about womens modeft drefs and fubjection to the man; about the refurrection, the doctrine of one God and of one Mediator, and of delivering over to Satan for the recovery of bold offenders %. Where we find epiftles written by St. Paul exactly at the fame time, we find this resemblance ftill nearer; as in the epiftles to the Ephefians, Philippians, and Coloffians. BUT that which must put it out of all doubt that this epiftle was written before the end of the year 58, is that there were no bishops or deacons then at Ephefus; for the apostle tells Timothy of what character they ought to be; and yet we find there were bishops before the end of 58. I THEREFORE conclude that this epiftle must have been written foon after the firft journey from Ephefus to Macedonia, mentioned Acts xx. 1. about the year 58. And I therefore take St. Paul's hiftory, as far as it relates to this matter, to be this: Whilft he * See I Cor. vii. 2.1 Tim. iv. 3. 1 Cor. ix. 6-10. -1 Tim. v. 17, 18. 1 Cor. x. 25, 26, 30.-1 Tim, iv. 3, 4, 5. 1 Cor. xi. 3-16.1 Tim. ii. 9-15. I Cor. xv. I-35.1 Tim. i. 19, 20. compared with 2 Tim. ii. 17, 18. 1 Cor. v. 5.-1 Tim. i, 20. Chap. iii. I-16. i Acts xx. 28. See the Abftract. ftays at Ephefusk, Demetrius raises such a riot against him, that his friends would not fuffer him to go into the theatre', nor stay in Afiam. But, before he goes from Ephefus, Timothy returns to him from Corinth (whither he had fent him, as well as to Macedonia and other parts of Achaia, to forward the collections"); according to Paul's expectations expreffed 1 Cor. xvi. 11. "Conduct him" (Timothy) "forth in peace, that he may "come unto me" (at Ephefus, whence this epiftle was written); for I look for him." Now perhaps Paul found, that some that were at Ephefus, not being able to endure that fight of afflictions which befel him and them there, where they were well nigh being compelled to fight with wild beasts, and were "preffed above measure," fwerved from the truth. Perhaps Alexander, whom " the unbelieving Jews drew out of the multitude, "and put forward in the theatre "," might be one of them. Perhaps too this was the Alexander, who foon growing worse, and putting away faith and a good confcience, was presently after delivered by St. Paul to Satan," that he might learn not to blaf "pheme." But, whether Alexander was one of these or no, yet it feems to have been fome Jewish Chriftians, who, feeing the fury of their own nation against those who believed, and the danger they were thereby exposed to among the Gentiles, began from thence to "fwerve from the charity" they owed to the Gentile believers, out of a pure heart and a good confcience, and faith unfeigned; and to "turn aside unto vain jang ling" about Jewish fables and traditions, and endless genealogies; " defiring to be again "teachers of the law," in order to curry favour with the unbelieving Jews'. St. Paul, feeing this danger arifing at Ephefus, defires Timothy (who was now returned to him there from Corinth, as I just now faid) to abide ftill there (when he left it, to go into Macedonia and Greece); to the intent that he might charge fome of thefe, who began to fwerve from this fpirit and doctrine of the gofpel to the notions and temper of the law, "that they should teach no other doctrine "than what he had taught." Soon after Paul had left Ephefus (having left it so much on a fudden, that he had not time to give Timothy full inftructions, on account of the fury that was there against him), and rumi 66 nating whilst he was going through Afia, or as foon as he got to Troas (in his way to Macedonia and Greece), on the state of the Ephefians, he thought it proper to write to Timothy, hoping to fee him foon ";" namely, as foon as the collections were ready; " or, if he should not, that he might know "how he ought to behave himself in the "houfe of God w," where fuch corrupt doctrines were creeping in. For the whole epiftle is written to him, to direct him how to op-. pofe the doctrines of thefe Jewish believers. Perhaps Paul writes at this time to Timothy, the rather because, finding this Alexander fo far relapsed into his Jewish notions as to blafpheme or reproach the gospel of Chrift, he had delivered him to Satan (whilft he was on the way to Ephefus from Troas, or as foon as he came to Troas); of which it was neceffary to acquaint Timothy, and the Ephefians by him. From Troas he goes to Macedonia, and from Macedonia to Greece. Whilft Paul was in Greece, and just before he went to Corinth, Timothy feems to have come to him, in order to accompany him in his intended journey to Jerufalem, and to be joined with him as one of the Corinthian meffengers to carry their contributions, ann. 58. This ↑ A&ts xx. I-4. 1 Tim. iii. 14. * Ibid. i. 20. was was neceffary for Timothy to do, because Paul defigned to have gone directly from Corinth to Syria, in his way to Jerufalem. For which reafon it is more than probable, that all the meffengers of the churches came with him to Corinth, as he expected they would; and as it fully appears one of them actually did (for Paul fends the falutations of Sofipater (Sopater) to the Romans, in his epiftle to that church from Corinth '); and as it is probable the rest of them did alfo. And that Timothy was with Paul at Corinth, we learn from the fame epiftle. Paul writes to the Corinthians in his own name and Timothy's, just before he goes to them. Paul fends Titus, Luke, and another brother, with this letter from Greece, and foon follows (with Timothy), according to his repeated intention and promife. I think, Paul went directly from Greece to Corinth, and not first from Greece, and then to Philippi, and thence to Corinth, as Dr. Lightfoot fuppofes. For, fince Paul intended to go to Corinth, it would be very strange to fuppofe, as that very learned man does, that he did not go thither when he was in Greece, juft in its neighbourhood; but that he went back from Greece to z Acts xx. 2, 3. Rom. xvi. 21. 2 Cor. i. 16. and xiii. 1. a 2 Cor. ix. 4. c.Ibid. Philippi, |