In II Tim. 2: 2, where we read: "The things which thou hast heard of me among

many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men who shall be able to teach others

also", the verb paratithemi is used. Moreover, in I Tim. 1: 18, the Apostle uses the same

verb where he says: "This charge I commit unto thee, son Timothy, according to the

prophecies which went before on thee, that thou by them mightest war a good warfare,

holding faith and a good conscience" (I Tim. 1: 18, 19).

It is evident that the Apostle has some specific body of truth in view when he uses this

word paratheke. This is not only obvious by the way in which he uses it, but in the way

in which he hedges it round. He closely associates it with what he calls "things heard of

me", and even the gospel itself is that gospel of which Paul was made the herald, and

which, in II Tim. 2: 8, he dominates "my gospel". We shall therefore be well advised to

go on with our search, so that we may have the full advantage of all the Apostle has to

say of this "good deposit".

First of all, in the verse quoted above from I Tim. 1:, we find that what had

committed to Timothy was a "charge". Now the word translated "charge" is paraggeleia.

Dr. Young sees in the composition of the word the meaning of "private, or extra,

message" which, if it could be supported by evidence of usage, would admirably fit in

with the idea implied by paratheke, but, so far as we have discovered, there is no warrant

for this opinion. The verbal form paraggello, "to charge", occurs several times in these

pastoral epistles, and it will be a contribution to the subject before us if we make

ourselves acquainted with its occurrences and contexts.

This is an important feature in I Timothy, for the question of the teaching of "other

doctrine" comes up again in I Tim. 6: 3, where the A.V. translates the words "teach

otherwise". It will be remembered that in II Timothy prominence is given to the thought

that Paul and his doctrine had been forsaken. Here, the first step toward that end is seen

in the substitution of some other doctrine. It was a part of the charge laid upon Timothy

to resist this innovation. The Apostle told Timothy that as the times grew worse, the day

would come when some would not endure sound doctrine, and exhorted him to "preach

the word" and "do the work of an evangelist" (II Tim. 4: 2-5), and while he uses neither

paraggeleia nor paraggello the Apostle still introduces this exhortation with a "charge"

(II Tim. 4: 1).

Returning to the first Epistle we find the next reference.

Surely it is clear that the repetition of the words "pure", "conscience" and "unfeigned

faith", in the opening charge of the second Epistle binds the two epistles together as

dealing with a common subject. For clearness and completeness we will repeat the

reference already given from the first Epistle.