The Pulpit Commentary — 1 Timothy — Section 16

·• mmm&nd" or •• oh&rga" It i1 takPn up word Applied tn the em&nation1 of the R!one in var. 18 (-raun,v -r¾,v wapa;--y•}l./av), "Thie in the Gnostic v~bulary. The geneawgies, clrn rge," eto. Te&oh a. different doctrine then, were ,Jewish perlio-rees, either used ( /,-,poo,oa,n,a)l.,iv). Thi• i• one of the many literally to exalt individuals 88 being of words peculiar to the p!lstorlll Epistles. It priestly or David_io origin (ns the pedigrees onlv occurs here and eh. \"i. 3. It is formed of the D_esposyn1, or Inter nf the princes of from ETEpoo,oa<TKa}\.os, 9. tellPh!'r of otlwr tb&n the Capt1V1ty), or unerl cabl,alistically so e.s right doorrine, &nrl m,, .. ns "to play the part to draw fanciful ., ,ctrines from the 'names of a teacher of other than right doctrine," corn posing e. g,- . ..alogy, or in aome other just 88 in ecclPsie.stice.l le.nguage inp6oo~os way which Wb do not know of (see the meane "one who holds opinions co11trary to writers ' Genealogies of Christ,' eh. iii. § that whioh is orthodox," and such as do so ii. l ; and note O at the end of the volume). are said lupooo~••v- The classical sense ie Eridless (lnrJpav-ros); found only here in a little different, "one who holds a different the New TPstament and so one of the npinion "-"to be ofa different opinion." The words peculiar to the pastoral Epistlee, but introduction of the word into the vocabulary need in the LXX. for "infinite,'' "im- of Scripture ie a sign of the somewhat later !lleasurable." It means either "endless,'' age to which this Epi,tle belongs, when "interminable," or, "havi11g no useful end heresies were growing and multiplying. or purpose; " ooo,v xp-1,rr,,,ov (Chrysootom). Other similar compounds are hep6-yAwtT<Tos But the former ("interminable") is the (l Cor. i:iv. 21) and ,-r,po(iry,iv (2 Cor. vi. better rendering, and in accordance with 14). its classical use. Questionings ((11-r-l,<T .. s or Ver. 4.-To giu for gi11e, A.V.; the which h(11-r-l,tTe,s, R.T.). (For (f,-r17<Tis, eee John for t.ahieh, A.V.; questionings for questions, iii. 25; Acts i:xv. 20 ; and below, eh. vi. A.V.; a dispensation of God for godly ed((y- 4 ; 2 Tim. ii. 23 ; Titus iii. 9 ; and for the ing, A.. V. and T.R. (oiKovoµ.ictv 0eov for ki11,lred (?f-r111'a, Aote xv. 2; i:viii. 15; xxiii. oiKoOoµ.ia.v e,ov); 80 do I fUl1D for 80 do, A, V. 2J ; i:xv. 19 ; i:i:vi. 3.) The reading ,,c(~-r77<Tu Fables (see oh. iv. 7). If the spirit which is only found here. A dispensation of God, gave birth to the fables of the Talmud was This version &.rises from the Greek olKovol'la.v, already at work amon:s the Jews, we have a which is the reading of the R. T. and almos& ready ei:planation of the phraee. And that all manuscripts. The 'f.R. ol1<oool'lav ie they were Jewish fables (not later Gnostic thought to be e. conjeoture of Erasmus, delusions) is proved by the parallel passage which, from ita much eaeier sense, W88 taken in Titus i. 14, M Not giving heed to Jewish into the T.R. Taking the reading o/,covol'ia.v, ~ables." The pre'l'e.lence of sorcery among the phrase, " e. dispensation of God which the Jews at this time is a further instance is in faith," must mean the gospel as de- of their inclination to fable (see Acts viii. livered by revelation f\nd received by faith. 9 ; xiii. 6 ; xii. 13). Endless genealo,:ies, These fables and genealogies addres~ them- What was the particular abll6e of genealogies selves, the apostle says, to the disputatious, which St. Paul here condemns we have not itching curiosity of men's minds, nol to sufficient historical knowledge to enable us their faith. The substance of them is matter to decide. But that they were Jewieh forms of doubtful disputation, not revealed truth. of ~ vain talkiug," and not Gnostic, e.nd " The dispensation" is better English than related to human pedigrees, not to" emana- "a dispensation." Bo do I now; or, 88 the tions of reons," may be concluded from the A. V., ,o do, is the conjectural filling up of connection in which they are mentioned in the unfinished sentence which began " 88 I Titus iii 9, and from the invariable meauing exhorted thee." But it is mnoh more natural of the word -yevea.}l.o-yia itself. It is true and simpl.:i to take ver. 18 ll,lj the apodosis, that Irerueua (' Contr. Hmr.,' lib. i.) applies and the iut..Jrmediate verses 88 e. digression this passage to the Valentinians e.nd their caused by St. Paul's desire to show how succession of lll(JilS (Bytbus, Nous, Logos, exactly the charge was in agreement with Anthropus, elc.-in all thirty, male and the true spirit of the Law of God. female); and so does TerLullian, who speaks Ver. 5.-But for now, A.V.; charge foz ot the BeeQB of tl,e Gnostic ber,-sies ae already commandme11t, A. V.; love for charity, A. V.; budding iu St. Paul's days(' Advers Valen- a good for of a good, and faith for o/ faith, tin.,' cap, iii. an<l elsewhere), and Gmtius sup- A.V. But the end of the charge. Before ports this ei:plaw,.tion (' Comment.,' 1 Tim. proceetling with his tientence, in which he i. 4). But it was very ne.tural that lrenains was about solemnly to commit the trust of and Tertullian, living when the heresies of the episcopate of the Church of Ephesus to Valentinns, Marciou, 11.11d others were at 'fimolhy, he breaks off abruptly to show the their height, should so accommodate St. beneficent charecter of the ohe.rge, viz. the• Paul'• words-which i■ all that lrenmus furtherance of that brotherly love and purity does. On the other hand, neither Irenmus of heart ttnd life which an, the true fruit of nor Tertu.ll.i&n show■ that -y,.,,a.>..,,,,la. we.a e. the go11pel dispenBRtion, but whioh some, b7 OB, L 1-20.] 'fllE FIRST EPISTLE TO TIMOTHY.