2 Timothy 2:19 - Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Nevertheless the foundation of God That is, the foundation of God's church, represented as a house, 2Ti 2:20; 1 Timothy 3:15; 1 Peter 2:5; in which God dwells, Ephesians 2:22; as a family inhabiting a house, Hebrews 3:3; as a temple, Ephesians 2:21; in which God displays his glory, communicates his blessings, receives the prayers, praises, and oblations of his people, and is worshipped in spirit and in truth. The foundation of this church Isaiah, 1 st, The great truth spoken of 2 Timothy 2:8, namely, the resurrection of Christ, the principal support of the whole fabric of Christianity, as manifesting Christ to be the Son of God, Romans 1:4; confirming his doctrine, showing the efficacy of his atonement, Romans 4:25; obtaining for us the Holy Spirit, John 16:7; showing the necessity of our rising to a new life, Romans 6:4-5; Ephesians 2:5-6; proving that we shall rise at the great day; that immortality is before us; and that we ought, therefore, to set our affections on, and seek, the things above. 2d, The doctrine of our resurrection through Christ, which is a capital article of Christianity, (Hebrews 6:1; 1 Corinthians 15:19,) and all the other fundamental doctrines of the gospel connected with that of Christ's and his people's resurrection, termed, (Ephesians 2:20,) the foundation of the apostles and prophets; that is, the foundation laid by them. See the note there, and on 1 Timothy 3:15-16. 3d, Christ himself, in whom all these doctrines are yea and amen, is the foundation of his church, and of the knowledge, experience, and practice of every individual belonging to it, of which see the note on 1 Corinthians 3:11. This three-fold foundation standeth sure Remains immoveable and the same, throughout all ages. But who build on this foundation? Who are true members of this church, true worshippers in this spiritual temple? This we learn from the next clause. Having this seal Or inscription, as the word σφραγις often signifies, meaning the mark made by a seal, as well as the seal itself. So it signifies Revelation 9:4; and the expression is here used with propriety, in allusion to the custom of engraving upon some stones laid in the foundation of buildings, the names of the persons by whom, and the purposes for which, the structure was raised. See Zechariah 3:9. And nothing can have a greater tendency to encourage the confidence and hope, and at the same time to engage the obedience of sincere Christians, than the double inscription here mentioned. One part of this is, The Lord knoweth Or acknowledgeth; them that are his Namely, those who truly turn to him in repentance, faith, and new obedience, or who confess with their mouth the Lord Jesus, even when their confessing him might be followed with the loss of all things, with imprisonment and martyrdom, and who believe with their heart unto righteousness, that God hath raised him from the dead, Romans 10:9-10. All such he assuredly knows, acknowledges, and will favour and protect as his. Dr. Whitby supposes that the apostle alludes here to Numbers 16:5, To-morrow the Lord will show who are his, and who is holy; and that the clause has a peculiar reference to the apostles, in opposition to heretical teachers. Let it be observed, however, that all these will manifest that they are the Lord's not merely by naming the name of Christ Or making a profession of Christianity; but by departing from iniquity Without which they would not be worthy of being accounted members even of the visible church, as they would show themselves visibly, or evidently, to be of the devil, by doing his works, John 8:4; 1 John 3:8.