Paul for Everyone: The Pastoral Letters: 1 And 2 Timothy And Titus

New Testament For Everyone #16

by Tom Wright

This text combines Tom Wright's translation of the New Testament with his comments on each passage.

Genres: Christian, Theology, Biblical Studies, Nonfiction, New Testament, Christianity, Religion

182 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2003

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

He also publishes under N.T. Wright.

Reviews

[Becky B]

Like the rest of this commentary series, Wright starts off each entry by providing his own translation of the passage to be discussed, he shares a quick story that is related, and then will delve into discussing past and present applications (relating historical notes as necessary). Given the number of sometimes touchy subjects in 1 and 2 Timothy, this could be a mine field, but Wright sheds light on common misunderstandings (often by sharing relevant historical & cultural background) and helps diffuse a number of passages commonly viewed as tinder boxes within the church. Unlike any of the other For Everyone commentaries I've read so far, the topics covered in these books also lead Wright to share more insights on church leadership and best practices for those in ministry. Those in leadership positions within churches or other Christian ministries should find some good, readily applicable points in this commentary. But it would also be a good read for the lay person to better understand the struggles and how to better help their leaders.

[Starla Gooch]

I love this little commentary/devotional series from NT Wright. I believe this is the third I’ve read. They don’t go deeply into the text, but provide nice little nuggets of practical wisdom from each passage. I often read them as supplement to my other Bible readings, often reading 1-2 pericopes a day. It’s a really nice way to read thoughtfully through a book or section of the Bible without feeling too bogged down.

[Adam Bloch]

This commentary series isn't the most in depth or scholastic, but its strong value is in the illustrations for each and every pericope. Easy read and good commentary "for everyone." Because of its brevity, the author shies away from the controversial discussions (but acknowledges them), and that works for this series.

[Christopher]

I'm starting to sound like a broken record with this series, but Mr. Wright has written a truly great commentary series for believers at all levels from the newbies to the pastors. His stories and his arguments are thought-provoking and entertaining even if you don't agree with him. This particular book covers the three Pauline pastoral letters, 1 & 2 Timothy and Titus. Mr. Wright does a great job of pointing out the special relationship Paul had with Timothy and Titus and how he instructs them on how to pastor a church with principles that are still used today. Are particularly interesting commentary in here is how Mr. Wright deals with Paul's lessons on women in the church, particularly in leadership positions. It's definitely worth the read as is the rest of this series.

[Bill Forgeard]

Punchy, provocative, insightful, historically grounded and colourful, like most things NT Wright writes. Some of his favourite emphases are evident (the rule of King Jesus, the physicality of the future new heavens & new earth, attention to social issues). Justification is not a strong theme in the Pastoral epistles, so I didn't need to dust off the theological radar on that topic very often. Volumes in this series are very brief - there's no attempt to be comprehensive, and the tone is quite devotional. I found it profitable.

[Ashley]

I read this with my Sunday school class. I've always preferred Timothy to Paul, even though you can only get at him through Paul. This series is a good "life application" style of reading, nothing complicated, just some stories from the author's life to fully illustrate how to apply the scriptures to modern day. There is a focus on pastoral or church leader lives.

[James]

Interesting at best... Wright has some excellent insights but he has even more poor ones in this "commentary." I was happy to take the good with the bad but cannot recommend this to our flock without the disclaimer.

[Carolyn]

I love this series: the format, reasoning, tone, etc. Any of these little booklets are a great companion for personal Bible reading. I used this one particularly for a study of Titus and then for 1 Timothy 2.

[Mar]

Little sections, but lots of material packed into them. Have to re-read stuff.

[Tim Baumgartner]

I need to explore in more depth the issue of women elders in 1 Timothy. But overall, another fantastic commentary by NT Wright.

[Mark]

Great book for any level of maturity.

[Russ Skinner]

I had heard good things about this commentary series; nice to see the hype was justified. Will be checking out the others (soon).

[Mar]

I like his interpretation of Scripture and his comments on it.

[Shane]

Great read

Helped me see nuances in the Bible passages by his creative use of personal stories. The scriptures came alive. Excellent!

[Charity]

Fantastic, very readable and down-to-earth.

[Luke Williams]

Read this as I was reading through the pastoral epistles and it is NT Wright lite. As usual his very readable style means it is full of great little helpful analogies but didn’t go into any depth in some of the key passages I was hoping for. In fairness that’s not the point of this brief series!

[Jeffrey N. Hora]

Clear writing, compelling commentary.

[Oliver Pierce]

Was doing a small group on 2 Timothy and thought I'd supplement with my prep since I already had this on logos...some good chapters but overall meh.

[J Grimsey]

Interesting read.

[Vicki]

I really appreciate The New Testament for everyone series. Each of these books breaks down the scriptures with commentary that explain concepts and historical significance. Highly recommend this series!

[Jeremy]

Clear, relevant and practical insights on 1 and 2 Timothy and Titus.

[Sagely]

See my review of the volume on the Prison Letters.