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1Ti_1:18. Paul again addresses himself to Timothy direct.
ταύτην τὴν παραγγελίαν ] cannot be referred back to ἵνα παραγγείλῃς in 1Ti_1:3 (Otto), because there he was speaking of a παραγγελία which Timothy was to receive, here he is speaking of a παραγγελία to which Timothy was to give heed. Nor can it be referred to καθὼς παρεκάλεσά σε (Plitt), since that denotes only a special commission, to which there is here no allusion. Some have therefore joined ταύτην immediately with the following ἵνα , and taken ἵνα as introducing the object (so Chrysostom and Theophylact, Matthies, de Wette, Wiesinger, van Oosterzee; also in this commentary; comp. Winer, pp. 314 f. [E. T. p. 422]). This construction, however, is opposed by the order of the words; after the verb and the parenthesis κατὰ τὰς κ . τ . λ ., we no longer expect an expansion of the thought contained in ταύτην τ . παρ .[73] The only course remaining is to agree with Hofmann in referring ταύτ . τ . παραγγ . back to τῆς παραγγελίας in 1Ti_1:5; not, however, agreeing with him in interpreting the word here, “the Christian teaching,” but taking it in the same sense in both places.
παρατίθεμαί σοι ] comp. 2Ti_2:2. The verb is here explained by most expositors, against usage, as equivalent to “lay to heart” (Luther: “order,” in the sense of “recommend to”). Otto, and following him Hofmann, took it in the sense of “give something into one’s charge” which meaning is possible, but not imperative. In itself the word means “bring something before one,” and is defined more precisely by its context, i.e. the purpose of bringing before is not contained in the word itself. Παρατίθεσθαι παραγγελίαν may therefore quite well mean: propose a command to one, viz. that he may act in accordance with it.[74]
ΤΈΚΝΟΝ ΤΙΜ .] see 1Ti_1:1.
ΚΑΤᾺ ΤᾺς ΠΡΟΑΓΟΎΣΑς ἘΠῚ ΣῈ ΠΡΟΦΗΤΕΊΑς ] Before giving the command itself, Paul inserts these words to add force to his exhortation; for they are not (as some expositors, Oecumenius, Heumann, Flatt, wish) to be placed after ἽΝΑ in sense, but to be joined with ΠΑΡΑΤΊΘΕΜΑΙ .
ΚΑΤΆ , “in conformity with” not “justified and occasioned by.”
προαγούσας stands here quite absolutely, with the same meaning as in Heb_7:18 : ἈΘΈΤΗΣΙς … ΓΊΝΕΤΑΙ ΠΡΟΑΓΟΎΣΗς ἘΝΤΟΛῆς , “the law that preceded;”[75] the ΠΡΟΑΓ . ΠΡΟΦΗΤ . are accordingly “the promises that preceded.” Matthies is wrong in explaining προάγουσα in connection with ἘΠῚ ΣΈ , as equivalent to “leading towards thee,” i.e. “pointing or aiming towards thee.” This meaning προάγειν never has; as a transitive verb it certainly means: “lead forward to any one;” but this is manifestly a different idea from that which Matthies ascribes to it. Otto explains it: “the prophecies that guide to thee,” making appeal to Xenophon, Memorab. iv. 1, in which passage Kühner paraphrases προάγειν by viam monstrare. In this case we should have to understand it: those among the prophecies that showed others the way leading to Timothy, a statement clearly without meaning. It is, however, altogether arbitrary when Otto defines the prophecies more precisely as those that led to Timothy’s ordination, or occasioned it.
ἐπὶ σέ ] is not to be connected with ΠΡΟΑΓΟΎΣΑς , but with ΠΡΟΦΗΤΕΊΑς , as Luther rightly translates it: “according to the former prophecies regarding thee;” or de Wette: “in accordance with the preceding prophecies on thee” (so, too, Wiesinger, van Oosterzee, Plitt, Hofmann). On the other hand, the translation: “vaticinia olim de te praenuntiata” (Heydenreich), is inaccurate. ΑἹ ἘΠῚ ΣῈ ΠΡΟΦ . are: the prophecies (expressed) over thee (the peculiar meaning of ἘΠΊ as descending to something should not be overlooked); while ΠΡΟΑΓ . describes these as preceding Timothy’s apostleship.[76]
ΠΡΟΦΗΤΕΊΑς ] Chrysostom: ΤῸ Τῆς ΔΙΔΑΣΚΑΛΊΑς ΚΑῚ ἹΕΡΩΣΎΝΗς ἈΞΊΩΜΑ , ΜΈΓΑ ὌΝ , Τῆς ΤΟῦ ΘΕΟῦ ΔΕῖΤΑΙ ΨΉΦΟΥ … ΔΙᾺ ΤῸ ΠΑΛΑΙῸΝ ἈΠῸ Τῆς ΠΡΟΦΗΤΕΊΑς ΓΊΝΟΝΤΑΙ ΟἹ ἹΕΡΕῖς , ΤΟΥΤΈΣΤΙ ἈΠΌ ΠΝΕΎΜΑΤΟς ἉΓΊΟΥ . ΟὝΤΩς Ὁ ΤΙΜ . ᾙΡΈΘΗ . This is wrong, simply because Timothy’s office was not a priestly one. It is quite arbitrary to translate ΠΡΟΦΗΤΕῖΑΙ by: “doctrines, exhortations,” or “hopes,” or “good testimonies” (Heinrichs: “by means of the good hope and expectation which every one cherished regarding thee”). ΠΡΟΦΗΤΕῖΑΙ here, as always, are utterances proceeding from the Holy Spirit, whatever be their contents or their occasion; here it is most natural to think of prophecies made when the ἘΠΊΘΕΣΙς ΤῶΝ ΧΕΙΡῶΝ ΤΟῦ ΠΡΕΣΒΥΤΕΡΊΟΥ (chap. 1Ti_4:14) was imparted to Timothy and made regarding his worthy discharge of the office (Wiesinger).[77]
ἽΝΑ ΣΤΡΑΤΕΎῌ ἘΝ ΑὐΤΑῖς ΤῊΝ ΚΑΛῊΝ ΣΤΡΑΤΕΊΑΝ ] Purpose of the ΠΑΡΑΤΊΘΕΜΑΊ ΣΟΙ . ΣΤΡΑΤΕΊΑ (elsewhere only in 2Co_10:4) is frequently translated inaccurately by “fight;” Luther is more correct: “that thou mayest exercise in it a good knighthood.” Στρατεία denotes the entire warfare; the only thing wrong in Luther’s translation is the indefinite article. Though the Christian calling is not seldom described as a warfare, yet here the word is used specially of Timothy’s office, in which he had to contend against the ἙΤΕΡΟΔΙΔΑΣΚΑΛΟῦΝΤΕς (1Ti_1:3 ff.).[78] De Wette inaccurately explains it: “that thou conduct thyself worthily and bravely in the discharge of thy evangelic duty;” as if the words were: ἽΝΑ ΚΑΛῶς ΣΤΡΑΤ . ΤῊΝ ΣΤΡΑΤΕΊΑΝ . The chief accent rests on ἘΝ ΑὐΤΑῖς , not on ΚΑΛΉΝ ; the ΣΤΡΑΤΕΊΑ assigned to Timothy is in itself ΚΑΛΉ , quite apart from his behaviour in it.
ἘΝ ΑὐΤΑῖς ] According to Matthies, Winer (p. 362 [E. T. p. 484]), Wiesinger, Otto, and others, Paul conceives the ΠΡΟΦΗΤΕῖΑΙ , as an armour round Timothy: “as though equipped with them;” it might, however, be more natural to translate: “within them,” i.e. in their limits, not exceeding them. The interpretation: in accordance with them (van Oosterzee, Hofmann: “the prophecies are to be regarded as a rule of conduct”), is against the usage of the N. T.
[73] Hofmann wrongly maintains that this construction is impossible in point of language and in point of fact: “in point of language, because παρατίθεσθαι does not mean lay to heart, but propose, and a command is not proposed (why not?); in point of fact, because what he calls τὰς προαγούσας ἐπί σε cannot furnish any standard for the apostle’s injunction to Timothy to discharge his office well” (why not?).
[74] In Mat_13:24; Mat_13:31, it is joined with παραβολήν ; it is used of setting forth a doctrine in Act_17:3; it is chiefly used of setting forth food, as in the N. T. Mar_8:7; Luk_9:16; Luk_10:8; Luk_11:6; it has the sense of “committing to the care of” in Luk_12:48.
[75] Comp. Lünemann and Delitzsch on the passage. Otto is wrong in asserting that προάγειν is never used of priority of time. While it occurs more frequently in the sense of “precede some one,” it has in other passages of the N. T. (e.g. Mat_26:32; Mar_6:45) the meaning practically of “go before some one in any direction whatever,” the notion of space manifestly passing into that of time. In the passage in Hebrews, Otto thinks that προάγουσα ought to mean: “driving forward from one election of high priest to another” (!).
[76] In taking the words thus: αἱ ἐπὶ σὲ προφητεῖαι , there is not, as Otto maintains, a change of order not occurring in Greek; comp. 2Co_8:2 : ἡ κατὰ βάθους πτωχεία αὐτῶν . It is also wrong to say that the prepositional clause must flow from the substantive, and that περί , therefore, should stand here for ἐπί . In the passage quoted, κατά manifestly does not flow from the idea of the substantive πτωχεία .
[77] According to Hofmann, they were prophecies “which had promised to Paul that Timothy would be a true servant of the gospel, and had confirmed him in his choice when he assumed Timothy as his colleague in the apostleship.”
[78] Manifestly Paul here returns to vv. 3 ff., and so far gives reason for saying that here “we have not in form but in substance” the apodosis which was wanting before (Wiesinger).