to hold them in that abject state. To this doctrine they were too ready to give ear. But the apostle, sensible of what disservice this would be to the Christian cause, urges upon Christian slaves to render to their masters all the services that were required of them,* and even to do it more cheerfully, as now lying under an additional obligation to the performance of every duty, being servants of God and of Christ, who would reward their obedience here, in a better state hereafter. 9. The apostle also gives proper admonition to masters, to forbear that rigorous and inhuman treatment of slaves, which was too common in that age. At Rome there was no more care taken of old and infirm slaves, by many persons, than of old horses with us. They were not, indeed, killed, but they were suffered to perish by hunger or disease. There was a particular island in the Tiber, in the view of all the city, where it was customary to expose them without food or shelter, where they soon perished.† The Greeks had more humanity; and in both countries there were slaves of better condition, and who were often employed as stewards to their masters, and managed their most confidential affairs, and in many cases slaves were allowed to have some property of their own. Many of them also were persons of good education; and recommending themselves by their attachment to their masters, had their liberty given to them, either in the life-time of their masters, or at their deaths. Of this superior class of slaves, who were respectable persons, there were many converts to Christianity. But the common labouring slaves were treated in much the same manner as slaves are now treated by Christians in the West Indies; and it is a disgrace to the Christian name, that we should hold any of our fellow-creatures, by nature fully equal to ourselves, in this degraded and unnatural state. Brutes are not capable of any thing higher than their own enjoyments and the service of man, and they do not suffer in mind from a sense of their degraded condition, and they have no domestic conditions to be torn asunder by a change of place or of masters; but men are capable of suffering most exquisitely on these accounts, which shews it to be equally cruel and "Cet avertissement de S. Paul étoit très-nécessaire, de peur que les Esclaves, qui se faisoient Chrétiens, ne causassent quelque desordre dans l'état, et que les maîtres ne vinslent à se plaindre qu'on leur débauchoit leurs Esclaves, et qu'on vouloit exciter une nouvelle guerre servile, comme celle qui avoit autrefois troublé l'Italie et la Sicile." Le Clerc. ↑ See Vol. II. pp. 92, 95. unnatural to subject them to this treatment. I am sorry to add, that of all nations, the English are said to treat both their slaves and their labouring cattle with more cruelty than persons of any other nation. We do not, indeed, find any express precept in the Scriptures against the practice of slavery, but these books were not intended to contain a complete system of moral duties; particular precepts being given occasionally, as they were wanted. But Christianity enforces every proper duty of natural religion, and its general maxims of justice and humanity are particularly applicable to this case, especially that golden rule of doing to others as we would have others do to us. It is, indeed, true, that the mild spirit of Christianity has greatly contributed to abolish slavery in this Western part of the world, and it is not doubted but that, in time, its happy influence will be felt every where, to the abolishing of slavery universally. Slavery was certainly permitted under the Old Testament, but so were other things which Christianity forbids; the world was then in its rude state, and greater refinement of manners is naturally expected from us in this advanced period. 10. The apostle having exhorted the Christians to whom he is writing, to the observance of particular duties, in order to shew the superiority of Christianity over Heathenism, and the real power of the gospel to answer its great purpose, which was to reform the world, adds a motive to vigilance and exertion, from the difficult situation in which Christians then were, having to contend with all the powers of the world, temporal and spiritual. He therefore represents them as in a state of warfare, and exhorts them to prepare themselves as for a close and obstinate engagement. 11. That is, let me earnestly exhort you to acquit yourselves with valour in the Christian cause, supported by the principles and motives of the gospel. Provide yourselves with a complete suit of armour, offensive and defensive, proper to guard every part of the body, that no temptation to which you may be exposed may ever find you off your guard. Our combat is not with the body, but with the mind; and the principles that we contend against are sup * "Affermissez-vous dans le Christianisme, en pensant à la toute-puissance de Dieu, qui peut vous délivrer de toutes sortes de dangers, et vous recompenser de toutes vos peines." Le Clerc. +"The slanderer, calumniator, false accuser. Have not I chosen you twelve," says our Saviour, (John vi. 70,) "and one of you is a diaboλos, a false accuser?` Harwood, N. T. Gr. ported by all the powers in the world, civil and religious, by Jews and Gentiles. 12. What idea the apostle really had of the phrase spiritual wickedness in high, or, as it ought to have been rendered, in heavenly places, it is not easy to say. By heavenly places, he could not mean what is generally called' heaven, the enemies of Christians not being there. I am therefore rather inclined to think that the apostle by this phrase meant to intimate, that much of the opposition to Christianity arose from the principles of Judaism, or what were generally thought to be such, their system having come from heaven, though it had been greatly perverted and misunderstood. This he might well oppose to mere Heathen darkness, and by darkness the apostle generally meant Heathenism. Mr. Wakefield renders, "against the wickedness of spiritual men in a heavenly dispensation," that is, against Jewish governors.† 13. [Armour of God.] That is, divine armour, which God has provided for us in the gospel. 14-17. Here the apostle enumerates the principles of the gospel, and expresses them in a great variety of phrases, using as many terms as there were pieces of armour in those times. But we are not to expect an exact correspondence between those several terms and the use of the several pieces of armour ; § though by the help of a good imagination, such a correspondence may be made out. Truth, or integrity, the apostle makes to correspond to the girdle or belt with which a soldier's garment was girded tight about him. Righteousness, or universal virtue, is the Christian's breast-plate. For shoes they were to have the gospel of peace, meaning, perhaps, a peaceable spirit. Faith, or the firm belief of the promises of the gospel, is our shield; and the hope of salvation, which must be in fact "Not only against flesh and blood, but also against," &c. Pilkington, p. 112. "Against wicked spirits under heaven." Bowyer. See Le Clerc; Lardner, I. p. 453. ↑ "Who have a dispensation of religion from heaven, as well as against Heathen magistrates, under the darkness of superstition and idolatry." Wakefield's Note. See Impr. Vers. + « Απαντα κατεργασάμενοι. This verb frequently signifies to dispatch a foe, totally to vanquish and subdue an adversary. So it should be translated in this place." Harwood, II. p. 49, Note; ibid. N. T. See Impr. Vers. § See Isaiah xi. 5; lix. 17; Le Clerc. [To quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.] This alludes to the custom of throwing fire into besieged places, by means of arrows and other missile weapons. (P.) "Dr. Goodwin (Child of Light, p. 101) and many others suppose that the apostle here refers to an ancient custom, still prevailing among the Indians, and the same thing, is our helmet, and the word of God our sword. But, without any figure of speech, the great principles and motives of the gospel will, when properly attended to, be sufficient to guard us against all temptation; and it is owing to the want either of a firm belief of them, or inattention to them, that we ever fall into vice. 18. The phrase, in the spirit, generally means under the miraculous influence of the spirit of God, which was frequent in the age of the apostles; and it may be inferred from the epistles of Paul, that Christians were sometimes under this influence in public prayer and singing hymns. In some places the apostle seems to make an obscure allusion to this supernatural effect, when he means nothing more than the general principles of the gospel, which was confirmed by them. In this, however, and in some other places, it is possible that the phrase in the spirit, may signify nothing more than great fervour of mind. 19.* Earnest intercession for others is particularly recommended in the Scriptures, and there is the same reason for praying for it as for praying for ourselves; because the interests of others ought to be as dear to us as our own. As to the efficacy of prayer in general with God, to whom it is addressed, we must remain at a loss. loss. It is enough for us that it is prescribed by God, who would not do it without sufficient reason. It is certainly well adapted to our present infant state, and has the happiest effect upon our minds. But whatever connexion there be between our prayers and the blessings we pray for, or something equivalent, though seemingly the reverse of our prayers, we may be assured, that at this day there is nothing supernatural in it. We pray for our daily bread, and we thank God for it; but it is never given us except through the medium of our own labour, and the same, no doubt, is the case with the blessings of a spiritual nature. This is certain, that a sense of our dependence upon God for all blessings, temporal and spiritual, cannot be too deeply impressed upon the mind; and this can only be done by meditation and prayer. By mystery, I must repeat, we are not in the Scriptures to understand any thing that is above our comprehension, other barbarous nations, to dip their arrows in the blood or gall of asps and vipers, or other poisonous preparations, which fire the blood of those who are wounded with them. It is also certain that some arrows were discharged with so great a velocity, that they fired in their passage." Doddridge. Utterance. This may perhaps refer to some impediment in his speech." Doddridge. but only important truth that could not have been known without revelation, though perfectly intelligible when revealed. 20. It is a fine idea under which the apostle here exhibits himself. He was a prisoner and in bonds, but notwithstanding this, he considered himself as an ambassador, and from a power superior to any on earth.* 21. Tychicus was a companion of Paul when he sent for the elders of Ephesus to Miletus, [Acts xx. 17,] on his last journey to Jerusalem. 23. Here, as upon all other occasions, God, or the Father, is spoken of as one Being, and Jesus Christ, or the Lord, as another. The difference is that of God and man, which certainly ought not to be confounded.† II. TIMOTHY. IT is most probable that this second epistle to Timothy was written not long after Paul's arrival at Rome, and in the Spring or beginning of Summer, as in it he presses him to come to him before Winter; and in the other epistles of Paul from Rome, as those to the Colossians, Philippians, and Philemon, Timothy appears to have been with Paul, his name being joined to that of Paul in his salutations from that place. The station of Timothy was in general at Ephesus, and it is probable, that on Paul's last journey to Jerusalem, he was left there, and that he was one of those who are said to have sorrowed so much at the words of Paul to the elders of that church, when he said that they should see his face no more. The design of this epistle, besides pressing Timothy to come to him, was to encourage him to persevere in preaching the gospel, notwithstanding the opposition which it met with, the corruptions that would be introduced into it, and the degeneracy of many who bore the Christian name. In this epistle there are evident allusions to the doctrine of the Gnostics, as there were in the first epistle to Timothy. "As the persons of Embassadors were always sacred, the apostle seems to refer to the outrage that was done to his divine Master in this violation of his liberty." Doddridge. † Ver. 24. In sincerity. "Uncorruptibility; not adulterating the gospel with false doctrines, as the Judaizers did." Impr. Vers. ↑ See Lardner, VI. pp. 238, 363; Doddridge's Introd. V. p. 504; Michaelis's Introd. Lect. (Sect. cxliv.), pp. 310–312. |