The Pulpit Commentary — 1 Timothy — Section 140

Van. 13-16.-Tlle ..Z-n clu,rge preued GMtD upon TimotAy. A.1 he nean the end of the Epistle, the apostle, with a deeper aolemnity of tone, repeats the oharge be bas gi.-en to bis young disciple. L Tmt NATURE A.ln) BESPO~SIBILITIBS OF THB OHARGL .. I oharge thee ••• that thou keep the comme.11drnent without spot 1.nd without reproach." 1. The command- ,,-, u the Christian docti-im1 in its aspect u a rule of life and discipline. 2. It wa., l,o be '!upt with o1.l purity and /aithfulnes.-" without spot and without reproach"- so that it should be unstained by no error of life, or suffer from no reproach of unlaith- fulness. He must preach the pure gospel sincerely, and bis life must be so ciroum- spect that bis ministry should not be blamed by the Church here or by Christ hereaft.er. II. THE SOLEMN A.PPEAL aY WHICH THB CHARGE u BUBTAINED. • I give thee charge in the sight of God, who keepeth all things alive, and Christ Jesus, who witn888ed the good confession before Pontius Pilate." The apostle, having referred to Timothy's earlier confession before many witnesses, reminds him of the more tremendous presence of God himself, and of Christ Jesus. 1. God. i8 represented here tU Preserver, in all:usion to the dangers of Timothy in the midat of Ephesian fl'M111iu. 2. Christ Jesus is ~/erred to as an Ezample of unshaken courage and fidelity lo wuth in the presenct! of death. III. THE CHARGE IS TO BE KEPT WITHOUT SPOT OR REPROACH TILL CHRIST'S BEOOND COIIING. "Until the appearance of our Lord Jesus Christ." He was to Le" faithful unto death," yea, even unto the second advent. 1. II i, acc<Jrding to apostolic wage to reprt!$ent the end of Christian work as well as Christian ea:pectalion as terminaling, not upon death, b'Ut upon the second advent. 'l'he complete redemption will then be fully realized.. 2. It is not to be ir,ferred from these words that the apostle ea:pected the Lord's coming in his own lifetime. The second Thessalonian Epistle, written many years before, dispels such an impressiorr. The word6 in ver. 15, " in his own times," imply a long succession of cycles or changes. 3. The second advent u lo be brought about by G"'1, himself. " Which in bis own times he shall manifest, who is the blessed and only Potentate, King of kings, and Lord of lords." This picture of the Divine Majesty was designed to encourage Timothy, who might hereafter be summoned to appear before the little kings of earth, by the thought of the immeasur- able glory of the Potentate before whose throne all men must stand in the final judgment. (1) He who is possessed of exhaustles~ powers and perfections is essentially immortal-" who only hath immortality "-because he is the Source, of it in all who partake of it; for ont of him a.11 is death. (2) He has bis dwelling in the glory of light ineffabl&-"dwelling in light unapproachable, whom no man ever eaw or can see." (a) God is light (1 John i. 5). He covereth himself with light as with a garment (Pa. civ. 4); and he is the FoUIJtain of light. (b) God is. invisible. Th_is is true, though "the pure in heart shall see God" (Matt. v. 8)1_ and though _it _be. ~hat without holiness "no man shall see the Lord" (Heb. xu. 14). God 18 invl8lble (a) to the eye of sense, (/3) but he will be visible to the believer in the clear.intellectual vision of the supernatural state. 4. All praise and honour are to be ascribed to God, "to whom be honour and power everlaating. Amen." The doxology is the natural ending of such a solemn charge.-T. C. Vers. 17-19.-.A word of admonition and enrnuragemmt lo the rich. The counsel carries us back to what he bad been saying in previous verses. L Tu RICH .ABE WARNED AGAINST .A TWOFOLD DANGER. "To those who are ric~ in this present world give in charge not to be high-minded." It i1 implied that there were rich men 88 well as poor slaves in the Church at Epheeu1. 1. TM da,,gt1r_ oJ higk-minded11esa. A haughty dii!position is often engendered by wealth. The rich Illll.J be tempted to look down with contempt on the poor, 88 if_ they, forsooth, w~re the special favourites of Heaven because they had been so highly favoured with worldly sub~tance. 2. The danger of trusting in wealth. "Nor to set their hop upon the uncertainty of riches." (1) It is a great risk for a rich man to uy to gold, "Thou art my hope; and to the fine gold, Thou art my confidence" (Job x:ui. 24), (2) Our tenure of wealth is very uncertain. It ia uncertain (a) because ricbe1 may iu.e UJ twlm.ielv1111 wiuga and &e away; (6) because we may be taken away by data OH, VI, 1-21.) THE FIRST EPISTLE TO TIMOTHY, 133