Commentaries on 2 Timothy

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1 Timothy  ⇐ ⇒ Titus

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

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Order of Contents  18+

Best  4
Commentaries  10+
Early & Medieval  7
Chapters  2
Bible Characters  5
Authenticity  2


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The Best Commentaries on 2 Timothy

Reformer

Calvin, John – ‘The Second Epistle of St. Paul the Apostle to Timothy’  in Sermons on the Epistles of St. Paul to Timothy & Titus  (1579; Banner of Truth, 1983), pp. 659-1020  no ToC  Doctrines

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

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1600’s

Dickson, David – ‘The Second Epistle of Paul to Timothy Analytically Expounded’  in An Expositon of all St. Paul’s Epistles…  (1659), pp. 170-78

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.’

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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  (London: Religious Tract Society, 1906)  192 pp.  ToC

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Intermediate

Fairbairn, Patrick – The Second Epistle to Timothy  ToC  in The Pastoral Epistles: the Greek Text & Translation…  (Edinburgh: T&T Clark, 1874), pp. 306-404

***  “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 – The Second Epistle of Paul the Apostle to Timothy  in Exposition on the Epistles of John & Jude, & of Paul to Timothy  2nd ed.  (London: Seeleys, 1853), pp. 236-90

** – “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 & 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 Second Epistle to Timothy  in The Pastoral Epistles, a New Translation, with Introduction, Commentary & Appendix  in Handbooks for Bible Classes, ed. Dods & Whyte  (Edinburgh: T&T Clark, 1901), pp. 177-220

Kelly, J.N.D. – The Second Epistle to Timothy  ToC  in A Commentary on the Pastoral Epistles  (Hendrickson, 1993), pp. 153-224  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 – Commentary on II Timothy  ToC  in Exposition of the Pastoral Epistles  in New Testament Commentary  (Baker, 1957), pp. 223-334

“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 – 2 Timothy  ToC  in The Pastoral Epistles: an Introduction & Commentary  rev. ed.  in The Tyndale New Testament Commentaries  (IVP, 1960), pp. 132-91

Hiebert, David E. – Second Timothy  in Everyman’s Bible Commentary  Pre  Buy  (Moody, 1958)  ToC

“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, Jr., Homer A. – ‘Expository Exegesis & Translation of 2 Timothy’  ToC  in The Pastoral Epistles: Studies in 1 & 2 Timothy & Titus  (Moody, 1982), pp. 243-97

“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  (1983)

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Advanced

Bernard, John Henry – The Second Epistle to Timothy  in The Pastoral Epistles with Introduction & Notes  in Cambridge Greek Testament for Schools & Colleges  (Cambridge University Press, 1899), pp. 105-52

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

Simpson, Edmund K. – ‘The Second Epistle to Timothy’  in The Pastoral Epistles, the Greek Text with Introduction & Commentary  (Eerdmans, 1954), pp. 120-63  Biblio

“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 – The Second Epistle to Timothy  in Ancient Christian Commentary: Colossians, 1-2 Thessalonians, 1-2 Timothy, Titus, Philemon  (IVP Academic, 2007), pp. 229-80

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Individual Fathers

Ambrosiaster – Commentary on 2 Timothy  in Commentaries on Galatians-Philemon  trans. Gerald Bray  in Ancient Christian Texts  Pre  Buy  (IVP Academic, 2009), pp. 142-54

Ambrosiaster (c. 366-384)

Chrysostom – Homilies on 2 Timothy  ToC  in NPNF1, vol. 13, pp. 475-518  HTML

Chrysostom (c. 347 – 407)

**  ‘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

Theodore of Mopsuestia – ‘On 2 Timothy’  in Theodore of Mopsuestia: The Commentaries on the Minor Epistles of Paul  trans. Rowan Greer  in Writings from the Greco-Roman World  Pre  (Atlanta: Society of Biblical Literature, 2010), pp. 683-739

Theodore (c. 350 – 428) was a bishop of Mopsuestia and is also known as Theodore of Antioch, from the place of his birth and presbyterate. He is the best known representative of the middle Antioch School of hermeneutics.

Theodoret of Cyrus – Commentary on the Letters of St. Paul, vol. 2: Galatians–Hebrews  Ref  (Holy Cross Orthodox Press, 2007)

Theodoret (c. 393 – c. 458/466) was an influential theologian of the School of Antioch, biblical commentator and bishop of Cyrus.


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The Medieval Church

Ishodad of Merv – On 2 Timothy  at Patristic Bible Commentary

Ishodad (fl. 850) was a bishop of Hdatta during the Abbasid Caliphate (near current-day Mosul, Iraq) and prominent theologian of the Church of the East, best known for his commentaries on the Syriac Bible.

Aquinas, Thomas – Commentary on 2 Timothy

Aquinas (1225 – 1274)


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On Chapters in 2 Timothy

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2 Timothy 1

Barlow, John – An Exposition of 2 Timothy 1  (London: Bellamie, 1625)  446 pp.  ToC

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 & Polemical Commentary on 2 Tim. 3-4  GB  (London: Tyler, 1658)  472 pp.  ToC  Common Places  Indices: Subject, Scripture

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’  in the Appendix to The Pastoral Epistles, a New Translation, with Introduction, Commentary & Appendix  (1901), pp. 230-34

Guthrie, Donald – Appendix: ‘An Examination of the Linguistic Argument Against the Authenticity of the Pastorals’  in The Pastoral Epistles: an Introduction & Commentary  rev. ed.  in The Tyndale New Testament Commentaries  (IVP, 1960), pp. 224-40

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Related Pages

Whole Bible Commentaries

Old Testament Commentaries

New Testament Commentaries