471 Homily XVIII. 1 Timothy vi. 13–16 “I give thee charge in the sight of God, Who quickeneth all things, and before Christ Jesus, Who before Pontius Pilate witnessed a good confession; that thou keep this command- ment without spot, unrebukable, until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ: which in his times He shall show, Who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords; Who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; Whom no man hath seen, nor can see; to Whom be honor and power everlasting. Amen.” Again he calls God to witness, as he had done a little before, at once to increase his dis- ciple’s awe, and to secure his safety, and to show that these were not human commandments, that receiving the commandment as from the Lord Himself, and ever bearing in mind the Witness1309 before Whom he heard it, he may have it more fearfully impressed upon his mind. “I charge thee,” he says, “before God, Who quickeneth all things.” Here is at once consolation in the dangers which awaited him, and a remembrance of the resurrection awakened in him. “And before Jesus Christ, Who before Pontius Pilate witnessed a good confession.” The exhortation again is derived from the example of his Master, and what he means is this; as He had done, so ought ye to do, for for this cause He “witnessed” (1 Pet. ii. 21.), that we might tread in His steps. “A good confession.”1310 What he does in his Epistle to the Hebrews,—“Looking unto Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith; Who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him that endured such contradiction of sinners against Himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds” (Heb. xii. 2, 3.),—that he now does to his disciple Timothy. As if he had said, Fear not death, since thou art the servant of God, Who can give life to all things. But to what “good confession” does he allude? To that which He made when Pilate asked, “Art thou a King?” “To this end,” He said, “was I born.” And again, “I came, that I might bear witness to the Truth. Behold, these have heard Me.” (John xviii. 37.) He may mean this, or that when asked, “Art thou the Son of God?” He answered, “Thou sayest, that I am (the Son of God).” (Luke xxii. 70.) And many other testimonies and confessions did He make. Ver. 14. “That thou keep this commandment without spot, unrebukable, until the ap- pearing of our Lord Jesus Christ.” 1309 Edd. ἀφ᾽ οὗ, “from whom”; but B. has ἐφ᾽ οὗ, and Old Lat. sub quo, which is much better. 1310 Savile’s punctuation. Ben. joins this to the preceding clause, but so it is scarcely grammatical. 1 Timothy 6:13-16 816 1 Timothy 6:13-16