vv. 1-5
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Second Timothy This second epistle Paul wrote to Timothy from Rome, when he was a prisoner there and in danger of his life; this is evident from these words, I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand, ch. iv. 6. It appears that his removal out of this world, in his own apprehension, was not far off, especially considering the rage and malice of his persecutors; and that he had been brought before the emperor Nero, which he calls his first answer, when no man stood with him, but all men forsook him, ch. iv. 16. And interpreters agree that this was the last epistle he wrote. Where Timothy now was is not certain. The scope of this epistle somewhat differs from that of the former, not so much relating to his office as an evangelist as to his personal conduct and behaviour. After the introduction (ver. 1, 2) we have, I. Paul's sincere love to Timothy, ver. 3-5. II. Divers exhortations given to him, ver. 6-14. III. He speaks of Phygellus and Hermogenes, with others, and closes with Onesiphorus, ver. 15, to the end. Introduction; Timothy's Faith and Holiness. (a. d. 66.) 1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, according to the promise of life which is in Christ Jesus, 2 To Timothy, my dearly beloved son: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord. 3 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; 4 Greatly desiring to see thee, being mindful of thy tears, that I may be filled with joy; 5 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. Here is, I. The inscription of the epistle Paul calls himself an apostle by the will of God, merely by the good pleasure of God, and by his grace, which he professes himself unworthy of. According to the promise of life which is in Christ Jesus, or according to the gospel. The gospel is the promise of life in Christ Jesus; life is the end, and Christ the way, John xiv. 6. The life is put into the promise, and both are sure in Christ Jesus the faithful witness; for all the promises of God in Christ Jesus are yea, and all amen, 2 Cor. i. 20. He calls Timothy his beloved son. Paul felt the warmest affection for him both because he had been an instrument of his conversion and because as a son with his father he had served with him in the gospel. Observe, 1. Paul was an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God; as he did not receive the gospel of man, nor was taught it, but had it by the revelation of Jesus Christ (Gal. i. 12), so his commission to be an apostle was not by the will of man, but of God: in the former epistle he says it was by the commandment of God our Saviour, and here by the will of God. God called him to be an apostle. 2. We have the promise of life, blessed be God for it: In hope of eternal life, which God, who cannot lie, promised before the world began, Tit. i. 2. It is a promise to discover the freeness and certainty of it. 3. This, as well as all other promises, is in and through Jesus Christ; they all take their rise from the mercy of God in Christ, and they are sure, so that we may safely depend on them. 4. The grace, mercy, and peace, which even Paul's dearly beloved son Timothy wanted, comes from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord; and therefore the one as well as the other is the giver of these blessings, and ought to be applied to for them. 5. The best want these blessings, and they are the best we can ask for our dearly-beloved friends, that they may have grace to help them in the time of need, and mercy to pardon what is amiss, and so may have peace with God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord. II. Paul's thanksgiving to God for Timothy's faith and holiness: he thanks God that he remembered Timothy in his prayers. Observe, Whatever good we do, and whatever good office we perform for our friends, God must have the glory of it, and we must give him thanks. It is he who puts it into our hearts to remember such and such in our prayers. Paul was much in prayer, he prayed night and day; in all his prayers he was mindful of his friends, he particularly prayed for good ministers, he prayed for Timothy, and had remembrance of him in his prayers night and day; he did this without ceasing; prayer was his constant business, and he never forgot his friends in his prayers, as we often do. Paul served God from his forefathers with a pure conscience. It was a comfort to him that he was born in God's house, and was of the seed of those that served God; as likewise that he had served him with a pure conscience, according to the best of his light; he had kept a conscience void of offence, and made it his daily exercise to do so, Acts xxiv. 16. He greatly desired to see Timothy, out of the affection he had for him, that he might have some conversation with him, being mindful of his tears at their last parting. Timothy was sorry to part with Paul, he wept at parting, and therefore Paul desired to see him again, because he had perceived by that what a true affection he had for him. He thanks God that Timothy kept up the religion of his ancestors, v. 5. Observe, The entail of religion descended upon Timothy by the mother's side; he had a good mother, and a good grandmother: they believed, though his father did not, Acts xvi. 1. It is a comfortable thing when children imitate the faith and holiness of their godly parents, and tread in their steps, 3 John 4.—Dwelt in thy grandmother and thy mother, and I am persuaded that in thee also. Paul had a very charitable opinion of his friends, was very willing to hope the best concerning them; indeed he had a great deal of reason to believe well of Timothy, for he had no man like-minded, Phil. ii. 20. Observe, 1. We are, according to St. Paul, to serve God with a pure conscience, so did his and our pious forefathers; this is to draw near with a true heart, in full assurance of faith, having our heart sprinkled from an evil conscience, Heb. x. 22. 2. In our prayers we are to remember without ceasing our friends, especially the faithful ministers of Christ. Paul had remembrance of his dearly beloved son Timothy in his prayers night and day. 3. The faith that dwells in real believers is unfeigned; it is without hypocrisy, it is a faith that will stand the trial, and it dwells in them as a living principle. It was the matter of Paul's thanksgiving that Timothy inherited the faith of his mother Eunice and his grandmother Lois, and ought to be ours whenever we see the like; we should rejoice wherever we see the grace of God; so did Barnabas, Acts xi. 23, 24. I rejoiced greatly that I found of thy children walking in the truth, 2 John 4.
vv. 6-14
I. Le exhorta a avivar el don de Dios que había en él. Avívalo como el fuego bajo las brasas. Se refiere a todos los dones y gracias que Dios le había dado para capacitarlo para la obra de un evangelista, los dones del Espíritu Santo, los dones extraordinarios que fueron conferidos por la imposición de las manos del apóstol. Estos debía avivarlos; debía ejercitarlos y así aumentarlos: usa los dones y tendrás dones. Porque al que tiene, le será dado, Mateo xxv. 29. Debía aprovechar todas las oportunidades para usar estos dones, y así avivarlos, porque esa es la mejor manera de aumentarlos. Ya fuera el don de Dios en Timoteo ordinario o extraordinario (aunque me inclino por lo último), debía avivarlo, de lo contrario se marchitaría. Además, vemos que este don estaba en él por la imposición de las manos del apóstol, lo cual considero distinto de su ordenación, pues esta fue realizada por las manos del presbiterio, 1 Tim. iv. 14. Es probable que Timoteo recibiera el Espíritu Santo, en sus dones y gracias extraordinarios, por la imposición de las manos del apóstol (pues considero que nadie más que los apóstoles tenía el poder de dar el Espíritu Santo), y después, estando así ricamente provisto para la obra del ministerio, fue ordenado por el presbiterio. Observa: 1. El gran obstáculo para la utilidad en el aumento de nuestros dones es el temor servil. Por lo tanto, Pablo advierte a Timoteo contra esto: «Porque no nos ha dado Dios el espíritu de temor», v. 7. Fue por un temor vil que el siervo malo enterró su talento y no negoció con él, Mateo xxv. 25. Ahora bien, Dios nos ha armado contra el espíritu de temor, al mandarnos a menudo que no temamos. «No temas el rostro del hombre; no temas los peligros que puedas encontrar en el camino de tu deber». Dios nos ha librado del espíritu de temor, y nos ha dado el espíritu de fortaleza, y de amor, y de templanza. El espíritu de fortaleza, o de valor y resolución para enfrentar dificultades y peligros;—el espíritu de amor a Dios, que nos llevará a través de la oposición que podamos encontrar, como Jacob no hizo caso del duro servicio que debía soportar por Raquel: el espíritu de amor a Dios nos elevará por encima del temor del hombre, y de todo el daño que un hombre pueda hacernos;—y el espíritu de templanza, o tranquilidad mental, un disfrute pacífico de nosotros mismos, porque a menudo nos desanimamos en nuestro camino y trabajo por las criaturas de nuestra propia fantasía e imaginación, que una mente sobria, sólida y pensante evitaría y respondería fácilmente. 2. El espíritu que Dios da a sus ministros no es un espíritu temeroso, sino valiente; es un espíritu de fortaleza, porque hablan en su nombre, quien tiene todo poder, tanto en el cielo como en la tierra; y es un espíritu de amor, porque el amor a Dios y a las almas de los hombres debe inflamar a los ministros en todo su servicio; y es un espíritu de templanza, porque hablan palabras de verdad y sobriedad. II. Le exhorta a contar con las aflicciones y a prepararse para ellas: «Por tanto no te avergüences del testimonio de nuestro Señor, ni de mí, preso suyo. No te avergüences del evangelio, del testimonio que has dado de él». Observa:
vv. 15-18
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Ministerial Fortitude. (a. d. 66.) 15 This thou knowest, that all they which are in Asia be turned away from me; of whom are Phygellus and Hermogenes. 16 The Lord give mercy unto the house of Onesiphorus; for he oft refreshed me, and was not ashamed of my chain: 17 But, when he was in Rome, he sought me out very diligently, and found me. 18 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. Having (v. 13, 14) exhorted Timothy to hold fast, I. He mentions the apostasy of many from the doctrine of Christ, v. 15. It seems, in the best and purest ages of the church, there were those that had embraced the Christian faith, and yet afterwards revolted from it, nay, there were many such. He does not say that they had turned away from the doctrine of Christ (though it should seem they had) but they had turned away from him, they had turned their backs upon him, and disowned him in the time of his distress. And should we wonder at it, when many turned their backs on a much better than Paul? I mean the Lord Jesus Christ, John vi. 66. II. He mentions the constancy of one that adhered to him, namely, Onesiphorus: For he often refreshed me, and was not ashamed of my chain, v. 16. Observe, 1. What kindness Onesiphorus had shown to Paul: he refreshed him, he often refreshed him with his letters, and counsels, and comforts, and he was not ashamed of his chains. He was not ashamed of him, not withstanding the disgrace he was now under. He was kind to him not once or twice, but often; not only when he was at Ephesus among his own friends, but when Onesiphorus was at Rome; he took care to seek Paul out very diligently, and found him, v. 17. Observe, A good man will seek opportunities of doing good, and will not shun any that offer. At Ephesus he had ministered to him, and been very kind to him: Timothy knew it. 2. How Paul returns his kindness, v. 16-18. He that receives a prophet shall have a prophet's reward. He repays him with his prayers: The Lord give mercy to Onesiphorus. It is probable that Onesiphorus was now absent from home, and in company with Paul; Paul therefore prays that his house might be kept during his absence. Though the papists will have it that he was now dead; and, from Paul's praying for him that he might find mercy, they conclude the warrantableness of praying for the dead; but who told them that Onesiphorus was dead? And can it be safe to ground a doctrine and practice of such importance on a mere supposition and very great uncertainty? III. He prays for Onesiphorus himself, as well as for his house: That he may find mercy in that day, in the day of death and of judgment, when Christ will account all the good offices done to his poor members as done to himself. Observe, 1. The day of death and judgment is an awful day, and may be emphatically called that day. 2. We need desire no more to make us happy than to find mercy of the Lord in that day, when those that have shown no mercy will have judgment without mercy. 3. The best Christians will want mercy in that day; looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ, Jude 21. 4. If you would have mercy then, you must seek for it now of the Lord. 5. It is of and from the Lord that we must have mercy; for, unless the Lord has mercy on us, in vain will be the pity and compassion of men or angels. 6. We are to seek and ask for mercy of the Lord, who is the giver and bestower of it; for the Lord Jesus Christ has satisfied justice, that mercy might be displayed. We are to come to a throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in the time of need. 7. The best thing we can seek, either for ourselves or our friends, is that the Lord will grant to them that they may find mercy of the Lord in that day, when they must pass our of time into eternity, and exchange this world for the other, and appear before the judgment-seat of Christ: the Lord then grant unto all of us that we may find mercy of the Lord in that day.