THE
PULPIT COMMENTARY EDITED BY TllE
VERY REV. H. D. M. SPENCE, D.D. DEAN OF GLOUCESTER
AND BY TllE
REV. JOSEPH S. EXELL, M.A.
II. TIMOTHY <ftpo~ition anti l~omilttir~ BY THE RIGHT HON. AND RIGHT REV. LORD A. C. HERVEY, D.D. LORD BISHOP OF BATH AND WELLS
1!1omilit~ bl? @ariou~ ~utf)ot'5 REV. PROF. T. CROSKERY, D.D. REV. R. FINLAYSON, B.A. REV. W. M. STATHAM
NEW EDITION
FUNK & W AGNALLS COMP ANY LONDON AND NEW YORK 1913 THE SECOND EPISTLE OF
PAUL TO TIMOTHY. EXPOSITION. ceasing, etc. The eomtroatl.on of the een- CHAPTER L t.enee which follows is difficult and ambigu- Ver. 1.-Chrut Jeaua for Jeaua Olrut, ous. For what does the apostle give thanks A.V. and T.R.: the life for life, A.V. The to God? The answer to this question will life is a little clearer than life, as showing give the clue to the explanation. The only that "life" (not "promise") is the ante- thing mentioned in the context which eeev,a cedent to" which." According to the pro- a proper subject of thanksgi viug is that mise denote, the subject-matter with which, which is named in ver. 5, viz. the "unfeigned es an ap01tle, he had to deal, viz. the pro- faith" that we■ in Timothy. That this wa■ mise of eternal life in Christ Jeene, and the a proper anbject of thanksgiving we learn end for which he was called, vis. to preach from Eph. i 15, where St. l'aul writea that, that promise (comp. Titus i. 2). having heard of their faith in the Lord Ver. 2.-Beuroed child for dearly beuroed J eens, he ceaaed not to give thanks for them, ,on, A. V. : pea08 for and peace, A.. V. lly making mention of them in his prayers (see, beloved ohild. In 1 Tim. i 2 (as in Titua i too, 1 These. i 2). .Aull.lDing, then, that 4) it ii "my true child," or" my own BOn," this was the subject of his thanksgiving, we A.V. The idea broached by some commen- notice especially the reading of the B. T ., tator&, that this variation in expression marka J..a.fJcf,v, "having received," and the note of some change in St. Paul's confidence in Bengel that .,.,,&,,.,,,,,,..., J..a.µ./3&.v.,., meaDJ to Timothy, seems utterly unfounded. The be reminded of any one by another, a.a dia- exhortation& to boldness and courage which tingniehed from dvdµJ17Ja-1v, which ie used follow were the natural results ofthe danger when eny one comes to your recollection in which St. Paul's own life wu, and the without external prompting; both whioh depreeaion of apiri ts eaused by the deaertion fall in with our previous conclusion. And of many friend& (oh. iv. 10-16). St. Paul, we get for the main sentence the satisfactory too, knew that the time wes cloae at hand meaning: "I give thanks to God that I have when Timothy, still young, would no longer received (or, because I have received) 11 have him to lean upon and look up to, and most pleasant reminder (from some letter or therefore would prepare him for it: and visitor to which be does not further allude) possibly he may have seen aome aymptoms of your unfeigned fe.ith," etc. The main of wee.kne• In Timothy's character, which Bentenoe clearly is : "I thank God . . . made him anxious, as appears, indeed, in the having been reminded of the unfeigned fe.ith course of this Epistle. Graoe, etc. (so 1 that is in thee." The intermediate words Tim.i.2; Tituei4,A.V.; 2John3). Jude are, in Paul's manner, parenthetical and bas "mercy, peace, and love." The salutation explanatory. Being about to say that it was in Eph. i. 2 is "grace and peace," as also in at aome special remembrance of Timothy's Rom. i. 7; 1 Cor. i. 8, and elsewhere in St. faith that he gave the.nka, the thought arose Paul'• Epistles, and in Rev. i. 4. in his mind that there we.a a continual Ver. 8.-In a pure for ll1ith pure, A.V.; remembrance of him day and night in his hou, . - i n g for that Vlithout ceaai11g, A.V. ; prayers: that he was ever thinking of him, u my remembran08 for I have remembra-, longing to see him, a.nd to have the tee.re A,V.; .upplicatiom for prayera, A.V. For shed at their parting turned into joy at their whom I ■erve from my father■ in II pure meeting again. And ao he interpoaes thia 1ouoienoe, comp. Aota xxiii. 1. How un- thought, and prefBCN it with ••-noi D. TUIOTUY. • 2 THE SEOOND EPISTLE TO TIMOTHY. [OB. L 1-18,