That Time Paul Gave Timothy a Quote from Luke’s Gospel
Reflecting on the Significance of 1 Timothy 5:18
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We are used to reading references and allusions to the Old Testament in Paul’s letters. Would you be surprised to know that he quoted from a New Testament book?
In his first letter to Timothy, Paul is addressing groups in the church in 1 Timothy 5:1–6:2. And in 5:17–25, he writes about elders. In 5:17 he says, “Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in preaching and teaching,” and then in 5:18, he gives a reason for his instruction.
The reason begins with, “For the Scripture says,” and then he cites two things.
First, “You shall not muzzle an ox when it treads out the grain,” which is from Deuteronomy 25:4.
Second, “The laborer deserves his wages,” which is from Luke 10:7.
The two citations serve as evidence for Paul’s instruction in 1 Timothy 5:17, that elders who rule well (especially in the labor of preaching and teaching) are worthy of double honor (the honor of respect and the honor of remuneration).
The first citation is obviously from Deuteronomy 25:4. What’s not so obvious to interpreters is the source of Paul’s second citation. In the previous paragraph, I nonchalantly said that Paul is citing Luke 10:7 when he writes, “The laborer deserves his wages.” But according to New Testament commentators, that conclusion is not certain.
In fact, there seems to be a genuine reluctance among commentators to suggest that Luke’s Gospel is the source of Paul’s second quotation in 1 Timothy 5:18. Why the reluctance? Well, some scholars don’t believe Paul even wrote 1 Timothy, and even if he did write it, some scholars don’t believe Luke’s Gospel would have been written by that point.
But I’m going to assume, just as 1 Timothy 1:1 tells me, that Paul is the author of 1 Timothy. There is no external or internal evidence that actually negates Pauline authorship of this letter. And if Paul is the author of 1 Timothy, the timeline for writing 1 Timothy would be after the events of Acts 28, which would mean sometime after AD 62 but before his martyrdom in the mid-60s.
What about Paul’s source for his second citation in 1 Timothy 5:18? What would he have access to? Some New Testament scholars suggest that a “Jesus saying” was known to Paul, and that was his source for the citation. According to this possibility, Paul would have been aware of a “tradition” that Luke eventually used for his own Gospel in Luke 10:7. This “Jesus tradition” would then have been used by both Luke and Paul for their respective writings.
But I’m going to suggest that Paul simply cited Luke’s Gospel. Here are some reasons.
First, Luke’s Gospel would have already been written by the time Paul wrote 1 Timothy. Since the book of Acts ends with Paul’s two-year house arrest and doesn’t report his martyrdom, we can suggest that Luke finished composing the book of Acts shortly after Paul’s house arrest ended in AD 62. And according to Acts 1:1, Luke’s “first book” (the Gospel of Luke) was already written. In other words, Luke’s Gospel was written before Paul wrote 1 Timothy.
Second, Paul knew Luke. According to the travelogue in the book of Acts, Luke accompanied Paul on various travels. Paul calls Luke “the beloved physician” (Col. 4:14). And near the end of Paul’s life, he said, “Luke alone is with me” (2 Tim. 4:11). If Paul knew and had access to Luke, and if Luke had written the Third Gospel before Paul wrote 1 Timothy, we are not off base to see Paul’s second citation in 1 Timothy 5:18 as being from Luke 10:7.
Third, the citations in 1 Timothy 5:18 are prefaced with the phrase “the Scripture says.” That’s a very important introduction to what Paul then cited. Paul uses the specific construction “the Scripture says” six times in his letters (Rom. 4:3; 9:17; 10:11; 11:2; Gal. 4:30; 1 Tim. 5:18). And every time he writes “the Scripture says,” he then quotes an authoritative writing, not an independent or oral “tradition.” In 1 Timothy 5:18, the “and” between the two citations coordinates them as instances of the introductory phrase, “the Scripture says.” Therefore, Paul has categorized his second citation (“The laborer deserves his wages”) as something Scripture says. Would Paul have said that about a “Jesus tradition” or an “oral tradition”? Far more likely is that Paul is citing authoritative writings, and these writings include what we know as Deuteronomy 25:4 and Luke 10:7. In 1 Timothy 5:18, Paul gives an exact citation of Luke 10:7.
Fourth, the context of Luke 10:7 would fit Paul’s use of that verse in 1 Timothy 5:18. In Luke 10:1, Jesus appoints and sends out people two by two. The laborers are going to spread the message of the kingdom and to heal the sick (10:9). As they minister to others, the laborers will need support and resources, and Jesus teaches that they will receive the hospitality of others. Jesus said, “Whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace be to this house!’ And if a son of peace is there, your peace will rest upon him. But if not, it will return to you. And remain in the same house, eating and drinking what they provide, for the laborer deserves his wages” (Luke 10:5–7). Jesus is teaching about the provision for those who are spreading the message of the kingdom of God. And in 1 Timothy 5:17–25, Paul has in mind provision for a church’s elders who teach and preach the Word of God. Paul not only cites Luke 10:7, the context of Luke 10:7 fits the concern Paul has for elders.
To recap: in 1 Timothy 5:18, Paul gives a reason for his instruction about elders. His reason is grounded in Scripture (“For the Scripture says”). And what he cites matches Deuteronomy 25:4 and Luke 10:7. A citation of Luke 10:7 is reasonable because Luke’s Gospel would have been written before 1 Timothy, Paul had access to Luke during his travels, the preface “Scripture says” occurs six times in Paul’s letters and always leads to a quotation of an authoritative writing, and the context of Luke 10:7 corresponds to Paul’s concern about provision for elders in 1 Timothy 5:17–18.