In the first installment of this essay, I offered the following chiastic outline of 1 Timothy:
A. 1:1-2. Paul greets Timothy as a true child of the Faith, and blesses with grace, mercy, and peace.
B. 1:3-7. Timothy is urged to command against heresy.
C. 1:8-11. The reason the Law is established. List of sins.
D. 1:12-17. Jesus came to save sinners. Doxology.
E. 1:18-20. Wage the good war.
F. 2:1-8. Pray, lifting up holy hands without anger or quarreling.
G. 2:9-15. Instructions to women.
H. 3:1-7. Concerning bishops.
I. 3:8-13. Concerning deacons and deaconesses.
J. 3:14-16. Instructions to Timothy as a pastor in the Household of God.
K. 4:1-5. Heresies will arise.
K’. 4:6-10. Teach against heresies.
J’. 4:11-5:2. How Timothy should conduct himself as a pastor.
I’. 5:3-16. Concerning widows.
H’. 5:17-25. Concerning elders.
G’. 6:1-2a. Instructions to bondservants.
F’. 6:2b-11. Against heresy caused by envy and greed. Quarrelling.
E’. 6:12. Fight the good fight.
D’. 6:13-16. Keep the commandment. Doxology.
C’. 6:17-19. Store up treasure with God, so to take hold of true life.
B’. 6:20-21a. Timothy commanded to guard against heresy.
A’. 6:21b. Grace.
I continue my analysis of this structure with the D and D’ sections, 1:12-17 and 6:13-16. These have the obvious connection of both containing a doxology. And not only are they connected by the simple fact of having doxological proclamation, but the doxologies themselves correspond to one another. Let’s look at their statements side-by-side:
| 1:17 | 6:15b-16 |
| To the King of ages | the King of kings and Lord of lords |
| immortal | who alone has immortality |
| invisible | who dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see |
| the only God | he who is blessed and only Sovereign |
| be honor and glory | To him be honor |
| forever and ever | and eternal dominion |
| Amen | Amen |
The last doxology, as is usually the case with eschatological things, is more glorious than the first. Jesus, “the King of the ages,” “the Ancient of days,”[1] becomes “the King of kings and Lord of lords” for “the kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ”.[2] He is “immortal,” but not only that, He “alone has immortality” – Jesus is “the resurrection and the life,”[3] and none live save in Him.[4] He is “invisible,” not because He dwells in darkness, hidden, nor because He is “without form and void,”[5] being as a shadowy mist, but because He “dwells in unapproachable light.” He is “the only God”- yea, more, the “blessed and only Sovereign.” “To Him be honor and glory forever and ever”, for His “eternal dominion” is secure. Amen.
An important thing to notice about these doxologies is that they match up in order, line-for-line, except for the fact that the proclamation in the first doxology that Jesus is “the only God” is at the center of that doxology, but in the eschatological doxology, the corresponding proclamation is moved from the center to the first, and the new center is “who dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see.” Here’s the structure of the doxologies:
| Protological Doxology (1:17) | Eschatological Doxology (6:15b-16) |
| To the King of ages, | he who is the blessed and only Sovereign, |
| immortal, | the King of kings and Lord of lords, |
| invisible, | who alone has immortality, |
| the only God, | who dwells in unapproachable light,whom no one has ever seen or can see. |
| be honor and glory | To him be honor |
| forever and ever. | and eternal dominion. |
Why this movement? Well, first notice there are seven sections in the doxologies. The first doxology can be seen as tuned up in fourths, like an instrument. Such transpositioning is not a foreign concept in ancient writing (see C.E. Douglass on Revelation).[6] James B. Jordan speaks of two doxologies in Revelation being tuned by fifths. If this tuning for these two doxologies in 1 Timothy is really going on, what does it mean?
First, this implies a response to the Epistle by the congregation. We’ve already talked about how the Epistle ends with a switch to the plural “you,” and here we see a similar implication: Timothy as the pastor, gives the first doxology, which is tuned up and glorified by the congregation. This fits with the fact that the Bide of Christ, represented by the congregation, is the glory of the Husband (Jesus), represented by the pastor.[7] So we might say that as Timothy remains steadfast in the Faith, the congregation will do the same. As Timothy guards Christ’s commands, so will the congregation. A pastor has the great responsibility of calling those sheep he’s been given charge over to worship.
It’s interesting to note what happens to the other sections as they are tuned up. As we’ve already seen “the only God” tunes up to “he who is the blessed and only Sovereign.” “To the King of ages” tunes up to “to him be honor,” and “be honor and glory” tunes up to “the King of kings and Lord of lords”: to the King be honor; honor to the King. “Immortal” tunes up to “eternal dominion,” and “forever and ever” to “who alone has immortality.” And “invisible” to “Amen,” and “Amen” to “who dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see.” The connection between “only God” and “only Sovereign” is obvious, and so is “immortal” to “eternal dominion” and “forever and ever” to “immortality.” And giving honor and glory to the King of ages, King of kings, Lord of lords is of course what you do to such a king.
But what can we say about the connection of the two corresponding sections on invisibility with the amens? I think we can say this: Jesus, the Light of light, the Sun of righteousness rising with healing in His wings, has dawned; and the darkness is pulled back. This Light, no one has ever seen it, nor can they now see it; but notice Paul doesn’t write that they will never see it – because one day with unveiled faces we will behold the Glory of God, and as we see Him, we ourselves will be glorified; though now we are glorified in Him, then we will be glorified like He is.[8] So, the Light has come, the Day of the Lord has dawned, and, unlike the reprobate and Judaizers of Paul’s day, we greet the Light will a gut-felt “Yes! And amen!” This fits with what’s going on at the end of the Apostolic Age. First John also speaks of this, and it is reminiscent of the beginning of John’s Gospel.
It is also worth noting that the eschatological doxology could fit into the protological doxology,[9] which points to the fact that the eschatological doesn’t replace the protological. Rather, the eschatological is a glorification and transformation of the protological. The eschatological Kingdom grows out of the protological Kingdom: It is a blooming of the protological.[10] Jesus did not come to do away with the old creation and start over from scratch. He came to transform and glorify the old creation into the new. The pentecostal fire of the Spirit destroys only the dross, but it refines and glorifies the gold.
| A. To the King of ages, B. immortal,
C. invisible, D. the only God, C’. be honor and glory B’. forever and ever. A’. Amen. | A. he who is the blessed and only Sovereign, B. the King of kings and Lord of lords,
C. who along has immortality, D. who dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen nor can see. C’. To him be honor B. and eternal dominion. A’. Amen. |
The eschatological doxology is contained in the center of the first, just as the New Covenant is a continuation, though glorifying transformation, of the Old. The eschatological Gospel – which announces that the Light has come[11] – is as a seed planted within the protological Gospel – the Lord is your God; the Lord is one.[12] This is a common theme in the Bible. The night is good, so long as it gives way to the day when the Day comes. As the Apostolic age draws to a close, the Jews and Judaizers are clinging to the darkness rather than embracing the Light.[13] Timothy is very much written within the context of the coming end of the Apostolic Age (70 AD, the destruction of Jerusalem).
These doxologies come at the end of D and D’ (1:12-17; 6:13-16). Let’s look at the first parts of these sections. In D, Paul thanks Jesus for his own salvation and claims Jesus came to save sinners; in D’, Paul again refers to that ministry with mention of Jesus’s “testimony before Pontius Pilate” in which He “made the good confession.” Likewise, following Jesus’s example, and Paul’s, of testifying to the “good confession” – that is, proclaiming the Gospel that Jesus is King – saves sinners. Paul says in D, “the grace of our Lord overflowed for me,” and speaks of the mercy he was shown and faith given, and says moreover that his own salvation was a pattern of those to follow by his ministry “who were to believe in [Jesus] for eternal life”; then in D’, Paul says that God “gives life to all things”: the grace of God, and particularly the gift of life, are in focus. God alone gives life. In D, Paul says he was a sinner before Jesus showed him mercy; D’ contains the charge to “keep the commandment unstained and free from reproach.” Thus we can say, initial faith, which is a gift from God, must persevere if that initial mercy is going to be shown again with glory in the final judgment.[14]
Also, in D Paul speaks of Jesus’s “perfect patience”; and in D’ Paul speaks of Jesus’s appearing, “which he will display at the proper time.” The idea in D’ seems to be King Jesus’ coming in judgment. D speaks of perfect patience, which is finished and run out in D’ when, “at the proper time”- that is, when the patience is perfected – the Lord of glory comes in judgment. And so it is: the Spirit of God will not always strive with man; indeed, judgment is coming.[15]
E is 1:18-20, and E’ is 6:12. E contains a charge to “Timothy, my child”; the charge of E’ is addressed to “O man of God”: Timothy, if he “wages the good warfare, holding faith and a good conscience” as a young man, he will “fight the good fight of faith” as a mature man, and he shall be given the prize of eternal life with God. Timothy is to “[hold] faith and a good conscience” in E, and in E’ he is told to “pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness”, fighting “the good fight of faith.” Thus, faith and those things which produce a good conscience are connected.
The most obvious connection between these two sections, though, is the “wage the good warfare” and “fight the good fight,” Though they are reminiscent of one another, they are in fact different. This is not one of those cases where English translators have used variable vocabulary in spite of consistency. The first phrase, “war the good warfare,” is the idea of a war campaign; the second, “fight the good fight,” is the idea of playing in a contest or game for a reward. It’s interesting that the task seems to become a less serious matter.
Perhaps I can explain this shift. In E, Timothy “wages the good warfare”, warring to “guard the deposit entrusted” to him, which is the church at Ephesus. He has to wrestle against Satan and the heretics that have infiltrated the camp. On the other hand, “fight the good fight” in E’ is said in the context of witness-bearing: “Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.” The “fight” spoken of is a sport or contest for which spectators assemble. That, in the context of witness-bearing, which continues on into verse thirteen when Jesus’s witness before Pilate is mentioned, suggests the good game Timothy is supposed to play is martyrdom in the arena.
Whether Timothy was martyred or not, the point is that he is to bear witness—that is, martyrdom—in the face of persecution, even persecution from the heretics Paul urges Timothy against. So, the Christian life is one of waging the good war campaign, but the war is won by the faithful witness of the Faith which is above reproach. The fight is won by those who cleave to the true Faith and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, and gentleness.
Joseph Norris is pastoral intern at Trinity Presbyterian Church, Birmingham, Alabama.
NOTES
[1] Daniel 7:9.
[2] Revelation 11:15; Matthew 28:18-20.
[3] John 11:25-26.
[4] Acts 17:28; John 1:3-4.
[5] Genesis 1:2.
[6] Thanks to Dr. Peter Leithart for bringing the word “transposition” and C.E. Douglass to my attention. See his posts here and here.
[7] Ephesians 1:23.
[8] 1 John 3:2.
[9] Thanks to Dave Shaw for pointing this out.
[10] Til this point, this paragraph is basically Dr. Peter Leithart’s words.
[11] John 1.
[12] Deuteronomy 6:4.
[13] John 3; 1 John.
[14] James 2:17; Philippians 2:12.
[15] Genesis 6:3.