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Paul warneth them

Chap: iii.

to shun idleness, &c.

CHAP. III. 1 He craveth their prayers, 3 testifieth his confidence in them, 6 giveth them divers precepts, especially to shun idleness, &c.

FINALLY, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may have free course, and be glorified, even as it is with you:

2 And that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men for all men have not faith.

3 But the Lord is faithful, who shall stablish you, and keep you from evil.

4 And we have confidence in the Lord touching you,a that ve both do and will do the things which we command you.

5 And the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God, and into the patient waiting for Christ.

6 Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly, & not after the tradition,b which he received of us.

For yourselves know how ye ought to follow us: for we behaved not ourselves disorderly among you;

8 Neither did we eat any man's bread for nought; but wrought with labour and trav ail night and day, that we

a Touching, concerning you.
b Tradition. See 2 Thess. ii. 15.

might not be chargeable to any of you:

Not because we have not power, but to make ourselves an ensample unto you to follow us.

10 For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat.

11 For we hear that there are some which walk among you disorderly, working not at all, but are busybodies.

12 Now them that are such we command and exhort by our Lord Jesus Christ, that with quietness they work, and eat their own bread.

13 But ye, brethren, be not weary in well doing.

14 And if any man obey not our word by this epistle, note that man, and have no company with him, that he may be ashamed.

15 Yet count him not as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother.

16 Now the Lord of peace himself give you peace always. by all means. The Lord be with you all.

17 The salutation of Paul with mine own hand, which is the token in every epistle : so I write.

18 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all: Amen.

The second epistle to the Thessalonians was writ ten from Athens.

Prefatory

I. Timothy.

PREFATORY REMARKS

remarks

TO THE FIRST EPISTLE OF PAUL TO TIMOTHY.

TIMOTHY was a native of Lystra in Asia Minor. His father was a Greek, but his grandmother Lois and his mother Eunice were pious Hebrew women, by whom he was taught the scriptures from his childhood. He was a youth of most amiable manners and disposition, and after being instructed in the Gospel, he was almost constantly a companion of St. Paul. As Ephesus was a great and populous city, and the intercourse between this and the surrounding cities was frequent, the preservation and success of the Ephesian church was of great importance, not only to itself, but also to the neighbouring churches. Paul therefore passing through Ephesus in his journey to Macedonia, and finding the church infested with false teachers, judged it expedient to leave Timothy for the purpose of counteracting their influence, and of correcting the errors they had already introduced. But Timothy being young, and the trust committed to him, important, Paul, after his departure, wrote to him this excellent letter from Nicopolis, A. D. 64 or 65, to direct him in his duty, and to establish his authority with the Ephesians. In chap. i. he specifies the errors he was to condemn, and the truths he was to inculcate; --in chap. ii. he prescribed the manner, in which public worship was to be performed;-in chap. iii. he explained the qualifications requisite for bishops and deacons ;-in chap. iv. he foretold the heresies, which, in after times, should prevail in the church;-in chap. v. he instructed Timothy how to admonish the old and the young of both sexes, and mentioned the age and character of such widows, as were to be employed in teaching young women the principles of religion;—and in chap. vi. he condemned strifes about words, perverse disputings, and inordinate love of money, and requires Timothy to charge the rich to be rich in faith and good works.

The Epistles to Timothy, and likewise that to Titus, written about the same time, and containing nearly the same things, are of the greatest importance to the church in every age; as they contain a full account of the qualifications and duties of the ministers of the Gospel, and may be considered a complete body of divinely inspired rules to be observed by the Christian clergy of all denominations to the end of the worlds

Timothy put in mind Chap. i.

of his charge.

THE FIRST EPISTLE OF PAUL, THE APOSTLE, TO TIMOTHY.

CHAP. I.

1 Timothy is put in mind of the charge which was given unto him by Paul. 5 The end of the law. 12 Paul's calling to be an apostle. AUL, an apostle of Jesus Christ, by the commandment of God our Saviour, and Lord Jesus Christ, which is our hope;

PA

2 Unto Timothy my own son in the faith ;a Grace, mercy, and peace, from God our Father, and Jesus Christ our Lord.

3 As I besought thee to abide still at Ephesus, when I went into Macedonia, that thou mightest charge some, that they teach no other doctrine ;b 4 Neither give heed to fables, and endless genealogies,c which minister questions rather than godly edifying, which is in faith; so do.

5 Now, the end of the commandment is charity, out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, & of faith unfeigned; 6 From which, some having

a My own son in the faith; Paul calls Timothy bis son, because he had converted him.

b No other doctrine, that they teach not differently from the inspired apostle of Jesus Christ.

c Endless genealogies, endless disputes about their pedigrees or descent from the patriarchs.

swerved, have turned aside unto vain jangling ;d

7 Desiring to be teachers of the law; understanding neither what they say, nor whereof they affirm.

8 But we know that the law is good, if a man use it lawfully;

9 Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly & for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers & murderers of mothers, for manslayers,

10 For whoremongers, for them that defile themselves with mankind, for men-stealers, for liars, for perjured persons, and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine;

11 According to the glorious Gospel of the blessed God, which was committed to my trust.

12 And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful putting me into the ministry;

13 Who was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious; but I obtained merey, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief.

d Vain jangling, useless and foolish. talking,

Christ came to save sinners. I. Timothy.

14 And the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant, with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.

15 This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.

16 Howbeit, for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all long-suffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting.

17 Now, unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honour and glory forever & ever. Amen.

18 This charge I commit unto thee, son Timothy, according to the prophecies which went before on thee, that thou by them mightest war a good warfare;

19 Holding faith, & a good conscience; which some having put away, concerning faith have made shipwreck :

20 Of whom is Hymeneus and Alexander; whom I have delivered unto Satan,e that they may learn not to blaspheme.

e Delivered unto Satan. What this delivering to Satan was, is not certainly known. Some have supposed it was only excommunication from the church and its privileges: others have thought it consisted in some corporal suffering or punishment, which Paul, as an inspired apostle, was authorized to inflict. See I Cor.

Of women's attire.
CHAP. II.

1 That it is meet to pray and
give thanks for all men, and
the reason why. 9 How wo-
men should be attired.
1 EXHORT, therefore, that,
first of all, supplications, pray-
ers, intercessions, and giving

of thanks be made for all men:

2 For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty :

3 For this is good, and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour;

4 Who will have all men to be saved, and to come untothe knowledge of the truth.

5 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;

6 Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.

7 Whereunto I am ordained a preacher, and an apostle, (I speak the truth in Christ, and lie not,) a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and verity.

s I will, therefore, that men pray every where, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting.

9 In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with broidered hair, or goldy or pearls, or costly array;

10 But (which becometh women professing godliness) with good works

Qualifications of

Chap. iii. bishops & deacons, fr.

11 Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection.

12 But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence.

13 For Adam was first formed, then Eve.

14 And Adam was not deceived, but the woman, being deceived, was in the transgres

sion.

15 Notwithstanding, she shall be saved in child-bearing,a if they continue in faith, and charity, and holiness, with sobriety.

CHAP. III.

1 How bishops, and deacons, and their wives, should be qualified, 14 and to what end Paul wrote to Timothy of these things.

THIS is a true saying, If a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work.

2 A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach;

3 Not given to wine, no striker, not greedy of filthy

a She shall be saved, &c. The apostle's meaning in this verse probably is, that although Eve was first in transgression, and brought death on herself, and all her posterity, yet the female sex, as well as the male, shall be saved, in consequence of childbearing, or by giving birth to the Saviour, provided however that they live in faith and love, and chastity, with sobriety.

lucre; but patient, not a brawler, not covetous;

4 One that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity;

5 (For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?)

6 Not a novice,a lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil.

Moreover he must have a good report of them which are without; lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.

8 Likewise must the deacons be grave, not doubletongued,b not given to much wine, not greedy of filthy lucre ;c

9 Holding the mystery of the faith dina pure conscience.

10 And let these also first be proved; then let them use the office of a deacon, being found blameless.

11 Even so must their wives be grave, not slanderers, sober, faithful in all things.

12 Let the deacons be the husbands of one wife, ruling a Not a novice, not one newly converted, and without experience.

b Not double-tongued, not speaking one thing to this person and another to that, on the same subject.

c Filthy lucre, unjust gain, or money obtained by unjust means.

d The mystery of the faith here, and the mystery of godliness in verse 16, probably denote the doctrine of the Gospel in general.

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