The Pulpit Commentary — 2 Timothy — Section 53

EXPOSITION. CHAPTER IV. dYm. So in the Nicvne Creed : " He ahall con,e again with glory to judge both the Ver. 1.-In the sight of G~d, and of Ohriat quick and the dead: whose kingdom shall Jeeue for therefore before God and the Lord have no end" (comp. Matt. xxv. 31, J.:snx Ohri~t, A.V. and T.R.; and by for at, followed by the judgment). A. V. o.n<I T.R. I oharge thee (6,aµap-r6poµa,); Ver. 2.-Teaching for doctriM, A.V. o.s eh. ii. H and I 'l'im. v. 21 (where see Preaoh the Word (1<fipu!ov Thv 'AO')lov). It is note). The words oiv 1-yw, wanting in some impossible to exaggerate the di:,.rnity and of the best manuscripts, are "rejected by importance here.given to preaching by its Griesbach, 'l'ischendorf, Lacbmann," and 1,y being made the subject of so solemn and Ruther, Alford, Ellicott, o.nd others. The awful an adjuration as that in ver. 1 chapter opens rather abruptly without the (compare the designation of 1<-f/pu! which l'.onnecting "therefore." And by his appear- St. 'Paul gives to l,imself in 1 Tim. ii. 7; ing and his kingdom. The reading of the eh. i. 11). Be i.Dstant U1r(1Tr 11 8,). The force T.R., ICaTa T¾v i1r.ipc/,,E1av, IC,T,'A.., U o.t his of the exhortation must be found, not in the appearing and kingdom," makes such ex- • verb itself taken alone, but by coupling ,J,,at- cellent sense, and is in such perfect accord- pws aKaipws closely with it. Be at your ance with the usual gro.mmar, and with the work, attend to it always, in and out of usual connection of events, that it is difficult season; let nothing stop you; be always not to believe that it is the right reading really, always at hand. Reprove (l'Ae-y!ov); (see Matt. xxvii. 15, 1eaTa fop-r,1v, "o.t the see eh. iii. 16, note ( comp. Matt. xviii. feast;" ,ca,:a ,ruv 0'0.88a-rov, "OD every sab- 15; Eph. v. 11; 1 Tim. v. 20). Generally bath ; " Acts xiii. 27, ,ca-ra -r¾v ;,µ,pav, "in with the idea of bringing the fault home to the <lay:" Reb. iii. 8 for the grammar; and the offender. Rebuke(,,,.,., [µ711Tov); a stronger the universal language of Scripture and the word than •'A•-y!ov, implying more of authority Creeds connecting the ju<lgment with the and less of argument (Matt, viii. 26; xvii Lord's appearing and kingdom). On the other 18; Luke xix. 39; Jude 9, etc.). Exhort hand, the reading 1eal is almost impossible to (,rapa1<0.'A,1Tov), Sometimes the sense of construe. ~ o two commentators sce.rcely are "exhort," and sometimes that of" comfort," agreed h,ow to do so. Some take -r¾v •m<f>a• predominates (see 1 Tim. ii. 1; vi. 2, etc.). v,lav ,cal -r¾v 8a1Tt'A.dav as the object governed Every way of strengthening and establishing by 3,aµ.a.p-r6poµ.a,, 1111 in the LXX. of Dent. souls in the fear and love of God is to be iv. 26, "I call to witness . . . Christ's tried, and that with all long-suffering and epiphany and kingdom," taking 3,aµlLpr6po- teaohin.g. (For µa,cpo8uµla., see eh. iii. 10, µa, in two senses or two constructions. note.) For " teaching " or " doctrine " Others take them as the accusatives of the (6,6axfi), St. Paul more frequently uses thinii:s sworn by, "I charge thee before God 6,oa1TKa'Al11 in the pastoral Epi,tles (1 Tim. and Jesus Christ, and by his epiphany an«;l i. 10; iv. 6, 13, 16; v. 17; eh. iii. 10, 16, kingdom," as Mark v. 7, -rov eeJv, "by etc.); but there does not seem to be any great God;" Acts xix. 13, -ro~ 'l711Toiiv, "by Jesus;" difference of meaning. Possibly 6,oax,\ 1 These. v. 27, -rov K6pwv, "by the Lor,!." points more to the act of teaching. The use But how awkward such a separation of the of it here, coupled with "long-suffering," thing sworn by from the verb is, and how directs that the man of God, whether be unnatural it is to couple with Kai the two preaches, reproves, rebukes, or exhorts, fa ideas, "before God" and "by Christ's always to be a patient tee.char of God's epiphany," and how absolutely without Word and truth, example such a swearing by Christ's Ver. 3. -The sound for sound, A. V. ; epiphany and kingdom is, nobody needs to having itching ears, will heap to themaelves be told. Others, as Ruther, try to get over teachers after their own lusta for afte-r their po.rt at least of this awkwardness by taking own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, the two ,cal's as "both:" "by both his having itchiug ears, A.V. The sound (-r,ir epiphany and his kingdom." Ellicott ~-y,a,vo61T11s). Nothing is gained by the explains it by saying that ns you could not addition of the article in English. The ,ut "the epiphuny and the kingdom" in phrase, ~ iry1alvou1Ta 616a1T1ea'A.la. is oharacter- Jependenoo upon ,vw,r,ov (as if they were ioti,• of the pastoral Epistles, having arisen, persons like God and OhrtBt), they " ne.tu- no doubt, from the growth of heresy (see 1 rally pass into the accusative." But surely Tim. i. 10; vi. 3. eh. i. 13; Titus i. 9, 13; ii 1; this is all thoroughly unsatisfactory. The also TitUB ii. 8). In classical Greek, iryr,fs T.R. is perfectly easy and simple. Appear- is frequently applied to words, seutiments, ing (l-.:1<1>11v,/11); ver. 8; c~: i. 10; 2_ Th_ess. advice, etc., in the sense of "aound," "wise;'' ii 8: 1 'l'im. ri. H; Titus 11. IS. H11 king- au<l iry,,.,vu,, is e.h!o 11pplied to the mind and  68 THE SEOOND EPISTLE 1'0 TIMOTHY. [OH, IV, 1-22,