History Literature / EpistlesToTimothy

* MandatoryFatherhood: Unlike in [[Literature/BookOfCorinthians 1 Corinthians chapter 7]] where Paul stated it's okay for men and women to marry and not marry, he plays this straight in 1 Timothy 3:5 where he says a man is not fit to run a church unless (among other traits) he first has experience running a family. The contradiction is possibly due to the fact that the epistle in question was written by someone else in the following century and attributed to Paul. Alternatively, it could be seen as an instruction that, while singlehood is fine for lay members of the congregation, marriage and fatherhood is mandatory for one who wants a position of authority. 1 Timothy 2:15 also says "women will be saved through childbearing".

* WidowWoman: Paul gives Timothy detailed instructions in his first letter on how the church ought to care for widows. Specifically, younger widows are encouraged to remarry so they will not be tempted to idleness, and that it's a family's responsibility to take care of their widowed relatives, but the church should fully support any pious widow who doesn't have a family to look after her.

* MandatoryFatherhood: Unlike in [[Literature/BookOfCorinthians 1 Corinthians chapter 7]] where Paul stated it's okay for men and women to marry and not marry, he plays this straight in 1 Timothy 3:5 where he says a man is not fit to run a church unless (among other traits) he first has experience running a family. The contradiction is possibly due to the fact that the epistle in question was written by someone else in the following century and attributed to Paul. Alternatively, it could be seen as an instruction that, while singlehood is fine for lay members of the congregation, marriage and fatherhood is mandatory for one who wants a position of authority.

* WidowWoman: Paul gives Timothy detailed instructions in his first letter on how the church ought to care for widows. Specifically, younger widows are encouraged to remarry so they will not be tempted to idleness, and that it's a family's responsibility to take care of their widowed relatives, but the church should fully support any pious widow who doesn't have a family to look after her.

--->''But we know that the law is good if someone uses it lawfully. And we know that the law is not given for a righteous person, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for the unholy and the profane, for those who [[SelfMadeOrphan kill their fathers and mothers]], for murderers, for the [[ReallyGetsAround sexually immoral]], for sodomites, for [[SlaveryIsTheSpecialKindOfEvil slave traders]], for [[ConsummateLiar liars]], for perjurers, and for anything else that is contrary to sound doctrine, according to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, which was committed to my trust.''

--->''But we know that the law is good if someone uses it lawfully. And we know that the law is not given for a righteous person, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for the unholy and the profane, for those who kill their fathers and mothers, for murderers, for the sexually immoral, for sodomites, for slave traders, for liars, for perjurers, and for anything else that is contrary to sound doctrine, according to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, which was committed to my trust.''

* {{Polyamory}}: Discouraged in Paul's writing about the qualifications of a bishop (also translated ''elder'' or ''overseer'') as well as for a deacon, saying that such men who seek those positions must be "the husband of one wife". The Scripture is also alternately interpreted to exclude divorced religious leaders from continuing in their ministry if the cause for divorce as anything other than adultery or neglect, or if the religious leader was the offending spouse in those two aspects.

* GoodIsNotSoft: "Those guilty of sin must be rebuked before all, as a warning to the rest." (1st Timothy 5:20, NET Bible)

* MandatoryFatherhood: Unlike in [[Literature/BooksOfCorinthians 1 Corinthians 7]] where Paul stated it's okay for men and women to marry and not marry, he plays this straight in 1 Timothy 3:5 where he says a man is not fit to run a church unless (among other traits) he first has experience running a family. The contradiction is possibly due to the fact that the epistle in question was written by someone else in the following century and attributed to Paul. Alternatively, it could be seen as an instruction that, while singlehood is fine for lay members of the congregation, marriage and fatherhood is mandatory for one who wants a position of authority.