2 Timoteo 1:2 Commento

In this chapter, after the inscription and salutation, the apostle expresses his great affection for Timothy, and highly commends him; exhorts him to various things relating to his office, as a preacher of the Gospel; and concludes with taking notice of the kindness shown him by Onesiphorus. The inscription and salutation are in Ti2 1:1 and then follows the preface to the epistle, in which the apostle testifies his great love to Timothy, and commends him; by declaring his thankfulness to God, that he had reason always to remember him in his prayers; by his desire to see him again, who had shed so many tears for him, that his joy might be filled; and by taking notice of his unfeigned faith, the same with that which had dwelt in his ancestors, Ti2 1:3. And then he proceeds to exhort him to the exercise and improvement of his ministerial gift; to show a fortitude of mind, and a manly spirit in the cause of Christ; and to suffer cheerfully for the sake of it, Ti2 1:6 and in order to animate and encourage him to the same, he gives a summary of the Gospel, as containing in it the great doctrines of salvation, and eternal life, according to the free grace of God through Jesus Christ, Ti2 1:9 and observes, that he himself was appointed a preacher of it to the Gentiles, Ti2 1:11 and instances in himself, as suffering for it, without being ashamed; and as having a strong confidence in Christ, as able to keep him, and what he had committed to him, Ti2 1:12 and then returns to his exhortation to Timothy to hold fast the Gospel of Christ; to which he urges him from the consideration of the nature and value of it, being a form of sound words, and that famous good thing, and of the means and manner in which he came to the knowledge of it; and chiefly from its being committed to him by the Holy Ghost, that dwelt in him; and also because of the general defection of the Asian professors from it, Ti2 1:13 but he excepts one person, Onesiphorus by name, whom he commends for his kindness to him both at Ephesus and at Rome; and therefore entreats of the Lord mercy, both for him and his house, at the great day, Ti2 1:16.

To Timothy, my dearly beloved son,.... Not in a natural, but in a spiritual sense; and not on account of his being an instrument of his conversion, but by reason of that instruction in the doctrines of the Gospel which he gave him, it being usual to call disciples children; and he calls him so, because as a son, he, being young in years, served with him, and under him, as a father, in the Gospel of Christ; for whom he had a very great affection, on account of his having been a companion with him in his travels, and very useful to him in the ministry, and because of his singular and eminent gifts, great grace, religion, and holiness: Grace, mercy, and peace, &c. See Gill on Ti1 1:2. . 2 Timothy 1:3 ti2 1:3 ti2 1:3 ti2 1:3I thank God,.... After the inscription and salutation follows the preface to the epistle; which contains a thanksgiving to God upon Timothy's account, and has a tendency to engage his attention to what he was about to write to him in the body of the epistle. God is the object of praise and thanksgiving, both as the God of nature and providence, and as the God of all grace; for every good thing comes from him, and therefore he ought to have the glory of it; nor should any glory, as though they had not received it: and he is here described, as follows, whom I serve from my forefathers with pure conscience; the apostle served God in the precepts of the law, as in the hands of Christ, and as written upon his heart by the Spirit of God, in which he delighted after the inward man, and which he served with his regenerated mind; and also in the preaching of the Gospel of Christ, in which he was very diligent and laborious, faithful and successful: and this God, whom he served, was the God of his "forefathers", of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and of Benjamin, of whose tribe he was, and also of his more immediate ancestors. The Ethiopic version renders it, "from my original"; for though he preached the Gospel of Christ, and asserted the abrogation of the ceremonial law, yet he worshipped the one, true, and living God, the God of Israel, and was not an apostate from the true religion, as his enemies would insinuate: and this service of his was performed with a "pure conscience": every man has a conscience, but the conscience of every natural man is defiled with sin; and that is only a pure one, which is sprinkled and purged with the blood of Christ; and whereby a person is only fitted to serve the living God, without the incumbrance of dead works, and slavish fear, and with faith and cheerfulness; and such a conscience the apostle had, and with such an one he served God. For this refers not to his serving of God, and to his conscience, while a Pharisee and a persecutor; for however moral was his conduct and conversation then, and with what sincerity and uprightness soever he behaved, his conscience was not a pure one. He goes on to observe what he thanked God for, that without ceasing I have remembrance of thee in my prayers night and day; that God had laid him upon his heart, and that he had such reason to remember him at the throne of grace continually. We learn from hence, that the apostle prayed constantly night and day; and if so great a man as he stood in need of continual prayer, much more we; and that in his prayers he was not unmindful of his friends, though at a distance from him; and in both these he is to be imitated: it becomes us to pray without ceasing: to pray always, and not faint and give out, to pray every day and night; and to pray for others as well as for ourselves, for all the saints, yea, for our enemies, as well as for our friends.

What is the reason of his writing this second Epistle to Timothy? He had said, "I hope to come unto thee shortly" (1 Tim. iii. 14), and as this had not taken place, instead of coming to him, he consoles him by a letter, when he was grieving perhaps for his absence, and oppressed by the cares of the government, which he had now taken in hand. For even great men, when they are placed at the helm, and are charged with the direction of the Church, feel the strangeness of their position, and are overwhelmed, as it were, by the waves of business. This was particularly the case when the Gospel was first preached, when the ground was everywhere unturned, and all was opposition and hostility. There were, besides, heresies commencing from the Jewish teachers, as he has shown in his former Epistle. Nor does he only comfort him by letters, he invites him to come to him: "Do thy diligence," he says, "to come shortly unto me," and, "when thou comest, bring with thee the books, but especially the parchments." (2 Tim. iv. 9 and 2 Tim. iv. 13.) And he seems to have written this Epistle when his end was approaching. For he says, "I am now ready to be offered up"; and again, "At my first answer no man stood with me." (2 Tim. iv. 6 and 2 Tim. iv.16) To set all this right, he both offers consolation from his own trials, and also says, "Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, according to the promise of life which is in Christ Jesus." Thus at the very commencement he raises up his mind. Tell me not, he says, of the dangers here. These obtain for us eternal life, where there is no peril, where grief and mourning flee away. For He hath not made us Apostles only that we might encounter dangers, but that we might even suffer and die. And as it would not be a consolation to recount to him his own troubles, but rather an increase of his grief, he begins immediately with offering comfort, saying, "According to the promise of life which is in Jesus Christ." But if it is a "promise," seek it not here. For, "hope that is seen is not hope." (Rom. viii. 24.)

"To Timothy, my dearly beloved son." Not merely his "son," but, "dearly beloved"; since it is possible for sons not to be beloved. Not such, he means, art thou; I call thee not merely a son, but a "dearly beloved son." As he calls the Galatians his children, but at the same time complains of them; "My little children," he says, "of whom I travail in birth again." (Gal. iv. 19.) And he bears particular testimony to his virtue by calling him "beloved." For where love does not arise from nature, it must arise from the merit of the object. Those who are born of us, are loved not only on account of their virtue, but from the force of nature; but when those who are of the faith are beloved, it is on account of nothing but their merit, for what else can it be? And this especially in the case of Paul, who never acted from partiality. And further, he shows by calling him his "beloved son," that it was not because he was offended with him, or despised him, or condemned him; that he did not come to him. "Grace, mercy, and peace, from God the Father, and Christ Jesus our Lord." These things which he before prayed for, he again invokes upon him. And observe how, at the very beginning, he excuses himself for not having come to him, nor seen him. For his words, "Till I come," and, "Hoping to come to thee shortly," had led Timothy to expect his coming soon. For this he excuses himself, but he does not immediately mention the cause of his not coming, lest he should grieve him mightily. For he was detained in prison by the emperor. But when at the end of the Epistle he invited him to come to him, then he informed him of it. He does not at the outset plunge him into sorrow, but encourages the hope that he shall see him. "Greatly desiring to see thee," and "Do thy diligence to come unto me shortly." (2 Tim. i. 4, and iv. 9.) Immediately therefore he raises him up, and proceeds to praise him.

Timothy’s sonship to Paul is that of the soul, not that generated by nature, and is based on the spiritual promise of life.

When writing to Timothy he put at the head of the letter, “To my dearly beloved son,” for he had begotten him, not in body but in faith.

To Timothy, my beloved child: Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord. my beloved child. For Timothy is indeed a child, and certainly beloved. If he were not very virtuous, he would not be both a child, beloved, and especially of Paul. Grace, mercy. Which even before, he prays these things for himself now as well. The praise of Timothy's faith, and appeal to patience, according to what grace requires, in which he also says that he himself is led by enduring.

One can be a son, yet unloved. Meanwhile, Timothy was beloved, and without doubt, for his virtue. By this, therefore, the apostle shows that he is leaving him not because he was angry with him or despised him for anything: no, you, he says, are beloved to me; but force and necessity compel him to leave him. What he previously prayed to God for in the First Epistle, he prays for him now as well. So, regarding this passage, read the First Epistle.

The person greeted is Timothy, his son, converted by him: my dearly beloved son, because he was of the same mind: for I have no man so of the same mind who with sincere affection is solicitous for you (Phil 2:20). The goods he desires for him are three: namely, grace, through which sins are remitted; mercy, through which we obtain the final good; and peace; a Gloss says: that is, tranquility of mind, which befits a prelate, who is appointed to procure peace: the Lord said to them: peace be to you (John 20:19). And he commanded those entering a house to confer peace, as it is stated in Matthew (Matt 10:12). And this from God, the Father, who is the giver of every gift (Jas 1:17); and from Jesus Christ our Lord, who, as man, is mediator between God and man: by whom he has given us most great and precious promises (2 Pet 1:4).

Paul's address to Timothy, and declaration of his affection for him, Ti2 1:1-4. His account of the piety of Timothy's mother and grandmother, and the religious education they had given their son, Ti2 1:5. He exhorts him to stir up the gift of God that is in him, and not to be ashamed of the testimony of the Lord, Ti2 1:6-8. How God has saved them that believe; and how Christ has brought life and immortality to light by the Gospel, Ti2 1:9, Ti2 1:10. The apostle's call to preach it, and the persecutions which he had been obliged in consequence to endure, Ti2 1:11, Ti2 1:12. Timothy is exhorted to hold fast the form of sound words, Ti2 1:13, Ti2 1:14. And is informed of the apostasy of several in Asia: and particularly of Phygellus and Hermogenes, Ti2 1:15. And of the great kindness of Onesiphorus to the apostle in his imprisonment, Ti2 1:16-18.

To Timothy, my dearly beloved son - See the note on Ti1 1:2.

This Epistle is the last testament and swan-like death song of Paul [BENGEL]. according to the promise of life . . . in Christ--Paul's apostleship is in order to carry into effect this promise. Compare "according to the faith . . . in hope of eternal life . . . promise," &c. (Tit 1:1-2). This "promise of life in Christ" (compare Ti2 1:10; Ti2 2:8) was needed to nerve Timothy to fortitude amidst trials, and to boldness in undertaking the journey to Rome, which would be attended with much risk (Ti2 1:8).

my dearly beloved son--In Ti1 1:2, and Tit 1:4, written at an earlier period than this Epistle, the expression used is in the Greek, "my genuine son." ALFORD sees in the change of expression an intimation of an altered tone as to Timothy, more of mere love, and less of confidence, as though Paul saw m him a want of firmness, whence arose the need of his stirring up afresh the faith and grace in Him (Ti2 1:6). But this seems to me not justified by the Greek word agapetos, which implies the attachment of reasoning and choice, on the ground of merit in the one "beloved," not of merely instinctive love. See TRENCH [Greek Synonyms of the New Testament].