1 Timothy 6:21

Which some professing,.... Pretending to be masters of the above science, boasting and making great show of it, and valuing themselves upon it: have erred concerning the faith: have wandered from the

Which some professing have erred concerning the faith. Grace be with thee. Which (falsely-called science) some professing ... erred (note, 1 Timothy 1:6) - literally, missed the mark (2 Timothy 3:7-8).

Which some professing have erred concerning the faith; which kind of science, some pretending and boasting of, studying to show themselves learned and subtle men, they have been led into errors in Christianity, apostatizing from the doctrine of faith. Grace be with thee; viz. the grace, mercy, and peace, from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord, mentioned . (The first to Timothy was written from Laodicea, which is the chiefest city of Phrygia Pacatiana.)

21 Which some professing have erred concerning the faith. Grace be with thee. Amen. > Ver. 21. Which some professing] Gr. Promising, as the Gnostics and other heretics.

(21) Which some professing have erred concerning the faith.—In this most probably wild and visionary “knowledge” the false teachers and their hearers sought salvation and a rule of life, and miserably failed in their efforts. The result with them was, that they lost all hold on the great doctrine of Faith in a crucified Saviour. Grace be with thee.—The ancient authorities are almost equally divided between “with thee” and “with you,” the congregation. The public nature of so many of the directions and instructions contained in this Epistle account for the absence of those private greetings which we find in the Second Epistle of St. Paul to Timothy.

Verse 21. Which some professing] Which inspired knowledge some pretending to, have set up Levitical rites in opposition to the great Christian sacrifice, and consequently have erred concerning the faith - have completely mistaken the whole design of the Gospel. See 1 Timothy 1:6; 1 Timothy 1:7. Grace be with thee.] May the favour and influence of God be with thee, and preserve thee from these and all other errors! Amen.] This word, as in former cases, is wanting in the most ancient MSS. In a majority of cases it appears to have been added by different transcribers nearly in the same way in which we add the word FINIS, simply to indicate the end of the work. The subscriptions as usual are various. The following are the most remarkable afforded by the MSS.: - The first to Timothy is completed; the second to Timothy begins. - DE. The First Epistle to Timothy is completed; the second to him begins. - G. The first to Timothy, written from Laodicea. - A. The first to Timothy, written from Ladikia. - CLAROMONT. Written from Laodicea, which is the metropolis of Phrygia. - The first to Timothy, written from Laodicea, which is the metropolis of Phrygia of Pacatiana. - Common GREEK TEXT, and several MSS. Instead of Pacatiana, some have Pancatiana, Capatiana, and Paracatiana. The VERSIONS are not less discordant: - The First Epistle to Timothy, which, was written from Laodicea. - SYR. The VULGATE has no subscription. The end of the epistle. It was written from Laodicea, which is the metropolis of the cities of Phrygia. - ARAB. To the man Timothy. - AETHIOPIC. The First Epistle to Timothy, written from Athens. - ARABIC of Erpenius. Written from Athens, and sent by Titus, his disciple. - COPTIC. Written from Macedonia. - AUCTOR SYNOPS. The First Epistle to Timothy is ended. It was written from Laodicea, the metropolis of Phrygia of Pacatiana. - PHILOXENIAN SYRIAC. There is one authority in Griesbach, Mt. c., for its being written from NICOPOLIS. This is the opinion also of Dr. Macknight. That the epistle was not written from Laodicea nor Athens, but from Macedonia, has been rendered probable by the arguments produced in the preface, to which the reader is referred for this and the date of the epistle itself. IN reviewing the whole of this epistle, I cannot help considering it of the first consequence to the Church of God. In it we see more clearly than elsewhere what the ministers of the Gospel should be, and what is the character of the true Church. Bishops, presbyters, and deacons are particularly described; and their qualifications so circumstantially detailed, that it is impossible to be ignorant on this head. What the Church should be is also particularly stated; it is the house of the living God; the place where he lives, works, and manifests himself. The doctrines and discipline of the Church are not less specifically noted. All these subjects are considered at large in the notes, and here nothing need be added.

21. which some professing] ‘Which,’ this misnamed Gnosis. ‘Professing’ has occurred in this sense 1 Timothy 2:10.have erred] Lit., ‘missed the mark,’ as 1 Timothy 1:6 and 2 Timothy 2:18; aorist as 1 Timothy 6:10.the faith] As above, 1 Timothy 6:10.Grace be with thee] ms. authority gives the plural with you, as at the end of 2 Tim. and Titus; the Apostolic benediction being sent through the delegate episcopus to his Church.There is, of course, no sufficient authority for the Subscription, which (like the Subscriptions to the other epistles of St Paul) is ascribed to Bp Euthalius (5th cent.) and is therefore later than the best mss. The Alexandrian and Sinaitic mss. read only First Epistle to Timothy. Its statement that the letter was written from Laodicea is supposed to be drawn from Colossians 4:16. See the paraphrase of Erasmus: ‘vicissim vos legatis epistolam quae Timotheo scripta fuit ex Laodicensium urbe.’ But Bp Lightfoot, Coloss. p. 343, gives strong reasons against this identification; (1) that St Paul had not ever been at Laodicea, indeed had been long a prisoner either at Cæsarea or Rome, when he wrote to the Colossians; (2) that Timothy bears many proofs of having been written elsewhere than at Laodicea, and of being separated by an interval of some years at least from the Colossian letter.

Which some professing - Evidently some who professed to be true Christians. They were attracted by false philosophy, and soon, as a consequence, were led to deny the doctrines of Christianity.