down his life for Christ's sake. He remembers Timothy's tears, evidently at their last

parting, and he would rather take with him a remembrance that was "joyous".

Timothy had been saved and equipped during the transitional period of the Acts,

and was one of the special ministers given by the ascended Lord to the Church "for the

re-adjusting of the saints" (Eph. 4: 11, 12). This gift Timothy must now stir up and use,

for the Apostle's work was done, but Timothy was to do the work of an evangelist,

and make full proof of his ministry. The words "stir up" bring before us the figure of a

low-burning fire which once more bursts into flame after the ashes have been raked and

air admitted.

The concluding words of the opening passage of this Epistle to Timothy are solemn in

their implication.

God has given us neither the spirit of doulias nor deilias, neither "bondage"

(Rom. 8: 15) nor "fear" (II Tim. 1: 7). The word deilias means more than timidity; it

has the sense of cowardice. In Rev. 21: 8, the word is used in a dreadful context, and

indicates an apostate.  It is easy for us to-day to sit in judgment on Timothy, but

acquaintance with the terrors of the times, of which a brief note is given on

pages 159-166, will turn censure into prayer lest we should be found wanting in far

easier circumstances. It does not call for great courage for us to affirm our belief in the

deity of the Lord Jesus Christ, but under Nero's laws of "impiety", so to believe and

teach meant death. The Apostle himself asked for prayer on his own behalf that he might

open his mouth "boldly" as he "ought", and Timothy would understand that the note of

severity that comes with the use of this word "fear" was uttered by one whose very love

caused him the deeper anxiety for his son in the faith. We desire the best for our

children, but over and above all things our constant prayer is for their unanswering

loyalty to the Lord. So, too, he who, for Christ's sake, had neither wife, nor child, nor

home, knew something of a father's heart, in being made all things to all men. God's gift

to Timothy is referred to by the Apostle both negatively and positively. Negatively, it is

not a spirit of fear. Positively, it is a spirit of power, of love, and of soundness of mind.

The power, as Paul has taught in Ephesians, is that power which is associated with the

risen Christ (Eph. 1: 19, 20; 3: 7; 3: 20). "Soundness of mind" is the translation of

sophronismos, derived from sozo, "to save", and phren, "the mind", in the sense of "the

bent". God, said Paul, has given us a new "bent" which is the outcome of salvation.

Sophronizo is translated in Titus 2: 4 "teach . . . . . to be sober", the object being to

counteract the dreadful slackness of morals that covered the earth with its darkness, and

to influence the minds of the young women to the Christian love of home, husband and

family. The word does not means to "teach" as one does doctrine.

Sophroneo means a sound, sane, mind as opposed to distraction (Mark 5: 15). It is

evident that the Apostle had the demoniac in mind, for in II Tim. 3: 1 he uses the same

word to denote the "perilous" times that Matthew uses to describe the poor maniacs who