2 Timóteo 1
Theophylact of Ohrid
2 Timóteo 1:1
Immediately, at the very beginning, he encourages the soul. Do not point me, he says, to the misfortunes of this life. They procure for us eternal life. We became apostles in order to die and live forever. So that Timothy, instead of being comforted, would not be more grieved upon hearing that his teacher is in danger, he consoles him with this at the very beginning. If life is a promise, then do not seek it here. This is the life in Christ Jesus, that is, with Christ, because He gives it to us and sustains it. For bodily life is sustained by food and drink, but spiritual life is sustained in Christ: He is everything for us. — Commentary on 2 Timothy
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One can be a son, yet unloved. Meanwhile, Timothy was beloved, and without doubt, for his virtue. By this, therefore, the apostle shows that he is leaving him not because he was angry with him or despised him for anything: no, you, he says, are beloved to me; but force and necessity compel him to leave him. What he previously prayed to God for in the First Epistle, he prays for him now as well. So, regarding this passage, read the First Epistle. — Commentary on 2 Timothy
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Do you see the extraordinary love? I thank God, he says, for the fact that, loving you, I remember you. This is true love, when someone marvels at their own love for another. How is it "with a pure conscience," when in the beginning he did not know Christ? Yes, he says — either by conscience understand here his life: for although he Judaized, in life he was blameless — or because when he persecuted the Church, he persecuted out of zeal and not from any human motives, as some stand for heresy for the sake of glory, fully aware of its rottenness. He speaks of all this as if to say: do not suspect that I have one thing in mind and another in words. My conscience is pure, as always, so also now. Therefore, I do not lie when I say that I love you and always remember you. I thank God that I remember you. And not simply, but in my prayers, both night and day, asking God on your behalf, that my desire might be fulfilled — the desire to see you. Therefore, how would I voluntarily deprive myself of such pleasure, if only I could come? But why does the apostle not openly speak of the reason, that he is detained by Nero? So as not to suddenly grieve him. But toward the end he reveals this reason. — Commentary on 2 Timothy
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Arrange the words thus: longing to see you, that I may be filled with joy; then the middle words "remembering your tears." For even if I were by nature utterly unfriendly, your tears, having come to my memory, would still be sufficient to incline me toward you. Probably Timothy, when parting from Paul, wept more than a child taken from its nurse. — Commentary on 2 Timothy
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I desire to see you, not only remembering your tears but also your unfeigned faith. For this is the most important reason for you to be loved by me. Another praise: Timothy was born not of unbelieving parents, but of believing ones, though they were Jews. However, his father was a Greek. See how the law began to be undermined by the existence of such unions. Since the virtues of our ancestors, if we are like them, glorify us; but if not, they serve rather for our condemnation. Therefore the apostle says: I am convinced that the faith of your ancestors is also in you. So then, you have a sincere faith, established from your ancestors and unable to waver. — Commentary on 2 Timothy
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Since, he says, I know that you have an unfeigned faith, I urge you that the grace of the Spirit, which you received for leadership in the Church, for the working of signs, and in general for every service proper to a bishop — to fan into flame this grace, that is, to make it always living and flourishing. For just as fire needs fuel, so also the grace of the Spirit needs zeal, attentiveness, and watchfulness in order to always burn brightly. If these are absent, it is quenched, as the apostle also says elsewhere: "Do not quench the Spirit" (1 Thess. 5:19). There is in you this grace, which you received together with the laying of my hands upon you, when I ordained you as bishop. But make this fire stronger. The word which you received, fill with boldness and courage: stand courageously. — Commentary on 2 Timothy
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That is, we did not receive the spirit in order to be timid, but in order to be strong in temptations and to have boldness. To many God also gives a spirit of fear, as it is written in the book of Exodus: "Let fear fall upon them" (Ex. 15:16), that is, God instilled fear in them. Of love both toward God and toward neighbors. For even to love God as Father we have from the Spirit, who causes us to cry out: "Abba, Father" (Rom. 8:15). And to remain steadfast in love toward neighbors is a gift proceeding from Divine power; stumbling blocks, on the contrary, proceed from cowardice and faintheartedness. However, we too must first of all show that which depends on ourselves. Or: that we might be prudent, of sound mind, in a healthy state; or: that we might be sober-minded in our spirit, and if some trial befalls us, we would accept it for our guidance; or: that we might also bring others to their senses and teach them reason. — Commentary on 2 Timothy
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Many wretched people, judging by human notions about that which is above our understanding, consider it a shame to proclaim that the Son of God was crucified, not knowing that by the power of His Cross the condemned man became a son of God. But you, Timothy, do not be ashamed to bear witness to Christ and His death on the Cross, but preach about it with boldness. The Apostle did not say "do not fear," but "do not be ashamed," to show that this matter holds no danger, but only shame alone; and if you despise it, then all else is safe. Do not be ashamed that I, who raise the dead, the teacher of the universe, am now bound. I am bound not as an evildoer; I am His prisoner, that is, for His sake. If He was not ashamed of the cross, then how shall I be ashamed of bonds? That is, do not simply show that you were not ashamed, but in experience, in deeds, and be a partaker of the same things with Christ and with me. This he also expressed above in the words: "God has given us the spirit of power." What does "suffer hardship with the gospel" mean? Does the gospel suffer? No, not that; but he either says: suffer together with me for the sake of the gospel, or by "gospel" he means all the preachers of the Gospel and stewards of the mysteries, as also in the Epistle to the Corinthians (2 Cor. 9:12). Therefore, suffer together with the one who has served the gospel. But perhaps someone might call the excessive suffering for the gospel a hindrance to its spread and disbelief in it. Thus, you too suffer together with the suffering gospel. Since it was difficult to say "suffer," the apostle consoles: not by your own power, he says, but by the power of Christ; yours is only the choice and the readiness. — Commentary on 2 Timothy
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He presents proofs of the power of God. He saved us, he says, and called the estranged to Himself, in order to make us holy. So, He Who saved us when we were unwilling, will all the more help us now that we are willing. Without any compulsion, without any counsel, but by His own will, that is, from Himself, drawn by His own goodness. That is, without beginning and before all ages it was foreordained that grace would be given to us "in Christ Jesus, our Lord." It is no small thing for us that God willed this concerning us before all ages. — Commentary on 2 Timothy
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Though the grace was foreordained, it has been revealed now, when the Savior appeared. Christ in His own body actually destroyed death, making the body incorruptible; but us He enlightened through the Gospel—to hope for life and incorruption. For we have not yet actually been made incorruptible, but we shall be; and in this hope the Gospel establishes us. — Commentary on 2 Timothy
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Why did the apostle now call himself a teacher of the Gentiles? To impress upon Timothy that he must proclaim the word of the Gospel to the Gentiles, and not lose heart, but imitate him, who was bound for the sake of the evangelical teaching. — Commentary on 2 Timothy
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I suffer for preaching to the Gentiles. I suffer not as an evildoer. At the same time he makes his speech more credible: if, he says, I did not believe that death has been destroyed, I would not suffer so. Do you see how he himself shows by his deeds that which he urges upon Timothy, that is, not to be ashamed of sufferings. What boldness! What unwavering confidence! I know, he says, and am firmly convinced. By "deposit" the apostle means either the faith and the preaching: Christ Himself, who entrusted this to me, will preserve it, and I endure all things so that this treasure of mine may not be plundered; or by "deposit" he means the believers, whom Christ entrusted to him, or whom he himself committed to the Lord, as he says in another place: "I commend you, brethren, to God" (Acts 20:32). As if the apostle were saying: I am not ashamed, hoping that I will bring many to God, whom He will also preserve, so as to glorify them for my sake. Or by "deposit" he means the reward: everyone who does something good deposits it with God for safekeeping, so as to be crowned for it in due time. — Commentary on 2 Timothy
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As a painter, I have written and drawn for you an icon and prototype, so that, looking at it, you too would paint from it the same outline of my words. Keep this prototype within yourself, and when it is necessary to paint something, take from it and paint: for everything is combined in it. Not only through epistles, but also orally. Therefore let us not think that we have insufficient epistles, as not all-encompassing, since the apostle conveyed much without writing. That is, my words contain teaching both about faith and love, that is, both about dogmas and the proper life: whether you need to dogmatize about what is fitting, or to speak, or to act, from there you should borrow everything. — Commentary on 2 Timothy
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Keep what I have commanded you regarding faith and life, or the gift which you received, as he also said above. But how will you keep it? Not by human strength, but by the Holy Spirit, Who dwells in us through baptism. If we preserve Him and do not drive Him away by evil deeds, He too will preserve for us all that we have from God. Therefore, strive to preserve the Spirit, and He will preserve for you what has been entrusted. "Unless the Lord guards the city, the watchman stays awake in vain" (Ps. 126:1). — Commentary on 2 Timothy
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The Apostle points to the temptations, not in order to strike the disciple, but to more fully persuade him — so that, in the event that he himself should undergo similar temptations, he would not think that he was experiencing anything extraordinary, but would bear them calmly. After the Apostle was taken into custody by Nero, all the Asians abandoned him, that is, the people from the Asian provinces who were living in Rome. — Commentary on 2 Timothy
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Look at the love of wisdom of the apostle. He did not reproach those who abandoned him, but simply pointed out what had happened. For the one who cared for him, he prays, and not only for him, but also for his entire household: so virtuous were they, so had Onesiphorus raised them. Like some combatant exhausted from the heat, he granted me refreshment not once, but many times. So must we also act, always and in everything helping those who are engaged in some good work: in this way we shall be partakers with them in the rewards. Do not speak to me of Paul. Paul, even if he had no helper at all, would have remained unshakable. But perhaps someone else will not endure if he does not have a defender. Therefore, if someone is found who helps him and cares for him, it is obvious that he shares in the victory; and if in the victory, then in the crowns. In wars of old, those who guarded the weapons shared the spoils equally with the soldiers. Everywhere he speaks of shame, and not of danger, encouraging Timothy that there is supposedly no danger, but only shame alone. However, in reality there was also danger. Nero was angered against Paul because he had converted someone from his household. — Commentary on 2 Timothy
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Not only did he not avoid my misfortune, but he even sought me out and found me: such is courage! such is faith. — Commentary on 2 Timothy
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Onesiphorus, says the apostle, showed me mercy; therefore may he receive recompense on that fearful day; then much mercy is needed by all, even by the saints. If Onesiphorus, who exposed himself to obvious dangers for Christ, will be saved by mercy, how much more so we. The followers of the Marcionite heresy appeal to this passage, saying: so then, there are two Lords? By no means. There is one Lord, as the apostle Paul himself says elsewhere (Eph. 4:5). This expression is commonly used in Holy Scripture, as for example: "and the Lord rained fire from the Lord" (Gen. 19:24), that is, through Himself. So also in this passage. If we accept that here both the Father and the Son are indicated, there is nothing strange in this. As the Father is Lord, so also the Son is Lord, and the Holy Spirit is Lord: but there is one Lord, manifested in three persons. Notice, the apostle did not say: may the Lord give him something else, but rather — mercy. He was accustomed, he says, to good deeds: he did not do me good only once, but both in Ephesus and in Rome. Such is what a Christian ought to be, always doing good, throughout his entire life. — Commentary on 2 Timothy