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The word translated "perfect" and the word translated "throughly furnished" are both
derived from the same root word.
Artuo "to make ready" is found in the New Testament with but one figurative meaning
"to season with salt" (Mark 9: 50; Luke 14: 34; Col. 4: 6), but this word is at the
basis of a series of compounds and derivatives that speak of "making ready" or
"equipping" for any particular purpose.
The word translated "throughly furnished" exertismenos occurs in Josephus.
"They were in a mighty disorder, and in want of all necessaries, and yet were to make
war with men" tois pasi kalos exertismenous, "who were throughly well prepared for it"
(Ant. 3: 2, 2).
Here the equipment is that of a soldier. It can be used also for the complete equipment
of a ship for a voyage. Now whether we think of the equipment of a soldier or of a ship,
that equipment needs to be very thorough. In the case of a ship, the world has a proverb
that shows how completely ready for every emergency a ship needs to be, for the saying
is "There is no back door to a ship". Timothy has no need to fear, for he can
triumphantly rely upon the completeness of the equipment the Word of God gives to the
man of God. The apostle here thinks of service, even as in verse fifteen he thought of
salvation. The equipment is "unto every good work". There is a parallel to this
combination of fitness and good work in Heb. 13: 21, "Make you perfect (katartizo) in
every good work".
The apostle, in chapter two, had used three figures in illustrating the special
characteristics of one who would press toward the mark for the prize--the soldier, the
athlete and the husbandman. What inexhaustible supplies for the man of God in these
great typical characters, the scriptures provide. Is he a good soldier? then his girdle is
the truth, his sword is the Word of God. Is he an athlete? then the histories of such
overcomers as Caleb and Joshua, and those who obtained just report (Heb. 11:) are his
example and inspiration. Is he an husbandman? the seed he sows is the Word of Truth,
and the harvest is sure.
"St. Paul frequently uses the Old Testament for teaching, i.e. to enforce or illustrate
his doctrine; e.g. Rom. 1: 17. The numerous quotations from the Old Testament in the
Romans and Galatians, are mostly examples of its use for confutation.
Epanorthosin means the setting right that which is wrong. The Old Testament is
applied for this purpose by St. Paul in I Cor. 14: 21, I Cor. 10: 1-10, and generally,
wherever he applies it to enforce morality.
Paideian ten en dikaiosune. The word paideia has the meaning of chastisement or
discipline; compare Heb. 12: 7. It is used here as a severer kind of epanorthosis. Then
the Old Testament is applied in I Cor. 5: 13" (Conybeare and Howson "Life and Epistles
of St. Paul).
It is the Old Testament that Paul speaks of in II Tim. 3: 15, 16 as "sacred" or
"inspired by God". There is no problem about the New Testament. It goes without
saying that if the O.T. be inspired then the N.T. must be--but the converse is just as true,