moval idence future SECOND EPISTLE TO TIMOTHY. CHAPTER I. A brief introduction (v. 1, 2); thanks to God for such precious reminiscences of Timothy's faith, whom he longs to see (v. 3-5); reminds him to stir up his ministerial gifts (v. 6, 7); to be bold in the face of persecution for the gospel's sake (v. 8), in view of what this gospel is and is doing (v. 9-11); for which Paul has suffered, yet with glorious consolations (v. 12); exhorts to hold fast the gospel doctrine and his spiritual gifts (v. 13, 14) apostasy of those in Asia (v. 15); over against which stands the tender sympathy and refreshing aid of Onesiphorus, for whom he prays (v. 16-18). 1. Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, according to the promise of life which is in Christ Jesus, 2. To Timothy, my dearly beloved son: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord. The nice point of interpretation in v. 1 is the sense of the preposition translated "according to" * before "promise of life."According to" does not express the sense well. It looks toward Paul's apostleship, giving its object and purpose, and saying that he was made an apostle with reference to that promise of life which came to men through Christ Jesus. For the interests and purposes of this "promise"-to preach the gospel of this glorious promise he was made an apostle. 3. I thank God, whom I serve from my forefathers with pure conscience, that without ceasing I have remembrance of thee in my prayers night and day; 4. Greatly desiring to see thee, being mindful of thy tears, that I may be filled with joy; 5. When I call to remembrance the unfeigned faith that is in thee, which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice; and I am persuaded that in thee also. "Serve with my forefathers," for his Pharisaic ancestors were, we may suppose, very conscientious in their way, under the light * ката. of Judaism. But the qualifying words, "with a pure conscience," may quietly suggest that his Christian conscience was more pure than theirs, adjusted to a purer light and to a higher sense of what moral purity is."That without ceasing I remember thee," etc.-a translation which assumes that this unceasing remembrance is the very thing for which he thanks God. This is neither pertinent as to its sense nor well sustained by the usage of the Greek particle translated "that.” * Better thus: "I thank God, as [inasmuch as] without ceasing I make mention of thee in my prayers, having remembrance of thy unfeigned faith," etc. (v. 5); the blessing for which he thanks God being this, that in his daily prayer for Timothy, he is reminded afresh of his pure, unhypocritical faith. It is indeed a blessing to be thankful for that every remembrance of this dear son brings up his faith. Paul makes a long sentence, as is his wont, by interweaving collateral points suggested in rapid succession; but the ultimate thought I take to be as here explained. That Paul should long exceedingly to see a dear son in the faith, whose sympathetic soul was so fully in unison with his own, the remembrance of whose tears always filled his soul with joy, is by no means surprising, especially considering his own painful solitude in his prison cell under the absence of so many of his dearest friends. That this precious faith dwelt first in time in his grandmother and next in his mother, and then in the son, is beautifully suggestive: (1.) That faith so naturally descends as a legacy-an inheritance-from parent to child, easily transmissible under the laws of our social nature; and, (2.) That this inheritance runs more often in the maternal line than in the paternal-through mothers more than through fathers--a fact due perhaps to the closer relationship that exists between mother and child, and possibly also to the more congenial soil for piety in woman's heart than in man's. แ -From Acts 16: 1 we learn that his mother was a believing Jewess; his father a Greek. 6. Wherefore I put thee in remembrance, that thou stir up the gift of God, which is in thee by the putting on of my hands. 7. For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. Wherefore" [for which cause]—i. e., because I am sure thy faith is genuine. Therefore I now remind thee to stir up that gift, as fire is enkindled to greater intensity by stirring. The gift" referred to [" charisma"] included those spiritual endowments for the gospel ministry which came from the Holy Ghost in connection with the imposition of hands in ordination. Timothy was, perhaps, depressed by the imprisonment and probable martyrdom of his beloved father, and therefore needed this reminder to re-enkindle his languid graces, remembering that the spirit God gives his faithful ministers is not one of cowardice * ώσ. ["fear"], but rather of "power" [almost a synonym for the Spirit himself, and "of love"-love undying, energizing, pervading the whole moral being; and "of a sound mind"-a mind well balanced and well under self-control-the last being vital among the endowments of the Spirit, inasmuch as strong mental excitement sometimes disturbs the balance of the human mind. Such disturbance, damaging to the proper control of good sense, is never a legitimate fruit of the Spirit, and should be studiously avoided as pernicious both to personal piety and to the public influence of Christianity. 8. Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God; Along with me [even as I do] suffer affliction for the gospel [in its behalf]." According to the power of God" assumes that this power of the Spirit is given us to tone up our Christian courage to any endurance. 9. Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began; 10. But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel: These are inducements to Christian courage and to any extreme of endurance to which God may call us. Remember him who hath saved and called us unto holiness, not because of antecedent good works of ours, but of his eternal love and consequent gracious purpose older than time, but made manifest in the advent of the Son, appearing in human flesh. This appearing was his first advent when he wrought the results here put in the words, "Abolished death," etc. "Death" must here be directly antithetic to the "life brought to light through the gospel." It is essentially that empire and dominion of evil which, beginning with sin, involved the race in natural death and its concurrent sufferings, not merely physical, but perhaps more immediately and fundamentally spiritual. When Jesus came he smote this empire, breaking its absolute dominion and bringing in a reign of life and glorious immortality to bear sway in full antagonism to this antecedent sway of death. The writer to the Hebrews (2: 14) uses this same Greek word: "That by means of death [dying himself] he might destroy him who had the power of death-that is, the devil." The precise sense of the verb ["destroy"]* is to put out of the way; to make of none effect; to render inoperative.- -So life and immortality, never fully brought to light before, are now revealed in and through the gospel. * καταργεω. 11. Whereunto I am appointed a preacher, and an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles. 12. For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed; for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day. Holding this commission, I suffer gladly; I can not be ashamed; for I know the unutterable glories of Him in whom I trust; I have seen him face to face and have experienced his power to save. My immortal being I have entrusted to his keeping, with never a fear that he can fail me. 13. Hold fast the form of sound words, which thou hast heard of me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus. 14. That good thing which was committed unto thee keep by the Holy Ghost which dwelleth in us. No emphasis should be laid upon "form" as opposed to substance. Paul refers to the system of doctrine which he had taught his son Timothy in wholesome words-words which well expressed the truth, and which, therefore, should not be given up in exchange for words less fitting. Hold them fast in such faith and love as have their root and sphere in Christ. Only so can the truth of the gospel be conserved in its purity. That "good thing committed to him" as a sacred deposit at his ordination, let him be careful to keep with the help of the Holy Ghost-through his indwelling presence and power. Better counsel, how could mortal lip or pen ever give! 15. This thou knowest, that all they which are in Asia be turned away from me; of whom are Phygellus and Hermog enes. This turning away (it should be noticed) was from Paul-in the sense apparently of forsaking him in his hour of greatest need. It may have been the same or only a similar forsaking as that referred to in 4: 16 below. Of the fact here referred to, we have no other history. It lay heavily on Paul's already burdened heart. The two men named are not otherwise known to us, though doubtless they were to Timothy. 16. The Lord give mercy unto the house of Onesiphorus; for he oft refreshed me, and was not ashamed of my chain: 17. But, when he was in Rome, he sought me out very diligently, and found me. mercy 18. The Lord grant unto him that he may find the Lord in that day: and in how many things he minisof tered unto me at Ephesus, thou knowest very well. This Onesiphorus, named only here and in 4: 19, was apparently a resident of Ephesus, but happening to be in Rome during Paul's imprisonment, he took special pains to find him and to minister kindly to his wants-in no wise ashamed to show his interest in a man in irons as a malefactor. In touching words Paul prays that he may find mercy in his own day of utmost need! The critics notice that in each passage (1: 16 and 4: 19) Paul wrote "to the house"-in the sense of household, and not to him only. Whether this means blessings on his family for his sake, or for their own sake as in spirit with their father-we are free to our own opinion. But the notion that the father-Paul's benefactor-was at this time dead, and that Paul prayed for his soul after his death, is a wild and far-fetched fancy which must labor hard for any plausible support. CHAPTER II. Sundry exhortations to be strong in grace (v. 1); to train other men to teach the same truths (v. 2); to endure hardship as a true soldier of Christ and do faithful service for him (v. 3−7); to remember his risen Savior; also that suffering even to death for him can never fail of its reward (v. 8-13); to shun profitless logomachy; to present the truth wisely for the purposes of righteousness (v. 14, 15); more against vain babblings and their results (v. 16-18); but the church and truth of God are safe and sure (v. 19); how to have honor therein (v. 20, 21); personal counsels (v. 22, 23); how to treat opposers (v. 24-26). 1. Thou therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. Be thou strengthened [made strong] in and by means of that grace [moral support] which comes through Christ Jesus. 2. And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also. "The things thou hast heard of me," etc., may allude to the embodied presentation of the gospel to Timothy at his ordination. That, we may suppose, was in the presence of ["among"] many witnesses. An allusion to Timothy's ordination charge and to the truths then made prominent would be specially pertinent in this connection. Let him transmit the truths, then put in his keeping, |