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, Send greeting in the Lord to Timothy, by me converted to the faith. 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, 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. 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. 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.); 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. 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; 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; 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 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. 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, 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. 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. 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 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. 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. [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. In the first place therefore I advise thee, and all the bishops under thy metropolis, that you have constant public offices of devotion, consisting, first, of supplications for the averting of all hurtful things, sins and dangers; secondly, of prayers for the obtaining of all good things which you want; thirdly, of intercessions for others; and fourthly, of thanksgiving for mercies already received; and all these, not only for yourselves, but, in a greater diffusion of your charity, for all mankind, [a] supplications, prayers—] Of these four sorts of prayer it is affirmed by St. Chrysostom, that they were in his time all used in the church, ἐν καθήμερινῇ λατρεία, "in the daily service," καὶ τοῦτο, saith he, ἴσασιν οἱ μύσται, πῶς καθ' ἑκάστην ἡμέραν γίνεται καὶ ἐν ἑσπίρᾳ καὶ ἐν πρωίᾳ, "and this is sufficiently known to all the priests," or those that "officiate morning and evening." And so it appears by the liturgies. The word δεήσεις referring to the larger or lesser collecta, that in the litany, for deliverance from all the evils there named, and the other after, in which the phrase τοῦ Κυρίου δεήθωμεν, we humbly beseech thee, O Father, is used, which is for the averting of evils. The second to the prayers for mercy and other wants. The third to the αἰτήσεις, wherein the word αἰτησώμεθα, Let us pray for the whole state of Christ's church, for kings, &c., is inserted. And the fourth to the solemn thanksgiving for all men, and to the hymns sung to the praise of God. And it may be observed, that the direction here of praying for kings, &c. is agreeable to that of the Hebrews: R. Chaninah, in Pirche Aboth, c. 3. §. 2, הוי מתפלל בשלומה של מלכות שאלמלא מוראה איש את רעהו חיים, בלעו, "Pray for the peace of the kingdom, for unless there be fear, men will devour one another alive." And so when Petronius came to set up Caligula's image in the temple, they that would die rather than that should be done, being asked then whether they would wage war with the emperor, answered, No; but on the other side twice a day they offered sacrifice for the safety of the emperor: see Josephus, and Jer. xxix. 7. Accordingly was the Christians' practice, as long as the emperors continued heathen, praying in their liturgies ὑπὲρ βασιλέων, for kings; after, when they were Christian, δεόμεθα ὑπὲρ τῶν εὐσεβεστάτων καὶ θεοφυλάκτων βασιλέων, "We pray thee for our most pious kings, I EXHORT therefore, that, first of all, [a] supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; For the emperors and rulers of provinces under them, to whom we owe all our peaceable living in any place in the exercise of religion and virtuous life, and therefore ought in reason to pray and give thanks for them. For this God under the gospel approves of, and requires at our hands, In proportion to the example which he hath given us in himself, who earnestly desires the good of ¹⁶ according to them, ἐν αὐταῖς. ¹ gravity, σεμνότητι. ἀνθρώπων θέλει σωθῆναι. ¹⁷ having, ἔχων. ¹⁸ be disciplined, παῖλθῶσι. ² who wills that all men should escape, or, be saved, be πάντα For it is but one God that is Creator of all, (who consequently designs and wills the good of all,) and so likewise but one mediator and peacemaker between God and man, even he that hath taken our common nature upon him, and in it died for all those whose nature he assumed, even Jesus Christ; Who died to redeem all men, and rescue them out of their evil ways, laying down his life, pouring out his blood in our stead, and thereby gave also a testimony of the truth of his doctrine thus sealed with his blood, in the time appointed by God, and foretold by the prophets as the season for the working this great work. Which doctrine of his hath been intrusted to me to divulge and preach unto all men, Gentiles as well as Jews, (Christ knows that I speak the truth, whose commission it were very unsafe for me to feign,) that I might be the apostle and bishop of the Gentiles, to make known and administer the gospel of Christ among them faithfully and truly, without concealing or adding any thing. These directions then I give to all, both men and women: first, to men; that as the Jews washed their hands before they lifted them up at the altar, Exod. xl. 32, Psalm xxvi. 6, so should all Christians pray, not only in Jerusalem, but any where else, with innocent hearts, without any anger or malice, (see note [e] Matt. xv,) quarrels or dissensions, preserving the bond of peace (the one lip, Zeph. iii. 9.) among all. [b] holy hands] The ceremony of washing was among the Jews constantly used before prayers: so PAristeas, Ἔθος ἐστὶ πᾶσι τοῖς Ἰουδαίοις, ἀπονιψάμενοι (I suppose it should be ἀπονιψαμένοις) τῇ θαλάσσῃ τὰς χεῖρας, ὡς ἂν ἤρξαντο πρὸς τὸν Θεόν, "It is the custom for all the Jews to wash their hands whensoever they pray to God:" and so among the Mahometans. So Abul Faraj De Moribus Arab., Fundamenta legis sunt 1. munditiei cura, 2. oratio. "The foundations of the law are, 1. cleanness, 2. prayer." Others, as Al Gazal, that mention the fundamenta legis, leave out mundities, "cleanness," and comprehend it in oratio, "prayer," according to that saying of Mahomet, (in Ebnol Athir,) Non accipit Deus preces absque mundatione, "God receives not prayers without cleansing, or washing;" and, Orationis clavis est mundities, "Cleanness is the key of prayer," saith Al Gazal; and Mahomet again, Fundata est religio in munditie, "Religion is founded in cleanness." This significant rite the apostle here applies to the thing signified by it, cleanness of the heart and actions, and makes that necessary to the offering up any acceptable service unto God. Of this Al Gazal, an Arabic writer, makes three degrees, 1. the cleansing the members of the body from unlawful actions, 2. the cleansing of the heart from all manners that are worthy of dispraise, all vices worthy of hatred, 3. the cleansing of the secret (that is, the inward) affections of the heart from every thing beside God, that they may be at full leisure to meditate of, or pray to him. See Mr. Pocock's Notes on Abul Faraj, p. 302, and Miscell. Notes, c. 9. p. 388. The second direction I give for women, that they come to the assemblies and pray, (in like manner as was said of the men, ver. 8,) and that they do it in such attire as is decent, accounting modesty and sobriety the greatest ornament that they are capable of, and not setting themselves out vainly and with ostentation, in curious dressings of hair, in embroidery, or jewels, or other ways of sumptuous attire. But instead of them, to add to modesty and sobriety, ver. 9, the richer embroidery and jewels of all good works, charity to others, which becomes ³ one also mediator of God and men, εἰς καὶ μεσίτης Θεοῦ καὶ ἀνθρώπων. ⁴ a testimony in the proper season, μαρτύριον ἰδίοις καιροίς. ⁵ Or, with which I was intrusted: for the King's MS. reads ὁ ἐπιστεύθην. ⁶ Or, the Spirit: for the King's MS. reads πνεύματι. ⁷ pure. ⁸ disputing, διαλογισμοῦ. ⁹ modesty, αἰδοῦς. [c] saved in child-bearing] Some difficulty there is what is here meant by σωθήσεται διὰ τεκνογονίας, she shall be saved by child-bearing. A first notion that may be thought to belong to it is, that as σώζεσθαι, to be saved, signifies oft to escape, noting some temporal deliverance, (of which see note [b] on Luke xiii.,) so διὰ may note by, that is, through, not as a means or condition, but as the term out of or through which the deliverance is wrought, as σώζεσθαι δι' ὕδατος, being saved through the water, 1 Pet. iii. 10, and διὰ πυρὸς, through the fire, 1 Cor. iii. 15, is being delivered out of the water and fire; and then the meaning of it will be, that she shall pass, though with some difficulty, safe through childbearing; and this as a moderation of that curse inflicted upon woman-kind upon Eve's sin, that she should bring P Hist. 70. Interpret. p. 890 D.