I thank God, whom I serve from my forefathers with pure conscience, that without ceasing I have remembrance of thee in my prayers night and day;
I thank, х charin (G5485) echoo (G2192)] - 'I feel gratitude to God.'
Whom I serve from my forefathers - whose service handed down from them I cherish. He does not mean to put on the same footing the Jewish and Christian service; but to assert his own conscientious service of God in the truth common to Judaism and Christianity, as he had received it 'from his (immediate) progenitors' (not Abraham, Isaac, etc., whom he calls "the fathers," not 'progenitors' х progonoon (G4269)], Romans 9:5). The memory of those gone before, to whom he is about to be gathered, is now, on the eve of death, pleasant. He calls to mind the faith of the mother and grandmother of Timothy: as he walks in the faith of his forefathers (Acts 23:1; Acts 24:14; Acts 26:6-7; Acts 28:20), so Timothy should persevere in that of his parent and grandparent. The Jews who reject Christ forsake the faith of their forefathers, who looked for Christ; when they accept Him, the hearts of the children shall only be returning to the faith of their forefathers (Malachi 4:6; Luke 1:17; Romans 11:23-24; Romans 11:28). Probably Paul, in his recent defense, dwelt on this-namely, that he was, in being a Christian, following his hereditary faith. Conscience without the Word of God is a lamp in which the candle is apt to go out, or, by its glimmering haze, mislead (John 16:2; Acts 26:9; Titus 1:15).
That - rather, 'as without ceasing I have remembrance of thee' (cf. Philemon 1:4). The cause of Paul's thankfulness is, not that he remembers Timothy unceasingly in his prayers, but that he calls to remembrance Timothy's "unfeigned faith" (2 Timothy 1:5: cf. Romans 1:8-9). х hoos (G5613) cannot be used for hoti (G3754).]
Night and day (note, 1 Timothy 5:5).