| Douay RheimsDouay-Rheims Bible -- The New Testament was published at Rheims (1582), the Old Testament at Douay (1609). The Douay Rheims served as the main English bible for the Catholic world for centuries. Bishop Challoner updated it extensively mid-18th century. Biblical scholar Rev. George Haydock compiled a Catholic commentary mid-19th century. This text set is from an approved 1914 U.S. printing. | Haydock CommentaryHaydock Catholic Bible Commentary - based on the Douay-Rheims Bible; originally compiled by Catholic priest and biblical scholar Rev. George Leo Haydock (1774-1849). |
| 1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ, by the will of God, according to the promise of life, which is in Christ Jesus. | |
| 2 To Timothy my dearly beloved son, grace, mercy, and peace, from God the Father, and from Christ Jesus our Lord. | |
| 3 I give thanks to God, whom I serve from my forefathers with a pure conscience, that without ceasing, I have a remembrance of thee in my prayers, night and day. | Whom I serve from my forefathers with a pure conscience. That is, have always served and worshipped the one true God, as my forefathers had done, which was true, even when he persecuted the Christians; though this he did not with a pure conscience, but with a false mistaken zeal; and his ignorance could not excuse him, after he might have known Christ. Wi.
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| 4 Desiring to see thee, being mindful of thy tears, that I may be filled with joy, | |
| 5 Calling to mind that faith which is in thee unfeigned, which also dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and in thy mother Eunice, and I am certain that in thee also. | Thy grandmother, Lois. The principal intention S. Paul seems to have had in writing this second epistle to Timothy, was, to comfort him under the many hardships under which he laboured for the faith of Christ. To this end he endeavours first to strengthen his faith, by calling to his mind the example given him in his grandmother, as also in his mother, Eunice. Some likewise think S. Paul is here exhorting Timothy to a desire of martyrdom, in the perfect discharge of his ministry, by his own example; as the same writers think it most probable that he was confined in prison at Rome, or at Laodicea, at the time he wrote this epistle. Dionysius Carthus. — Certain [1] that in thee also. Wi.
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| 6 For which cause I admonish thee, that thou stir up the grace of God which is in thee, by the imposition of my hands. | That thou stir up [2] the grace of God. In the Greek is a metaphor for fire that is blown up again. — Which is in thee by the imposition of my hands, when thou wast ordained bishop. Wi. — The grace, which S. Paul here exhorts Timothy to stir up in him, was the grace he had received by imposition of hands, either in his confirmation, or at receiving the sacrament of orders, being a bishop. This verse seems to shew that the imposition of hands is used in these two sacraments, as the essential matter of the sacraments, being the instrumental cause of the grace therein conferred. Dion. Carthus.
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| 7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear: but of power, and of love, and of sobriety. | Of fear. [3] Of a cowardly fear, and want of courage. — Of sobriety. [4] Though the Protestants here translate of a sound mind, yet they translate the same Greek word by sobriety in divers other places, as Acts xxvi. 25. 1 Tim. ii. 9 and 15. and c. iii. 2. Tit. i. 8. &c. Wi.
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| 8 Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but labour with the gospel, according to the power of God, | Labour with [5] the gospel. That is, labour with me in preaching, &c. Or by the Greek, be partner with me in suffering. Wi.
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| 9 Who hath delivered us and called us by his holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the times of the world. | |
| 10 But is now made manifest by the illumination of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath destroyed death, and hath brought to light life and incorruption by the gospel: | By the illumination of our Saviour. That is, by the bright coming and appearing of our Saviour. Ch.
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| 11 Wherein I am appointed a preacher, and an apostle, and teacher of the Gentiles. | |
| 12 For which cause I also suffer these things: but I am not ashamed. For I know whom I have believed, and I am certain that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him, against that day. | I am certain that he (God) is able to keep that which I have committed to him [6] against that day. That is, to the day of judgment. S. Paul here means that which he had committed, or as it were deposited in the hands of God; to wit, the treasure of an eternal reward, due in some measure to S. Paul for his apostolical labours. This treasure, promised to those that live well, the apostle hopes he has placed and deposited in the hands of God, who will reward him, and repay him at the last day. This is the common interpretation. Wi.
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| 13 Hold the form of sound words, which thou hast heard of me in faith, and in the love which is in Christ Jesus. | |
| 14 Keep the good thing committed to thy trust by the Holy Ghost, who dwelleth in us. | Keep the good (doctrine) deposited or committed[7] in trust to thee. This is different, though the word be the same, from what he spoke of, v. 12. There he mentioned what he had committed and deposited in the hands of God; here he speaks of what God hath committed, and deposited in the hands of Timothy, after it was delivered to him by S. Paul and the other preachers of the gospel: that is, he speaks of the care Timothy must take to preserve the same sound doctrine, and to teach it to others. See 1 Tim. vi. 20. Wi.
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| 15 Thou knowest this, that all they who are in Asia, are turned away from me: of whom are Phigellus and Hermogenes. | All they who are in Asia, are turned away from me. That is, all who are of Asia, or all the Asiatics now at Rome, where I am prisoner, have withdrawn themselves from me, now when I am in danger; but he excepts Onesiphorus, who sought him out, assisted and relieved him in his wants. Wi. — Phigellus, &c. These two, whom S. Paul says were the chief of those in Asia Minor, who had departed from the faith, had become his followers by deceit, in order to become acquainted with the mysteries of religion, taught by him, intending to make use of them, as affording them matter for calumniating him. Dion. Carthus.
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| 16 The Lord give mercy to the house of Onesiphorus: because he hath often refreshed me, and hath not been ashamed of my chain: | Onesiphorus. This person, also an inhabitant of Asia, seems to have supplied S. Paul with necessaries, as well at Rome during his confinement, as at Ephesus. Timothy being with S. Paul at the latter place, knew better the charities of Onesiphorus there than at Rome, at which place he was not eye witness of them. Dion. Carthus.
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| 17 But when he was come to Rome, he carefully sought me, and found me. | |
| 18 The Lord grant unto him to find mercy of the Lord in that day: and in how many things he ministered unto me at Ephesus, thou very well knowest. | |
