1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the commandment of God our Saviour and Christ Jesus our hope:
2 To Timothy, his beloved son in faith. Grace, mercy and peace, from God the Father and from Christ Jesus our Lord.
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VERS. 2.-- *Grace, and mercy, and peace from God the Father.* In this salutation he sets down three things, which he desires, whereas in others he had set down only two. *Mercy* is here taken for that which in other epistles is called grace, that is, the remission of sins. *Peace* is tranquillity of mind, a foretaste of eternal peace. These are wont to be desired for all in common. But *grace,* which he here adds, is desired for bishops, that is, the gift of the Holy Spirit, wherewith the ministers of God are armed.
3 As I desired thee to remain at Ephesus when I went into Macedonia, that thou mightest charge some not to teach otherwise:
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VERS. 3.-- *As I besought.* After the salutation, first concerning the false [apostles] to be driven off: here he begins with those teaching that the law is still to be kept. *I besought.* He says *I besought,* that he might show the affection of charity, and the form of humility. *Fables and genealogies.* A certain heretic, an enemy of the law and of the prophets, supposes that the Apostle in this place called the divine oracles fables, etc., *as far as* which the sacred page nowhere relates.
4 Not to give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which furnish questions rather than the edification of God which is in faith.
v.4
VERS. 4.-- *Genealogies.* Genealogies were those by which certain Jews related that they were of the race of Abraham and of David: as though on that account it were owed them, or by which they related that Christ was not sprung from David.
5 Now the end of the commandment is charity from a pure heart, and a good conscience, and an unfeigned faith.
v.5
VERS. 5.-- *Now the end.* In faith is the building up of God, because from faith is hope, and thence charity, which is the fulfilling of the law. Or construe thus: Certain men teach and give heed to fables and genealogies, but the end and fulfilment of the law is charity, wherefore there is no need of others. *Of the commandment.* It is said *of the commandment,* for "of the commandments," the fulfilling of which is the love of God and of one's neighbour. Whence: *On these two commandments dependeth the whole law and the prophets*. The end is called a boundary, etc., *as far as* let covetousness therefore be bridled, let charity be aroused. *A good conscience.* Conscience for hope. For he despairs of coming to that which he loves, in whom the scruple of an evil conscience is present. *And of faith unfeigned.* Or, not of clay and frail, or, in which no one feigns for himself whatever he pleases, but which is catholic only.
6 From which things some, going astray, are turned aside unto vain babbling:
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VERS. 6.-- *From which.* Here he reproves the adversaries, who handed on the things of the law. *Not understanding,* etc. For if at any time they have begun to be rebuked and convicted of their depraved and false opinion, in order to defend that which they have said with the lightest rashness and the most open falsity, they utter many words out of the holy books, wishing to be teachers of the law, although they do not understand what they say, or of what things.
7 Desiring to be teachers of the law: understanding neither the things they say, nor whereof they affirm.
8 But we know that the law is good, if a man use it lawfully.
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VERS. 8.-- *But we know.* Lest he should seem to accuse the law, he adds: *But we know,* etc. But lest again he should seem to bring it in, he subjoins: *Knowing this, that the law is not laid down for the just:* because not from it is a man just, but from faith. To what end, then, is the law necessary for him? For this it was given, that it might either punish the guilty, or restrain him that wills to sin. Yet the just man, even if he needs it not, uses it, that so he might be in authority to others, and might attest things to come by deeds. *Use it lawfully.* He who knows that the law was given for a time, and under Christ forsakes it. Now for the just, through remission, there is no need of the law, from which they are free through Christ. But manifold is the manner of using the law lawfully, so that in one respect the just man, and in another respect the unjust man, is rightly said to use the law lawfully. For the unjust man uses it lawfully when, understanding why it was given, he is led by its threatening, as by a schoolmaster, to grace, through which he may become just. But the just man also uses it lawfully when, by holding it, he lays it upon the unjust, so that, when among the unjust the disease of ingrown concupiscence has begun to be increased by the incitement of the prohibition and by the heaping up of transgression, they may flee to justifying grace, and through it, delighted by the sweetness of justice, may escape the penalty of the threatening letter.
9 Knowing this: That the law is not made for the just man but for the unjust and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for the wicked and defiled, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers,
10 For fornicators, for them who defile themselves with mankind, for menstealers, for liars, for perjured persons, and whatever other thing is contrary to sound doctrine:
11 Which is according to the gospel of the glory of the blessed God which hath been committed to my trust.
12 I give him thanks who hath strengthened me, even to Christ Jesus our Lord, for that he hath counted me faithful, putting me in the ministry:
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VERS. 12.-- *I give thanks to him who,* etc. Here he shows that evils had been his in the law. But the good things are these; [the evils] forgiven, that he is faithful, and placed in the ministry, whence also strong: by which things he shows that the law is uselessly drawn on after the Gospel.
13 Who before was a blasphemer and a persecutor and contumelious. But I obtained the mercy of God, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief.
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VERS. 13.-- *But the mercy of God.* Both they who sin knowingly, as David, and they who sin ignorantly, which is the more easily pardoned, obtain mercy. *I obtained mercy,* from this, that I did it ignorantly. Or ignorance is set down as the cause of mercy, yet not properly, since the ignorance was evil, but the mercy gratuitous.
14 Now the grace of our Lord hath abounded exceedingly with faith and love, which is in Christ Jesus.
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VERS. 14.-- *It hath superabounded.* Over greater goods than formerly evils. Because he not only forgave sins, but gave faith and love. Of which none must doubt: *That Jesus Christ came into this world to save sinners.* And this *word is faithful,* that is, true and acceptable, because useful.
15 A faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the chief.
v.15
VERS. 15.-- *Of all acceptation,* because it saves both body and soul. Or, this word is human. Another reading: *That I say not divine,* because if a man who receives a man into his hospitality is called human, how much more human is he who receives man into himself. *Because Christ Jesus.* There was no cause of coming for Christ, save that he might save sinners. *First.* That is, worse, because a persecutor, than whom there was none greater: For no one was fiercer among persecutors, therefore no one greater among sinners, he was first therefore not in order of time, but in greatness of iniquity.
16 But for this cause have I obtained mercy: that in me first Christ Jesus might shew forth all patience, for the information of them that shall believe in him unto life everlasting.
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VERS. 16.-- *But for this cause mercy,* etc. Moreover he judges that for this cause he had obtained mercy, that no sinner now, pressed by whatsoever crimes, should despair of himself, but rather should presume by this example that he will obtain the same pardon: exceedingly great and truly vast is the gift. *In me.* Whom God appointed a fit preacher to the nations, in whom he showed forth so great an example of his mercy.
17 Now to the king of ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen.
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VERS. 17.-- *Invisible.* Because the other gods are visible. It is not said *to the invisible alone,* because there are also certain invisible creatures, as the soul, which nevertheless can be apprehended by sense: because all its powers can be known, but it is not God to us. God, therefore, is invisible to men in his nature, according to that word: *No man hath seen God at any time.* But he is seen when he wills and as he wills, not as he is, but he wills to appear as it were in a form. But in the world to come the sons shall see him as he is. *To God alone.* Who alone is God by nature, that is, alone creates, which is understood of the Trinity itself, not of the Father alone, as some will have it: because he says not, to the Father alone, but to God alone. For the Trinity itself is preached by us as the one and only God. And the Only-begotten, according as he is God with God, and the Holy Spirit, is in his own nature immortal and invisible.
18 This precept, I commend to thee, O son Timothy: according to the prophecies going before on thee, that thou war in them a good warfare,
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VERS. 18.-- *This commandment.* After he has recounted what and how great are the benefits of the Father and of Christ toward sinners, he shows how he is to imbue the people with ecclesiastical discipline.
19 Having faith and a good conscience, which some rejecting have made shipwreck concerning the faith.
v.19
VERS. 19.-- *Conscience.* He calls [conscience] the thoughts, in which humility is above all to be kept, which being despised certain men have fallen into great errors, as was shown at the beginning of the Epistle to the Romans.
20 Of whom is Hymeneus and Alexander, whom I have delivered up to Satan, that they may learn not to blaspheme.
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VERS. 20.-- *Whom I have delivered.* The Apostle excommunicated both, that in this way the kingdom of Satan might be shut out by Satan. For there is no creature, whether one that abides in the truth giving glory to God, or one that has not stood in charity, seeking its own glory, which, will it or nill it, does not serve the divine providence. But willing, he does with it that which is good. But of that one which wills not this, that is done which is just. Yet that is not repaid to it which is justly done concerning it, but with what mind it itself acts, because God has neither denied free will to the rational creature, but has retained to himself the power by which he justly orders the unjust. *I have delivered.* Yet not so that they should perish, because Satan can do nothing unless permitted, who vexes those given over to him, whence: *Now sin no more, lest worse befall thee*. And so the apostolic power itself used Satan for the correction of men. For the prevaricating angels, with their prince the devil, are rightly called procurators, or agents of the divine providence, and the devil is called the magistrate of this world, but a magistrate under God the emperor does nothing save as much as is permitted him, and the procurators and agents of this world do nothing save as much as the Lord allows.