Digital Logos Edition
Since the second century, 1-2 Timothy and Titus, often referred to as the “Pastoral Epistles,” have been read and practiced together to help order a Christian congregation’s life and mission. These three letters were likely recognized early on as divinely inspired scripture and were added to the Pauline collection to help train the spiritual leaders of earliest Christianity. However, they are rarely taught in most congregations and seminaries today. Admittedly, the genre of these letters (paraenesis) is hard to preach. The primary reason for their neglect, however, is modern criticism’s silencing of them because most scholars think they were not written by Paul and are not aligned with either his gospel or mission. Moreover, they include instructions that are widely received today as out of sync with our modern social worlds. This Proclamation Commentary on these Pauline letters presumes both their apostolic authority as divinely inspired and human-inspiring scripture and their contemporary relevance in encouraging clergy and teachers to reimagine their roles as ministers of the gospel and spiritual leaders for today's global church.
Robert Wall’s canonical approach provides both a motivation for preaching the Pastoral Epistles and a framework for picking a way through the minefield of difficult texts. He argues that these letters speak to churches today and that it would be worthwhile for preachers to expound them more fully.
—Christopher R. Hutson, professor of Bible, mission, and ministry, Abilene Christian University
We have here in this well-written, concise little book, Preaching the Pastoral Epistles, three decades of learned scholarship and pastoral wisdom. What makes this book special is that Wall shows how rich and meaningful the Pastoral Epistles are for the church, even if they were not written by Paul himself. Their place in the canon is assured and their value for teaching and preaching is immense.
—Craig A. Evans, distinguished professor of Christian origins, Houston Christian University
In Preaching the Pastoral Epistles, Robert Wall addresses pastors entrusted with the task of preaching and teaching the biblical texts in ways that allow the content and authority of these ancient texts to speak into our lives today. Each chapter demonstrates how to move from key interpretive insights to sermonic proclamation, from personal epistles to congregational catechesis. Throughout this helpful guide, the author’s history of exegetical competence and experience of ministry shine through.
—Philip H. Towner, dean, Nida Institute for Biblical Scholarship