Expositor's Greek Testament (Nicoll)

2 Timothy 1:8

μὴ οὖν ἐπαισχυνθῇς : The Saying of Jesus (Mark 8:38 = Luke 9:26) was probably in St. Paul's mind. He alludes to it again, 2 Timothy 2:12. The aor. subj. with μὴ forbids the supposition that Timothy had actually done what St. Paul warns him against doing (Winer-Moulton, Grammar, p. 628, and J. H. Moulton, Grammar, vol. i. p. 122 sq.). See note on 1 Timothy 4:14. Personal appeals are a feature of this epistle cf. 2 Timothy 1:13; 2 Timothy 2:3; 2 Timothy 2:15 2 Timothy 3:14, 2 Timothy 4:1-2; 2 Timothy 4:5.

τὸ μαρτύριον τ. Κυρίου : Testimony borne by our Lord, His words, His ethical and spiritual teaching, by which Christianity has influenced the ideals and practice of society. The gen. after μαρτύριον is best taken as subjective. See 1 Corinthians 1:6; 1Co 2:1; 2 Thessalonians 1:10.

τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν : See note on 1 Timothy 1:14.

ἐμὲ τὸν δέσμιον αὐτοῦ : This does not mean one made prisoner by the Lord, but one who belongs to the Lord and is a prisoner for His sake. There is nothing figurative about δέσμιος. St. Paul calls himself ὁ δέσμ. τ. Χρ. Ἰησ. in Ephesians 3:1, δέσμ. Χρ. Ἰησ. Philemon 1:1; Philemon 1:9. The idea is more clearly expressed in ὁ δέσμ. ἐν Κυρίῳ Ephesians 4:1. He is a prisoner; he is also “in Christ”. The expression also suggests the thought that his earthly imprisonment is ordered by the Lord, not by man. The present captivity is alluded to again in 2 Timothy 1:16 and 2 Timothy 2:9. It is not the same figure as in 2 Corinthians 2:14, “God which always leadeth us in triumph in Christ” as His captives. See Lightfoot on Colossians 2:15.

συνκακοπάθησον τῷ εὐαγγελίῳ : Join us [the Lord and me] in our sufferings for the Gospel's sake. More than once in this epistle St. Paul declares that he is suffering (πάσχω, 2 Timothy 1:12; κακοπαθῶ, 2 Timothy 2:9). He has said, “Be not ashamed … of me”; but he has just coupled the testimony of the Lord with his own; and further on (2 Timothy 2:8) Jesus Christ is noted as the great illustration of the law, “No cross, no crown”. See note there. It is best then to give a wider reference than μοι to the συν in συνκακοπάθ. The R.V., Suffer hardship with the gospel is needlessly harsh. The dat. τῷ εὐαγγελίῳ is the dativus commodi.

κατὰ δύναμιν θεοῦ must be connected with συνκακοπάθ.; and this suggests that the power of God here means power given by God, as in 2 Corinthians 6:7; 1 Peter 1:5, “the power that worketh in us” (Ephesians 3:20), the assured possession of which would brace Timothy to suffer hardship. Alf. and Ell., following Bengel, take it subjectively: the power of God displayed in our salvation (as in Romans 1:16; 1 Corinthians 1:18; 1Co 1:24; 1 Corinthians 2:5; 2 Corinthians 13:4). But St. Paul could scarcely exhort Timothy to display a degree of fortitude comparable to God's active power. The next verse, τοῦ σώσαντος, κ. τ. λ., is not a detailed description of God's power to save, but a recalling of the fact that Timothy had actually experienced God's saving grace in the past. This consideration would stimulate Timothy to play the man.

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Expositor's Greek Testament (Nicoll)

2 Timothy 1:8

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