2 Timothy 1:1

The Salutation to Timothy

1. an apostle of Jesus Christ Read with the mss. Christ Jesus, and see note on 1 Timothy 1:1 for the frequency of this order of the words.

by the will of God This phrase with the preceding words in precisely the same order commences the Ep. to Colossians and Ep. to Ephesians, followed in the former by -and Timothy our brother." The phrase also introduces both 1 Cor. and 2 Cor. The use here shews that there is no asserting of impugned authority intended by it; but rather there is a going back to the first calling and sending by God, from no personal merit, but by His purpose of mercy alone; and apostle through the will of God is a short phrase for the full statement of Galatians 1:15-16, -it was the good pleasure of God, who separated me even from my mother's womb and called me through His grace, to reveal His Son in me, that I might preach Him among the Gentiles."

according to the promise of life This, for Timothy, is the sphere of his apostleship as of his life. -To me to live is Christ." If any man be in Christ, he is a new creation." Lay hold on the life which is life indeed." For the apostleship in regard to Titusand the Cretans see note on Titus 1:1. Render, with R.V., the promise of the life, the article with -in Christ Jesus" making -life" definite at once; while according to regular use no article is required in the Greek prepositional phrase on which -life" depends, -according to the promise," from the nature of the word -promise." Compare the usage in 1 Timothy 4:8, -having the promise of the life which now is and which is to come." That passage and 1 Timothy 6:12 give the clue to the choice of the phrase here. Timothy there is exhorted to train himself in the godliness which has the promise of -the divine life" and to -lay hold of it" (see notes). So here his spiritual father recalls his own experience and assurance to encourage his son the free love of God which had laid hold of him and given him work as the seal of pardon, and (in the doing of that work) -life in Christ Jesus," begun here to be perfected hereafter in spite of persecution. The greater the sense of sin, the stronger the sense of rescuing -grace and mercy," and the clearer the assurance of -peace," the crown of blessings.