Scholars ask who wrote the Letters to Timothy - St Paul himself or a disciple who knew the Apostle's mind very well? This academic question, however, does not affect the way we may use these Letters for prayer and spiritual nourishment.

Two characteristics of St Paul's genuine Letters appear in today's short extract from 1 Timothy, namely the interflow between doctrine and prayer, and either reported prayer or direct prayer.

An important book on spirituality suggests that a genuine Christian spirituality must contain three elements, which the author designates by the names, "creed", "code" and "cult". A genuine Christian spirituality must be grounded in the genuine faith "creed" of the Church. Further, there can be no spirituality without a moral life, a life that follows a clear moral "code" or law, such as the moral teaching of the Church. Lastly, a genuine Christian spirituality must lead to worship and adoration, both on a personal level and on the community level of the liturgy, with its rites and symbols, its sacraments and celebrations i.e. "cult". Hence, in this passage from 1 Timothy, Paul teaches us about God and Christ, the centre of our faith. He then urges us to moral fidelity and concludes with a prayer.