1 Timothy 1:1, 2 To Timothy

1 Timothy 1:1, 2 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the command of God our Saviour and of Christ Jesus our hope, To Timothy my true son in the faith: Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.

The opening verses of Paul's first letter to Timothy are typical of his letters. They tell us who the letter is from, who it is to and then add a greeting. Paul identifies himself as an apostle of Christ Jesus by the command of God our Saviour and of Christ Jesus our hope. Here the Father is the Saviour, the Son our future hope. He calls Timothy his true son in the faith as although Timothy was brought up with the things of God, it was no doubt only when he first met Paul on Paul's first missionary journey that he came to real New Testament faith. He then worked alongside Paul as would a son under a father doing an apprenticeship in a certain craft. The greeting Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord is of the fullest sort, including not only Greek grace and Hebrew peace but mercy as well. Just as Paul is an apostle by both the command of God our Saviour and of Christ Jesus our hope so the blessing is from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord. There are no apostles today but a man may have a son in the faith and we all need Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord. Older pastors should be open to befriending and helping younger men where that is possible and younger men should respond well to such approaches. Grace, mercy and peace will be the need of all of us to the very end.