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Observe here, 1. The solemn charge which the Holy Ghost by St. Paul gives to Timothy, to teach and press these relative duties of servants towards their masters, with great zeal and affectionate earnestness, These things teach and exhort: as if our apostle had said, "They are duties of great moment, therefore teach and press them earnestly."
Doubtless there is much of the pleasure and will of God in these commands, and the honour and glory of God is much concerned in them, otherwise the Spirit of God had never been so earnest in the pressing of them; the power of holiness in nothing discovers itself more conspicuously than in the performance of relative duties: we are no more really than what we are relatively; relative holiness is the brightest ornament of religion.
Observe, 2. The high character which St. Paul gives of this doctrine, which urges the practice of these relative duties: he calls what he says and writes about it, Wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Learn thence, That the words written by St. Paul in this and his other epistles, are the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, that is, words agreeable to his mind and will, written with an eye to his glory, promoting his honour, correspondent with and suitable to his practice when here on earth.
Observe, 3. The odious character wherewith he brands those false and flattering teachers, which preached contrary doctrine to what Jesus Christ by his apostles had delivered; he charges them with pride, ignorance, envy, strife, railing, evil surmising, and with supposing that gain was godliness; that is, their end in professing godliness was this, that they might make gain of it, and get preferment by it, making use of religion only as a block to take horse: but to make use of religion in policy, for worldly advantage sake, is the way to be damned with a vengeance for religion sake.
Observe lastly, St. Paul's advice to Timothy to withdraw from these men, From such withdraw thyself; hold no communion with them, maintain no disputes with them, for they dote about questions, and strive about words.
Note here, from St. Paul bidding Timothy withdraw himself from them, that it is very evident that he speaks of persons who were then in being, the Gnostic heretics, according to some; the judiazing teachers, in the opinion of others; that is, they of the circumcision, who taught things which they ought not, for filthy lucre sake.
Whoever they were, St. Paul's admonition to Timothy, to withdraw himself from such, teaches us that heretical seducers are to be shunned and avoided, rather than disputed with, as unfit for our Christian communion, and common conversation.