222 linda l. belleville
Christological Analysis of the Pastorals
analysis of the Pastorals has suffered from a lack of Christological consid-
eration. the introductory section of commentaries is telling. Commentar-
ies, with rare exception, devote almost the entirety of the introduction to
issues of authorship and setting.4 occasionally, Christology finds its way
into an appendix or excurses, but even then it is a Christology in conti-
nuity with early church tradition rather than one that arises from and
engages a concrete situation.5 it is also the rare commentary that treats
the Christology of the Pastorals en situ. While most note that Christology
in some form is central to these letters, there is little detailed attention
given to it.6
Why the Christology of the Pastorals is overlooked is readily discerned.
since f. C. Baur (Die sogenannten Pastoralbriefe, 1835) and martin dibel-
ius (Die Pastoralbriefe, 1931), the focus has been on viewing the author as
a third generation Christian who saw his job as preserving and applying
already existing Pauline theology to a time of leadership upheaval and
4 see, for example, C. K. Barrett, The Pastoral Epistles (new Clarendon Bible; oxford:
Clarendon, 1963), 9; raymond Collins, 1 & 2 Timothy and Titus: A Commentary (ntl; lou-
isville: Westminster John Knox, 2002), 1–14; donald guthrie, The Pastoral Epistles: An Intro-
duction and Commentary (2nd ed.; tntC; grand rapids: eerdmans, 1990); luke timothy
Johnson, The First and Second Letters to Timothy (aB 35a; new york: doubleday, 2001),
147–54; Joachim Jeremias, Die Briefe an Timotheus und Titus (ntd 9; göttingen Vanden-
hoeck & ruprecht, 1954); J. n. d. Kelly, A Commentary on the Pastoral Epistles: I Timothy,
II Timothy, Titus (hntC; new york: harper & row, 1963; repr., Peabody, ma: hendrickson,
1987); thomas lea and hayne griffin, 1, 2 Timothy, Titus. (naC; nashville: Broadman &
holman, 1992); Walter liefeld, 1 and 2 Timothy/Titus (niVaC; grand rapids: Zondervan,
1999); Jerome Quinn and William Wacker, The First and Second Letters to Timothy (eCC;
grand rapids: eerdmans, 2000).
William mounce commits eighty-four of the ninety page introduction to the topic, while
the remaining six pages cover the themes of faith and salvation (Pastoral Epistles [WBC
46; nashville: nelson, 2000], 46–130). george Knight (The Pastoral Epistles: A Commentary
on the Greek Text [nigtC; grand rapids: eerdmans, 1992], 13–52) and Ben Witherington
(A Socio-Rhetorical Commentary on Titus, 1–2 Timothy and 1–3 John [downers grove, il:
interVarsity, 2006], 49–74) devote the entire introduction to this issue. almost half of
i. howard marshall’s 108 page ICC introduction deals with authorship issues (The Pastoral
Epistles [iCC; edinburgh: t&t Clark, 1999], 57–92).
5 i. howard marshall is the rare exception. although he does not treat Christology
among the introductory matters, he does do so in a lengthy excursus (Pastoral Epistles,
287–326). Walter lock’s iCC introduction has it in brief (A Critical and Exegetical Com-
mentary on the Pastoral Epistles [iCC; new york: scribner’s, 1924], xxi–xxii).
6 Philip h. towner includes Christology in his niCnt volume but focuses on its continu-
ity with Pauline theology rather than its contribution contextually (1–2 Timothy and Titus
[niCnt; grand rapids: eerdmans, 2006], 53–70); compare “Pauline theology or Pauline
tradition in the Pastoral epistles: the Question of method,” TynBul 46 (1995): 287–314.