ished up, 2 Tim. i. 5, iii. 15. Continued nourishment. — Trie, Ktffreu?, of the faith) in thy behalf [for thine own good], — rqg xaXfo fadaffxa,Ma$, of good doctrine) in behalf of others [for the good of others]. — »j vctp ^oXou^/tac) which thou hast commenced (undertaken) to follow up (i.e. in all its details). Concerning this word, see Luke i. 3, note.
7. Bf/3/7/vouc, profane) The antithesis presently follows, godli ness. Whatever is not profitable to this godliness, though specious, is profane, 2 Tim. ii. 16. — V^<ws, fables) The antithesis is faithful, ver. 9. — crapa/roD) refuse, reject them, so as not to suggest them to the brethren. — yv/Ava^i ds ffsaurbv, but exercise thy self) A rare expression (as 1 John v. 2 12) for yy^mgou ; comp. Notes on Chrys. de Sacerd., p. 393. Paul had been accustomed to ' exercise' Timothy when present with him ; he now com mands Timothy to be a Paul to himself.
8. 'H ffuparixri yvpvaffia, bodily exercise) and that, whether violent or pleasant. — ~pbg bxiyov, is profitable to but a short extent) viz. its benefit extends only to the private fortune, to one's repu tation, to one's enjoyment, to the promotion of long life ; and therefore it is terminated in this life of the body. Timothy, as a young man, seems to have sometimes used some bodily exercise [ch. v. 23], which Paul does not so much forbid as not praise. He mixes up a similar admonition, salutary to a young man, with the same argument against profane doctrines, 2 Tim. ii. 22. —
, unto all things) in the case of body and soul. — tvay- promise) on which hope (* trust') is brought to bear, ver. 10. Whatever does not serve this purpose is scarcely profitable. — £w?j£ r?jg vZv, of the life that now is) the advantage of which they who exercise the body seem in other respects to consult.
9. n/<rro£, faithful) The following verse is joined to this short preface by the for, as in 2 Tim. ii. 11. Godly men appear often to suffer loss with respect to the enjoyment of the present life. Paul refutes this notion.
10. E/£ roDro, it is with a view to this, that) on this account,
1 Kxl ypctufai;, and old wives') Both old wives' fables and youthful lu*ts are equally to be avoided, 2 Tim. ii. 22. — V. g.
2 The active verb with the reciprocal pronoun (<pvX«|«Tg kxvrovf, Jce*p yourselves from idols), is elegantly used as expressing more than
Be on your guard.— Ev.