1 Timothy

The Apostle sent Timothy to the Ephesians for the sake of (because of) some Jews who were confusing them with their teaching about observing the (ritual) statutes of the law. The apostle wrote about them to the Ephesians: “Therefore, do not be like children, tossed to and fro and carried away by every wind and the lying teachings of men” (Eph. 4:14). And (since) Saint Paul made him head of the church in the city (Ephesus), where there was no persecution, he was in no hurry to go there in order to strengthen the souls and minds of those who were enduring persecution. But, being himself zealous and always ready for the work of his ministry, the apostle, although he entrusted the government of the churches to Timothy, as well as the ordination of elders, who are themselves bishops, he deigned to write to Timothy about what work he should do in the church. I also wrote this letter because among the Ephesian Christians the decree of the apostles concerning the pagans was still in effect, forbidding them only from meat sacrificed to idols, fornication and the consumption of blood in food, for they (the apostles) did not want to place a heavy burden on them in order to first turn them from idolatry to piety (Acts 15:19-20, 28-29). That is why the apostle wrote to him, as to the head of many churches, about how one should live in the house of God, which is the Church of God itself, saying this: You might be interested in: