(to) De Wette maintains that the injunction in ch. v:23, is so much beneath the dignity of an Apostle, that we cannot suppose it to have pro ceeded from such a writer as Paul. But what is there in such an injunction less dignified than in many injunctions of an equally familiar na ture scattered through Paul's epistles? And in what is it incompatible with the apostolic char acter that one sustaining it should enjoin upon a young zealous, and active preacher, whom he es teemed as his own son, a careful regard to his health; the more especially when, by acting as is here enjoined, he would vindicate Christian lib erty from those ascetic restraints by which the false teachers sought to bind it.
2. Objections to Pauline Authorship of Second Epistle. Such are the principal objections which have of late been urged against the Pauline authorship of the first epistle to Timothy. Let us now turn to glance with equal brevity at those which have been urged against the second. Of these the most weighty are founded on the as sumption that this epistle must be viewed as writ ten during the Apostle's first imprisonment at Rome; and as, for reasons to be subsequently stated, we do not regard this assumption as ten able, it will not be necessary to occupy space with any remarks upon them. \Ve may leave un noticed also those objections to this epistle which are mere repetitions of those urged against the first, and which admit of similar replies.
(1) Reference to Persecutions. In ch. iii:II, the writer enumerates a series of persecutions and afflictions which befell him at Antioch, Icon him, and Lystra, of which he says Timothy knew. Would Paul, it is asked in making such an enu meration, have committed the mistake of referring to persecutions which he had endured before his connection with Timothy, and have said nothing of those which he endured subsequently, and of which Timothy must have known. whilst of the former he milt be ignorant ? But there is no mistake in the matter. Paul has occasion to refer to theknowledge Titnothy had of his sufferings for the Gospel. Of these some had occurred before Timothy's connection with him, whilst others had occurred while Timothy was his companion and fellow-sufferer. Of the latter, therefore, Paul makes no specific mention, feeling that to be unnecessary; but of the former, of which Tim othy could know only by hearsay, but of which he no doubt did know, for we cannot conceive that any interesting point in Paul's previous his tory would be unknown to his 'dear son in the faith,' he makes specific enumeration. This fully
accounts for his stopping short at the point where Timothy's personal experience could amply sup ply the remainder.
(2) Different Circumstances. The declara tion in ch. iv:7, etc., is incompatible with what Paul says of himself in Phil. 111:12, etc. But respect must be had to the very different circum stances in which the Apostle was when he wrote these two passages. In the one case he viewed himself as still engaged in active work, and hav ing the prospect of service before him; in the other he regards himself as very near to death, and shortly about to enter into the presence of his master. Surely the same individual might in the former of these cases speak of work yet to do, and in the latter of his work as done, without any contradiction.
(3) Allusions to Ceremonies. In chapters i :6, and ii :a, there are allusions to ecclesiastical cere monies which betray a later age than that of Paul. This is said without reason. The laying on of hands in the conferring of a karisma was alto gether an apostolic usage; and the hearing of Paul's doctrines was what Timothy, as his com panion in travel, could easily enjoy, without our needing to suppose that the Apostle is here repre sented as acting the part of professor in a school of theology.
(4) Evidence of Authenticity. A survey of these objections, to say nothing of the petty cavils with which De \Vette has crowded his pages, and which one can only wonder that such a man should for a moment have deemed worthy of no tice, will amply show that no real and insupera ble objection lies in the way of our yielding full assent to the claims of these two epistles to Tim othy to rank among the productions of the apos tle Paul. On the contrary, the entire spirit, tone, character, and contents of these epistles are so truly Pauline, that they carry the evidence of their authenticity with them, and set at defiance the idle ingenuity of men to whom skepticism has be come a habit, and who, indifferent to all conse quences, seek only to display their learning or acuteness in their assaults upon the sacred writ ings.