82 Paul Himes (1 Tim 5,1). Amazingly, Paul uses only three aorist imperatives in the entire letter, none of which occur until chapter 5. Paul’s first imperative does not occur until 2,11 where he is discussing the role of women and uses the controversial μανθανέτω. From there until 5,1, every single imperative is a present imperative. In 5,1, oddly enough, Paul uses μὴ with the aorist subjunctive (commanding Timothy not to rebuke an older man) but immediately follows it with a present imperative (to encourage or exhort the younger men, older women, and younger women as appropriate). Here, then, one is first confronted with the difficulty inherent in the Pastoral imperatives. Why did Paul shift tenses (or why use the aorist at all) since the context (one’s interaction with others) is similar for both commands? Few of the commentaries discuss the switch in tenses here, yet Jerome D. Quinn and William C. Wacker argue, “The approach of Timothy is to be one of persuasive appeal, as continual and regular (present tense) as the chastisement would have been instantaneous and explosive (aorist)”39. At this point all that can be said is that Quinn and Wacker may be correct with their emphasis on the continuous aspect of the present, but may have overstated the role of the aorist. In 6,12, Paul once again mixes an aorist with a present. Indeed, the aorist is unique in that it follows a long string of present imperatives (four in 6,2 and two in 6,11). Here Paul urges Timothy to “fight the good fight” (present) and to “take hold of the eternal life” (aorist)40. William Hendriksen and Simon J. Kistemaker note the tense change and argue for the continuous force of the present in contrast to the aorist41. George Knight argues, “ Because ‘taking hold of’ is regarded as a single event it is presented in a punctiliar aorist”42. Baugh similarly suggests that the first three present imperatives of 6,11-12 are “atelic activities which occur in the present imperatival forms with only few exceptions.” By contrast, the aorist imperative “is an aorist of a performance (or punctual), metaphorically referring to a specific action”43. Yet one is forced to wonder if ἐπιλαβοῦ is really meant to be viewed as a single event here. Could not Paul have simply used the aorist because he did not want to 39 J. D. Quinn and W. C. Wacker, The First and Second Letters to Timothy (The Eerd- mans Critical Commentary; Grand Rapids, Mich. 2000) 411. 40 All Scripture citations, unless otherwise noted, are from the English Standard Ver- sion (ESV). 41 W. Hendriksen and S. J. Kistemaker, Thessalonians, the Pastorals, and Hebrews (New Testament Commentary; Grand Rapids, Mich. 1995) 203-204. 42 G. W. Knight III, The Pastoral Epistles (NIGTC; Grand Rapids, Mich. 1992) 263. 43 Baugh, “Introduction to Greek Tense Form Choice” 46.