A.T. Robertson Commentary


A.T. Robertson Commentary
"who gave himself a ransom for all; the testimony [to be borne] in its own times;" — 1 Timothy 2:6 (ASV)
A ransom for all (αντιλυτρον υπερ παντων). "A reminiscence of the Lord's own saying" (Lock) in Mt 20:28 where we have λυτρον αντ πολλων. In the papyri υπερ is the ordinary preposition for the notion of substitution where benefit is involved as in this passage. Αντ has more the idea of exchange and αντιλυτρον υπερ combines both ideas. Λυτρον is the common word for ransom for a slave or a prisoner. Paul may have coined αντιλυτρον with the saying of Christ in mind (only one MS. of Ps 48:9 and Orph. Litt. 588). See Ga 1:4 "who gave himself for our sins."
The testimony (το μαρτυριον). Either the nominative absolute or the accusative absolute in apposition to the preceding clause like το αδυνατον in Ro 8:3.
In its own times (καιροις ιδιοις). Locative case as in 6:15; Titus 1:3. See Ga 6:9 for "due season." There is no predicate or participle here, "the testimony in its due seasons" (plural).