Commentarii in Epistolas D. Pauli ad Timoth. ad Titum, et ad Philem. facili et perspicua methodo conscripti. A D. Benedicto Aretio bernensi theologo. Cum indice rerum memorabilium quae in hisce conti

the present text begins with a greeting. Because he wished to instruct how he ought to usefully preside over this Church, it was worth the effort to begin with a friendly greeting, by which he might express things pleasing to Timothy himself, and guard against the contrary. Nature herself assigns the first place to greetings in every speech, after which she is accustomed to introduce the conception of the mind.

Parts.

This greeting consists of three parts, just as in the previous epistles. First, he speaks concerning himself. Next, he adorns Timothy with his due praise. Third, he prays for the gifts of the Lord for him, without which he could not happily carry out the task enjoined upon him. The first pertains to the person of the writer, the second to the person to whom it is written, and the third to the prayer.

Vers. 1. Paul, an Apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the command of God our Savior, and of the Lord Jesus Christ our hope.

Paul speaks about himself.

He speaks of himself first, according to the epistolary custom, according to which the name of the writer had to be expressed first. This was so consistently maintained that even those of the lowest rank, writing to the greatest Kings and Emperors, placed their own names before the titles of Kings; until that preposterous flattery began to reign in the Church of Christ, and hypocrisy raised itself into the place of God. Hence, glory and the dignity of splendor were sought in the prerogative of names, concerning which I have spoken elsewhere. Now, to the matter: the Apostle commends himself by the title