Commentaries on 2 Timothy

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1 Timothy  ⇐ ⇒ Titus

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For more great commentaries on 2 Timothy, be sure to check:
Commentaries on the Epistles, Commentaries on the Whole New Testament
& Whole Bible Commentaries

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Order of Contents  18+

The Best Commentaries  4
Commentaries  10+
Early Church  3
Medieval Church  1
Chapters in
Bible Characters in  5
Authenticity of  1

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The Best Commentaries on 2 Timothy

Reformer

Calvin, John – Sermons on the Epistles of St. Paul to Timothy and Titus  Buy

***  “Quite a different work from Calvin’s Commentaries.” – Spurgeon

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1600’s

Dickson, David – An Expositon of all St. Paul’s Epistles together with an explanation of those other epistles of the apostles St. James, Peter, John & Jude, wherein the sense of every chapter and verse is analytically unfolded and the text enlightened  (Romans-Jude)  Buy  1659  

Dickson was a prominent Scottish covenanter.

*** – ‘Dickson is a writer after our own heart.  For preachers he is a great ally.  There is nothing brilliant or profound; but everything is clear and well arranged, and the unction runs down like the oil from Aaron’s head.  In this volume the observations are brief.’

Note that the Banner of Truth reprint contains Dickson’s commentary on less books than the original.

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Introductory, Devotional & Practical

Moule, H.C.G. – The Second Epistle to Timothy: Short Devotional Studies on the Dying Letter of St. Paul  1906  192 pp.

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Intermediate

Fairbairn, Patrick – The Pastoral Epistles  1874

***  “What with a good translation, full defence of the Apostolic authorship of the Epistles, fruitful comments, and profitable dissertations, this volume is about as complete a guide to the smaller epistles as one could desire.” – Spurgeon

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Commentaries on 2 Timothy

Simple, Practical & Devotional

Bickersteth, Edward – Exposition on the Epistles of John and Jude, and of Paul to Timothy  1853

** – “Notes taken by his children of Mr. Bickersteth’s expositions at family prayer.  Simple, devout, soundly evangelical, and, we must add, superficial and commonplace.” – Spurgeon

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Intermediate

1800’s

Patterson, Alexander – Commentary on Timothy and Titus  1848

**  “Notes of discourses with much in them.  Hints may be gleaned here in abundance by students who open their eyes.” – Spurgeon

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1900’s

Lilley, J.P. – The Pastoral Epistles, a New Translation, with Introduction, Commentary, and Appendix  1901  in Handbooks for Bible Classes, ed. Dods & Whyte

Kelly, J.N.D. – A Commentary on the Pastoral Epistles  Buy  Reprinted by Baker in the Thornapple Commentary series

Kelly (1909–1997), the noted Early Church historian was an Oxford scholar.  He has a few liberal tendencies.

“Able defense of the Pauline authorship.  Presents a vivid picture of first-century church life.  Thorough.” – Cyril J. Barber

Hendriksen, William – The Pastoral Epistles  Buy

“Firmly establishes the credibility of the Pauline authorship of the epistles, ably refutes the critical theories of men like P.N. Harrison, and provides a satisfying exposition of the text.” – Cyril J. Barber

Guthrie, Donald – The Pastoral Epistles in the Mind of Paul  Buy  1955  a Tyndale New Testament Lecture

Hiebert, David E. – 2 Timothy  Buy  in Everyman’s Bible Commentary

“Combines evangelical zeal with a devotional appeal.  Deals with the historical and critical problems, emphasizes the need for two imprisonments, and expounds the text in the light of Paul’s impending death.” – Cyril J. Barber

Kent, Homer – The Pastoral Epistles  Buy

“A work of quality and reliability.  Admirably bridges the gap between a laborious, technical treatment and a superficial, popular one.” – Cyril J. Barber

Clark, Gordon – The Pastoral Epistles  Buy

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Advanced

Bernard, John Henry – The Pastoral Epistles  in The Cambridge Greek New Testament, with Introduction and Notes  1922

“Provides helpful exegetical studies on all three epistles.  Thorough.” – Cyril J. Barber

Simpson, Edmund K. – The Pastoral Epistles, the Greek Text with Introduction and Commentary  Buy  1954  Tyndale Press

“Ably defends the Pauline authorship, carefully examines the external and internal which bears on the authenticity of these letters, draws on an extensive knowledge of classical literature, and expounds the text in a scholarly, satisfying way.” – Cyril J. Barber

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The Early Church on 2 Timothy

Compilation

ed. Gorday, Peter – Ancient Christian Commentary: Colossians, Thessalonians, Timothy, Titus, Philemon  Buy

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Individual Fathers

Ambrosiaster – Commentaries on Galatians-Philemon  Buy

Chrysostom – Homilies on 1 & 2 Timothy, Titus, Philemon

**  ‘Enough of solid truth and brilliant utterance will be found here to justify this father’s title of ‘Golden Mouth’; but still all is not gold which fell from his lips, and to modern readers Chrysostom is not so instructive as he was to his own age [A.D. 349-407].’ – Spurgeon

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The Medieval Church

Aquinas, Thomas – Commentary on 2 Timothy

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2 Timothy 1

Barlow, John – An Exposition of 2 Timothy 1  1625

Barlow (b. 1580-1-1629/30) was an English protestant minister educated at Oxford.  He also wrote an exposition on 2 Tim. 2.

***  “By a master in Israel.  Thoroughly practical, deeply experimental, and soundly doctrinal.” – Spurgeon

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2 Timothy 3-4

Hall, Thomas – A Practical and Polemical Commentary on 2 Tim. 3-4  GB  1658

Hall (1632-58)

***  “Hall is often found in union with Barlow, completing the Commentary on 2 Timothy, as he completed Amos.  He is a masterly expositor, of the old-fashioned school.” – Spurgeon

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Bible Characters in 2 Timothy

Whyte, Alexander – Bible Characters  d. 1921

Timothy as a Child
Timothy as a Young Minister

Alexander the Coppersmith
Lois & Eunice
Onesiphorus

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The Authenticity of 2 Timothy

Lilley, J.P. – ‘The Theory of Composite Authorship’  1901  5 pp. in the Appendix to The Pastoral Epistles, a New Translation, with Introduction, Commentary and Appendix

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Related Pages

Whole Bible Commentaries

Old Testament Commentaries

New Testament Commentaries