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Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - 1 Timothy 1:5-11

Here the apostle instructs Timothy how to guard against the judaizing teachers, or others who mingled fables and endless genealogies with the gospel. He shows the use of the law, and the glory of the gospel. I. He shows the end and uses of the law: it is intended to promote love, for love is the fulfilling of the law, Rom. 13:10. 1. The end of the commandment is charity, or love, Rom. 13:8. The main scope and drift of the divine law are to engage us to the love of God and one another; and... read more

William Barclay

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - 1 Timothy 1:8-11

1:8-11 We know that the law is good, if a man uses it legitimately, in the awareness that the law was not instituted to deal with good men, but with the lawless and the undisciplined, the irreverent and the sinners, the impious and the polluted, those who have sunk so low that they strike their fathers and their mothers, murderers, fornicators, homosexuals, slave-dealers and kidnappers, liars, perjurers, and all those who are guilty of anything which is the reverse of sound teaching, that... read more

William Barclay

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - 1 Timothy 1:8-11

In an ideal state, when the Kingdom comes, there will be no necessity for any law other than the love of God within a man's heart; but as things are, the case is very different. And here Paul sets out a catalogue of sins which the law must control and condemn. The interest of the passage is that it shows us the background against which Christianity grew up. This list of sins is in fact a description of the world in which the early Christians lived and moved and had their being. Nothing shows... read more

William Barclay

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - 1 Timothy 1:8-11

Into this world came the Christian message, and this passage tells us four things about it. (i) It is sound teaching. The word used for sound (hugiainein, Greek #5198 ) literally means health-giving. Christianity is an ethical religion. It demands from a man not only the keeping of certain ritual laws, but the living of a good life. E. F. Brown draws a comparison between it and Islam; a Mohammedan may be regarded as a very holy man if he observes certain ceremonial rituals, even though... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Timothy 1:8

But we know that the law is good ,.... The apostle says this to prevent an objection that might be made to him, that seeing he bore so hard on such who were fond of being teachers of the law, he was himself against the law, and the preaching and proper use of it; but this he would not have concluded, for he and his fellow labourers in the ministry, and all true believers know, from the Scriptures of truth, from the agreement of the law with the Gospel, and from their own experience, that the... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - 1 Timothy 1:8

But we know that the law is good - The law as given by God, is both good in itself and has a good tendency. This is similar to what the apostle had asserted, Romans 7:12-16 ; : The law is holy; and the commandment is holy, just, and good; see the note on Romans 7:12 , etc. If a man use it lawfully - That is, interpret it according to its own spirit and design, and use it for the purpose for which God has given it; for the ceremonial law was a schoolmaster to lead us unto Christ, and... read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - 1 Timothy 1:8

Verse 8 8Now we know that the law is good He again anticipates the calumny with which they loaded him; for, whenever he resisted their empty display, they seized on this shield for their defense “What then? Do you wish to have the law buried, and blotted out of the remembrance of men?” In order to repel this calumny, Paul acknowledges that “the law is good,” but contends that we are required to make a lawful use of it. Here he argues from the use of cognate terms; for the word lawful (legitimus... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - 1 Timothy 1:1-20

St. Paul was about to commit extensive powers in the Church to Timothy. It was therefore necessary that lie should define clearly the source of his own authority. This he does very distinctly. He was an apostle according to the commandment of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ. Hence his power to delegate authority to his son Timothy, and hence the duty of the Church to submit to Timothy's ruling. Among the powers committed to Timothy was that of ordaining bishops and deacons by the laying on of... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - 1 Timothy 1:8

The Law is good (see the similar statement in Romans 7:12 ). The Jews thought that St. Paul spoke against the Law (comp. Acts 6:13 , Acts 6:14 ), because he vindicated its true use ( Romans 10:4 ; Galatians 3:24 ; Galatians 4:4 , Galatians 4:5 , etc.). But he everywhere speaks of the Law as good and holy. If a man — i.e., a teacher of the Law—use it lawfully ; knowing its proper use, as it follows in the next verse. read more

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - 1 Timothy 1:8

But we know that the law is good - We admit this; it is that which we all concede. This declaration is evidently made by the apostle to guard against the supposition that he was an enemy of the law. Doubtless this charge would be brought against him, or against anyone who maintained the sentiments which he had just expressed. By speaking thus of what those teachers regarded as so important in the law, it would be natural for them to declare that he was an enemy of the law itself, and would be... read more

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