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Commentary Index | Return to PrayerRequest.com | DownloadEzekiel, Jonah, and Pastoral Epistles by Patrick Fairbairn - 2 Timothy 1:18 - 1:18
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Ver. 18. May the Lord grant to him that lie may find mercy from the Lord in that day. The repetition of Lord is peculiar—the Lord grant that he may find from the Lord!—but is certainly not to be explained, with some, both in earlier and later times, as having respect in the first case to the Father, and in the second to the Son as the Judge. If such a distinction had been intended to be made, we may be sure it would have been more broadly marked. We may explain it (with Huther, Alford), by regarding the first expression, “May the Lord grant “( äῴç ὁ Êýñéïò ), as so common a formula in such brief requests to Heaven, that the repetition in the second part was not noticed. But Calvin’s seems preferable: “It might be that the vehemence of affection moved Paul to an unnecessary repetition, as is wont to happen.” And he properly adds: “This prayer teaches us how much greater a reward shall await those who, without the hope of any earthly recompense, have done offices of kindness to the saints, than if they had received a present reward from the hand of men.” It is noticeable, also, as he still further remarks, that mercy is the thing prayed for, doubtless because the apostle had respect to the Lord’s own exposition of the law of recompense: “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy;” and again, “Blessed . . . because I was sick and in prison, and ye visited me.” The circumstance that St. Paul asks simply a future blessing for Onesiphorus—mercy of the Lord in that day, the day when all things shall come into judgment—coupled with the other circumstance, that when speaking of the present he twice over names merely the household of Onesiphorus (2Ti_1:16, 2Ti_4:19), has given rise to the inference that Onesiphorus must have already ceased to live. The inference may certainly be regarded as probable, though we can scarcely deem it altogether conclusive. For, possibly, such special mention was made of the household, because Timothy was at the time in their neighbourhood, and the father of the household may have been known to be still absent from them. But the matter is of little moment. More important is the circumstance which the apostle adds respecting this good man, to show that what he did at Rome was no isolated thing, but a following out of the course he was wont to pursue at home: And how many things he ministered at Ephesus, thou knowest very well— âÝëôéïí —literally, better—namely, than I can tell you, or than needs to be told. In these Ephesian ministrations the apostle doubtless shared; but as they are mentioned quite generally, they may justly be regarded as embracing the Christian community there, and its common interests. The A.V. has “ministered unto me” and in the later copies of the Vulgate mihi is inserted, but the earlier and better copies want it; and there is nothing corresponding to it in the Greek.