Expositor's Greek Testament (Nicoll)

1 Timothy 3:14

This verse makes it clear that Timothy's position was a temporary one; he was acting as St. Paul's representative at Ephesus to “put them in remembrance of his ways which be in Christ” (1 Corinthians 4:17).

ταῦτα has a primary reference to the preceding directions regarding public prayers and Church officers; but it naturally includes the following supplementary remarks. For this use of γράφω, in place of the epistolary aorist, see especially 2 Corinthians 13:10, also 1 Corinthians 14:37; 2 Corinthians 1:13; Galatians 1:20.

ἐλπίζων … βραδύνω is parenthetical; and expresses at once an excuse for the brevity and incompleteness, from one point of view, of the directions, and also an expectation that they are sufficient to serve their temporary purpose.

ἐν τάχει : τάχιον, which is read by Tisch., is, according to Blass (Grammar, pp. 33, 141, 142), an instance of the intensive or elative use of the comparative: cf. βέλτιον 2 Timothy 1:18. This view is rejected by Winer-Moulton (Grammar, p. 304) and Ellicott; but their explanations are far-fetched: “More quickly, sooner, than thou wilt need these instructions,” “sooner than I anticipate”. See also J. H. Moulton, Grammar, vol. i. pp. 78, 79, 236.

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Expositor's Greek Testament (Nicoll)

1 Timothy 3:14

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