The Salutation

An apostle is one sent out as an official representative of Christ. Paul (see below) commonly used this term as a self-designation in the openings of his letters. See "The Apostles: Can There Be Apostles Today?" below. Lea says:

The term "apostle" is used in the New Testament in at least two senses. It can refer to a messenger (apostles) or a representative of a church (Phil 2:25), or it can describe God's chosen ambassador who is commanded to testify concerning the resurrection and to herald abroad the gospel (1 Cor 9:1-2). In the Pastorals, Paul used it in the latter sense.

"God our Savior" is a scriptural title for God (1 Tim. 2:3; 4:10; Tit. 1:3; 2:10; 3:4). But denoting that God is our savior does not negate that Jesus is too! (Acts 4:12; 2 Tim. 1:2; Tit. 1:4; 2:13; Heb. 9:28; 2 Pet. 1:1; Jude 1:21). Just because we say something about one person and not about another in the same sentence does not mean the comment is not true about both parties. Sentences are often written to define emphasis and not necessarily differences.

Christ Jesus is the basis for Christian hope (cf. Rom. 5:1-5) because he is the mediator of the covenant of grace (1 Tim. 2:5; cf. see below); he is the believers only salvation and only means of salvation in the world (Acts 4:12). Salvation (soteria) encompasses the total work of God by which he rescues the elect from the ruin, doom, and power of sin and bestows upon him the wealth of his grace encompassing eternal life, provision for abundant life now, and eternal glory (Eph. 1:3-10; 2:4-10; 1 Pet. 1:3-5; John 3:16, 36; 10:10). See chart at "Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance - 1 Timothy 1:15" below. Liefeld comments:

It is striking to realize that although the word "salvation" appears forty-six times in the New Testament and the word "save" 107 times, "Savior" occurs only twenty-four times. In Paul's letters it occurs only twice outside of the Pastorals (Eph. 5:23; Phil. 3:20), but ten times within them (1 Tim. 1:1; 2:3; 4:10; 2 Tim. 1:10; Titus 1:3, 4; 2:10, 13; 3:4, 6). Almost half of the appearances of this word in the New Testament, therefore, are in the Pastoral Letters. Such words give Paul's opening words to Timothy (and also those to Titus) a weight of authority and majesty.

apostle of Christ Jesus. Paul was not on his own mission promoting his own teachings (cf. 2 Cor 4:5). He opened his letters to the churches at Rome, Corinth, Ephesus, Colossae, in the region of Galatia and to Timothy and Titus with the designation, apostle. He was sent as a representative of Israel's Messiah, Jesus, to tell the 'good news' about the victory his life, death and resurrection effected for the kingdom and glory of Israel's God. In the Psalms (65:5; 68:19; 79:9; 85:4; cf. 1 Chr 16:35), Israel prayed to God, our Savior for deliverance from her own sins and from the oppression of her enemies. Paul's commission was to tell the story about how the Savior of Israel became the Savior of all people (1 Tim 2:3; 4:10; Titus 1:3, 2:10; 3:4).

Paul viewed Timothy as his "true son" or genuine (gnesios) son (cf. Tit 1:4) - his spiritual son (1 Tim. 1:18; 1 Cor. 4:17; Phil. 2:22; 2 Tim. 1:2; 2:1). Hughes gives this background:

Timothy came from a mixed (Jew/Gentile) marriage. His godly mother Eunice was Jewish and his pagan father a Greek. They lived in the pagan town of Lystra (cf. Acts 16:1; 2 Timothy 1:5). Most think that Timothy was converted while a boy during Paul's first missionary journey, when the apostle was almost stoned to death in Lystra (Acts 14:8-23; cf. 2 Timothy 2:11).

Paul invokes the trio of "grace, mercy and peace." Hendriksen expresses the following thoughts:

Grace is God's unmerited favor in operation in the heart of his child.

Peace is that child's consciousness of having been reconciled with God through Christ.

Mercy is warm affection which includes but must not be restricted to tender compassion. Paul uses "mercy" ten times: five times outside the Pastorals (Rom. 9:23; 11:31; 15:9; Gal. 6:16; Eph. 2:4), and five times in the Pastorals (1 Tim. 1:2; 2 Tim. 1:2, 16, 18; Titus 3:5). The usual way of distinguishing between grace and mercy is to say that grace pardons while mercy commiserates; grace is God's love toward the guilty, mercy is love toward the wretched or pitiable; grace concerns the state, mercy the condition.

Timothy, a true son in the faith. Most of Paul's letters are addressed to churches, but four are personal, two of which are written to Timothy. As noted in the Introduction to First Timothy, Paul described Timothy as "my genuine child," which may be a contrasting allusion to Timothy's divided parentage. His mother was ethnically Jewish, but his biological father was a Gentile. Though he was born illegitimately, according to Jewish faith, Paul described Timothy as 'a son with his father in the work of the gospel' (Phil 2:22; cf. 1 Tim 1:18; 2 Tim 1:2; 2:1). For Paul, this description meant that Timothy was a living reminder to the Ephesians of Paul's teaching and way of life in the gospel (cf. 1 Cor 4:17).