Since each verse is a stand-alone lesson, I want
to begin this lesson of 1 Timothy 2:7 with the same
commentary from Barclay's Commentary as verse 7 is
continuing the thought began in verses 1-6.
In Barclay's Commentary for 1 Timothy 2:1-7 we read,
'Few passages in the New Testament so stress the
universality of the gospel. Prayer is to be made for
all; God is the Saviour who wants all to be saved;
Jesus gave his life a ransom for all. As Walter Lock
writes in his commentary: 'God's will to save is as
wide as his will to create.'
"The end and intent of the Scripture is to declare
that God is benevolent and friendly-minded to
mankind; that he that declared that kindness in and
through Jesus Christ, his only Son; the which
kindness is received by faith. That is why prayer
must be made for all. God wants all men and women,
and so, therefore, must his Church."
The first 8 verses of Chapter 2 are clearly speaking
to everyone getting an opportunity at Salvation and
the admonition that we should be looking at everyone
we encounter knowing they will have this opportunity
and treating them accordingly.
This verse is broken out into six phrases. Let us
look at each one.
Whereunto - Greek,
“Unto which;” that is, to the bearing of which
testimony I am appointed.
~Barnes Notes
What this word, "Whereunto" means here is that
because Jesus Christ gave Himself a ransom for all
[Verse 6], Paul was ordained a preacher and apostle.
I am ordained -
Greek, “I am placed or constituted." The word
“ordain” has now acquired a technical signification,
meaning to set apart solemnly to a sacred office by
the imposition of hands; but it has not that meaning
here. It does not refer to the manner in which he
was set apart, or to any act of others in
consecrating him to this work, but merely to the
fact that he had been placed in this office, or
appointed to it. He refers doubtless to the fact
that the Lord Jesus had designated him to this work.
~Barnes Notes
Now the Adam Clarke on this phrase
I am ordained a preacher
- I am set apart, appointed. The word
does not imply any imposition of hands by either
bishop or presbytery, as is vulgarly supposed.
~Adam Clarke
A preacher and an apostle
- see 1 Corinthians 9:1-6; Galatians 1:11-12.
~Barnes Notes
Quoted verses and commentary:
1 Corinthians
9:1-6
1 Am I not an apostle? am I not free? have I
not seen Jesus Christ our Lord? are not ye
my work in the Lord?
2 If I be not an apostle unto others, yet
doubtless I am to you: for the seal of mine
apostleship are ye in the Lord.
3 Mine answer to them that do examine me is
this,
4 Have we not power to eat and to drink?
5 Have we not power to lead about a sister,
a wife, as well as other apostles, and as
the brethren of the Lord, and Cephas?
6 Or I only and Barnabas, have not we power
to forbear working?
Let us look at the commentary on the last
phrase of verse 1, "are not ye my work in
the Lord?"
Are not ye my work in
the Lord? - Have you not been
converted by my labors, or under my
ministry; and are you not a proof that the
Lord, when I have been claiming to be an
apostle, has owned me “as an apostle,” and
blessed me in this work? God would not give
his sanction to an impostor, and a false
pretender; and as Paul had labored there as
an apostle, this was an argument that he had
been truly commissioned of God. A minister
may appeal to the blessing of God on his
labors in proof that he is sent of Him. And
one of the best of all arguments that a man
is sent from God exists where multitudes of
souls are converted from sin, and turned to
holiness, by his labors. What better
credentials than this can a man need that he
is in the employ of God? What more consoling
to his own mind? What more satisfactory to
the world? ~Barnes
Notes
I want to look at verse 3 here from the John
Gill:
Mine answer to them
that do examine me is this - These
words are referred by some to the following,
as if the apostle's answer lay in putting
the questions he does in the next verses;
but they rather seem to belong to the
preceding, and the meaning to be this, that
when any persons called in question his
apostleship, and examined him upon that
head, what he thought fit to say in answer
to them, and in defence of himself, was by
referring them to the famous church at
Corinth, who were as particular persons, and
as a church, his work in the Lord, and
everyone of them as so many seals of his
apostleship; he being the first preacher of
the Gospel to them, the founder of them as a
church, and the instrument of their
conversion. ~John
Gill
Galatians 1:11-12
11 But I certify you, brethren, that the
gospel which was preached of me is not after
man.
12 For I neither received it of man, neither
was I taught it, but by the revelation of
Jesus Christ.
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Now the John Gill:
Whereunto I am ordained a
preacher, and an apostle - He was ordained or
appointed to be a preacher of the Gospel from all
eternity, and was separated or set apart unto it in
time, and was put into the ministry of it by Christ
himself, and was not a common or ordinary preacher
of the word, but an apostle, an extraordinary
officer in the Gospel church.
~John Gill
I speak the truth in Christ,
and lie not - That is, by Christ; or I
solemnly appeal to Christ - a form of an oath;
notes, Romans 9:1. Paul makes a solemn declaration
similar to this in regard to his call to the
apostleship, in Galatians 1:20. For the reasons why
he did it, see the notes on that verse. It is
probable that there were those in Ephesus who denied
that he could be an apostle, and hence his solemn
declaration affirming it.
~Barnes Notes
Quoted verses and
commentary:
Romans 9:1
I say the truth in Christ, I lie not, my
conscience also bearing me witness in the
Holy Ghost.
Now the commentary:
I say the truth
- In what I am about to affirm respecting my
attachment to the nation and people.
In Christ -
Most interpreters regard this as a form of
an oath, as equivalent to calling Christ to
witness. It is certainly to be regarded, in
its obvious sense, as an appeal to Christ as
the searcher of the heart, and as the judge
of falsehood. Thus, the word translated “in”
is used in the form of an oath in Matthew
5:34-36; Revelation 10:6, Greek. We are to
remember that the apostle was addressing
those who had been Jews; and the expression
has all the force of an oath “by the
Messiah.” This shows that it is right on
great and solemn occasions, and in a solemn
manner, and thus only, to appeal to Christ
for the sincerity of our motives, and for
the truth of what we say. And it shows
further, that it is right to regard the Lord
Jesus Christ as present with us, as
searching the heart, as capable of detecting
insincerity, hypocrisy, and perjury, and as
therefore divine.
Quoted verses:
Matthew 5:34-36
34 But I say unto you, Swear not at all;
neither by heaven; for it is God's throne:
35 Nor by the earth; for it is his
footstool: neither by Jerusalem; for it is
the city of the great King.
36 Neither shalt thou swear by thy head,
because thou canst not make one hair white
or black.
Revelation 10:6
And sware by him that liveth for ever and
ever, who created heaven, and the things
that therein are, and the earth, and the
things that therein are, and the sea, and
the things which are therein, that there
should be time no longer:
My conscience -
Conscience is that act or judgment of the
mind by which we decide on the lawfulness or
unlawfulness of our actions, and by which we
instantly approve or condemn them. It exists
in every man, and is a strong witness to our
integrity or to our guilt.
Bearing me witness
- Testifying to the truth of what I say.
In the Holy Ghost
- He does not say that he speaks the truth
by or in the Holy Spirit, as he had said of
Christ; but that the conscience pronounced
its concurring testimony by the Holy Spirit;
that is, conscience as enlightened and
influenced by the Holy Spirit. It was not
simply natural conscience, but it was
conscience under the full influence of the
Enlightener of the mind and Sanctifier of
the heart. The reasons of this solemn
asseveration are probably the following:
(1) His conduct and his doctrines had led
some to believe that he was an apostate, and
had lost his love for his countrymen. He had
forsaken their institutions, and devoted
himself to the salvation of the Gentiles. He
here shows them that it was from no lack of
love to them.
(2) the doctrines which he was about to
state and defend were of a similar
character; he was about to maintain that no
small part of his own countrymen,
notwithstanding their privileges, would be
rejected and lost. In this solemn manner,
therefore, he assures them that this
doctrine had not been embraced because he
did not love them, but because it was
solemn, though most painful truth. He
proceeds to enumerate their privileges as a
people, and to show to them the strength and
tenderness of his love.
~Barnes Notes
Galatians 1:20
Now the things which I write unto you,
behold, before God, I lie not.
Here is the commentary on this verse:
Behold, before God I
lie not - This is an oath, or a
solemn appeal to God. The design of this
oath here is to prevent all suspicion of
falsehood, It may seem to be remarkable that
Paul should make this solemn appeal to God
in this argument, and in the narrative of a
plain fact, when his statement could hardly
be called in question by anyone.
~Barnes Notes
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Now the Adam Clark:
I speak the truth in Christ
- As I have received my commission from him, so I
testify his truth. I did not run before I was sent;
and I speak nothing but what I have received.
~Adam Clarke
Here is the John Gill on this phrase:
I speak the truth in Christ,
and lie not - which are a sort of an oath, or
an appeal to Christ the omniscient God, for the
truth of what he said, concerning his ordination to
the Gospel; see a like phrase in Romans 9:1.
~John Gill
A teacher of the Gentiles
- Specially appointed to carry the gospel to the
Gentiles or the pagan; see the Romans 11:13 note;
Galatians 2:7 note. ~Barnes
Notes
Quoted verses and commentary
Romans 11:13
For I speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I
am the apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify
mine office:
Note:
The commentary on this verse is found in our
discussion of
1 Timothy 2:3
Galatians 2:7
But contrariwise, when they saw that the
gospel of the uncircumcision was committed
unto me, as the gospel of the circumcision
was unto Peter;
Look at the commentary on the phrase, "The
gospel of the uncircumcision:
The gospel of the
uncircumcision - The duty of
preaching the gospel to the uncircumcised
part of the world; that is, to the Gentiles
Paul had received this as his unique office
when he was converted and called to the
ministry (see Acts 9:15; Acts 22:21); and
they now perceived that he had been
specially entrusted with this office, from
the remarkable success which had attended
his labors. It is evidently not meant here
that Paul was to preach only to the Gentiles
and Peter only to the Jews, for Paul often
preached in the synagogues of the Jews, and
Peter was the first who preached to a
Gentile Acts 10; but it is meant that it was
the main business of Paul to preach to the
Gentiles, or that this was especially
entrusted to him.
~Barnes Notes
Quoted verses: Jesus speaking in both verses
directly.
Acts 9:15
But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for
he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my
name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the
children of Israel:
Acts 22:21
And he said unto me, Depart: for I will send
thee far hence unto the Gentiles. |
Now the Adam Clarke:
A teacher of the Gentiles
- Being specially commissioned to preach the Gospel,
not to the Jews, but to the nations of the world.
~Adam Clarke
In faith and verity -
These words mean that he was appointed to instruct
the Gentiles in faith and the knowledge of the
truth. ~Barnes Notes
The Adam Clarke has:
In faith and verity -
Faithfully and truly; preaching the Truth, the whole
Truth, and nothing but the Truth; and this
fervently, affectionately, and perseveringly.
~Adam Clarke
Now look at what the Geneva Bible Translation Notes
has to say about this:
...a teacher of the Gentiles
in (c) faith and verity.
(c) Faithfully and sincerely: and by faith he means
wholesome and sound doctrine, and by truth, an
upright and sincere handling of it.
~Geneva Bible Translation
Notes
Let us look at the John Gill:
a teacher of the Gentiles in
faith and verity - the Gospel of the
uncircumcision, or which was to be preached to the
uncircumcised Gentiles, was committed to this
apostle; and his work and ministry lay among them,
and therefore he is called the apostle of the
Gentiles: and so he was in faith and verity; which
may regard the subject matter of his teachings and
ministry; it was the faith and truth of the Gospel,
even the whole of it, the faith which was once
delivered to the saints, and the truth as it is in
Jesus; or else the character of the apostle, as a
teacher, that he was a true and faithful one, who
with all integrity and veracity, fully and
faithfully preached the Gospel; and since he was
appointed a teacher of it to the Gentiles, this is
another argument why they, as well as the Jews,
should be prayed for. ~
John Gill
Let us finish with a few scriptures from
the Treasury of Scripture knowledge
I am ordained:
1 Timothy 1:11-12
11 According to the glorious gospel of the blessed
God, which was committed to my trust.
12 And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath
enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting
me into the ministry;
A preacher, and an apostle:
Romans 10:14
How then shall they call on him in whom they have
not believed? and how shall they believe in him of
whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear
without a preacher?
Ephesians 3:7-8
7 Whereof I was made a minister, according to the
gift of the grace of God given unto me by the
effectual working of his power.
8 Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints,
is this grace given, that I should preach among the
Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ;
I speak the truth in
Christ, and lie not:
Romans 1:9
For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit
in the gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I
make mention of you always in my prayers;
2 Corinthians 11:31
The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which
is blessed for evermore, knoweth that I lie not.
Galatians 1:20
Now the things which I write unto you, behold,
before God, I lie not.
A teacher of the Gentiles:
Romans 15:16
That I should be the minister of Jesus Christ to the
Gentiles, ministering the gospel of God, that the
offering up of the Gentiles might be acceptable,
being sanctified by the Holy Ghost.
In faith:
Acts 14:27
And when they were come, and had gathered the church
together, they rehearsed all that God had done with
them, and how he had opened the door of faith unto
the Gentiles.
Galatians 2:16
Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of
the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we
have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be
justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the
works of the law: for by the works of the law shall
no flesh be justified.
And Verity:
Psalm 111:7
The works of his hands are verity and judgment; all
his commandments are sure. |