1 Timothy 1

1 Timothy 1:1

I, Paul, who (far from any merit of mine, merely by the good pleasure of God and his undeserved grace) have received commission to make known the gospel or the promise of life, which now is made by Christ to all penitent believers,

1 Timothy 1:2

Send greeting in the Lord to Timothy, by me converted to the faith.

1 Timothy 1:3

In my thanksgivings and prayers to God (whom, as my progenitors of the tribe of Benjamin did before me, so have I obeyed sincerely all my time, even when through ignorance I persecuted the Christian faith, doing according to the dictate of my conscience, or as I was persuaded I ought to do) I mention thee constantly, praying and giving thanks to God for thee,

1 Timothy 1:4

Desiring earnestly to see thee, whom I love so dearly, (and this passionate desire being inflamed by the remembrance of thy tears at our parting,) that our meeting again may be as full of joy as our parting was of sorrow;

[b] genealogies] Most of the divinity of the Gnostics (made up out of the Greek poets, Antiphanes, Hesiod, Philistion, &c.) consisted of συζυγίαι and γενεαλογίαι, conjunctions, and then from them genealogies, how one thing joins with another and begets a third, (out of Night and Silence come forth Chaos, &c.) and applies all the theology and genealogies of the gods in Orpheus, &c., to the αἴωνες, as they called the angels, (see note [d].) In reference and opposition to which it is, that the apostle here, ver. 5, sets down a true Christian genealogy of that excellent grace of charity, so much wanting in those heretics, accordingly as it is produced in a Christian, and that, saith he, is the special genealogy, with the study of which we Christians (especially they that call themselves Gnostics) need to trouble ourselves. See Tit. iii. 9.

1 Timothy 1:5

The substance and perfection, or else the design and aim of Christian duty being charity, whose genealogy is this, faith unfeigned begets a good conscience, that is, abstaining from all sin, that purity of heart, that love of all men;

Remembering the sincerity of thy obedience to the gospel of Christ, and being confident that as thy mother and grandmother, which received the faith before thee, continued in it to the end, so thou also wilt persevere and never fall off from it.

1 Timothy 1:6

Which some aiming not at have gone out of the way to a divinity made up of empty words; for so was the Gnostics’ (see ver. 4.);

1 Timothy 1:7

Joining Judaism to Christianity, and undertaking to expound the law, and to find those mysteries in it which are the foundations of their impure doctrines, but observe no part of the law, nor at all apply it to the ruling of their lives.

1 Timothy 1:8

Which is consequently a grievous abuse of the law, whose whole goodness consists in this, that a man order his actions so by it as to abstain from the sins that it forbids, and do the good which it requires;

1 Timothy 1:9

It being certain, that as good men will perform their duty without any law, so the law of Moses, as all other laws, was given to the sons of those excellent patriarchs, because it was foreseen they would not always continue so good, and so was on this very design to keep in order such men as these, to restrain such impure Gnostics as these from the sins they are guilty of, (and not to stand them in any stead except they live according to it.) Accordingly you know that Moses’s law is very severe against the rebellious and contumacious, against blasphemers and seditious, such as Corah, Num. xvi. 8, called sinners there, (and to such are the Gnostics compared, Jude 11,) to the impure, and such as contemn all that is holy, such as Esau, to whom the Gnostics are compared, Heb. xii. 16; against parricides and murderers;

1 Timothy 1:10

Against fornicators, and those of the foulest sort of those, Lev. xviii. 22; against those that steal and sell servants, Exod. xxi. 16, Deut. xxiv. 7; against false and perjurious persons, and generally all those

1 Timothy 1:11

According to the gospel of Christ or of God, when he dwelt among us, appeared here on the earth, for the preaching of which I have been constituted an apostle.

[c] glorious gospel] Δόξη here seems to refer to the schechina among the Jews, which we have often spoke of, noting the presence or appearance of God, of Christ on the earth among us. See note [k] on Matt. iii. and note [n] on ch. xvi.

1 Timothy 1:12

And I account it a great mercy of Christ, both that he hath given me abilities, and that he hath vouchsafed to make use of me for so great a work, thinking me a fit person to be so intrusted, and setting me apart to do him service in the church,

1 Timothy 1:13

Having been so hugely unfit, and unworthy of such an honour, by my former behaviour whilst I was a Jew, blaspheming the name of Christ, persecuting the Christians, and using them most despitefully. Notwithstanding all which, God was merciful to me, looked on it but as an act of blind zeal in me, and therefore laid it not so to my charge as to deliver me up to myself, but recalled me mightily in the midst of my career.

1 Timothy 1:14

Since which time he hath most plentifully poured out on me the gifts of the Holy Ghost, and proportionally to them a lively faith toward Jesus Christ and an earnest zeal for his gospel, which hath been wrought in me by his grace.

1 Timothy 1:15

O it is a truth of a huge price, and fit to be the only tradition or cabala among us Christians, instead of all the Jewish secrets and mysteries that are talked of by these heretics, that Christ Jesus came a Saviour into the world on purpose to rescue out of their evil courses, and to obtain pardon and salvation upon their reformation for the greatest sinners in the world, of which number I have reason to look on myself as the principal of all others.

[d] acceptation] What is the importance of ἀποδοχή here, must be learned from the use of קבל among the Jews, especially in the Chaldee idiom, where it signifies to receive any thing for undoubted, and with an honourable respect, the same that they express also by שמע, to hear, that is, obey, and believe with the exhibition of honour: see Paulus Fagius on the Chaldee Paraphrase, Gen. xxv. 15. Thus when 2 Kings xiv. 11, the Hebrew reads שמע, and the Greek ἤκουσεν, heard, the Chaldee Paraphrase reads קבל, received; by which appears what is the meaning of δέχεσθαι προφήτην, to receive a prophet, Matt. x. 41, (which in like manner Luke expresses by ἀκούειν, to hear, in opposition to ἀθετεῖν, to neglect, Luke x. 16,) to wit, to believe and honour him. So 1 Cor. ii. 14, οὐ δέχεται τὰ τοῦ πνεύματος, receives not the things of the Spirit, that is, neither believes nor values them, but as it follows, they are foolishness unto him. So John i. 12, λαμβάνειν, to receive, is explained by πιστεύειν, to believe, in the end of the verse, and so παραλαμβάνειν, ver. 11, where the Syriac hath קבל, in both places. Hence are the cabalæ of the Jews, their receivings, that is, traditions, (as to give, Ephes. iv. 8, is all one with to receive, Psal. lxviii. 18, and as in the Greek λῆμμα and δῶρον, receipt and gift, are all one,) which they esteem so undoubted and honourable. For as the office of the doctor is ספר, to deliver, so of the disciple, קבל, to receive, as in the beginning of Pirche Aboth, “Moses, קבל, received the law from mount Sinai, ובסרה, and delivered it to Joshua.” And as from the former of these words is the Hebrews’ קבלה, cabala, their doctrine received, and had in so much reverence, so from the second is their מסורת, their doctrine delivered by hand from their antecessors, and without writing

1 Timothy 1:16

But being such, God hath dealt most mercifully with me, called me from heaven whilst I was persecuting him, that I might be a prime object of his patience and longanimity, and in order of time the first that was so miraculously called, that so the wickedest of the Gentiles may in me have an example of hope of mercy, if they shall come in unto Christ.

1 Timothy 1:17

Now to the great ruler and wise disposer of all ages of the world, governor and commander of angels,

[e] eternal] The αἴωνες here of which God is said to be the King, may possibly signify the several ages of the world, and no more, that being the ordinary notation of αἴων, age. But it is also known what notion of αἴωνες there was among the heretics of those first times, set down at large by Irenæus in his discovery of the Valentinians, where there is a great deal of fantastical unintelligible stuff about the Æones. And therefore considering that the Gnostics’ heresy was now abroad in the church of Ephesus, named distinctly in the close of this epistle, ch. vi. 20, and referred to in a great part of this chapter, vv. 3, 4, 6, 7, 9, 10, and because the Valentinians were but the progeny of these, saith Irenæus, and took their doctrines from them, and because it hath been already shewn (note [a] and [h] on Col. ii.) that these were the titles of the angels, who were in Ezekiel called חיות, living creatures, (and from thence these αἴωνες formed by them;) it is therefore not improbable that the apostle might refer to this theology of theirs here, as he had done before, ver. 4.) by their genealogies. And then this will be the meaning of the βασιλεὺς τῶν αἰώνων, the King, or Ruler, or supreme Commander (as of the whole world, so particularly) of the angels, his constant subjects and servants, and executioners of his will, those to which under the name of αἴωνες the Gnostics attribute so much. To the same purpose is added, the incorruptible, invisible, only wise God, (in opposition to Simon Magus, whom they taught to be the supreme God, being but a corruptible, visible man, that by his sorcery got the reputation of wisdom among them.) And the giving glory and praise to him is an ancient form of confession of faith, which was wont to be done by way of doxology, and so is here set as a short creed, against the Gnostics, so as the doxology in that form which is now continued in the church was framed against other heretics.

1 Timothy 1:18

[f] prophecies] That the apostles received frequent revelations, and never more distinctly and frequently than to this matter of designing bishops and governors of the church, may appear by many places. Thus concerning Paul and Barnabas the text is distinct, Acts xiii. 2, The holy Spirit said, Separate to me Paul and Barnabas for the work to which I have called them: and so here of Timothy, and ch. iv. 14, for that by prophecy here is meant such revelation, may appear by comparing 1 Cor. xiv. 25 with ver. 30, for there what is προφητεύειν, to prophesy, in the former place, (and ver. 31,) is ἀποκαλυφθῆναι αὐτῷ, to receive a revelation, in the latter. To this sense Saint Chrysostom and Theophylact are clear, Τὸ τῆς διδασκαλίας καὶ ἱερωσύνης ἀξίωμα μίγα ὃν, τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ δεῖται ψήφου, ὥστε τὸν ἄξιον δέξασθαι, διὰ τὸ παλαιὸν ἀπὸ τῆς προφητείας ἐγίνοντο οἱ ἱερεῖς, τουτέστιν ἀπὸ Πνεύματος ἁγίου· οὕτω ὁ Τιμόθεος ἠρέθη ἐπὶ τὴν ἱερωσύνην, “The dignity of being a doctor and a priest being a great one, wants God’s suffrage that a worthy person may receive it, thereupon the priests were made anciently by prophecy, that is, by the Holy Ghost. Thus Timothy was chosen to the priesthood,” that is, his episcopacy. And so generally it is said of the bishops of

[g] war a good warfare] What is the meaning of the phrase στρατεύειν στρατείαν here, must be fetched out of Numb. iv. 3, where the Levites are said to go לצבא, into the army or host, which is rendered by the Septuagint λειτουργεῖν, to officiate; and so Numb. i. 50, λειτουργήσουσι καὶ παρεμβαλοῦσι, they shall minister and encamp: so generally under the law the ministry of the priests is compared to a warfare, the temple to a camp, the inferior officers to watchmen, and the like; so Exod. xxxviii. 8, when the women brought their gifts after childbirth to the tabernacle, they are expressed by הצבאות אשר צבאו, the war-

° Euseb. l. 3. c. xv.