Menu

2 Timothy 3

ICCNT

2 Timothy 3:1-99

3:1— 4:8. — Further appeal to Timothy for boldness and loyalty, based on the thought of the last days and of the Final Judgment.

Remember, times will grow more difficult (1): professing Christians will prefer self and pleasure to God (2-5): false teachers will oppose the truth; their hearers will be at the mercy of each caprice and each novelty: they will have a temporary success (6-9, 4:3. 4). But I trust you to face persecution and to remain loyal to my teaching, for you have my example to guide you (10-14): you have Holy Scripture to fit you for your task (15-17): the thought of the Judgment and the coming Kingdom both to awe and to encourage you (4:1-5), and my approaching death will throw all the responsibility upon you (6-8).

In this paragraph there is still the contrast between empty talk and real work, cf. 3:5, 7, 17 πᾶνἔργονἀγαθόν , 4:5 ἔργον : but more markedly that between the source of the teaching— the Apostolic teaching, 3:10, 4:3, and Holy Scripture, 3:15, as opposed to myths, 4:4: that between the character of the teacher, loyalty to tradition, 3:14 μένε , as opposed to love of novelty, 3:13, 4:3: that between the result, in the one case, wisdom and salvation, 3:15, in the other, failure to lay hold of the truth, 3:7, and folly, 3:9.

Paraphrase. But things are not yet at their worst: we have been warned that, as the last days approach, there will be moments very difficult to face. Men’ s affections will be set not on God, but on self, on money, and on pleasure. This will make them braggarts about what they have, overbearing to those who have not, quick to rail both at God and man, disobedient to parents, with no sense of gratitude to any, no respect for divine things or for human affection, implacable when offended, ready to speak evil of others, with no control over their own passions, no human tenderness, no love for what is good or for those who are good, quite ready to betray their brethren, reckless in speech and action, conceited and puffed up. They will have all the externals of religion, but have long set at defiance its power over their lives. These, too, you must avoid.

For it is from a society like this that arise those teachers who creep into private houses and take captive silly women, whose consciences are burdened with past sins, who are at the mercy of caprices of every kind, and so, though always pretending to learn, yet have no power of coming to any knowledge of truth. Yet, though these are their only followers, these men— just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses— oppose the truth, men whose intellect is completely debased, who can stand no test as to their faith.

But they will not be able to get far; for their utter folly will be quite clear to every one, exactly as that of Jannes and Jambres was shown to be. But you I can trust, for you heartily became my follower; you listened to my teaching, imitated my manner of life; my aims became your aims, my faith your faith, my forbearance, my love, my endurance passed on to you; you know all my persecutions and sufferings; what sufferings befell me in Antioch, in Iconium, in Lystra; what persecutions I bore up against: yes, and the Psalmist’ s words came true, “ out of them all the Lord delivered me.” Aye, and all who are minded to live a religious life in union with Christ Jesus will be persecuted. And malicious men will grow more malicious, impostors will get worse and worse, deceiving others and deceived themselves. But I appeal to you— stand firm in those truths that you first learned and in which your past life confirmed you, knowing who your teachers were, knowing, too, that from your cradle you have been taught religious teaching from Scriptures which have it in them, if you have true faith in Christ Jesus, to give you the true wisdom which leads to salvation. All Scripture is inspired by God, and therefore is useful for all your task— for teaching truth, for conviction of sin and refuting of false doctrine, for correction of faults, for discipline of character in the right way. It was given to make every one of God’ s men fit for his task, for it can fit him completely for every good work.

  1. γίνωσκε ] not exactly “ know,” as if the writer were communicating a new piece of knowledge, but “ recognize,” “ realize” the fulfilment of what you have heard; cf. Eur. Alc. 418, γίγνωσκεδὲὡςπᾶσινἡμῖνκατθανεῖνὀφείλεται . ὅτι . . . χαλεποί , a semiquotation of some eschatological prediction (cf. I 4:1), of the woes that would precede the παρουσία : cf. Mark 13:19, Matthew 24:12, 2 Thessalonians 2:2 ὅτιἐνέστηκενἡἡμέρα , 2 P 3:3, Jude 1:18. This implies that the last days are already present and Timothy has to face them 5.

ἐνἐσχ . ἡμέραις ] the days preceding the παρουσία , based on Isaiah 2:2 ἐνταῖςἐσχ . ἡμ ., Acts 2:17. The omission of the article perhaps emphasizes the quality of those days “ in days which are last and therefore worst” ; cf. ἐσχάτηὥρα , 1 John 2:18; ἐνκαίρῳἐσχάτῳ , 1 P 1:5 (ubi v. Hort). Ign. Eph. 11, ἔσχατοικαιροί : cf. also Genesis 49:1 of Jacob in anticipation of his death, συνάχθητεἵναἀναγγείλωὑμῖντίἀπαντήσειὑμῖνἐπ ʼ ἐσχ . τῶνἡμέρων , which suggests little more than “ hereafter.”

χαλεποί ] hard for teachers, for the servant of the Lord to keep the spirit of 2:24-26; cf. Ephesians 5:16 ἐξαγοραζόμενοιτὸνκαιρόν , ὅτιαἱἡμέραιπονηραίεἰσι .

2-5. This list is probably also based on some previous Apocalyptic (cf. Test. XII. Patr., Iss. 6, γιγνώσκετεοὖν , τέκναμου , ὅτιἐνἐσχάτοιςκαιροῖςκαταλείψουσινοἱυἱοὶὑμῶντὴνἁπλότητακαὶκολληθήσονταιτῇἀπληστίᾳκ .τ .λ .— Assumption Mos. c. 7, Matthew 24:12); perhaps also with a reminiscence of Ro i. ii , as though Christian morality was in danger of falling back to the level of heathenism and Judaism. Here, however, there is no stress on individual immorality as in Rom_1: the main thought is that the love of self will lead to neglect of the duty to others and to God, nay more, to active wrong-doing to them.

φίλαυτοι . . . φιλόθεοι stand in sharp antithesis: φιλάργυροι and φιλήδονοι are subdivisions of φίλαυτοι . The true centre of life is changed. Self has taken the place of God, so all sense of the duty to others, whether man or God, disappears. The rest are mainly ranged in pairs: Chrysostom, perhaps fancifully, assumes them to form a climax, each leading to the next after it. φίλαυτος was already a term of reproach in Greek Ethics (cf. Arist. Eth. Nic. ix. 8 for an interesting discussion of the problem in what sense it is a vice), and is placed by Philo in antithesis to the love of God, de Spec. Legg., p. 264 M, ὑπὸφιλαυτίαςἐκλαθόμενοιτοῦπρὸςἀληθείανὄντοςθεοῦ (Wetstein).

φιλάργυροι ] suggested by the chief danger at Ephesus, cf. I 6:10. There, it was the root of all evil; here, it is itself traced back to a root deeper down in human nature, the love of self.

ἀλαζόνες (cf. Romans 1:30, James 4:16, 1 John 2:16, “ elati,” Vulg.; “ insolentes,” Ambros.; gloriosi,” Beza), ὑπερήφανοι (Luke 1:51, James 4:6, James 4:1 P 5:5), βλάσφημοι , all mainly faults of speech, braggadocio about self, boasting of one’ s own gifts or pretending to those we have not (cf. Arist. Eth. N. iv. 7, Rhet. ii. 6 ; Theophr. Char. xxiii.); scornful arrogance in thought and word towards man and God (Theophr.

Char. xxiv.); outspoken abuse and evil speaking, both manward and Godward; cf. Syn. § xxix. ἀλαζονεία and ὑπερηφανία are combined in Clem. Romans 1:16, ΧριστὸςἸησοῦςοὐκἦλθενἐνκόμπῳἀλαζονείαςοὐδὲὑπερηφανίας . . . ἀλλὰταπεινοφρῶν , and the spirit of the two underlies the Pharisee’ s prayer, Luke 18:11, Luke 18:12.

γονεῦσινἀπειθεῖς ] Romans 1:30; cf. I 1:9, Titus 1:6, Ephesians 6:1.

ἀχάριστοι ] both to men and God; cf. Romans 1:21, Ecclus 17:28. 29, and contrast Ephesians 5:20 εὐχαριστοῦντεςπάντοτεὑπὲρπάντων .

ἀνόσιοι ] 1 Timothy 1:9 “ scelesti,” Vulg.; “ impii,” Ambros.

ἄστοργοι ] Romans 1:31; cf. 1 Timothy 5:8 “ sine affectione,” Vulg.; “ sine dilectione,” Ambros.

ἄσπονδοι ] “ implacable when offended” ; cf. Trench, Syn. § lii. : but it may also include the thought “ untrue to σπονδαί already made,” “ faithless to their pledged word” ; cf. ἀσυνθέτους , Romans 1:31; “ sine pace,” Vulg.; “ sine fide,” Ambros.

διάβολοι ] cf. 1 Timothy 3:11, Titus 2:3; it may include the two thoughts “ slanderers” and “ setters at variance,” promoting quarrels in the hope that they may gain from them.

ἀνήμεροι ] cf. κακὰθηρία , Titus 1:12; ὡςτὰἄλογαζῶα Jude 1:10.

ἀφιλάγαθοι ] no lovers of what is good (“ sine benignitate,” Vulg.), or, of those that are good (“ bonorum inimici,” Ambros.), cf. Titus 1:8 note; cf. ἀφιλόκαλος (Plut. Qu. Conv. v. I), and the interesting contrast between Antoninus and his father in Pap Oxyr. i. 33, τὸμὲνπρῶτονἦνφιλόσοφος , τὸδεύτερονἀφιλάργυρος , τὸτρίτονφιλαγάθοσ ʼ σοιτούτωντὰἐνάντιαἔνκειται , τυραννία , ἀφιλαγαθία , ἀπαιδία .

προδόται ] Cf. Matthew 24:10 καὶἀλλήλουςπαραδώσουσι , and Clem. Romans 1:5 for the part which jealousy played in the Neronian persecution.

προπετεῖς ] hasty, reckless, either in speech or in action; cf. Acts 19:36.

τετυφωμένοι ] I 3:6 note, 6:4.

φιλήδονοι ] corresponds at the end to φιλάργυροι at the beginning, both expressions of φιλαυτοι and pointing the contrast to φιλόθεοι : Bengel’ s comment is “ Epicureorum epitheton,” but Epicurus held that the φιλήδονοι must be φιλόκαλοικαὶφιλοδίκαιοι : cf. Cic. ad Fam. xv. 19. For the contrast, cf. Philo, de agric. c. 19, φιλήδονονκαὶφιλοπαθῆμᾶλλονἢφιλάρετονκαὶφιλόθεον (Wetstein) cf. Philippians 3:19 ὧνὁθεὸςἡκοιλία .

  1. μόρφωσιν ] “ speciem pietatis,” Vulg.; “ formam,” Ambros.; “ deformationem,” Cypr.: having all externals of religion, or, perhaps, a power of showing such externals. This may include (a) having a correct creed; cf. Romans 2:20 ἔχοντατὴνμόρφωσιντῆςγνώσεωςκαὶτῆςἀληθείαςἐντῷνόμῳ : (b) a form of worship and external expressions of religion, “ in habitu vel doctrina,” Pelag.; cf. Philo, de plant. c. 17, εἰσίτινεςτῶνἐπιμορφαζόντωνεὐσέβειαν (Wetstein).

καὶτούτους ] those too as well as the controversialists of 2:23-26.

  1. ἐνδύνοντες ] cf. Jude 1:4 παρεισέδυσαν ; cf. Iren. i. 13. 3 of the Valentinian Marcus, μάλισταπερὶγυναῖκαςἀσχολεῖται : ib. 6, ἐξαπατῶντεςγυναικάριαπολλὰδιέφθειραν .

αἰχμαλωτίζοντες ] the Hellenistic form for the Attic αἰχμαλωτεύειν , , p. 28; Rutherford, New Phrynichus, ccccvii.

σεσωρευμένα ] heaped up, overladen; cf. 4:3, Barnab. 4. 6, ἐπισωρεύονταςταῖςἁμαρτίαιςὑμῶν . They have become caricatures of true womanhood. ἀγόμενα ; cf. 1 Corinthians 12:2 and contrast Romans 8:14, Galatians 5:18. ποικίλαις of many kinds, including sensual desires (cf. Iren. l.c.), but also the desire for novelties (cf. 4:3), for the name of learned women, “ mentis et carnis” (Bengel).

  1. μανθάνοντα ] cf. I 5:13, where there is a similar oxymoron ἀργαὶμανθάνουσι . εἰςἐπίγνωσινἀληθ . 2:25. A change of heart might still enable them to know: they would then regain the power which true piety gives, cf. δυνάμενα with τὴνδύναμιν 5; cf. Hermas, Sim. 9. 22, θέλοντεςπάνταγινώσκεινκαὶοὐδὲνὅλωςγινώσκουσι .

  2. ἸαννῆςκαὶἸαμβρῆς ] (or possibly Μαμβρῆς , which is found in the Western texts and in the Talmud). An ad hominem illustration. They are fond of their Jewish myths and genealogies: well, the nearest analogy to themselves to be found there is that of magicians whose folly was exposed. ὃνπρόπον may perhaps imply similarity of method, that these teachers used magic arts like the Egyptian magicians; cf. γόητες 13 and Acts 19:19. The reference is to Exodus 7:11, Exodus 9:11. The names are not found in O.T., Philo, or Josephus, but in slightly different forms in late Jewish Targums, one perhaps as early as the first Christian century (Schechter, Documents of Jewish Sectaries, i. p. 5); in heathen writers (Pliny, Hist. Nat. xxx. 1. 11; Apuleius, Apol. c. xc.), and in several Christian Apocryphal writings, e.g.

Evang. Nicodemi, c. 5). Origen twice (ad Matthew 27:9 Matthew 27:9 Matthew 27:23:37) refers to an Apocryphal book with the title “ Jannes et Mambres.” The names are apparently Semitic, perhaps meaning “ the rebel” and “ the opponent” (so Thackeray, The Relation of St. Paul to Contemporary Jewish Thought, pp. 216-21). For fuller details, cf. H.J.P. (Eng. tr.) ii. 3. 149, Wetstein, Holtzmann, Dibelius, and .

Notes on Select Readings, ad loc.

ἀδόκιμοι ] contrast 2:15 and cf. Titus 1:16. τὴνπίστιν , probably subjective, as parallel to τὸννοῦν ; cf. Add. Note, p. 20.

  1. ἐπὶπλεῖον ] “ farther” : or, perhaps (not pressing the comparative, cf. 1:18 note), “ very far.”

  2. Cf. 1:5, 6. There, the appeal was to his start in life; here, to his start in the Christian life.

παρηκολούθησας is capable of different shades of meaning, to follow in mind, to understand; cf. Epict. i. 9; Marc. Aurel. iii. 1, iv. 9, vii. 4: to imitate; to accompany: here it changes as St. Paul mentions his teaching, his Christian virtues, the events of his life. For the list, cf. 2 Corinthians 6:4, 2 Corinthians 11:23.

τῇδιδασκ . τῇἀγωγῇ , τῇπροθέσει ] possibly all in an active sense— my teaching of you, my training of you , my suggestion of tasks for you to perform, cf. Plat. Rep. 413 C, προθεμένοιςἔργα : Crito, 51 E, προτιθέντωνἡμῶν . . . ἃἂνκελεύωμεν (v. Expositor, Nov. 1919); but could προθέσει be so used without an explanatory genitive? If not, we must translate— my doctrine (I 4:6), my manner of life (cf. Esther 2:20, Esther 2:2 Mac 4:16; i. 24:57 μοχθηρὰνἀγωγήν , s.v.; Nä geli, p. 34), my own purpose .

τῇὑπομονῇ ] cf. Clem. Romans 1:5 of Paul, ὑπομονῆςγενόμενοςμέγιστοςὑπογραμμός . “ Vivam nobis boni doctoris imaginem depingit nempe qui non oratione modo formet ac instituat suos discipulos sed pectus quoque suum quodammodo illis aperiat ut intelligant ex animo ipsum docere quæ docet” (Calvin).

  1. οἷάμοιἐγένετο ] St. Paul enumerates the first only of a long train of persecutions, 2 Corinthians 11:30-33. Timothy was not his companion in these; but he doubtless heard of them and followed St. Paul in spite of them. On account of this difficulty Wohlenberg separates this verse from 10, and treats it as an exclamation. Oh, what I suffered! what persecutions I endured from the first— yet the Lord delivered me!

ἐκπάντωνκ .τ .λ .] cf. 4:18. There is here perhaps a conscious reminiscence of Psa 33:18 and 20.

ἐκέκραξανοἱδίκαιοικαὶὁΚύριοςεἰσήκουσεναὐτῶν

καὶἐκπασῶντῶνθλίψεωναὐτῶνἐρύσατοαὐτούς

. . . . . . .

πολλαὶαἱθλύψειςτῶνδικαίων

καὶἐκπασῶναὐτῶνῥύσεταιαὐτούς .

  1. Cf. 1 Thessalonians 3:4 μέλλομενθλίβεσθαι , Acts 14:22 διὰπολλῶνθλίψεωνδεῖἡμᾶςεἰσελθεῖνεἰςτὴνβασιλείαντοῦθεοῦ — words which Timothy probably heard when spoken (Hillard). Probably in each case there is a reminiscence of Mat 5:10, Matthew 5:11 or some similar saying of the Lord: Prochorus (Acta Joh., p. 83) quotes the words of Act 14:22 as a saying of the Lord; cf. Resch, Agrapha, pp. l00, 148, 278; Paulinismus und die Logia, p. 452. Pelagius makes the testing comment: “ Timendum ergo nobis est ne non pie vivamus, qui nihil patimur propter Deum.”

13 πονηροί ] “ mali,” Vulg.; “ nequam,” Ambros.; but better “ maligni,” Bengel. The thought is more of malignant harmfulness, willing to persecute, than of moral evil; cf. 4:18, 2 Thessalonians 3:2, 2 Thessalonians 3:3, Matthew 6:13.

γόητες ] “ seductores,” Vulg.; impostors, as often in Hellenistic Greek (cf. Wetstein): so γοητεία , “ crafty guile,” 2 Mac 12:24; but it may also imply the use of magical arts; cf. 8 and 15 notes.

προκόψουσιν ] not of external influence as in 9, but of internal downgrade development as in 2:16 q.u.

πλανώμενοι ] probably passive: deceived by ὁπονηρός , Matthew 6:13, or by other teachers, the phrase being almost proverbial; cf. Philo, de migratione Abraham, c. 15 (cf. the Egyptian magicians), ἀπατᾶνδοκοῦντεςἀπατῶνται : Ovid, Met. xiv. 81, “ deceptaque decipit omnes” ; Aug. Confess. vii. 2, “ deceptos illos et deceptores” (v. Wetstein, Dibelius, for these and other illustrations); cf. 2 Thessalonians 2:11.

  1. σὺδέ ] returning to the appeal of 10 and to the thought of 2:16.

μένε ] “ remain loyal to,” “ permane,” Vulg.; “ persevera,” Ambros.; cf. Acts 14:22 ἐμμένειντῇπίστει , John 8:31 ἐὰνὑμεῖςμείνητεἐντῷλόγῳτῷἐμῷ , ἀληθῶςμαθηταίμουἐστέ : perhaps also with a slight antithesis to προκόψουσι “ remain stationary” ; cf. 2 John 1:9 πᾶςὁπρόαγωνκαὶμὴμένωνἐντῇδιδαχῇ .

ἐπιστώθης ] “ wert assured of,” “ confirmed in by experience” ; cf. Clem. Rom. 1:42, παραγγελίαςλαβόντες . . . καὶπιστωθέντεςἐντῷλόγῳτοῦθεοῦμετὰπληροφορίαςπνεύματοςἁγίου . Contrast Psalms 77:8 and 37 οὐδὲἐπιστώθησανἐντῇδιαθήκῃαὐτοῦ .

τίνων ] will include both the Apostle (10) and the home teachers (1:5), and, perhaps, the many witnesses of 2:2. For the reading, cf. Introd., p. xxxvii.

  1. ἀπὸβρέφους ] The Jewish parent’ s duty was to teach his child the Law when in his fifth year; cf. Philo, Leg. ad Caium, p. 562, c. 16, δεδιδαγμένουςἐξαὐτῶντρόποντινὰσπαργάνωνὑπὸγονέων ; cf. Joseph. c. Apion. I. 12; Susanna 3, 4 Mac 18:9.

ἱερὰγράμματα ] The reference is doubtless to the O.T. (cf. Test. XII. Patr., Levi xiii. 2, infra); but he does not use the full phrase, “ the Holy Scriptures,” τὰἱερὰγράμματα (common in Josephus), or τὰςἱερὰςγραφάς , but ἱερὰγρ . (a) Because he is laying stress on Timothy’ s knowledge, and uses a technical phrase of education— “ religious teaching,” “ sacred letters” ; cf. John 7:15 πῶςοὗτοςγράμματαοἶδε , μὴμεμαθηκώς : Isaiah 29:11 ἀνθρώπῳἐπισταμένῳγράμματα : Test. XII.

Patr., Levi xiii. 2, διδάξατεδὲκαὶὑμεῖςτὰτέκναὑμῶνγράμματαἵναἔχωσινσύνεσιν . . . ἀναγινώσκοντεςἀδιαλείπτωςτὸννόμον . For instances from the papyri, cf. M.M. s.vv. γράμμα and ἀγράμματος .

(b) Possibly also he wishes to hint at an antithesis both to the unwritten myths and genealogies of the false teachers and to the Ἐφέσιαγράμματα , the sacred books and charms of the magicians at Ephesus, Acts 19:19 (Encycl. B. ii. col. 1304). Your text-books were Scriptures, not tradition; they were ἱερά , not βέβηλα .

σοφίσαι ] a contrast to ἄνοια (9) and πλανώμενοι (13), with perhaps a reminiscence of Psa 18:8 ἡμαρτυρίαΚυρίουπιστή , σοφίζουσανήπια

εἰςσωτηρίαν ] “ tuam et aliorum,” Bengel; cf. I. 4:16.

διὰπίστεως ] if combined with faith, not otherwise; cf. John 5:39-47.

  1. πᾶσαγραφή ] all Scripture, everything which has become recognized as authoritative Scripture; cf. 2 P 1:20 πᾶσαπροφητείαγραφῆς . Wohlenberg would include any Christian writings which had become so recognized by this time, cf. I 5:18 note; but this is scarcely consistent with 15, γραφή defining more exactly the γράμματα in which Timothy had been trained from childhood.

θεόπνευστος ] inspired by God, “ divinitus inspirata,” Vulg.; but perhaps also, “ with its breath given it by God,” so “ conveying inspiration,” Scripture being personified, cf. δυνάμενα 15, Hebrews 4:12; so Bengel, “ Non solum dum scripta est Deo spirante per scriptores; sed etiam dum legitur Deo spirante per scripturam et scriptura ipsa spirante” ; cf. also Cremer, Wö rterbuch, s.v. Here it is, perhaps, an attribute, “ all inspired Scripture is also useful,” but also is not needed in this case; better— a predicate — “ All Scripture is inspired by God (contrast ἐντολαῖςἀνθρώπων , Titus 1:14), and therefore useful” (ὠφέλιμος — contrast ἀνωφελεῖς Titus 3:9). For the Jewish and Christian conceptions of Inspiration, cf. Westcott, Study of the Gospels (Introduction); Ep. Hebrews (Appendix); Sanday, Bampton Lectures, esp. Lecture II.; Armitage Robinson, Some Thoughts on Inspiration.

This is no complete definition of the purposes of Holy Scripture, and cannot be quoted as ruling out other purposes; a different purpose, to give men hope, is ascribed to it in Romans 15:4. Here stress is only laid on such as affect the teacher’ s task in face of misleading teaching; cf. I 1:8-10. It should be compared with God’ s method, as described in Ecclus 18:13, 14 ἐλέγχωνκαὶπαιδεύωνκαὶδιδάσκωνκαὶἐπιστρέφωνὡςποιμὴντὸποίμνιοναὐτοῦ (Bengel), and with the value attributed by Epictetus to the Greek mysteries, οὕτωςὠφέλιμαγίνεταιτὰμυστήρια . . . ὅτιἐπὶπαιδείᾳκαὶἐπανορθώσειτοῦβίουκατεστάθηπάνταταῦταὑπὸτῶνπαλαιῶν , iii. 21. 15 (Wetstein).

πρὸςδιδασκαλίαν ] for teaching, “ ad docendum,” Vulg., rather than “ ad doctrinam,” Ambros.; cf. 2:24 διδακτικόν .

ἐλεγμόν ] refutation of false teaching, cf. Titus 1:9, Titus 1:13, and rebuke of sin, I 5:20, Titus 2:15; cf. Ephesians 5:13, John 16:8.

ἐπανόρθωσιν ] correction, recovery, setting upright on their moral feet; cf. Epict. l.c. and Enchir. 51, 5, τὴνἐπανόρθωσινποιῆσαιτὴνσεαυτοῦ (Wohlenberg); and for illustrations from the papyri, v. M.M. s.v.

παιδείαντὴνἐνδικ .] the final training in an active Christian life; cf. Titus 2:11-14 παιδεύουσαἡμᾶςκ .τ .λ .

  1. ἄρτιος ] here only in N.T., fit for his task; cf. 2:21 εὔχρηστοντῷδεσπότῃ , εἰςπᾶνἔργονἀγαθὸνἡτοιμασμένον .

ὁτοῦθεοῦἄνθρωπος ] Is this the teacher fitted for his task by the study of Holy Scripture? or the pupil fitted for his task by the teacher’ s training? The context favours the former, cf. I 6:11; but the analogy of 2:21, I 5:10, Titus 3:1, makes the wider reference more probable, by which every Christian is thought of as “ a man of God.” The thought of Luk 6:40 κατηρτισμένοςδὲπᾶςἔσταιὡςὁδιδάσκαλοςαὐτοῦ , supplies a link between the two applications.

ἐξηρτισμένος ] cf. κατηρτισμένος , Luke 6:40, of the pupil trained by the teacher, and πρὸςτὸνκατατισμὸντῶνἁγίωνεἰςἔργονδιακονίας , Ephesians 4:12, of the training of the Saints by the Ministry for their work of service.

Synonyms of the New Testament, by Archbishop Trench, 8th edition, 1876.

Das Wortschatz des Apostel’ s Paulus, von T. Nä geli, 1905.

A History of the Jewish People in the time of Jesus Christ, Eng. tr. 1890.

The New Testament in Greek, with Introduction and Appendix, by Westcott and Hort, Cambridge, 1881.

The Tebtunis Papyri, ed. Grenfell, Hunt, and Smyly, London, 1902-1907.

The Vocabulary of the Greek Testament, by J. H. Moulton and G. Milligan, 1914-

Everything we make is available for free because of a generous community of supporters.

Donate