2 Timothy 1

2 Timothy 1:1-5

After this introduction, ver. 1, 2. we have, 1. Paul’s sincere love to Timothy, ver. 3-6. 2. Divers exhortations given to him, ver. 6-15. 3. He speaks of Phygelius and Hermaganas, with others, and closes with Chesiphorus, ver. 15, to the end.

PAUL an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, according to the promise of life, which is in Christ Jesus; 2. To Timothy my dearly beloved son: “Grace, mercy, and

peace from God the Father, and Christ Jesus our Lord. 3. “I thank God, ‘whom I serve from my forefathers with a pure conscience, that ‘without ceasing I have remembrance of thee in my prayers night and day: 4. Greatly desiring to see thee, being mindful of thy tears, that I may be filled with joy: 5. When I call to remembrance ’the unfeigned faith that is in thee, which I deelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice; and I am persuaded that in thee also.

St. Paul opens this epistle,

1. With his apostolic salutation to Timothy. Paul an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, acting under a divine commission, according to the promise of life, which is in Christ Jesus, who hath for his people brought life and immortality to light by his gospel; To Timothy, my dearly beloved son, bequeath by me in the gospel, and sharing my warmest paternal affection: Grace, mercy, and peace, with all the unutterable blessings therein contained, be with thee, from God the Father, and Christ Jesus our Lord. Note, (1.) True ministers of Christ feel the tenderest regard for their spiritual children, and cease not incessantly to pray that the best of blessings may descend upon them. (2.) All our mercies come to us as the free gift of God in Jesus Christ, whether the present pardon, peace, and grace which we

receive here, or the promise of immortal life and glory which we expect hereafter.

2. He thanks God for him. I thank God, whom I serve from my forefathers, as a true child of Abraham, and descendant of the patriarchs, with a pure conscience, purged now from dead works by a Redeemer’s blood, that without ceasing I have remembrance of thee in my prayers night and day, which I stately offer at a throne of grace morning and evening: greatly desiring to see thee, being mindful of thy tears, and the distress which appeared at our last parting, that I may be filled with joy, if the Lord so pleases, by our happy meeting again: and if the more engages my heart to thee, when I call to remembrance the unfeigned faith that is in thee, and which hath been proved on so many occasions, which deult first in thy grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice; and I am persuaded that in thee also, who treadeth in the same steps. Note (1.) It is a singular blessing to have religious parents, for though grace comes not by education, yet God often blesses effectually their labours, who study to bring up their children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. (2.) Where unfeigned faith dwells, these every good fruit and gracious disposition will naturally be produced.

3. Wherefore I put thee in remembrance, ’that thou stir up the gift of God which is in thee, by the putting on of my hands. 7. For ‘God hath not given us the spirit of fear; ‘but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. 8. ‘Be not thou therefore ashamed of ’the testimony of our Lord, nor of me ‘his prisoner: but ‘be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel, according to the power of God: 9. ‘Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, ’not according to our works, but ‘according to his own purpose ‘and grace which was given us in Christ Jesus ‘before the world began, 10. But ‘is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, ‘who hath abolished

death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel: 11. “Whereunto I am appointed a preacher and an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles. 12. “For the which cause I also suffer these things; nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and I am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day. 13. “Held fast the form of sound words, which thou hast heard of me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus. 14. “That good thing which was committed unto thee, keep by the holy Ghost which dwelleth in us.

2 Timothy 1:6-14

The apostle here,

1. Sins up his dear son to the vigorous exercise of his ministry. Wherefore I put this in remembrance, that thou for up the gift of God which is in thee, blowing the embers of divine love and soul into a flame, and making the most profitable use of those distinguished spiritual gifts which God hath bestowed upon them, by the putting on of my hands. For God hath not given us the spirit of fear, that we should be discouraged by opposition, but of power, to beat up against every enemy undisplayed, and of love to Christ and men’s souls, which all the waters of postmastion cannot quench, and of a sound mind, settled in the doctrines of truth, steady in attachment to them, and willing chastily to suffer for them. May such a spirit be in every mankind!

2. He exhorts him boldly to take up his cries. Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prophets, for they are honourable bonds, which are borne for the sake of Jesus and his cause: but be thou parteder of the afflictions of the gospel, sympathizing with those that suffer, and willing to endure any perfection on account of it, according to the power of God, which is engaged for the support of all those who are faithful. Note, (1.) All Christians, and ministers especially, must prepare for the cries, and expect it. (2.) They who dare commit their all to God, and look up to him for help, shall experience his almighty assistance in every time of need.

3. He suggests the strongest motives to engage his fidelity to God and his gospel. Who hath saved us with an everlasting salvation in the son of his love Christ Jesus, and hath sailed us with an holy calling by the word of his gospel, that we might be separate from a word that lieth in wickedness, and sandished for his honour and glory, not according to our words, for the sake of any goodness foreseen in us, or works done by us; for all that we were, and could do, was an abomination in his light; but our salvation was according to his own sovereign purpose and grace, which was, in God’s eternal design and predestination, given us in Christ, the head and representative of his elect, before the world began, or any creature had their being, but is now made manifest by the appearing of our Samuel Jesus Christ, who, coming in the human nature, hath made the richest discoveries of God’s grace to perishing sinners; and, by dying upon the cries as their sub-flatter, hath abulfited death, delivering them from the wages of sin, the curle of the law, and all the fearful consequences thereof in time and eternity, and hath brought life and immortality to light by the gospel, giving a brighter and clearer revelation of the eternal bledness prepared for body and soul in a better world, and of the way which only leads thereto, than had ever before been made to the sons of men. Note, (1.) All who are effectually called of God, experience the power of his Spirit upon their hearts as a Spirit of holiness. (2.) Those who are saved by grace in time, were saved in the divine purpose from eternity, and their flability and perseverance secured in Christ Jesus before the world began. (3.) Every redeemed soul may regard death as a vanquished foe; since the fling of sin is taken out, we have nothing to fear, but every thing to hope, whilst in the grave we be the golden gates of life and immortality unfolded, and the bright beams of everlasting glory illuminating the dark valley of the shadow of death.

4. He proposes to him his own example. Whereunto I am appointed a preacher, and an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles, and count it my highest honour, for the which cause I also suffer these things, being now the prisoner of Jesus Christ for my fidelity in maintaining the privileges of the Gentiles; nevertheless I am not ashamed, neither of the gospel, nor of the chain he wore for the sake of it, for I know whom I have believed, the glories of his person, and the riches of his grace; and I am persuaded that he is able, as his promises assure me he is willing, to keep that which I have committed to him, even the precious deposit of my immortal soul, against that day, that great day of his appearing and glory. Note, (1.) Though we suffer for the gospel, we need not be ashamed; the cause will gloriously support us. (2.) What we have committed to Christ is safe for eternity; he never hath failed those that trust him: blessed and happy the soul that can say, I know whom I have believed.

5. He exhorts him to fidelity. Held fast the form of sound words, the sacred, unadulterated oracles of God, and the pure doctrines of the gospel, which thou hast heard of me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus; copy the pattern of my preaching, especially in these fundamental articles; and as thy faith in and love to the

Redeemer hath appeared, with all fidelity and warm affliction to the souls of men urge upon them the same blessed truth. They good thing which was committed unto thee, keep by the Holy Ghost which dwelleth in us; he faithful to the solemn truth committed to thee, and by the power of the Holy Ghost, who abides in the hearts of all his people; with performing diligence maintain the purity of the gospel. Note, (1.) Jesus is the glorious object of our faith and love, and to him should our hearts for ever cleave. (2.) The Lord must keep us, or we cannot keep ourselves; and the in-dwelling energy of the Holy Ghost alone can enable us for the discharge of every sacred truth which he hath committed to us.

15. This thou knowest, that all they which are in a Chap. in Asia be turned away from me; of whom are Phygelius in, to, and Hermogenes. 16. The Lord give mercy unto the Chap. in house of Onefiphorus; for he oft refreshed me, and was not ashamed of my chain. 17. But when he was in Rome, he fought me out very diligently, and found me. 18. The Lord grant unto him that he may find mercy of the Lord in that day: And in how many things he ministered unto me at Ephesus thou knowest very well.

2 Timothy 1:15-18

To engage his dear son Timothy’s fidelity, he mentions the apostles of some as a warning, and the steadfastness of Onefiphorus as an encouragement to him.

1. The apostles of some. This thou knowest, that all they which are in Asia are turned away from me, rather the generosity of the Asiatic churches and ministers, or rather such of the Asiatics as were at Rome, who were ashamed of his chain, and disowned him in his prison, of whom are Phygelius and Hermogenes. Note, It is one of the bitterest pangs of suffering, to test ourselves then deserted by those from whom we might reasonably, from their professions, have expected the greatest comfort and support.

2. The steadfastness of Onefiphorus. The Lord give mercy unto the king of Onefiphorus; probably he was an Ephesian, and absent from his family with the apostle, whom he attended and served with great fidelity and zeal, and therefore the grateful Paul in return repays him with his prayers, begging that the choicest blessings of God might descend upon him and his; for he oft refreshed me with reasonable vision, and supplies of necessities, and was not ashamed of my chain, when cowardice and fear of reproach balely deterred others from coming near me. But when he was in Rome, he fought me out very diligently, and found me. The Lord grant unto him that he may find mercy of the Lord in that day, when Jesus shall come to reward every kindness shown to his servants, especially to those who are suffering for righteousness take. And in how many things he ministered unto me at Ephesus, thou knowest very well. Note, (1.) When we can make no other return to our kind friends, at last in our prayers we are bound to recommend them to the Saviour’s mercy, and beg him to reward them. (2.) That day! How should it be ever in our view, that great decisive day, when our eternity of happiness or misery must be determined? (3.) We have nothing mercy for at God’s hands but mercy; living or dying, the best have no merit to plead, but must expect eternal life as the gift of God through Jesus Christ our Lord.