John Chrysostom : Again he calls God to witness, as he had done a little before, at once to increase his disciple'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 Witness 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." 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, Heb xii. 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. — Homily on 1 Timothy 18 Oecumenius : I charge you before God, who gives life to all things, and Christ Jesus, who testified before Pontius Pilate the good confession, to keep the commandment without spot, blameless, until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ. Again Paul makes God a witness, both increasing the fear and making the disciple more secure, because he has in mind the one who was witnessed. who gives life to all things. This is also a comfort against dangers. For if God, Paul says, gives life to all things, why should we fear the struggles for faith? And that He encourages this is clear from what follows, Jesus Christ, who testified before Pontius Pilate. For if the Master testified, why do we delay? Who testified before Pontius Pilate. For Jesus testified concerning what he was doing, that he himself is the Christ, the Son of God. Therefore, Clement in the seventh book of Hypotyposes. the good confession. What good confession does it speak of? In a somewhat mysterious way, however, Jesus confessed that he is God. For when Pilate said, "Are you a king?" he said, "For this I was born." (Jn. 18:37) to keep the commandment without spot. That is, neither tainted by doctrines nor by conduct. until the appearing. Until, Paul says, your last breath. But he did not say it thus. However, in order to stir him more greatly, he remembered the Lord's appearance, and the dreadful glory. — COMMENTARY ON 1 TIMOTHY Tertullian : What is this deposit? Is it so secret as to be supposed to characterize a new doctrine? or is it a part of that charge of which he says, "This charge I commit unto thee, son Timothy? " and also of that precept of which he says, "I charge thee in the sight of God, who quickeneth all things, and before Jesus Christ who witnessed a good confession under Pontius Pilate, that thou keep this commandment? " Now, what is (this) commandment and what is (this) charge? From the preceding and the succeeding contexts, it will be manifest that there is no mysterious hint darkly suggested in this expression about (some) far-fetched doctrine, but that a warning is rather given against receiving any other (doctrine) than that which Timothy had heard from himself, as I take it publicly: "Before many witnesses" is his phrase. — The Prescription Against Heretics