1 Timothy 1:18

Faithful Ministry. Timothy is further reminded of the fall of some false Teachers

18. This charge From note on 1 Timothy 1:5 we shall see no difficulty in the reference of the words here. St Paul has put -the charge" of which he is full in two different ways in 3 11 and 12 17; he puts it now in another in 18 20. The pronoun -this" should refer according to its proper usage to something already set forth rather than to something new; and so we may paraphrase, -This is my charge to teach the old simple truths, with a heart and life that retain still the old penitent gratitude and devotion; I trust to you this life and work, as a precious jewel; so precious that to guard and keep it you must be never off duty, always Christ's faithful soldier and servant."

son Timothy As in 1 Timothy 1:2, my child Timothy.

the prophecies which went before on thee "The allusion is to prophecies uttered, as is supposed, at or before his ordination, given then for the purpose of encouraging the Church to make, and Timothy to accept the appointment, in view perhaps of his extreme youth, and possibly also slender frame: prophecies of the arduous nature of the work and of Divine aid in it." Fairbairn. They were utterances at Lystra by Silas (cf. Acts 15:32) and others of the -prophets" of the N.T., spoken under the influence of the Holy Spirit, as in St Paul's own case at Antioch, Acts 13:2; -forth-tellings" of the Divine Will, to which St Paul refers partly as warranting him in his appointment of so young a man to so important a charge, partly as encouraging Timothy himself to brave effort. Cf. 1 Timothy 4:14; and Introduction, pp. 16, 58. The marginal rendering of R.V. -which led the way to thee," i.e. "the premonitions of the Holy Spirit which pointed to thee" modifies, as Bp Ellicott, unnecessarily the simple meaning both of noun and verb.

a good warfare Rather render the whole clause that in them thou mayest war the good warfare; in them as his heavenly armour to ward off scorn from without and doubt from within.

Compare the well-known hymn, translating St Paul's previous call to arms in his letter to the same parts, Ephesians 6.

Stand then in His great might

With all His strength endued,

And take to arm you for the fight

The panoply of God.