The Letters to Timothy, Titus and Philemon

Paul's letters to Timothy, Titus, and Philemon are sometimes neglected, as his other letters more directly related to the development of New Testament doctrine. Actually, the two letters to Timothy, and the letters to Titus and Philemon address issues that are unique to the church today. The commonly called Pastoral Epistles, I & II Timothy and Titus, deal with the practical matters of church management and personal conduct: morals and decorum, the necessity for preserving the faith in all of its purity, the combating of heresy, the role of women in church leadership, clothing, church organization and the functions of officers in church government, and the proper handling of finances. Paul's letter to Philemon is the only private letter in the New Testament cannon. It tells the story of a runaway slave, Onesimus, who may have become a great bishop some fifty years later, as Dr. Barclay points out. The passages covered are broken up into sizes that are convenient for daily reading and devotions. Each reading includes a translation and commentary.