Verse 1. I charge thee (lit. testify to thee) before God and Jesus Christ, who shall judge the living and the dead; that is all those that have been dead for so many ages since the beginning of the world; and the living, that is those who shall be found living at the end of the world, but who shall die, and be presently raised again. See 1 Corinthians 15:52.—By his coming. [1] The sense by the Greek seems to be, who shall judge them at or by his coming, rather than I charge thee by his coming, as others translate. Witham.
2 Timothy
Verse 2. In season, [2] out of season; that is whether the hearers are willing to hearken to thee or not. Or, as others understand it, whether it be convenient or inconvenient for thee to signify that the ministers of God must not desist from preaching, whatever troubles they are under. Witham.
2 Timothy
Verse 3. Having itching ears; [3] that is the hearers have such ears, running after novelties and such doctrine as favours their passions. Witham.
2 Timothy
Verse 5. Be thou vigilant, and so forth It may either be expounded, watch in all things; or, take pains in all things. The latter seems the true construction. Witham.—An evangelist; a diligent preacher of the gospel. Challoner.—Fulfil thy ministry. [4] So even Dr. Wells, in his amendments to the Prot. translation, which hath, make full proof of thy ministry. See Luke 1:1. See also Saint John Chrysostom on this place.—Be sober. There is nothing for this in the Greek, nor in S. Chrysostom. The Latin interpreter seems to have added it, as being contained in the other Greek words in this verse. Witham.
2 Timothy
Verse 6. I am even now ready to be sacrificed. [5] Lit. to be immolated. See Philip. 2:17.—The time of my dissolution (lit. resolution) is at hand. This makes many judge that this letter was written during his last imprisonment; but the sense perhaps may be, that being old and worn out with labours, he could not live long. Witham.
2 Timothy
Verse 7. I have fought a good fight, or strived a good strife. [6] The Latin and Greek may signify any kind of striving for a prize.—I have kept the faith, not only the Christian faith, but been faithful in my office. Witham.
2 Timothy
Verse 8. A crown of justice, which the Lord, the just judge, will render to me. These words confirm the Catholic doctrine, that good works performed with the assistance of God’s grace, deserve and are meritorious of a reward in heaven: it is what is signified, 1. by a crown of justice, 2. from a just judge, 3. which he will render or give as a reward. Yet we own with Saint Augustine that we have no merit, but what is also a gift of God from his grace and mercy, and grounded on his promises. Witham.—“A crown of justice,” which the Protestants translate, of righteousness; but let us see how the learned Saint Augustine, 1400 years ago, expounds the apostle’s meaning: “How should he repay as a just judge, unless he had first given as a merciful Father?” De grat. et lib. arb. c. vi. See Hebrews 6:10. God is not unjust, that he should forget your works; this the Protestants change into, God is not unrighteous.
2 Timothy
Verse 9. Demas hath, and so forth The Demas here mentioned, is the same that was at Rome with Saint Paul in his first voyage, in 61 or 62, and of whom he makes mention in his epistle to the Colossians, (4:14) also in that to Philemon, verse 24. He was perverted in this last voyage, in 65, and abandoned his master in the time of danger. It is not ascertained whether he entirely renounced his faith, or whether God gave his grace to rise from his fall; or whether the love of the world, with which Saint Paul here reproaches him, was only a passing fault, and an effect of pure human infirmity. S. Epiphanius (hæres. 51.) presumes that he renounced the faith, and was engaged in the heresies of Cerintus, Ebion, and others, who held Jesus Christ to be no more than a mere man. Many moderns, Grotius, Men. Cornel. and so forth believed that he returned with Saint Paul: and Estius himself seems to think that he was the same Demas of which S. Ignatius speaks, writing to the Magnesians, calling him a worthy bishop of God. But this is founded on a false supposition, that this letter was written during his first confinement at Rome, or at least before Saint Paul wrote his epistles to the Colossians and to Philemon. Calmet.—Loving this world; that is his safety, and to avoid persecutions. Witham.
2 Timothy
Verse 10. Crescens into Galatia, Titus, and so forth These two did not abandon the faith, but only left Saint Paul to preach the gospel, with his consent. Crescens went from Rome into Galatia, or into Gaul, as it is found written in the Greek. Theodoret, Eusebius, Epiphanius, and so forth say that Galatia, in the Greek, is often put for Gaul, in profane authors. On this account it is said by some, that Crescens preached in Gaul. Adon makes him founder of the Church of Vienne, in Dauphinè; an opinion still prevalent in that city. The feast of S. Crescens is kept by the Latin Church, on the 27th of June. Calmet.—As to Titus, it cannot be doubted but he went into Dalmatia for the purpose of the ministry, and by the order of Saint Paul. Thence it seems most probable that he went into Crete, where he governed the Church as bishop, and there died. Theod. Saint John Chrysostom Theophyl. Est. and so forth
2 Timothy
Verse 11. Luke. Saint Luke was always much attached to Saint Paul. It is thought he accompanied him to the time of his martyrdom. When Saint Paul says Luke alone was with him, we must understand that no other disciple was at that time with him; not that the faithful of Rome, whose faith was so lively and charity so ardent, had abandoned him in this time of danger. Saint John Chrysostom hom. x. p. 610.—Mark. This is John Mark, cousin of Barnabas, of whom mention was made, Acts 13:12. and so forth also Coloss. 4:10. He rather wavered in faith at the beginning, but was afterwards much attached to the apostle. Calmet.
2 Timothy
Verse 12. Tychicus. Theodoret and some others have inferred from this verse, that Timothy was not at Ephesus at this time; otherwise Saint Paul would have here said, I have sent Tychicus to thee. Timothy, in quality of bishop of Ephesus, had the inspection of the whole province of Asia; hence Saint Paul might have presumed, that Tychicus would not be able to find him in that city. But these reasons do not appear sufficiently convincing. Tychicus might have been the bearer of this epistle; then Saint Paul might say, I have sent him to carry it. Or Saint Paul might have sent him before, and here tells Timothy of it; because, on account of the distance of Rome from Ephesus, he might not have yet heard of his arrival. Mention has been made of Tychicus before, Acts. 20:4. Ephes. 6:21. Coloss. 4:7. Calmet.
2 Timothy
Verse 13. The cloak [7] which I left at Troas. It is expounded a cloak by Saint John Chrysostom S. Jerom, and so forth Others think he may mean some coffer, or trunk, in which were his books and some things that he valued. Witham.
2 Timothy
Verse 14. The Lord will render [8] to him. We read shall render, not only in the Latin and Syriac, but also in divers Greek MSS. which Dr. Wells again prefers before the ordinary Greek copies, in which we read, The Lord render or reward him, as in the Prot. translation. If that was the true reading, we must take the words by way of a prophecy, and not as an imprecation or curse. Witham.
2 Timothy
Verse 16. At my first defence, or trial, when I appeared before Nero and my judges, no man stood with me; all, or almost all, abandoned me in that danger: may it not be laid to their charge. Witham.
2 Timothy
Verse 17. The Lord stood, and so forth All agree that Nero is here meant by the lion. Saint John Chrysostom thinks that Saint Paul was set at liberty after this first justification of his conduct, but that having afterwards converted the cupbearer of Nero, he was by him beheaded. Saint John Chrysostom hom. x. p. 611.—But the Lord assisted and fortified me on this occasion by a vision, in which he assured me that he would prolong my life for the more perfect preaching of the gospel. V.—The times predicted by the apostle in this epistle, (verse 3 and 4) are now arrived; and the warnings he gives to Timothy and to all preachers of the word, should be sedulously attended to: preach the word: be instant in season and out of season; reprove, entreat, rebuke with all patience and doctrine. There will arrive a time when men will not bear sound doctrine; eager in the extreme to hear what flatters, they will have recourse to a variety of teachers not lawfully sent or ordained, calculated to tickle their ears: Assentatores populi, multitudinis levitatem voluptate quasi titillantes. Cic. In the same sense Plutarch says: τα ωτα αποκναιουσιν. It is yours, adds Saint Paul, ως καλος στρατιωτης Χριστου Ιησου, as a valiant soldier of Jesus Christ, to oppose yourself as a wall to all these evils, to attend to every branch of your ministerial duty, not to yield to either opponents or dangers, and to see that the gospel is both preached and practised in all its purity. Thus may the Church find in you, and in her other ministers, what she is soon to lose in me, knowing as I do that my course is nearly run.—That by me the preaching may be accomplished, (or fulfilled) and that all the Gentiles may hear it. This is an argument that he wrote this letter in his first imprisonment.—And I was delivered from the mouth of the lion; that is, according to the common exposition, from Nero. Witham.
2 Timothy
Verse 22. The Lord Jesus Christ be with thy spirit. Grace be with you. These words are a fervent prayer, with which Saint Paul divers times concludes his epistles; such is the prayer of the priest, when he turns about at mass, with Dominus vobiscum, the people answering, et cum Spiritu tuo. Witham.