Ver. 2. “Grace, mercy, peace from God our Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.”
(On the words “grace and peace,” see our notes in British Herald, No. 146.)
Mercy is individual. We need the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ ever hour on to eternal life. It is “grace and peace” in Church epistles, as we have seen, but mercy is added in these pastoral epistles, which are addressed to individuals. Grace for the guilty and dead; mercy for the miserable and exposed; peace for the troubled and tried (see Gal. 6:16). As to the expression “God the Father,” see Galatians 1:3, Ephesians 1:2, 3, 2:11, Colossians 3:17; 1 Thess. 1:1, 2 Thess. 1:1; 2 Tim. 1:2; Titus 1:4 This mode of writing belongs to all periods of Paul’s writing, but chiefly to the later. The communion of saints is very strong. A strong tie it is this unites fathers and children, but the descending affections are ever the stronger―the father’s for the son is stronger than the son’s for the father. We never hear anything of Timothy’s affection for Paul, we gather it only from the young man sticking to the old mar through thick and thin, as we say. Mai we be in the place and condition of genuine Christians, that this benediction may be ours!
“As I besought thee to abide still at Ephesus, when I went into Macedonia that thou mightest charge some that they teach no other doctrine” (vs. 3). Paul states the object of writing the epistle and characterizes law-teachers (vss. 3-7). The lawful use of the law it stated (vss. 8-10). Then he shows how law agrees with gospel (vs. 11). Then he goes on to tell his own conversion; and to give thanks for it (vss. 12-17) Thence he returns from his digression to his exhortations to Timothy (vss. 18-20).
The object of leaving Timothy was that he might charge some that they should not teach heresy (and right teaching is all-important) and heathen or Jewish traditionary things that had no connection with the new and gospel dispensation, which is in faith, not in fables, genealogies and questionings. Timothy being known as a person who was intimately connected with Paul, his presence at Ephesus, where Paul saw with a prescient eye some evil seemed likely to crop up among the elders (Acts 20:30), would be a restraint on notional men. Curious is it to see that, when the apostle went away, men arose in this very Church professing to be apostles, and were found liars (Rev. 1:2). That was a fine assumption―apostles! There are not wanting men, in our day, who say they are apostle: and are not; they must also be “liars,” That is the word used regarding such even by Christ Himself.
“Besought” shows the freedom of individual service of the apostolic workers, Paul does not command Timothy, but only besought him; ―that every out might be moving in the sphere of faith; ―not of mere ecclesiastical authority, for, “by faith ye stand.” There were no lordly bishops or authoritative presbyters in those days, compelling men to labor where, when, and how they liked. No! but every man is seen as holding his gift from Christ; and all the rest had only to get out of his way, when using it, and give him sea-room. Every laborer was on his own personal responsibility as a servant of Christ―not commanded; and Timothy stayed at Ephesus. On another occasion, Paul could not get Apollos to do a thing he besought him to do, and Paul simply states the fact; never hints that he was wrong in refusing his order. “His mind was not at all to come.” Timothy here fell in with the apostolic beseeching, and abode still at Ephesus. It does not indicate a hard and fast way of one servant of Christ, or a set of servants, domineering over others, but all acting as Christ’s servants, amenable only to His authority, and to no other. They think that they manage these things better now! but this modern excess in authority does not seem to be very effective in producing spiritual power. I am strongly of opinion that Christ clothed His apostles with authority to command when the emergency required it, but they generally acted morally, not authoritatively.
“Abide still at Ephesus.” Paul had been fully three years there. It was said to be the eye of Asia―a city of great importance as a Center (see Acts 19) The apostle had to leave; and he bought Timothy to keep down the dreaded tendency to evil doctrine. “Not to hetero-teach,” is the word, or to “other-teach,” as it literally means. He had an eye on some heady men who had perverted ideas, and he had warned of them (Acts 20:29); and he feared to leave them, lest Satan should get an advantage over them. The Ephesians were in a lively, vigorous, well-taught state. They were all alive―hence the danger. Death needs no watching; the grave no guardians; a corpse is easily disposed of, but life does need guarding―especially young life; and good teaching is the only means of producing good fruit in the life; bad teaching will lead to failure in faith and walk. Churches as well as individuals are known by their fruits; and you cannot get true Christian life and walk from those who are so ill-taught as not even to have the assurance that they are Christians, or who are heterodox in their views. There is not a little hetero-teaching just now, such as―that man is not totally depraved―not wholly lost, and that there is a something in him by which he can at least lay hold of Christ and be saved; and that when saved that he should be put under law as a rule of life (ch. 6:3; Titus 1:13).
All strange or “other” elements that are mingled with the gospel, let it be man’s best, and very fine and beautiful, in course of time work, and become hostile to the gospel. Man’s teaching is like the ivy that cleaves to the tree, and ends by growing greenly out at the top of it, and leaving it completely rotten.
Paul did not wish any other doctrine than he taught to be given. Nor should anything but the gospel be presented―Paul’s gospel, the gospel of God. People are not warranted in teaching anything else for the gospel, nor in adding anything to it (Acts 20:28-30). “The other doctrine” dreaded was likely to be by and by contrary doctrine―law in opposition to gospel, verses 7,11 (see also 6:3; Gal. 1:6, 8, 9).
That is what the saints are groaning under at the present day. To make doubly sure of making saints walk in holiness, they mix law and gospel, and neutralize both, doing immense mischief, and keeping souls in bondage, and floundering in the mire of their own misery.
Verse 4. Nor to turn their minds to fables and interminable genealogies, which bring questionings rather than God’s dispensation, which is in faith, chapter 4:7; 2 Timothy 4:4; Titus 1:14; 3:9. The apostle Paul was thoroughly opposed to all sorts of unedifying and question-raising subjects, such as a man could thrust his head into while his conscience was asleep, and his heart on furlough. When people take up their time with the husk instead of the kernel, they are in a bad moral condition. A good condition of soul is produced only by Christ and His cross; and it is indicated by our being full of the great central truths of Christianity. Things which minister to the mere intellect, and which lead to strife, and do not promote Christian feeling and life, are not “sound doctrine.”