2 Timothy i. 13–18
“Hold fast the form of
sound words, which thou hast heard of me, in faith and love which is in
Christ Jesus. That good thing which was committed unto thee keep by the
Holy Ghost Which dwelleth in us. This thou knowest, that all they which
are in Asia be turned away from me; of whom are Phygellus and
Hermogenes. The Lord give mercy unto the house of Onesiphorus; for he
oft refreshed me, and was not ashamed of my chain: but, when he was in
Rome, he sought me out very diligently, and found me. The Lord grant
unto him that he may find mercy of the Lord in that day: and in how
many things he ministered unto me at Ephesus, thou knowest very
well.”
by
letters alone did Paul instruct his disciple in his duty, but before by
words also which he shows, both in many other passages, as where he
says, “whether by word or our Epistle” (2 Thess. ii. 15.), and especially here. Let us not therefore suppose that anything relating to doctrine was spoken imperfectly. For many things he delivered to him without writing. Of these therefore he reminds him, when he says, “Hold fast the form of sound words, which thou hast heard of me.” After the manner of artists, I have impressed on thee the image of virtue, fixing in thy soul a sort of rule, and model, and outline of all things pleasing to God. These things then hold fast, and whether thou art meditating any matter of faith or love, or of a sound mind, form from hence your ideas of them. It will not be necessary to have recourse to others for examples, when all has been deposited within thyself.
“That good thing which was
committed unto thee keep,”—how?—“by the Holy
Ghost which dwelleth in us.” For it is not in the power of a
human soul, when instructed with things so great, to be sufficient for
the keeping of them. And why? Because there are many robbers, and thick
darkness, and the devil still at hand to plot against us; and we know
not what is the hour, what the occasion for him to set upon us. How
then, he means, shall we be sufficient for the keeping of them? “By the Holy Ghost”; that is if we have the Spirit with us, if we do not expel grace, He will stand by us. For, “Except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build it. Except the Lord keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain.” (Ps. cxxvii. 1.) This is our wall, this our castle, this our refuge. If therefore It dwelleth in us, and is Itself our guard, what need of the commandment? That we may hold It fast, may keep It, and not banish It by our evil deeds.
Then he describes his trials and
temptations, not to depress his disciple, but to elevate him, that if
he should ever fall into the same, he may not think it strange, when he
looks back and remembers what things happened to his Teacher. What then
says he? Since it was probable that Timothy might be apprehended, and
be deserted, and be relieved by no friendly attention, or influence, or
assistance, but be abandoned even by his friends and the faithful
themselves, hear what he says, “This thou knowest, that all they
which are in Asia be turned away from me.” It seems that there
were then in Rome many persons from the regions of Asia. “But no
one stood by me,” he says, no one acknowledged me, all were
alienated. And observe the philosophy of his soul. He only mentions
their conduct, he does not curse them, but he praises him that showed
kindness to him, and invokes a thousand blessings upon him, without any
curse on them. “Of whom is Phygellus and Hermogenes. The Lord
give mercy to the house of Onesiphorus, for he oft refreshed me, and
was not ashamed of my chain. But, when he was in Rome, he sought me out
diligently and found me.” Observe how he everywhere speaks of the
shame, and not of the danger, lest Timothy should be alarmed. And yet
it was a thing that was full of peril. For he gave offense to Nero by
making friends with one of his prisoners. But when he was in Rome, he says, he
not only did not shun intercourse with me, but “sought me out
very diligently, and found me.”
“The Lord grant unto him
that he may find mercy of the Lord in that day: and in how many things
he ministered unto me at Ephesus, thou knowest very
well.”