Cornelius a Lapide
Table of Contents
Synopsis of the Chapter
He shows first his love toward Timothy, because he sucked faith and piety from his mother and grandmother along with their milk. Secondly, in verse 6, he exhorts him to stir up the grace, especially of fortitude, received in his ordination. Thirdly, in verse 8, he encourages him not to be ashamed of the preaching of the Gospel, but to bear bravely on its account, with himself, chains and any adversities, should they befall, in the hope of divine help and of the future resurrection. Fourthly, in verse 14, he warns him to guard strictly the deposit of sound doctrine, even if for that reason some, like Phygellus and Hermogenes, turn away from him. Fifthly, in verse 16, he commends Onesiphorus's faith and charity toward him in his bonds.
Vulgate Text: 2 Timothy 1:1-18
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 dearest son, grace, mercy, and peace, from God the Father, and from Christ Jesus our Lord. 3. I give thanks to God, whom I serve from my forefathers with a pure conscience, that without ceasing I have a remembrance of thee in my prayers, night and day; 4. desiring to see thee, being mindful of thy tears, that I may be filled with joy, 5. calling to mind that faith which is in thee unfeigned, which also dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and in thy mother Eunice, and I am certain that in thee also. 6. For which cause I admonish thee, that thou stir up the grace of God which is in thee, by the imposition of my hands. 7. For God hath not given us the spirit of fear: but of power, and of love, and of sobriety. 8. Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me His prisoner: but labor with the Gospel, according to the power of God: 9. who hath delivered us and called us by His holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the times of the world. 10. But is now made manifest by the illumination of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath destroyed death, and hath brought to light life and incorruption by the Gospel: 11. wherein I am appointed a preacher, and an Apostle, and teacher of the Gentiles. 12. For which cause I also suffer these things: but I am not ashamed. For I know whom I have believed, and I am certain that He is able to keep that which I have committed unto Him, against that day. 13. Hold the form of sound words, which thou hast heard of me, in faith, and in the love which is in Christ Jesus. 14. Keep the good thing committed to thy trust by the Holy Spirit, who dwelleth in us. 15. Thou knowest this, that all they who are in Asia are turned away from me: of whom are Phygellus and Hermogenes. 16. The Lord give mercy to the house of Onesiphorus: because he hath often refreshed me, and hath not been ashamed of my chain; 17. but when he was come to Rome, he carefully sought me, and found me. 18. The Lord grant unto him to find mercy of the Lord in that day. And in how many things he ministered unto me at Ephesus, thou knowest very well.
Verses 1 and 2: Paul, an Apostle of Jesus Christ, to Timothy His Dearest Son
1. Paul an Apostle of Jesus Christ, by the will of God, according to the promise of life, which is in Christ Jesus (understand, he writes and prays well, saying): 2. To Timothy my dearest son (be) Grace, mercy, peace from God the Father. — Note: Paul here calls himself "Apostle according to the promise of life, which is in Christ," as if to say: I am sent by God as Apostle and legate to preach the eternal life promised through Christ. Or more plainly: I am sent by God an Apostle and legate "according to," that is, "for," the promise of life, namely so that in God's name I may promise eternal life, which is in Christ, that is, which is bestowed through Christ, namely on Christians, the disciples of Christ: for the obtaining of which it is fair to bear all hardships and even death itself here, says Primasius. So also Ambrose, Theophylact, Oecumenius. For thus a legate is said to be sent to conclude peace, to redeem captives, to promise a marriage, or to arrange a betrothal; for any envoy is sent and directed for accomplishing some specific business. In the same way the Apostle says that he is an envoy for the promise of life, namely so that he may promise eternal life to those who believe in Christ and obey Him. The preposition "according to" therefore determines and expresses the office to which the Apostle was sent, and is equivalent to the preposition "for" or "as regards"; for it corresponds to the Hebrew על al.
Hence note secondly: The Apostle places this title of his dignity at the beginning, that he may commend himself, and show the excellence of the Apostolic office over Moses and the Prophets. For Moses promised life to the observers of his Law, but a temporary life, namely the happiness of the present life in abundance of wine, honey, oil; but Christ and the Apostles promise to those who keep the Law of Christ a heavenly, blessed, and eternal life.
Verse 3: I Give Thanks to God, Whom I Serve From My Forefathers With a Pure Conscience
By the preceding words the Apostle has commended the dignity of his office and apostolate, and by commending himself he insinuates himself into Timothy's mind: but here he shows his exceptional love toward him, so that Timothy may most lovingly receive the commands which Paul, as a most loving parent, will hereafter prescribe to him: for a teacher needs benevolence as much as authority among his disciples. He shows this love by saying: Not only do I remember thee, O Timothy, but I also give thanks to God, that He continually casts and presents thy remembrance into my mind; as if to say: I esteem thee so much, I love thee so much, that for thy sake and the remembrance of thee I burst forth into thanksgiving and the praises of God, and I think myself to be affected by a remarkable favor of God, when He suggests to me the remembrance of thee, and therefore I give Him thanks.
Note: For "I serve" the Greek is λατρεύω, as if to say: Whom, namely God, I worship with latria, equally as my forefathers Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and the rest in succession, from whom together with nature and existence I have received true religion and piety as if by hand. So St. Ambrose, Anselm, and others.
Note secondly: He says that he serves God from his forefathers, because although he once judaized and for a short time fought against Christ as God, nevertheless he always retained the worship and love of the one true God, so that he could say to Him: Thee alone, O Lord, do I worship with latria; and that "in a pure conscience," because conscience is my witness that I have, love, and am zealous for none other than Thee as my God; and so when I fought against Christ, my conscience is witness that I did this not out of hatred of Christ or of God, but rather out of zeal for God and the Law of God: for I did not know that He was the Messiah sent by God, and in conscience I thought that I ought to stand and fight for the ancestral Law given by God to Moses; I thought that by this persecution of Christ I was most greatly worshipping God and rendering to Him a most pleasing service. Hence as soon as I was enlightened by God and saw that I was in error, I immediately corrected the error, gave myself wholly to Christ, and championed Christ and the Law of Christ as much as I had previously attacked them. So Theodoret. I had known. So Theodoret. Add: the Apostle does not say, "I have always served"; but only, "I serve," because indeed at present I serve, and from infancy I have served, although for a brief time, through error, this service was interrupted.
Secondly, Theophylact takes "a pure conscience" as a life pure from crimes, as if to say: Although I judaized, I was nevertheless pure from gluttony, lust, and other vices by which men commonly stain their conscience.
Thirdly, Chrysostom contrasts "a pure conscience" with dissimulation and hypocrisy, and wishes it to be called pure, that is, truthful and simple; so that the sense here would be: I, Paul, always, even while I judaized, was a stranger to dissimulation and falsehood, but with a candid and simple mind I served God; as I felt inwardly in my mind, so outwardly I spoke, acted, and professed the faith and worship of the one true God, as if to say: Paul says: Do not suspect, O Timothy, that I write one thing and think another; pure and simple is my conscience, as it always has been. But the first sense seems genuine and according to the mind of the Apostle. Concerning a pure conscience St. Ambrose truly says, in Book II On Duties, chap. 1: "Tranquility of conscience and security of innocence will produce the blessed life;" and Cicero, in Book II of the Tusculan Disputations: "No theater," he says, "is greater than virtue and conscience." See St. Bernard, On the Interior House, chap. XXII.
Verse 4: Desiring to See Thee, Mindful of Thy Tears, That I May Be Filled With Joy
He continues to show the ardor of his love toward Timothy, as if to say: Although I am set in chains and shortly to be killed, yet before death I desire to enjoy the sight of my Timothy, and that because I am mindful of thy tears, which thou didst pour forth at my recent departure, and didst weep as a child torn from his mother's breasts and milk, as Chrysostom says, and this weeping of thine brought me sorrow, from which I shall be relieved and filled with joy if I see thee and enjoy thy presence. "For to lovers," says Aristotle, in Book IX of the Ethics, chap. XII, "the sight itself is most lovely, because from it love most greatly arises and comes to be."
Verse 5: Calling to Mind That Faith Which Is in Thee Unfeigned, Which Dwelt First in Thy Grandmother Lois
Here he gives a second reason why he is held by so great a desire of seeing Timothy, namely that he remembers his sincere faith, by which Timothy drew Paul into love and desire of him.
Which (faith) dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and in thy mother Eunice, and I am certain that in thee also. — "Dwelt," that is, firmly and permanently adhered; for in this signification and personification the Hebrews say that virtues and vices, as if certain persons, dwell in our soul, when they reside in it as in a firm seat and proper place.
Note: Timothy's mother was a Jewess, but because she was living in Greece, a Greek name was given to her. For Eunice in Greek means Victory, or rather Conqueror, properly Victorious; just as Lois (who was Timothy's grandmother) means Better: λωΐων among the Greeks is the same as "better." Hugo for Eunice seems to have read Eutyche; for he interprets it as Fortunate, since among the Greeks fortune is called τύχη, and fortunate εὐτυχής.
Note secondly: For "I am certain" the Greek is πέπεισμαι, that is, "I persuade myself"; for Paul did not believe by divine faith but only by human faith, which is sought from signs and conjectures, and he probably persuaded himself that Timothy had unfeigned faith. See what was said on Rom. VIII, 38.
Note thirdly: The Apostle here praises Timothy from his believing parents, through whom faith was as it were hereditary to him; at the same time He tacitly stimulates Timothy by this domestic example of his parents to imitate their faith and virtue: for it is a great benefit of God to obtain pious parents, and especially a mother, on whom almost the whole education of children depends. So Nazianzen, in oration 24, at the beginning of volume II, praises his deceased brother Caesarius from their mother, who, devoted to piety and God from her parents, imbued her husband (previously a Gentile) and all her offspring with her piety, so that she saw both her husband and her son raised to the episcopate, and made all her offspring saints, namely Gorgonia, Caesarius, and Gregory Nazianzen.
Verse 6: That Thou Stir Up the Grace of God Which Is in Thee by the Imposition of My Hands
As if to say: Because faith is as it were hereditary to thee, so that I do not doubt of it, one thing remains for thee to do, namely, not to allow this faith — as if growing old by long use and custom, or growing slack from fear of persecution (as is gathered from verse 8) — to sleep or grow numb, but to rouse it up just as the grace given to thee in ordination.
Note: For "thou stir up" the Greek is ἀναζωπυρεῖν, which properly signifies to rouse a fire buried and dormant under ashes by breath, bellows, or fan, so that it may glow again. St. Ambrose translates "refresh," that is, he says, "cherish," as if to say: The zeal, charity, and grace which thou hast received in my ordination, O Timothy, gradually languish in time, and partly by persecutions, partly by sloth, partly by fear, partly by the ashes and cold of human infirmity and changeability are as it were lulled to sleep and quenched: see therefore that thou rouse it up, that thou rekindle the flame of charity and continually foster and increase its ardor; for this purpose let prayer, meditation, pious reading, alertness and vigilance of mind, study, exercise, and a greater effort toward the virtues — and especially labor and zeal in procuring more diligently and fervently the salvation of the people committed to thee — be thy bellows and fan. So St. Chrysostom, Theophylact, Oecumenius, Theodoret.
For by these bellows the mind will be roused, and the contracted and dormant liberty of the mind, by which this world — which strives to suppress and stifle grace and charity — will be conquered with its loves, terrors, and errors, says St. Anselm; and once concupiscence and fear are conquered, charity will begin again to blaze, and will blaze more and more daily. Hence the author of the Questions of the New and Old Testament cited in Augustine, Quaest. CXX, teaches that sacred reading is needed to stir up this grace, saying: "Our devotion is roused when those things which, although not unknown, are nevertheless recounted. Such is the disposition of our nature that it grows torpid if use ceases from gifts; for as iron contracts rust unless it is used, so also the soul, unless it is exercised more frequently by divine readings; on which account David says that he is blessed who meditates on the Law of the Lord day and night: for the desire of the soul toward salutary works is roused by fasting, prayer, and mercy (add: by use and exercises). Whence the Apostle to Timothy among other things says: That thou stir up, he says, the grace of God which is in thee."
Note here in passing that grace does not predetermine free will; rather, free will, imbued with grace, rouses grace itself when dormant, and so itself rouses and stirs itself to good works and to the fervor and increase of them.
Note secondly: From the fact that the Apostle says "the grace which is in thee by the imposition of my hands," it is clearly proved that the imposition of hands, that is, Order, or rather ordination, is a Sacrament: for through it God, as through an instrument, confers grace, as the Apostle here says. As therefore, from the fact that through Baptism, as through an instrument, the soul is washed and grace is infused, all rightly conclude that Baptism is a Sacrament; so too by the same reasoning we conclude here concerning ordination. For ordination has its signs and symbols — namely the matter, the imposition of hands, and as form, the sacred words by which the Bishop in ordaining confers the power of Order; whose effect is grace. But a Sacrament is nothing other than a sensible sign consisting of sensible matter and form which confers grace: therefore it is necessary that ordination be a Sacrament just as Baptism and the Eucharist are.
Thou wilt say: For "grace" the Greek is χάρισμα, which signifies graces and gifts freely given, such as the gift and office of teaching and ruling — for example the episcopate itself, the doctorate, and the like: for these are called charisms; therefore Paul is not speaking of grace which makes one pleasing, which is the effect of the Sacrament.
I reply: The Greek χάρισμα signifies any gift, whether of gratuitously given grace or of sanctifying grace; but that here it signifies charity and sanctifying grace is clear from the reason and explanation which the Apostle subjoins: for explaining this grace He immediately adds: "For God," he says, "hath not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, of love, and of sobriety;" therefore the grace given to Timothy in ordination, which the Apostle wishes to be stirred up by him, is the spirit of power, of love, and of sobriety. So Chrysostom, Theophylact, Oecumenius, and others. Thus the gift of continence given to each one by God the Apostle calls χάρισμα, I Cor. VII, 7; thus the grace of Christ opposed to the sin of Adam he calls χάρισμα, Rom. V, 15; thus he calls eternal life χάρισμα, that is, grace, because it is the effect of sanctifying grace, Rom. VI, 23; thus Rom. I, 14: "That I may impart unto you some spiritual grace," the Greek is χάρισμα. Behold in these passages χάρισμα signifies not gratuitously given grace but sanctifying grace.
Verse 7: For God Hath Not Given Us a Spirit of Fear, But of Power, and of Love, and of Sobriety
He gives the reason why Timothy and anyone similar must stir up the grace which he has received, and what should incite him to do this, as if to say: From God we have received a spirit not of timidity, that we should be afraid in persecutions and temptations and shrink in mind: but on the contrary we have received a spirit of magnanimity, that we may powerfully overcome all adversities and freely preach and defend the faith of Christ; and therefore this spirit of magnanimity, when some fear or torpor creeps in, we must rouse and undertake any hard and difficult things courageously and bravely. For this is our vocation and profession, for this we have been destined by God, for this we have received abundant spirits and strength of grace: these only need to be roused and sharpened by us.
Hence note: For "a spirit of fear" the Greek is δειλίας, that is, of timidity and cowardice, such as belongs to those who are weak, fearful, contracted, and abject in mind. "But of power," Greek δυνάμεως, that is, of fortitude and strength; that we may not only firmly hold the faith but also preach it in persecution amid our enemies: that we may not fear but rather seek to die for it, and so, since we are Bishops, may go before the people as it were as leaders to martyrdom; for this virtue of fortitude, as it is most required in a leader of war, is so likewise given to a Bishop by the power of the sacrament of Order, by which he is consecrated leader of the war of the faithful. As therefore in Baptism we are made servants of Christ, and through Baptism grace is given to us by which we may live in a Christian and innocent manner and serve Christ; and as in the sacrament of Confirmation we are made and as it were enlisted as soldiers of Christ, and are signed with the sign of the cross and inscribed in the militia of Christ; and conformably by the power of Confirmation grace is given to us for fighting strongly for the faith of Christ, that we may prefer to die rather than lose or betray it: so in the sacrament of Ordination we are constituted leaders of the Christian militia, and consequently by the power of this Sacrament the virtues necessary for this leadership are given to us; and in the first place an invincible vigor of mind and fortitude, by which we may not only overcome all fears and terrors of both men and demons, but may also drive them off from the other faithful, and so incite the faithful themselves to crosses and martyrdom.
Cyprian teaches that Cornelius the Roman Pontiff did this, in epistle 57 to Cornelius: "Rejoicing," he says, "we have received that thou hast stood there as a leader of confession to the brethren, and that the leader's confession has grown from the confession of the brethren; so that, while thou goest before to glory, thou hast made many companions of glory, and hast persuaded the people to become confessors, while thou art first prepared to confess for all: so that we cannot find what we ought first to praise in you — whether thy ready and steadfast faith, or the inseparable charity of the brethren; the virtue of the Bishop has there been publicly proved, the unity of the following brotherhood has been shown, while among you there is one mind and one voice, the whole Roman Church has confessed."
This therefore is the first endowment of a Bishop, and the most necessary, namely fearless liberty and fortitude, in which the most outstanding and celebrated Bishops have excelled. Thus that great Hosius, Bishop of Cordoba, addressed the Emperor Constantine thus: "Cease, I pray, Emperor, nor mingle thyself in ecclesiastical matters, nor command us in this kind, but rather learn these from us: God has committed the Empire to thee, to us He has entrusted what belongs to the Church." St. Athanasius reports this in his epistle to those leading the solitary life.
So St. Ambrose rebuked Theodosius, resisted the Empress Justina, and addressed Valentinian thus: "Do not, O Emperor, burden thyself by thinking that thou hast imperial right in those things which are divine; do not exalt thyself if thou wishest to reign longer; to the Emperor belong the palaces, to the priest the Church." Ambrose himself reports this, in epistle 33 to his sister Marcellina. An Arian was threatening Ambrose with death; to whom he said: "May God permit thee to do what thou threatenest: I will suffer what belongs to a priest, thou wilt do what belongs to a eunuch."
So St. Hilary, in his book Against the Emperor Constantius: "I proclaim," he says, "in the midst of enemies — let us not fear but rather seek — to thee, Constantius, what I would have said to Nero, what Decius and Maximian would have heard from me: thou fightest against God, thou ragest against the Church, thou persecutest the saints, thou abolishest religion, a tyrant now not of human but of divine things; thou liest to be a Christian, thou art a new enemy of Christ, thou art a forerunner of Antichrist." And below: "Thou, Constantius, most cruel of all cruelties and most wicked of mortals, dost rage against us more than the Pagans."
So St. Athanasius, in the epistle already cited: "Who," he says, "would dare to call Constantius a Christian, and not rather an image of Antichrist? for what is lacking to him of the marks of Antichrist? or what reason is there, why Constantius should not in all ways be held to be Antichrist, and conversely Antichrist Constantius?" Soon he calls him an apostate, a deserter of the faith, a dog, a butcher, a son of perdition, a pest, a beast, an abyss of all evils, and compares him with Ahab, Antiochus, and Herod.
All these Lucifer of Cagliari surpassed, whom St. Athanasius calls the Elijah of his age, and who in his book On Dying for the Son of God thus addresses the Emperor Constantius: "Thou hast slaughtered very many, torn them apart, scattered them; but all these are martyrs. Believe me, we have determined to be killed by thee: because we see that it is better, in all ages to have God as a lover, than to be punished with thee, Judas Iscariot, an imitator of the Jews. Hence, Constantius, we are all prepared to undergo destruction, not fearing the gnashings of the serpent inflicted by thee." And below: "Thou bearest it ill, worm of Arius, that we defend the Son of God: if at length thou wouldst open thine eyes pierced by the bites of the serpent, thou wilt find that the Church holds this faith; thou wilt find, most stupid Emperor, that everywhere Christians believe as we do, and desire to die for the Son of God as we do; and that thy new preaching and recent religion is blasphemy." The titles and epithets which he attributes to Constantius are more bitter than those which we have reported from Athanasius.
The second virtue necessary for a Bishop, and which is abundantly given to him in ordination, is "love," as the Apostle here says. For he must burn with charity toward God and neighbor, and especially toward his subjects, and excel in it, so that he may earnestly care for their salvation, and for it expend all his labors, his very life itself. Hence Christ, wishing to appoint Peter pastor and Bishop of the whole Church, questions and examines him three times concerning this love, saying: "Simon, son of John, lovest thou Me more than these?" And when Peter answered: "Yea, Lord, Thou knowest that I love Thee;" Christ added: "Feed My lambs."
The third virtue necessary for a Bishop, and commonly given to him in ordination, is sobriety, in Greek σωφρονισμός. This first can be translated as sobriety, or temperance in food and drink, so as to mean the same as σωφροσύνη; secondly it can be translated as chastity; thirdly and best, σωφρονισμός is moderation and restraint, or, as Theodoret and Theophylact have it, chastisement; and, as the Syriac has, admonition, by which we chastise, restrain, and moderate fears as well as desires and disturbances of mind, and all vices, not only in ourselves but also in others. For an outstanding virtue of a Bishop is equanimity and moderation of mind, and a moderate liberty and free chastisement of vices. And so "sobriety" can be taken here, as our translator renders it, as the due temperance and moderation not only in food but in all things, that we may bear all things, both adverse and prosperous, constantly and moderately, and that we may moderate all things which are excessive and immoderate both in ourselves and in others. Hence St. Augustine, On Grace and Free Will, chap. XVIII, instead of "sobriety" reads "continence," which is a general virtue, restraining and containing the mind in its duty, lest by fear, love, hatred, torpor, luxury, sleep, or any other immoderate and vicious affection it be imbued, dissolved, or enervated; but that it be wholly sound, whole, and perfect.
Hence with some σωφρονισμός here could be translated "soundness of mind." For Paul takes this word so in II Corinth. V, 13, when he says: εἴτε ἐξέστημεν, Θεῷ, εἴτε σωφρονοῦμεν, ὑμῖν, that is, "whether we are beside ourselves, it is for God; or whether we are sober, it is for you;" so also Plato, in book I of the Republic: τὸ γὰρ σωφρονεῖν ἐναντίον ἐστὶ τῷ μαίνεσθαι, that is, to be wise or to be sound in mind is contrary to that which is to be foolish or to be insane. For a great part of mankind, who follow their desires as it were like Furies, are either foolish or insane. But a Bishop ought to be wise, and to remove this insanity from others, and to teach them true wisdom, which consists in restraining vices and moderating all the passions.
Verse 8: Be Not Thou Therefore Ashamed of the Testimony of Our Lord, Nor of Me His Prisoner
He commands Timothy here to unfold the spirit not of fear, but of fortitude, which he received in ordination, as if to say: Do not fear, O Timothy, do not blush, but intrepidly and firmly preach the faith and doctrine of Christ, to which Christ has borne testimony by so many words, reasons, and miracles, indeed by His blood and death: nor let it shame thee also to profess thyself my disciple, who am now in chains for the faith of Christ. For our glory is the cross of Christ, the chains of Christ, the death of Christ; for we preach Christ crucified: and far be it from a Christian, much more from a Bishop, to glory except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Note: For "testimony" the Greek is μαρτύριον, which signifies partly the testimony, or confession, which (as I have said) Christ made before Pontius Pilate and all the Jews, partly martyrdom. For Christ died as a martyr for His confession and doctrine, and bore witness to it through martyrdom, as if to say: Do not blush at the doctrine which Christ taught and testified to; do not blush at the cross, martyrdom, and chains of Christ, by which He sealed and confirmed His doctrine.
But labor with the Gospel according to the power of God. — For "labor with" the Greek is συγκακοπάθησον, that is, suffer with and be afflicted together with the Gospel, as if to say, says Theophylact: The Gospel and the preaching of the Gospel suffers persecution and is afflicted, and in me, who am bound, it is as it were held bound and constrained by chains and oppressed; thou with the Gospel, indeed for the Gospel, suffer and bravely sustain all the torments and terrors of both Gentiles and Jews, so that thou refuse not to be bound with me bound, but rather seek it; and that not by thyself or by the strength of thy nature, but "according to the power (δύναμιν, that is, the might) of God:" for God, who calls thee to this contest, that thou mayest contend and conquer for His faith and glory, will Himself be present to thee, will powerfully supply strength, and will so corroborate thee, that thou mayest nobly, indeed joyfully and gladly, suffer all adversities however grievous for the Gospel: therefore distrusting thyself and thy own strength, cast thyself upon God, pray, invoke Him, He will receive thee, and beyond the strength of nature will make thee stronger than all enemies, tribulations, and torments.
Verse 9: Who Hath Delivered Us and Called Us With His Holy Calling, Not According to Our Works
For "hath delivered" the Greek is τοῦ σώσαντος, that is, who has saved us, or preserved us, as Ambrose reads, namely from sin and eternal death. Secondly, God "called us with a holy calling," when He called us from infidelity and sins to His faith and sanctity, and a holy and divine life.
Thirdly, this calling is not "according to works," that is, merits, as Ambrose reads, as if to say: It is not from the merit of our works, as the Pelagians wish; but from the purpose and grace of God; whence it is plain that "purpose," which the Apostle so often inculcates, is opposed to the merit of works, and signifies only the liberal and gratuitous decree of God, or His good pleasure, as I have said on Rom. III, 28.
The Apostle adds these epithets of liberator and caller to God, that he may sharpen hope, and prove that the power of God will be present to Timothy and to all who suffer with the Gospel and for the Gospel, as if to say: Consider, O Timothy, with what virtue and power God has freed thee from the power of the demon, of sin, and of hell, when He called thee to faith and sanctity; consider how powerfully He has changed thy heart, so that by the force of His divine Spirit He overturned all thy morals and affections; so that from impure thou wast made pure, from sinner holy, from carnal spiritual, from animal angelic, from earthly heavenly; consider that God did this not on account of merits, not for a friend but for an enemy, out of His mere grace and benevolence toward thee. Conclude therefore that God, who was once so liberal and benevolent toward thee, will be much more so to thee now justified, now His friend, now meriting and laboring for the Gospel, contending and suffering, and will cooperate with thee, that thou mayest not only bear hard and sad things but also conquer and triumph. So Chrysostom.
Which (grace) is given us in Christ Jesus before the times of the world. — Note: This grace was not actually given to us from eternity, since we did not yet exist in the nature of things to be capable of grace: when therefore grace is here said to be given from eternity, understand it in the decree and predestination of God, so that "given" is the same as decreed and predestined to be given, according to Canon 36. Hence Tit. chap. I, verse 2, he says it is not given, but promised by God. The Apostle calls this grace and glory "before the worldly times;" but here he calls it not promised but given, both to signify that all things are and have been from eternity present to God, and that the eternity of God and the eye of His providence extends to all times and embraces them, just as a circle surrounds and embraces all that is circumscribed by it; and to signify that the donation of this grace is eternal, as far as it is on God's part. For God loved us from eternity, and firmly and irrevocably decreed to give us this grace: so that this donation of grace, as far as it is on God's part, has been from eternity not only begun but also completed; for a donation is nothing other than a decree to give, or the efficacious and absolute will to give.
But in God from eternity there was the absolute and irrevocable will of giving this grace, to which on God's part nothing was lacking, although on the creature's part there was lacking the existence of the creature, by which it might receive and embrace within itself this donation made by God. For when the creature exists and actually receives this grace, then on God's part no new donation supervenes, but that which was eternal, with the subject now in place, pours itself out and obtains its effect. So parents often by testament bequeath and donate many things to grandchildren not yet born but who will be born later. So Ambrose, Chrysostom, Theophylact, Anselm, Primasius.
Note: This grace is given to us "in Christ Jesus," that is, as some say, by Christ, or with Christ, or with Christ consenting and cooperating with the Father. Hence Theodoret thinks that the eternity and divinity of the Son consubstantial with the Father is here signified. But more clearly from the custom and idiom of the Apostle, "in Christ," that is, through Christ — namely, through the merits of Christ foreseen from eternity — this grace is given to us by the Father.
Before the worldly times. — St. Augustine, in book XII of the City of God, chap. XV, reads "before eternal times": and so Erasmus and Vatablus translate here. But because nothing existed before eternal times, or before eternity, hence our translator, the Syriac, and others better render, "before the worldly times." For the Greek αἰωνίων signifies not only "eternal" but also "of the ages," as St. Augustine notes in book XVI of the City of God, chap. XXVI; for αἰών among the Greeks signifies not only eternity, but also an age, a century, a span of time.
Thou wilt ask, what are called "worldly times"? St. Thomas says that a saeculum is a time of a thousand years, because a thousand years are as it were the age of a man, since the memory of a man, which is as it were the life of a man, lasts so long. But this is often not true; it is also not according to the mind of the Apostle, who calls "worldly times" those which began to flow and turn together with the age and the world. Therefore "before worldly times" is the same as before the foundation of the world, before the origin of time and of the world, namely from eternity. So Theophylact, Anselm, and others. Chrysostom notes that here the immensity of the love of God is signified, since He has had us in mind before the world, before all times from eternity, and has thought studiously and solicitously about each of us in particular, has loved each one dearly, and has decreed and predestined for each through Christ his own measure of grace.
Verse 10: But Is Now Made Manifest by the Illumination of Our Saviour Jesus Christ
But it (that grace given by God from eternity, yet hidden in God) is now made manifest by the illumination of our Saviour Jesus Christ. — For "illumination" the Greek is ἐπιφανείας, which signifies both apparition, as Erasmus translates, and illustration or illumination. The apparition therefore or coming of Christ into the world is here called epiphania, or illumination, because it was illustrious; and for this Christ appeared and came, that He might illustrate and illuminate all by the light of divine wisdom, by which men might recognize and lay hold of God, salvation, and the way of salvation. Hence the feast of Epiphany is named and celebrated in the Church, on which Christ became known and appeared in His glory to the three Magi and through them to the Gentiles and to the whole world. Hence Christ, John VIII, 12: "I," He says, "am the light of the world;" and John in chapter I says that Christ came for this, that He might enlighten every man coming into this world, namely as far as it lies on His part: for there are many who flee this light, and close to it the windows of their heart, and wish to remain in their darkness and blindness like moles and bats: such are all the unbelievers, the carnal, the reprobate.
Who (Christ) hath destroyed indeed death, but hath illuminated life and incorruption by the Gospel. — For "who destroyed" the Greek is καταργήσαντος, that is, who emptied out, rendered invalid, enervated death, and took from it all force, vigor, and dominion which it had over men. Secondly, the verb "illuminated," by a Hebraism, in the meaning of the hiphil, is the same as "brought into light," caused to shine forth, to appear, and to show and exhibit life itself. For this is the Hebrew האיר heir; for the Apostle opposes these two, "Christ destroyed death and illuminated life," as if to say: When Christ came, death flourished and reigned, but Christ took away and destroyed its vigor and reign; on the contrary, life was hidden, as it were in the heavens with the Blessed, hidden in God, or rather life itself among men had been removed, and was sitting in darkness and in the region of the shadow of death — that is, it was no longer life but death; but Christ called it back to light and life, again brought it forth on the earth and brought it into the light, and communicated it to men. Whence the Syriac translates הוי היא chauui chaie, that is, He vivified life, as if to say: Christ gave life to life itself, raised it from death and made life itself live, brought forth life and made it come into the light: for through sin life was abolished and slain in us, while death was introduced and reigned; but Christ destroyed and slew death, and as it were raised life from death, while He led men back from death to life. As therefore the Hebrews use "to show" for "to exhibit, give, do, produce," as in chap. IV, verse 14: "Alexander the coppersmith hath shown me many evil things," that is, did and inflicted; so also for the same they use heir, that is, to illuminate, or to bring into light, especially where the subject is of life and resurrection to life: for our life is commonly called, and in fact is, light; whence we say to enjoy this life and light, or the use of light, that is, to live. For as the use and pleasure of this life consists most of all in light, namely that we may see the light of the sun and of the heavens, and use and enjoy them: so still more does the blessed life consist in the light of glory, with which the Blessed are filled in mind, that they may see God; of which it is written: "In Thy light we shall see light." Which light is diffused and derived from the mind into the body of the Blessed: for the just shall shine as the sun. Hence concerning Christ descending to limbo and from there recalling to life the fathers dwelling there, it is said in Eccli. chap. XXIV, 45: "I will look on all that sleep, and will enlighten (that is, will recall to light and life) all that hope in the Lord."
Note: Christ through the Gospel which He brought into the world, as far as it is on His part, destroyed death in fact, and restored life, and brought it into the light: but as far as it is on our part, this has not yet been actually accomplished in us, but will be in the resurrection, when in each of the blessed who rise again death will be abolished and eternal life will blossom. For the Apostle deals not so much with the present and spiritual life, which comes through grace, as with the future and bodily life, which will come through the resurrection. For he says: "Life and incorruption," that is, incorruptible life: for it is a hendiadys; whence Theophylact and the Greeks teach that Christ in this life has destroyed death and communicated life to us only in hope.
"For not," says Theophylact, "in fact has death been blotted out and destroyed in us, but we hope for our future deliverance from death, and the Gospel has confirmed this hope for us." The Apostle here brings forward this hope of the resurrection, that he may apply it as a new stimulus to Timothy, for laboring with and suffering with the Gospel and his chains, as he said in verse 8.
Verse 11: Wherein I Am Appointed a Preacher, and an Apostle, and a Teacher of the Gentiles
"Wherein," that is, "of which," namely the Gospel: for it is a Hebraism, by which the Hebrew bet, that is "in," is put for the government of the genitive. Otherwise Primasius: "wherein," namely with Christ illuminating, he says, as if to say: Christ illuminates inwardly the minds of the Gentiles, while I outwardly preach to them the Gospel. But the former sense is plainer and more fitting.
Note: For "preacher" the Greek is κήρυξ, that is, herald. So St. Francis when asked who he was, said: "I am," he said, "the herald of the great God." Secondly, for "master" the Greek is διδάσκαλος, that is, doctor. Paul here claims for himself three titles: First, that he is a herald promulgating the Law of God and the Gospel of Christ. Second, that he is an Apostle, that is, an envoy from Christ to subdue all nations to Christ and to lead them to the faith and to salvation. Third, that he is a doctor, teaching, demonstrating, and persuading the true religion, and the true way to God and to blessedness. Again, he signifies that he has received these three things, and has been authorized to them by God, when he says, "I am appointed," namely, by God. Finally he confirms these things by an argument, adding: "For which cause I also suffer these things," as if to say: Many are doctors in word, not in life; in disputing, not in enduring: but I am a herald, apostle, and doctor, both by teaching and by constantly suffering chains, prisons, and all hardships for my doctrine.
Hence beautifully St. Jerome, speaking of Paul to Pammachius: "Where, he says, is the vessel of election, the trumpet of the Gospel, the roar of our lion, the thunder of the Gentiles, the river of Christian eloquence?"
Verse 12: For I Know Whom I Have Believed, and Am Certain That He Is Able to Keep My Deposit Unto That Day
For which cause I also suffer these things, but I am not confounded, that is, I do not blush, I am not by shame…
Third, "cui credidi" (in whom I have believed) can signify three things. First, in whom I have believed, whose words I have given credence to. Second, as Ambrose interprets, in whom I am confident; for faith is sometimes taken for hope, and to believe for to hope and trust. Third and best, "cui credidi," that is, to whose faith I have entrusted, to whom I have committed my deposit: for this is what he has in view, as is clear from what follows; thus a depositor is said to believe his deposit to a depositary when he places it with him, and entrusts and commits it to his faith.
Fourth, "He is able" signifies not only that God can preserve, but also that He will in actual fact preserve this deposit of Paul: for it is a meiosis, of which I spoke at II Cor. IX, 8. The Apostle prefers to say, "He is able to preserve," rather than, "He will actually preserve," so that by the title of divine power in the rewarding of good works and sufferings, He may rouse human weakness to constant hope and patience in arduous and difficult matters.
My deposit. — Thou wilt ask, what is this? Ambrose first answers that it is Paul's salvation, which he himself committed to God for safekeeping; indeed, St. Thomas, I-II, Q. CIV, art. 9, understands it as the gift of actual perseverance, as if Paul had received a revelation about it, and knew with certainty that he would persevere in grace unto death and consequently be saved: for this he seems to say, when he states: "I know whom I have believed and am certain."
Second, Theodoret answers that this "deposit" is the grace which God gave to Paul and, as it were, deposited with him.
Third, Chrysostom and Theophylact hold this "deposit" to be the faith and preaching which God entrusted to Paul.
Fourth, the same Chrysostom and Theophylact think this "deposit" to be the faithful, whom God entrusted to Paul's care and Paul in turn to God's care. But all these are not so much things deposited by Paul with God as by God with Paul, that he himself may guard them; about which I spoke at the first epistle, chap. VI, v. 20, and below in this chapter at v. 14, where he commands Timothy that he carefully guard and preserve this deposit of God handed down to him. But Paul in this verse speaks not of God's, but of his own deposit: for he says "my deposit;" for although Chrysostom and Theodoret take the "my" passively, as if to say, the deposit which God deposited with me, yet more properly and fittingly it seems it should be taken actively: "mine," namely, that which I have deposited with God: whence he affirms that it is preserved and guarded not by himself but by God.
Fifth therefore and best, Theophylact and Anselm answer that this "deposit" of Paul is his very apostolate and preaching of the Gospel, namely the treasure of his labors and sufferings undertaken for the Gospel, which Paul, having gathered, suffering and dying, has as it were deposited with God; so that on that great day, namely of judgment, he may receive it, that is its reward and glory, and that it may be declared before the whole world that he was here falsely traduced, imprisoned, beaten and afflicted with insults, as if an impostor, an enemy of the gods and pseudo-apostle, and publicly proclaimed to have been a true Apostle and teacher of the true God and the Gospel.
Ambrose notes here first that, as soon as Paul and the other Apostles began to preach, the devil, grieving that souls were being snatched from him through them, stirred up Nero and similar persecutors against them; so that each one may know the same will happen to him, and not wonder if in the conversion of men he experiences great difficulties cast in his way, and for his labors and benefactions receives curses and evil deeds, and even beatings, prisons, and death.
Second, in these matters we ought not to be ashamed and embarrassed, but rather to rejoice and glory, because to suffer for God and the Gospel is glorious. So says Theophylact. Nor is it any wonder that a Christian in chains is not confounded but evangelizes intrepidly, since the pagan Socrates also philosophized in chains and freely taught the truth, as Plutarch teaches in his book On Tranquility of Mind; for, as Nazianzen says in oration 23 in praise of Heron: "The mind of a philosopher is rendered more noble from what he has suffered, and just as glowing iron is hardened by being sprinkled with cold water, so he himself is hardened by perils."
For I know whom I have believed, and I am certain that He is able to preserve my deposit unto that day. — For the word gives the reason why he is not confounded in prison and other sufferings inflicted for the Gospel: namely, because he has deposited the reward of these sufferings with God, from whom, as most faithful in His promises, he most certainly hopes and awaits it.
Some note here that there is a transposition: for the meaning is more clearly arranged by transposing the words thus: "I know and am certain that He whom I have believed is able to preserve my deposit." But this transposition is not necessary; indeed, without it the speech, broken off by aposiopesis, has more emphasis and energy, as if to say: I know Him whom I have believed, I know Him not to be a weak or deceitful man, I know Him to be God faithful and powerful in all things, who will not allow me to be confounded in the prisons and afflictions of the Gospel, but will repay me for them with eternal glory.
Second, the "I know" the Author of the Questions on the New and Old Testaments in St. Augustine, Q. CXIII, explains thus, as if Paul had not only obscure faith, but also clear knowledge of the articles of faith, e.g. that God is faithful, powerful, a just judge and rewarder of the good. This is true concerning the natural attributes of God; for these are clearly known by natural reasoning: but this fails in supernatural matters, about which the Apostle here speaks: namely, that God has promised and will bestow eternal reward on the faithful for their faith, preaching, and sufferings undertaken for the Gospel: for this we know not by natural reasons but by faith alone. "I know" therefore is the same here as, I recognize, or, I have it as certain and ascertained: for this is the Greek οἶδα.
"I am not ashamed": for this is the Greek ἐπαισχύνομαι, since this suffering will bring me both God's aid and eternal glory and honor, says Oecumenius.
Whence what the Apostle here calls "deposit," Christ in Matt. XIX, 21, calls "treasure," when He says: "If thou wilt be perfect, go, sell what thou hast, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven:" treasure, that is a deposit hidden away in secret; for this is what both the Hebrew matmon and the Greek and Latin thesaurus signify. The Apostle calls this same deposit, in II Tim. chap. IV, v. 8, the "laid-up crown of justice": "I have," he says, "fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith: as for the rest, there is laid up for me a crown of justice, which the Lord, the just judge, will render to me in that day."
Verse 13: Hold the Form of Sound Words, Which Thou Hast Heard of Me, in Faith and Love in Christ Jesus
For "form" the Greek is ὑποτύπωσιν, that is a living exemplar, a living image, a living representation: for ὑποτυπόω signifies to delineate, to depict, to form a thing in such a way that it is fully and plainly represented. Hence among the Rhetoricians Hypotyposis is a figure called Evidence and Illustration, when a thing is so expressed in speaking that it seems to be delineated and depicted; or, as Quintilian says, in book IX of the Institutes: "Hypotyposis is a proposed form of things, so expressed in words that it seems to be seen rather than heard."
Second, "have," that is, continue to have, or hold; for it signifies an act not begun but continued, according to Canon 32. So I Cor. VII, 2: "Let each one," he says, "have his own wife," that is, let him retain her whom he has, and use her.
Third, by "sound words" he calls sound doctrine, "in faith and love," that is, concerning faith and love; "which is in Christ Jesus," that is, which is of Christ and of those who adhere in Christ, namely is Christian. See Canons 25 and 37. On the contrary, heresy and error is unsound, morbid, putrid, corrupt and contagious doctrine, creeping like a cancer. Thus Plato, in book IV of the Republic: "Virtue," he says, "is a certain health, and beauty, and a robust vigor of mind: depravity, on the contrary, is disease, ugliness and weakness," as if to say: O Timothy, your task, as Bishop, is to retain the living exemplar, the living idea and representation of the doctrine I have handed to you, namely so that you always set my words before your eyes, and likewise vividly and efficaciously propose them to others. Whence the Syriac translates, let the sound words you have heard from me be a form to you.
Chrysostom, Theodoret, and Theophylact note this is a metaphor from painters. For thus Theodoret explains: "Imitate, O Timothy, painters: for just as they, attending to exemplars, perfectly draw the images of them, so also you have, as a certain archetype-exemplar, the doctrine concerning faith and Christ which has been handed down to you by me," so that you, namely, may depict this exemplar in yourself and your morals, and express it in your very life, and in turn propose it to your Ephesians, so that they, according to this very thing, may express and depict in themselves faith and charity, and every Christian virtue.
Hence second, Chrysostom notes that not only sacred Scripture, but also the traditions of the Apostles and Fathers must be kept. For the Apostle says: "Hold the form of sound words (not those which are written), but which thou hast heard of me," which I have, namely, handed to you by living voice. Nor does Hunnius escape by saying that traditions were to be observed at that time, because not yet were all the epistles written down: but now traditions are not required, since all has been written down; for both as a prior and as a posterior matter this is false. For this is the last epistle Paul wrote: he wrote all the others before this one, and yet after it he wishes traditions to be kept; therefore he handed down not everything by writing, but many things by word of mouth, and commanded the same to be kept. If Paul, who wrote many epistles, did so, then the other Apostles, who wrote either few or no epistles, also did so. Just as therefore the king's commands which are proclaimed viva voce by a herald are equally to be observed as the king's rescripts; nay rather, Lycurgus, the most celebrated lawgiver, gave his own no written laws, but only spoken ones, which were sanctioned not in tablets but in practice, as Plutarch testifies in the Lycurgus: so also the commands of the Apostles handed down viva voce are to be observed equally with their writings. For who does not see that what the Apostle here commands when he says: "Hold the form of sound words which thou hast heard from me," must simply and absolutely be done, whether the same be afterwards written or not? Thus St. Dionysius, Eccles. Hierarchy, ch. 1 and VII; St. Augustine, epist. 36 to Casulanus; Basil, book On the Holy Spirit, ch. XXVII, and others passim teach that the rite and forms of the Sacraments, and many other things, were handed down by the Apostles not in writing but by living voice. See what was said at II Thess. II, 15.
Verse 14: Keep the Good Deposit by the Holy Spirit, Who Dwelleth in Us
By "deposit," Theodoret and Theophylact understand the grace received in baptism or ordination. Better, St. Chrysostom, Ambrose and others interpret this "deposit" as the treasure of Christian doctrine, which the preceding verse called sound words: for he diligently commends this treasure, as it were a deposit, to Timothy the Bishop, that he may preserve it whole and inviolate against innovators and profane novelties of words, as is clear from the first epistle, ch. VI, v. 20; for the Bishop ought to be custodian of this treasure and deposit, as St. Dionysius teaches throughout his book On the Ecclesiastical Hierarchy.
Note that he says, "keep the deposit through the Holy Spirit," as if to say: This guardianship is not of your own strength, but it belongs to the Holy Spirit to effect this very thing, so that, strengthened by His grace, against all demons' temptations, the furies of heretics, the threats and tortures of persecutors, you may defend and guard the deposit of sound doctrine. Hence it is clear that not only the first faith and profession of faith — namely, that one begin to believe and to profess the faith — is the gift of God; but also the guardianship of this faith and profession — namely, that one continue to believe and to profess the faith — that this is had through the Holy Spirit, not indeed newly given, but permanently dwelling in the souls of the faithful through the habit of faith and charity. For just as God creates, and likewise preserves what is created not by a new action by continually creating, but by continuing the first action of creation: so also He gives and as it were creates grace, and likewise preserves it once given and created, not by a new action giving it, but by continuing the first donation and infusion of grace. "All things," says Chrysostom, "are seething with robbers, the densest darkness threatens, the devil lies in wait, we know not at what hour, at what time he threatens: how therefore can we suffice to guard this deposit, unless we have the Holy Spirit remaining with us?"
Note however that if a grave temptation, persecution, and martyrdom assail, the habit of faith does not suffice for retaining the faith and profession of the faith; but in addition there is need of a new prevenient grace, which confirms and strengthens the mind.
Verse 15: Thou Knowest This, That All They Who Are in Asia Are Turned Away From Me
Thou knowest this, that all who are in Asia have turned away (the Greek is ἀπεστράφησάν με, that is, have turned away from me, have rejected me) from me: of whom is Phigellus and Hermogenes. — It is certain that not all the Asians were turned away from Paul and from the faith: for very many were faithful at Ephesus and elsewhere, who diligently honored Paul, whose faith and love Paul praises in writing to the Ephesians and other Asians. Therefore when he says "all who are in Asia" were turned away from him, some, like Baronius, limit the "all" to the Jews. For the Asian Jews were hostile to Paul and pursued him as far as Jerusalem, so much so that they were the cause why Paul was seized there, as is clear from Acts XXIV, 19; and it is likely that the same continued to persecute and accuse Paul at Rome. But, since here no mention is made of the Jews, and the Apostle speaks generally of all the Asians, hence Chrysostom and his followers better think that Paul speaks of all the Asians who were at Rome, so that the "all who are in Asia" is the same as "all who are from Asia" (according to Canon 25), all Asians, namely those active at Rome; for Paul writes to Timothy from Rome about the things which were happening at Rome, not about what was in Asia; for these the present Timothy was witnessing. The same may be gathered from vv. 16ff., where from these Asians he excepts one Onesiphorus, who having followed Paul to Rome, there diligently adhered to him and served him. Therefore the Apostle speaks only of the Asians who were at Rome: for these, having previously frequented and honored Paul, afterwards, partly by the prompting of the Jews of whom I have just spoken, partly through fear of Nero raging against Paul, as Theodoret thinks, turned away from Paul. Of these the chief were Phigellus and Hermogenes, "who, as Ambrose says, were full of deceit: for they pretended friendship with the Apostle, so that, adhering to him, they might learn whence to fabricate calumny against him, or to send others to do so;" who, when they saw themselves detected and exposed, withdrew from him. Tertullian, in his book On the Resurrection of the Flesh, XXIV, lists this Hermogenes among the heretics denying the resurrection of the flesh. See what it does and where it leads a man, to flee and turn away from the company of the good and holy, such as Paul was.
Paul brings these things forward in this place, in order to admonish Timothy to guard cautiously this deposit of doctrine, amid so many deserters and enemies of the faith, and that he should distinguish them, and bring them back to a sound mind when they have returned to Asia, if he can; or at least admonish others to beware of them; and finally, that Timothy, if ever for the cause of the faith he be imprisoned and abandoned by his own, may, by Paul's example, bear it constantly, says Chrysostom.
Verses 16 and 17: The Lord Give Mercy to the House of Onesiphorus, Because He Hath Often Refreshed Me
May the Lord grant mercy to the house of Onesiphorus: because he has often refreshed me, and has not been ashamed of my chain. But when he had come to Rome, he sought me out diligently and found me. — From the Asians turned away from him he excepts Onesiphorus, whose charity toward himself he here praises, and on this account tacitly commends him to Timothy, and therefore he asks that not only to him, but also to his whole house, that is family, equal mercy be shown by God.
He proclaims here three offices of charity in Onesiphorus. First, that as a stranger coming to Rome he diligently sought out and visited him in chains, deserted by all and placed among malefactors, penetrating through guards and satellites. Second, that he not only exposed himself to insults, but also to the wrath of Nero and grave dangers for Paul's sake. Third, that he "refreshed" him fatigued by so many labors and hardships, that is, restored and revived him with his own resources and things necessary or opportune for life. For this happened most pleasantly to Paul at that time: just as it is sweet and grateful to a boxer or soldier struggling in the contest, sweating and exhausted by labors, to be restored and revived with food and drink. For this is what the word "refreshed" implies, says Oecumenius.
Verse 18: The Lord Grant Unto Him to Find Mercy of the Lord in That Day
"Grant," that is, requite his mercy and merits, so that on the day of judgment he may find "mercy from the Lord," that is, grace, favor and benevolence, namely that he may have the Judge propitious and favorable to him. Second, "may He grant him to find mercy," that is, the effect, fruit and worthy retribution of His mercy, that with the other Saints he may receive this kindly sentence of the Judge: "Come, ye blessed of My Father, possess the kingdom, etc.; for I was hungry and you gave Me to eat; I was in prison, and you came to Me," Matt. XXV, 34; otherwise on that day, namely of judgment, there will be no place for mercy, but only for justice.
So Theophylact. Whence in the words εὗρε and εὑρεῖν, that is "he found" and "to find," there is a beautiful paronomasia, as if to say: Onesiphorus, seeking me wretched, found and helped me in chains, may he therefore find for himself also on the day of judgment mercy from the Lord. So Ambrose.
Note: What he says, "May the Lord grant him to find mercy from the Lord," does not signify that there are two Lords or Gods, as Marcion wished, according to Augustine in heresy 21; but it is a hebraism signifying, May the Lord grant him to find mercy with Himself. For the Hebrews often take an absolute noun or pronoun for a reflexive one, as in Gen. XIX, 24: "The Lord rained upon Sodom brimstone from the Lord," that is, from Himself; Isa. VIII, 18: "Behold, I and my children, whom the Lord has given me for a sign and portent in Israel from the Lord," that is, from Himself.
It could secondly be expounded thus: "May the Lord grant him," namely God the Father, "to find mercy with the Lord," namely the Son, that is Christ as man; for Christ as man will be judge on the day of judgment. So Vatablus. For by this phrase, "the Lord from the Lord," a distinction of persons in the divine is at the same time intimated, as, "The Lord rained from the Lord," that is, the Son rained from the Father. So the Council of Sirmium, canon 15. "May therefore the Lord grant him from the Lord," that is, may the Father grant him to find mercy with the Son.
And in how many things he ministered to me at Ephesus, thou knowest better. — The "to me" is not in the Greek nor in the Latin Royal and Plantinian Bibles, nor in Ambrose, Chrysostom, Theophylact, Theodoret. Whence Ambrose teaches that Onesiphorus liberally ministered not to Paul alone, but to all afflicted on account of the faith: as if by this very thing the Apostle were censuring those who wish to minister not to all, but to certain persons, because they are eminent, kindred, or for some other reason dear and pleasing. The Roman Bible and the Syriac, however, read the "to me," and plainly it seems to be read or to be supplied: for he says "he ministered," to whom? clearly to me, as it preceded; for the Apostle treats of the charity and offices shown to him by Onesiphorus both at Rome and at Ephesus.