It appears that, at the beginning of the gospel, slaves cheered their hearts, as if the signal had been given for their emancipation; for Paul labors hard, in all his writings, to repress that desire; and indeed the condition of slavery was so hard that we need not wonder that it was exceedingly hat... [ Continue Reading ]
2_Who have believing masters _The name of _brother _may be thought to constitute equality, and consequently to take away dominion. Paul argues, on the contrary, that slaves ought the more willingly to subject themselves to believing masters, because they acknowledge them to be children of God, and a... [ Continue Reading ]
3_If anyone teacheth differently _The word ἑτεροδιδασκαλεῖ, being a compound, may also, not improperly, be translated, _teacheth other things _Yet there is no ambiguity as to the meaning; for he condemns all those who do not agree with this manner of teaching, although they do not openly and avowedl... [ Continue Reading ]
4_He is puffed up, knowing nothing _Such persons Paul first charges with pride, foolish and empty pride. Next, because no punishment can be imagined that is better adapted to chastise ambitious persons than to declare that all that they delight in proves their ignorance, Paul pronounces that they _k... [ Continue Reading ]
5_Of men corrupt in understanding, and that are destitute of the truth _It is certain that here he censures the sophists, who, neglecting edification, turn the word of God into trivial distinctions, and an art of ingenious discussion. If the Apostle only shewed that the doctrine of salvation is thus... [ Continue Reading ]
6_But godliness with sufficiency is great gain _In an elegant manner, and with an ironical correction, he instantly throws back those very words in an opposite meaning, as if he had said — “They do wrong and wickedly, who make merchandise of the doctrine of Christ, as if ‘godliness were gain;’ thoug... [ Continue Reading ]
7_For we brought nothing into the world., _He adds this for the purpose of setting a limit to the sufficiency. Our covetousness is an insatiable gulf, if it be not restrained; and the best bridle is, when we desire nothing more than the necessity of this life demands; for the reason why we transgres... [ Continue Reading ]
8_Having food and raiment _When he mentions _food and raiment, _he excludes luxuries and overflowing abundance; for nature is content with a little (122) and all that goes beyond the natural use is superfluous. Not that to use them more largely ought to be condemned on its own account, but lusting a... [ Continue Reading ]
9_They who wish to be rich _After having exhorted him to be content, and to despise riches, he now explains how dangerous is the desire of having them, and especially in the ministers of the Church, of whom he expressly speaks in this passage. Now the cause of the evils, which the Apostle here enume... [ Continue Reading ]
10_For the root of all evils is avarice _(124) There is no necessity for being too scrupulous in comparing other vices with this. It is certain that ambition and pride often produce worse fruits than covetousness does; and yet ambition does not proceed from covetousness. The same thing may be said o... [ Continue Reading ]
11_But thou, O man of God, flee these things _By calling him _man of God _he adds weight to the exhortation. If it be thought proper to limit to the preceding verse the injunction which he gives to _follow righteousness, piety, faith, patience, _this is an instruction which he gives, by contrast, fo... [ Continue Reading ]
12_Fight the good fight of faith _In the next epistle he says, “He who hath become a soldier doth not entangle himself with matters inconsistent with his calling.” (2 Timothy 2:4.) In like manner, in order to withdraw Timothy from excessive solicitude about earthly things, he reminds him that he m... [ Continue Reading ]
13_I charge thee _The great vehemence of solemn appeal, which Paul employs, is a proof how rare and hard a virtue it is, to persevere in the ministry, in a proper manner, till the end; for, although he exhorts others, in the person of Timothy, yet he addresses him also. _Before God, who quickeneth... [ Continue Reading ]
14_That thou, keep the commandment_. By the word commandment he means all that he hath hitherto said about the office of Timothy, the sum of which was, that he should show himself to be a faithful minister to Christ and to the Church. What is the use of extending this to the whole law? But perhaps i... [ Continue Reading ]
15_Which in his seasons he will show _We are commonly hasty in our wishes, and not far from prescribing a day and hour to God, as if we should say, that he must not delay to perform anything that he has promised; and for that reason the Apostle takes an early opportunity of restraining excessive has... [ Continue Reading ]
16_Who alone hath immortality _Paul labors to demonstrate that there is no happiness, no dignity or excellence, no life, out of God. Accordingly, he now says that God alone is immortal, in order to inform us, that we and all the creatures do not, strictly speaking, live, but only borrow life from Hi... [ Continue Reading ]
17_Command _(or _charge_) _those who are rich _There being many among Christians who were poor and in a mean condition, it is probable that they were despised (as usually happens) by the rich; and especially this might be common at Ephesus, which was a wealthy city; for in such cities, for the most... [ Continue Reading ]
18_To do good _He adds another remedy to the former, for correcting the sinful dispositions of rich men, by stating authoritatively what is the lawful use of riches; for the richer any man is, the more abundant are his means of doing good to others; and because we are always more tardy than we ought... [ Continue Reading ]
19_Laying up for themselves a good foundation _Besides, he adds an incitement drawn from the promise of a reward; that, by _bestowing _and _communicating, _they will procure for themselves a better treasure than they can have on earth. By the word _foundation _he means a firm and lasting duration; f... [ Continue Reading ]
20_O Timothy, guard that which is committed, to thee _Though interpreters differ in expounding παραθήκην, a thing _committed, _yet, for my part, I think that it denotes that grace which had been communicated to Timothy for the discharge of his office. It is called “a thing committed,” for the same r... [ Continue Reading ]
21_Which some professing, have erred concerning the faith. _From the result, also, he demonstrates how dangerous a thing it is, and how much it ought to be avoided. The way in which God punishes the haughtiness of those who, through the desire of obtaining reputation, corrupt and disfigure the doctr... [ Continue Reading ]