2 Timothy 3:1-9
Evil times are upon us; we have indeed amongst us specimens of the perennial impostor, worthy successors of Jannes and Jambres. The shortlived nature of their success, will be, however, patent to all.... [ Continue Reading ]
Evil times are upon us; we have indeed amongst us specimens of the perennial impostor, worthy successors of Jannes and Jambres. The shortlived nature of their success, will be, however, patent to all.... [ Continue Reading ]
ἐν ἐσχάταις ἡμέραις ἐνστήσονται : Although St. Paul had abandoned his once confident expectation that the Lord would come again during his own lifetime, it is plain that here, as in 1 Timothy 4:1, he regards the time now present as part of the last days. See ἀποτρέπου … εἰσιν οἱ ἐνδύνοντες, 2 Timoth... [ Continue Reading ]
οἱ ἄνθρωποι : _mankind_ in general, not οἱ ἄνδρες. This list of human vices should be compared with that given in Romans 1:29 _sqq_.; ἀλαζόνες, ὑπερήφανοι, γονεῦσιν ἀπειθεῖς, ἄστοργοι are common to both passages. φίλαυτοι appropriately heads the array, egoism or self-centredness being the root of al... [ Continue Reading ]
ἄστοργοι : _without natural affection, sine affectione_. This and the three preceding adjectives appear to have teference to domestic relations. ἄσπονδοι : _implacable, sine pace_ (_absque foedere_, Romans 1:31); not _truce-breakers_ (A.V.), which would be ἀσύνθετοι, Romans 1:31; the ἄσπονδος refus... [ Continue Reading ]
προδοται : has no special reference to persecution of Christians. τετυφωμένοι : See note on 1 Timothy 3:6.... [ Continue Reading ]
ἔχοντες (see note on 1 Timothy 1:19) μόρφωσιν, κ. τ. λ.: _Habentes speciem quidem pietatis_. We have an exact parallel in Titus 1:16, θεὸν ὁμολογοῦσιν εἰδέναι, τοῖς δὲ ἔργοις ἀρνοῦνται. They were professing Christians, but nothing more; genuine Christians must also be professing Christians. This con... [ Continue Reading ]
ἐνδύνοντες : _who insinuate themselves into houses_ [which they overthrow], Titus 1:11. “Observe how he shows their impudence by this expression, their dishonourable ways, their deceitfulness” (Chrys.). παρεισέδυησαν (Jude 1:4) and παρεισῆλθον (Galatians 2:4) are similar expressions. γυναικάρια : _... [ Continue Reading ]
πάντοτε μανθάνοντα : They have never concentrated their attention on any spiritual truth so as to have learnt it and assimilated it. They are always being attracted by “some newer thing,” τι καινότερον (Acts 17:21), and thus their power of comprehension becomes atrophied. μηδέποτε : For negatives w... [ Continue Reading ]
The apostle now returns from the γυναικάρια to their seducers, whom he compares to the magicians who withstood Moses and Aaron, both in their hostility to the truth and in their subsequent fate. St. Paul is the earliest extant authority for the names; but of course he derived them from some source,... [ Continue Reading ]
οὐ προκόψουσιν ἐπὶ πλεῖον : There is only a verbal inconsistency between this statement and those in 2 Timothy 2:16 and 2 Timothy 3:13, where see notes. The meaning here is that there will be a limit to the success of the false teachers. They will be exposed, found out; those to whom that fact is ap... [ Continue Reading ]
διδασκαλίᾳ : See note on 1 Timothy 1:10. ἀγωγῇ : _conduct_ (R.V.). The A.V., _manner of life_ has perhaps reference to guiding principles of conduct rather than to the external expression of them, which is meant here. προθέσει : For πρόθεσις in this sense of human purpose see reff. Here it means wh... [ Continue Reading ]
I am not really uneasy about your steadfastness. You joined me as a disciple from spiritual and moral inducements only. The persecutions you saw me endure you knew to be typical of the conditions of a life of godliness. Stand in the old paths. Knowledge of the Holy Scriptures on which your growing m... [ Continue Reading ]
Ἀντιοχείᾳ : Acts 13:14; Acts 13:45; Acts 13:50; Ἰκονίῳ : Acts 14:1-2; Acts 14:5; Λύστροις : Acts 14:6; Acts 14:19. οἴους διωγμούς : There is no necessity to supply, with Alf., “Thou sawest”. καί : _and yet_. The verse is an echo of Psalms 33 (34):18, ὁ Κύριος … ἐκ πασῶν τῶν θλίψεων αὐτῶν ἐρύσατο α... [ Continue Reading ]
This verse is an interesting example of the effect of association of ideas. St. Paul's teaching after his persecutions at Antioch, etc., had strongly emphasised this topic. St. Luke (Acts 14:22) actually repeats the very words used by the preachers, “Through many tribulations we must enter into the... [ Continue Reading ]
πονηροὶ δὲ : The antithesis seems to be between the apparent discomfiture of those who wish to live in Christ (their persecution being after all almost a means conditional to their attaining their desire), and the paradoxical success of evil men; they advance indeed; but only in degradation; _profic... [ Continue Reading ]
σὺ δὲ μένε : Both σύ and μένε are in strong contrast to the πονηροὶ ἄνθρωποι and προκόψουσιν of 2 Timothy 3:13. The exhortation is illustrated by 2 John 1:9, πᾶς ὁ προάγων, καὶ μὴ μένων ἐν τῇ διδαχῇ τοῦ Χριστοῦ θεὸν οὐκ ἔχει. The conservatism here enjoined concerns more especially the fundamental et... [ Continue Reading ]
καὶ ὅτι : dependent on εἰδώς. For the change of construction, von Soden compares Romans 9:22-23; 1 Corinthians 14:5. Timothy's knowledge of things divine was derived not merely from persons, but from sacred writings; and, perhaps, as Theophylact notes, the two points are emphasised: (_a_) that the p... [ Continue Reading ]
In the absence of any extant Greek MS. authority for the omission of καί before ὠφέλιμος, we may assume that the early writers who ignored it did so from carelessness. The sentence then is best taken as a repetition and expansion of that which has just preceded; θεόπνευστος corresponding to ἱερά, an... [ Continue Reading ]
ἄρτιος : _perfectus, completely equipped_ for his work as a Man of God. τέλειος would have reference to his performance of it. ὁ τοῦ θεοῦ ἄνθρωπος : See on 1 Timothy 6:11. _The Man of God_ has here a primary reference to the minister of the Gospel. πρὸς πᾶν, κ. τ. λ.: see 2 Timothy 2:21; and, for t... [ Continue Reading ]