Observe here, 1. St. Paul asserts his apostolical authority, calling himself AN APOSTLE; not that Timothy questioned it, but he writes it for their sakes over whom he was now presiding at Ephesus, that neither ministers nor people might despise what Timothy did, it being enjoined both him and them b... [ Continue Reading ]
Observe here, 1. That endearing title which our apostle gives to Timothy, he calls him his son, his own son, his own son IN THE FAITH because, as some think, converted by him to the Christian faith; others, that he was more thooughly instructed, edified, and and encouraged, by St. Paul, but converte... [ Continue Reading ]
Note here, 1. The tender care which St. Paul took of the new planted church at Ephesus; when his office called him into Macedonia, he leaves Timothy behind him at Ephesus, to water what he had planted, and to build upon that foundation which he had laid; WHEN. WENT INTO MACEDONIA,. BESOUGHT THEE TO... [ Continue Reading ]
A farther and more particular charge is given here in 1 Timothy 1:4, that the church at Ephesus give not heed to FABLES or ENDLESS GENEALOGIES, which rather occasion wrangling disputes, than tend to edification in faith and holiness. By fables, we may understand vain and idle speculations, Jewish s... [ Continue Reading ]
In these words our apostle smartly reflects upon the judaizing teachers, who were so zealous for their ceremonial law, that they mingled works with faith in the point of justification: the apostle tells them that the end of the law, aye, and of the gospel too, is love; the end, that is, the aim, the... [ Continue Reading ]
Lest any should have apprehended, from the reflection he made upon the teachers of the law in the foregoing verse, that he did disparage and undervalue the law itself, our apostle in this verse declares, that the law, rightly understood and preached, was very good, given for, and serves unto, excell... [ Continue Reading ]
Our apostle here declares the persons, 1. whom the law was not made for; and, 2. them for whom it was made. It was not made for. righteous man, that is, say some, it was not made for him as. burden, to be an uneasiness to him, because he has. love to it,. delight in it, and does voluntarily comfo... [ Continue Reading ]
Note here, 1. The title given to the gospel: IT IS CALLED THE GLORIOUS GOSPEL OF THE BLESSED GOD: partly, because the glorious attributes and excellences of God are more resplendent in the gospel, than in the law of God; as also because the gospel brings more honour and glory to God than all the wor... [ Continue Reading ]
Note here, 1. What. prodigious sinner St. Paul represents himself before conversion; I WAS. BLASPHEMER,. PERSECUTOR, AND INJURIOUS;. blasphemer, the highest sin he could commit against God;. persecutor, the highest sin he could commit against saints; injurious, the highest wickedness against mankind... [ Continue Reading ]
Still our apostle goes on magnifying the transcendent mercy and abundant grace of God, that called him first to be. Christian, and then an apostle; and he shows, that this great mercy of God had great effects in him of faith and love, both towards God and his saints. Where note, how St. Paul after... [ Continue Reading ]
Observe here, 1. What an humble apprehension this great apostle had of himself, though then the greatest of saints in the esteem of others, yet the chiefest of sinners in his own account: for he doth not say,. was the chief of sinners, but I AM SO; notwithstanding his repentance and remission, still... [ Continue Reading ]
Note here, That God is pleased some times to magnify his mercy in the conversion and salvation of the most notorious sinners, that so the greatest of sinners may take encouragement from thence to hope and trust in our Lord Jesus Christ for pardoning mercy; thus here, this great blasphemer and persec... [ Continue Reading ]
Our apostle being ravished with. sweet sense of the greatness of God's pardoning mercy towards himself, concludes this whole matter with. pathetical doxology, and an affectionate thanksgiving unto God. As if he had thus said, "The sense of the afore named unspeakable mercy calleth up my soul to spea... [ Continue Reading ]
What charge? To stay at Ephesus, say some, for the benefit of the church there: to charge the false teachers not to give heed to fables, say others; to keep the doctrine committed to him by St. Paul, as. faithful minister and soldier of Jesus Christ, against all opposition: these were the charges gi... [ Continue Reading ]
St. Paul had exhorted Timothy in the foregoing verse TO WAR. GOOD WARFARE; here he directs him to two weapons which he would have him use in that warfare, namely, FAITH, AND. GOOD CONSCIENCE; neither will do alone: not faith without. good conscience, nor. good conscience without faith; hold both fai... [ Continue Reading ]
That is, of the number of those who have made shipwreck of faith and. good conscience are these two men. They made shipwreck of faith. But how: by renouncing Christianity expressly? No, but implicitly, by denying the resurrection, and maintaining such doctrines as utterly subverted and totally overt... [ Continue Reading ]