Paul an apostle of Jesus Christ
His name was well known to Timothy, and very dear to him; and so
was his office as an apostle, and which he mentions, not so much
for Timothy's sake, but for the sake of others, that what he
delivers in this epistle might come with its proper weight and
authority, and be regarded: of this his office, as well as name,
(See Gill on Romans
1:1). How he came into this office next follows, not of
himself, nor by men, but
by the commandment of God;
the appointment and decree of God, by which he was separated to
this office, even from eternity, and is the same with the counsel
or will of God, ( Ephesians
1:1 ) or it may refer to the order given by the Holy Ghost to
the church; to set apart him and Barnabas, to the work of the
ministry, ( Acts 13:2 ) though this
commandment is called the commandment of God
our Saviour;
by whom is meant God the Father; and this character of him is
mentioned, to show that the embassy the apostle was sent on as
such, and in which the discharge of his office greatly lay, was
the affair of salvation, to publish and declare that to the sons
of men; and also to show the concern which God the Father has in
that work: he resolved upon it, and appointed his people to it,
and determined upon saving them by his Son, whom he pitched upon
to be his salvation; he drew the scheme of it by his infinite
wisdom, and sent his Son into the world to execute it; and he
sends his ministers to publish the Gospel of it, and his Spirit
to reveal and apply it to the hearts of his chosen ones; and
keeps them by his power unto it, and will at last put them into
the full possession of it; so that this character well suits with
him, to whom it is also given, ( Titus 3:4 ) as well as
with his Son Jesus Christ, to whom it is more commonly ascribed,
and from whom he is here distinguished: for it follows,
and Lord Jesus Christ, which is our hope;
who is both the author, and the ground and foundation of the
grace of hope of salvation, and eternal life; not earthly
enjoyments, nor any external thing whatever; not birth
privileges, carnal descent, religious education, morality and
civility, obedience to the law of Moses, moral or ceremonial; nor
a profession of Christ, nor a bare subjection to his ordinances,
but he himself: and there is good ground to hope for pardon
through his blood, which was shed for it; and for justification
by his righteousness, which is freely wrought out, and freely
imputed; and for salvation by him, since it is in him, and in no
other, and is completely effected by him, and that for the worst
of sinners, and is wholly of free grace, and which everyone that
believes in him shall enjoy; and so for eternal life, which hope
is conversant with; and good reason there is for it in Christ,
seeing it is in him, and in his gift; what his grace gives a
meetness for, and his righteousness a title to; and which he is
possessed of in the name of his people, prepares for them, and
will introduce them into. The Complutensian edition reads, "of
the Father, and, our Saviour Jesus Christ"; and so the Ethiopic
version, "of God, and our Saviour Jesus Christ".