HITHERTO

Paul’s epistles were directed to churches; now follow some to

particular persons: two to Timothy, one to Titus, and another to

Philemon–all three ministers. Timothy and Titus were evangelists, an

inferior order to the apostles, as appears by

Eph. iv. 11,

Some prophets, some apostles, some evangelists. Their commission

and work was much the same with that of the apostles, to plant

churches, and water the churches that were planted; and accordingly

they were itinerants, as we find Timothy was. Timothy was first

converted by Paul, and therefore he calls him his own son in the

faith: we read of his conversion,

Acts xvi. 3.

The scope of these two epistles is to direct Timothy how to discharge

his duty as an evangelist at Ephesus, where he now was, and where Paul

ordered him for some time to reside, to perfect the good work which he

had begun there. As for the ordinary pastoral charge of that church, he

had very solemnly committed it to the presbytery, as appears from

Acts xx. 28,

where he charges the presbyters to feed the flock of God, which he

had purchased with his own blood.