I. 1. ΠΑΥΛΟΣ δοῦλος Θεοῦ, " ἀπόστολος δὲ “Ἰησοῦ "Χριστοῦ !aSeerTim
κατὰ πίστιν ἢ" ἐκλεκτῶν ὃ Θεοῦ καὶ
- lol , a / 4 εὐσέβειαν 2. ἐπ᾽ ᾿ ἐλπίδι ** ζωῆς δ αἰωνίου, ἣν ἐπηγγείλατο ὁ
ἃ τ Tim. vi. 3.
5 ἐπίγνωσιν ° ἀληθείας Ἱτῆς
e See 1 Tim. ii. 2.
d 3 1. I. Ἂν Κατ b Rom. viii. 33, Col. 111. 12.
c Seer Tim.
il. 4. f Dit πι. 7. g See 1 Tim. i. 16.
1 Χριστ. Ἴησ. A, 108, two others, fuld., boh., syrhcl; om. Ιησοῦ Dest.
CuapTER I.—Vv. 1-4. Salutation, in which the place of the Gospel in eternity and in time is largely expressed.
Ver. 1. δοῦλος θεοῦ : The only parallel to this phrase in the opening formula of any other epistle in the N.T. is James i. 1; but there it is, “‘ James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ.” It is no less obvious than necessary to note that this variation from St. Paul’s formula δοῦλος “Ino. Xp. (Rom. i. 1; Phil. i. τ) would not be likely in a pseudepigraphic writing.
ἀπόστολος δὲ ᾿Ιησοῦ Χριστοῦ: See note on 1: Tim. i. 1. The δέ is not merely copulative, as in Jude 1; but marks the antithesis between the two aspects of Paul’s relationship to the Supreme: between God as known to his fathers, and as recently manifested in the sphere of history.
κατὰ πίστιν κ.τ.λ.: to be connected with ἀπόστολος only. It is natural to suppose that κατά has the same force here as in 2 Tim. i. 1, κατ᾽ ἐπαγγελίαν ζωῆς, where see note. His apostleship was for the confirmation of the faith of God’s elect, and for the spreading of the knowledge, etc., etc. We take κατά as = for or in regard to; and expand it according to the exigencies of the context. Here God’s elect does not mean those whom God intends to select; but those who have been externally selected, and who consequently possess faith. See reff. and Acts xiii. 48. They do not need that it should be generated in them, but that it should be fostered. See note on 2 Tim. ii. 10. Contrast ἀποστολὴν εἰς ὑπακοὴν πίστεως ἐν
πᾶσιν τοῖς ἔθνεσιν, Rom. i. 5, where the Gospel-propagation function of his apostleship is indicated.
The rendering here of the Vulg. and of the English versions, according to the faith, etc., secundum fidem, pre- serves the common meaning of κατά, but does not stand examination. 8. Paul’s office as apostle was not depen- dent in any way on the faith or know- ledge of human beings, as it was on the will or command of God or Christ. The final cause of it was the faith and knowledge of men.
ἐπίγνωσιν ἀληθείας: See on τ Tim. 11: 4
εὐσέβειαν: See on 1 Tim. ii. 2.
Ver. 2. ἐπ᾽ ἐλπίδι κ.τ.λ.: This is best taken in connexion with the preceding clause, κατὰ πίστιν... εὐσέβειαν. The, faith and the knowledge there spoken of have as their basis of action, or energy, the hope of eternal life. Cf. 1 Tim. i. 16. Compare the use of ἐπ᾽ ἐλπίδι in Acts xxvi. 6; Rom. iv. 18, viii. 20; 1 Cor. ix. Io. On the other hand, we must not exclude a remoter connexion with ἀπόστολος. A comparison of the parallel passage in 2 Tim. i. 1 suggests that the succession of clauses here, κατὰ “πίστιν κηρύγματι, is a full and detailed expansion of κατ᾽ ἐπαγγελίαν. . . ἐν Xp. ἸἼησ.
ἀψευδής: qui non mentitur. See note on 2 Tim. ii. 13.
ἐπηγγείλατο: See Rom. i. 1, iv. 21; Gal. iii. το.
ἐπηγγείλατο .. . πρὸ χρόνων αἰωνίων, ἐφανέρωσεν δέ: The same antithesis is expressed in 2 Tim. i. 9, 10 (g.v.); Rom.
Cher part
186