II. (1) THOU THEREFORE, MY SON, BE STRONG IN THE GRACE THAT IS IN CHRIST JESUS. — St. Paul, after the reference to the faithless Asiatics and the true loyal Onesiphorus, with which he interrupted his exhortation, turns again to Timothy. Thou therefore (_oun_)_,_ my son, considering what has taken pl... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE THINGS THAT THOU HAST HEARD OF ME. — These “things” have been often understood as referring to the few great fundamental truths rehearsed by the Apostle, in the presence of the elders of the congregation, on the occasion of Timothy’s solemn ordination. “The things,” then, would have been som... [ Continue Reading ]
THOU THEREFORE ENDURE HARDNESS. — The older authorities do not contain the Greek word rendered “thou therefore.” The word translated “endure hardness” in the older authorities is compounded with a preposition, and is better and more literally rendered, _take thy share in suffering._ But Timothy must... [ Continue Reading ]
NO MAN THAT WARRETH... — Better rendered, _while engaged on military service,_ or _serving as a soldier._ The first picture is suggested by the last simile (in 2 Timothy 2:3). It was one very familiar to the numerous peoples dwelling under the shadow of the Roman power, this picture of the soldier c... [ Continue Reading ]
AND IF A MAN ALSO STRIVE FOR MASTERIES. — More accurately translated, _again, if a man strive in the games._ Another picture is drawn, and the picture is, as before, a well-known one to all the dwellers in the great cities of the empire. An athlete is chosen to represent the professed servant of Chr... [ Continue Reading ]
THE HUSBANDMAN THAT LABOURETH MUST BE FIRST PARTAKER OF THE FRUITS. — Again the picture is painted from every-day life. “The husbandman that laboureth” — with an emphasis upon “that laboureth” — is the successful tiller of the ground; “the _labouring_ husbandman” it is, for whom the earth brings for... [ Continue Reading ]
CONSIDER WHAT I SAY; AND THE LORD GIVE THEE UNDERSTANDING IN ALL THINGS. — The older authorities read here _will give;_ also instead of “and the Lord,” the translation should be, _for the Lord._ Thus the sentence should run: _for the Lord will give thee understanding in all things._ Some difficulty... [ Continue Reading ]
REMEMBER THAT JESUS CHRIST OF THE SEED OF DAVID WAS RAISED FROM THE DEAD. — More accurately rendered, _Remember Jesus Christ... as raised_ (or, _as one raised_). The words of the Greek original, “of the seed of David,” come after, not before, “was raised from the dead.” The translation should run th... [ Continue Reading ]
WHEREIN I SUFFER TROUBLE. — Here St. Paul bids Timothy take courage, by thinking of the brave, patient example he was setting him in his Roman prison, undaunted and full of hope. “Wherein I suffer:” in which, that is, discharging my office as a preacher of the gospel, I suffer trouble. AS AN EVIL D... [ Continue Reading ]
THEREFORE I ENDURE ALL THINGS FOR THE ELECT’S SAKES. — Better rendered, _For this cause I endure_, &c. — that is, I endure all things in order that the “word of God,” which, unlike its preacher, I have just declared to be confined by no bonds — in order that that “word” may be widely spread and diss... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR IF WE BE DEAD WITH HIM, WE SHALL ALSO LIVE WITH HIM. — The last sentence ended with the words “eternal glory_”_ — the goal, the end of the salvation which is in Christ. This it is which the Apostle will help others to win, regardless of any suffering it may cost him; then, with his mind full of... [ Continue Reading ]
IF WE SUFFER, WE SHALL ALSO REIGN WITH HIM. — And the faithful saying went on with this stirring declaration. How, it seems to ask, can a believer in Christ shrink from suffering, when he knows what to him will be the glorious consequences of this present suffering? The word rendered “suffer” would... [ Continue Reading ]
IF WE BELIEVE NOT. — Better rendered, _if we are faithless_ — that is, untrue to the vows of our Christian profession. The faithlessness implies more than mere unbelief in any of the fundamental doctrines of the faith, such as the Resurrection of the Lord or His divinity. YET HE ABIDETH FAITHFUL: HE... [ Continue Reading ]
The shepherd and bishop of your souls. — Undoubtedly this means Christ. The first of the two titles is of course suggested by the simile of the sheep. The image is so natural and so frequent, that we can not say for certain that it proves St. Peter’s acquaintance with the parable of the Good Shepher... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT IN A GREAT HOUSE THERE ARE NOT ONLY VESSELS OF GOLD AND OF SILVER. — The Apostle goes on with the same thought of the “Church of God on earth,” but he changes the imagery. He has been speaking of this Church as the “foundation-storey that cannot be moved” of a still more glorious edifice. He now... [ Continue Reading ]
IF A MAN THEREFORE PURGE HIMSELF FROM THESE. — Again the reference is general, but there was a special thought for Timothy when St. Paul wrote this. If _he_ would separate from all that was evil in his Church at Ephesus, then would he indeed be one of those golden vessels unto honour. The image of t... [ Continue Reading ]
FLEE ALSO YOUTHFUL LUSTS. — But he who would _indeed_ become a “vessel for honour” in that great house of God must do more than merely separate himself from all outward communion and friendship with men who, by their teaching and in their lives, did dishonour to the Master’s religion. There was an _... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT FOOLISH AND UNLEARNED QUESTIONS AVOID. — The Greek word translated “unlearned” is better rendered _ignorant._ These “questions” which, as we have seen above, the false teachers, with whom Timothy was so much thrown, loved to put forward for discussion, could hardly be termed “unlearned” — much u... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE SERVANT OF THE LORD MUST NOT STRIVE. — Although these directions and commandments in all cases belong to God’s servants of every degree and calling, yet some of them, as we should expect from the nature of the Epistle, peculiarly apply to Timothy and those like Timothy specially devoted to t... [ Continue Reading ]
IN MEEKNESS INSTRUCTING THOSE THAT OPPOSE THEMSELVES. — By “those that oppose themselves,” St. Paul alludes scarcely so much to those leading teachers of false doctrine as to those led away by them. In Titus 3:10 we read how these pronounced heretics — no doubt the teachers and leaders of the school... [ Continue Reading ]
THAT THEY MAY RECOVER THEMSELVES. — The literal meaning of the Greek word rendered “that they may recover themselves” is. _that they may awake from drunkenness._ The English version, however, gives the meaning with great exactness. Those taken in the snare of the devil are represented as not only ca... [ Continue Reading ]