Commentari biblici

Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, according to the promise of life which is in Christ Jesus,

Paul, an apostle, … — The preface of this Epistle seems to be an abridgment of that of the Epistle to the Romans. See Trapp on " Romans 1:1 "

Which is in Christ Jesus — All out of Christ are living carcases, walking sepulchres of themselves.

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To Timothy, my dearly beloved son: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.

Grace, mercy, and peace — See Trapp on " 1 Timothy 1:2 "

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I thank God, whom I serve from my forefathers with pure conscience, that without ceasing I have remembrance of thee in my prayers night and day;

Whom I serve from my forefathers — Those twelve tribes, that served God instantly, day and night, Acts 26:7 . That was a desperate resolution of the heathen orator (Cicero, de Nat. Deor. p. iii.), Me ex ea opinione, quam a maioribus accepi de cultu Deorum immortalium, nullius unquam oratio, aut docti, aut indocti movebit. I will never stir an inch from the religion of my forefathers, for any man’s persuasion. Paul forsook his Phariseeism and forefathers to serve God, as Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob had done with a pure conscience.

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Greatly desiring to see thee, being mindful of thy tears, that I may be filled with joy;

Being mindful of thy tears — Timothy was a man of many tears, so was David, Paul, Luther, Bradford, of whom it is said, that he did seldom eat but be bedewed his trencher with tears, and that few days passed him without plenty of tears shed before he went to bed:- Αγαθοι δ αριδακρυες ανδρες .

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When I call to remembrance the unfeigned faith that is in thee, which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice; and I am persuaded that in thee also.

In thy grandmother Lois, and mother — A sweet happiness to any child to have a good mother and grandmother. For these have great opportunity of dropping good things into their little Lemuels, as being much about them. The mothers of the kings of Judah are constantly mentioned; and as they were good or evil, so were their children. Partus sequitur ventrem, The birth follows the belly. The grandmothers also, as they often love their nephews better than their own immediate children (for love descendeth), so if they be religious ( expertus loquor ) they have a strong influence upon them, and are a means of much good unto them, as was Naomi, no doubt, to Obed, Ruth 4:16 , though she were but his grandmother-in-law.

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Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God, which is in thee by the putting on of my hands.

Stir up the gift — Blow up thy smaller spark into a flame. Grace in us is like a dull seacoal fire, saith one, which if not now and then blown and stirred up, though there be no lack of fuel, yet will of itself at length die and go out. The word αναζωπυρειν , here used by the apostle, is Plato’s word. The apostle seems to have been well read in Plato’s writings. Though I grant the word is also found in the Greek text, Genesis 45:27 , and the apostle here might very well allude to the fire of the altar that came from heaven, and was day and night kept in by the priests. See the canon for that fire, Leviticus 6:12-13 , Hezekiah’s confession, 2 Chronicles 29:6-7 , the good heusewife’s candle, Proverbs 31:18 , the wise virgins’ lamps,Matthew 25:8; Matthew 25:8 , our Saviour’s charge,Luke 12:35; Luke 12:35 , and do accordingly.

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For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

The spirit of fear — δειλειας , called elsewhere the spirit of bondage, δουλειας , Romans 8:15 . The law will convince the judgment; but it is the gospel that convinceth the lust and the affection.

Of power and of a sound mind — These two fitly stand together. Sin unrepented of, lies rotting at the heart, and by rotting weakeneth it, as a rotten rag hath no strength.

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Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God;

Afflictions of the gospel — Affliction is Evangelii genius, a type of the gospel, saith Calvin; hence it is called "the word of Christ’s patience," Revelation 2:2 ; Revelation 2:19

According to the power of God — For unless he supports us by his power, we shall never bear up in affliction.

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