The Pastoral Epistles: Their Structure
Return to Index
These appear to be chiastic, but only 'crudely', section against section in subject matter. They are here given in their apparent order of writing: 2 Timothy Titus, 1 Timothy
| 2 Timothy | |||
| 1.1-2 | Greetings | 4.19-22 | Greetings |
| 1.3-18 | 3.13-4.8 | ||
|
3-7 |
Your faith's foundations and gift |
3.14-17 |
Your childhood - Scriptures [= foundation] |
|
8-11 |
Be not shamed |
4.1-5 |
I charge you; preach |
|
12-14 |
I am ready to be sacrificed; all faith and love in Christ Jesus; v. 12: 'that Day' |
6-8 |
v. 8: Crown for all who love his appearing - 'that Day' |
|
15-18 |
Deserters of 'Paul' and friends |
8-18 |
|
|
18 |
'on that Day' [as Day of Judgement] |
16b |
May it not be charged against them. |
| 2.1-13 | 3.1-13 | ||
| Be strong in grace | Understand ... | ||
| in teaching received | Power as well as form of religion | ||
| Share suffering as soldier of Christ Jesus | Avoid sinful anarchists who love not God. | ||
| Work hard according to the rules | [Vice list:] be not swayed | ||
| 2.14-18 | Avoid disputing about words | 2.23-26 | Have nothing to do with stupid, senseless controversies. |
|
18 |
Upset faith of some |
26 |
Captured by Devil |
| 2.19-20 | CENTRE | 2.21-22 | |
|
19a |
Lord knows his own |
22b |
Call on Lord with pure heart |
|
19b |
Depart from iniquity |
22a |
Aim at righteousness |
|
20 |
Great house |
21c |
useful to housemaster |
| various vessels |
21b |
to be viable vessel for good work | |
| noble and ignoble |
21a |
Purify self from ignoble | |
| Titus | |||
| 1.1-4 | Greeting | 3.15 | Greeting |
| .5 | Amend what is defective | .13 | See they lack nothing |
| .5-8 | Elders and bishops | .14-12 | Christian leaders visiting |
| .9-16 | Rebuke: Jewish myth, propagators | .11-8 | Rebuke: quarrels over law, etc. |
| .16 | Good deeds | .8 | Good deeds |
| 2.1 | Sound doctrine | .8a-4 | 'The Gospel' |
| .2 | 'Good' living | .3 | Former 'bad' living |
| .3-6 | Bid good behaviour - not slander | .2-1 | Speak evil of no one |
| .7 | Be model of good deeds | 2.14 | People who are zealous for good deeds |
| .8 | Opponent put to shame, having nothing evil to say of us [on Day of the Lord, probably] | .13 | awaiting ... hope: appearing of ... our great God and Saviour Jesus Christ |
| .9 | Slaves: be submissive, give satisfaction | .12b | Live sober, upright, godly lives in this world |
| .10a | Show entire and true fidelity | .12a | Training us to renounce irreligion and worldly passions. |
| .10b | So that in everything we may adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour. | .11 | For the grace of God has appeared for the salvation of all men. |
| 2 Timothy | |||
| 1.2b | Grace from God our Father and Christ Jesus our Lord | 6.21b | Grace be with you |
| .3-7 | Timothy's job versus 'agnostics' | .20-21a | |
| .8-11 | Love good ... in accord with the Gospel | .17-19 | Rich to do good |
| .12-17 | 13: I blasphemed; 15: to save sinners; 17: doxology | .1-16 | ... doxology |
| .18-20 | I charge you ... some mucked it up | .2d-10 | Teach and urge ... some wander |
| 2.1-7 | Pray for rulers | .1-2 | Honour masters |
| .8-15 | Be modest and seemly | 5.24-25 | Good works cannot remain hidden |
| 3.1-7 | Re ἐπίσκοπος (bishop) | .17-23 | Re πρεσβύτεροι (elders) |
| .8-13 | Re deacons | .3-16 | Re widows |
| .14-15 | Re behaviour in household of God | .1-2 | Treating older man, etc., as relatives |
| .15b-16 | Living God; confession of mystery of our religion [kerygma] | 4.10-16 | Our hope set on Living God; hold to that [kerygma] |
| 4.1-3 | Godless myths [dualistic] - believe and know the truth | .6-7 | Be good minister - having nothing to do with godless myths. |
| .4-5 | CENTRE | ||
| 4a | All things created by God - good | 5b | by word of God and prayer |
| 4b | receive with thanks | 5a | consecrated |
|
[You: thank God; He: consecrates] Notice especially the paralleling of bishop/elders and deacons/widows, which appears to indicate a degree of equivalence in each case. |
|||