Timothy to Hebrews - The Preterist Archive

196 Second Timothy I. 12.
apostle points in his calling to the universality of Divine grace ;
in
the other, his aim is to induce Timothy to suffer with him for the
gospel. Of this gospel he is ordained a preacher ; for this he suffers,
and that without shame ; and so also should Timothy do and
Buffer with him. It is thus not merely the joj-ful certainty of the
fullness of grace which brings the apostle to his calling, but his
requirement of Timothy to suffer with the gospel, ver. 8. The
reading tdvCJv^ opj^osed only by A. 17, is rightly retained by De
Wette.
Ver. 12.— " For whicJi cause," etc. His apostolic calling is the
cause of his sufferings. Kal rav-a. even this, refers to the intimation,
ver. 8. OvK alox- also clearly refers to the admonition to Timothy,
ver. 8, not to shrink from the shame attendant on the gospel,
and thus places beyond doubt the purpose of this mention of himself.
And so also the ground of the apostle's exemption from
shame corresponds to the above referring of Timothy to the power
of God, with our interpretation of the expression. He knows in
whom he has believed, and is persuaded that he is able, etc. Ihioio
in tvhom I have believed, = I have the most unquestionable proof
of the power of God ; the proof mentioned ver. 9, seq. ; 1 Tim. i.
12, seq. ill TTemarevKa (of course not = elg ov), in whom I have
believed ; comp. at Tit. iii. 8 ; Acts xxvii. 25. This is not Christ,
hut as the context shews, which sj^eaks of the power of God, God.
I am 2xrsuaded, viz., in consequence of this. At dwarog De Wetto
remarks rightly ;
this is the fivvafug of ver. 8 ; for 6vvaT6g, used of
God, ho points to Rom. xi. 23, xiv. 4 ; 2 Cor. ix. 8. The follo^^^ng
Tr]v TTapaOriKT]v jiov (fivXa^ai, etc., while the individual expressions are
simple and intelligible, is as a whole difficult. On TrapaOijKTj^ depositum,
see at 1 Tim. vi. 20. On tKeivrj ?/ ijiifpa (= 7)/i»'pa Kvpiov),
comp. 2 Thess. i. 10 ; Matth. vii. 22, etc. On elg = until, Phil. i.
10. Winer's Gr., § 49, a., p. 353. Looking to the connexion, the
clause must contain the conviction which strengthens the apostle to
meet the hardships of his calling. Wholly inconsistent with this
purpose is De Wctte's explanation of TapaO/'jui] as his ollice ;
" God
will keep his office for him until that day !" The apostle is specifying
that which inspires him with courage in fulfilling his office ;
he cannot surely then say that God preserves for him his office. If
De Wette means that God will im^jurt to him power to execute his
office in persecution and death, he abandons his own interpretation.
To refer with Flatt and others the TrapaOr'jKi] to the gospel, is still
more objectionable. Looking to the other passages of our epistle
which express the writer's sources of consolation under present distress
and humiliation, we find them alluding uniformly to the
" crown," to " life," to particii)ation in the " kingdom." In the
"crown of righteousness," iv. 8, reserved for him in that day, he