Thomas Aquinas

Above, he set before Timothy as an example the persecutions which he himself had suffered. And lest he should seem to have passed through such sufferings alone, he shows that they are common to the saints. And first he teaches how the saints suffer here the defects of punishment; second, how the wicked advance through the defect of guilt, at the place "but evil men."

He says therefore: I have endured persecutions, and not only I, but all. "Piously" is taken in two ways: sometimes for the virtue of piety toward divine worship, above in the same place, "having a form of piety"; sometimes for mercy toward one's neighbor, 1 Tim. 4:8: "piety is profitable unto all things." Therefore all who wish to live piously in Christ, etc., that is, wish to observe the worship of the Christian religion. Tit. 2:12: "that we should live soberly, and justly, and piously in this world, etc." And such will suffer persecution, and especially in the primitive Church, when Christ was attacked on every side by Jews and Gentiles. And therefore John 16:2: "the hour comes that whoever kills you will think that he offers a service to God." Matt. 24:9: "you shall be hated by all nations for my name's sake." Likewise all who wish piously, etc., that is, wish through the faith of Christ to keep mercy toward their neighbor, it is necessary that they suffer persecution, and if not from without, yet from within, namely when they suffer with the defects of their neighbors, whose faults and punishments they see. 2 Cor. 11:29: "who is scandalized, and I am not burned? etc." 2 Pet. 2:8: "dwelling among them, who from day to day tormented the just soul with unjust deeds." Ps. 118:158: "I saw the transgressors, and I pined away, etc." Likewise there are other persecutions, which cannot be lacking to all the saints, namely of the flesh, the world, and the Devil: because, as is found in Gal. 5:17, "the flesh lusts against the spirit." Rom. 7:24: "unhappy man that I am, who shall deliver me from the body of this death?" Ps. 33:2: "many are the tribulations of the just."

Then when he says "but evil men," he shows that the wicked fall into worse evils, namely of guilt. He says "evil" in themselves, namely insofar as they cling to sins. Matt. 21:41: "he will destroy the evil men evilly, etc." And "seducers," namely to the harm of their neighbors, insofar as they lead them away from the way of truth, which is common. Rom., last chapter: "by sweet words and blessings they seduce the hearts of the innocent." But these, not content with the evils which they have done, will advance to the worse. Apoc., last chapter: "he who is filthy, let him be filthy still." But against this, above in the same place: "they shall proceed no further." It must be said that those who advance to the worse are permitted by God, or thus: that they advance to the worse from the intention of their malice, which is always toward evil; but according to divine providence they are prevented, lest they be able to fulfill what they began.

Now the wicked advance to the worse in themselves, insofar as they err concerning the truth. Matt. 22:29: "you err, not knowing the Scriptures, nor the power of God." Likewise they err in deed, and in this way all the wicked err. Prov. 14:22: "all who work evil err." Likewise in their neighbors, because they are seducers, whence he says "sending into error," namely by persuading that they can come to the kingdom of heaven through prosperity, against that which is above, 3:12: "those who wish piously, etc." And Is. 3:12: "my people, they who call you blessed, they themselves deceive you."

Then when he says "but you," he warns him to remain in his instruction. And he exhorts him in three ways: namely on the part of the teacher, on the part of Timothy himself, and on the part of the things which he received. He says therefore: "you have followed my doctrine, etc.," as above 3:10: "therefore remain in these things"; Ecclus. 10:4: "if the spirit of one who has power rises up against you, do not leave your place." 1 Cor. 15:58: "be steadfast and immovable." He says therefore "what you have learned, and what has been entrusted to you," because every Christian learns the things that are of faith; and this is saving doctrine. John 6:45: "everyone who has heard from my Father, and has learned, comes to me, etc." But especially the teachings of the faith are entrusted to prelates, insofar as they must dispense them to others. Gal. 2:7: "when they had seen that the Gospel of the uncircumcision was entrusted to me." And why is it necessary to remain? Because I had it from a teacher of knowledge, who could not err. 2 Cor. 13:3: "Christ speaks in me." And therefore remain firmly in these things, knowing from whom you learned, namely from Paul, who learned not from man, nor through man, etc., Gal. 2.

Second, from his own condition. For it is shameful for a man nourished in good from boyhood to fail in old age. Ecclus. 26:27: "he who passes from justice to sin, God has prepared him for the sword." But Timothy was thus nourished. Prov. 22:6: "a young man according to his way, even when he is old he will not depart from it." Whence he says "and because from infancy you have known the sacred letters," which are the letters of the Old Testament, which he learned from infancy, because he was the son of a Jewish woman, Acts 16:1. Whence his mother had him instructed in them. Which is against the Manichean, because the apostle here names the Old Testament "sacred letters," which cannot be understood of the New Testament, because from his infancy he had not been taught the letters of the New Testament.

Third, from the part of the things which he received, and this is the third reason. For if someone has some knowledge in which there is no usefulness, he abandons it, and passes to another. But if the knowledge is very useful, it is foolish to let it go. And first he makes the argument; second he makes it clear, at the place "all Scripture." He says therefore: I say that you have received the sacred letters, which are not to be despised, because they are useful. Is. 48:17: "I am the Lord your God, teaching you useful things." Whence he adds, saying "which can instruct you." John 6:69: "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life." John 5:39: "search the Scriptures, in which you think you have eternal life; they are the ones that bear witness of me." And these letters can instruct you unto salvation; but only through the faith which is in Christ Jesus. Rom. 10:4: "for the end of the law is Christ, unto justice to every one that believes." Heb. 11:6: "for without faith it is impossible to please God."

But he makes the argument clear, saying "all." Where he shows that the sacred letters are the way to salvation. And he sets down three things. For he commends the Scriptures by reason of their principle, by reason of their useful effect, and by reason of their final fruit and advancement. For if you consider its principle, it has a privilege above all others, because the others were handed down through human reason, but sacred Scripture is divine; therefore he says "Scripture divinely inspired." 2 Pet. 1:21: "for prophecy was not brought at any time by the will of man, but the holy men of God spoke, inspired by the Holy Spirit." Job 32:7: "the inspiration of the Almighty gives understanding." But you will say: how is not every other Scripture also divinely inspired, since according to Ambrose, every truth, by whomever it is spoken, is from the Holy Spirit? It must be said that God works something in two ways: namely immediately, as his own work, like miracles; and something through the mediation of lower causes, as natural works, Job 10:8: "your hands, Lord, made me, etc.," which nevertheless come about by the operation of nature. And thus in man he instructs the intellect both immediately through the sacred letters, and mediately through other writings.

The effect of this Scripture is twofold: namely because it teaches to know the truth, and persuades to work justice. John 14:26: "but the Paraclete, the Holy Spirit, will teach," namely the things to be known, "and will suggest" the things to be done. And therefore it is useful for knowing the truth, and it is useful for directing in action. For there is a speculative reason, and there is also a practical reason. And in each of the two, two things are necessary: namely that it know the truth, and that it refute error. For this work is the work of the wise man, namely not to lie, and to refute the one who lies. As to the first he says "it is useful for teaching," namely the truth. Ps. 118:66: "teach me goodness and discipline and knowledge." As to the second he adds "for reproving." Tit. 1:9: "that you may be able to exhort in sound doctrine, and to reprove those who contradict." Likewise as to the practical, two things are necessary: namely that it lead back from evil, and induce to good. Ps. 33:15: "turn away from evil, and do good." As to the first he says "for correcting," which is to correct from evil. Matt. 18:15: "if your brother sins against you, go, and correct him between you and him alone." Job 5:17: "blessed is the man who is corrected by the Lord." As to the second he says "for instructing in justice." And sacred Scripture does all these things. Is. 8:11: "with a strong hand he instructed me, etc." So then the effect of sacred Scripture is fourfold: namely to teach the truth, to refute falsity — as regards the speculative; to snatch away from evil, and to lead to good — as regards the practical.

Its last effect is that it leads men to the perfect. For it does not make good in just any way, but it perfects. Heb. 6:1: "let us be carried on to perfection." And therefore he says "that the man of God may be perfect," because a man cannot be perfect, unless he be a man of God. For that is perfect to which nothing is lacking. Then therefore a man is perfect, when he is instructed, that is, prepared, unto every good work, not only unto those things which are of the necessity of salvation, but also unto those which are of supererogation. Gal., last chapter: "but doing good, let us not fail."