Testimonia — Early Christian Bible Commentary

Enter a reference such as John 1:1, then press Enter.

1 Timothy 2

1I exhort therefore, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercessions, and givings of thanks be made for all men,

2for kings and all who are in high places, that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and reverence.

3For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior,

4who desires all people to be saved and come to full knowledge of the truth.

5For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,

6who gave himself as a ransom for all, the testimony at the proper time,

7to which I was appointed a preacher and an apostle—I am telling the truth in Christ, not lying—a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth.

8I desire therefore that the men in every place pray, lifting up holy hands without anger and doubting.

9In the same way, that women also adorn themselves in decent clothing, with modesty and propriety, not with braided hair, gold, pearls, or expensive clothing,

10but with good works, which is appropriate for women professing godliness.

11Let a woman learn in quietness with full submission.

12But I don’t permit a woman to teach, nor to exercise authority over a man, but to be in quietness.

13For Adam was formed first, then Eve.

14Adam wasn’t deceived, but the woman, being deceived, has fallen into disobedience;

15but she will be saved through her childbearing, if they continue in faith, love, and holiness with sobriety.

Early Christian commentary

c. 182–188 AD (historical editorial dating) | Irenaeus of Lyons

1. Now this being is the Creator (Demiurgus), who is, in respect of His love, the Father; but in respect of His power, He is Lord; and in respect of His wisdom, our Maker and Fashioner; by transgressing whose commandment we became His enemies. And therefore in the last times the Lord has restored us into friendship through His incarnation, having become "the Mediator between God and men;" propitiating indeed for us the Father against whom we had sinned, and cancelling (consolatus) our disobedience by His own obedience; conferring also upon us the gift of communion with, and subjection to, our Maker. For this reason also He has taught us to say in prayer, "And forgive us our debts;" since indeed He is our Father, whose debtors we were, having transgressed His commandments. But who is this Being? Is He some unknown one, and a Father who gives no commandment to any one? Or is He the God who is proclaimed in the Scriptures, to whom we were debtors, having transgressed His commandment? Now the commandment was given to man by the Word. For Adam, it is said, "heard the voice of the Lord God." Rightly then does His Word say to man, "Thy sins are forgiven thee;" He, the same against whom we had sinned in the beginning, grants forgiveness of sins in the end. But if indeed we had disobeyed the command of any other, while it was a different being who said, "Thy sins are forgiven thee;" such an one is neither good, nor true, nor just. For how can he be good, who does not give from what belongs to himself? Or how can he be just, who snatches away the goods of another? And in what way can sins be truly remitted, unless that He against whom we have sinned has Himself granted remission "through the bowels of mercy of our God," in which "He has visited us" through His Son?

Commentary · Against Heresies, Book V, Chapter 17, section 1 · Original source · Irenaeus of Lyons; The Writings of Irenaeus, Volume II, Ante-Nicene Christian Library IX; translated by Alexander Roberts and W. H. Rambaut; T. & T. Clark, Edinburgh, 1869. Existing transcription supplied by Wikisource contributors. · Licence · Source revision · Whitespace normalized; source pagination and footnote reference markers removed. English wording unchanged.