OF THE FIRST EPISTLE OF ST. PAUL TO
T I M O T H Y.
HITHERTO
Paul's epistles were directed to churches; now follow some to
particular persons: two to Timothy, one to Titus, and another to
Philemon--all three ministers. Timothy and Titus were evangelists, an
inferior order to the apostles, as appears by
Ephesians 4:11,
Some prophets, some apostles, some evangelists. Their commission
and work was much the same with that of the apostles, to plant
churches, and water the churches that were planted; and accordingly
they were itinerants, as we find Timothy was. Timothy was first
converted by Paul, and therefore he calls him his own son in the
faith: we read of his conversion,
Acts 16:3.
The scope of these two epistles is to direct Timothy how to discharge
his duty as an evangelist at Ephesus, where he now was, and where Paul
ordered him for some time to reside, to perfect the good work which he
had begun there. As for the ordinary pastoral charge of that church, he
had very solemnly committed it to the presbytery, as appears from
Acts 20:28,
where he charges the presbyters to feed the flock of God, which he
had purchased with his own blood.
Matthew Henry "Verse by Verse Commentary for '1 Timothy' Matthew Henry Bible Commentary".
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