2 Timothy 2:25

πραΰτητι. This is the orthography of the best MSS.; D2bcEKL and some other authorities spell it πραότητι, which is the reading of the rec. text. See crit. note on Titus 3:2.

δῴη. This is the reading of א*ACD2*G which must be preferred to δῷ the reading of אcD2cEKLP followed by the rec. text.

25. ἐν πραὑτητι παιδεύοντα τοὺς�, in meekness correcting those who are adversely affected.

πραΰτης is commended again in the list of Christian graces in Titus 3:2 (see also on Titus 1:7), and several times elsewhere in St Paul’s Epistles (Galatians 5:23; Galatians 6:1; Ephesians 4:2; Colossians 3:12 &c.). It expresses the Christian’s attitude, not to God (for this does not enter into the idea) but to man, and as a Christian virtue, it is based on the example of Christ, who was Himself, as He said, πραΰς (Matthew 11:29).

It is a question whether ἀντιδιατιθεμένους has a passive or a middle sense. The English versions take it in the latter way as equivalent to ‘those who oppose themselves,’ which yields a quite satisfactory sense; but, as Field has pointed out, in the only other instance of the occurrence of ἀντιδιατίθεσθαι (in Longinus) it is unquestionably passive, which therefore may rule the present passage. Ambrosiaster renders eos qui diversa sentiunt, which agrees with the translation here adopted. The general force of the injunction is not much affected, whichever rendering we adopt; it is comparable to Titus 1:9, τοὺς�, although the thought here is rather of a gentle and persuasive exhibition of the error of the false teachers, than of their formal refutation.

μήποτε δῴη αὐτοῖς ὁ θεός, if haply God may give to them. We have adopted the reading δῴη, as better attested by manuscripts than δῷ of the rec. text (see crit. note); but the optative here is strange (see Blass, Gram. of N.T. Greek, § 65. 3). If it is correct, it perhaps suggests the idea of the contingency as more remote than δῷ would indicate. μήποτε does not occur again in St Paul.

μετάνοιαν, repentance. It is remarkable how seldom St Paul uses this word (only again in Romans 2:4; 2 Corinthians 7:9-10), although the idea of repentance and reconciliation is continually in his thoughts.

εἰς ἐπίγνωσιν� unto knowledge of the truth. Cp. 2 Timothy 3:7 and see note on 1 Timothy 2:4.