Timothy 1:12Charge to Timothy
Let no man despise your youth; but be an example to those who believe, in word, in your way of life, in love, in spirit, in faith, and in purity.
Permalink Verse page
Interpretation

Scripture invites a young example that is worked out in study and play in Timothy 1:12—look for "let" and "no". Choose young example in how we make amends—let wisdom become a road.

Context

Timothy speaks here as biblical literature writing, developing young example. Read in Timothy 1, its force becomes clearer. Listen for “let” alongside “no”.

Authorship & Historical Background

Early sources associate 1 Timothy with Paul. Academic consensus for 1 Timothy tends toward: Pastoral; widely viewed as pseudonymous.. Scholars commonly date 1 Timothy AD 80–100. Genre and setting: epistle/letter, in the Charge to Timothy. This verse leans into apostolic community.

More details
Traditional:Paul
Modern scholarship:Pastoral; widely viewed as pseudonymous.
Date:AD 80–100
Manuscripts & Textual Witnesses
The Greek text is preserved in over 5,800 manuscripts, more than any other surviving ancient work. Early papyri from the 2nd-3rd centuries like P46, P66, P75 provide text within 100–150 years of composition. Major uncial codices (Sinaiticus, Vaticanus, 4th century) contain complete or near-complete texts. The Byzantine text family represents the majority of later manuscripts. Textual variants exist but are mostly minor: word order, articles, spelling. No central Christian doctrine depends on any disputed text. Modern critical editions compare all manuscript families to determine the best reflects the earliest recoverable text reading.
Sources & witness notes
SinaiticusVaticanusP46