tang sundon?
Kining problemaha migula na sa unang simbahan dihang, sa mga tuig 64 ngadto sa 67, si Pedro ug Pablo gipatay sa Roma isip mga martir ni Cristo. Kay wala na may buhing saksi ni Cristo uban nila, may nagpatuyang sa pagtudlo sa kaugalingong doktrina. Ang pagsunod ni Cristo sayon rang gipulihan sa mga lantogi ug pakigpulong bahin sa tinoohan!
Mao nga ang mga sumusunod sa apostoles nanalipod sa mga pagtulon-an nga nadawat ug sa samang higayon, nanudlo ug nag-umol og mga alagad sumala sa gasa nga ilang nahuptan. Mao ni ang napakita sa mga sulat alang ni Timoteo ug Tito.
May pipila ka bahin ining mga sulata nga nagtambag sa mga kaabag ni Pablo, si Timoteo ug Tito. Apan may mga bahin sab nga gidugang sa ulahi nang panahon sa mga tuig 90 o 100 human ni Cristo, kanus-a ang pagtulon-an sa simbahan gibutang gihapon ubos sa ngalan ug awtoridad ni Pablo.
Kining tulo ka sulat alang ni Timoteo ug Tito gitawag og “Pastoral”, kay gipahinungod man sa mga magbalantay sa pagtoo. Bahin ni Timoteo, basaha ang Mga Buhat 16:1 naunsa siya paghimamat ni Pablo. Basaha sab ang 1 Cor 16:10 ug Fil 2:19.
Translation: Spanish
La elección de los ministros de las comunidades, así como sus deberes, ocupan un lugar importante en los capítulos 3 a 5.
La organización de la Iglesia se apoyaba entonces en dos tipos de ministerios. El primero, del cual Timoteo y Tito son los ejemplos, prolongaba la misión de los apóstoles y gozaba de la autoridad apostólica. Los otros estaban ligados a la comunidad que los había presentado para ejercer su cargo (véase He 6,1-6 y 1Tim 5,22). Ya sea que se llamaran epíscopos (supervisores), presbíteros (ancianos) o diáconos (encargados del servicio), esos ministros, que presidían las asambleas y la Eucaristía, seguían perteneciendo a su familia y a su comunidad.
Tenemos que hacer un esfuerzo para comprender esa complementariedad, habida cuenta de la evolución de la Iglesia latina que unificó en pocos siglos esos ministerios tan diferentes en el marco de un clero jerarquizado. Vemos aquí la primera forma de la organización de la Iglesia, la que tuvo derecho al sello de la inspiración divina. Véanse las notas de Heb 9,1.
La elección de los responsables de las Iglesias no es el único objetivo de esta carta. A lo largo de esas páginas se leerán orientaciones para la vida de las comunidades cristianas que deben aprender a perseverar; se insiste también en la fidelidad a la tradición de los apóstoles.
En el capítulo 2 se leen instrucciones para la asamblea cristiana, de las cuales algunas están muy ligadas a la sociedad de aquel tiempo. Habría por tanto que repensarlas si se quiere que sean Palabra de Dios para el día de hoy.
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