King James Version
2 Timothy 1
18 verses with commentary
Greeting
Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, according to the promise of life which is in Christ Jesus,
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<strong>Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, according to the promise of life which is in Christ Jesus.</strong> This opening establishes Paul's apostolic authority rooted not in human appointment but divine sovereignty. The Greek <em>apostolos</em> (ἀπόστολος) means "sent one" with delegated authority—Paul's commission came directly from the risen Christ (Acts 9, Galatians 1:1). T...
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(1) **Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of** **God.**—As in the Epistles to the Corinthians, the Ephesians, and Colossians, he ascribes his apostleship to the sovereign will and election of God. Apart from any merit or work of his own, God chose him for the office. He neither aspired to it nor wished for it. The reference to the Almighty will in this Epistle is singularly in harmony wit...
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**6. go beyond--**transgress the bounds of rectitude in respect to his "brother."
**defraud--**"overreach" [Alford]; "take advantage of" [Edmunds].
**in any matter--**rather as Greek, "in the matter"; a decorous expression for the matter now in question; the conjugal honor of his neighbor as a husband, 1Th 4:4; 1Th 4:7 also confirms this view; the word "brother" enhances the enormity of the cr...
Read full commentary →To Timothy, my dearly beloved son: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.
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<strong>To Timothy, my dearly beloved son: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.</strong> Paul addresses Timothy with exceptional tenderness using <em>agapētō teknō</em> (ἀγαπητῷ τέκνῳ), "beloved child." This surpasses even the warmth of 1 Timothy 1:2, reflecting their deepened relationship forged through fifteen years of ministry partnership and shared suffering....
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(2) **To Timothy, my dearly beloved son.**—More accurately, (*my*) *beloved son.* The words used in the address of the First Epistle were “my own son” (γνησίω̩ τέκνω*̩*)*.* The change in the words was probably owing to St. Paul’s feeling that, in spite of his earnest request for Timothy to come to him with all speed, these lines were in reality his *farewell* to his trusted friend and more than so...
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**7. unto uncleanness--**Greek, "for the purpose of."
**unto--**rather as Greek, "in"; marking that "holiness" is the element in which our calling has place; in a sphere of holiness. Saint is another name for Christian.
Thanksgiving and Encouragement
I thank God, whom I serve from my forefathers with pure conscience, that without ceasing I have remembrance of thee in my prayers night and day;
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<strong>I thank God, whom I serve from my forefathers with pure conscience, that without ceasing I have remembrance of thee in my prayers night and day.</strong> Paul's thanksgiving reveals integrated spirituality of conscience, continuity, and intercession. The phrase "pure conscience" (<em>katharas syneidēseōs</em>, καθαρᾶς συνειδήσεως) doesn't claim sinless perfection but integrity before God—a...
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(3) **I thank God.**—The exact reference of these words of thankfulness on the part of St. Paul has been the subject of much argument. Although the sense is a little obscured by the long parenthesis which intervenes, it seems clear that St. Paul’s expression of thankfulness was for his remembrance of the unfeigned faith of Timothy and Lois and Eunice (see 2Timothy 1:5). The whole passage might be ...
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**8. despiseth, &c.--**Greek, "setteth at naught" such engagements imposed on him in his calling, 1Th 4:7; in relation to his "brother," 1Th 4:6. He who doth so, "sets at naught not man (as for instance his brother), but God" (Psa 51:4) is used of despising or rejecting God's minister, it may mean here, "He who despiseth" or "rejecteth" these our ministerial precepts.
**who hath also given u...
Read full commentary →Greatly desiring to see thee, being mindful of thy tears, that I may be filled with joy; Greatly: or, remembering thy tears, I greatly desire to see thee that
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<strong>Greatly desiring to see thee, being mindful of thy tears, that I may be filled with joy.</strong> Paul expresses intense longing through <em>epipothōn</em> (ἐπιποθῶν), denoting earnest, continuous yearning—not casual desire but profound spiritual and emotional hunger. This deep affection, forged through shared ministry and suffering, reveals authentic emotional intimacy possible in Christi...
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(4) **Greatly desiring to see thee.**—In view of that violent death which, at this time a close prisoner, he saw was imminent, the memory, too, of the tears of his friend made him long yet more earnestly to see him once again on earth.
**Being mindful of thy tears.**—Shed probably by Timothy when his aged master had last taken leave of him. It is likely that the clouds of danger which were gatheri...
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**9. brotherly love, &c.--**referring here to acts of brotherly kindness in relieving distressed brethren. Some oldest manuscripts support English Version reading, "YE have"; others, and those the weightiest, read, "WE have." We need not write, as ye yourselves are taught, and that by God: namely, in the heart by the Holy Spirit (Joh 6:45; He 8:11; 1Jo 2:20, 27).
**to love--**Greek, "with a ...
Read full commentary →When I call to remembrance the unfeigned faith that is in thee, which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice; and I am persuaded that in thee also.
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<strong>When I call to remembrance the unfeigned faith that is in thee, which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice; and I am persuaded that in thee also.</strong> Paul commends Timothy's "unfeigned faith" (<em>anypokritos pistis</em>, ἀνυπόκριτος πίστις)—genuine, authentic faith without pretense or hypocrisy. The Greek <em>anypokritos</em> literally means "without wearing a m...
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(5) **When I call to remembrance the unfeigned faith that is in thee.**—It is for the “unfeigned faith” which he was confident dwelt still in his dearest and best loved companion, whom he had intrusted with the care of the Ephesian church, that he thanked God. (See 2Timothy 1:3.)
It is more than probable that some special instance of this unfeigned faith on the part of the chief pastor of Ephesus ...
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**10. And indeed--**Greek, "For even."
Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God, which is in thee by the putting on of my hands.
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<strong>Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God, which is in thee by the putting on of my hands.</strong> The conjunction "wherefore" connects this exhortation to Timothy's genuine faith—authentic faith must be actively exercised, not passively assumed. The command "stir up" (<em>anazōpyrein</em>, ἀναζωπυρεῖν) literally means "rekindle" or "fan into flame," reviving s...
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(6) **Wherefore I put thee in remembrance.**—*Wherefore *(*seeing that I am so thoroughly persuaded of thy faith*)* I am determined to put thee in remembrance* . . . It seems, from the general tenor of the Epistle, that Timothy was deeply cast down by the imprisonment of St. Paul. Timothy, as well as the martyr himself, was conscious that the end of that great and glorious career of his old master...
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**11. study to be quiet--**Greek, "make it your ambition to be quiet, and to do your own business." In direct contrast to the world's ambition, which is, "to make a great stir," and "to be busybodies" (2Th 3:11, 12).
**work with your own hands--**The Thessalonian converts were, it thus seems, chiefly of the working classes. Their expectation of the immediate coming of Christ led some enthusiasts...
Read full commentary →For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.
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<strong>For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.</strong> This verse provides theological foundation for rekindling Timothy's gift. "Spirit of fear" (<em>pneuma deilias</em>, πνεῦμα δειλίας) denotes cowardly timidity that shrinks from duty and danger. The Greek <em>deilia</em> (δειλία) describes fear that paralyzes, causing retreat from God's ca...
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(7) **For God hath not given us the spirit of fear.**—Or better, perhaps, *the spirit of cowardice*—that cowardice which manifests itself by a timidity and shrinking in the daily difficulties which the Christian meets with in the warfare for the kingdom of God. (Comp. John 14:27, and Revelation 21:8.) “Hath not given us,” in this particular case, refers to the time when Timothy and St. Paul were a...
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**12. honestly--**in the Old English sense, "becomingly," as becomes your Christian profession; not bringing discredit on it in the eyes of the outer world, as if Christianity led to sloth and poverty (Ro 13:13; 1Pe 2:12).
**them ... without--**outside the Christian Church (Mr 4:11).
**have lack of nothing--**not have to beg from others for the supply of your wants (compare Ep 4:28). So far fr...
Read full commentary →Not Ashamed of the Gospel
Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God;
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<strong>Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God.</strong> Paul commands Timothy not to be "ashamed" (<em>epaischynthēs</em>, ἐπαισχυνθῇς) of Christ's testimony or Paul's imprisonment. In honor-shame culture, association with a convicted criminal brought shame and social s...
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(8) **Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord.**—Seeing, then—remembering, then, that God gave you and me (notice the beautiful courtesy of the old martyr waiting for death, death the *human* guerdon of his fearless life, coupling, as he has been doing, his sorrow-stricken, dispirited friend with himself, whom no danger, no failure had ever affected)—remembering, then, the spiri...
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13. The leading topic of Paul's preaching at Thessalonica having been the coming kingdom (Ac 17:7), some perverted it into a cause for fear in respect to friends lately deceased, as if these would be excluded from the glory which those found alive alone should share. This error Paul here corrects (compare 1Th 5:10).
**I would not--**All the oldest manuscripts and versions have "we would not." My...
Read full commentary →Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began ,
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<strong>Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began.</strong> This verse unpacks the gospel foundation for courageous suffering. "Saved" (<em>sōsantos</em>, σώσαντος) is aorist participle indicating completed action—salvation is accomplished fact, not uncerta...
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(9) **Who** **hath saved us.**—St. Paul now specifies the manner in which the power of God has been displayed towards us. This is an inclusive word, and comprehends all God’s dealings with us in respect to our redemption. (See Notes on Titus 3:5.) Again, as so frequently in these Pastoral Epistles, is the First Person of the blessed Trinity referred to as the Saviour.
**Us.**—Paul and Timothy, and...
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**14. For if--**confirmation of his statement, 1Th 4:13, that the removal of ignorance as to the sleeping believers would remove undue grief respecting them. See 1Th 4:13, "hope." Hence it appears our hope rests on our faith ("if we believe"). "As surely as we all believe that Christ died and rose again (the very doctrine specified as taught at Thessalonica, Ac 17:3), so also will God bring those ...
Read full commentary →But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel:
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<strong>But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.</strong> God's eternal purpose "is now made manifest" (<em>phanerōtheisan de nyn</em>, φανερωθεῖσαν δὲ νῦν)—revealed in time through Christ's incarnation. "The appearing" (<em>epiphaneias</em>, ἐπιφανείας) refers to Christ's fir...
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(10) **But is now made manifest.**—The grace, a gift given to us in Christ from all eternity, but hidden during unnumbered ages, till the fulness of time—the appointed time—arrived; the “now,” when it was made manifest.
**By the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ.**—The simple act of the Incarnation by no means covers the “appearing.” The “appearing” (Epiphany) here includes not only the birth,...
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**15. by the word of the Lord--**Greek, "in," that is, in virtue of a direct revelation from the Lord to me. So 1Ki 20:35. This is the "mystery," a truth once hidden, now revealed, which Paul shows (1Co 15:51, 52).
**prevent--**that is, "anticipate." So far were the early Christians from regarding their departed brethren as anticipating them in entering glory, that they needed to be assured that...
Read full commentary →Whereunto I am appointed a preacher, and an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles.
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<strong>Whereunto I am appointed a preacher, and an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles.</strong> Paul identifies his threefold calling: preacher, apostle, and teacher—each emphasizing different aspects of gospel ministry. "Preacher" (<em>kēryx</em>, κῆρυξ) is herald who publicly proclaims a king's message with authority. Ancient heralds didn't negotiate or debate; they announced royal decrees....
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(11) **Whereunto I am appointed a preacher . . . .**—Whereunto—that is, to preach the gospel referred to in the previous verse. (On these titles see 1Timothy 1:12; 1Timothy 2:7.) In all his deep humiliation, a solitary prisoner awaiting death, deserted by his friends, St. Paul, with solemn emphasis, rehearses the titles of dignity which, by his Master’s appointment, he possessed in the Christian C...
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**16. himself--**in all the Majesty of His presence in person, not by deputy.
**descend--**even as He ascended (Ac 1:11).
**with--**Greek, "in," implying one concomitant circumstance attending His appearing.
**shout--**Greek, "signal shout," "war shout." Jesus is represented as a victorious King, giving the word of command to the hosts of heaven in His train for the last onslaught, at His fi...
Read full commentary →For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day. believed: or, trusted
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<strong>For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.</strong> The phrase "for the which cause" connects Paul's suffering directly to his gospel ministry and Gentile mission. His imprisonment isn't random misfortune but consequence of fai...
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(12) **For the which cause I also suffer these things.**—Because he had been the teacher and apostle, had all these sufferings—the prison, the chains, the solitude, the hate of so many—come upon him. There was no need to refer to them more particularly. Timothy knew well what he was then undergoing. The reason of the Apostle’s touching at all upon himself and his fortunes will appear in the next c...
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**17. we which are alive ... shall be caught up--**after having been "changed in a moment" (1Co 15:51, 52). Again he says, "we," recommending thus the expression to Christians of all ages, each generation bequeathing to the succeeding one a continually increasing obligation to look for the coming of the Lord. [Edmunds].
**together with them--**all together: the raised dead, and changed living, f...
Read full commentary →Hold fast the form of sound words, which thou hast heard of me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.
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<strong>Hold fast the form of sound words, which thou hast heard of me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.</strong> Paul commands Timothy to "hold fast" (<em>echō</em>, ἔχω combined with imperative force)—grasp firmly, maintain tenaciously. The object is "the form of sound words" (<em>hypotypōsin hygiainontōn logōn</em>, ὑποτύπωσιν ὑγιαινόντων λόγων). The noun <em>hypotypōsis</em> (ὑποτύπ...
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(13) **Hold fast the form of sound words, which thou hast heard of me.**—It was not sufficient for Timothy to renew his fainting courage and to brace himself up for fresh efforts; he must do something more—in his teaching he must never let those solemn formularies he had once received from him be changed. Perhaps in the heart of St. Paul lurked some dread that the new glosses and specious explanat...
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**18. comfort one another--**in your mourning for the dead (1Th 4:13).
That good thing which was committed unto thee keep by the Holy Ghost which dwelleth in us.
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<strong>That good thing which was committed unto thee keep by the Holy Ghost which dwelleth in us.</strong> Paul refers to "that good thing" (<em>tēn kalēn parathēkēn</em>, τὴν καλὴν παραθήκην)—literally "the good deposit." This echoes verse 12's deposit metaphor but reverses perspective. In v. 12, Paul deposited himself to Christ's keeping; here, God has deposited gospel truth to Timothy's keepin...
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(14) **That good thing which was committed** **unto thee.**—“The good thing committed unto thee,” or *the deposit, *differs from the “deposit” of 2Timothy 1:12, inasmuch as the “deposit” of 2Timothy 1:12 was something committed by St. Paul to God; while, on the other hand, in 2Timothy 1:14 a trust committed by God to Timothy is spoken of. But the Apostle, remembering the solemn meaning of the word...
Read full commentary →Examples of Faithfulness and Unfaithfulness
This thou knowest, that all they which are in Asia be turned away from me; of whom are Phygellus and Hermogenes.
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<strong>This thou knowest, that all they which are in Asia be turned away from me; of whom are Phygellus and Hermogenes.</strong> Paul informs Timothy of painful reality: "all they which are in Asia be turned away from me" (<em>apestrephēsan me pantes hoi en tē Asia</em>, ἀπεστράφησάν με πάντες οἱ ἐν τῇ Ἀσίᾳ). The verb <em>apostrephō</em> (ἀποστρέφω) means "turn away from, desert, abandon." This l...
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(15) **This thou knowest, that all they which are in Asia be turned away from me.**—This sad desertion of friends is well known to thee. Instead of being dispirited by it, and by my arrest and close imprisonment, rather shouldest thou be stimulated to fresh and renewed exertions for the cause for which I suffer this desertion, these bonds.
**All they which are in Asia.**—It has been maintained by ...
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CHAPTER 5
1Th 5:1-28. The Suddenness of Christ's Coming a Motive for Watchfulness; Various Precepts: Prayer for Their Being Found Blameless, Body, Soul, and Spirit, at Christ's Coming: Conclusion.
**1. times--**the general and indefinite term for chronological periods.
**seasons--**the opportune times (Da 7:12; Ac 1:7). Time denotes quantity; season, quality. Seasons are parts of times.
**...
Read full commentary →The Lord give mercy unto the house of Onesiphorus; for he oft refreshed me, and was not ashamed of my chain:
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<strong>The Lord give mercy unto the house of Onesiphorus; for he oft refreshed me, and was not ashamed of my chain.</strong> In stark contrast to Asian deserters, Paul commends Onesiphorus for courageous faithfulness. The prayer "The Lord give mercy" (<em>dōē eleos ho kyrios</em>, δῴη ἔλεος ὁ κύριος) invokes divine blessing not only on Onesiphorus but his entire household. This reflects biblical ...
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(16) **The Lord give mercy unto the house of Onesiphorus.**—In striking contrast to those false friends who turned away from him was one, also well known to Timothy, probably an Ephesian merchant. Onesiphorus, to whose house the Apostle prays the Lord to give mercy, had, early in this last imprisonment of St. Paul, arrived in Rome on matters connected probably with business. There he heard of the ...
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**2. as a thief in the night--**The apostles in this image follow the parable of their Lord, expressing how the Lord's coming shall take men by surprise (Mt 24:43; 2Pe 3:10). "The night is wherever there is quiet unconcern" [Bengel]. "At midnight" (perhaps figurative: to some parts of the earth it will be literal night), Mt 25:6. The thief not only gives no notice of his approach but takes all pre...
Read full commentary →But, when he was in Rome, he sought me out very diligently, and found me.
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<strong>But, when he was in Rome, he sought me out very diligently, and found me.</strong> This verse emphasizes Onesiphorus's extraordinary diligence in seeking Paul. The phrase "sought me out very diligently" (<em>spoudaioteros ezētēsen me</em>, σπουδαιοτέρως ἐζήτησέν με) intensifies his effort—the comparative adverb <em>spoudaioteros</em> (σπουδαιοτέρως) means "more diligently, with greater zea...
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(17) **But, when he was in Rome, he sought me out very diligently, and found me.**—But, on the contrary, instead of fear—far from being ashamed—he, when he arrived in Rome, sought me out. This must have been a much more rigorous captivity than the one alluded to in the last chapter of the Acts when St. Paul dwelt in his own hired house with the soldier who guarded him. *Now* he was rigidly impriso...
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**3. they--**the men of the world. 1Th 5:5, 6; 1Th 4:13, "others," all the rest of the world save Christians.
**Peace--**(Jud 18:7, 9, 27, 28; Jr 6:14; Eze 13:10).
**then--**at the very moment when they least expect it. Compare the case of Belshazzar, Da 5:1-5, 6, 9, 26-28; Herod, Ac 12:21-23.
**sudden--**"unawares" (Lu 21:34).
**as travail--**"As the labor pang" comes in an instant on the...
Read full commentary →The Lord grant unto him that he may find mercy of the Lord in that day: and in how many things he ministered unto me at Ephesus, thou knowest very well.
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<strong>The Lord grant unto him that he may find mercy of the Lord in that day: and in how many things he ministered unto me at Ephesus, thou knowest very well.</strong> Paul prays that Onesiphorus "may find mercy of the Lord in that day" (<em>heurein eleos para kyriou en ekeinē tē hēmera</em>, εὑρεῖν ἔλεος παρὰ κυρίου ἐν ἐκείνῃ τῇ ἡμέρᾳ). "That day" refers to Christ's return and final judgment (v...
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(18) **The Lord grant unto him that he may find mercy of the Lord in that day . . .**—The Greek should be rendered here, *favour of the Lord, *instead of by “mercy of the Lord.” Some commentators, who have found a difficulty in this unusual repetition of “the Lord,” explain it thus: The expression, “the Lord grant,” had become among Christians so completely “a formulary,” that the second use of th...
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**4. not in darkness--**not in darkness of understanding (that is, spiritual ignorance) or of the moral nature (that is, a state of sin), Ep 4:18.
**that--**Greek, "in order that"; with God results are all purposed.
**that day--**Greek, "THE day"; the day of the Lord (He 10:25, "the day"), in contrast to "darkness."
**overtake--**unexpectedly (compare Joh 12:35).
**as a thief--**The two ol...
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