As I desired thee to remain at Ephesus when I went into Macedonia, that thou mightest charge some not to teach otherwise,

“Let not those who seem worthy of credit, but teach strange doctrines, fill thee with apprehension. Stand firm, as does an anvil which is beaten. It is the part of a noble athlete to be wounded, and yet to conquer. And especially, we ought to bear all things for the sake of God, that He also may bear with us. Be ever becoming more zealous than what thou art. Weigh carefully the times. Look for Him who is above all time, eternal and invisible, yet who became visible for our sakes; impalpable and impassible, yet who became passible on our account; and who in every kind of way suffered for our sakes.”

“Paul's fellow workers and fellow soldiers, as he himself called them, numbered many thousands, the majority of whom he considered worthy of an everlasting memorial, for he has made his testimony to them enduring in his own letters. Moreover, Luke also, as he lists those known to him, makes mention of them by name. So Timothy is recorded as the first one called to oversee the church of Ephesus, just as Titus was for the churches in Crete.”

“"As I besought thee to abide still at Ephesus, when I went into Macedonia." Observe the gentleness of the expression, more like that of a servant than of a master. For he does not say "I commanded," or "bade" or even "exhorted," but "I besought thee." But this tone is not for all: only meek and virtuous disciples are to be treated thus. The corrupt and insincere are to be dealt with in a different manner, as Paul himself elsewhere directs, "Rebuke them with all authority" (Tit. ii. 15); and here he says "charge," not "beseech," but "charge some that they teach no other doctrine." What means this? That Paul's Epistle which he sent them was not sufficient? Nay, it was sufficient; but men are apt sometimes to slight Epistles, or perhaps this may have been before the Epistles were written. He had himself passed some time in that city. There was the temple of Diana, and there he had been exposed to those great sufferings. For after the assembly in the Theater had been dissolved, and he had called to him and exhorted the disciples, he found it necessary to sail away, though afterwards he returned to them. It were worth enquiry, whether he stationed Timothy there at that time. For he says, that "thou mightest charge some that they teach no other doctrine": he does not mention the persons by name, that he might not, by the openness of his rebuke, render them more shameless. There were in that city certain false Apostles of the Jews, who wished to oblige the faithful to observe the Jewish law. This is meant by "teaching another doctrine."”

“Here begins the epistolary narrative. And this epistle is, as it were, a pastoral rule, which the Apostle hands down to Timothy, instructing him concerning all things that pertain to the governance of prelates, and in that order in which the intention ought to proceed. First, therefore, he instructs him concerning spiritual things to be ministered; second, concerning temporal things, in chapter IV, where it says "but the Spirit." Again, it pertains to a prelate, first, that he teach concerning the form of faith, lest the faith of his subjects be corrupted. Lk. 22:32: "I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not, and thou, being once converted, confirm thy brethren." Second, that he instruct them concerning the things pertaining to the worship of God, which cannot be, unless the faith be right. Therefore he first instructs concerning faith; second, concerning the worship of God, in chapter II, where it says "I beseech therefore"; third, he treats of the institution of offices, in chapter III, where it says "a faithful saying." Now it must be known that in the primitive Church there was a dangerous error of certain men saying that the observances of the law ought to be kept together with the Gospel, which the Apostle excludes, first by showing the condition of the law; second, he proves it by an experiment in himself, where it says "I give thanks." Concerning the first he does three things: first he shows what is to be repudiated concerning the law; second, what is to be accepted in it, where it says "now the end of the commandment"; third, he concludes as to the condition of the law, where it says "but we know that." Now what is to be repudiated in the law is what others wrongly added, not what was given by God, except now according to a carnal understanding; and first he teaches that false fables and traditions are to be repudiated; second, he assigns the reason, where it says "which questions." He says therefore: I say what you must do, just as I asked you, although I could command. Ecclus. 32:1: "Have they made thee ruler? Be not lifted up, be among them as one of them." "That thou shouldst charge some." Or otherwise: two things pertain to a prelate, that he restrain those who teach false things. And therefore he says "that they teach not otherwise." Gal. 1:9: "If any one preach a gospel to you besides that which you have received, let him be anathema." Deut. 4:2: "You shall not add to the word which I speak to you, neither shall you take away from it." Second, that if it should happen that some teach false things, he prohibit the people from giving heed to them; hence he says "nor give heed to fables and endless genealogies." Now there were certain heretics who, detesting the old testament, expounded that the Apostle himself repudiated it, mocking its histories, saying "fables and endless genealogies," etc. Against this Augustine says that the Apostle makes use of the histories and genealogies of the old testament. Gal. 4:22: "Abraham had two sons," etc. If therefore he reproved it, he would not make use of them. He says therefore "fables," meaning not the law given in writing, but by mouth, namely the Talmud: not what Moses handed down by mouth, but what others added, such as foolish fables — namely, that Adam had another wife, from whom they say demons were born. Matt. 15:6: "You have made void the commandment of God for your tradition." 2 Tim. 4:4: "and they will be turned unto fables." The reason for this is that they furnish "questions," that is, contentions. 2 Tim. 2:14: "contend not in words." Prov. 20:3: "It is an honor for a man to separate himself from contentions" — rather than the edification of God, which is in faith, namely when someone is confirmed in the truth of faith, to which all doctrine ought to tend. Then when he says "now the end," he shows what is to be held concerning the law. And concerning this he does two things: first he shows this; second, that there is danger for those who do not hold this, where it says "from which some," etc. Concerning the first it must be known that the old law is called the law of commandments, because it is contained in commands and precepts. Eph. 2:15: "making void the law of commandments by decrees." That, therefore, to which all the commandments of the law are ordered is especially to be held; and this is charity. Matt. 22:37: "Thou shalt love thy God with thy whole heart," etc.; and a little after: "on these two commandments the whole law depends, and the prophets." But how is charity the end of the commandment? To know this, two things must be considered. First, that all the precepts of the law concern acts of the virtues, and that through all the acts of the virtues one man is ordered to another. Second, that the object of one virtue is the end of another, because whenever one power is concerned with some end, all the things that belong to it are ordered to that end, as to their end; just as the bridle-making art is ordered to the equestrian art, because the office of the equestrian art is its end, and this in turn to the general's art. Now the theological virtues have the ultimate end as their object; but the others are concerned with the things that are ordered to the end. All the virtues, therefore, regard the theological virtues as their end. But among the theological virtues, that one has more of the character of an end which stands nearer to the ultimate end. Now faith shows him, hope makes one tend toward him, charity unites. Therefore all are ordered to charity, and thus charity is called the end of the precepts. But since the things that are ordered to the end dispose to the end, and the precepts are ordered to charity, therefore they dispose to it. Therefore he says "from a pure heart." For, to this end that the heart be pure, the precepts of the virtues are given, of which some are ordered to the manner of rectifying the passions — of which virtues, namely, the passions are the matter, as temperance, which orders concupiscence; meekness, anger; fortitude, fears and boldness. Now through these passions the purity of the heart is disturbed, and therefore these virtues make the heart pure. But is this required for charity? I respond. It must be said that it is, because it is impossible that an impure heart be prompt to charity, since to each thing that is lovable which is conformed to it. An impure heart loves that which suits it according to passion; therefore it is necessary that it be set free from the passions. Cant. 1:3: "the upright love thee." There are other virtues which rectify man toward his neighbor, and from this it follows that he has a good conscience, because he does not do to another what he does not wish to be done to himself. Matt. 7:12: "All things therefore whatsoever you would that men should do to you, do you also to them." And therefore the things that are against one's neighbor are against conscience. Hence he says "and a good conscience." He, therefore, who does not have a good conscience cannot love God purely, because he who does not have a good conscience fears punishment. But fear is not in charity, but flees God, and is not united to him. And therefore the precepts which rectify conscience well dispose one to charity. There are other virtues for having true faith, namely, the virtues by which we worship God, namely those of latria and the like, which are ordered to removing errors, and to confirming in hearts the firmness of faith concerning God. For those who do not have true faith cannot love God, because he who believes falsely concerning God no longer loves God. For he who does not believe does not love, because affection is not fixed except on that which the intellect shows. And therefore the things that produce true faith are ordered to charity. And therefore he says "from a pure heart," because they produce this. Matt. 5:8: "Blessed are the clean of heart, for they shall see God." "And a good conscience." 2 Cor. 1:12: "our glory is this, the testimony of our conscience." "And faith unfeigned," that is, true. And therefore the virtues and precepts are ordered to the end which is charity, which is taken according to these three, etc.”

“As I besought thee to abide, still at Ephesus,.... Where it seems he now was, being left here by the apostle, and where he was desired by him to continue: when I went into Macedonia; not when he went his first journey there, for Timothy was then along with him, Act 16:3 and so he seems to be in his journey through it, in Act 20:3. It may be this may refer to a journey which Luke has given no account of: that thou mightest charge some, that they teach no other doctrine; than the doctrine of Christ and his apostles; than what had been preached by the apostle at Ephesus, and the saints there had received; than what was agreeably to the Scriptures of truth, and was according to godliness; for all other doctrines must be divers and strange ones: nor would he have them teach in another way, in new words, but hold fast the form of sound words; for new words often produce new doctrines: the apostle perhaps by other doctrine chiefly respects the doctrine of justification by the works of the law. It seems as if there were some teachers in this place the apostle was suspicious of, or he had heard that they began to innovate in the doctrine of faith; wherefore he desires Timothy to continue a while, in order to be a check on these persons, and to charge them not to introduce any new doctrine; for it was only "some", and not all that taught there, he was so to charge. Some refer this to hearers; and render, the words, "that they follow no other doctrine"; but it seems best to understand it of teachers; the Syriac and Arabic versions render the words as we do.”

“I besought thee - The apostle had seen that a bad seed had been sown in the Church; and, as he was obliged to go then into Macedonia, he wished Timothy, on whose prudence, piety, and soundness in the faith he could depend, to stay behind and prevent the spreading of a doctrine that would have been pernicious to the people's souls. I have already supposed that this epistle was written after Paul had been delivered from his first imprisonment at Rome, about the end of the year 64, or the beginning of 65. See the preface. When, therefore, the apostle came from Rome into Asia, he no doubt visited Ephesus, where, ten years before, he had planted a Christian Church, and, as he had not time to tarry then, he left Timothy to correct abuses. That thou mightest charge some - He does not name any persons; the Judaizing teachers are generally supposed to be those intended; and the term τισι, some, certain persons, which he uses, is expressive of high disapprobation, and at the same time of delicacy: they were not apostles, nor apostolic men; but they were undoubtedly members of the Church at Ephesus, and might yet be reclaimed.”

“Not to teach otherwise; [2] i.e. than what I taught them. (Witham) — The distinctive mark of a heretic, is the teaching differently from that which they found generally taught and believed in the unity of the Catholic Church before their time. The Greek word admirably expresses this; eterodidaskalein . Had Luther and the other original reformers attended to this, the peace of the Church would not have been so disturbed.”

“Timothy's superintendence of the Church at Ephesus was as locum tenens for the apostle, and so was temporary. Thus, the office of superintending overseer, needed for a time at Ephesus or Crete, in the absence of the presiding apostle, subsequently became a permanent institution on the removal, by death, of the apostles who heretofore superintended the churches. The first title of these overseers seems to have been "angels" (Rev 1:20). As I besought thee to abide still--He meant to have added, "so I still beseech thee," but does not complete the sentence until he does so virtually, not formally, at Ti1 1:18. at Ephesus--Paul, in Act 20:25, declared to the Ephesian elders, "I know that ye all shall see my face no more." If, then, as the balance of arguments seems to favor (see Introduction), this Epistle was written subsequently to Paul's first imprisonment, the apparent discrepancy between his prophecy and the event may be reconciled by considering that the terms of the former were not that he should never visit Ephesus again (which this verse implies he did), but that they all should "see his face no more." I cannot think with BIRKS, that this verse is compatible with his theory, that Paul did not actually visit Ephesus, though in its immediate neighborhood (compare Ti1 3:14; Ti1 4:13). The corresponding conjunction to "as" is not given, the sentence not being completed till it is virtually so at Ti1 1:18. I besought--a mild word, instead of authoritative command, to Timothy, as a fellow helper. some--The indefinite pronoun is slightly contemptuous as to them (Gal 2:12; Jde 1:4), [ELLICOTT]. teach no other doctrine--than what I have taught (Gal 1:6-9). His prophetic bodings some years before (Act 20:29-30) were now being realized (compare Ti1 6:3).”