The Pulpit Commentary — 1 Timothy — Section 128

Ver. II.- Wrangling, (or pen,eru d1°Jlput• taith," eto. (ver. 11). The phrnsc, 'E..-,-, ai ings, A..V. &nd T.R.; corrupted in mi11d for ,rop1..-µbs µl-yas -It ,b... ,/3,!a µna. av.,.ap1r,las, of llOfTVpt mindii, A.V.; bereft for d,,,.tituftJ, should be construed by me.king the µn·ii A.V.; godlinen Ma ,~ay of gain for gain M couple ,rop1..-µ&s with mbT"f'ltE!ms, so ae to god.Uneu, A.V. Wranglinge (li1a1rapaTp1/3a!, express that "godliness" lS both "gain" R.T.; 1rapali,up,/3ai, T.R.). The R.T. h88 and "contentment" - not BB if mb.,.ap,ule& far the lnrgest weight of authority in it.a que.lified ,ba-,/3,!_.tbat would have been favour (Ellioott). The substantive ,rapa• expressed by the collooation, -1, ,..,.,.11, ab.-ap• .,.p,/3-1, in Poly bi us means "provocation," rc,!as .b..-,{J,la. Contentment (abTaprc.Ce&). "oollision," "friction," and the lik<'. Hence The word occurs elsewhere in the New Tee- li,a..-apa.,.p,/3,\(which is only found here)means te.ruent only in 2 Cor. ix. 8, where it is ren• "oontinued WT11,nglings." The sub,tantive dered, both in the R.V. and the A.V. li,a.,.p1M1 (English diatribe) means, among "sufficiency." The adjective a/nd.p1r11 / other things, a" discussion" or" argument." found in Phil. iv. 11 (a.nd common in cl~ The addition of ,rcl.pm gives the sense of a sical Greek), is rendered "content." It "perverse discussion," or •• disputing." means "sufficient in or of itself "-needing Bereft (d..-,rr,p11µ,vwv). The difference no externe.l nid-and is applied to persons between the A. V. "destitute" and the R.V. countries, cities, moral qualities, eto. Th~ "bereft" is that the latter implies that they substantive ab.,.aprc•la is the condition of the once he.d possession of the truth, but had lost person, or thing, which is 11.J.,.cl.prc11s, it by their own fault. They had fallen away Ver. 7.-TM for thia, A.V.; /Of' neither from the truth, and were twice dead. God- can we for and it u certain we ea~, A.V. and liness is a way of gain. The A.V., that gain T.R.; anything for 11othing, A.V. J'or nei- u godli,.e&, is olearly wrong, ntterly con- ther, eto. The omission of liij,\ov in the fusing the subject with tl,e predicat.e, and R.T., though justified by me.ny of the beet so deatroying the c"nnection between thd manuscripts, me.kes it difficult to oonstrue clause and ver. 6. A way of gain (,ropurµos); the sentence, unless, with Buttma.n, we con- only here and in ver. fi in the New Testa- sider Ii.-, as elliptioa.l for llij1'ov g.,.,, The ment, but foUDd in Wisd. xiii 19; xiv. 2; R. V. "for neither" seems to imply that the Polybius, eto. It sig-nifics " B source of truth, "neither can we carry anything out," gain," wa means of ruaking money," or, in is a consequence of the previous iruth the.t one word, "a trade." The same che.rge is "we brought nothing into the world," which brought against the heretice.l tee.chera (Titus is not true. The two truths are parallel, i. 11). The cause in the A. V. and T.R., and the sentence would be perfeotly clear from ,uala v,i/,kdram thyself, is not in the without either 5ijAov or Ii.-,. R.T. Ver. 8.-But for and, A,. V.; CO'llering for Ver. 6.-Godlineaa, etc. The apostle raimerit,A.V.; we shall be for let ua be, A.V. te.kes up the sentiment which he had just Food (li,aTpo,ptl.s); here only in the New condemned, and shows that in e.nother sense Testament, but common in the LXX., rare it is most true. The godly me.n is rich in classice.l Greek. Covering (a-rc,..-cl.a-µaTa); indeed. For he we.nts nothing in this world e.lso a &.,,.~ 1'.-yoµ,vov in the New Testa- but what God hu given him. and has ac- ment, not found in the LXX., e.nd rare in quired riches which, unlike the riches of classical Greek.. The kindred words, ..-,cl.,,.., this world, he can te.ke away with him and ..-rc,1ras, with their derivatives, are used (comp. Luke xii 33). The enumeration of of the covering or shelter of clothes, or tents, his 11cq u.ired tre88urea follows, after e. paren- or houses. St. Paul may therefore have thetical depreciation of those of the coveto11S used an uncommon word in order to com- me.n, in ver. ll. The thought, as so often prise the two necessaries of raiment and in St. Paul. is a little intricate, and its dow house, though Huther thinks this " more checked by pe.renthetice.l side-thoughts. than improbable." The 1188 of the word But it seems to be as follows: "But godli- "covering" in the R.V. seems designed to • 0esa is, in one sense, e. source of great gain, Ca vour this double application. Ellicott •Dd moreover brings conteutment with it- thinks the word "probably only refers to contentment, I se.y, for since we brought clothing." Alford says," Some take • oover- nothing into the world, and ae.D carry ing' of both clothing and dwelling, perhaps uothing out, we have good reason to be con- rightly." If one knew where St. Paul got tent with the necessaries of life, food and the word O"ICfffa.O'µaTa from, one could form re.in.tent. Indeed, those who strive for more, a more decided opinion as to hia meaning. e.nd pe.nt aft;,r wrealth, bring nothing but We ahall be therewith content (a.ptc•a-9~a-o- trouble upon themselves. For the love of /L•9a). The proper mee.ning of a.p1eiiu8cq mon;,y is the root of all evil, etc. Thou, followed by e. de.ti ve is "to be content with" th;,refore, 0 man of God, instead of reaching (Luke iii 14; Heb. xiii 5). There is pro- after worldly riches, procure the true wealth, be.bi y a covert hortative force ill the use al and become rich ill nghteousne~s, godlineu, the fulure here. cm. ff. 1-21.] THE FIRST EPISTLE TO TIMOTHY. 121