THE PASTORAL LETTERS

TRUTH, HOLINESS, AND THE GOVERNANCE OF THE CHURCH

I. The Pastoral Letters, i.e., First and Second Timothy and Titus, describe early advice to bishops about how to govern the church and in general describe enduring issues the church faces throughout the centuries.

D. St. Titus was also an associate of St. Paul, who sent him on several missions.

II. The First Letter to Timothy deals with a variety of pastoral matters, especially with regard to church offices and keeping the faith sound, both with regard to excluding foreign teachings and insisting on sound morals.

D. Chapter 2 focuses on offering prayers for rulers and avoiding vanity at gatherings.

3. Verses 3-16 of chapter 5 refer a special office of enrolled widows.

III. The Second Letter to Timothy was written close to St. Paul's death and is a more poignant encouragement for St. Timothy to continue guiding his church along the ways of the faith.

IV. The letter to Titus instructs Titus on how to deal with several issues and types of people.