14 that you keep the commandment without spot, blameless, until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ;
*Minor differences ignored. Grouped by changes, with first version listed as example.
That thou, keep the commandment. By the word commandment he means all that he hath hitherto said about the office of Timothy, the sum of which was, that he should show himself to be a faithful minister to Christ and to the Church. What is the use of extending this to the whole law? But perhaps it will be thought preferable to view it as denoting the office which he had received by divine authority; for we are appointed to be ministers of the Church on no other condition than this, that God enjoins upon us whatever he wishes us to do. Thus to "keep the commandment" would be nothing else than to discharge honestly the office committed to him. I certainly view it as referring altogether to the ministry of Timothy. Spotless and unblameable [1] Whether we consider the case or the termination [2] of the two Greek adjectives which are thus translated, they may apply either to the commandment given, or to the person of Timothy; but the meaning which I have assigned is much more appropriate. [3] Paul informs Timothy, that he must he wish to discharge his office in a proper manner. Till the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ It is impossible to tell how necessary it was to all the godly, at that time, to have their mind entirely fixed on the day of Christ; because innumerable offenses existed everywhere in the world. They were assailed on every hand, were universally hated and abhorred, were exposed to the mockeries of all, were oppressed every day with new calamities; and yet they saw no fruit of so many toils and annoyances. What then remained, but that in thought they should fly away to that blessed day of our redemption? Yet the same reason is in force with regard to us in the present day, and indeed applies equally to almost every age. How many things does Satan constantly present to our eyes, which, but for this, would a thousand times draw us aside from the right course! I say nothing about fires, and swords, and banishments, and all time furious attacks of enemies. I say nothing about slanders and other vexations. How many things are within, that are far worse! Ambitious men openly attack us, Epicureans and Lucianists jeer at us, impudent men provoke us, hypocrites murmur at us, they who are wise after the flesh secretly bite us, we are harassed by various methods in every direction. In short, it is a great miracle that any man perseveres steadfastly in an office so difficult and so dangerous. The only remedy for all these difficulties is, to cast our eyes towards the appearing of Christ, and to keep them fixed on it continually. [4]
1 - "Sans macule et sans reprehension:" -- "Without spot and without censure."
2 - That is, they may be either in the accusative case masculine, agreeing with Timotheon, or in the accusative case feminine, agreeing with entolen. -- Ed.
3 - "Nonobstant il est beaucoup plus propre de les rapporter a sa personne." -- "Nevertheless it is much more suitable to view them. as relating to his person."
4 - "Believers might, indeed, be weakened in their faith, when they looked at present things. For, as to the great people in this world, what would they wish but to rise above the Church, and trample God under their feet? We see that they sport with religion as with a ball. We even see that they are deadly enemies of it, and that they persecute it with such rage that everybody is terrified at them. We see these things. Yet what shall be said of the children of God? They are pointed at with the finger, they are thought to be fools, so that what is said by the Prophet Isaiah is today fulfilled in us, that unbelievers reckon us to be monsters. (Isaiah 8:18.) What? These poor fools? What are they thinking about? What do they mean? We must live with the living, and howl with the wolves. They wish to be always in a state of perplexity. They speak of nothing but eternal life, and have no leisure for enjoyment.' Thus it is that we are accounted fools and madmen by unbelievers. And Peter says, (2-Peter 3:2-4,) that this must be fulfilled in us, as the prophet Isaiah had made the complaint in his time; Christians must experience the like in the present day." -- Fr. Ser.
That thou keep this commandment - Referring particularly to the solemn injunction which he had just given him, to "fight the good fight of faith," but perhaps also including all that he had enjoined on him.
Without spot - It seems harsh, and is unusual, to apply the epithet, "without spot" - ἄσπιλος aspilos - to a command or doctrine, and the passage may be so construed that this may be understood as referring to Timothy himself - "That thou keep the commandment so that thou mayest be without spot and unrebukable." See Bloomfield, Crit. Dig., in loc. The word here rendered "without spot," occurs in the New Testament only here and in James 1:27; 1-Peter 1:19; 2-Peter 3:14. It means without any "stain" or "blemish; pure." If applied here to Timothy, it means that he should so keep the command that there would be no stain on his moral character; if to the doctrine, that that should be kept pure.
Unrebukable - So that there be no occasion for reproach or reproof; see notes on Philippians 2:15.
Until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ - see notes on 1-Thessalonians 2:19; 1-Thessalonians 4:16; 1-Thessalonians 5:23.
That thou keep this commandment without spot - Two things are mentioned here:
1. That the commandment itself - the whole doctrine of Christ, should be kept entire.
2. That his life should be agreeable to that doctrine. Keep it without spot - let there be no blot on the sacred book; add nothing to it; take nothing from it; change nothing in it. Deliver down to thy successors the truth as thou hast had it from God himself.
Unrebukable - Let there be nothing in thy conduct or spirit contrary to this truth. Keep the truth, and the truth will keep thee.
Until the appearing of our Lord - Hand it down pure, and let thy conduct be a comment on it, that it may continue in the world and in the Church till the coming of Christ.
That thou keep this commandment,.... Meaning either what he had now last of all enjoined him, to fight the good fight of faith; or the whole of the orders he had given him throughout the epistle, relating both to the doctrine and discipline of the house of God; or rather the work and office of preaching the Gospel, which was committed to him by the Holy Ghost, and enjoined him by the commandment of the everlasting God: and this the apostle, before God and Christ, charges him to observe and keep, in the following manner,
without spot, and unrebukeable; the sense is, that he would discharge his ministerial function with all faithfulness and purity; that he would sincerely, and without any adulteration, preach the pure Gospel of Christ; and that he would so behave in his life and conversation, that his ministry might not be justly blamed by men, or he be rebuked by the church here, or by Christ hereafter: and this he would have him do,
until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ; to judge the quick and dead at the last day, and which will be very illustrious and glorious. Now Christ is hid from the eyes of men, but to them that look for him he will appear a second time in great glory; in the glory of his Father, and of his own, and of the holy angels; and when his saints will appear with him in glory: and this the apostle the rather mentions, since every man's work and ministry will then be made manifest; this bright day of Christ's appearing will declare it, and everyone must give an account of himself, and his talents, unto him: and this shows that the apostle did not design this charge, and these instructions, for Timothy only, but for all other ministers of the Gospel, till the second coming of Christ; though this was then, as now, so much unknown, when it would be, that it could not be said but Timothy might live unto it.
keep this commandment--Greek, "the commandment," that is, the Gospel rule of life (1-Timothy 1:5; John 13:34; 2-Peter 2:21; 2-Peter 3:2).
without spot, unrebukeable--agreeing with "thou." Keep the commandment and so be without spot," &c. "Pure" (1-Timothy 5:22; Ephesians 5:27; James 1:27; 2-Peter 3:14).
until the appearing of . . . Christ--His coming in person (2-Thessalonians 2:8; Titus 2:13). Believers then used in their practice to set before themselves the day of Christ as near at hand; we, the hour of death [BENGEL]. The fact has in all ages of the Church been certain, the time as uncertain to Paul, as it is to us; hence, 1-Timothy 6:15, he says, "in HIS times": the Church's true attitude is that of continual expectation of her Lord's return (1-Corinthians 1:8; Philippians 1:6, Philippians 1:10).
*More commentary available at chapter level.