Paul was “appointed a preacher and apostle and teacher” of the Gospel (1:11). This description of Paul’s ministry is similar to 1 Timothy 2:7. The “preacher” in the ESV is better a “herald,” or “proclaimer.” This is a person who is appointed to deliver a particular message, in Paul’s case, from God. The language is a little different in 1 Tim 1:18, 6:20 and 2 Tim 2:2. In these later books, Timothy is encouraged to guard or protect the deposit given to him. Like the old “town crier,” Timothy is to take this deposit of tradition and accurately proclaim it to his community.
Paul mentions things passed down to him in his other letters. Two traditional elements were handed down to him from the apostles: 1 Corinthians 11:2 (the Lord’s table) and 1 Corinthians 15:1 (witnesses to the resurrection). In 2 Thessalonians 2:15 Paul encourages the congregation to “stand firm” in the traditions which Paul delivered to them. Even in his earliest letter, Paul considers his gospel a tradition which cannot be modified (Galatians 1:14). It is likely that Paul alludes to the words of Jesus in 1 Thessalonians 5, words that are eventually collected in Matthew’s Olivet Discourse.
Paul is clear, however, that much of what he preached he received directly from Jesus through a special revelation. For some doctrines, this is a direct revelation that could not be deduced from the Hebrew Bible. For example, in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 Paul says that the Lord himself gave him the revelation of the rapture. That Jews and Gentiles are saved into a single body without requiring the Gentiles to keep the Law is a “mystery” which was not revealed in the Hebrew Bible. In Galatians 1:11-12 Paul claims that the Gospel he preaches is “not of human origin” but rather “received by revelation.”
For some of Paul’s teaching, he may have been led by the Holy Spirit to interpret biblical texts differently, or to combine texts from the Hebrew Bible in unique ways which supported the idea that Jesus is the Messiah or that salvation is apart from works. Romans 4 indicates that the story of Abraham could be interpreted in a way that supported Paul’s gospel – this is exegesis guided by the Spirit of God. Much of the argument of Galatians is based on applications from stories in Genesis. Paul was trained as a scholar and interpreted Scripture in his sermons and letters in a way consistent with other Jewish teachers of his day. This “interpretation of scripture” is part of the tradition Timothy is to guard and pass along.
In some cases the tradition is handed down from the apostles through Paul, to Timothy and then to the qualified elders in Ephesus. In other cases Paul is the source. But in either case Paul commands Timothy to guard this tradition carefully and to pass it to the next generation of believers.
For some American Christians, tradition is very important. I recently heard a sermon in the radio which cited the Canons of Dordt and the Westminster Confession. In the twenty minutes I listened, no Scripture. I realize the classic formulations of doctrine are rich in Scripture, but is this what Paul is talking about in 2 Timothy?
On the other hand, how does the principle of “handing down good teaching” work in a modern culture where “tradition” is routinely rejected? In other churches, if something is even vaguely traditional, it is ignored as useless for the modern church. Scholars and pastors often push ideas well-past traditional boundaries simply for the joy of being different. How might Paul react to this sort of thing?
The source of the tradition is the key. Churches today have too many traditions that have nothing to do with scripture. One is meeting in a special building on Sunday morning.
I like to think Paul would be aghast about a number of things, but tradition held a lot of value way back when. There are some traditions we hold in church, but I’ve even heard certain arguments that “divine revelation” isn’t an accurate method of receiving God’s word — so where would we get it from at the root?
A lot of important things to note in Paul’s letters is the culture — the WHO — that they’re addressed to, and also the when. Here, in the Pastoral Epistles, Paul is passing down ‘good teachings’ that we still adhere to because it’s written down in the Bible. He was very fierce about spreading his ministry, writing from prison, asking for aid, the whole nine yards. These people received his words and teachings, albeit some needed more than one letter. Point being, a lot of Christianity was built around traditions and passing down the teachings. We should take into perspective what was a norm for Paul back then. We don’t stone people anymore; time has evolved. We should never lose those teachings — and we never will, because of what we have. I think it’d be a real toss-up.
Paul in modern times would make a good sitcom, though. I should get on that.
Paul was given the title as a preacher, an apostle, and a teacher. Through all these titles, he is known for being an important person that God used to deliver a particular message from God. In the book of Timothy, Timothy is being encouraged to protect what had been given to him, such as the ability to proclaim for the Lord. The important point here is to guard what has been passed down to you. Paul had things that were passed down to him as well. These things that Paul mentions include traditions such as the Lord’s table—1 Corinthians 11:2—and witnesses to the resurrection—1 Corinthians 15:1. Paul teaches us to stand firm in our traditions. A tradition to be recognized that cannot be changed is the Gospel. Paul received a lot of what he was preaching from Jesus directly. Scripture is to be guarded and passed along—like it was from Paul to Timothy.
I believe that tradition is important if the tradition is correct. I think about the idea of Communion. I know taking communion ranges from taking it every Sunday at some churches to never taking it at other churches. Personally, my church is in the middle where we take it once a month. Communion is such an important tradition to keep alive considering the meaning behind it, but unfortunately in today’s world I feel like the meaning is lost, even for children who are being raised in the church. It is important to guard and pass along traditions such as communion so that they do not get lost and forgotten about.
Paul, in his pastoral epistles, consistently emphasizes the importance of sound doctrine and the transmission of faithful teaching from one generation to the next. He writes to Timothy, urging him to guard the deposit of faith and to entrust it to reliable individuals who will, in turn, teach others (2 Timothy 2:2). However, the current landscape in some modern churches challenges this principle. In a culture that often rejects tradition, the very idea of “handing down good teaching” encounters skepticism. Traditional practices might be viewed as archaic, irrelevant, or incompatible with the needs of the contemporary church. The tension between preserving foundational teachings and embracing innovation becomes palpable. Scholars and pastors, driven by a desire to engage with the modern world, may sometimes push boundaries, intentionally moving away from traditional practices. The pursuit of relevance and the joy of being different can lead to an environment where established norms are questioned, if not entirely discarded. I can imagine Paul encouraging a balance between tradition and innovation. While he might appreciate the creativity and dynamism of contemporary approaches, he would likely emphasize the need to ensure that the essence of the Gospel remains intact. The joy of being different should not come at the cost of diluting or distorting the fundamental truths that have been handed down through generations.