1 Timothy Bible Trivia: 28 Questions and Answers for Families

These 28 First Timothy Bible trivia questions cover Paul's young apprentice in Ephesus, the qualifications for church leaders, the most misquoted verse about money in the Bible, and the famous charge "don't let anyone look down on you because you are young" -- sorted into easy, medium, and hard rounds by age. Every answer is bolded right after its question with a verse reference, so you can check anything straight from the text.

First Timothy is a mentor's letter -- a veteran missionary coaching his protege through the hardest job in the ancient world: pastoring a messy church. That makes it unusually rich trivia for kids, because its hero is the youngest leader in the New Testament, and its most famous verse is one most adults get wrong.

What Is the Book of 1 Timothy About?

First Timothy is a letter of instructions from the apostle Paul to Timothy, his young coworker, on how to lead the church in Ephesus -- sound teaching, public worship, qualified leaders, and personal godliness. The letter opens from Paul to "Timothy my true son in the faith" (1 Timothy 1:2) and was written after Paul urged Timothy to stay behind in Ephesus to stop false teachers (1 Timothy 1:3), traditionally in the mid-60s AD. Together with 2 Timothy and Titus it forms the "Pastoral Epistles"; church tradition holds them to be Paul's, though many modern scholars debate the authorship of the Pastorals -- the letters themselves speak in Paul's voice throughout.

Timothy was young, timid by reputation, and often sick (1 Timothy 5:23), yet Paul handed him a church in one of the empire's great cities. The letter alternates between church business -- who can lead, how to care for widows, what elders deserve -- and personal pep talks: "Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young" (1 Timothy 4:12). It matters because it's the New Testament's clearest picture of what a healthy church, and a faithful young leader, actually look like.

Easy 1 Timothy Trivia Questions (Ages 5-8)

1. Who wrote this letter, and who received it? Paul wrote it to Timothy (1 Timothy 1:1-2)
2. What does Paul call Timothy in the greeting? "My true son in the faith" (1 Timothy 1:2)
3. In which city was Timothy serving when Paul wrote? Ephesus (1 Timothy 1:3)
4. Finish the verse: "Don't let anyone look down on you because you are..." "...young" (1 Timothy 4:12)
5. What is "a root of all kinds of evil"? The love of money -- careful, it's not money itself (1 Timothy 6:10)
6. What "good fight" is Timothy told to fight? The good fight of the faith (1 Timothy 6:12)
7. Why did Christ Jesus come into the world? To save sinners -- "of whom I am the worst," Paul says (1 Timothy 1:15)
8. Who is the one mediator between God and mankind? The man Christ Jesus (1 Timothy 2:5)

Medium 1 Timothy Trivia Questions (Ages 9-12)

1. In what five areas should young Timothy set an example? Speech, conduct, love, faith, and purity (1 Timothy 4:12)
2. Whom does Paul say we should pray for, besides everyone in general? Kings and all those in authority (1 Timothy 2:1-2)
3. What does God want for all people? To be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth (1 Timothy 2:4)
4. How does physical training compare to godliness? Physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things (1 Timothy 4:8)
5. What does Paul call the church of the living God? The pillar and foundation of the truth (1 Timothy 3:15)
6. What "with contentment is great gain"? Godliness (1 Timothy 6:6)
7. What did we bring into the world, and what can we take out of it? Nothing -- and nothing (1 Timothy 6:7)
8. Where was Timothy from, and what do we know about his parents? Lystra -- his mother was a Jewish believer and his father was a Greek (Acts 16:1)
9. What were the names of Timothy's believing mother and grandmother? Eunice and Lois (2 Timothy 1:5)
10. What must an overseer manage well before leading the church? His own family (1 Timothy 3:4-5)

Hard 1 Timothy Trivia Questions (Teens and Adults)

1. Name three qualifications for an overseer from 1 Timothy 3. Above reproach, faithful to his wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not given to drunkenness, gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money (1 Timothy 3:2-3)
2. Why must an overseer not be a recent convert? He may become conceited and fall under the same judgment as the devil (1 Timothy 3:6)
3. What are elders who direct the affairs of the church well worthy of? Double honor -- especially those who preach and teach (1 Timothy 5:17)
4. Which Old Testament law about an ox does Paul quote about paying workers? "Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain" (1 Timothy 5:18, quoting Deuteronomy 25:4)
5. What surprisingly practical health advice did Paul give Timothy? Stop drinking only water -- use a little wine because of your stomach and frequent illnesses (1 Timothy 5:23)
6. How did Timothy receive his spiritual gift? Through prophecy when the body of elders laid their hands on him (1 Timothy 4:14)
7. Which two men did Paul "hand over to Satan" for shipwrecking their faith? Hymenaeus and Alexander (1 Timothy 1:19-20)
8. What are the rich commanded to do? To do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share (1 Timothy 6:17-18)
9. What is Paul's final charge to Timothy? "Guard what has been entrusted to your care" (1 Timothy 6:20)
10. First Timothy belongs to a trio called the Pastoral Epistles -- what are the other two? 2 Timothy and Titus

How to Use These Questions

First Timothy is the best book in the Bible for a kid who feels too young to matter -- build your game night around question 4, then let kids list ways they could set an example in "speech, conduct, love, faith, and purity" this week. Question 5 is the classic gotcha: ask adults first, because most will misquote it as "money is the root of all evil." For team formats, scoring, and prize ideas, see our guide to family Bible trivia night.

The leadership round (19-22) works well for teens -- have them grade the qualifications list against what they'd want in a coach or teacher. For backstory on the author and the apprentice, see who was Paul? and our retelling of Paul's legacy, which covers how he passed the baton to Timothy. The video lessons at Faithful Kids pair each story with a short quiz. Then widen the board with our New Testament trivia for kids or the all-ages 100 Bible trivia questions.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who wrote 1 Timothy?

The letter opens in Paul's name, addressed to "Timothy my true son in the faith" (1 Timothy 1:1-2), and church tradition has always held it to be Paul's, written in the mid-60s AD. Many modern scholars debate the authorship of the three Pastoral Epistles on style and historical grounds; the letters themselves consistently speak as Paul mentoring his coworkers.

How many chapters does 1 Timothy have?

First Timothy has 6 chapters. Chapters 1-3 cover false teaching, prayer, and qualifications for overseers and deacons; chapters 4-6 turn personal -- Timothy's example, care for widows and elders, and warnings about the love of money.

Who was Timothy in the Bible?

Timothy was Paul's closest young coworker -- from Lystra, son of a Greek father and a Jewish believing mother named Eunice, with a faith first seen in his grandmother Lois (Acts 16:1; 2 Timothy 1:5). He joined Paul's second missionary journey as a young man, co-sent six of Paul's letters, and was serving as Paul's delegate to the church in Ephesus when this letter arrived.

What is the most famous verse in 1 Timothy?

Two compete: "Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young" (1 Timothy 4:12) and "the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil" (1 Timothy 6:10). The second is the most misquoted verse in the book -- Scripture never says money itself is the root of all evil.

What are the Pastoral Epistles?

The Pastoral Epistles are 1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, and Titus -- three letters written to individual church leaders rather than to whole congregations. They cover how to organize churches, choose leaders, silence false teaching, and stay faithful personally.

What age can kids start learning 1 Timothy?

Ages 5-8 can own 1 Timothy 4:12 -- it may be the single best memory verse for children, since it's about them. The church-leadership chapters suit ages 12 and up, and they make great discussion material for teens starting to serve in their own churches.