1 Timothy 1 - Introduction
ΠΡΟΣ ΤΙΜΟΘΕΟΝ Αʹ... [ Continue Reading ]
ΠΡΟΣ ΤΙΜΟΘΕΟΝ Αʹ... [ Continue Reading ]
SALUTATION. 1 Timothy 1:1. ἀπόστολος Χρ. Ἰησ. The use of this official title is an indication that the Pastoral Epistles were not merely private letters (_ctr_. Παῦλος δέσμιος Χρ. Ἰησ., Philemon 1:1), but were intended to be read to the Churches committed to the charge of Timothy and Titus respectiv... [ Continue Reading ]
καθώς : The apodosis supplied at the end of 1 Timothy 1:4 in the R.V., _so do I now_, is feebler than the _so do_ of the A.V. We need something more vigorous. St. Paul was more anxious that Timothy should _charge some_, etc., than that he should merely _abide at Ephesus_. This is implied in the A.V.... [ Continue Reading ]
THE MOTIVE OF THIS LETTER: to provide Timothy with a written memorandum of previous verbal instructions, especially with a view to novel speculations about the Law which sap the vitality of the Gospel; the root of which is sincerity, and its fruit, love.... [ Continue Reading ]
μηδὲ προσέχειν : _nor to pay attention to_. This perhaps refers primarily to the hearers of the ἑτεροδιδάσκαλοι rather than to the false teachers themselves. See reff. μύθοις καὶ γενεαλογίαις ἀπεράντοις : “Polybius uses both terms in similarly close connection, _Hist_. ix. 2, 1” (Ell.). Two aspects... [ Continue Reading ]
ὧν : _i.e._, the disposition, conscience, and faith as qualified. τινὲς : see note on 1 Timothy 1:3. ἀστοχήσαντες : (_aberrantes_, Vulg.; _recedentes_, [254] 7; _excedentes_, [255] 50). In the other passages where this word occurs the A.V. and R.V. have _erred_; here _swerved_. They _missed the mark... [ Continue Reading ]
νομαδιδάσκαλοι : The Mosaic or Jewish law is meant. See Titus 3:9. The term is used seriously, of official teachers of the law, in reff. μὴ νοοῦντες, κ. τ. λ.: _Though they understand neither, etc_. The participle is concessive, and με is here subjective, as usual, expressing St. Paul's opinion abou... [ Continue Reading ]
οἴδαμεν, as in Romans 7:14; 1 Corinthians 8:1; 1 Corinthians 8:4, introduces a concession in the argument καλὸς ὁ νόμος was a concession made by St. Paul, Romans 7:16, also Romans 7:12, ὁ μὲν νόμος ἅγιος. It is possible that it had been objected that his language was inconsistent with his policy. It... [ Continue Reading ]
And yet this alleged antagonism of the Law to the Gospel is factitious: _the Law_ on which they insist is part of law in general; so is the Gospel with which I was entrusted. The intention of both is to a large extent identical: to promote right conduct.... [ Continue Reading ]
εἰδώς refers to τις, _as knowing this_ (R.V). For the expression _cf._ οἶδας τοῦτο, 2 Timothy 1:15 and Ephesians 5:5. νόμος : Although νόμος when anarthrous may mean the Mosaic Law, the statement here is perfectly general (so R.V.). The Mosaic Law does not differ in the range of its application, tho... [ Continue Reading ]
ἀνδραποδισταῖς, _plagiariis_ (Vulg.), includes all who exploit other men and women for their own selfish ends; as πόρνοις and ἀρσενοκοίταις include all improper use of sexual relations. διδασκαλία means _the body of doctrine_, the apostolic _Summa Theologiæ_. The noun is used absolutely, 1 Timothy 6... [ Continue Reading ]
κατὰ τὸ εὐαγγέλιον, κ. τ. λ., refers to the whole preceding sentence and is not to be connected with διδασκαλίᾳ. only, which would necessitate τῇ κατὰ, κ. τ. λ. This reading is actually found in [257],* [258] _,_ [259] _,_ [260], Vg., Arm., _quae est secundum_, etc. Von Soden connects with δικαίῳ νό... [ Continue Reading ]
This parenthetical thanksgiving, which is quite in St. Paul's manner, is suggested by ὃ ἐπιστεύθην ἐγώ. _Cf._ 1 Corinthians 15:9 _sqq._, Ephesians 3:8. χάριν ἔχω : see note on 2 Timothy 1:3. ἐνδυναμώσαντι : The aor. is used be cause the writer's thoughts pass back to the particular time when he rece... [ Continue Reading ]
I cannot mention my part in the furtherance of the gospel without expressing my gratitude to our Lord for His forgiveness of my errors and His confidence in my natural trustworthiness, and His grace which gave me strength to serve Him.... [ Continue Reading ]
ὄντα : concessive: “ _though I was_,” etc. βλάσφημον : _a blasphemer_. The context alone can decide whether βλασφημεῖν is to be rendered _rail_ or _blaspheme_. It was against Jesus personally that Paul had acted (Acts 9:5; Acts 22:7; Acts 26:14). This brings into stronger relief the kindness of Jesu... [ Continue Reading ]
ὑπερπλεονάζειν only occurs here in N.T.; but St. Paul constantly uses compounds with ὑπέρ. The comparative force of the ὑπέρ grace outweighing sin is brought out in Romans 5:15 _sqq_. In these passages at least it is not true, as Ellicott maintains, that ὑπέρ has a superlative (_abound exceedingly_)... [ Continue Reading ]
πιστὸς ὁ λόγος : The complete phrase, πιστὸς … ἄξιος recurs in 1 Timothy 4:9; and πιστὸς ὁ λόγος in 1 Timothy 3:1; 2 Timothy 2:11; Titus 3:8. The only other places in the N.T. in which πιστὸς is applied to λόγος in the sense of _that can be relied on_ are Titus 1:9, ἀντεχόμενον τοῦ κατὰ τὴν διδαχὴν... [ Continue Reading ]
The dealings of Christ with me, of course, are not unique. My experience is the same in kind, though not in degree, as that of all saved sinners. Christ's longsuffering will never undergo a more severe test than it did in my case, so that no sinner need ever despair. Let us giorify God therefor.... [ Continue Reading ]
ἀλλά : This is not adversative, but rather continues from 1 Timothy 1:13, and develops the expression of self-depreciation. The connexion is: “I was such a sinner that antecedently one might doubt whether I could be saved or was worth saving. But Christ had a special object in view in extending to m... [ Continue Reading ]
This noble doxology might be one used by St. Paul himself in one of his eucharistic prayers. It is significant that in the Jewish forms of thanksgiving מֶֽלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם is of constant occurrence. See reff., and θεὸς τῶν αἰ. in Sir 36:22. Bengel's suggestion (on ch. 1 Timothy 1:4) that there is a pol... [ Continue Reading ]
ταύτην τήν παραγγελίαν is partly resumptive of 1 Timothy 1:3; it is the positive aspect of what is there negatively expressed; but as it concerns Timothy directly, it has a reference forward to ἵνα στρατεύῃ, κ. τ. λ., and to the general contents of the epistle. Bengel refers it to παραγγελίας, 1 Tim... [ Continue Reading ]
The charge that I am giving you now is in harmony with what you heard from the prophets at your ordination. It only emphasises the fundamental moral relations of man to things unseen and seen. The rejection of these principles of natural religion naturally issues in a perversion of revealed religion... [ Continue Reading ]
ἔχων : It is best perhaps to suppose that the metaphor of warfare is not continued beyond στρατείαν; else we might render, _holding faith_ as a shield, _cf._ Ephesians 6:16. But ἐν αὐταῖς implies that the prophecies included every piece of defensive armour. So ἔχων here simply means _possessing_, as... [ Continue Reading ]
οὓς παρέδωκα τῷ Σατανᾷ : _I have delivered_ (A.V.) expresses more accurately than _I delivered_ (R.V.) the force of the aorist followed by the subjunctive: they were still under sentence of excommunication (see Field _in loc_.). The theory of the relation of the Church to non-Christians which underl... [ Continue Reading ]