person to be intrusted with the preaching of the gospel,* and it is evident from other circumstances that such a spirit of prophecy was in the church.

Mr. Wakefield renders, that very charge, viz. as given him by Paul, and not any prediction.

20. This Hymeneus, Paul says, 2 Tim. ii. 17, 18, had, together with Philetus, overturned the faith of some, saying, that the resurrection was past already. Of Alexander he says in the same place, [Chap. iv. 14,] that he had done him much evil, probably by joining these persons in teaching the same doctrine, which was evidently the same with that of the Gnostics at Corinth, who likewise denied the resurrection. These persons being obstinate in opposing the gospel, it seems that the apostle had excommunicated them, which he expresses by saying they were delivered over to Satan. Satan denoting the principle of evil in general, we can only infer from this phrase that some judgment or other, probably of a temporal and visible nature, did then attend these solemn excommunications, which, in the infant state of the church, served as a warning to others, as in the case of Ananias and Sapphira; and though the punishments here alluded to might not be so awful, yet the hand of God might be as conspicuous in them.

II. The apostle having asserted his apostolical authority, and given some account of his former life, and of the goodness of God in calling him to the apostleship, proceeds to give Timothy a variety of directions with respect to the church at Ephesus, to the state of which he is perpetually alluding: and it will be a great key to his meaning to consider that there were in that church, as in that of Corinth, persons who undervalued his authority, and held principles inconsistent with those of Christianity, being those of the Gnostics which I have so often mentioned, and who, being at the same time Jews, had prejudices peculiar to that nation.

"There were prophets, who, when under inspiration, had said some things to the advantage of Timothy: by which the apostle had been encouraged to bestow upon him eminent gifts, and to instate him in an important and useful office." Lardner, XI. p. 153. See Chap. iv. 14.

† See 1 Cor. v. 5, and additional remark, Impr. Vers.

"Mr. Reynolds justly and finely observes, (Letter to a Deist, p. 256,) that when the apostles mention the names of apostates, and censure them with such freedom and severity, it affords a plain argument, that they knew themselves to be entirely out of their power. For if they had been conscious of any thing to be feared from their discovery, they would have endeavoured to manage them more artfully, that they might not provoke them to the uttermost." Doddridge.

1

2. It is possible that the Jews of that age held other nations in such great contempt and abhorrence, especially the Romans who ruled over them, that they would not publicly pray for them.

4. That is, who does not confine his goodness to the Jews, but intends the gospel to be a blessing to all nations without distinction ;† for that is the meaning of the apostle in this place, and not the salvation of each individual of mankind, though this may be implied in other passages of Scripture.

5. For God and Christ bearing the same relation to Jews and Gentiles, there can be no respect of persons with them.‡

Here the apostle, without making it his principal object, for he could have no idea of that being necessary, evidently considers the one God as a Being quite distinct from Jesus Christ; and speaking here of Christ in his highest capacity,

"All placed in authority (for this end), that we may lead a peaceable life.” Beza in Bowyer. "That they may go through a quiet and peaceful life with all veneration and respect." Wakefield.

"The scope is not to charge the magistrate with forcing the people (who have chose him) to godliness or God's worship, according to his conscience, but the spirit of God by Paul, in this place provokes Timothy and the church at Ephesus -to pray for the peaceable and quiet state of the places of their abode, and for the salvation of all men, that all men, and especially kings and magistrates, might be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth.-AH which tends directly against the magistrates' forcing all men to godliness, or the worshipping of God, which, in truth, causeth the greatest breach of peace, and the greatest distractions in the world; and the setting up that for godliness, or worship, which is no more than Nebuchadnezzar's golden image, a state-worship." Roger Williams's "Bloudy Tenent of Persecution, for Cause of Conscience, discussed in a Conference between Truth and Peace," 1644, pp. 128, 129.

"De Nerone cum mentionem facit Paulus, non regem, sed Leonem, id est belluam immanem vocat, cujus ex ore ereptum se gaudet, 2 Tim. iv. 17. Pro regibus itaque, non pro belluis, orandum, ut vitam tranquillam et quietam transigamus, cum pietate tamen omni et honestate. Vides non tam regum hic quam tranquillitatis, pietatis, honestatis etiam rationem esse habendam." Joannis Miltoni Angli pro Populo Anglicano Defensio, 1651, (C. iii.) pp. 91, 92.

"When St. Paul has occasion to speak of Nero, he calls him not a king, but a lion, that is, a wild, savage beast, from whose jaws he is glad he was delivered, 2 Tim. iv. 17. So that it is for kings, not for beasts that we are to pray, that under them we may live a quiet and a peaceable life, in all godliness and honesty. Kings and their interest are not the things here intended to be advanced and secured; 'tis the public peace, godliness and honesty, whose establishment we are commanded to endeavour after, and to pray for." Trans. 1692, p. 74. See Sidney on Government, (Ch. iii. Sect. x. ad fin.) 1704, p. 272.

"Who wisheth all men to be in safety, owonya: for in such times truth may be preached with security, and will be received with attention." Wakefield. See Le Clerc.

§ See Crellius, B. i. Sect. i. Ch. vi. pp. 30—85. "Can human language be more explicit? There is one God, not three Gods; and one Mediator, and he a man, Christ Jesus. Suppose now, that a Trinitarian were to read this passage, he would conceive of it thus: There is one God, composed of three distinct Persons or Beings, each himself God; and there is one Mediator, who is one of

as the great mediator between God and man, or the person whose doctrine was calculated to reconcile them when they were at variance, he nevertheless simply calls him a man.* Had the apostle thought him to be a being of a higher nature than that of man, it cannot be supposed but that, in this place more especially, he would have denominated him by that higher rank, whatever it was; and especially if he had conceived him to be so great a being as the Maker of man and of all things. There must have been a manifest impropriety in calling that being simply a man, who was naturally superior to angels.†

6. Christ, in consequence of delivering men from sin and death by his gospel, and dying in order to effect this great purpose, may be considered in a figurative sense as giving his life for them; and this the apostle observes that he did without any distinction of Jews or Gentiles; § for he alludes to the narrow principles of the Jews in the whole of this argument.

7. [I speak the truth, &c.] That is, it is an undoubted truth, though some at Ephesus may question it.

8. As an apostle, it is my direction that prayer be made for all men, with a disposition of mind proper to recommend all prayer; and especially without a spirit of contention, debating, or wrangling, (as the word may be rendered ;¶) and

these three Persons, officiating between the other two Persons and mankind, the God-man Christ Jesus. So that God appoints a Mediator, who is himself, who is both God and man, and consequently mediates between himself and himself. What would the good apostle say to such a miserable wresting of his Scriptures ?" Wakefield's Enquiry, pp. 229, 230.

• Doddridge, while he asserts, according to his system, that "the union of the Divine nature with the human, qualified Christ for the office of Mediator," is yet constrained to admit "that it is in his human nature we are to consider him as discharging it."

"There is one and the same, and only one mediator between God and men of all nations, even the great and glorious, yea, divine man Jesus Christ, who assumed human nature into personal union with himself as the Son of God, and so was truly man as well as God.' Dr. Guyse in loc. Such is the addition which orthodoxy makes to evangelical simplicity. Paul's language would have been as guarded as that of his commentator, had his ideas been the same." Belsham's Calm Inquiry, p. 389, Note.

+ See the Author, Theol. Repos. III. p. 352. Dr. Clarke could not quote "the man Christ Jesus," without subjoining" that is, Christ Jesus made man," and "incarnate, or made man." See Scrip. Doct. 12.

"Par ses Apôtres : leur prédication est souvent nommée un témoignage, parce qu'elle consistoit principalement à témoigner ce qu'ils avoient vù et ouï de JesusChrist." Le Clerc. See Wakefield.

See, on the universal application of this passage, (vers. 1-6,) White's "Restoration of all Things," 1714, Ch. iv. v.; Chauncy's "Salvation of all Men," Ed. 2, 1787, pp. 168-170.

In Christ is wanting in Vulg. and many MSS. "It is thought to be borrowed from Rom. ix. 1." N. T. 1729, II. p. 772. Thus Wakefield.

See Doddridge.

this makes the better sense, as the apostle is here alluding to the factious spirit which prevailed both here and at Corinth.

Having given the preceding direction concerning prayer for the Roman emperors and all persons without distinction, he proceeds to another subject, which it is probable that the state of the church at Ephesus might render expedient.

9, 10. They were not to consider these things as their principal ornament, for I do not suppose that the apostle meant absolutely to forbid every thing that is considered as ornament in dress.

Having thus mentioned the case of women, he proceeds to give the same directions respecting their conduct in the church at Ephesus, which he had done with regard to the church at Corinth, viz. that they should not speak in the public assemblies of Christians.

12. Over the man. Which their public teaching would imply.

*

13, 14. † He mentions these circumstances, which seem to be of no great moment, as what, in his opinion, prove the subordination of women to men. But the unsuitableness of speaking in public, to the female character, of which modesty and reserve is the greatest recommendation, would have been a reason quite sufficient for his purpose. ‡

15. § There is great difficulty in the interpretation of this passage. It expresses, in general, the respect that God bears to the female sex, as well as to the male; though women were in a state of subjection to men, and it was unbecoming in their character to assume a superiority over them by speaking in public assemblies. It is possible that in speaking of child-bearing, the apostle might allude to the Mosaic account of the creation, in which the pains attending it are mentioned as a curse upon Eve; intimating that, notwithstanding this circumstance, women were in a state of favour with God. He might also allude to the opinions of the Gnostics, who were enemies to marriage.

* See 1 Cor. xi. 8, 9; Doddridge.

See the Author, Theol. Repos. III. p. 198.

+ See Doddridge.

§ "It is proposed to join to this verse, from the beginning of Ch. iii., #1505 & λoyos, this is a true saying. See N. T. 1729;" Bowyer.

Le Cene gives the following uncommon version of the passage, on the authority of the LXX., and of the manner in which the Jews expressed the bringing up of children:

"Elle sera néanmoins sauvée en élevant et en instruisant des enfans, en sorte qu'ils perseverent dans le foi, dans la charité, dans la sanctification, et dans la modestie." See Nouv. Crit. pp. 621, 731-734. "Nevertheless, she shall be saved in bringing up children, so as that they shall continue in faith, in charity, in holiness and modesty." Essay, 1727, p. 200. See Doddridge; Newcome in Impr. Vers.

III. 1.* It seems probable, that Paul did not appoint any regular officers in the church of Ephesus, while he continued there, but perhaps intended to have done it, when he was obliged to leave the place rather abruptly. This business seems to have been left to Timothy, to whom in this Chapter he gives instructions on the subject; giving him an idea, in the first place, of the importance of the office of a bishop or principal overseer of a Christian church; and then, of the proper qualifications for the discharging of it, as well as for the inferior office of deacon.

It must be observed, that the apostle, in the regulations he here lays down for Christian churches, seems to have followed the plan of the Jewish synagogue, in which the older and more respectable members had the title of elders, superintending the affairs of the congregation in general, assisted by younger persons called deacons. At first, there was no difference in rank or in duty of the elders of the church, but towards the close of the apostolic age, or soon after, the title of bishop became appropriated to one of them, while the rest retained the former title of elders or presbyters.

I have more than once observed, that the office of elder in Christian churches, and which has in a manner grown into disuse, is a very useful and important one; and for want of it, many things which might contribute to the edification and respectable figure of Christian societies, are entirely neglected. The minister is generally in too dependent a situation, to do whatever requires much authority, and yet there is no other person, whose duty it is considered to be, and of whom it is expected. I hope, however, that things in this respect, as well as several others, are beginning to take a better turn among the Dissenters.

2. There have been several absurd interpretations of this precept, confining a bishop to one wife, many of the ancients concluding that a bishop or minister must not on any account marry a second time,† and the Russians thinking it absolutely necessary that ministers should be married men; so that

"Un emploi honnête. S. Paul semble parler ainsi par opposition à quelques personnes, qui méprisoient cet emploi." Le Clerc.

"The office of an overseer (eñiσnoños), or an overseership (εmiononŋs): nothing can be more apposite and exact. And yet some delicate censors will tell you, this is vulgar and ridiculous. We tell them, in our turn, they are led away by prejudice, by an interested system and the power of habit. I should be glad, if they could inform us why they take no offence at Acts xx. 28. What would they think of BISHOP Agamemnon (Eschin. Eum. 743), and of twenty other specimens of the same kind?" Wakefield. See Impr. Vers.

+ This opinion is maintained by Hallett, I. p. 30. See Doddridge.