Context and date

After Paul had written his first letter to Timothy, he continued his apostolic labors in Macedonia and the Orient, although it is probable, from certain historical traditions, that he also visited Spain. But for some unknown reason his ministry was suddenly interrupted by his arrest and subsequent transportation to Rome. The situation of the apostle during this last imprisonment was wholly changed from that of his previous stay in Rome. He was in bonds, 2 Timothy 1:8,16; he no longer had the expectation, as before, of being released. It is true that he had, for the moment, escaped from a great danger, 2 Timothy 4:17; yet he is strongly convinced that the time of his departure is at hand, 2 Timothy 4:6. His last letter, therefore, bears a unique character, so that it has been, not without reason, called the testament of the dying apostle to his spiritual son and to the entire community. The epistle was written not long after his imprisonment and in view of his certainly approaching death, either in 66 or 67, the latter year being mentioned by tradition.

Contents

The familiar tone which is evident in the first letter is brought out here with even greater force. The epistle is a confidential talk of the apostle with the man to whom he had given the love of a father from the time of his conversion. After the address and greeting there is an admonition to continue in the bold confession of the Gospel through the power of God. The apostle then speaks at length of the proper administration of the ministerial office with reference to various difficult conditions, always emphasizing faithfulness as an essential virtue of a pastor. In conclusion he gives some information as to various personal acquaintances and a short report of his first hearing in court. He closes with greetings and his apostolic blessing, the significance of which is in force to this day.

Overview

This Epistle is a farewell letter, in which St. Paul exhorts Timothy to continue laboring for the Gospel, as he has begun. This is needful, since there are many who fall away, and false spirits and teachers are rising all around. Therefore it behooves a bishop always to watch, and to work at the Gospel.

But he prophesies especially, in chapters 3 and 4, concerning the perilous time at the end of the world, in which a false spiritual life will lead all the world astray with an outward show, under which all kinds of wickedness and wrong will have its being; and, sad to say! we now see this prophecy of St. Paul all too abundantly fulfilled in our clergy.

Verses 1-2

Address and salutation

It is a solemn address with which the apostle opens his letter: Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, for the proclamation of life which is in Christ Jesus, to Timothy, my beloved son. As in the first letter, so Paul here calls himself an apostle of Christ Jesus, purposely placing the stress on the office of Christ, through which the apostolic office is effective. Paul belonged to those first teachers of the New Testament Church that had been enlightened and equipped with an unusual measure of gifts for the work of founding this Church in all the world. The election of Paul to this office had not taken place on the basis of his own choice and desire, but by the will of God, who had chosen him and given his entire life a different direction through his conversion and subsequent call. He therefore held this office and performed its work not for any reasons of self-aggrandizement, but for the purpose of proclaiming, of announcing the true life in Christ Jesus, the life which follows and is dependent upon the preaching of the Word of Grace. The life which God intended for men from eternity, the life which was brought down upon the earth by the only-begotten Son of God, John 1:4; 1 John 1:2, the life which we shall enjoy in its richest measure in eternity, Colossians 3:3-4; Galatians 6:8; Romans 5:17, that is the life which is proclaimed in the Word, that is the content of all apostolic preaching. It is the life in Christ Jesus, for without Him there can be no true life. Having thus characterized his office and given a summary of his preaching, Paul addresses Timothy as his beloved son, with whom he was united in the bonds of a most cordial and fatherly love, 1 Corinthians 4:17; Philippians 2:20-22

The greeting of the apostle is identical with that of the first letter: Grace, mercy, peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus, our Lord. He that has received the reconciliation, the grace of God by faith, will also receive the assurance of the merciful love of God in Christ with full confidence, being fully convinced that the peace of God which passes all understanding is the sure gift of God to all that believe. Having been justified by faith, having become partakers of the grace and mercy of God, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, Romans 5:1.

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Verses 3-7

Paul reminds Timothy of his early training and its obligations

Without further introduction the apostle broaches the matter that is filling his mind. His heart is full to overflowing, and the thoughts gush forth in the eager effort to find expression: Thanks I render to God, whom I serve from my forefathers with a pure conscience (as I constantly make mention of thee in my prayers night and day, eagerly wishing to see thee, remembering thy tears, in order that I be filled with joy). This is a true Pauline beginning of a letter, for he always finds reason for thankfulness toward God, no matter how discouraging the circumstances with which he may be battling. In spite of the fact that he had long years of arduous toil behind him and was looking forward to a probable early execution, yet it is the feeling of gratitude toward God which finds expression in his case. With regard to Timothy his hopes and prayers had been more than fulfilled, he being more than satisfied with the result of his labors. But since it was his intention to remind his pupil of the obligations of his early training, he characterizes the God to whom his prayers are arising as the Lord whom he was serving from his forefathers with a pure conscience. This expression does not oppose the statement of 1 Timothy 1:13, as many commentators think. The situation rather is this: With the exception of the actual revelation of the Messiah in the flesh and the fact that we are now living in the time of fulfilment, while the patriarchs and their followers lived in the period of type and prophecy, the faith and hope of the believers of the Old Testament is identical with that of the Christians in the New Testament. In this faith and hope Paul had been instructed from his youth, as his forefathers had been before him. It was a terrible thing, of course, that he had been a persecutor and a blasphemer of Christ and the Christian religion. But, as he himself says, this attitude had been due to ignorance; his early faith in the Messiah that was to come, and that of his later years in the Messiah that had come, were the same in substance. And so his worship of God had been performed with a pure conscience, foolish as it was in view of the fact that the Messiah had already appeared; Paul offers this as an explanation, not as an excuse.

In the form of a parenthetical remark the apostle now sets forth his relation to Timothy, stating that he had his beloved pupil in remembrance continually in the prayers that were rising to God night and day. He remembered all the congregations with whom he had been connected in his apostolic capacity, but, incidentally, his cordial relation to Timothy caused him to make mention of him with particular fervor. His heart was filled with longing to see his young friend, especially since he could not get rid of the memory of the tears which Timothy had shed at their last meeting; cp. Acts 20:37. The field on which Timothy was working had proved almost too much for his inexperience, in consequence of which he had been bothered with faint-heartedness. As Paul, therefore, thought of this scene and of the fact that he had not been able to see Timothy since, his longing to see him and thus to be filled with joy was again aroused and increased.

After these parenthetical remarks the apostle now mentions the reason for his prayers of thankfulness: For I call to remembrance the unfeigned faith which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois and thy mother Eunice; I am persuaded, however, that also in thee. Paul had probably been reminded with great force of all these facts by a letter or by a messenger from Timothy. The impression which he had had concerning his pupil had thereby been deepened. And therefore he turns to the Lord with a grateful heart, thanking Him for preserving the faith of Timothy to the present time. It was an unfeigned faith, a faith unmixed with hypocrisy, a faith resting upon the knowledge and consisting in the acceptance of the salvation in and through Christ. Timothy had been exceptionally fortunate in having received proper instruction in the doctrine of truth. His grandmother Lois and his mother Eunice, both of whom apparently belonged to the true Israelites that waited for the revelation of the Messiah, had also both embraced Christianity. But the same Christian faith which lived in them dwelt also in the heart of the grandson and son. Of that Paul was convinced, for that he had the strongest testimony.

These extraordinary advantages which he had enjoyed, however, also imposed obligations upon Timothy: For which reason I remind thee to rekindle God’s gift of grace, which is in thee by the laying on of my hands. Timothy had from his early childhood received instruction in the Scriptures of the Old Testament. His conversion, therefore, had consisted in his turning from the expectation of a Messiah that was still to come to the trust in Him who had been manifested. Since, then, he had received the grace of God in so rich a measure, since he had also been given the ability to teach and the willingness to teach as special evidences of God’s mercy, therefore the apostle found it incumbent upon himself to remind him of the obligations attending this gift, as it had been transmitted to him through the laying on of Paul’s hands at the time of his ordination. In a peculiar way, in an extraordinary measure, Timothy had at that time been given the special ability for the administration of the pastoral office in all its branches. Timothy was to rekindle the gift of grace imparted to him. The fire of faith, of love, of confidence, of courage to open his mouth in joyful proclamation of the counsel of God was still in him, but he was in danger of neglecting it; hence the admonition to rekindle it, lest the work of the Lord suffer in consequence.

In support of his admonition Paul adds: For not has God given us the spirit of timidity, but of power and of love and of sane-mindedness. The spirit that lives in the Christians and should give energy especially to the pastors is not one of timidity, of lack of courage, of faintheartedness. That is the spirit which produces hirelings, men that cater to the itching ears of their hearers; it is the spirit that finally leads to hypocrisy and denial of the faith. The true Spirit that should actuate all believers and especially the ministers of the Word is the Spirit of strength and power, of an energy rooted in the omnipotence of God, that knows no fear; the Spirit of love which enables a person not only to offer work freely, but also to make sacrifices for the cause of the Lord; the Spirit of sane-mindedness, that enables the Christian pastor to use sound common sense under all circumstances, to employ that tact and diplomacy which chooses the best methods in all situations and thus gains friends for the Gospel. This is a gift of grace, through the Spirit, and should therefore be found in all men that are engaged in the glorious ministry of saving souls, as well as in all believers that recognize their duty of placing their strength and abilities in the service of the Lord.

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Verses 8-14

An admonition to steadfastness

The knowledge of God’s love in Christ Jesus and the gift of God’s grace are the fundamental factors in the work of Timothy; they obligated him to show all staunchness in confessing Christ, in defending the faith. This thought St. Paul brings out with fine tact: Do not, then, be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord nor of me, His prisoner, but join me in suffering for the Gospel according to the power of God. Timothy should not dread nor fear the dishonor and disgrace which his confessing of Christ was sure to bring upon him; he should not flee from the lot which is inevitable to the followers of Christ. Cp. Romans 1:16; Mark 8:38; Hebrews 11:26. The apostle calls the entire preaching of the New Testament the testimony of Christ, because Christ is the content of the entire doctrine of salvation; His person and work should be proclaimed from every pulpit that bears the name Christian; the message of the Gospel is that of eternal life, because it testifies of Christ, John 5:39; 1 Corinthians 1:6. Just because every person that openly professed his allegiance to the so-called sect of the Christians had to expect persecution and dishonor to strike him, therefore Timothy was not to be ashamed of his confession. But this attitude included yet another point. Timothy might be inclined to withdraw from Paul in the latter’s present unfortunate situation. The apostle, however, was not languishing in prison on account of any crime committed by him. He was a prisoner of the Lord; for the sake of Jesus whom he had so freely and gladly confessed before men he had been imprisoned. His fetters thus were his badge of honor, and Timothy was to acknowledge them as such. Instead of being ashamed of Jesus and of Paul, His apostle, now bound for His sake, Timothy should rather join him in suffering for the Gospel. Should the same fate strike him which had come upon his beloved teacher, Timothy should not hesitate for a moment in showing his willingness to bear the yoke of his Lord. So much he could do, not, indeed, by his own reason and strength, but in accordance with, in the measure of, the power of God in him. Christ, the Lord of His Church, always imparts that amount of strength which is necessary for bearing sufferings for His sake.

If there is any thought which, above all others, ought to make us willing to suffer persecutions for the sake of our Lord, it is that of our redemption in Christ: Who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the time of this world. The apostle uses the strongest argument at his disposal for impressing upon Timothy and every Christian the necessity of remaining steadfast in the confession of Christ unto the end. It is God that saved us, that is our Savior; the salvation is complete, ready before the eyes and hearts of all men. And so far as its application to the believers is concerned, the apostle says that God has called us, He has extended to us the invitation to accept the reconciliation made for all men. This invitation was a holy call, for it was issued by the holy God, applied by the Holy Ghost, and has for its purpose a life of consecration. In no manner does the merit of man come into consideration in this call, for it was not extended to us because of our works. God did not look upon any man with the intention of finding something in his character or attitude which would make him more willing to accept the proffered grace. At the same time, however, He did not issue an absolute call, simply on the basis of the majesty of His divine will. He called men rather according to His own purpose and grace. It was God’s own free counsel and intention, a counsel of grace, of His free love and favor, whose revelation took place in Christ Jesus. Before the foundations of the world were laid, before God had created a single human being, His gracious counsel of love was formulated, which resulted in our call, by virtue of which we should be His own and live with Him world without end. In Christ Jesus His grace was given us, for His redemption earned it for us.

The grace of God in Christ Jesus was thus present and ready from eternity. Then, in the fulness of time, God made known His grace to mankind: But now manifested through the appearance of our Savior Christ Jesus, when He rendered death ineffectual, but brought life and immortality to light through the Gospel. The grace which was planned and prepared in Christ Jesus was made manifest, not by a mere teaching or preaching, but by a bodily manifestation which could be conceived of by the senses, John 1:14. Through the entire life, suffering, and death of Christ the grace of God has been made manifest. In this way God’s grace was brought to the attention of men in bodily, visible form, in the shape of the Redeemer, who was their brother according to the flesh. His manifestation culminated in His rendering death helpless, in taking away the power from temporal death, thus making it a mere figurehead, 1 Corinthians 15:55-57. Since death, in its true essence, signifies a separation from God and from the life in God, therefore it has lost its terrors for the believers. Death can no longer conquer us, who are in Christ Jesus. Instead of that, life and immortality are our lot through the work of our Savior. We have reentered the fellowship of life with God; the true life in and with God lies before us in immeasurable fulness. The original blessed condition of Paradise has now again been made possible; the life in and with God shows itself in immortality, in incorruption. Salvation with all the glories of heaven is ours; it is no longer hidden from our eyes, but is set before us in the brightest, clearest light through the Gospel; for this is the message of the completed redemption, of the revelation of life without end. Such is the blessed glory of the Gospel, as the apostle has briefly summarized it here for Timothy as well as for the Christians of all times.

In bringing out his connection with the Gospel, the apostle now incidentally gives a reason why Timothy should not be ashamed of him: To which I have been appointed herald and apostle and teacher. Every word used by the apostle brings out a certain phase of his work. He is a herald, a proclaimer of the great and wonderful works of God. Not only the foundation of a proper Christian understanding should be laid by his preaching, but the Christians should also grow in knowledge of their Lord Jesus Christ by the same method. He is an apostle; he belongs to the number of men who for all times were to be the teachers of the New Testament Church. And finally, Paul was a teacher, as all true ministers should be, his special field being that of the Gentiles. He did not operate with the excellencies of man’s wisdom, but taught the mystery of the kingdom of God, both publicly and privately. How could Timothy, under the circumstances, feel ashamed of his teacher?

But the sufferings of Paul also should not provoke this feeling of shame in him: For which reason also I suffer these things, but am not ashamed. In the ministry, in the office which God entrusted to him, with every mark of distinction, the enmity of the world had struck him; he had been subjected to misery, persecution, imprisonment. Since, however, these sufferings are to be expected in the regular discharge of the holy office, he does not in any way look upon them as a disgrace. To suffer for the sake of Christ is not a dishonor, but an honor. For this reason the apostle is able to write in the joyful confidence of faith: For I know in whom my faith rests, and I am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I have entrusted to Him until that day. Every word here is an expression of firm trust in God. He does not rely upon his feelings, upon his own ideas and notions; his knowledge is based upon the Word and cannot therefore be shaken. He has gained a conviction which is more certain than all asseverations of mere men: he has the promise of God in His infallible Word. For the apostle has entrusted the salvation of his soul to the heavenly Father, and his faith has the conviction based upon His Word that the precious treasure is safe in His hands, John 10:28. For God is able, fully competent, to guard this inestimable blessing. We are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation, 1 Peter 1:5.

The admonition, then, follows as a matter of course: The example of wholesome words hold fast which thou hast heard from me, in faith as well as in love which is in Christ Jesus. The personal example of Paul was an important factor in his work; what he had done and said should be a type for Timothy to follow. It seems that he has reference to some summary or outline of the Gospel-truth which he had transmitted to his pupil, a teaching of wholesome words, entirely free from the morbid outgrowths which the errorists showed. This summary of doctrine Timothy was to use in faith and love in Christ Jesus. Having the conviction of faith that the Gospel as taught by Paul was the truth, he would not suffer himself to become apostate to that truth. Having true, cordial love toward Christ in his heart, he would know that every defection from the truth committed to his charge would deeply grieve his Savior. A simple adherence to the words of Scripture is the safest way to avoid most of the difficulties with which sectarians are always grappling; for it is only when a person goes beyond the words of divine revelation that he meets with contradictions or apparently incompatible statements.

In connection with this thought the apostle once more urges his pupil: The excellent deposit guard through the Holy Spirit, that dwells in us. Having just admonished Timothy to adhere to the form of sound doctrine for his own person, Paul now drives home the other truth, namely, that this precious deposit of the pure truth must be guarded against all contamination. In his own power, by his own reason and strength, it is true that no pastor is able to defend and guard the doctrine of Christ against the various attacks that are made against it, against the suspicions that are being spread concerning it. If a man studies the Bible just as he does any other book, if he believes that the application of mere worldly wisdom will suffice for its defense, he will soon find out just how badly in error he was with his ideas. The precious blessing of evangelical truth can be kept safe only through the Holy Ghost. Even in Baptism this Spirit has made His abode in us, and He will continue to use our hearts as His shrine as long as we continue in the words of our Savior. What comfort for the simple, faithful minister of the Word!

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Verses 15-18

Paul’s sorrowful and cheerful experiences

These historical references are closely connected with the preceding section, in which Paul had emphasized the thought that Christians will gladly suffer persecution for the sake of Christ. His first statement is a complaint of the treatment accorded him by some of those that formerly professed friendship for him: Thou knowest this, that all those in Asia have repudiated me, among whom are Phygellus and Hermogenes. Whether this repudiation practised by the Christians of Asia was directed merely against the person of Paul, being inspired by the fear that they might be forced to share his fate if their relation to him were known, or whether it included the actual denial of the truth, is not altogether evident. It seems that the apostle had sent word to certain influential Christians of the province of Asia to give their testimony in his favor, but that these feared an evil outcome for themselves and refused to do Paul this favor. In the case of two men, whose names he mentions, it seems that this conduct had struck the apostle with special force, and a final denial of the Gospel seemed to be only a matter of time. They had been ashamed of his bonds and might be expected soon to be ashamed of his Lord.

As a splendid contrast to this selfish behavior the apostle names the conduct of one other man from Asia: May the Lord grant mercy to the house of Onesiphorus, because often he refreshed me and was not ashamed of my chain, but, coming to Rome, he quickly sought me out and found me. The man whose name is here recorded on account of the shining example he gave to the Christians of all times, seems to have died meanwhile. Paul, therefore, expresses his prayer in the form of an earnest wish that God would bless his entire household for his sake. Cp. Proverbs 14:26; Proverbs 20:7. For this man Onesiphorus had provided refreshment and comfort, both for the body and soul of Paul, for in bringing him such gifts as tended to ease the burden of his imprisonment, this good man also refreshed the spirit of the apostle. In doing so he was not ashamed of the chain which Paul bore, he did not consider it a disgrace to be known as a friend of the prisoner, he did not consider the probable danger which was connected with his visits to a Christian teacher. Rather, when his business brought him to Rome, or when he found time to make a special trip to the capital in behalf of the imprisoned apostle, he did not rest until he found out just where Paul was kept captive, in order to offer him what little service he was able to perform. Paul’s wish for him is that the Lord would grant him to find mercy on the last day. So far as Paul knew, these and other evidences in good works provided sufficient ground for assuming that Onesiphorus had held the true faith, and that for that reason the reward of mercy would fall to his lot. In conclusion the apostle appeals to Timothy’s own knowledge of the case: And in how many ways he served me in Ephesus thou knowest best. It was not necessary for the apostle to enumerate all the good things which he might have stated about this noble, unselfish man. His work was known sufficiently well wherever his name was mentioned. Timothy himself had been in Ephesus as a witness of some of the deeds of kindness, and was therefore able to judge for himself better than Paul, whose opinion therefore did not need to influence him. It is a special blessing of God if all the members of the congregation show proper willingness to be of service in the cause of the kingdom of Christ.

Summary

After the address and salutation the apostle reminds Timothy of his early training and its obligations; he admonishes him to steadfastness, incidentally referring to his own sorrowful and comforting experiences.

Verses 1-7

Admonition to faithfulness in the ministry

The discussion is still dominated by the thought of 2 Timothy 1:8, that Timothy should not be ashamed of the Gospel, of the testimony of the Lord. For that reason the apostle summarizes all his wishes and hopes for his favorite pupil in the urgent appeal: Thou, then, my son, be strong in the grace which is in Christ Jesus. The fatherly feeling and attitude of Paul, as brought out in his kind address, is intended to remind Timothy of the obligations which his spiritual sonship places upon him. He was to become and be, he was to show himself strong, Ephesians 6:10. This strength, however, for patient endurance, for victorious warfare, he could find and receive only in the grace which is in Christ Jesus. The unmerited grace and mercy of God, which was revealed to us and is given to us in Christ Jesus, is a source, not only of comfort in richest measure, but also of the true strength which enables us to overcome all spiritual enemies and obtain the victory. The grace of God in Christ was to be the sphere, the element in which Timothy was to have his spiritual being; through it he was to keep the apostolic doctrine pure and unadulterated in the Church.

This St. Paul expressly demands: And the things which thou hast heard from me through many witnesses, these transmit to faithful men, such as will be able to teach others also. This gives us an idea of the manner in which the apostle taught the candidates for admission into the Christian Church. He expounded the doctrine to them by word of mouth, and accompanied this teaching with a continual reference to the Old Testament, the many proof-passages being his infallible witnesses. Thus Timothy had a certain foundation under his feet concerning the doctrine which he had heard from Paul. He could assent to this doctrine cheerfully and confidently, knowing that God Himself had substantiated its truths. But for this reason he could also pass on the doctrine which he had received without the slightest hesitation; he could, in turn, instruct faithful, trustworthy men, preparing them for the work of the ministry. Such men as have a most thorough understanding, a perfect knowledge of the doctrines as taught by Paul, and are, moreover, faithful and trustworthy, may be chosen as ministers of the Church. Incidentally, the words of the apostle imply a certain amount of natural or acquired aptitude to teach. The possession of a certain amount of knowledge alone is not sufficient in a teacher, but it is absolutely necessary for him to be able to impart the Christian doctrine to others in the form of proper teaching. To this end the Holy Spirit Himself must be the instructor of all the teachers in the Church; for their sufficiency in office is of God, 2 Corinthians 2:16-17; 2 Corinthians 3:4-6.

It was to be expected, of course, that Timothy, in the fulfilment of this work, would not always find smooth sailing. Anticipating this, the apostle writes: Join me in bearing suffering, as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. It is the lot of the messengers of Christ to endure various sufferings for the sake of the Gospel. As the work of a soldier in this world is connected with many difficulties and hardships, even so it holds true also, in a far greater measure, that a soldier of Jesus is beset with many difficulties and hardships, since the enemies with whom he is obliged to battle are skilful, powerful, and dangerous in a much greater degree than any earthly foes, Ephesians 6:12. In addition to that, immeasurably more important matters, the soul’s salvation and eternal life, are here concerned. It is only by patient suffering, by cheerful endurance, that a servant of Christ will perform his work properly. There is at least a measure of comfort, at the same time, in the fact that other soldiers of the Master are subject to the same hardships.

The apostle now illustrates his admonition by referring to three examples, by every one of which he wishes to emphasize some specific phase in the work of a minister. The first picture develops the comparison with the life of a soldier: No member of the army becomes entangled in the business pursuits of life, in order that he may please him that hired him. The apostle speaks of a person belonging to an army, not of a soldier on duty. As soon as a man joins the army, and even before he has seen active service, he leaves all matters of business behind him, he is no longer concerned about his food and clothing, that being supplied by the quartermaster’s department. The recruit is supposed to strain his every effort in the direction of serving in the army to the best of his ability, to give the best account of himself. Thus the service of a Christian minister demands full concentration of all bodily, mental, and spiritual powers; his one aim is to please the great Master in whose service he is laboring. There is included here an indirect admonition to the congregations to take such care of their pastors as to prevent their being forced to worry about the necessaries of life for themselves and their family. If this is done in the proper manner, the cares and worries of daily life will be taken from the shoulders of the pastor, and he will thus have all the more leisure and energy to devote to the proper execution of the work of his office.

The second picture which the apostle uses is taken from the athletic games of the Greeks: But even if a man competes in the games, he is not crowned unless he complies with the rules. In the national athletic games of the Greeks the prize had little material value, consisting merely of a wreath: but the honor connected with the gaining of the prize was such as to cause the victor to become the subject of countless hymns throughout the Greek world. But the much-coveted prize was given only on one condition, namely, that the competitor in the games had complied with all the rules, both as to training and as to behavior during the games. In the same way every servant of the Word is bound by the rules which the Lord has laid down in His Word. All other considerations, from the standpoint of man, no matter with what intention they are brought forward, must be set aside. The pastor is to devote himself to his work with a cheerful intensity that seeks the welfare of the souls entrusted to him.

The third picture of the apostle is taken from the work of a field-laborer or a farmer: The farmer that has labored hard should be the first partaker of the fruits. Every one that earns his living from the soil, that labors in the field in the sweat of his face, should at the same time have the comforting assurance that he may be the first to enjoy the results of his toil. This idea is applied to the work of the Christian pastor. The men engaged in this work are not only obliged to toil unceasingly, but they also must receive the fruits of their labors as they present themselves. Whether their preaching be a savor of life unto life or a savor of death unto death, they must be faithful. Whether their fruit consists more of joy or more of suffering and misery makes no difference. The final blessed change to glory everlasting will not take place until the last day.

The apostle realizes that the application of the three parables is not easy, and therefore adds: Mark what I say; for the Lord will give you understanding in all things. Timothy was to apply the lessons of the pictures following the admonition to his own case. He was to solve his specific problems in accordance with these reminders of the apostle. Since this understanding, however, is not a matter of mere mental ability, but of the Lord’s enlightenment, therefore the apostle says that this will come to him by the gift of the Lord. If there is any Christian that should feel the necessity of praying for strength and light, for understanding and knowledge from above, it is a servant of the Word. And in the measure in which he asks the blessing of God success will attend his work.

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Verses 8-13

An admonition to faithfulness in faith and Christian conduct

Faithfulness in the ministerial office, indeed, in any office in the Church, depends on the certainty of the Christian faith. For this reason the apostle reminds Timothy: Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, of the seed of David, according to the Gospel as preached by me. The content and summary of the glorious message of the Gospel, as preached by Paul, was Jesus Christ, true man indeed, a descendant of David according to the flesh. Cp. Romans 1:3. This man Jesus Christ completed His work of redemption of the world by His resurrection from the dead. By this miracle, which reason cannot suffer and no man, of his own strength, can believe, as Luther writes, the work of redemption found divine acknowledgment and acceptance. These facts Timothy must keep in remembrance at all times, they were to encourage him to bear with cheerful courage all the trials which his work might bring upon him.

That there is a wonderful strength enclosed in this message of salvation St. Paul has experienced in his own case: In which I suffer evil, even to bonds, like a criminal; but the Word of God is not bound. In the sphere of the Gospel, for the sake of the Gospel, in the service of the Gospel, Paul had freely sacrificed himself. He did not grow weary in enduring evil, hatred, enmity, persecution, if he could but continue to serve the Gospel. Though he was imprisoned like a common criminal, he had the satisfaction of knowing that he had done no wrong, and that he was but following in the footsteps of his Master. At the same time it was a source of great satisfaction to him to know that the course of the Gospel was not bound, and that its course did not depend upon his person. Though his enemies had succeeded in casting the great preacher of righteousness into prison, yet they could not stop the preaching of righteousness through the blood of Christ. Even in the apostle’s case written communication with the other parts of the Christian world had not been cut off. Should the climax be reached and his person be removed, the Lord was able to continue His work through the agency of other men.

His personal attitude the apostle explains still more fully: For that reason I endure all things for the sake of the elect, in order that they also might share in the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory. Because Paul knew that the Word of God was not bound, because he was ever mindful of the risen Christ and His glorious victory over all enemies, and because he had entered the ranks of the disciples of the Lord, therefore he willingly endured all these evils, not passively, as one that could not help himself, but actively and even aggressively, as one who intended his attitude to serve a definite purpose. The apostle has in mind chiefly the elect, the believers, Philippians 1:14; 2 Corinthians 1:6; Colossians 1:24. The fact that the apostle endured all sufferings so steadfastly should serve for the encouragement of the Christians for all times; it should cause them to become so sure of their salvation in Christ Jesus that even the greatest afflictions and persecutions would not cause them to doubt the fact of their being the children of the heavenly Father through Christ. For their salvation is in Christ Jesus; it is earned by Him, it rests in Him, it is grounded in Him. There can be no doubt, therefore, that the believers will obtain that eternal glory which is connected with this salvation. This glory enters into the hearts of the believers even here in time, and in eternity they will be blessed with the fulness of the heavenly glory such as they can but feebly conceive of in this vale of tears and sorrows.

So great is the comfort and consolation which the apostle has on the basis of this thought that he breaks into a song of Christian hope: Trustworthy is the word: If we have died with Him, we shall also live with Him; if we endure, we shall also reign with Him; if we deny, He also will deny us; if we are faithless, He remains faithful, for deny Himself He cannot. The apostle calls attention to the wonderful truths which he here lays before the Christians to encourage them at all times: Truly a trustworthy, a sure word! If we are faithful to the Lord, even unto death, and if we daily cause our old Adam, our sinful flesh, to die with all desires and evil lusts, then we shall also become partakers of the reward of mercy which He has reserved for us in heaven. Cp. Romans 8:18. If we show a steadfast patience in the midst of all afflictions and sufferings, then He will at the last day elevate us to the honor and dignity of coregents with Him. Even here on earth, by virtue of the fellowship of faith with Him, He has made us to be kings and priests before Him. But yonder in eternity He will vest us with the powers of eternal kings and rulers, and we shall reign with Him throughout eternity. On the other hand, St. Paul issues an emphatic warning, telling us that, if we deny Him, He will deny us. Every true follower of Christ must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Him. But he who, in word or deed, is ashamed of Christ will find that the Lord will also be ashamed of him on the great Day of Judgment. Cp. Matthew 7:23; Matthew 10:33; Matthew 25:12. And again: If we are faithless, if we are not true to Him and to our promise given Him in Baptism, if we lose the faith of our hearts by neglecting the Word and the Sacraments, God will be faithful to His threat of punishment, for He cannot be untrue to His essence; He is the Eternal, Immutable. A faithless, unreliable servant the Lord cannot reward but with the reward of unfaithfulness. What a solemn warning to the Christians of all times not to yield to the weakness of the flesh and thus to forfeit the blessings of eternity!

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Verses 14-18

The proper dividing of the Word of God as contrasted with the practise of the errorists

The connection between these specific charges and the previous admonitions and warnings is close and intimate, for Timothy was to make use of the knowledge imparted to him in his ministry: Of these things remind them, earnestly testifying before God that they do not indulge in quarreling, to no good but to the subversion of the hearers. These charges were intended, as the connection shows, chiefly for such men as were engaged in the work of the ministry. All these men were to be familiar with the doctrine as it had been taught by Paul and briefly summarized also in this letter. Timothy was to remind them of these truths, call them back to their memory, and not merely incidentally and secondarily, but with great and solemn emphasis. Before God, who searches hearts and minds, he was to remind the ministers of their duty. They should exclude, as altogether useless and unprofitable, the custom of striving with words, of quarreling endlessly, 1 Timothy 6:4; Titus 3:9. To indulge in human subtleties instead of preaching the sound doctrine of salvation, to attempt to explain with human philosophy what God has not revealed, serves only for spiritual undoing, for the subversion of the hearers. If men that occupy the position of teachers in the Church spend the time given them for the instruction of immortal souls unto salvation in the fruitless endeavor to make their own foolish ideas plausible, if possible, in the desire to pose before their people as great critics and unusually learned men, then the hearers become suspicious, then they begin to doubt the truth of the Christian doctrine, believing it to be a mere collection of human tenets. The result is, in many cases, that they are offended and turn from the Church entirely.

In order that Timothy might never become guilty of such behavior, St. Paul writes: Exert thyself to stand approved before God, as a workman that has no cause for shame, rightly dividing the Word of Truth. Timothy should use all diligence, should toil most assiduously, to prove himself a faithful servant of the Gospel and to stand approved in this respect in the sight of God. No matter when a reckoning should then be demanded of him, he would be able to point to such works in the performance of his office as would accord with the demands of God. He should be such a workman as not to cause disgrace, either to his Lord and Master or to himself. This is a very comprehensive, but incidentally a very necessary demand, which is addressed to every servant of the Word. And a chief point for establishing a pastor’s integrity in this respect is the test by which he is found a man that divides the Word of Truth properly. The expression is a term taken from the liturgical language of the Jews, and refers to the proper carving of the sacrificial animals. The allusion to the dividing properly is to the work of a steward in a household who makes the right distribution to each one under his care of such things as his office and their necessities require, as one commentator has it. It is the main problem and work of a Christian pastor to know how to divide and apply the Word of Truth, to remain always conscious of the distinction between the Law and the Gospel, and to apply these two doctrines to the conditions and needs of his hearers. It was with reference to this verse that Luther voiced his famous saying: “Therefore, whoever knows this art well, to divide the Law from the Gospel, place him at the head and designate him a doctor of Holy Writ. For without the Holy Spirit it is impossible to discern this difference. … The Holy Ghost must here be Master and Teacher, otherwise no man on earth will be able to understand or teach it.” ^■885 . Or, as Walther says, secure, careless, wanton sinners must hear the thunder of the Law; contrite and poor sinners, however, the sweet voice of the Savior’s grace.

Whatever does not agree with this chief activity of the pastor should be put aside as dangerous: But profane, empty talkings shun, for they lead people all the farther into godlessness. As in 1 Timothy 6:20, Paul is not referring merely to useless, vain talkings, that have no use and value in the world, but to such as are incidentally profane, that are far from promoting all true sanctification. Any pastor that neglects the chief doctrines of the Christian faith in the interest of various human philosophies and secondary doctrines, threatens both his office and his person with a great danger. For these profane babblings advance godlessness, irreligion. In the same measure as a person finds pleasure in the various subtleties which false teachers delight in discussing, such as the question of the occupation of God before the creation of the world, the number and order of the angels, etc., in that same measure his interest in sound Christian doctrine will decrease.

Just how far this dangerous influence may eventually extend St. Paul shows with regard to a concrete example: And their doctrine spreads like gangrene, of whom are Hymenaeus and Philetus, who have erred concerning the truth, saying that the resurrection has already taken place, and subverting the faith of some. The catchy phrases and plausible arguments used by the false teachers in trying to interest people in their subtleties always made some impression, especially upon such people as were not sound in their faith. Just as a cancer or gangrene attacks a weak spot in the body, one which has in some manner been prepared for such an attack, so the profane vanities of the errorists, so the false doctrine is most apt to find lodging in hearts that are not firm in the doctrines of the Catechism. With terrible quickness the disease will spread if once it has gained a hold in a Christian congregation. The sound flesh of the body of Christ, of His Church, is thus attacked and ruined, unless measures to prevent such an effect are taken in time. Paul names two men whom the disease had conquered, one Hymenaeus, possibly the same man as the one mentioned 1 Timothy 1:20, and Philetus. These men had not confined themselves to philosophical subtleties, but had continued in their unwholesome quest for false enlightenment, the result being that they missed the goal entirely, that they had erred in one of the fundamental doctrines. By some manner of foolish reasoning they had come to the conclusion that the resurrection of the dead had already taken place, probably by arguing that the Lord had only conversion, the resurrection of men’s souls from spiritual death, in mind when He used the term. The result might be that men might grow secure, believing that they were now safe, having once been converted, and could live as they chose. The denial of any fundamental doctrine of the Bible, such as the resurrection of the body, always results in destruction of faith.

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Verses 19-21

Of clean and unclean vessels

There are two thoughts that stand out in the connection between this section and the preceding one. For one thing, Paul wanted to show that the Word of God stands firm against all error, and in the second place, he wanted to expose the methods of the errorists. To warn against carnal security and to encourage true sanctification, that was his purpose. It is a great comfort to the believers: Truly the solid foundation of God stands secure, having this seal: The Lord knows those that are His; and: Let every one that mentions the name of the Lord refrain from unrighteousness. God Himself has laid a foundation here on earth, and that foundation of God remains secure, it stands firm against all attacks. His holy Church is built upon Christ as the Rock of Ages, and all attempts of the enemies to overthrow this Church have failed and must fail. A person, therefore, that deliberately denies a fundamental doctrine of the Christian truth thereby places himself outside of the pale of Christianity, whether he be a hearer or a teacher. But whenever such sad cases occur, the edifice of the Church itself remains unmoved, firm, and secure, Matthew 16:18; Ephesians 2:19-22; 1 Corinthians 3:9-12. One or more individual stones or whole companies may fall away, but the City of God shall not be moved. For the seal or inscription of the foundation is: The Lord knows them that are His. This fact is our security, our guaranty for the everlasting firmness of the Church. Since it does not depend upon men’s ideas and efforts, but only upon the mercy of God if a person is accepted into the Church as a living stone, therefore the structure is safe. But since these persons are known only to Him, since His merciful knowledge has brought them to the acceptance of Jesus Christ as their Savior, therefore He will use all care to keep them steadfast in His Word and faith until the end. The second inscription of the seal brings out this warning with double force. Every person that has mentioned or named the name of Christ as His Savior and Lord thereby has placed himself under the obligation to refrain from all unrighteousness. If he should again indulge in unrighteousness in any form, if he should in any way become guilty of godlessness, he would thereby deny the truth and its holy Author and lose his position in the Church. While a Christian thus, on the one hand, is fully certain of the grace of God in Christ Jesus and never for a moment has a doubt concerning his soul’s salvation, he, on the other hand, is very careful not to yield to the false comfort, as though the conversion which he has once experienced were an absolute guaranty for his obtaining eternal life.

Timothy might now have the idea that it was an easy matter to decide who had the true faith in his heart, and that therefore a congregation might act very quickly. To meet this possibility, Paul adds a short explanation in the form of a parable: But in a large house there are not only gold and silver vessels, but also of wood and of clay, and some to honor, some, however, to dishonor. In order to represent the Church of Christ as it appears in this world, the apostle uses the picture of the vessels in a large household, the various dishes, articles of furniture, tools and instruments, etc. He wants to show how the various members of the so-called visible Church are to be judged, so far as gifts and moral condition are concerned. In doing this, he divides the vessels into two groups. In the first group the apostle shows the contrast between the richly and the poorly endowed Christians, between such as have a high degree of courageous faith and such as are like a broken reed or a smoking flax. This distinction is found also in other passages of Scripture, Matthew 13:23; 1 Corinthians 12:14-27. The second group named by St. Paul presents a parallel to Romans 9:22; for here we have the contrast between such as have an honorable and such as have a dishonorable purpose. Through the unmerited grace and mercy of God certain Christians attain to honor and glory, others, through their own fault, are doomed to dishonor, disgrace, and destruction. For them the Word of God is a savor of death unto death, 2 Corinthians 2:16. So far as the application of the entire verse is concerned, it presents no great difficulties. We have not only a Paul in the Church, but also an Ananias, not only a Barnabas, but also a John Mark, not only an elder with a rich fund of Christian knowledge, but also a simple mother that clings to the Catechism truths. On the other hand, it is true also that there are, by the side of the true and faithful Christians, also such as are Christians in name only, hypocrites and errorists. It behooves the leader of the congregation, therefore, the pastor, to be very careful in forming judgments, lest he do some one a bitter wrong by hasty conclusions.

The apostle himself makes the application of his precept: If one will only keep himself unspotted from the latter, he will be a vessel unto honor, consecrated, altogether meet for the Master’s use, ready unto every good work. This is not written for Timothy’s personal information only, but is intended to serve as a guide for all times. If the vessels unto dishonor become manifest as such, then it is the duty of every one to separate himself from such, of course, after the steps of admonition have been observed. Every person preserving his Christian integrity in this manner would be judged accordingly, as a true vessel unto honor. He will be like one of the Old Testament Temple vessels, consecrated to the Lord. His entire life and conduct will serve for the honor of the Lord, for the hallowing of His name. Such a person will in truth be a member of the holy nation of the Lord, the Lord Himself revealing His holiness in him. Such a Christian will be ready and willing for the performance of every good work, and therefore of the greatest usefulness to the Lord. This continual purging should take place in the so-called visible Church at all times, lest the dross remain mixed with the gold, even in the eyes of men. Upon the last great day the final separation of the wheat and the chaff will take place.

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Verses 22-26

The minister’s personal conduct

The conduct of Timothy as preacher and pastor the apostle had discussed at length. He here takes the opportunity of showing him how he ought to conduct himself so far as his own person was concerned: But the youthful lusts flee; rather follow after righteousness, faith, love, peace with those that call upon the Lord out of a pure heart. According to the standards of that day and age, Timothy, who was then some thirty years old, was still considered a youth. Paul, therefore, knew what he was doing when he included a warning concerning the sins of uncleanness which are peculiar to youth, for this desire is in need of constant taming and suppressing. Other desires and lusts which also must be watched very carefully are false ambition, officiousness, contentiousness. All these tendencies, but especially that of unchastity, can best be combated by fleeing from them, as the example of Joseph shows. But the opposite tactics must be employed where the acquisition of Christian virtues is concerned. There it is necessary to follow after, to seek earnestly, to aim at, righteousness, the proper conduct before God and men, faith in Christ and God and the confidence of faith, love that is active in all good works, peace with all those that are united with us in the fellowship of faith. He does not advocate a false peace, which might amount to a denial of God, but he does want us to confess our mutual faith in the Redeemer openly and cheerfully. Brethren in faith should not hesitate to make public declaration of that fact.

But while Timothy was using all diligence in growing in Christian virtues, he was incidentally to guard against the ways of the errorists: But futile and ignorant questions avoid, knowing that they engender strifes. Futile questions are such as are broached by people that have too much time on their hands, in the effort to kill time. And they were ignorant, arising from a misunderstanding of the matter in dispute. It seems that the people of the early days were just as adept in discussing fruitless subjects as many a conference and many a theological paper is in our days, splitting hairs over immaterial matters and callous and indifferent with regard to the fundamentals. But discussions of this nature are sure to breed strife, since they are invariably subjective. In most cases, moreover, the personal element is brought into the situation, excluding all chances of bringing the matter under consideration to a successful conclusion.

For that reason Paul writes: But the servant of the Lord must not strive, but be placid toward all, apt to teach, enduring injury. It is in itself an honor to be called a servant of the Lord, to be in charge of the ministry which He Himself instituted. Such a man, however, must not be quarrelsome, must not indulge in quarrels, in petty contentions upon the slightest provocation. A different matter is that of defending the truth of God against vile attacks. A minister should be characterized by equanimity, kindness, benevolence toward all, not only toward his own members, but toward all with whom he comes in contact. That he must have aptness to teach, naturally, or the ability to teach, acquired, preferably both, is one of the first requirements of a teacher. But in thus giving instruction concerning the truth, it will be necessary quite often for the minister to endure injury and insult. Since natural man considers the teaching of the Gospel foolishness, he will usually object very decidedly to the idea of making a serious study of Christianity. It is an art which may be learned only in the school of the Holy Ghost, to endure insults, on the one hand, and on the other, to confess the truth in the face of all opposition.

But just this difficult part of a minister’s work the apostle describes: In gentleness instructing those that oppose themselves, if possibly God will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth and a return to their senses out of the snare of the devil, captured by him to his own will. Blustering and threatening rarely convince a person of the truth of the Gospel. If a teacher of the Word, therefore, has such people before him as err from ignorance or even from malice, attempting to establish various points against the truth, then patient gentleness in explaining the Christian doctrine and in testifying to its soundness is the proper mode of procedure. The success of the teaching indeed rests with God; for it is He that must work the change of heart in man and give him the proper understanding of the truth. Repentance and conversion is a free gift of God to men, Jeremiah 31:18; 2 Corinthians 4:6; 2 Timothy 1:9. Thereby his heart is changed so as to possess a full and perfect knowledge of the Savior. At the same time the person that is converted comes to his right senses. As long as he is held captive in the bonds of Satan, he is in a sort of stupor, which prevents his knowing Jesus Christ as his Redeemer and accepting the Word of God as the eternal truth. The moral condition of unbelievers is that of people that are captives of the devil, who has so thoroughly enslaved them as to use them for his willing tools in the execution of all his wicked schemes and works, Ephesians 2:2. Only the power of God through the Word can save people from this condition, and therefore every pastor should use all gentleness in his efforts to convince the gainsayers of the error of their ways. Evangelical kindness may give way to legal harshness only when men refuse to accept the instruction of the Word of God and blaspheme in spite of better knowledge.

Summary

The apostle admonishes Timothy to faithfulness in his ministry and to steadfastness in faith and sanctification; he urges the proper application of the Word in contrast to the confused methods of the errorists, and briefly sketches the personal behavior of the Christian pastor.

Verses 1-9

The false teachers and false brethren of the last days

A description of the dangerous teachers:

This entire passage is prophetical in character, it being the Lord’s intention to give to all pastors to the end of time a warning: But understand this, that in the last days there will be upon us perilous times. The apostle is not referring in general to the entire time of the New Testament, but he is prophesying of the time immediately preceding the Day of Judgment. In those days there will be upon the Christians dangerous times, characterized not only by a moral degeneracy of the human race in general, but also of the so-called visible Church. Cp. Matthew 24:12; Matthew 24:23-24.

This condition the apostle now describes at length, saying that men will be lovers of self, in the bad sense, egoism and self-centeredness being their main characteristic, causing them to seek only their own advantage and ignoring the needs of their neighbors. Lovers of money they will be, covetousness being one form of selfishness, money and wealth being the sum and substance of all happiness to them. These two points, however, selfishness and avarice, are the roots from which such a behavior is developed as to cause the dissolution of all social relationships. For it follows, first of all, that they become boastfully proud, assuming an honor for themselves which they do not deserve. At the same time they are haughty, puffed up with a sense of their own importance, looking down upon others. But it is a false pride to which they have become addicted, for which reason the next step is their becoming blasphemers. They not only desecrate everything that is holy and divine by their absence of proper honor and respect, but they defame both God and their neighbors by their superciliousness. Their own person, their supposed rights, they want to elevate at all costs, those of others may be trodden under foot. Since they do not recognize divine authority, they also will not regard the rights of men: they are disobedient to parents, they refuse to honor the representatives of God. Ungrateful they are, neither recognizing nor appreciating the love which others show them. They are irreligious, profane, irreverent, the divine rules and laws having no effect upon them. They are callously indifferent to every form of true affection, they repress even the feeling of natural relationship and its obligations. Even when friendships and compacts are entered upon and assurances of faithfulness have been given, they do not consider themselves bound by their promises. At the slightest provocation they show themselves implacable. In such cases, moreover, they do not hesitate to become defamers of their neighbor, of besmirching the good name of such as they have called friends; all feeling for truth and fairness is killed in their hearts. They are therefore kept in check by no restraint, they are without self-control and have long ago forgotten the meaning of true temperance. All ennobling influences are set aside by them, they are fierce and savage; neither religion nor morality, neither common decency nor laudable custom, have the power to keep them in control. They are without all love for mankind and everything that is good; they take no interest in any schemes or plans for the amelioration of conditions among men. For that reason they are also treacherous, addicted to the ways and methods of traitors; if people depend upon them, they will betray their trust without a single qualm. They are reckless, without cool consideration of situations, not weighing any possible consequences. This follows, in turn, from the fact that they are conceited in their own mind, so thoroughly convinced of their own excellencies that they have lost their sound judgment. They are lovers of pleasures rather than lovers of God; they prefer the desires and pleasures of this world to the fear and love of God. Of true piety and love toward God there is hardly a vestige. And so the apostle summarizes the entire sad picture in the words: Having a form of religion, but denying its power. They find it to their advantage to keep up so much of a show of sanctity and piety, by imitating the manner of true Christians, that the impression may be registered as though they were truly devout Christians. Often, however, the mask is torn from this professional piety, and the picture which is then revealed may well fill all men with horror. There is only one thing to be done when such men become manifest in their true colors, namely, to avoid them, to have nothing to do with them. The nearer we come to the last day, the more the necessity for ceaseless vigilance becomes apparent.

Even in the early Church there were such hypocrites and false Christians, a fact which causes the apostle to make the application of his warning at once: For to these belong those that enter into the houses and lead captive silly women laden with sins, agitated by various lusts, always learning and never being able to come to the knowledge of truth. To this class of people belong also certain men that arrogate to themselves the right to teach. They insinuate themselves, they worm themselves into the houses, into the families; without a call they manage to gain entrance into houses, into the confidence of their inmates. This has ever been a characteristic of false prophets, that they claimed the right to convert people to their own pernicious views without having been sent by the Lord, Matthew 7:15; Jeremiah 14:14. A favorite method of theirs in our day is to send pamphlets and folders to people belonging to congregations. Thus they become busybodies in other men’s matters. The Mormons and other sects are especially aggressive along these lines. Their object is, if possible, to have a conversation with the women of the house in the absence of the husband, especially with such as come under the heading “silly women,” such as give strong evidence of their peculiar weakness, of their tendency to be governed by their feelings. All too often a sectarian religious agent, one that is versed in all the blandishments that are intended to make an impression upon women, and knows how to gain their confidence, will succeed in deceiving and leading captive such women, in getting a hold upon them, in making them his willing followers. These women are almost invariably such as are burdened with the knowledge of various trespasses, that feel the guilt of some specific transgressions, particularly against the Sixth Commandment. In their case the false peace and comfort preached by the false teachers is readily accepted; the interest taken in their case flatters their vanity, and they forget all thoughts of real repentance. They become a prey to the suggestions of the errorists all the more readily since they are agitated in their minds with various lusts, not only vanity and the desire for luxuries, but also voluptuousness. History has shown time and again that it was just the false teachers that caused gullible women to be deceived, and the stories connected with some religious cults are often the essence of unsavoriness. And no wonder; for, as the apostle shows, such women are actuated by an altogether abnormal desire for diversion. They are always making a pretense at learning, while, as a matter of fact, they are only on the lookout for every kind of sensational news connected with religion. There is nothing stable, nothing reliable in their interest. Therefore they never come to the knowledge and understanding of the truth; they lose the ability for real study of God’s Word and will. What a solemn warning to the women of all times!

The certainty of the ultimate exposure of the errorists:

According to Jewish tradition the men here mentioned, Jannes and Jambres, were sons of Balaam and belonged to the Egyptian magicians that were such strong opponents of Moses. By inspiration of the Spirit, St. Paul here changed tradition into history, thus supplementing the Old Testament account. These magicians had heard the Word of God from the mouth of Moses and Aaron, but they had deliberately and maliciously hardened their hearts against the truth, they had persisted in offering the most stubborn resistance to all the evidence of God’s power. In the very same manner the errorists of Ephesus were resisting the truth as taught by Paul and Timothy, at the same time hindering the labor of the apostles by their secret opposition. The reason for their actions is found in the condition of their hearts: Men corrupt in their mind, not approved with respect to their faith. Men of that stamp have not only spoiled their minds for the acknowledgment of the truth, but they have also hardened their consciences. Any attempt to change this corruption seems doomed to failure from the outset. They may have a head-knowledge of the Christian doctrine, but they are void of all sound judgment in affairs of true Christian religion; if they are put to a test, they fail most lamentably. Since the knowledge of the Christian truth includes repentance and faith, self-denial and love, they are not at all pleased with the outlook. But their chief danger lies in this, that men of this kind are usually very clever in hiding their real sentiments.

The apostle, however, gives the comforting assurance that they will eventually be exposed: But they will not continue very much longer; for their lack of sense will become manifest to all, just as was that of those men. This statement is not at variance with 2 Timothy 2:16; for in that passage the apostle speaks of the increasing influence of the false teachers, while he here refers to the revelation of a hypocritical Christianity, such as may be hidden from the eyes of men for a long time. It is a matter of comfort that there will be a limit to the measure of hypocrisy which people may reach without being detected. The eyes of men will finally be opened to the real status of affairs; the lack of sense and wisdom in the hypocritical Christians will finally become manifest and an end thus put to their machinations. Note: This is a source of great consolation also in our days, since it happens time and again that certain sordid spirits will manage to gain adherents for themselves. Eventually all the opposition of error is bound to break down before the power of the truth. God does not permit the rule to be torn from His hand.

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Verses 10-13

The special lessons of Paul’s afflictions

The apostle here, by way of contrast to the preceding paragraph, describes the manner of conduct which should characterize all true servants of the Lord: But thou hast carefully followed my doctrine, manner of living, aim, faith, steadfastness, love, patience. Paul commends Timothy for choosing him as an example after which he might model his own life. He had made Paul his type, and he had conformed his life to that type, having thus been approved in the foremost virtues of a Christian teacher. He had preached the Christian doctrine just as it had been transmitted to him by Paul, knowing this doctrine to be the Word of God. He had followed Paul’s manner of living, copying the tact which the great apostle showed in the various situations that confronted him. He had made use of Paul’s example also in his aims and purposes, in the clear-cut manner in which he brought out the object of his office. For that reason he also made use of proper faithfulness, which is the external manifestation of the faith of the heart. With this there was combined long-suffering or steadfastness in working, even where the Lord does not bless the work with immediate visible success. The exercise of this virtue naturally demands a rich fund of love, both toward Christ on the basis of His wonderful redemption and toward one’s neighbors near and far, as people that are included in the salvation of the Lord. And this love, in turn, teaches the right patience, even in the midst of suffering and tribulation, which is always associated with the preaching of the Gospel. With respect to all these virtues Timothy had conformed his conduct to that of his teacher, having followed the example of Paul.

This recital reminds the apostle of several occasions upon which he was strongly in need of a number of these virtues: (Thou hast followed) the persecutions, the sufferings, all that happened to me in Antioch, in Iconium, in Lystra, what persecutions I endured; and out of them all the Lord delivered me. It seems that the sufferings of the early years of Paul’s ministry, of his first missionary journey, made an exceptionally deep impression upon him. It was in and near the home of Timothy that these afflictions and tribulations had come upon him, Acts 13:45-14:19. The greatness and intensity of these early sufferings had made an ineffaceable impression upon his memory; he would always think of Antioch, of Iconium, of Lystra as the cities in which he had been taught steadfastness, patience, long-suffering. It is not for the sake of his own praise that Paul makes mention of all these matters, but rather for the sake of voicing his praise and thanksgiving to God, who had delivered him so wonderfully, tearing him out of the midst of all these dangers. Cp. 1 Corinthians 10:13. The thought that is implied is this: Timothy had had evidence enough that the Lord had never forsaken His apostle, even in the midst of the greatest perils; therefore he should not hesitate for even one moment to continue as the Lord’s minister.

This comforting thought is brought out directly in the next verse: Yes, and all that want to live piously in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. That is a general truth, which finds its application at all times. In case he should be called upon to bear his measure of tribulation, Timothy was to remember that his was not an unusual, a singular experience. All men that are really disciples, followers of Christ, and are eager to live a life of godliness in Christ, through the power which He imparts, all believers that give evidence of their faith in Christ in a life that accords with the will of God, must bear also the cross of Christ. Their life affording such a strong contrast to that of the unbelievers, the latter naturally feel that they suffer by the comparison, and resent the implication in a corresponding manner. So they give evidence of their disapproval, of their hatred, in various persecutions, in making life as miserable as possible for the Christians. This fact was prophesied by Christ, John 16:1-4, and therefore His disciples expect nothing else. They take their cross upon themselves daily and follow Him.

At the same time the enemies of Christ persist in their godless behavior: But evil men and seducers make continual progress in evil, deceiving and being deceived. By the exposure of their wickedness, of which the apostle spoke in 2 Timothy 3:9, the wickedness is not removed from the world. Such men will rather continue with all the greater energy their attempt to lead others astray. Whenever they find a Christian that is weak in faith, they try to seduce him into misbelief, despair, and other great shame and vice. But by this persistence in their wickedness the enemies of Christ prepare for themselves the greater damnation. In the same measure that they make progress in all vices and continually devise new methods of leading people astray, they themselves sink down into perdition. It is their own fault if they find themselves, in the end, suffering the punishment of hell. Thus also the judgment that will eventually strike wicked men is a source of comfort to the believers.

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Verses 14-17

The purpose of Holy Scriptures

These words place Timothy in direct opposition to the hypocrites and false teachers; for his faith and the work of his ministry are emphasized: Thou, however, remain in the things thou hast learned and hast been convinced of, knowing from whom thou hast learned. Timothy is not to think that there is any such thing as development of doctrine, advancement in the truth by means of human philosophy and investigation. He has learned the truth of the Word of God, and that truth is an eternal truth. Of this Gospel-message he has been made certain; as Paul had taught it, he had been so fully persuaded of its truth that his faith rested upon it as upon the most solid foundation. Moreover, Timothy knew who it was that had taught him, he was convinced beyond the shadow of a doubt that Paul was a teacher sent from God, who did not disseminate his own ideas and opinions, but knew exactly what the content of the Gospel was, namely, the message of redemption through the merits of Jesus Christ.

But Paul, in his great humility, does not take all the credit for Timothy’s instruction, but, as in 2 Timothy 1:5, refers also to other teachers: (Knowing) also that from infancy thou knowest the Holy Scriptures, that are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. From his earliest childhood, from his infancy, Timothy had enjoyed the glorious privilege of being instructed and trained in the words of salvation. The term used by the apostle is one which was commonly used to designate the writings of the Old Testament, as they were in use among the Jews at that time. Timothy’s grandmother, Lois, and his mother, Eunice, had taken special care to have the boy learn these writings, as was the custom among the faithful Jews in those days. The knowledge which Timothy had was taken from the Word of God and rested upon the Word of God; his learning had given him a thorough familiarity with the wonderful truths of God. Note that the instruction of Timothy in religion was not postponed to late childhood or youth, but was undertaken as soon as he was able to learn. No wonder that he had the knowledge which could give him the proper wisdom, namely, that which leads to salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. In the Word of Holy Writ there is the power of God unto salvation, because it teaches that Jesus is our Lord and Savior. Through this knowledge and certainty, however, which assures every individual believer that Christ is his Redeemer, he gains that knowledge which gives him salvation. The apostle expresses himself in such a manner as to imply that Timothy and every true Christian uses the Gospel continually. The joyful confidence of faith will remain firm and unmoved only if the Christian continues in the Word of the Lord day after day, always refreshing and deepening his knowledge, always providing new fuel for the lamp of his faith.

What the apostle has stated concerning the Holy Scriptures, of the power of God in them, of their glorious purpose and blessing, he now summarizes in a powerful sentence, which is a strong bulwark for the inspiration of the Old Testament ^■886 . He writes: All Scripture, inspired by God, is also profitable. The term used by the apostle is so general that it seems to include not only the books of the Old Testament, as in use in the Jewish Church, but also the writings then being penned by inspiration of God, the gospels and the letters of the various apostles and evangelists. At any rate, there can be no doubt that the so-called Old Testament canon is the inspired Word of God. St. Paul writes that Scripture was inspired by God, not in the manner of a mechanical transmission, but in such a way that God breathed His holy Gospel, His Word, into the minds of the writers, incidentally making use of their intellect, of their mental ability and equipment, in producing a series of books which plainly show the peculiarities of the writers, and yet are, word for word, the product of God Himself.

Of this Scripture now, which has the unique distinction of having been inspired by God in the manner just indicated, the apostle writes that it is profitable for doctrine, for teaching. Its truths are so clear and simple that this Book is a text-book of the eternal truths for all time. It is profitable and therefore should be used for reproof, for the refutation of error, for the exposure of transgression. Because there are so many heresies that are continually arising, because false doctrine persists in rearing its head, therefore it is necessary that the Christian, and especially the teacher, be able to point out the falseness of all claims of that kind, from clear texts of the Bible itself. Holy Writ should be used for correction, for setting men right again after they have fallen, to bring them back to a normal condition. It is the duty of Christians to reveal the transgressions of God’s holy will, to insist upon the removal of sins and weaknesses, always, of course, in the manner prescribed by the Word of God. For instruction in righteousness Holy Writ should be used, it should enable a person to lead a life in thorough conformity with the righteousness of life that pleases God. The Word of God in this respect performs the function of a good schoolmaster, one that not only shows the right way, but also trains, encourages, urges the pupils on in their efforts to make headway. Day after day a Christian is sitting at the feet of the Holy Spirit, receiving from Him all the instructions which he needs to enable him to walk in the paths of rectitude ^■887 .

In this way the final object of the Word of God in this life will be realized, namely, that perfect be the man of God, toward every good work fully equipped. It is not that the apostle is dreaming of moral perfection, but that he wants every Christian, and especially every Christian teacher, to live up to the requirements of his office and station according to God’s will. The man of God, every person that bears the honoring title of a man of God, every believer that has become the special property, the child of God, through faith in the merits of Jesus Christ, is here included. Thoroughly instructed, furnished, equipped toward every good work, that is the ideal which the apostle holds before our eyes. Believers find their greatest delight in performing the will of God, in doing such works as will please Him. That is the wonderful value and power of the inspired Word of God.

Summary

The apostle characterizes the errorists of the last days, also as to their methods, briefly sketches the lessons of his own tribulations, and gives a wonderful summary of the benefit and value of the inspired Word of God.

Verses 1-5

Faithfulness in office

The office with the greatest responsibilities in the world is that of a Christian pastor. It is for that reason that Paul’s love for Timothy constrains him to emphasize the need of faithfulness once more: I earnestly adjure thee before God and the Lord Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and dead, and His revelation and His kingdom. On account of the high dignity of the ministerial office the apostle is not satisfied with a mere reminder of its obligations. He solemnly adjures his young coworker in the presence of God and of the Lord Jesus as invisible witnesses, and yet present in person. The great Ruler over all things and He who in a special sense of the word is the Lord and King of His Church are jealously guarding the interests of Christ’s kingdom. Purposely the apostle describes Christ as Him that will judge the living and the dead, who is designated as the great Judge at the last day, this power having been imparted to His human nature, to be exercised on the day appointed by God, John 5:22,27. All men will have to appear before the judgment-throne of Christ, both the living and the dead, the dead being raised from their graves and the living being transformed. All this will happen in accordance with the appearance and the kingdom of Christ. While His life, ministry, suffering, and death was according to His humiliation, the exercise of His office as Judge of the world will be in the form of the exalted Son of Man, of the great King of kings and Lord of lords. His work as Judge will thus agree with the majesty which was imparted to His human nature.

Upon the basis of this knowledge the admonition of the apostle could not fail to make an impression upon him: Preach the Word, keep at it in season, out of season; reprove, admonish, rebuke, with all long-suffering and teaching. All other considerations are secondary in comparison with that one great necessity that the Word, the one Word of eternal truth, be preached. Every other method of building up a congregation, of working faith in the hearts of men, is destined to be a failure from the beginning. The preaching of the Word of God’s grace must always remain the foremost function of the Christian preacher and pastor. And it makes no difference whether the time seems opportune or not, within the limitations of Matthew 7:6 and Matthew 10:16. When the welfare of the souls and the glory of the Lord demands it, when and wherever it is the proper time to apply the Word of God, the minister should do his duty, whether that seems to be fitting or not, opportune or not, to the hearers. The proper spiritual wisdom will tell the pastor when the best time has come, even if the weakness of his human nature is not eager for work of this kind. He should reprove every form of error and sin, both as to doctrine and life; he should rebuke sin in every form, even when it would seem that the transgressors are unwilling to show proper sorrow; he should charge or exhort the parishioners, inspire in them a love for all that is good and well-pleasing to God. All this is not to be done in carnal zeal, but with true patience and long-suffering, with that quiet insistence upon the Word of God which carries conviction with it. It is self-evident, of course, that a pastor will neither deny as much as one tittle of Scriptures for the sake of a false peace, nor will he neglect to make use of all kindness and fairness in dealing even with obstinate cases.

Patience is all the more necessary in the holy office since the future is sure to bring peculiar difficulties: For there will be a time when they will not offer their ears to wholesome doctrine, but according to their own lusts they will accumulate teachers, having an itching hearing. This is certainly a characteristic of the day and age in which we are living. People do not care for wholesome doctrine, for the sound teaching of the Word of God, they are impatient with the “old-time religion.” The doctrine of the vicarious satisfaction through the blood of Jesus Christ is called “blood theology,” faithful admonitions and warnings are denounced as antiquated pietism. People of this stamp therefore try to suit their erring fancies, try to please their own desires by heaping up, by accumulating teachers to themselves; not satisfied with one strange preacher, they will be on the lookout for many, as the notion strikes them. They run from one church, from one evangelist, from one exhorter to the other. Instead of doctrinal sermons they want amusement, instead of the wholesome food which their souls need they want the light confectionery that too many religious mountebanks are only too willing to offer them. Their hearing is never satisfied, they are always aching and itching for something new.

The result is inevitable: And from the truth indeed they will turn away their ears, but to fables they shall be turned. That is the result of this everlasting itch for something new, of the aversion for the truth of God’s Word. Their ears lose the ability to enjoy proper instruction; they are so absolutely lost in the maze of their various errors that they are unable to find their way back to the truth. They forsake the right way which leads to salvation, and seek satisfaction in fables and myths, in various unedifying speculations. It is hard indeed to understand how people that have had the sound spiritual food of evangelical preaching can find any enjoyment in the shallow and insipid material which human wisdom can at best offer, but it seems to be a part of God’s judgment upon those that despise His Word: God finally gives them up to the foolishness of their own mind that they can no longer know the truth. Cp. Proverbs 28:9; Jeremiah 2:13; Jeremiah 17:13.

Over against such foolishness Timothy should maintain his sound common sense in spiritual matters: Thou, however, be vigilant, suffer the evil, perform the work of an evangelist, fulfil thy ministry. Just at the time when the whole world seems to be going mad, when people in general seem to be under the influence of some evil power, some strange intoxication, then the Christians, and especially the true pastors, should maintain their vigilant self-possession; with clearness of view and judgment use all possible caution. At the same time one must be prepared to suffer wrong at such a period, in such a crisis. For every one that refuses to join in the general giddiness must expect enmity and tribulation on account of his stand. The charge against the faithful Christians that they are the enemies of human society is made also in our days. Simply and quietly, therefore, the Christian preacher and teacher will continue in his work as evangelist, he will preach the Gospel, he will make every attempt to spread the message of salvation in Christ Jesus. Thus Timothy, who had for many years been such an evangelist or missionary, thus every pastor will fulfil his ministry, will perform that which the duties of his office lay upon him. There must be no neglect of duties, since the utmost faithfulness is expected of the servant of the Word, such as must be learned daily in the school of the Holy Spirit.

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Verses 6-8

Paul’s fight and victory

In this paragraph the apostle gives the reason for making his admonitions to Timothy so comprehensive and explicit. He himself was about to withdraw from the field, and so his successors in the work of the Gospel-ministry should always keep his example in mind: For I am about to be poured out as a drink-offering, and the time of my dissolution is at hand. As in Philippians 2:17, the apostle here uses the term for making a drink-offering to designate his approaching death. He knows that he must soon die, that he must seal the testimony of the truth as preached by him with his blood. And still he speaks of his impending martyrdom with all the quiet confidence in God which knows no fear of death. His dissolution, his departure from this world, is at hand; his soul was destined soon to leave the body which had suffered so much in the interest of the Gospel. Death has not even a remnant of horror for him that trusts in Christ’s death and resurrection.

A true believer may rather call out with the apostle: The good fight I have fought, my course I have run, faith have I kept. The great warfare for Christ against sin and unbelief had engaged the apostle ever since his conversion. It was a continual, hard, and fierce battle, but he had persevered to the end, he had not given way one inch, he could claim the honor of the victor. The course, furthermore, which had stretched out before him through the long years, like the track before a runner, he had finished; he had reached the end of his life of faith. No matter whether he had often stumbled by the way, no matter whether he had often been on the brink of losing courage, the Lord had enabled him to endure to the end. He had kept the faith; he had not only been faithful in the work of his ministry, but, through the grace of God, he had held his faith in his Redeemer secure against all attacks, in all persecutions.

With this blessed assurance in his heart the apostle was able to look forward beyond death and grave into the glorious future of eternity: Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord will deliver to me on that day, the righteous Judge, but not only to me, rather to all whose love was firmly placed in His manifestation. The apostle speaks so confidently, so cheerfully, as though he had death behind him and were even now about to receive the reward which had been promised to him. It is a characteristic of every Christian’s faith that it trusts absolutely and implicitly in the promises of God, that the believer is altogether sure of his salvation. Of course, if the redemption of a man’s soul depended upon his own works and merit, even in the most infinitesimal degree, this joyful confidence would be out of the question. But the true believer places himself altogether into the hands of the heavenly Father, knowing that no enemy can pluck us out of His hand. The prize and reward of grace is the crown of righteousness, the final declaration of righteousness by God, the final imputation of the righteousness of Jesus, by which we are free from all guilt and condemnation. This assurance is given to us before the throne of God, as the wreath was placed upon the head of the victor in the games of the Greeks. Christ, who will Himself be the Judge on the last day, will be acting in His capacity as just Judge in awarding this prize, not to works, but to faith. Since we shall appear before the judgment-throne of God with a firm reliance upon the imputed righteousness of Christ, it will be a merciful and yet a just judgment which will award to us the crown of righteousness. This is by no means a special privilege of the apostle, but, as he assures us, will be the happy experience of all those that have looked forward to the final revelation of the Lord, to His second advent, with the love that grows out of faith. All true Christians long for the redemption of their body, for the coming of their Lord to take them home. The words of the apostle therefore contain an earnest admonition to the believers of all times to be faithful and patient to the end, since the goal toward which they are striving will repay them a thousandfold for all the misery and tribulation of this short earthly life.

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Verses 9-18

A report concerning various acquaintances and the first hearing

Various personal matters:

Having completed the body of his letter, the apostle now adds a few words concerning his personal affairs and concerning men in whom Timothy would naturally be interested. The tone of deep sadness is everywhere apparent, especially in the pleading cry: Do thy best to come to me quickly. It is possible that Tychicus, in passing through Ephesus, had expressed to Timothy the desire of the apostle to see him before the end. Apparently matters were in such a condition as to cause this urgent appeal. He begged Timothy to use all diligence, to do his very best, to make his trip to Rome with all speed.

Some of the reasons for this appeal are given by the apostle: For Demas has deserted me, since he loved this present world, and has departed to Thessalonica, Crescens to Galatia, Titus to Dalmatia. The first words of the apostle express his deep sorrow over his increasing lonesomeness. That very man Demas who, during Paul’s first imprisonment, had remained so faithfully at his side, Colossians 4:14; Philemon 24, now yielded to fickleness. The love for this present world, its advantages and lusts, took hold of his heart; he refused to bear the cross which the Lord laid upon him. His deserting the apostle at this time was the first step in his denial of the Lord. Tradition has it that he afterward became priest in a heathen temple in Thessalonica. Thus the love of the world, the desire to enjoy the fruits of this life for a season, has resulted all too often in the denial of the accepted truth and a later enmity against Christ and His Word. The other men mentioned by Paul probably left Rome at his own solicitation. Since his trial took longer than he had anticipated, he very likely urged both Crescens and Titus to continue their work as missionaries; for the work of the Lord must be carried on without intermission. Crescens journeyed to Galatia, undoubtedly the northern part of the province, in order to continue the work of Paul; Titus chose Dalmatia, a province on the Adriatic, the region known at the present time as Bosnia and Herzegovina. There is some basis for the belief that Crescens did missionary work in Gaul, the southern part of what is now France, the word in some manuscripts referring to this province.

Thus, of all the companions of Paul only Luke, the beloved physician, was still with him. No wonder that he desired the companionship of that pupil who had always been nearest to him, and meanwhile wanted at least some other companion for his ministry: Pick up Mark on the way and bring him with thee, for he is of great use to me for service. It seems that John Mark, who on the first missionary journey had deserted the apostle, had meanwhile learned the steadfastness which is so necessary for a servant of the Lord. Cp. Colossians 4:10-11. Paul here expressly states that he was in need of his services, chiefly for work as his secretary and personal representative. Mark could be of great assistance in transmitting the messages of Paul to the congregation at Rome and otherwise aiding in the work of the Gospel. Since Mark was not at Ephesus, Timothy was to pick him up on the way, Paul’s intention being that they arrive together.

The apostle makes mention of another coworker, saying that he had sent Tychicus to Ephesus, thereby implying that the latter might take the place of Mark, wherever he may have been stationed. But Paul’s main concern was this, that Timothy come to him as speedily as possible. On the way he could attend to a little matter for the apostle: The cloak which I left in Troas with Carpus, bring when thou comest, also the books, especially the parchments. It seems that Paul, when he was in Troas last, had left his heavy winter overcoat with one of the members by the name of Carpus, not having need of it during the warm season. At the same time he had deposited some books, some writings on papyrus leaves, as well as some valuable parchments, with his friend. Many commentators think that the last-named documents were the apostle’s own copy of the Old Testament canon. This would explain his evident solicitude concerning them and his eager wish to have them as soon as possible. The Christians of our day ought to show just as much love for their Bibles, which they can now carry with them in such handy sizes.

The apostle now sketches his own condition in a few words: Alexander, the smith, has done me much harm; the Lord will reward him according to his works; whom also thou guard against, for too bitterly has he withstood our words. This Alexander, a worker in metal, probably copper, brass, gold, and silver, may have been the same one that is mentioned Acts 19:33. Ever since the Ephesine tumult this man had been filled with hatred against the apostle, making every effort to hinder the work of the Gospel. He may have been summoned as a witness in the trial of Paul and made use of the opportunity thus offered in maligning and harming the apostle in every conceivable manner, probably by testifying in such a manner as to harm the cause of his person especially. But Paul, instead of giving way to vindictiveness, placed the entire matter into the hands of God. To God belongs all vengeance, He will repay at His time. This Paul well knew, Romans 12:19, and therefore did not presume to interfere with the Lord’s business. At the same time the apostle’s interest in the work of the Church causes him to warn Timothy against the hateful machinations of this man, bidding him be on his guard and not expose himself and the cause to the attack of Alexander, for the latter took advantage of every opportunity to harm the work of Christ with all bitterness. It may be that he had meanwhile returned to Ephesus and was endeavoring with all his power to harm Paul and the ministry of the Word. The same unusual hatred is often found in the case of such as believe themselves harmed in some manner by the Christians, especially if their business cannot be recommended to people interested in keeping a good conscience. In that case a similar method of procedure must be followed as that here prescribed by Paul.

Concerning the first hearing:

Here was another cause for deep sorrow which Paul felt constrained to register here: At my first defense no man stood by me, but all deserted me; may it not be charged to their account! It appears from these words that Paul had had a hearing, he had had one opportunity to refute the charges made against him. It was upon this occasion that he had a bitter experience, one which might have discouraged a Christian with less character. According to Roman law he was entitled to a certain number of witnesses or patrons, whose business it was to assist him. If any one might have expected loyalty from his friends, surely the great apostle was entitled to this consideration. But the opposite was the case. All the men upon whom he had thought he could depend absolutely had scented danger for their own persons in the proceedings and had deliberately deserted him. They were not strong enough in faith to be equal to the situation. But here also Paul suppresses all resentful and vindictive feelings, rather making intercession for the weakness of those whom he still believed to be Christians at heart, asking that this defection might not be charged to their account.

As for Paul, he had a better advocate than any friend could have furnished him: But the Lord stood by me and strengthened me, that through me the preaching might be fulfilled and all the heathen might hear; and I was delivered from the mouth of the lion. When he was forsaken by men, the Lord Himself was his Patron, whose support was worth more than all the assistance of men. He it was also, Christ the Lord, that granted to His servant strength in richest measure, thus enabling him to bear also this affliction with fortitude. And what is more, He gave him the courage to proclaim the Gospel-message in the very midst of his enemies. His defense of his cause, at the first hearing, had at least this effect, that he was given some respite, thus being enabled to gain time for a very necessary piece of work, namely, that of completing arrangements to have the Gospel sent out into all the countries of the known world. The mission of Crescens in Galatia or Gaul and that of Titus in Dalmatia were but a beginning for the carrying out of plans by which all nations should hear the glorious news of their salvation through Jesus Christ. Thus Paul can joyfully record that he had been torn out of the lion’s mouth, that he had escaped, for the time being, from all the perils with which his enemies planned to overwhelm him. It does not seem, from the entire context, that Paul had actually been condemned to be thrown to the lions, and this would not seem very probable.

Once more the apostle voices his firm trust in the power of his Lord: The Lord will deliver me from every evil work and preserve me unto His heavenly kingdom, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen. This is putting the Seventh Petition into the form of a definite statement, which shows the nature of faith. From every evil work, from all the cunning, trickery, and power of Satan, from all the wickedness and persecution of the children of the world, — out of all these evils the Lord will deliver and rescue His servant, so that, in the end, his enemies will be put to shame. Where the faith of Christ’s servants is rooted and grounded in the Word of God, in the power of the Lord, there all the attempts of their enemies to harm them must come to naught. And if temporal death seems to have gained the victory and separates the soul from the body, the believers again are the gainers, for their inheritance in heaven is thereby given to them, they are kept by the power of Jesus Christ, their Lord, unto salvation. And therefore they gladly join in the doxology of St. Paul and give all honor and glory to Christ, who is God with the Father and the Holy Ghost, world without end. As often as a Christian thinks of the immeasurable blessings which have been imparted to him in Christ, he cannot refrain from voicing his thoughts in joyful thanksgiving to his Lord.

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Verses 19-22

Concluding remarks and greeting

According to his custom Paul closes his letter with greetings. Prisca, or Priscilla, and Aquila, his hosts at Corinth and later his coworkers in Ephesus, were among his most faithful friends. Acts 18:2,18. Both of them were always deeply interested in the spread of the Gospel and were leading members of the congregations, but the woman, who elsewhere also is named first (Romans 16:3; Acts 18:18), seems to have been the more aggressive and energetic of the two. Women are by no means excluded from the work of the Lord; under circumstances they may do very much for the message of salvation. For the family and household of Onesiphorus Paul has a special greeting on account of the kindness which he had experienced at the hands of the head of this family, 2 Timothy 1:16-18.

Of a certain Erastus, who may be identical with the city treasurer of Corinth, Romans 16:23, or with the assistant mentioned in Acts 19:22, Paul reports that he stayed at Corinth, that there had been no reason for his leaving the city. Trophimus had been a traveling companion of the apostle for some time, Acts 20:4; Acts 21:29, the innocent cause of the riot at Jerusalem. He had accompanied Paul on his missionary trip at the end of the first Roman imprisonment and had been taken severely ill at Miletus in Caria, and Paul had finally been obliged to leave him there to rejoin him after his recovery. Note: Paul did not heal this young coworker of his; his power to perform miracles was not his to use as he pleased, but only as the Lord wished.

Since Timothy himself was not too robust physically, the apostle adds the urgent entreaty: Do thy best to come before winter. It was not only his pupil’s state of health that caused him to write thus, however, but the fear that the first storms of winter might interrupt shipping for a matter of five months and deprive him for that much longer time of Timothy’s company and comfort.

There were several Christians in Rome that sent their greetings personally: Linus, of whom tradition says that he was the first bishop of the congregation; Claudia, either his mother or his wife. But the entire congregation joined them in sending their greetings to the distant, but highly esteemed brother. The apostle’s wish for his pupil is that the Lord Jesus Christ may be with his spirit, fill him with His gifts and keep him in His grace. The second blessing is that of the apostle to all the brethren in the Ephesine congregation, that the grace of the Father, as revealed through the Son, might be with them all, for with this blessing in their possession they would be safe against all dangers forever.

Summary

The apostle admonishes Timothy to faithfulness in his ministry, also with a reference to his own fight and victory; he gives him a short account of various mutual acquaintances and a report of his first hearing; he concludes with several personal remarks and a greeting.