L THE APOSTLE'S AUTHORITY. "Paui, an apostle of Jesns Christ according to th, co~m11ndmcnt of God our Saviour, and Christ Jesus, wh,, _is our Hope." The 'apo 8 tic- sh11, was his, not merel_y because he was called to it (Rom. 1. 1), or d<'stine,l to it hy thr, will of God (1 Cor. i. 1), but according to express Divine cnrnman<lrnent. 1. ft 111,,_, the commandmfflt of God OW' Sa11,:owr, evidently in allusion tr, tl,e command of thr· Spirit at Antioch, "Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whcreunto I have appointed them" (Acts xiii. 2), but more distinctly to his earlier call (Acts 1 ,:vi. 16), is "a vessel of election" (Acts ix. 15), to preach the Gospel to ,Jews and Gentiles. As the things of the Father are the Son's, so the things of the Son are the Spirit's. Thus God-Father, Son, and Holy Ghost-gave him his original appointment. Thus the salvation would be seen to be of God's purpose and agency; for he is " God our Saviour." 2. It was also tb,i commandment of Ohrist Jesus, owr Hope. Therefore his ordinary title is" an apostle of Jesus Christ." The aged apostle, in the near prospect of death, dwells on the thought of Christ as his one blessed hope. He is our Hope (1) as it, Author; (2) as its Object; (3) as its Revealer; (4) as its Procurer; (5) bnt, above all, as its Substance and Foundation. He is our very " Hope of glory" (Col. i. 27). II. THE APOSTLE'S GREETING. "To Timothy, my true child in the faith." 1. His early life. Timothy was a native of Lycaonia in Asia Minor, probably of Lystra, one of its towns. His father wos a pagan, his mother a pious Jewess, named Eunice, who trained him early in the principles of true religion. It is an intere,ting fact that the upostle'e more intimate companions were Gentiles, or with Gentile blood in their veins- Timothy, Titus, Luke, and even Demas. 2. His relationship to the Ap,,stle Paul. (1) He was converted by the apostle. (2) He was a~sociated with the apostle during a longer range of time than any other disciple. (3) He was an interesting disciple of the Lord. (a) There was great pcrso..1al affrction between Timothy and Paul. (b) There was "no one like minded" with Timothy who could be brought to take care of individuai Churches. (c) Timothy was a constant organ of personal co=unication between the apostle and individual Churches. (d) He seems to have been of a. soft and, perhaps, timid temperament. (e) He was very abstemious in his habits (eh. v. 23). 3. The •alu- tation. "Grace, mercy, and peace, from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord." (1) The blessings invoked upon Timothy. (a) Grace-a fresh discovery of Divine favour, an increase of grace, a fuller enjoyment of the gifts of the Spirit. (b) Mercy-a fresh application of the pardoning mercy of God in Christ. It occurs only here and in the Second Epistle to Timothy ---suggested, perhaps, by the nearness of his own death, and the increasing difficulties of his last days; for he hopes that Timothy may share in the morcy ho has sought for himself. (c) Peace-peace of conscience through the blood of Christ, so necessary "to keep heart and mind" in the midst of the perturbations and distractions of his service at Ephesus. (2) The Source of these blessings. They spring alike from the Father and the Son-a proof of the coequal Godhead of the Son; for they are strictly Divine gifts.-T. C.
Vers. 3, 4.-The object of '.rimothy's cootinued sojourn at Ephesus. I. CONSIDER THE TENDER OARE WHICH THE APOSTLE TAKES OF THE EPHESIAN CHl'RCH. "As I besought thee to abide still at Ephesus, when I wl\S going into Macedonia, so do I beseech thee no11• that thou charge some that they teach no other doctrine." As Timothy was with the apostle in his first journey through Macedonia (Acts xvi. 3, 12; xx. 3, 4), this must refer to a later journey, occurring after the first imprisonment at Rome. 1. Mark the affectionate style of his address-" I besought thee;" whereas to Titus he said, " I gave thee command" (Titus i. 6). Timothy received no authoritative injunction, but merelv a tender request that he would prolong his stay so as to check the waywardness of false teochers who had risen to mar the simplicity of the gospel. 2. Mark the tendency of the purest Churchu to be spoiled by false doctrine. The apostle had foretold the rise ,,,f a separatist party when he was addressing the elders of Ephesus at MiletUB (.Acb xx. 29, 30). They may have been few-" some;., but if they were like "the grievo11s wolves" of the prediction, they might succeed in "drawing away disciples after them, speaking perverse things." II. 1'HE CHARGE WHICH THE Al'OSTLB GIVES TO BB ADDRE"8ED TO THE FALSE TE.A0HERS. 1. Je was a charge that they should teach no doctrine different from the gospel.. "That they teach no other doctrine." (1) 1'his implied that the apostle's doctrine wu the trul' 10 10 THE FIRST EPISTLE TO TIMOTHY. toe. L 1-20,