That is, till thy end, thy departure hence, though he does not so express it, but that he may the more arouse him, says, “till His appearing.” But what is “to keep the commandment without spot”? To contract no defilement, either of doctrine or of life. Ver. 15. “Which in His times He shall show, Who is the blessed and only Potentate, King of kings, and Lord of lords, Who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto.” Of whom are these things said? Of the Father, or of the Son? Of the Son, undoubtedly: and it is said for the consolation of Timothy, that he may not fear nor stand in awe of the kings of the earth. “In His times,” that is, the due and fitting times, that he may not be impatient, because it has not yet come. And whence is it manifest, that He will show it? Because He is the Po- tentate, the “only Potentate.” He then will show it, Who is “blessed,” nay blessedness itself; and this is said, to show that in that appearing there is nothing painful or uneasy. But he says, “only,” either in contradistinction to men, or because He was unorigin- ated,1311 or as we sometimes speak of a man whom we wish to extol. “Who only hath immortality.” What then? hath not the Son immortality? Is He not immortality itself? How should not He, who is of the same substance with the Father, have immortality? “Dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto.” Is He then Himself one Light, and is there another in which He dwells? is He then circumscribed by place? Think not of it. By this expression is represented the Incomprehensibleness of the Divine Nature. Thus he speaks of God, in the best way he is able. Observe, how when the tongue would utter something great, it fails in power. “Whom no man hath seen nor can see.” As, indeed, no one hath seen the Son, nor can see Him.1312 472 “To whom be honor and power everlasting. Amen.” Thus properly, and much to the purpose, has he spoken of God. For as he had called Him to witness, he speaks much of that Witness, that his disciple may be in the greater awe. In these terms he ascribes glory to Him, and this is all we can do, or say. We must not enquire too curiously, who He is. If power everlasting is His, fear not. Yea though now it take not place,1313 to Him is honor, to Him is power evermore. 1311 ἀνέννητον. 1312 That is, in His divine nature, considered apart from the human. See on Philip. ii. 5–11, Hom. vii. p. 78, and note g, and compare John i. 14–18; vi. 46; xiv. 7, 9; Luke xxiv. 39; John iv. 24; 2 Cor. iii. 17; 1 Tim. iii. 16; 1 John iii. 2. 1313 μὴ γένηται. He either means that though not yet fully come, His Kingdom, when come, shall be eternal, or puts γένεσθαι, “to take place,” in opposition to εἶναι, “to be.” The former word refers to events in time, the latter to the real constitution of things. Philip. ii. 10; Heb. ii. 8. 817 1 Timothy 6:13-16