realization of this promise, the apostle reminds Timothy how he wae borne up by it in all his labour and suffering. I. ITS SUSTAINING EFFICACY. "For to this end do we labour and suffer reproach." 1. The apostle did not regard the life promised to godliness as one of mere ccrporeal enjoyment. 2. His life was uctuully O'IUI of severe and toilsome labowr as well as of trying but wnmerited reproach. 3. Yet he was stimulated to increased toil and s'Ul]>'pM1«J under the infliction of wnjust reproach by the thought of the promise involved in the life of true godlineBB. II. THE SOLID BASIS OF CHRISTIAN EXPECTATION UNDER TOIL AND SHAME. "BecaUBe we have set our hope upon the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, especially of those that believe." 1. The blessed nature and continuity of this hope. (1) It is the good hope through grace which we enjoy. (2) Life would be a blank without it. "If in this life only we have hope, we are of all men most miserable." (3) It is linked with patience. "But if we hope for that which we see not, then do we with patience wait for it" (Rom. vii. 25). (4) It is a permanent and continuous hope, as the tense of the verb here signifies. 2. The ground or basis of this hope. "Upon the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, especially of those that believe." (1) This hope is from the "God of hope" (Rom. xv. 13), who is the living God; that is, no mere God of imagina- tion, but a real personal Agent, the very Fountain of life in infinite sufficiency. (2) It is a hope linked to salvation in its widest sense-both "the life that now is, and that which is to come." For God is "the Saviour of all men, especially of those that believe." (a) The Saviourship here has relation to the two lives of men, as expressed in the con- text. In the on~ sense, God is a Saviour of all men, sine& by his watchful and sustain- ing providence he preserves them from destruction; in the other, he offers and bestows eternal life. (b) 'l'he words do not warrant the U niversalist conclusion that all men will be ultimately saved. The pa,sage makes an express distinction between all "men" and "believers" inconsistent with this view.-T. C. Vers. 11, 12.-..,j seriu of admonitions for the guidance of Timothy. I. TrnoTBY 18 ENJOINED TO EXERCISE A DUE AUTHORITY. .. These thing~ command and teach... He is to instruct the Church at Ephesus with all authority in all that concerned the nature of true piety, the dangers to be guarded against, and the duties to be faithfully discharged. II. TIMOTHY IS ENJOINED TO CULTIVATE A GRAVITY OF DEPORTMENT TBAT WOULD MAKE HIS YOUTH BEBPECTED. "Let no man de~pise thy youth." 1. 'l'irrwthy was only relatively a young man. It ia highly probable that he was very young when he first joined tbe apostle (Acts xvi. 1--3)--perhaps nearly twenty-five years of age- -a.nd as eleven years ha,d since intervened, he would probably now be about forty years old. 2. .A.a 'l imothy had to give counsel to persons much older than himself (eh. v. 1), and even to call them to account (ver. 19), it was necessary that he should cultivate a gravity of manner that would admit of his age being forgotten. Perhaps, also, as he was of a rather timid disposition-more disposed to obey than to comma.nd-tbe counsel of the apostle was mr,re needed. He must be firm and manly, and destitute of every aspect or element of pretentious assumption. III. TIMOTHY IS ENJOINED TO BECOME A PATTERN TO ALL BELIEVERS. "But become thou a pattern of the believers in word, in behaviour, in love, in faith, in purity." Thus would he countera.ct any disadvantage arising from his youth. He waM to be a pattern in all the leading characteristics of the Christian minister. 1. "In word." (1) As to his public teaching, whi_ch must be a.ccording to God's Word, showing in it uncorruptness, gravity, sincerity, sound speech that could not be condemned. (2) As to social inter- course, which must be (a) not corrupt, vain, or foolish; (b) but always with grace, seasoned with salt-wise, grave, edifying. 2. "Jn behaviour." In the Church, the family, the world, he must maintain a deportment becoming the gospel of Christ, in all godlinel!:! and honesty, with simplicity and godly sincerity, so as to stop the mouths of gainsayers and earn a good report from them that are without. 3. "In love, in faith." These are the two motive forces of the Christian life to influence both the speech and conduct of the minister. The one is set in motion by the other; for "faith worketh by love." (1) He is to be a pattern in love to God and man, without which, even if he baa the tongue of angels, he ill nothing: (2) In faith, in the gra.ce of faith, in the doctriw:i '18 THE FIRST EPISTLE TO TIMOTHY. [CB, IV, 1-16,
of faith, in the profe~~i~n 01 iitit.h. 4. "In purit_11." The minister mus\ be pure in liff in thought, in langm1.ge, and in all his relations to the worlrl.-T. C.
Ver. 13.-'l'M duties of Timothy's rublic ministry. The apostle urges him to the diligent exercise of his calling. "'l'ill come give attention to the reading, the exhor• tation, the teaching." I. THE READING. This referred to the public rending of the Scriptures in the Church. The Old Testament Scriptures, and probably part of the New Testament, would thus be read at such meeting of tbe saints. This rending \\'118 necessary because (1) the Scriptures were the eources of all religious knowledge; (2) the test or standard of doctrine by which opinions were to be tried; (3) the means of sanctifklP.tion (John xvii. 17); (4) the spring of Christian hope and comfort (Rom. xv. 13). 11. THE EXHORTATION. This refers to public ministry. Timothy was practically to enforce the duties of Christian life out of the Scriptures. III. THE TEACHING. This refers to the matter of doctrinal instruction. Thus full provision would be made for building up the saints in their most holy faith, and in all the graces and Vlrtues of a holy life.-T. C.