n the free
intercourse of confiding affection, inserts a personal notice of
himself, which breathes the spirit of devout gratitude and deep
humility. He then proceeds to give directions pertaining to the public
worship of God--prayer, the costume of women, and their place in the
public assembly (chap. 2); and to the choice of bishops and deacons
(chap. 3). After a digression in the fourth chapter respecting the
character of the coming apostacy foretold by the Spirit, which is
followed by admonitions to Timothy of a personal character, he proceeds
in the fifth chapter to give directions respecting the appointment and
treatment of elders, of the elder and younger women, and especially of
widows, with personal counsel to Timothy. Then follows an admonition to
servants, a notice of the false teachers, a warning to the rich with
further counsels to Timothy, and an animating glance at the second
coming of our Lord.

Eunice, the mother of Timothy, was a Jewess distinguished for
her piety, as was also his grandmother Lois. Acts 16:1; 2 Tim.
1:5. By them he was carefully trained in the knowledge of the
holy Scriptures (2 Tim. 3:15), and had a good reputation among
the brethren when Paul found him at Derbe and Lystra (Acts 16:1,
2). His father being a Greek, he had never been subjected to the
rite of circumcision. But in consideration of his mixed descent
Paul, to allay the prejudices of his countrymen, "took and
circumcised him," while he would not allow this rite to be
imposed on Titus, who was of unmixed Gentile origin. Timothy was
one of the most trusty and beloved of Paul's fellow-laborers, as
we learn from these and his other epistles, and he naturally
desired the comfort and help of his presence in his final
imprisonment at Rome. 2 Tim. 4:9, 21. His health was feeble (1
Tim. 5:23), and there are in Paul's epistles some indications
that he was naturally timid and diffident (1 Cor. 16:10, 11; 2
Tim. 1:7, 8; 2:3). But grace made him faithful to the end.

40. THE EPISTLE TO TITUS which comes next in chronological order, has a
remarkable agreement with the first to Timothy in both subject-matter
and style. With the exception of what relates to widows and the demeanor
of women in the public assemblies, it contains the same general
precepts, with additional exhortations that young men be sober-minded,
and that the Cretan Christians obey magistrates and be meek