SEV Biblia, Chapter 1:5
trayendo a la memoria la fe no fingida que est en ti, la cual residi primero en tu abuela Loida, y en tu madre Eunice; y estoy cierto que est en ti tambin.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - 2 Timothy 1:5
Verse 5. The unfeigned faith that is in thee] Timothy had given the fullest proof of the sincerity of his conversion, and of the purity of his faith. Which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois] In Acts xvi. 1, we are informed that Paul came to Derbe and Lystra; and behold, a certain disciple was there, named Timotheus, the son of a certain woman, who was a Jewess, and believed; but his father was a Greek. Luke, the historian, it appears, was not particularly acquainted with the family; Paul evidently was. Luke mentions the same circumstance which the apostle mentions here; but in the apostle's account there are particulars which argue an intimate acquaintance with the family and its history. Luke says Timothy's father was a Greek, consequently we may believe him to have been then in his heathen state; Paul, in mentioning the grandmother, mother, and son, passes by the father in silence; which intimates that either the father remained in his unconverted state, or was now dead. Lois and Eunice are both Grecian, and indeed heathen names; hence we are led to conclude that, although Timothy's mother was a Jewess according to St. Luke, yet she was a Grecian or Hellenist by birth. Lois, the grandmother, appears to have been the first convert to Christianity: she instructed her daughter Eunice, and both brought up Tim. in the Christian faith; so that he had a general knowledge of it before he met with St. Paul at Lystra. There, it appears the apostle was the instrument of the conversion of his heart to God; for a man may be well instructed in Divine things, have a very orthodox creed, and yet his heart not be changed. Instruction precedes conversion; conversion should follow it. To be brought up in the fear of God is a great blessing; and a truly religious education is an advantage of infinite worth.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 5. When I call to remembrance the unfeigned faith that is in thee , etc.] This caused him to give thanks to God for it, whose gift it is and made him the more desirous of seeing one, who was a true believer, and an Israelite indeed. This is to be understood of the grace of faith, which was implanted in the heart of Timothy by the Spirit of God, and was genuine and sincere; he believed with the heart unto righteousness; his faith worked by love to God, and Christ, and to his people, and was attended with good works; which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois : who was his grandmother, not by his father's side, who was a Greek, but by his mother's side; and so the Syriac version renders it, thy mother's mother; who, though she might not know that the Messiah was come in the flesh, and that Jesus of Nazareth was he, yet believed in the Messiah to come, and died in the faith of it, and in a dependence upon righteousness and salvation by him; and so her faith was of the same kind with Timothy's; and which dwelt in her, and continued with her to the last: and thy mother Eunice : who was a Jewess, and a believer in Christ, ( Acts 16:1) though her name is a Greek one, and so is her mother's name; hers signifies good victory, and is the name of one of the Nereides, the daughters of Oceanus f1 ; and her mother's signifies better, or more excellent. She lived, it seems, if her mother did not, to know that Christ was come, and that Jesus, the son of Mary, was he; and she believed in him for righteousness, life, and salvation; and in her this faith dwelt and abode to the end. And I am persuaded that in thee also ; not only that faith was in him, and that that was unfeigned, but that it also dwelt, remained, and would continue with him to the end of life; for true faith is an abiding grace, it is a gift of God, that is irrevocable, and without repentance; Christ is the author and finisher of it, and prays that it fail not, whose prayers are always heard; it is begun, carried on, and performed by the power of God, and has salvation inseparably connected with it. Now when the same faith is said to dwell, first in his grandmother, and in his mother, and in him, this is not to be understood as if this grace was conveyed from one to another by natural generation; for grace comes not that way, only sin; men are not born of blood, but of God; but the sense is, that the same like precious faith was obtained by one, as by another. This was a rich family mercy, and deserved special notice, as being a thing uncommon, and required a particular thanksgiving; and is designed as a motive and encouragement to stir up Timothy to the exercise of that grace, and every other gift God had bestowed upon him, as in the following verse.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 1-5 - The promise of eternal life to believers in Christ Jesus, is the leading subject of ministers who are employed according to the will of God. The blessings here named, are the best we can ask for our belove friends, that they may have peace with God the Father and Christ Jesu our Lord. Whatever good we do, God must have the glory. True believer have in every age the same religion as to substance. Their faith i unfeigned; it will stand the trial, and it dwells in them as a livin principle. Thus pious women may take encouragement from the success of Lois and Eunice with Timothy, who proved so excellent and useful minister. Some of the most worthy and valuable ministers the church of Christ has been favoured with, have had to bless God for earl religious impressions made upon their minds by the teaching of their mothers or other female relatives.
Greek Textus Receptus
υπομνησιν 5280 λαμβανων 2983 5723 της 3588 εν 1722 σοι 4671 ανυποκριτου 505 πιστεως 4102 ητις 3748 ενωκησεν 1774 5656 πρωτον 4412 εν 1722 τη 3588 μαμμη 3125 σου 4675 λωιδι 3090 και 2532 τη 3588 μητρι 3384 σου 4675 {1: ευνεικη 2131 } {2: ευνικη 2131 } πεπεισμαι 3982 5769 δε 1161 οτι 3754 και 2532 εν 1722 σοι 4671
Vincent's NT Word Studies
5. When I call to remembrance (upomnhsin labwn). The object of carin ecw ver. 3. Lit. having received a reminding. The phrases N.T..o . Upomnhsiv reminding (but sometimes intransitive, remembrance), only here, 2 Pet. i. 13; iii. 1. In LXX three times. As distinguished from ajnamnhsiv remembrance (1 Cor. xi. 24, 25) it signifies a reminding or being reminded by another; while ajnamnhsiv is a recalling by one's self.
Unfeigned faith that is in thee (thv en soi anupokritou pistewv). See on 1 Tim. i. 5. For the peculiar collocation of the Greek words, comp. Acts xvii. 28; Rom. i. 12; Eph. i. 15. The writer's thought is probably not confined to Christian faith, but has in view the continuity of Judaism and Christianity. In verse 3 he speaks of serving God from his forefathers. In Acts xxiv. 14 Paul is represented as saying that even as a Christian he serves the God of his fathers, believing all things contained in the law and the prophets.
Dwelt (enwkhsen). Paul uses the verb with sin, the divine Spirit, God, the word of Christ, but nowhere with faith. The phrase faith dwells in, N.T.o . According to Paul, Christians are or stand in faith; but faith is not represented as dwelling in them. Christ dwells in the heart through faith (Eph. iii. 17).
First (prwton). With reference to Timothy, and with a comparative sense, as Matt. v. 24; vii. 5; Mark. iii. 27; 1 Thess. iv. 16, etc. This is shown by the last clause of the verse. The writer merely means that faith had already dwelt in Timothy's grandmother and mother before it did in him. How much farther back his believing ancestry went he does not say. Comp. Acts xvi. 1.
Grandmother (mammh). N.T. Once in LXX, 4 Macc. xvi. 9. Later Greek. The correct classical word is thqh. See Aristoph. Ach. 49; Plato, Repub. 461 D. From the emphasis upon Timothy's receiving his training from his Jewish mother, it has been inferred that his father died early. That he was the child of a mixed marriage appears from Acts xvi. 1 I am persuaded (pepeismai). The verb in Pastorals only here and verse 12. Often in Paul.
Robertson's NT Word Studies
1:5 {Having been reminded} (hupomnesin labwn). "Having received (second aorist active participle of lambanw) a reminder" (old word from hupomimneskw, to remind, in N.T. only here and #1Pe 1:13). For the idiom see #Ro 7:8,11. A reminder by another while anamnesis remembrance (#1Co 11:24f.) is rather a recalling by oneself (Vincent). {Of the unfeigned faith} (tes anupokritou pistews). Late compound for which see #2Co 6:6; Ro 12:9. {Dwelt} (enwikesen). First aorist active indicative of enoikew, old verb, in N.T. only in Paul (#Ro 8:11; Col 3:16). {First} (prwton). Adverb, not adjective (prwte). {In thy grandmother Lois} (en tei mammei lwidi). Old word, originally the infantile word for meter (mother), qen extended by writers to grandmother as here. Common for grandmother in the papyri. Lois is the mother of Eunice, Timothy's mother, since Timothy's father was a Greek (#Ac 16:1). Probably both grandmother and mother became Christians. {I am persuaded} (pepeismai). Perfect passive indicative of peiqw, "I stand persuaded." In the Pastorals only here and verse #12, common in Paul's other writings (#Ro 8:38, etc.).
