Ve~. 21.-.A trolemn charge to '.Jli,mothy to be conscientiously impartial in the,e otnea., L THE SOLEMNITY OF THE CHARGE. "I solemnly charge thee before God, and Jesus Christ, and the elect angels." 1. Timothy,wlw is e:r;horted tofaithfulness injudgment, is himself brought face to face with his Lord and Judge, who will appear along with the elect an.~els as nssessors or executors of the Divine commands. (1) God is omniscient and be is righteous, for with him is no respect of persons, and Timothy was a minister in the house of God, answerable for bis discharge of all ecclesiastical duty, (2) Christ is likewise omniscient as well as righteous, Head of the Church and Judge of the quick and the dead, before whose juclgment-sea.t all must stand. (3) "The elect angels." (a) These, who left not their first estate, but have been preserved in their integrity by Christ, who is the Head both of angels and of men, are the ministers and attendants of God. (b) There is nothing here to warrant the worship of angels, because they are not here regarded as judges, but as witnesses; neither are they sworn by nor appealed to by the apostle. The heavens and the earth a.re often summoned as witnesses in the same sense. 2. This high appeal was designed to elevate the mind of Timothy above all sinister motive,, and secure him against the daugers of a timid compliance with evil. II. THE SUBSTANCE OF THE CHARGE. "That thou keep these things without pre- judging, doing nothing by partiality." He refers to the judicial inquiries respecting eldera and me!:lbers of the Church. 1. There was to be an absence of prejudice. There mll6t be no prejuciging a case before it is beard, under the influence of party feeling. Timothy mnst calmly hearken to the case presented by both sides, and weigh the evidence without baste or favour to either side. 2. There was to be an absence of all partiality. "Doing nothing by partiality." There must be no leaning to one side more than another. The scales of justice must be held evenly in Church affairs. Elders and me..ibers were alike to be judged with all fairnesa.-T. C.
Ver. 22.-.A caution agaimt hasty inductwn of ministers. If such judicial inquiries are to be avoided, there ought to be great care in the original appointment of ministers. L THERE MUST BE DUE CABE IN ORDAINING BIGHT PERSONS TO THE MINISTBY, "La.y hands on no one hastily. n 1. This does not refer to the practi,ce of receiving ojft111,ders back into th• Church by the imposition of the bish,p's hands. No such practice can be identified with the apostolic acre, or with that immediately succeeding it. 2. It refers, as the usage of the pastoral Epistles suggests, to" the laying on of hands in ordinatum." (1) Saul and Barnabas were thus de~ignated to their missionary tour (Acts xiii. 1). Timothy was thus ordained by the bands of the presbytery. It was the solemn recogni- tion by the Church of the call which the minister-elect had received from on high, (2) Timothy was to guard against the possibility of rash appointments to the ministry oy a due inquiry beforehand into the spiritual character and pastoral qualifications ol the candidates for office. The glory of God, the salvation of man, the hon.ourof religion, were all involved in such appointments. II. TBE SERIOUS CONSEQUENCES OF SLACKNESS IN THE DISCE!ABOE 01' IUOH A DUTY, "Neither participate in other men's sius." Timothy would "adopt the sins he ov.er- luuked" if be did not rightly rlistinguii;b between the worthy and the unworthy. III. Tm!: NECE:i!SITY OF PERFECT PURITY ON 'l'IJlilOTHY'8 OWN PABT. "Keep thyself 1,ure." He must be pure who is called to judge others. There m111t be no shadow of CIIL Y, 1-26.] 'l'HE FIRST EPISTLE TO TIMOTHY. 109
evll atte.cbing to his character or conduct. Any impurity of chare.cter would utterly destroy hie influence, and silence his rebukes of others.-T. O.
Ver. 23.-Direceion to Tvrrwthy to be r-areful of his health. .. No longer drink wateT, but use a little wine for thy stomach's sake and thy frequent ailments." I, THE APOSTLE LENDS NO ENOOUBAGE:MENT TO AN ASCETIC ATTITUDE TOWARD MEATS OB DRINKS. 'l'be Essenes abste.ined altogether from wine, and as there was a close con- nection between Ephesus and Alexandria, where such views were held by a small section of Jews, it is not improbable that such views may have reached F.phesUB. There was no harm in Timothy abstaining from wine, as a protest against excess in wine, but rather something highly praiseworthy. It was not through any, deference to Essene asceticism, but through such a consideration as is here suggested, that Timothy was an habitual water-drinker. II. TeE APOSTLE BAB EXCLUSIVE REGARD TO Tn.i:OTBY'S HEALTH. The use of wine was regarded in its purely medicinal aspect, and not as a mere pleasant beverage. Timothy was engaged in a service that demanded the fullest exhibition of all mental and bodily har,lihood, as well as an iron endurance of disappointment and opposition. Under such influences, he would become depressed with effects most prejudicial to his health. The counsel shows the deep interest of the apostle in the young evangelist's comfort and welfare.-T. C.
Vere. 24, 25.-Final directionato Timothy respecting his attitude toward the sin, and ,inful works of men. I. A CAUTION AGAINST BIB BEING TOO PBECil'ITATE IN ABSOLVING KEN FROM CENSURE. "The sins of some men are manifest, going before to judgment; with some again, they follow after." The judgment is God's, without excluding man's. 1. One class of sins is public and open. They reach the Judge before the man himself who commits them. The sins are notorious. Timothy will have no excuse for absolving such persons. 2. Another class of sins is not so manifest. Unknown for the time to all but the all-seeing eye of God, yet going forward notwithstanding to the final judg- ment, where nothiug can be hid. The judgment of man may have meanwhile absolved such a sinner, but the mournfnl secret comes out after all. IL A OAUTION AGAINST BEING TOO PBECIPITATB IN HIS CENSURES. "In like manner also the works that are good are manifest, and those that are otherwise cannot be hid." Some are open witnesses, others are secret witnesses; but th,·re can be no effectual suppression of their testimony. God will bring works of all kinJs into light. Bnt it is the duty of Timothy and ministers in general to use due diligence to have the truth brought to light 1'81'.lpecting such works. Therefore Timothy was not to be rash in condemning where hidden worth had not disclosed itself sufficiently to his eye. The good tree would by-and-by justify itself by its fruits.-1'. C.