| Scripture |
Expanded Comments |
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| 1 Paul, apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the command of God our Saviour, and of Christ Jesus our hope, |
God our Saviour – Author of the divine plan. E35
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| 2 to Timotheus, my true child in faith: grace, mercy, peace, from God our Father and Christ Jesus our Lord. |
Timothy – The name "Timothy" signifies "honor of God." R1127:3
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| 3 Even as I begged thee to remain in Ephesus, when I was going to Macedonia, that thou mightest enjoin some not to teach other doctrines, |
I besought thee to abide – Even when the apostle called or sent any of the younger brethren in the ministry, it was not as of arbitrary authority, but as of request which they were likely to follow, because of their confidence in Paul as a faithful and experienced servant of the Truth. R1822:1
Teach no other doctrine – The oneness of thought, mind and action required of the Church of God. R1130:6*
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| 4 nor to turn their minds to fables and interminable genealogies, which bring questionings rather than further God's dispensation, which is in faith. |
Neither give heed – Our time is not our own if we have dedicated all to God; and consequently we have none to spare for the investigation of fanciful false theories, built upon other foundations than that laid down in the Scriptures. R5970:3, 5045:3, 3199:3
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| 5 But the end of what is enjoined is love out of a pure heart and a good conscience and unfeigned faith; |
The end – The purpose. R4153:6, 5757:1, 5756:1; CR60:6
Ultimate object. R2733:3
The first consecration to holy living and obedience to God, which all believers make, is justification of life and peace with God; the second consecration, which is unto death, is the end toward which our justification looked. F124
The commandment – A law imposed by rightful authority; a rule of conduct which we are bound to obey. R5755:3
The very keynote of Christ's instruction to his followers is love, out of a pure heart. OV196:5
Is charity – Greek, agapee, disinterested love. R2807:5
An unselfish love, as is the love of God. R5756:2
A love which inspires to the willing, joyful sacrifice of every earthly hope and ambition, and which gladly lays down even life itself for the brethren. R5757:6
Love for God's truth, love for his holy law, love for his creatures. R5756:2, 5757:1
Love can be entertained in a heart not altogether pure; this is very generally the case with fallen humanity. R5756:2
Love which will not wait for commands, but which appeals for service. F124
Out of a pure heart – In full accord with the Lord; wholly antagonistic to the Adversary. R5123:6, 2735:1
All who start in the Christian life do so with a good intention; but they must be instructed and educated. They must develop to perfection this purity of heart. Hence the experiences of the Christian are for the very purpose of bringing his heart into this condition of pure, unselfish love. R5756:3
Pure intentions, motives; seeking first, last and always the will of God. R2734:2
That would fulfil all the requirements of God's Law; has no selfishness in its motives. R5756:3
Putting off more and more the things of selfishness and putting on more fully the Lord's spirit. R5756:3
Good conscience – Moral quality of the mind which admonishes in regard to right or wrong. R5756:4
It is the duty of every Christian to get his conscience made right, to educate his conscience to discern correctly. R5756:4
A conscience regulated by the divine Word. R2735:2, 5123:6
A good conscience is one which can determine the slightest deviation from God's Law. R5756:5
Rightly educated; properly balanced; not always accusing its owner, making him feel that he is always doing wrong. R5756:5
Faith unfeigned – Undissembled. (Diaglott) R5756:6
Faith properly presented to others, not deceitful, not misrepresented. R5756:6
Some dissemble by professing something which would be for the good of someone else, even though it would not be true. R5756:6
We must be honest with respect to our faith and in respect to our life. R5756:6
One who believes differently from the denomination with which he is connected and yet continues his connection with it is not conscientious in respect to his faith, does not have faith unfeigned. R2735:4
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| 6 which things some having missed, have turned aside to vain discourse, |
Having swerved – Having failed to discern the true idea of religion. R2733:3
Vain jangling – Foolish talking. (Diaglott) R2733:6, 2735:4
Love is cast out of the heart, and selfishness takes its place, and from it flows works of bitterness, anger and evil. R2735:4
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| 7 desiring to be law-teachers, not understanding either what they say or concerning what they so strenuously affirm. |
To be teachers – They have a greater responsibility than if they were not teachers. R2156:3
What he has to say concerning the great influence of the tongue is directed largely to those amongst believers who attempt to be teachers. R2156:2
For honor and praise among men, as great teachers. R3215:2
Vain philosophers. R1443:5
"Be not many teachers." (James 3:1--Revised Version) R2156:2
Understanding neither – Who think it is not either necessary or advisable to be established in the faith. R3215:2
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| 8 Now we know that the law is good if any one uses it lawfully, |
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| 9 knowing this, that law has not its application to a righteous person, but to the lawless and insubordinate, to the impious and sinful, to the unholy and profane, to smiters of fathers and smiters of mothers; to murderers, |
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| 10 fornicators, sodomites, kidnappers, liars, perjurers; and if any other thing is opposed to sound teaching, |
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| 11 according to the glad tidings of the glory of the blessed God, with which *I* have been entrusted. |
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| 12 And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me power, that he has counted me faithful, appointing to ministry him |
Counted me faithful – At heart, though wrong in action. R1444:5
The Lord counts us according to our intentions, according to our wills. R3002:1
The ministry – The word "ministry" signifies service and the word "minister" signifies servant. R3002:1
All of the truly consecrated church of God are ministers, servants of God and of each other. If we neglect our ministry or service, it brings a corresponding loss in spiritual progress and character. R3002:2
Paul forgot the good things he left behind and did not dwell on his persecutions of the church. He labored to be long-suffering with others as God had been with him. R1885:4
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| 13 who before was a blasphemer and persecutor, and an insolent overbearing man: but mercy was shewn me because I did it ignorantly, in unbelief. |
Injurious – Of the saints. R2823:3
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| 14 But the grace of our Lord surpassingly over-abounded with faith and love, which is in Christ Jesus. |
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| 15 Faithful is the word, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom *I* am the first. |
Christ Jesus – Jesus humbled himself in becoming a man; the object of so doing was to redeem men. R507:1
Came into the world – To taste death for every man. R507:1
To save sinners – The Gospel of Christ is the message of divine compassion toward sinners. R5032:1
I am chief – He had been an open opposer of the truth. R5843:1
Saul's transformation, from an enemy of Christ and his Church to a friend and zealous servant, is generally termed his conversion. (But we do not so consider it.) R2117:1
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| 16 But for this reason mercy was shewn me, that in me, the first, Jesus Christ might display the whole long-suffering, for a delineation of those about to believe on him to life eternal. |
Longsuffering Patience. R2790:6
To life everlasting – To all who will exercise obedient faith in him. R5768:4
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| 17 Now to the King of the ages, the incorruptible, invisible, only God, honour and glory to the ages of ages. Amen. |
Now unto the king – Jehovah. E389
Eternal – The word "eternal" merely expresses duration, nothing more. R252:4
Immortal – Greek: apthartos, incorruptible. R2339:3, 204:1
The fullness of life which could not cease under any circumstances. R279:2, 142:3; E398
Death-proof. R715:1*
Invisible – "Whom no man has seen nor can see." (1 Tim. 6:16) F722
The world will not see the Lord and the Church; they will be spirit beings and of the divine nature. R2289:2, 4071:3, 2983:2
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| 18 This charge, my child Timotheus, I commit to thee, according to the prophecies as to thee preceding, in order that thou mightest war by them the good warfare, |
Charge – Message. R1127:3
War a good warfare – Against the natural inherited weaknesses of his old nature, his flesh, typified by Israel's warfare in the flesh. R5947:3, 5605:4
It will show the degree of your loyalty and submission to the will of God. CR455:5
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| 19 maintaining faith and a good conscience; which last some, having put away, have made shipwreck as to faith; |
Holding faith – Let our faith be honestly held and honestly acted upon. R1128:6
Good conscience – To study the Word of God with a clear conscience is to study it with the single and only purpose of knowing and doing God's will. R1128:1
Which some – Paul was often in perils among false brethren (2 Cor. 11:26). R1319:3*
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| 20 of whom is Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have delivered to Satan, that they may be taught by discipline not to blaspheme. |
Hymeneus – At times it seems absolutely to the interest of the Lord's flock to identify persons with false teachings. R2837:2
And Alexander – Possibly a convert to Christianity who subsequently apostatized. R2207:4
False teachers who arose in the Church of Ephesus. R2221:4
In their attempt to be leaders, they had manufactured a different Gospel, built upon a different foundation than the only true foundation; the death of Christ as man's ransom price. R3820:5
Examples of "grievous wolves" who bite, devour, and scatter the flock. R4459:3,4
Delivered unto Satan – Whose very existence is now denied by many. F609
The apostle was a firm believer in a personal devil. R3165:6
Earthly disciplines, that the spirit may be saved (1 Cor. 5:5). R2295:5
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