Recently struck by the idea , that has failed me previously , that "faithful sayings" were commonly held thoughts in the early church , that Paul is citing, in his ministry to Timothy. This is a confirmation of this by Sadler
There is, however, one phrase ocourring several times in these Epistles which requires notice. In no other Epistles have we the " faithful sayings." " This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners " (1 Tim. i. 15). "This is a faithful saying" (rendered in the authorized " true ") (1 Tim. iii. 1). " This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation " (iv. 9). " It is a faithful saying " (2 Tim. ii. 11). How is it that St. Paul quotes four of these faithful words in his later Epistles and not elsewhere ? Evidently because in his later years a number of sayings or short sentences had become proverbial, and were in everyone's mouth: and so St. Paul appealed to three or four of these in support of what he was writing. It is simply an interesting circumstance, but critics must be very hard up for arguments to use it as a reason for rejecting these Epistles.
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