ously to suffer evil jointly with him for the gospel, through the assistance of God, ver. 8.-who hath saved both Jews and Gentiles; having called both into his kingdom by the gospel, not on account of their good works, as the Judaizers affirmed concerning their own calling, but merely from God's free grace, bestowed on them through Christ, agreeably to the promise of pardon and salvation made to the first parents of mankind at the fall, long before the Jewish dispensation began, ver. 9.This promise, the apostle observed, was now published to all, through the appearing of Christ in the flesh; in so much that the Gentiles, by the gospel, had obtained a clear knowledge of the immortality of the soul, and of an eternal state of happiness hereafter for good men of all nations, who, before the gospel was published, had no certain knowledge of these great truths, ver. 10.-Farther, the apostle assured Timothy, that to publish these joyful doctrines, he was himself appointed a herald, and an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles, ver. 11.-And that for preaching these doctrines to the Gentiles, and not for any crime, he now suffered the miseries of a jail. Nevertheless, he was not ashamed of his imprisonment, because he knew in whom he had believed, that he is the Son of God, and Governor of the world, ver. 12.—He therefore ordered Timothy, to hold fast the form of sound words, in which he had delivered the doctrines of the gospel to him, as well as these doctrines themselves, which had been revealed to him by Christ, ver. 13. -Then mentioned the desertion of the Judaizing teachers in Asia, ver. 15.-And spake with the warmest gratitude of the kindness of Onesiphorus, who had gone among the different prisons of Rome seeking him; and when he found him, had ministered to him with the greatest affection, as he had done to him formerly in Ephesus, as Timothy well knew, ver. 16, 17, 18.

NEW TRANSLATION. CHAP. I. 1 Paul an apostle of Jesus Christ (see 1 Tim. i. View.) by the will of God, (1 Cor. i. 1. note 1. na', 228.) on account of the promise of life which is by Christ Jesus,

COMMENTARY.

CHAP. I. 1 Paul an apostle of Jesus Christ, by the will of God, on account of publishing the promise of eternal life, which being made to believers of all nations in the covenant with Abraham, is to be obtained not by obeying Moses, but Christ Jesus,

2 Το Timothy, my dear.ly beloved son: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God the Father, and Christ

Jesus our Lord.

3 I thank God, whom I serve from my forefathers with pure conscience, that without ceasing I have remembrance of thee in my prayers night and day;

4 Greatly desiring to see thee, being mindful of thy tears, that I may be filled with joy;

5 When I call to remembrance the unfeigned faith that is in thee,

2 Τιμοθεῳ αγαπητῳ τεκνῳ, χαρις, ελεος, ειρηνη απο Θεου πατρος, και Χριςον Ιησου του Κυρίου ἡμων.

3 Χαριν εχω τῷ Θεῷ, ᾧ λατρεύω από προγονων εν καθαρα συνειδήσει, ὡς αδια λειπτον εχω την περι σου μνειαν εν ταις δεήσεσι μου νυκτος και ἡμερας,

4 Επιποθών σε ιδειν, μεμ νημένος σου των δακρυων, ἵνα χαρας πληρωθῳ·

5 Υπομνησιν λαμβανων της εν σοι ανυποκρίτου πιςε

Ver. 1.—1. On account of the promise of life which is by Christ Jesus. The preposition κατα, in this verse, as in Tit. i. 1. denotes the end for which Paul was made an apostle; namely, to publish to Jews and Gentiles the promise of eternal life, which is to be obtained through Christ Jesus. The law of Moses did not promise eternal life to them who obeyed its precepts. It promised nothing but a long and happy life in Canaan. See Rom. x. 5. note. The promise of eternal life was made, first at the fall, and after that more explicitly in the covenant with Abraham. See Titus i. 2. note 1. Ver. 3. 1. I give thanks to God, whom απο προγονων, from my forefathers, I serve. Because the Jews affirmed, that in preaching eternal life to the Gentiles through obedience to Jesus Christ, and not through obedience to the law, the apostle had apostatized from the faith of his forefathers, he said to Timothy, in thus preaching I serve God with a pure conscience, because I preach according to the knowledge of the scriptures which I received from my forefathers, to whom the salvation of the Gentiles through faith was made known in the covenant with Abraham.-Or, the clause may betranslated, after my forefathers, after their example.

2. With a pure conscience. By mentioning a pure conscience, as maintained by him in his. preaching salvation through faith, the apostle obliquely condemned the Judaizing teachers as having put away a good conscience, 1 Tim. i. 5, 6. when they preached that salvation could be had only by obeying the law of Moses.

3. Night and day. Benson says, the evening and morning are pointed out by nature for our devotions; "for what more reasonable than that in

2 To Timothy my beloved son in the faith: May gracious dispositions, merciful deliverances, and inward peace, be to thee from God the Father of Jews and Gentiles, and from Christ Jesus our common Lord.

3 I give thanks to God, (whom, according to the knowledge received from my forefathers, I serve with a pure conscience, when I preach to all the promise of life through Christ,) That I have unceasing remembrance of thee in my prayers evening and morning, as a faithful minister of Christ.

4 Remembering thy tears I greatly desire to see thee, that I may be filled with joy in conversing with thee, and in giving thee my dying charge and blessing.

5 This desire is increased by my calling to remembrance also the unfeigned faith in the gospel which is in thee since I instructed thee, which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and in thy mother Eunice, and I am

"the morning men should commit themselves to the divine direction; and "in the evening greatfully review God's goodness, and recommend them"selves to his care."

Ver. 4.-I. Remembering thy tears. Lardner thinks these tears were shed by Timothy on the occasion mentioned Acts xx. 37. But there it is said that the Ephesian elders, and not Timothy, wept sore.-Others think the apostle refers to the tears which Timothy shed when he left him in Ephesus to go into Macedonia.-I think the tears spoken of, were shed when the apostle 'first instructed Timothy in the Christian faith. Thereby this pious youth shewed that he was deeply affected with the doctrines of the gospel, and that he felt the warmest gratitude to his spiritual father, while communicating these joyful doctrines to him.

2. I greatly desire to see thee. The common translation of verses 3, 4. seems to represent the apostle as greatly desiring to see Timothy, only while he was praying to God. But as that cannot be the apostle's meaning, the verse must be construed, and translated as I have done. See chap. iv. 9. note.

Ver. 5.-1. Which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, &c. In scripture language, to dwell, signifies to abide permanently. Here it is insinuated, to

which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice, and I am persuaded that in thee also.

6 Wherefore I put thee in remembrance, that thou stir up the gift of God which is in thee, by the putting on of my hands.

7 For God hath not

given us the spirit of fear, but of power, and of love,

and of a sound mind.

8 Be not thou, there

fore, ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflic

tions of the gospel, accord.

ing to the power of God;

ως, ήτις ενίκησε πρωτον εν τη μαμμη σου Λωιδί, και τη μητρι του Εθνικῃ· πεπεισμαι δε ότι και εν σοι.

ΤΟ

6 Δι' ήν αιτιαν αναμιμ νησκω σε αναζωπυρείν ὁ εςιν εν χαρισμα του Θεου, σοι δια της επιθέσεως των χειρων μου.

7 Ου γαρ εδωκεν ἡμῖν ὁ Θεος πνευμα, δειλιας, αλλα δυναμεως και αγαπης και σωφρονισμου.

8 Μη ουν επαισχύνθης το μαρτύριον του Κυρίου ἡμων, μηδε εμε τον δεσμιον αυτου αλλα συγκακοπάθησον τω ευαγγελιῳ κατα δυναμιν Θεον,

the great praise of Timothy's grandmother Lois, that having embraced the Christian faith herself, she persevered in it, and. persuaded her daughter Eunice to do the same; and that the instructions and example of these pious women prepared their son for receiving the gospel when it was preached to him by the apostle.-The pains which these worthy persons took to impress the mind of their son in his childhood with sentiments of piety and virtue, is a fit example for the imitation of all mothers, who if they take the same pains with their children, may hope, that by the blessing of God, their care will be followed with the same happy effects.

Ver. 6.—1. Stir up the spiritual gift of God. For the meaning of this ex. hortation, see 1 Thess. v. 19. note. Timothy was here directed to lay hold on the opportunities, which his station at Ephesus afforded him, for improving his spiritual gifts, by boldly exercising them in confirming and defend. ing the doctrines of the gospel; as is plain from the next verse.

Ver. 7.—1. And of love. The ministers of the gospel were not animated with the selfish and bigotted spirit of the Jews and Judaizing teachers, who hated all mankind but those of their own nation and religion, and confined salvation to the disciples of Moses.

2. And of self government. Σωφρονισμό. Scapula translates this by the word castigatio, correction: Estius, by moderatio, government. It comes from

nice, and I am persuaded that IT DWELLETH in thee also.

6 For which cause I put thee in mind to stir up the spiritual gift of God' which is in thee through the imposition of my hands. (See 1 Tim. iv. 14. note 3.)

7 For God hath not given us a spirit of cowardice, but of power, and of love, and of self-government. 2

8

Wherefore, be not thou ashamed of the testimony 1 of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: But do thou jointly suffer evil FOR the gospel, according to the power (see ver. 7.) God,

2

of

persuaded that it dwelleth firmly fixed in thee also, through the instructions of thy pious parents, as well as through my care.

6 Because I believe thy faith to be unfeigned, I put thee in mind to stir up the spiritual gift of God which thou possessest through the imposition of my hands: Improve thy gift by boldly exercising it in preaching and defending the doctrines of the gospel, against all false teachers.

7 For God hath not infused into us a spirit of cowardice which shrinks at danger, but of courage, such as becometh those who possess the gifts of inspiration and miracles, and of benevolence, which disposes us to communicate the gospel to all mankind, and of self-government, to behave with prudence on every occasion.

8 Wherefore be not thou, like many in this city, ashamed of testifying the things which concern our Lord Jesus, neither be thou ashamed of me who am a prisoner on his account: But do thou come and jointly suffer evil with me for the gospel which I preach to the Gentiles, according to the power of God bestowed on thee;

wopovi?w, ad sanam mentem reduco; consequently it signifies a habit of self government acquired by frequently restraining our passions. See Tit. ii. 12. note 3.

Ver. 8.-1. The testimony of our Lord.--This is the genitive of the object, Ess. iv. 24.—The great business of the first preachers of the gospel was, to testify to the world the things concerning the Lord Jesus, of which they had been eye-witnesses, or which had been reported to them by the eye-witnesses: Such as, the doctrines which he preached, and the miracles which he wrought in proof of his being the Son of God: his calling himself Christ the Son of God, even in presence of the chief priests and elders of the Jews; his condemnation and crucifixion on that account; his resurrection from the dead, whereby he was demonstrated to be the Son of God: his ascension