The Pulpit Commentary — 2 Timothy — Section 32

,lead, Timothy must etltnd forward. Fur this he would require a liberal supply of slren11:th. With paternal Rnxiety, thon, he- pnints him to the great Source of strength, ,·iz. the gracl' t.hat is in Uhrist. Je,us and obtaino<l by him for us, or the lordly power t,i blei,s without respect to t.he merit of the recipient. In John i. 14 he is said to be lull of grace, and, in the sixtet·nth ver~e following, it is said that it is out or his fulness that all his people receive. As the Fountain, he snpplies all that depend upon him with all that is nece8118ry for the proper ,lischarge of their duties. To whom else, then, could he point Timothy? In spiritual work there is a giving-out of strength, for which t.here is ne,•ded renewal. There are also occa.sious for which there are needed special supplies of strength. At all times there is a tendency to a culpable anu eufoebling supineness, agai11st which there is needed a 11;racious supply. Let the Cl.iristiau minister, then, fiurl his empow,ring for his wnrk in the grace that ia centred in Christ. 2. .As to tM regular transmis3ion of tl,e truth. "And the things which thou hast heard from me among many wituess,·s, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also." Paul himself heard directly from Christ, who is as full of truth as of ,:(race. But he points to a definite and solemn occasion, when he was the speaker and Timothy the hearer, viz. the occasion, repeatedly referred to, of Timothy's ordi11ation. What he l,eard then was by the mediation of many witnesse1,, i.l!.. the presbyters who were preseut at bis ordination, and laid their hands on him, and wLo, by the part they touk in it, gave their attestation to the charge. What Timothy received then bas repeatedly been called bis deposit, or talent of the catholic faith. This, in turn, be was to commit to trusty men, i.e. men who could be eutrusted with the keeping ol the deposit. Tbey, in their turn, W6lre to teach others, so that they also could be entrusted with the deposit. Thus there was to be a regular succ&1Sion of teachers for the hauding-down of the truth. There is a place assigned to tradition here; but, as it is made to depen,1 on the trustworthiness of each individual in the chain of succession, we must think of a tradition that is to be tested by Scripture. At the same time, there is a handing-down of :Scripture truth with traditional as~ocia- tioDs embodying the Church's thbking out of the truth, and, if this is what it ought to be, then it is important that it should be bauded down by means of a regular succession of teachers. All encouragement, then, is to be given to the proper education of young men for the ministry; and yet a theological institution will fail of its end unless there is the proper keeping up of the Cburch'd life, which is needed to influence the right class of young men to devote themselves to the ministry. II. THE CH..11.Il!TIAN MlNlSTER IS TO BE Pl\El'Al\ED FOR HARDijHIP. Three figure, s1Jggestive of ho,rd service. 1. The sold,ier. "1::iulfer hardship with me, as a good soldier of Obrist Jesus. No soldier on service entangletb himself iu the affairs of this lile; that he may please him who enrolled him as a Roldicr." The soldier, above others, 11&:i to have bis mind made up to experiencing hardship. He has to leave home and friends. He may have to encounter hardships on the ma1ch. Be has especially to face the hardships and dangers of the battle-field, " seeking the bubble reputation, even in the caunou's mouth." So the Christian miuieter is, in a special manner, a soldier of Christ Jesus. He is one whom Christ has in a solemn way hound to himself. He ha.a to fight under Christ and for Christ in an unfriendly world; and be need not be surprised if he is called upon to experience the hardships of a soldier. Let Timothy, then, willingly, nobly, take bis part along with Paul and other soldiers of Cbriet. B11.t tbe apostle draws attention to a special condition of excellence in a soldier. He does 11ot entangle l,imeelf in the affairs and businesses of this life. In cbooeiug to be enrolled under a comIDJ1nder, he leaves hie former employment b, hind. He is hence, t.. rtb at the will of his commander for whatever hard service be may need him. ~specially dues this conuition apply to a soldier on service. Before entering on a ca111paign, be would need even to have family affairs arranged, that be may give himself UJJ uudi,;tractedly to the service required of him. Only thus can he expect to approve himself to his commander. 'l'be Chri8tian minister is in the same way to be unen- tangled with busiueHses, which he leaves to others. Paul was not always able to free hilll.8elf from 1be necessity of making his own bread; but it is advisable that a minister should Le left free iu this respect., and it iH wrong for ltim unnecessarily to divide his "11ergies, or to u,ix hi1ui;elf up wi~b what can be better done by others. For it iH only wl,slJ l,i,; mind is 1':lorougbly uu<ilstracted and absurb,·d iu service that Le can approve OH. II, 1-26.] THE SECOND EPISTLE TO TIMOTllY. 86