ii. 14, etc. ; concerning sober-mindedness, ch. iii. 1, etc. [These gifts are preferable to any miraculous powers whatever. — V. g.] — xa/ d/aTTjg, and of love) Moreover love embraces even those who are prisoners [in a spirit of bondage], by driving out fear ; comp. 1 John iv. 18. — xa/ ffuppoviff/tou, and of sober-mindedness) This is a verbal noun [the being sober-minded]. The duty of young men is truppovifyatOai, to act with sober-mindedness, Tit. ii. 4, 6 : and Timothy was a young man, ch. ii. 22 ; 1 Tim. iv. 12. He is therefore admonished to give up all the advantages and plea sures of life, ch. ii. 4, and to remove the ' thorns,' by which he may be entangled; Luke viii. 14. The Spirit teaches this lesson ; and he who learns it, is delivered from fear, and heartily embraces the testimony of his Lord.
8. Mij ouv svaiffxvvQfjs, be not thou therefore ashamed) Shame is the companion of fear ; if fear be overcome, false shame flees away. Comp. ver. 12, 16, wrhere Paul proposes his own example and that of Onesiphorus, adding, in conjunction with this, examples of a contrary character in ver. 15. — ro\j Kvpfou ripuv, of our Lord ) A rare Antonomasia.1 Elsewhere Paul either omits our, or adds the name of Jesus Christ. Now, when he says our Lord, he places Him in opposition to Caesar, whom his courtiers so called. — ^8s s^s, nor of me) The cause of the ser vants of God cannot be separated from the cause of God. — rov diction, His prisoner) Men are easily ashamed of those that are in prison, especially at Rome. — tfyyxaxota^tfov, but be thou partaker of the afflictions) Suffer afflictions [Endure hardness], ch. ii. 3, 4, 5 : and that too together with me and with the Gospel. — duvapiv, power) This, which is far above all things beside, is nervously described, ver. 9, 10 ; and at the same time the pre vious exhortation, ver. 8, is deduced from the subject itself", and derives its strength from the following description, ver. 9, 10. — ©sou, of God) Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit are mentioned, ver. 13, 14.
9. 2w<r«vrog, who has saved) by conversion ; Acts ii. 47. There is here an excellent description of the love of the Father, of the grace of the Saviour, and of the whole economy of salvation, for the propagation of which it is worth while to suffer and die.
1 A common or general designation, used instead of a proper name : Kvpiov for 'Invov. Append. — ED.