2 Timothy 2:1-10
REPETITION OF CHARGE I. BE STRONG IN CHRIST’S STRENGTH... [ Continue Reading ]
REPETITION OF CHARGE I. BE STRONG IN CHRIST’S STRENGTH... [ Continue Reading ]
ΣῪ ΟὟΝ. _Thou therefore_; sc. in reference to the defections of which he had just spoken. ΤΈΚΝΟΝ ΜΟΥ. see on 1 Timothy 1:2. ἘΝΔΥΝΑΜΟΥ͂, _be strengthened_ (passive, not middle, voice). The present tense marks an abiding and continual strengthening. See note on 1 Timothy 1:12. ἘΝ ΤΗ͂Ι ΧΆΡΙΤΙ ΤΗ͂Ι Ἐ... [ Continue Reading ]
ΚΑῚ Ἃ ἬΚΟΥΣΑΣ ΠΑΡʼ ἘΜΟΥ͂. Cp. 2 Timothy 1:13 and the note at that place. Observe that personal strength in the grace of Christ precedes in importance as in time the transmission of the Apostolic deposit of faith. ΔΙᾺ ΠΟΛΛΩ͂Ν ΜΑΡΤΎΡΩΝ, _through many witnesses_; not only the instruction which St Paul... [ Continue Reading ]
ΣΥΝΚΑΚΟΠΆΘΗΣΟΝ. The rec. text has σὺ οὖν κακοπάθησον with a few authorities; but the evidence is convincing for συνκακοπάθησον. ΧΡΙΣΤΟΥ͂ ἸΗΣΟΥ͂. The rec. text has Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ with D2cKL; but the order Χρ. Ἰη. has the great weight of authority in its favour. 3. ΣΥΝΚΑΚΟΠΆΘΗΣΟΝ. _Take your share of... [ Continue Reading ]
3, 4. _a._ THE EXAMPLE OF THE SOLDIER... [ Continue Reading ]
ΟΥ̓ΔΕῚΣ ΣΤΡΑΤΕΥΌΜΕΝΟΣ, _no one serving as a soldier_. ἘΜΠΛΈΚΕΤΑΙ ΤΑΙ͂Σ ΤΟΥ͂ ΒΊΟΥ ΠΡΑΓΜΑΤΊΑΙΣ, _entangles himself with the affairs of life_, sc. the affairs of worldly business, as distinct from the higher life (ζωή) of the soul; see note on 1 Timothy 4:8. ἐμπλέκειν only occurs again in the N.T. at 2... [ Continue Reading ]
_b._ THE EXAMPLE OF THE ATHLETE 5. ἘᾺΝ ΔῈ ΚΑῚ�.Τ.Λ., _if any man, again, strive. in the games_, &c. See the note on 1 Timothy 6:12 for the use of this metaphor in St Paul and in Philo. ἀθλεῖν does not occur elsewhere in the Greek Bible, but it is a classical word and is used by Philo in similar con... [ Continue Reading ]
_c._ THE EXAMPLE OF THE HUSBANDMAN 6. ΤῸΝ ΚΟΠΙΩ͂ΝΤΑ ΓΕΩΡΓῸΝ ΔΕΙ͂ Κ.Τ.Λ., _the husbandman that laboureth must first_, sc. before him who is lazy and careless, _partake of the fruits_. The emphatic word is κοπιῶντα; as in the preceding verse, the main thought is that labour, discipline, striving are t... [ Continue Reading ]
Ὅ. So א*ACGP &c.; ἅ, the reading of the rec. text, is supported by אcD2EKL, the Latin and the Bohairic versions; it is probably an explanatory correction. ΔΏΣΕΙ. This has the preponderance of authorities in its favour, viz. אAC*D2EG, the Latin and the Bohairic versions. δῴη, the reading of the rec.... [ Continue Reading ]
Bengel’s comment on the verse is, as usual, illuminating. _Paulus exemplo Christi suum, ut solet, exemplum animat_. ΜΝΗΜΌΝΕΥΕ. _Keep in remembrance_, have ever in your thoughts. We have μνημονεύειν with the acc. again in 1 Thessalonians 2:9. ἸΗΣΟΥ͂Ν ΧΡΙΣΤῸΝ ἘΓΗΓΕΡΜΈΝΟΝ ἘΚ ΝΕΚΡΩ͂Ν. _Jesus Christ, a... [ Continue Reading ]
ἘΝ ὯΙ, _in which_, sc. in the preaching of which good tidings. ΚΑΚΟΠΑΘΩ͂ ΜΈΧΡΙ ΔΕΣΜΩ͂Ν ὩΣ ΚΑΚΟΥ͂ΡΓΟΣ. _I suffer hardship unto bonds, as a malefactor_. Timothy must be ready to take his share of hardship; and St Paul here introduces for his encouragement this notice of his own sufferings. κακοπαθεῖ... [ Continue Reading ]
ΑἸΩΝΊΟΥ. The Vulgate Latin, with f, _arm, aeth_, and the margin of the Harclean Syriac, seem to bear witness to a reading οὐρανίου. 10. ΔΙᾺ ΤΟΥ͂ΤΟ, _wherefore_, sc. because the work is going on, although the worker is bound in chains. ΠΆΝΤΑ ὙΠΟΜΈΝΩ, _I endure all things_; in the spirit of that cha... [ Continue Reading ]
ΠΙΣΤῸΣ Ὁ ΛΌΓΟΣ. See notes on 1 Timothy 1:15; 1 Timothy 4:9. Commentators are not agreed as to the reference of this formula here; some, following Chrysostom, hold that it refers to what _precedes_, viz. the motive to patient endurance set forth in 2 Timothy 2:10. And it is urged that γάρ, which seem... [ Continue Reading ]
FRAGMENT OF A HYMN ON THE GLORIES OF MARTYRDOM... [ Continue Reading ]
ἈΡΝΗΣΌΜΕΘΑ. So א*AC f and the Bohairic. ἀρνούμεθα, the rec. reading, is supported by אcD2EKLP d e; it seems to be a correction of tense due to a misunderstanding of the sequence of thought in the three clauses. See note _in loc_. 12. ΕἸ ὙΠΟΜΈΝΟΜΕΝ. We have again a close parallel in the Ep. to the R... [ Continue Reading ]
ΓΆΡ. אcK omit this, as does the rec. text; but the MS. authority is decisive for its retention. 13. ΕἸ�, ἘΚΕΙ͂ΝΟΣ ΠΙΣΤῸΣ ΜΈΝΕΙ. _If we are faithless, He abideth faithful_. The last clause gives a solemn warning; this gives a message of hope. Not every weakness of faith will call down the awful judg... [ Continue Reading ]
ΘΕΟΥ͂. The evidence is here rather evenly balanced between θεοῦ and κυρίου, the rec. reading. θεοῦ is supported by אCG f g and the Bohairic; κυρίου by AD2EKLP d e &c.; but the MS. witness for θεοῦ is confirmed also by the fact that ἐνώπιον τοῦ θεοῦ is a common Pauline phrase, whereas ἐν. κυρίου only... [ Continue Reading ]
CHARGE II. SHUN VAIN SPECULATIONS... [ Continue Reading ]
ΣΠΟΎΔΑΣΟΝ ΣΕΑΥΤῸΝ ΔΌΚΙΜΟΝ ΠΑΡΑΣΤΗ͂ΣΑΙ ΤΩ͂Ι ΘΕΩ͂Ι. _Give diligence to present thyself approved unto God_. For the phrase παριστάνειν τῷ θεῷ cp. 1 Corinthians 8:8; and for a salutary warning as to the true meaning of δόκιμος cp. 2 Corinthians 10:18, οὐ γὰρ ὁ ἑαυτὸν συνιστάνων, ἐκεῖνός ἐστιν δόκιμος, ἀ... [ Continue Reading ]
ΤᾺΣ ΔῈ ΒΕΒΉΛΟΥΣ ΚΕΝΟΦΩΝΊΑΣ ΠΕΡΙΊΣΤΑΣΟ, _but shun profane babblings_, such being the direct opposite of _the word of truth_, which it is Timothy’s business _rightly to divide_. Cp. the parallel passage 1 Timothy 6:20 and the note thereon. περιιστάναι is only used by St Paul here and at Titus 3:9 (whi... [ Continue Reading ]
ΚΑῚ Ὁ ΛΌΓΟΣ ΑΥ̓ΤΩ͂Ν, _and their word_, sc. not specifically their ‘doctrine’ but their ‘talk’; cp. 2 Corinthians 10:10; 2 Corinthians 11:6. ὩΣ ΓΆΓΓΡΑΙΝΑ, _as a gangrene_. The word does not occur elsewhere in the Greek Bible, but is used by medical writers of a sore which eats into the flesh. Cp. th... [ Continue Reading ]
THE SPECULATIONS OF HYMENAEUS AND PHILETUS... [ Continue Reading ]
ἈΝΆΣΤΑΣΙΝ. τὴν�. is read by most authorities and is found in the rec. text; the article is omitted by אG 17, and by most recent editors. WH give it a place in their margin. 18. ΟἽΤΙΝΕΣ ΠΕΡῚ ΤῊΝ�, _who concerning the truth have missed their aim_. See 1 Timothy 1:6; 1 Timothy 6:21 and the notes there... [ Continue Reading ]
ΚΥΡΊΟΥ. This is read by all the uncials and the versions; χριστοῦ of the rec. text has only scanty cursive authorities in its favour. 19. Ὁ ΜΈΝΤΟΙ ΣΤΕΡΕῸΣ ΘΕΜΈΛΙΟΣ ΤΟΥ͂ ΘΕΟΥ͂ ἝΣΤΗΚΕΝ. _Howbeit_, despite the subversion of some who are weak in the faith, _the firm foundation of God standeth_; not, as... [ Continue Reading ]
ἘΝ ΜΕΓΆΛΗΙ ΔῈ ΟἸΚΊΑΙ. _But_, it must be remembered, although the Church is holy, that _in a great house_ &c. The δέ introduces the answer to a possible objection to the suitability of such watchwords for the visible Church. In a great house there are vessels of every kind. The lesson is the same as... [ Continue Reading ]
ΕΥ̓́ΧΡΗΣΤΟΝ. καί is prefixed in the rec. text, following אcC*KLP; א*AD2*EG omit it. Versions may be cited on both sides, but on such a point their evidence is not very convincing. 21. ἘᾺΝ ΟΥ̓͂Ν ΤΙΣ ἘΚΚΑΘΆΠΗΙ ἙΑΥΤῸΝ�. _If a man therefore purge himself from these_. Quite generally it may be necessary... [ Continue Reading ]
ΤΩ͂Ν ἘΠΙΚΑΛΟΥΜΈΝΩΝ. Lachmann prefixes πάντων with ACG g (G omits τῶν), the Sahidic and Harclean versions; it is not found in אD2EKLP, the Bohairic, the Peshito, or the Old Latin for the most part, and probably crept into the text through a reminiscence of 1 Corinthians 1:2. 22. FLEE YOUTHFUL LUSTS:... [ Continue Reading ]
ΤᾺΣ ΔῈ ΜΩΡᾺΣ ΚΑῚ�, _but foolish and ignorant questionings refuse_. The irrelevancy of much of the controversy then prevalent among Christians seems to have deeply impressed St Paul; again and again he returns to this charge against the heretical teachers, that their doctrines are unprofitable and va... [ Continue Reading ]
TAKE NO PART IN IDLE CONTROVERSY... [ Continue Reading ]
ΔΟΥ͂ΛΟΝ ΔῈ ΚΥΡΊΟΥ ΟΥ̓ ΔΕΙ͂ ΜΆΧΕΣΘΑΙ. _But the Lord’s servant_ (a title generally applicable to all Christians, as at 1 Corinthians 7:22, but specially appropriate to one who has been entrusted with the oversight of the Lord’s family, as Timothy had been) _must not strive_, sc. must not give way to t... [ Continue Reading ]
ΠΡΑΫ́ΤΗΤΙ. This is the orthography of the best MSS.; D2bcEKL and some other authorities spell it πραότητι, which is the reading of the rec. text. See crit. note on Titus 3:2. ΔΏΙΗ. This is the reading of א*ACD2*G which must be preferred to δῷ the reading of אcD2cEKLP followed by the rec. text. 25... [ Continue Reading ]
ΚΑῚ�, _and may return to soberness out of the snare of the devil_. ἀνανήφειν is not found again in the Greek Bible, but we have ἐκνήφειν at 1 Corinthians 15:34. The παγὶς τοῦ διαβόλου here is certainly the snare laid by the devil for the feet of the unwary; the thought of man’s great spiritual adver... [ Continue Reading ]