I give thee charge in the sight of God, who quickeneth all things, and before Christ Jesus, who before Pontius Pilate witnessed a good confession;
In the sight of God - a far more solemn witness than those "many witnesses" (1 Timothy 6:12) before whom Timothy had made profession.
Quickeneth all things, х zoopoiountos (G2227)]. So 'Aleph ('), Vulgate, 'maketh alive.' But A Delta G х zoogonountos (G2225)], 'preserveth alive;' as in Acts 7:19: cf. Nehemiah 9:6. He urges Timothy to faithfulness by God's power manifested now in preserving all things (Matthew 10:29-30); as in 1 Timothy 6:14, by its future manifestation at Christ's appearing. The encouragement to "lay hold on eternal life" (1 Timothy 6:12) rests in the power of the God of all life, who keeps His people unto "eternal life" (1 Peter 1:5).
Witnessed. It was the Lord's part to witness, or attest the truth of, Timothy's part to 'confess (1 Timothy 6:12), the good confession' х homologia (G3671) in both verses]. The confession was His testimony that He was King, and His kingdom that of the truth (1 Timothy 6:12; 1 Timothy 6:15: cf. Matthew 27:11; John 18:36-37). Christ, in bearing witness to this truth, attested the whole of Christianity. Timothy's confession included, therefore, the whole Christian truth. Ellicott х epi (G1909)], 'under Pontius Pilate,' 'the good confession' of Christ's authentication and of Timothy's profession is thus the Christian confession generally. So [epi] Luke 3:2, He witnessed before the high priest Caiaphas and the sanhedrim that He is Messiah, the Son of God; His confession, which cost Him His life given for us, comprising His:
(1) office and
(2) person (note, Mark 14:61-64).