1:6-14 God has not given us the spirit of fear, but the spirit of power, of courage and resolution, to meet difficulties and dangers; the spirit of love to him, which will carry us through opposition. And the spirit of a sound mind, quietness of mind. The Holy Spirit is not the author of a timid or cowardly disposition, or of slavish fears. We are likely to bear afflictions well, when we have strength and power from God to enable us to bear them. As is usual with Paul, when he mentions Christ and his redemption, he enlarges upon them; so full was he of that which is all our salvation, and ought to be all our desire. The call of the gospel is a holy call, making holy. Salvation is of free grace. This is said to be given us before the world began, that is, in the purpose of God from all eternity; in Christ Jesus, for all the gifts that come from God to sinful man, come in and through Christ Jesus alone. And as there is so clear a prospect of eternal happiness by faith in Him, who is the Resurrection and the Life, let us give more diligence in making his salvation sure to our souls. Those who cleave to the gospel, need not be ashamed, the cause will bear them out; but those who oppose it, shall be ashamed. The apostle had trusted his life, his soul, and eternal interests, to the Lord Jesus. No one else could deliver and secure his soul through the trials of life and death. There is a day coming, when our souls will be inquired after. Thou hadst a soul committed to thee; how was it employed? in the service of sin, or in the service of Christ? The hope of the lowest real Christian rests on the same foundation as that of the great apostle. He also has learned the value and the danger of his soul; he also has believed in Christ; and the change wrought in his soul, convinces the believer that the Lord Jesus will keep him to his heavenly kingdom. Paul exhorts Timothy to hold fast the Holy Scriptures, the substance of solid gospel truth in them. It is not enough to assent to the sound words, but we must love them. The Christian doctrine is a trust committed to us; it is of unspeakable value in itself, and will be of unspeakable advantage to us. It is committed to us, to be preserved pure and entire, yet we must not think to keep it by our own strength, but by the power of the Holy Spirit dwelling in us; and it will not be gained by those who trust in their own hearts, and lean to their own understandings.

Verse 9. - Saved for hath saved, A.V.; a for an, A.V.; times eternal for the world began, A.V. Who saved us, and called us. The saving was in the gift of his only begotten Son to be our Saviour; the calling is the work of the Holy Spirit drawing individual souls to Christ to be saved by him. (For the power of God displayed in man's salvation, comp. Ephesians 1:19, 20.) With a holy calling (comp. Romans 1:7; 1 Corinthians 1:2). Not according to our works (see Titus 3:5; Ephesians 2:4-10). His own purpose and grace. If our calling were of works, it would not be by grace (Romans 4:4, 5; Romans 11:6), but it is "according to the riches of his grace... according to his good pleasure which he purposed in himself" (Ephesians 1:9, 11). Before times eternal (πρὸ χρόνων αἰωνίων). The phrase seems to have the same general meaning as πρὸ καταβολῆς κόσμου, "before the foundation of the world" (Ephesians 1:4), where the general context is the same. The phrase itself occurs in Romans 16:25 (χρόνοις αἰωνίοις) and Titus 1:2, in which last place time is indicated posterior to the creation of men. In 1 Corinthians 2:7 we have simply πρὸ τῶν αἰώνων, "before the worlds," where αἰών is equivalent to αἰωνίοι χρόνοι, and in Ephesians 3:11, πρόθεσιν τῶν αἰώνων, "the eternal purpose." In Luke 1:70 the phrase, ἀπ αἰῶνος, is rendered "since the world began," and εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας (Matthew 6:13), "forever." So frequently εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα, "forever" (Matthew 21:19; John 6:51, etc.), and εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων (Galatians 1:5; Ephesians 3:21; 1 Timothy 1:17, etc.), "forever and ever." The usage of the LXX. is very similar, where ἀπ αἰῶνος εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα πρὸ τῶν ἀιωνων ωἰὼν τῶν αἰώνων, etc., are frequent, as well as the adjective αἰώνιος. Putting all these passages together, and adverting to the classical meaning of αἰών, and its Latin equivalent, aevum, a "lifetime," we seem to arrive at the primary meaning of αἰών as being a "generation," and then any long period of time analogous to a man's lifetime. Hence χρόνοι αἰώνιοι would be times made up of successive generations, and πρὸ χρόνων αἰωνίων would mean at the very beginning of the times which consisted of human generations. Αἰὼν τῶν αἰώνων would be one great generation, consisting of all the successive generations of mankind. The whole duration of mankind in this present world would be in this sense one vast αἰών, to be followed by we know not what succeeding ones. Thus Ephesians 1:21, ἐν τῷ αἰῶνι τούτῳ is contrasted with ἐν τῷ μέλλοντι, the idea being that the world has its lifetime analogous to the lifetime of a man. The same period may also be considered as made up of several shorter αἰῶνες, the prediluvial, the patriarchal, the Mosaic, the Christian, and such like (see note to 1 Timothy 1:17).

Who hath saved us, and called us,.... And therefore should not be ashamed of his Gospel, but should readily partake of the afflictions of it, depending on his power to support under them. There is a salvation previous to calling: there is a temporal salvation; a special providence attends the elect of God, as soon as born; God's visitation in a very special manner preserves their spirits; they are kept from many imminent dangers, and some of them from the grosser immoralities of life; and there is a chain of providences, as the fixing of their habitations, bringing to such a place, and under such a ministry, with various other things, ways and methods, which lead on to the effectual calling: and there is a preservation of them in Christ Jesus, antecedent to calling, Jde 1:1. God had a mind to save some; he pitched on his own Son to be the Saviour of them; he put those persons into his hands, where they are safely preserved; so as not to be damned, and everlastingly perish, notwithstanding their fall in Adam, their original corruption, and actual transgressions, until called by grace: yea, that spiritual and eternal salvation, which is by Jesus Christ, is before calling; this was resolved upon from eternity; a council of peace was formed; a covenant of grace was made; a promise of life given; persons were fixed upon to be saved; a Saviour was appointed, and blessings of grace were put into his hands; and all according to an eternal purpose. Salvation was not only resolved upon, but the scheme of it was contrived from eternity, in a way agreeable to all the divine perfections, in which Satan is most mortified, the creature abased, and the elect effectually saved; nay, salvation is obtained before calling, Christ being called to this work, and having undertook it, was in the fulness of time sent to effect it, and is become the author of it: the thing is done, and all that remain are the application of it, which is in the effectual calling, and the full possession of it, which will be in heaven. The calling here spoken of is not to an office, nor a mere call by the external ministry of the word, but a call by special grace, to special privileges, to grace and glory; and is an high and heavenly one, and is here called holy, for it follows,

with an holy calling. The Vulgate Latin and Ethiopic versions read, "with his holy calling": the author of it is holy; it is a call to holiness, and the means of it are holy; and in it persons have principles of grace and holiness implanted in them; and are influenced to live holy lives and conversations:

not according to our works; neither salvation nor calling are according to the works of men: not salvation; works are not the moving cause of it, but the free love and favour of God; nor the procuring cause of it, but the Lord Jesus Christ; nor the adjuvant or helping cause of it, for his own arm brought salvation alone: nor calling; which must be either according to works before, or after; not according to works before calling, for such are not properly good works, being destitute of faith in Christ, and proceeding neither from a right principle, nor to a right end; not according to works after calling, as they are after it they are the fruits of calling grace, and cannot be the cause, or rule, and measure at it:

but according to his own purpose and grace; salvation is according to both: it is according to the purpose of God; God resolved upon the salvation of some; in pursuance of this resolution, he set up Christ as the Mediator; and it being necessary that he should be man, this was agreed to, and a body was prepared him; the time of his coming was fixed, called the fulness of time; and his sufferings and death, with all the circumstances of them, were determined by God. And it is according to grace; the resolution for it, and the contrivance of it, are owing to the grace of God; and which also appears in the making of a covenant; in setting up Christ as the Mediator of it; in the mission of him into this world; and in all the parts and branches of salvation: in the choice of persons to it; in the redemption of them by Christ; in their justification by his righteousness; in the pardon of their sins through his blood; in their adoption, regeneration, sanctification, and eternal glory; and the end of it is the glory of the grace of God. Vocation is also according to both the purpose and grace of God: it is according to his purpose; the persons called are fixed upon by him; whom he predestinates he calls; none are called, but whom God purposed to call; and for their calling no other reason can be assigned but the sovereign will of God, nor can any other reason be given why others are not called; the time of their calling is fixed in the decrees of God; and the place where, and means whereby, and occasion whereof, all are predetermined by him: and this is also according to grace; the author of it is the God of all grace; and in it is made the first discovery of grace to sinners; nothing out of God could move him to do it, and so it is sovereign grace; it is of some men, and not all, and so is distinguishing grace; it is of sinners, and so is free grace; and it is both to grace and glory, and so is rich grace: and it is according to grace

which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began; it is a gift, and a free gift, not at all depending upon any conditions in the creature, and entirely proceeding from the sovereign will of God; and it was a gift from eternity; there was not only a purpose of grace in God's heart, and a promise of it so early, but there was a real donation of it in eternity: and though those to whom it was given did not then personally exist, yet Christ did, and he existed as a covenant head and representative of his people; and they were in him, as members of him, as represented by him, being united to him; and this grace was given to him for them, and to them in him; in whom they were chosen, and in whom they were blessed with all spiritual blessings. The Ethiopic version reads, "in Christ Jesus, who before the world was"; but without any foundation.

9. Who … called us—namely, God the Father (Ga 1:6). The having "saved us" in His eternal purpose of "grace, given us in Christ before the world began," precedes his actual "calling" of us in due time with a call made effective to us by the Holy Spirit; therefore, "saved us" comes before "called us" (Ro 8:28-30).

holy calling—the actual call to a life of holiness. Heb 3:1, "heavenly calling" [Tittmann, Greek Synonyms of the New Testament]; whereas we were sinners and enemies (Eph 1:18; 4:1). The call comes wholly from God and claims us wholly for God. "Holy" implies the separation of believers from the rest of the world unto God.

not according to—not having regard to our works in His election and calling of grace (Ro 9:11; Eph 2:8, 9).

his own purpose—The origination of salvation was of His own purpose, flowing from His own goodness, not for works of ours coming first, but wholly because of His own gratuitous, electing love [Theodoret and Calvin].

grace … given us—in His everlasting purpose, regarded as the same as when actually accomplished in due time.

in Christ—believers being regarded by God as IN Him, with whom the Father makes the covenant of salvation (Eph 1:4; 3:11).

before the world began—Greek, "before the times (periods) of ages"; the enduring ages of which no end is contemplated (1Co 2:7; Eph 3:11).

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