View 1st Timothy 1 in the note window.
1: Paul an apostle - Familiarity is to be set aside where
the things of God are concerned. According to the commandment
of God - The authoritative appointment of God the Father. Our
Saviour - So styled in many other places likewise, as being the
grand orderer of the whole scheme of our salvation. And Christ
our hope - That is, the author, object, and ground, of all our
hope.
2: Grace, mercy, peace - St. Paul wishes grace and peace
in his epistles to the churches. To Timotheus he adds mercy,
the most tender grace towards those who stand in need of it.
The experience of this prepares a man to be a minister of the
gospel.
3: Charge some to teach no other doctrine - Than I have
taught. Let them put nothing in the place of it, add nothing
to it.
4: Neither give heed - So as either to teach or regard them.
To fables - Fabulous Jewish traditions. And endless
genealogies - Nor those delivered in scripture, but the long
intricate pedigrees whereby they strove to prove their descent
from such or such a person. Which afford questions - Which lead
only to useless and endless controversies.
5: Whereas the end of the commandment - of the whole
Christian institution. Is love - And this was particularly
the end of the commandment which Timotheus was to enforce
at Ephesus, (1Ti 1:3,18). The foundation is faith; the
end, love. But this can only subsist in an heart purified
by faith, and is always attended with a good conscience.
6: From which - Love and a good conscience. Some are
turned aside - An affectation of high and extensive knowledge
sets a man at the greatest distance from faith, and all sense
of divine things. To vain jangling - And of all vanities, none
are more vain than dry, empty disputes on the things of God.
7: Understanding neither the very things they speak, nor
the subject they speak of.
8: We grant the whole Mosaic law is good, answers
excellent purposes, if a man use it in a proper manner.
Even the ceremonial is good, as it points to Christ; and
the moral law is holy, just, and good, on its own nature;
and of admirable use both to convince unbelievers, and to
guide believers in all holiness.
9: The law doth not lie against a righteous man - Doth
not strike or condemn him. But against the lawless and
disobedient - They who despise the authority of the lawgiver
violate the first commandment, which is the foundation of the
law, and the ground of all obedience. Against the ungodly and
sinners - Who break the second commandment, worshipping idols,
or not worshipping the true God. The unholy and profane - Who
break the third commandment by taking his name in vain.
10: Manstealers - The worst of all thieves, in comparison
of whom, highwaymen and housebreakers are innocent. What then
are most traders in negroes, procurers of servants for America,
and all who list soldiers by lies, tricks, or enticements?
11: According to the glorious gospel - Which, far from
"making void," does effectually "establish, the law."
12: I thank Christ, who hath enabled me, in that he
accounted me faithful, having put me into the ministry - The
meaning is, I thank him for putting me into the ministry, and
enabling me to be faithful therein.
13: A blasphemer - Of Christ. A persecutor - Of his church.
A reviler - Of his doctrine and people. But I obtained mercy - He
does not say, because I was unconditionally elected; but
because I did it in ignorance. Not that his ignorance took
away his sin; but it left him capable of mercy; which he would
hardly have been, had he acted thus contrary to his own
conviction.
14: And the grace - Whereby I obtained mercy. Was
exceeding abundant with faith - Opposite to my preceding
unbelief. And love - Opposite to my blasphemy, persecution,
and oppression.
15: This is a faithful saying - A most solemn preface. And
worthy of all acceptation - Well deserving to be accepted,
received, embraced, with all the faculties of our whole soul.
That Christ - Promised. Jesus - Exhibited. Came into the world
to save sinners - All sinners, without exception.
16: For this cause God showed me mercy, that all his
longsuffering might be shown, and that none might hereafter
despair.
17: The King of eternity - A phrase frequent with the
Hebrews. How unspeakably sweet is the thought of eternity to
believers!
18: This charge I commit to thee - That thou mayest deliver
it to the church. According to the prophecies concerning thee
- Uttered when thou wast received as an evangelist,(1Ti 4:14); probably by many persons, (1Ti 6:12);
that, being encouraged by them, thou mightest war the good
warfare.
19: Holding fast faith - Which is as a most precious
liquor. And a good conscience - Which is as a clean glass.
Which - Namely, a good conscience. Some having thrust away
- It goes away unwillingly it always says, "Do not hurt me."
And they who retain this do not make shipwreck of their faith.
Indeed, none can make shipwreck of faith who never had it.
These, therefore, were once true believers: yet they fell
not only foully, but finally; for ships once wrecked cannot
be afterwards saved.
20: Whom - Though absent. I have delivered to Satan, that
they may learn not to blaspheme - That by what they suffer they
may be in some measure restrained, if they will not repent.
