2 Timothy 1

Notes

CHAPTER I. Ver. 1. I Paul,—called and quali fied to be an apostle of Jesus Christ, by the free anc gracious appointment of God the Father, to bea witness to, and preach the once crucified, but nov risen and exalted Saviour, among Jews, and especial! Gentiles; according to the promise of eternal life, whic was given in him before the foundation of the worlc and in due time made to Abraham, to be fulfilled 1 his divine seed, by whom that life is secured an dispensed, and in whom it is deposited; and which obtained through faith in him,—2. To Timothy, m dear son in the faith, of whose conversion to Chris and appointment to the ministry, God made me tl & Never then ve QUSCOUTAPCU Lik UL adam vi weenie a bold and open testimony to our Lord Jesus, and t his gospel, in which he attests his own character an work by the declarations and influences of his Spiri —or of owning, vindicating, and visiting me his in prisoned apostle; but let your whole soul be animate to sympathize with me and others in our persecution and cheerfully to endure the like vourself for the sal of the gospel, in an humble dependence upon tl ; | supporting, encouraging, and strengthening assistan '! of that God of infinite mercy and grace; 9. Who, , | express his love and fit us for every good word an >] work, has provided for us an almighty Saviour, and ' £1 tur. Canteen anA averlacting salvation in hir he has a firm purpose, full power, authority, and will, to secure my soul, and all its eternal concerns, with which J have intrusted him, against the day of the _( last judgment, in which the everlasting misery or _| happiness of every man will be publicly, solemnly, and unalterably decided. 13. Whatever trials therefore you >| meet with, or may expect in the cause of Christ, see > | that, encouraged by my example of faith, patience, and >| hope, you keep in memory, cleave to, and resolutely >| profess and publish, the platform of the uncorrupted, wholesome, nourishing, and healing doctrines of the 1} gospel, so productive of faith and love, which I have . | taught you by word or writing—as things which you, ANG APPULLLiIcUL LY Laan aataaasoen py ~~~ --------honoured instrument,—wish the most abundant anc manifold manifestations and effects of God's full favow and infinite compassion; and all peace and prosperity temporal, spiritual, and eternal, from God the Father as the first Mover in the work of our salvation, an from Jesus Christ, our common Lord and Saviour, a the mediatorial Redeemer and Bestower thereof. 3. heartily thank and praise that only true God, whom after the example of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, an other pious ancestors, I now religiously worship an adore, with a heart and conscience purified by fait in the blood of his Son, that, in my daily prayer: morning, evening, or at noon, I am particularly led on full, 'infinite, and everlasting salvation in om i—and has by the gospel, and the influence of his Spirit, tenderly called us to holines and happiness,—not as influenced by any nature goodness in us, but because of our saving faith i his ever blessed Son our Saviour, in whom his lov was fixed upon ali sinful men before the worl was created: 10. Which gracious purpose lay, fro! eternity, as a secret in the mind of God, and was lor concealed under dark types and predictions, but is no discovered, with illustrious brightness, by the comir of our Lord Jesus Christ to secure and fix o1 . | redemption;—-who by dying for our sins in our natu --- TP -4-- DA neo A Meine aerain ac nur ronaneringe Hea , EAUQNE YOU Wy WuLu UL waiting — Go crest rr aeewee peony through Christ's grace, heartily believe and love,—and in order that faith in and Jove to him may be produced among your hearers. 14. And those useful and edifying gifts and doctrines, and that ministerial office which have been committed to you in your ordination, see _| that you faithfully maintain and improve, by the assist1 | ance of the Holy Ghost, who, in his person and influences, dwells in us, and other faithful ministers and ' | believers, to enable us to fulfil the duties of our station x | in the face of all opposition and danger.—15. In these r | things you ought to be the more faithful and diligent, 2 | as you cannot but know, to your grief, that the gener. | ality of the Asian professors of Christianity, at least MOMINZ, EVENING, OF Al MOO, 2 All parrarusanry sere ver to recommend you to his grace and care. 4, 5. Being exceedingly desirous to see you once more before mj approaching death, that I may leave with you my dying charges and paternal instructions ;—and my desire i: much inflamed by my deep and lively remembranc of that affectionate and filial grief which you mani fested at our last parting, and by the manifold evidenc you have given of that sincere and unfeigned principl of faith which dwells in your heart, as it did in th 'heart of your worthy mother and grandmother.—€ 'Therefore, in my great affection for you, and in cor sideration of God's distinguished favour in so remark ablv fitting you for ministerial service, 1 again earnest] awe ewes pw ne « ¢ ~ and stead, and rising again as our conquering Head has taken away the sting of death, broken its powe and turned it into a blessing to them that believe, an delivered them from eternal death;—and who, by th preaching of the gospel, has made a certain and plai revelation of a blessed, excellent, spiritual, and etern: state of happiness and glory for both soul and body i the heavenly world, and of the proper means of or arriving at it through him.—11. For the ministratic of which glorious gospel I am immediately furnishe and commissioned by Jesus Christ, as an authent publisher and inspired messenger, to declare unto me: ') especially the Gentiles, the glad tidings of salvatic : ' Lo VY atie share wane hone and holiave ta t] ality of the Asian ProlessOrs OL Wibintiaisry, ae sree those here at Rome, have shamefully deserted me in my present sufferings, as being afraid or ashamed to stand by mein them. 16-18. But may the God of all grace multiply his merciful favours, temporal, spiritual, and eternal, upon the family of Onesiphorus, as a .| return of his distinguished kindness to me; for, not- | withstanding the cowardice of pretended friends, and 1 | the fury of open enemies, with a truly Christian courage and compassion he often relieved, comforted, and refreshed me in my various distresses, by his kind , | visits and necessary supplies.—Yea, instead of being 1 | ashamed of me, or my ignominious imprisonment anc > | reoroach, from love to Christ and his cause, and to me, ably fitting you for ministerial service, 4 avai carucsuy beseech you, by diligent reading, meditation, and prayer, to cherish, improve, and stir up to action those Spiritual gifts which were so plentifully and freely bestowed upon you in your ordination to the sacrec office of an evangelist. 7. And let no opposition o jadversaries discourage you from or in the exercis of it: for God has not formed in us a cowardly tempe of fear or timidity, but a spirit of holy fortitude anc undaunted courage to encounter all difficulties an dangers,—and of fervent love to Christ, his cause people, and the souls of men,—and of a sober and judi cious government of ourselves, in steadfastly adherin - ~ + 1 a Pe of wind ROP lesa yy saw we wrewscewy - ° 7 therein contained, that they may hear and helieve to th saving of their souls: 12. And it is for my faithfulnes and zeal in discharging that office that I now actuall suffer all the disgrace and severities of my present ir prisonment, and am daily expecting martyrdom; but in consideration of the glorious excellency of the cause instead of being ashamed of Christ, or of his or m sufferings, I glory in them, and have the most joyfi expectation of a happy issue of them in the futu state:—for, in the light of God's word, and upon lor trial and experience, I well know what a gracious, al sufficient, faithful, and divine Saviour he is whom hava received and relied on by faith,—and on tl reproach, from love to Christ and nis Cause, anu wo when he came to Rome, he took great pains to inquir after and obtain access to me.—May that Lord Jesu for whose sake he showed me this kindness, accordins to the riches of his grace, reward him, not only in tht world, but especially in that which is to come, merc fully owning him in the last judgment before his Fathe _| and an assembled world, and publicly adjudging bin : | to eternal life—-And you know that at Ephesus, ! - | many instances and forms, he supplied and comforte . | me under my trouble. ; [ Ver. 1. By the will of God. As it was an eternal purpos¢ ! . | Christ, Ep.1. 4-11, and as it was revealed in time by his Spit “| Aci r2.2 C.

Ver. 3. From my forefathers. 'After the custom of my ancestors.' See Ac. 24. 14. This reference is intended as an answer to the Jews who accused him of forsaking the law of Moses. C.

Ver. 4. Tears of a believer's sympathy with Christ crucified—of a penitent's sorrow at the recollection of his sins—or of a son's distress at the last parting from his more than father. C.

Ver. 6. Stir up. Either as the fire on the altar, or the lamps on the golden candlestick. This ministerial stirring up is to be effected by reading, prayer, meditation, godly converse, and diligence in every duty.—The gift of God. Whether special and miraculous, or common as well as official, does not appear; wherefore it may justly be concluded that every form of gift so conveyed is included. See ver. 14. C.

Ver. 9. Not according to our works. The works of unrenewed men being selfish, are therefore sinful, and consequently cannot be the moving cause of their salvation.. That cause is found only in the universal love and abounding grace of a wise and merciful God. C.

Reflections.—It is delightful for ministers to have a clear call from Christ to their work, remarkable success in it, and a habitual practice answerable to it. It is a singular mercy to have religious parents; and great is the blessing when God's grace is continued from age to age in a family. Happy they who receive the gospel with unfeigned faith and love, and serve God with pure hearts, after the example of pious progenitors, and diligently apply themselves to propagate it to others. For O the transcendent excellency of the gospel! It promises eternal life through Christ; it lays open the gracious mind of God; it is the mean of our blessed hope by his power and grace; it manifests death conquered, and immortal blessedness secured for men in Christ. Who would not delight to be an authorized teacher of it! Who would not, without fear or shame, cheerfully undergo the severest persecution for the sake of it and its blessings! Who would not, on the footing of it, commit his eternal salvation to the care of God !—A deep concern to discharge their office and improve their gifts; a holy fortitude, love, sobriety, wisdom, and sound judgment; great regard of, love to, sympathy with, and earnest prayers for their fellow-labourers, should signalize every minister of Christ. And infinite is the mercy, that, when some shamefully desert the cause of Christ and his persecuted servants, others are, by his grace, emboldened to own and regard them; nor shall they, in the last judgment, lose their gracious reward.