The subject of this epistle is the house of God — the Saviour God: conduct that is suited thereto in relation to the mystery of piety conserved therein (1 Tim. 3:16). The maintenance of Ephesian doctrine is enjoined, yet is not the subject of the epistle. Fables, other doctrines, and genealogies are warned against as inimical to "God's dispensation which is in faith." God is our Saviour in the epistle, the Lord Jesus Christ our hope, Who will bring to pass at His appearing all that piety looks for and maintains meantime in faith. The law, while fully owned in its authority and proper application (it is not for a righteous man) is risen above as the standard of morality by "The Gospel of the glory of the blessed God;" God rising up in the blessedness of His own nature, and Being, in His Son above all the wickedness of man, and bringing in thereby salvation for all; a remarkable expression. What is therefore looked for is, "love out of a pure heart and a good conscience and unfeigned faith," which the sticklers for law "missed." Certainly the law saved no one. What, then, had saved Paul, erstwhile a blasphemer and persecutor and insolent overbearing man? "The grace of our Lord" overabounding towards him "with faith and love, which is in Christ Jesus:" — a totally new moral being the law could never (nor was it proposed that it should) supply. Truly, "Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners," the only hope for any and every other poor sinner. Glorious word! "Life eternal" is the issue for those who believe in Him.
"Now to the King of the ages, the incorruptible, invisible, only God, honour and glory to the ages of ages. Amen."
Timothy is to enjoin these things, warring the good warfare, maintaining faith and a good conscience. This according to the faith; and then that which is inseparable and necessarily connected with it, as having to do with GOD, — "a good conscience." Some had cast this latter away, and made shipwreck of faith and become blasphemers: that is, the very opposite of the piety enjoined here throughout.
Thus we have, so to speak, the material of the house of God: the product of the Gospel of the glory of the blessed God, sinners saved by the grace of the Lord, by the Christ Jesus Who came into the world to save such. Now we have the first functioning of the house of God; "Supplications, prayers, intercessions, thanksgivings … for all men" (1 Tim. 2:1); "confiding intercourse with God on the part of one able to approach Him" (see note in N. Tr.). This is the Christian's position, through grace. This intercourse, then, with God, is on behalf of "all men; for kings and all that are in dignity, that we (Christians) may lead a quiet and tranquil life in all piety and gravity." Note the word, "Kings and all that are in dignity;" not here "The King," for the house of God is universal in its bearing; nor is it "authority" as elsewhere, but "dignity." But this being secured, "all men" are prayed for. What for? That they might "be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth." Let us remember this: saved right out of the overwhelming judgments which await this guilty world, saved for Christ's glorious appearing and eternal glory. But let us pause a moment and consider the position in which this places the assembly as the house of God.
We may be assured that, while holding His hands over all things, even the poor brute creation, God's interest today on the earth is His assembly. Do we enter in upon His thoughts and, as we should also, for all men for salvation? Men out of Christ are viewed in Scripture as "senseless" (1 Peter 2:15); the great monarchies, established on earth, after God had taken His throne from the earth in His just rejection of Israel, are, in Daniel, likened to four ravenous beasts. It is indeed true that He gave this universal dominion to Nebuchadnezzar, the rest receiving it through Babylon the first, but He became known under the title of "The God of the heavens" (Dan. 2:37). Israel once had the "Ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth," and God will establish His title thus in the latter day. God's house will be a "House of prayer for all nations" (Matt. 21:13; Isa.56:7); but where is God's house today, His house of prayer? Where shall intelligent utterance be made before Him in His house for kings, etc., for all men? In the assembly, formed by the descent of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost! Has God abandoned His thought in this? Impossible! The assembly, a thing wholly apart from this world, in the very constitution of it, as we have seen in the first chapter of this epistle; meddling with nothing in it, its politics, its social institutions or national interests; but set in confiding intimacy with God. Prayer is made there and God orders the affairs of the world in favour of His people, even Christians, that they may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. For 'men' the prayer is made there, and God answers in saving men right clean out of this world and all its interests; likewise, for heaven and His eternal purpose. It has truly been said that the church is the seat of the power of God in the world. Are we up to our place and privilege is the question? Have we given it up by our earthly-mindedness and worldliness? All is ruin indeed, but this in no wise hinders "Men praying in every place, lifting up pious hands, without wrath or reasoning," as we shall see. But let us revert to our immediate Scripture.
"For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus, Who gave Himself a ransom for all, the testimony to be rendered in its own times (1 Tim. 2:5-6). Now Israel had the truth of the one, true, invisible. Jehovah. Maker of heaven and earth: not revealed indeed, but truly such. Further, the mediator, Moses, was between that same Jehovah and His people, and there was no ministry. But now, God is revealed, the Mediator established between Him and men (not just Israel), and there is a ministry towards all men, spoken of here only as far as Paul being "appointed a herald and apostle, a teacher of the nations in faith and truth" (1 Tim. 2:7). The gifts for ministry are not otherwise spoken of in this Epistle. To conceive of God's house today therefore, after the pattern of what was established in Israel, is to miss the mark altogether, and to lapse to the narrow ground of an unrevealed God: no Mediator, and an unevangelical ministry: unevangelical and inoperative, as the blessed Lord plainly shows in the parable of the Good Samaritan in Luke 10 Levitical ministry does not concern "all men," which can be the only true scope of God revealed. "In Him (the Word) was life, and the life was the light of men" (John 1:4). "The true light was that which, coming into the world lightens (or is light to) every man" (John 1:9). Christ, in the rejection of Him by Israel, becomes the light of the nations, God's salvation to the ends of the earth (Isa. 49). Nothing can be of more importance than this, whether as to the functioning of the house of God in prayer, etc., as we have seen, or in direct ministry, however much but "a little strength" (Rev. 3:8) may cause us to act circumspectly as to this. The responsibility however remains, and he who restricts it flies in the face of Scripture, and damages his own soul; not to speak of the account to be given at the judgment seat of the Christ (2 Cor. 5:10).
How, now then, does the house of God function? Let 1 Tim. 2:8 answer:" I will therefore that the men pray in every place, lifting up pious hands, without wrath or reasoning." It is no question of our being convened therefore; still less is it a matter of a building, but" men everywhere." We can function in the street (in lifting up the heart anyway) or elsewhere. But may we not remember the precious Saviour here," Who in the days of His flesh, having offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto Him that was able to save Him from death, and was heard in that He feared" (or "for His piety") (Heb. 5:7). And this really introduces the "mystery of piety", in Him of whom it speaks. Piety — pious hands (compare Ps. 134:2) lifted up, are here called for; piety in the woman, in dress, etc., in the end of this chapter. Suited qualifications and piety in both the "bishop" or "overseer" and "deacon" and their wives, in the third chapter, because the house of God, in which they exercise their local office, is "The assembly of the living God, the pillar and base of the truth," of the mystery of piety. If the house of God supports and displays this mystery, of necessity every one composing it, or in office in it, must bear that self-same character. And what is this mystery of piety? "God has been manifested in flesh, has been justified in the Spirit has appeared to angels, has been preached among the nations, has been believed on in the world, has been received up in glory" (1 Tim. 3:16).
What words are these! Of old, the seraphim (holy burners) covered their faces and feet in the presence of Him whom we now know in this mystery as the lowly Jesus. With what reverence do we need to regard Him. The burning bush of Exodus 3, the flaming fire and Shekinah glory; and Oh, how much more lie so far hidden, save as the "Godhead glory shone through the human veil" of necessity, which enables us to gaze in adoration unrestrained and unrebuked, as the very life and joy, eternal joy of our souls. God is there, the "I AM," the eternal Son of the Father. But this passage is not a setting forth of His Person, but one cannot but speak thus as in the presence of Him who has thus met us in our sins, and from Simon's house (Luke 7) to the Father's house on high, fills every nook and cranny with an inestimable glory; yet suited always and everywhere to the deepest need of the sinner, of the saint, and utterly beyond his highest aspirations. Jesus, the Lamb of God, our own precious Saviour: glory be to God eternally in the church in Him! "Confessedly great" is this mystery: "Justified in the Spirit." Who has been so justified? Who is here presented? "God and Man, One Christ," as has been truly said. Nothing else suits the sense here, or fits with the statements which follow. Everything then this blessed Person said and did — words and works — received the sanction of the Spirit. He is declared Son now, in power and resurrection, but it is "according to the Spirit of holiness" (Rom. 1:4): object of the highest created intelligences in the heavens; preached among the nations; believed on in the world (our precious and only link here, however the Spirit may seal it); received up in glory. God indeed has come down; and Man has gone up in Him, eternally ONE. "Confessedly great" is this mystery. But it is the "Mystery of piety:" hence all that precedes and follows. We have now briefly to deal with the apostasy from this, and with the provision for these "latter times."
The opposition is a false piety. Things good, and to be received and enjoyed by the faithful, are declared by the seducing spirit necessary to be abstained from. We receive them by the word of God, not in mere nature, where all is indeed fallen through Adam. Received thus, and in free and happy intercourse with God, they are for our enjoyment: this is of all importance. (But see too, in the previous chapter, how the order of creation is maintained, in the creation of the man and the woman; and then provision made for the fallen condition of things then obtaining: yet again God's sure promise to those who "continue in faith and love and holiness with discretion" 1 Tim. 4:12-15). Laying these things before the brethren, Timothy would be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished with the words of faith and good teaching, which he had fully followed up. The rest of the directions to Timothy are of like character. Further, his directions as to behaviour with his brethren; then as to widows, who were to be ministered to; all referring back to this same mystery of piety; then as to bondmen, etc.: all sound words, words of our Lord Jesus Christ.
But it had not been our intention to enter upon the details of the epistle. Let it suffice therefore if we pass on to the end of 1 Tim. 6, Timothy is to lay hold of eternal life; the rich on what is really life, because riches seem to give what only can be found in eternal life; "A feast is made for laughter, and wine maketh merry: but money answereth all things" (Eccles. 10:19). In this passing scene eternal life needs to be "laid hold of." All else soon will pass. But God is about, to introduce the appearing of our Lord Jesus, which will give effect to all that faith and piety have looked for, and bring in through all, things that have been preserved in the meantime. "God Who holdeth all things in life." It is not merely as Israel, who say, "He holdeth our soul in life, and suffereth not our feet to be moved" (Ps. 66:9). This will doubtless bring them through to the fulness of their blessing. Here it is "all things." It would surely embrace the creature, of which it is said, "For thy pleasure they are and were created;" but it could not be restricted to this. The appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ will bring to full fruition and display the whole harvest of glory, which the God of glory has destined in the ages. We are those upon whom the end of the ages have fallen." Now the "good confession" is just the acknowledgment of this supreme authority, which even enabled Pilate to judge the Saviour, "The Lord of glory" indeed (1 Cor. 2). This, He confessed. Well, God will show His appearing. And who now is He, here spoken of, who will do so? "The blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords; who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be honour and power everlasting. Amen." Elsewhere, the Saviour is described as King of kings and Lord of lords (Rev. 19:16), but here it is One dwelling in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen, nor is able to see, who is spoken of as showing the Saviour's appearing. What, indeed, will that appearing be? Let us pause here for a moment. Here is One spoken of as dwelling in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen, nor is able to see. How this impresses the gravity also of the revelation vouchsafed to us in Christ. God is alone revealed to us in Trinity, as we speak: The Father, The Son, and The Holy Spirit. Three Persons, but One God. That revelation has been made to us in the Person of the Son, co-equal, co-eternal, with the Father and the Spirit. If we have the Son, we have all: all the fulness (of the Godhead) dwelt, and dwells in Him (Col. 1:19:2: 9). "No one has seen God at any time; the only-begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father. He has declared Him" (John 1:18). This revelation in the Son is our present and eternal joy: outside it there is no revelation of God; and, as we have seen, God, otherwise unknown, dwells in unapproachable light, whom no man hath seen, nor is able to see. The thought or desire to so know Him would be but a fallen nature seeking to exalt itself out of creature place, as Adam under the tempting of the serpent. The renewed nature we have, taught of God, shrinks from the bare idea, and clings to the faithful word and the mighty grace which have been vouchsafed to us. In the SON we have all, and infinitely more, than the creature can conceive, now, and for ever. The Father's glory will soon all shine forth in Him: glory be to God.
How blessedly does this epistle, in its doctrine, stand suspended (so to speak) between these two mighty statements of ascriptions of praise in 1 Tim. 1:17, and here 1 Tim. 6:15-16.
The epistle concludes with, "O Timotheus, keep the entrusted deposit, avoiding profane, vain babblings, and oppositions of false-named knowledge, of which some having made profession, have missed the faith. Grace be with thee." C. N. Snow.