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history.- -Conybeare and Howson, in appendix to Vol. II., discuss fully the questions of the genuineness and date of these epistles.

IV. The occasion and scope of these epistles are obvious. Primarily instructing Timothy to head off incipient heresies, but secondly and in general, to supervise church work; to induct into office suitable pastors and deacons; to promote sound morality and intrinsic righteousness; to build up the brethren in their most holy faith.That these epistles should take up and treat these various themes miscellaneously is in every point of view legitimate and to be expected. They afford us an admirable exemplification of Paul's ideal of the Christian church, showing what he labored to make them-lights in the world, holding forth the light of a pure morality, and of an efficient and glorious Christianity. He believed in church organization and church authority, not as an end in itself, but as a necessary means to this one supreme end-a pure Christian life.

THE FIRST EPISTLE TO TIMOTHY.

CHAPTER I.

Introductory greetings (v. 1, 2); reasons for leaving Timothy at Ephesus (v. 3, 4) which suggests that the true end and aim of the law is love (v. 5); how some have misconceived this, and the consequences (v. 6, 7); for what class of sinners law is enacted (v. 8-11). The great grace of God in Paul's conversion and call to the ministry (12-14) and the moral lessons of this wonderful conversion (v. 15-17); on Timothy's call to the ministry, with Christian counsels (v. 18-20).

1. Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the commandment of God our Savior, and Lord Jesus Christ, which is our hope;

2. Unto Timothy, my own son in the faith: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God our Father, and Jesus Christ our Lord.

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That Paul writing to Timothy should introduce himself as apostle was not due to any sense of the need of asserting his authority for Timothy's sake, but to the official character of the letter. It was appropriate for an apostle to assign Christian work to his associated laborers.-Paul held his apostolic commission by special appointment of God and of the Lord Jesus, our Supreme Hope-the ultimate ground of it all. It is not usual to speak of God as "our Savior," yet there are cases other than this. Its pertinence lies in the fact that "God so loved the world as to give us Jesus his Son.". 'Unto Timothy, my own son"-literally and primarily, "my born son," my son by birth; but in the secondary sense, my real son-one whose filial relations are genuine, unquestionable. In this case, "my son in the faith," i. e., in the sphere of Christian belief and life-my spiritual child, begotten of God unto holiness through my instrumentality.

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3. As I besought thee to abide still at Ephesus, when I went into Macedonia, that thou mightest charge some that they teach no other doctrine,

4. Neither give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which minister questions, rather than godly edifying which is in faith: so do.

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These circumstances have been sufficiently treated in the introduction.- "That they teach no other doctrine whatsoever;" for the gospel doctrine is of necessity exclusive of every other. Its nature forbids any partnership with other systems.- Fables and endless genealogies "- -are unquestionably of Jewish type, as may be seen in the more full description (Titus 1: 14 and 3: 9) where Paul calls them "Jewish fables; also foolish questions and genealogies and strivings about the law. Even a very slight acquaintance with the Talmud will abundantly justify these descriptive points of Jewish teaching in that age-surprisingly frivolous and even silly, ministering questions in plenty-any thing rather than edifying men in that godliness which is through faith. The gospel scheme and the scheme of effete Judaism were on all these vital points, "wide as the poles apart." markably the Greek word for "edifying' (oikonomia)-a word which suggests household economy-looks rather to the edification of the church than of individuals. Paul would suggest that effete Judaism supplied but miserable elements for building up the church of God in his most holy faith. It is an easy inference that what is worthless for the church can have no value for the individual Christian.

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5. Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned:

These men make great account of the law-i. e., as given by Moses. But to understand the value of the law and so of any teaching of it, you must consider well its ultimate end and aimwhat the law seeks to accomplish. To this point, therefore, Paul wisely turns.. -The first word of v. 5 should not be "now," for it signifies neither time nor logical relation, in the sense of consequently, but is slightly adversative ["de"]-best expressed by "but." But, all unlike the Jewish system as taught by them, the commandment has for its true end, not questions and endless genealogies to no useful edifying, but real love. 'Charity," of course in the broad sense (now mostly obsolete) of real love, good will to men. To identify and more fully describe this love, Paul says it is the natural product of a pure (unselfish) heart-a good (not a misguided, untaught, but a well-informed and honest) conscience; and of faith, not pretentious and Pharisaical, but unfeigned and sincere.

6. From which some having swerved have turned aside unto vain jangling;

7. Desiring to be teachers of the law; understanding neither what they say, nor whereof they affirm.

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Paul's word for "swerved" implies missing the mark, losing sight of their pole-star, turning aside from the right way [of love] into vain, profitless jangling, disputations that contribute nothing toward love, but much toward discord and ill temper. Noticeably, Paul's word assumes also that they are voluntary and therefore culpable, and not merely unfortunate in this swerving.Ambitious to be distinguished and honored as "lawyers" in the New Testament sense "doctors of the law;" but wholly without qualifications, for they understand neither what the law affirms nor why.

8. But we know that the law is good, if a man use it lawfully;

9. Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers,

10. For whoremongers, for them that defile themselves with mankind, for men-stealers, for liars, for perjured persons, and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine;

11. According to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, which was committed to my trust.

We all know, every one must admit, that the law-that given by Moses, which is certainly spoken of here-is intrinsically good and will be of service if used legitimately according to its design. Whatever criticism Paul ever had to make upon the abuses of that law, he always admitted its inherent goodness and its utility toward the ends which itself contemplated. "The law is holy, and the commandment holy and just and good. We know that the law is spiritual; but I am carnal. I consent unto the law that it is good." (Rom. 7: 12, 14, 16.) But to understand what using it lawfully" means, we must consider ["knowing this"] that this law is not enacted for the special benefit of the righteous man, but for the benefit of sinners, whom he proceeds to classify and enumerate. Paul means to show that the law was designed to be a schoolmaster to lead men to Christ-a rule of life that should avail to convict men of sin, enforcing upon their souls a sense of their need of forgiveness. Its manifold specification of offenses would have been quite needless if all men had been righteous. In this sense it was enacted for these and similar sinners. -Moreover, it was not enacted for the righteous man as a rule of life, by following which he might insure God's favor and gain heaven as his reward. Whether such obedience, if perfect, would have resulted in the reward of heaven, is not, as to our fallen race, a practical question. It was not needful, therefore, for Paul to discuss it. As to righteousness in the Pharisaic sense, he had not the least faith that, however punctilious, however in

tense, it could at all fit men for heaven.- -Passing this point, we have the momentous truth that the law is good as a rule of moral conduct; good to convict men of their sins; good to enforce a sense of personal need of Christ, but not good as a means of personal salvation, and most of all powerless when interpreted in the Pharisaic sense.

These specifications of godless character and of godless men need little comment. Of the "lawless and refractory," the former are the more passive; the latter the more active: the former regardless of law; the latter restive and rebellious under it. Of "the ungodly and sinners," the former are unworshipful, having no reverence for God and no proclivity toward worship, while the latter are in their whole character offenders, violators of law. As to "the unholy and the profane," the former lack conformity to God, while the latter lack even the common impulses of our better humanity.

"Murderers of fathers and of mothers" should rather have been translated "strikers," this being what the etymology of the word calls for, from the verb to thresh, to smite. Paul refers to the law of Moses (Ex. 21: 15): “He that smiteth his father or his mother shall surely be put to death." The crime of parricide is rare. Extreme disrespect, overt abuse of parents, is the sin referred to." Men-stealers," kidnapers of their fellow-men into slavery, was one class of criminals condemned by the law of Moses. "He that stealeth a man and selleth him, or if he be found in his hand, shall surely be put to death" (Ex. 21: 16). -After many specifications, Paul says comprehensively: If there be any thing else contrary to sound doctrine as revealed in that gospel which sets forth the glorious purity and love of the blessed God, the law condemns that. This is the gospel committed to my trust as an apostle and a divinely commissioned teacher of most precious truth.

12. And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry;

13. Who was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious: but I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief.

14. And the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.

The thought of his gospel trust fires the soul of this aged apostle, who will never be too old to kindle under its inspirations. O what thanks and praises do I owe and would I render for ever to Jesus my Lord who hath clothed me with spiritual power [the sense of the word for "enabled"]-hath_empowered me by the energies of his Spirit, because he accounted me faithful, and so put me into this gospel ministry, even me who previously had been a blasphemer (i. e., against the name of Christ), even compelling

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