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Ask a Questionfrom a child--literally, "from an infant." The tender age of the first dawn of reason is that wherein the most lasting impressions of faith may be made. holy scriptures--The Old Testament taught by...
Translate as Greek, "Faithful is the saying." A needful preface to what follows: for the office of a bishop or overseer in Paul's day, attended as it was with hardship and often persecution, would...
But if I tarry long--before coming to thee. that--that is, I write (1Ti 3:14) "that thou mayest know," &c. behave thyself--in directing the Church at Ephesus (1Ti 4:11). the house of God--the...
I know thy works--expressing His omniscience. Not merely "thy professions, desires, good resolutions" (Re 14:13, end). thy labour--Two oldest manuscripts omit "thy"; one supports it. The Greek...
she that liveth in pleasure--the opposite of such a widow as is described in 1Ti 5:5, and therefore one utterly undeserving of Church charity. The Greek expresses wanton prodigality and excess...
Them that sin--whether presbyters or laymen. rebuke before all--publicly before the Church (Mt 18:15-17; 1Co 5:9-13; Eph 5:11). Not until this "rebuke" was disregarded was the offender to be...
Timothy came to do the work of the Lord. Therefore to vex his spirit, would be to grieve the Holy Spirit; to despise him, would be to despise Him that sent him. Those who work the work of the...
For--For in the case of some this result has already ensued; "Some (widows) are already turned aside after Satan," the seducer (not by falling away from the faith in general, but) by such errors as...
And--rather, "But." The opposition is between those Christian slaves under the yoke of heathen, and those that have believing masters (he does not use the phrase "under the yoke" in the latter...
Being rich in this world is wholly different from being rich towards God. Nothing is more uncertain than worldly wealth. Those who are rich, must see that God gives them their riches; and he only...
Care must be taken that ministers are maintained. And those who are laborious in this work are worthy of double honour and esteem. It is their just due, as much as the reward of the labourer. The...
It ill becomes any men, but especially men of God, to set their hearts upon the things of this world; men of God should be taken up with the things of God. There must be a conflict with...
The character and qualification of pastors, here called elders and bishops, agree with what the apostle wrote to Timothy. Being such bishops and overseers of the flock, to be examples to them,...
Now--Greek, "But"; it is no wonder there should be now such opponents to the truth, for their prototypes existed in ancient times [Alford]. Jannes...Jambres--traditional names of the Egyptian...
For--accounting for the strong language he has just used. do I now--resuming the "now" of Ga 1:9. "Am I now persuading men?" [Alford], that is, conciliating. Is what I have just now said a sample...
younger--than sixty years old (1Ti 5:9). refuse--to take on the roll of presbyteress widows. wax wanton--literally, "over-strong" (2Ch 26:16). against Christ--rebelling against Christ, their proper...
The disciples of Christ must be praying people; all, without distinction of nation, sect, rank, or party. Our duty as Christians, is summed up in two words; godliness, that is, the right...
A suitable conclusion to the beautifully simple enunciation of the Gospel, of which his own history is a living sample or pattern. It is from the experimental sense of grace that the doxology flows...
purchase to themselves a good degree--literally, "are acquiring ... a...step." Understood by many as "a higher step," that is, promotion to the higher office of presbyter. But ambition of rising...
The "mystery of iniquity" here alluded to, and already working (2Th 2:7), stands opposed to the "mystery of godliness" just mentioned (1Ti3:16). Take heed--Give heed (Ac 3:5). thyself,...
Those who would learn the things of God, and be assured of them, must know the Holy Scriptures, for they are the Divine revelation. The age of children is the age to learn; and those who would...
therefore--Greek, "with a view to this." The reason why "we both ('both' is omitted in the oldest manuscripts) labor (endure hardship) and suffer reproach (some oldest manuscripts read 'strive') is...
(Tit 3:9.) unlearned--Greek, "undisciplined"; not tending to promote the discipline of faith and morals (Pr 5:23). "Uninstructive"; in contrast with "instructing" (2Ti 2:25), and "wise unto...
Howbeit--Greek, "But"; contrasting his own conscious sinfulness with God's gracious visitation of him in mercy. for this cause--for this very purpose. that in me--in my case. first--"foremost." As...
The existence of Church organization and presbyters at Ephesus is presupposed (1Ti 5:17, 19). The institution of Church widows (1Ti5:3-25) accords with this. The directions here to Timothy, the...
"No one while serving as a soldier." the affairs of (this) life--"the businesses of life" [Alford]; mercantile, or other than military. him who hath chosen him--the general who at the first...
God has not given us the spirit of fear, but the spirit of power, of courage and resolution, to meet difficulties and dangers; the spirit of love to him, which will carry us through opposition....
Translate, "As a widow (that is, of the ecclesiastical order of widowhood; a kind of female presbytery), let none be enrolled (in the catalogue) who is less than sixty years old." These were not...
suffer--rather, as the Greek is the same as in 2Ti 2:10, "If we endure (with Him)" (Ro 8:17). reign with him--The peculiar privilege of the elect Church now suffering with Christ, then to reign...
Fight the good fight--Birks thinks this Epistle was written from Corinth, where contests in the national games recurred at stated seasons, which will account for the allusion here as in 1Co...