In vs. 5, Paul says that the end of the commandment is charity.
Or in the ESV, the aim
of our charge is love. The word end means a goal or definite point. The goal of the commandment is love. But what commandment, and whos commandment? Commentators are mixed. Some interpret Paul to be speaking broadly of the law itself. Some believe Paul is referring back to vs. 3 where Paul gave him a charge. Throughout the NT, the word commandment is used either of a single specific commandment of God, as in the Ten Commandments, or as in someone giving an order or a command to someone to do something. It seems to me that Paul is referring back to vs. 3 of his specific command to Timothy to stay in Ephesus. The end of this command is to be love or charity. The word love here is agape, and means affection or brotherly love. The goal of what Paul is wanting Timothy to do in Ephesus is to bring the church there to a state of affection and brotherly love for one another. As opposed to the current status of the church which is questionings and confusion. This brotherly love is to come from a pure heart, a good conscience, and of faith. The heart, biblically speaking, is the center of the mind, will, and emotions. If I were to say that I love God with all of my heart, that means that my mind, will, and emotions are focused on pleasing and loving God. A pure heart means to have a mind, will, and emotions undefiled by sin. Brotherly love must come, undefiled, from a mind that is active toward actions of love, a will focused on serving the brothers, and emotions that are ready to rejoice and mourn with them as well. Brotherly love must also come from a good conscience. In the NT, the idea of having a good conscience is connected with being blameless regarding a particular thing. 1 Peter 3:15-16 says, but in your hearts regard Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame. Here, Peter is speaking of not allowing oneself to share in the same sin that others are committing against them. Part of the end of Pauls commandment to Timothy is brotherly love from a conscience that has been blameless from sin regarding ones brother. And lastly, brotherly love must also come from faith. Brotherly love must be shown with the idea in mind that God commands it, approves it, and even if it is rejected, show it as unto God Himself.