9 Who hath saved us, 9 του σώσαντος μας, και

and called us, with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and

καλεσαντος κλησει ἅγια, οὐ κατα τα εργα ήμων, αλλα κατ' ιδιαν προθεσιν, και χαεν Χριριν την δοθεισαν ἡμιν us in Christ Jesus before ζῷ Ιησου προ χρονων αιωνι the world began ;

grace, which was given

1

10 But is now made 10 Φανερωθεισαν δε νυν manifest by the appearing δια της επιφάνειας του σω τηρος ήμων Ιησου Χριςου, καταργήσαντος μεν τον θα νατον, φωτισαντος δε ζωην και αφθαρσίαν δια του ευ αγγελιου

of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel:

into heaven; his shedding down the Holy Ghost on his disciples; and his promise to return to judge the world. That the apostles were to testify these things, appears from our Lord's command, recorded John xv. 27. And ye shall bear witness, because ye have been with me from the beginning. Acts i. 8. Ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, &c. and to the uttermost parts of the earth.

1

2. But do thou jointly suffer evil for the gospel. The dative case, in the Greek, is often governed by a preposition understood. Here the preposition understood is wi, for, and not σuv, with; because to suffer evil with the gospel, would be too bold a figure. The proper meaning of συν, in the compound word συγκακοπαθῆσον, is jointly suffer evil with me, and the other faithful servants of Christ.

Ver. 9.1. And grace which was given us. This (χαριν) grace or gift, is that which was given to all mankind after the fall, in the promise that the seed of the woman should bruise the head of the serpent, and which, according to the apostle's account of it, Rom. v. 17. was a promise of deliverance from death by a general resurrection, and of eternal life to all, who at the judgment are found capable of it.

Ver. 10.1. By the appearing. The word επιφανείας, properly signifies, brightness, splendour; and by the Greeks was applied to the appearing of a god. See Parkhurst's Dictionary. I think the apostle alludes to Christ's calling himself the light of the world. See Tit. ii. 11. note 2.—The manifestation of God's purpose and grace, and the making death ineffectual, and life and immortality clear, were accomplished, not merely by Christ's appearing, but by his appearing and continuing on earth in the flesh, and by his rising from the dead in the body in which he died.

2. Who hath indeed madle death ineffectual. The word καταργήσαντος, signifies, to render a thing inoperative; to deprive it of its power, Rom. iii. 31. note 1.-Christ hath not abolished temporal death to any one, since all with" out exception die. But he hath deprived death of its power to continue

9 Who hath resolved to save us, and for that purpose hath called us into his kingdom, with an holy calling; a calling whose object is to make us holy; and hath thus called us not on account of our works as meriting it, but in accomplishment of his own purpose and gift, which was given us through Christ Jesus in the covenant made with mankind at the fall, long before the times of the Mosaic dispensation.

10 And this gift of salvation is now made manifest, by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ in the flesh, who, through his own death and resurrection, hath indeed made death ineffectual, and hath made àn immortal life after death, and the nature of that life, clear through the gospel, which assures us that we shall live for ever in the body, after the resurrection.

mankind in the state of the dead. By submitting to die, he hath procured for all men a resurrection from the dead; and for the righteous, an eternal life in the body after the resurrection. Hence the apostle telleth us, Heb. ii. 14. The Son of God partook of flesh and blood, that through death, narapnon he might destroy him who had the power of death; that is, render his malicious contrivances for destroying the human species ineffectual, agreeably to the promise that the seed of the woman should bruise the head of the serpent.

3. Hath made life and immortality clear. This is commonly supposed to be an Hebraism, for immortal life. But though I have so explained it in. the commentary, perhaps the word aq apoiay, should be translated, not immortality, but incorruption; in which case the meaning will be, bath made the life or existence of the soul after death, and the incorruption of the body after the resurrection, clear: So that the salvation of believers, mentioned ver. 9. includes not only a resurrection from the dead, but an immortal bodily life in heaven.-The word ewrowyr, which I have translated, made clear, is explained by Scapula, lucidum reddo; illumino, illustro; I make a thing which was formerly dark, clear and plain. This is more proper than the common translation, brought to light. For the Israelites had an obscure knowledge of the immortality of the soul and of the resurrection of the body, given them in the writings of Moses, as is plain from our Lord's words

11 Whereunto I am ap- ▾ 11 Εις ὁ ετέθην εγώ κηpointed a preacher, and an ρυξ και αποςολος και διδασ

apostle, and a teacher of

the Gentiles.

12 For the which cause

καλος εθνών.

12 Δι' ην αιτιαν και ταυ

I also suffer these things: τα πασχω, αλλ' ουκ επαισ

nevertheless I am not χυνομαι

ashamed; for I know

whom I have believed, and I am persuaded that

he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.

с

Οιδα γαρ ω πε και πεπεισμαι ότι δυνατος εςι την παραθήκην

πιςευκα,

μου φυλαξαι εις εκείνην την ἡμεραν.

Luke xx. 37. and from what is related, 2 Maccab. vii. 9. 14. 23. See Ess. v. sect. 3. Nevertheless, as these things were but obscurely revealed in the ancient oracles, the far more clear discovery of them in the gospel, but especially Christ's express promise to raise the dead, and give eternal life to believers, might with the greatest propriety be called a making these things clear.-The heathens also had some confused hopes, of the immor. tality of the soul, and of the resurrection of the body. But, as they had no ground for these hopes, but uncertain tradition and their own wishes, they were much in the dark as to these things. And, therefore, concerning these important subjects the apostle might justly say, that in former ages they were not made known to the sons of men, as they are now revealed to the holy apostles and prophets, by the Spirit, Eph. iii. 5.

Ver. 12.-1. For which cause I suffer even such things. By assigning his preaching salvation to the Gentiles through Christ, without obedience to the law of Moses, as the cause of his second bonds in Rome, he hath insinuated that the unbelieving Jews were active in getting him imprisoned, and tried for his life as a criminal.

2. I know in whom I have believed. By appearing to Paul on the road to Damascus, and by bestowing on him the spiritual gifts, Jesus convinced him that he was risen from the dead, and that he was Christ the Son of God. Wherefore, he could say with the greatest confidence, that he knew in whom he had believed: He knew that Jesus was no impostor, but the Son of God, the governor of the world, and the judge of the living and of the dead.

3. I am persuaded he is able to preserve what is committed in trust to me. Пapadnнnv μs: literally, my deposite. This may signify either something which the apostle had deposited, or committed in trust to Christ, to be preserved and restored to him at the last day; or something which Christ had committed in trust to him to be preserved. They who understand the phrase in the first sense, think the apostle speaks of his committing to Christ his bodily life to be preserved, till he should restore it to him at the last day. This doubtless is a good sense of the phrase, being parallel to 1 Pet.

11 For which I am appointed an herald, and an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles.

12 For which cause I suffer even such things.1 Nevertheless I am not ashamed; for I know in whom I have believed,2 and I am persuaded that he is able to preserve (την παραθηκαν με what is committed in trust3 to me until that day.

us,

11 For proclaiming which good news, I am appointed an herald and an apostle, and furnished with spiritual gifts to make me a successful teacher of the Gentiles.

12 For publishing the promise of eternal life through Jesus Christ to the Gentiles, I suffer even such things as have now befallen me. Nevertheless I am not ashamed either of my doctrine or of my sufferings. For I know in whom I have believed, that he is the Son of God; and I am persuaded he is able to defend the doctrine of the gospel which is committed in trust to me, against infidels and false teachers, till the end of the world.

iv. 19. Let those who suffer according to the will of God rapatideodwoar ras Tuxas ixutwv, commit in trust their lives to him in well doing, as to a fuithful creator: for certainly it was a great encouragement to the servants of Christ to suffer death on account of the gospel, to know that he would restore their bodily life to them at the resurrection.-Nevertheless seeing, by saying to Timothy, ver. 14. The good deposite preserve by the Holy Ghost who dwelleth in the apostle represents the doctrine of the gospel as a deposite committed to him and to the other faithful ministers of Christ, to be preserved in purity. (See ver. 14. note 1.) I am of opinion that wagadnan μou, in this verse, means the true doctrine of the gospel committed in trust to the apostle, and to the faithful men, mentioned 2 Tim. ii. 2.—It is true, that in ver. 14. and in 1 Tim. vi. 20. where the same injunction is given, the word used is not wagan, as in this verse, but waganaтann: but these words have the same meaning, being both of them derived from ragarınμ, which signifies to commit a thing in trust to another to be kept: And it is applied in particular to doctrines : 2 Tim. ii. 2. What things thou hast heard from me by many witnesses, these rapas commit in trust to faithful men, who shall be fit also to teach others.-It being the great duty of the ministers of Christ, in that, and in every age, to preserve in purity the doctrines of the gospel committed in trust to them, the apostle, to encourage them, declared here, that notwithstanding the attacks of infidels, and the arts of false teachers, and the endeavours of persecutors to extinguish the Christian religion by putting those to death who preached and professed it, he was persuaded that Christ is able to defend it, and will defend it until the day of his second coming.

13 Hold fast the form

15 Υποτυπωσιν εχε γι of sound words, which αινοντων λογων, ὧν παρ' ε

thou hast heard of me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.

14 That good thing which was committed unto thee keep by the Holy Ghost, which dwelleth in

us.

15 This thou knowest,

that all they which are in Asia be turned away from me; of whom are Phygellus and Hermogenes.

μου ήκουσας, εν πίζει και αγαπῃ τῇ εν Χριςῳ Ιησου.

14 Την καλην παρακαταθηκην φυλάξον δια πνευματος ἅγιου του ενοικούντος εν ἡμιν.

15 Οίδας τουτο, ότι απεςράφησαν με παντες δι εν τη Ασία ὧν εςι Φύγελλος και Ἑρμογένης,

Ver. 13 1. The form. Υποτυπωσιν, here translated form, comes from επιτυπιω, which signifies, to draw a sketch, or first draught of a thing, as painters do when they begin a picture.-Wetstein hath shewed from the Greek writers, that ὑποτύπωσις, denotes a sketch, or concise representation of any thing. It signifies also, the likeness of a thing, especially that which is made by impression. See 1 Tim. i. 16. note 2. The word, therefore, is properly enough translated, form.

2. Of wholesome words which thou hast heard from me. This is an insinuation that the false teachers had proudly and impiously introduced into their discourses, a variety of high sounding mysterious words and phrases of their own invention, (called foolish talking, 1 Tim. i. 6.) on pretence that they expressed the Christian doctrines better, than those used by the apostles. This bad practice Timothy was to resist, by adhering closely to the words and phrases in which the apostle had taught him the doctrines of the gospel, and which he terms wholesome words, because being dictated by the Spirit, 1 Cor. ii. 13. they are more fit for expressing the doctrines of Christ, than any words of human invention.-The teachers in modern times, who in explaining the articles of the Christian faith, use phrases different from the scripture phraseology, would do well to attend to this apostolical injunction. If the above interpretation of ύγιαινοντων λόγων, is not admitted, the clause may be thus translated, The form of wholesome doctrines—bold fast. Ver. 14.1. The good deposite. This is the literal translation of την καλην παρακαταθήκην. See 2 Tim. i. 12. note 3. The Cambridge MS. reads παραθήκην, here. What the deposite was, of which the apostle speaks, see 1 Tim. vi. 20. note 1.-Our translators have added the words, to thee, which are not in the original; and besides are unnecessary, because the apostle is speaking of a deposite committed in trust to himself, as well as to Timothy ; as is plain from the last words of the verse: Guard by the Holy Ghost who divelleth in us. As the form of wholesome worls mentioned ver. 13. was a