TIMOTHY REMINDED OF HIS COMMISSION, AND EXHORTED TO EARNESTNESS 1, 2. Salutation. An apostle] St. Peter and St. John, with regard to whose position no question was raised, are content to call themselves presbyters (2 and 3 John, 1 Peter 5:1), but St. Paul usually designates himself as an Apostle owi... [ Continue Reading ]
_My_ OWN SON IN THE FAITH] see 1 Timothy 3:13 and Titus 1:4. St. Paul speaks of Onesimus in like terms as 'my son whom I have begotten in my bonds' (Philemon 1:10).... [ Continue Reading ]
AS I BESOUGHT THEE] The words 'so do' (i.e. remember and act upon my instructions), or 'so I do now,' RV, i.e. 'I repeat my charge to you,' must be supplied. WHEN I WENT] RV 'when I was going.' It is probable that the charge was given to Timothy by St. Paul in Ephesus when he left that city himself.... [ Continue Reading ]
THE FIRST CHARGE TO TIMOTHY. To remember and act upon the instructions already given him by St. Paul, which were to be firm in resisting the heterodox teachers in Ephesus, as the Apostle had been himself, and to promote love, purity, uprightness, and faith.... [ Continue Reading ]
FABLES AND ENDLESS GENEALOGIES] not the Gnostic stories of emanations and æons, but idle Jewish legends and genealogical claims, as is shown by Titus 1:14; Titus 3:9. MINISTER QUESTIONS, RATHER THAN GODLY EDIFICATION] RV 'minister questions rather than a dispensation of God.' This would mean one of... [ Continue Reading ]
THE END OF THE COMMANDMENT] RV 'the end of the charge,' i.e. the aim of all true teaching as contrasted with 'fables and endless genealogies.' The gospel which Timothy had to preach consists of charity or 'love,' RV, springing from purity of heart, an enlightened conscience, and a sure faith. This w... [ Continue Reading ]
PUTTING ME INTO THE MINISTRY] RV 'appointing me to his service.'... [ Continue Reading ]
I DID _it_ IGNORANTLY] St. Paul's is an instance of that form of ignorance which excuses acts done through it, i.e. ignorance of fact, not of a moral principle.... [ Continue Reading ]
GRACE.. WAS.. ABUNDANT WITH FAITH AND LOVE] The act of God (grace) is accompanied and supplemented by man's loving acceptance of it in faith.... [ Continue Reading ]
THIS _is_ A FAITHFUL SAYING] For this formula, peculiar to the Pastoral Epistles (cp. 1 Timothy 4:9; 1 Timothy 3:1; 2 Timothy 2:11; Titus 3:8), see General Intro. St. Paul's case is covered by the general principle that CHRIST CAME TO SAVE SINNERS. 16. First] St. Paul was in his own estimation firs... [ Continue Reading ]
A doxology of thanks to God for what He had done for him: cp. Romans 16:25. KING] This title is applied to God only here and in 1 Timothy 6:15 and Matthew 5:35. ETERNAL] lit. 'of the ages,' but meaning 'eternal.' The original has 'king of the æons.' Had the doctrine of the Gnostic æons been in exist... [ Continue Reading ]
I COMMIT UNTO THEE] The duty of maintaining the truth whereby to resist heresy is a trust committed to Timothy: see 1 Timothy 6:20; 2 Timothy 1:14. ACCORDING TO THE PROPHECIES] This trust he would fulfil in pursuance of declarations made respecting him by the 'prophets' of the Church at the time of... [ Continue Reading ]
WHICH] the guidance of their conscience. CONCERNING FAITH, etc.] RV. 'made shipwreck concerning the faith'; not their own belief, but the substance of the revealed truth.... [ Continue Reading ]
There are two instances of excommunication in Scripture, (1) that of the Corinthian for immorality (1 Corinthians 5), (2) of Hymenæus and Alexander for heresy. We learn from 2 Timothy 2:19 that Philetus was one of Hymenæus' associates, but whether Timothy followed St. Paul's example and excommunicat... [ Continue Reading ]