Tim Maas Retired Quality Assurance Specialist with the U.S. Army

I would say that the distance factor mentioned in the question would have influenced the communication that Paul had with Timothy both with respect to the types of issues that were addressed in that communication, and the type of advice or counsel offered by Paul.

The distance, and the increased time factor that such distance would have imposed on delivery of their written correspondence, would have meant that Paul could not deal with very specific or short-term issues that would have required immediate personal action or resolution by Timothy in his role as a Christian evangelist at Ephesus, or address them from the standpoint of Paul's personal first-hand knowledge.

Instead, Paul concentrated on general guidance that would be applicable over a prolonged time period, and that would deal with subjects (such as correct Christian teaching or doctrine, as well as the responsibilities and qualifications of church leaders) that other Christian congregations would also be confronting, and that they therefore could also use.

Those same factors, in turn, are what have given both of Paul's letters to Timothy a timeless quality that has allowed them to have relevance even up to the present day.

May 25 2020 • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report