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Commentary on 1-2 Timothy and 'Titus. By Andreas J. Köstenberger. Biblical Theology for Christian Proclamation. Nashville: Holman Reference, 2017, xxviii + 605 pp., 139.99.
First Timothy, Second Timothy, and Titus are frequently, and collectively, referenced as the Pastoral Epistles, because in them Paul gives instructions concerning how Timothy and Titus are to provide spiritual care to their respective churches. So goes the normal preview for the so-called Pastoral Epistles. Yet they were not always referenced as such. In fact, the "Pastoral Epistles" title is usually attributed to D. N. Berdot and P. Anton Halle, both from the 1700s.
This fact is not lost to Andreas J. Köstenberger, who purposefully references the triad as Paul's Letters to Timothy and Titus at the onset to his Commentary on1- 2 Timothy and 'Titus. His reason for this is subtle and strategic: to view the books as simply and exclusively pastoral "sets off these epistles from the other ten Pauline letters rather than viewing them as part of the Pauline body of writings at large" (pp. 6-7). In many ways, this philosophy leads to his thesis that the Letters to Timothy and Titus "primarily aim to equip individuals who were dispatched by the apostle to establish and maintain proper church governance in conjunction with the false teachingin Ephesus and Crete" (p. 1).
The strengths of this commentary are many, including its organization. At a broad scale, Köstenberger presents his material in three divisions: (1) introductory matters (pp. 1-54); (2) exposition of 1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, and Titus (pp. 55-356); and (3) themes (pp. 357-544). The final pages of the commentary provide a helpful bibliography and accessible indexes.
Köstenberger opens his introduction by acknowledging that the Letters to Timothy and Titus have recently fallen on hard times due to concerns regarding Pauline authorship. The dominant charge of pseudepigraphy occurs because of the non-Pauline vocabulary occurring in these letters. However, other accusations regarding style, syntax, and advanced ecclesiastical progression have been presented. To these, Köstenberger argues "there is good reason to believe these letters culminate Paul's apostolic ministry, seeking to perpetuate his legacy and to ensure the continuity of faithful gospel ministry to subsequent generations" (p. 1).
In many ways, he establishes his argument for Pauline authorship...