John Gill's Bible Commentary Ver. 5. Now the end of the commandment is charity , etc.] By the commandment may be meant, the order given to Timothy, or the charge committed to him; (see 1 Timothy 1:18) to forbid the teaching of another doctrine, and to avoid fables and endless genealogies; the end and design of which was to cultivate peace, to maintain and secure brotherly love, which cannot long subsist, when a different doctrine is introduced and received; and to promote godly edification, which is brought about by charity or love, for charity edifies; but is greatly hindered by speculative notions, fabulous stories, and genealogical controversies and contentions: or by it may be intended the ministration of the Gospel, called the commandment, ( 1 Timothy 6:14), because enjoined the preachers of it by Christ; the end of which is to bring persons to the obedience of faith, or to that faith which works by love, to believe in Christ, to love the Lord, his truths, ordinances, people, and ways; or rather the moral law is designed, which is often called the commandment, ( Romans 7:8-12) since of this the apostle treats in some following verses; the end and design, sum and substance, completion and perfection of which law are love to God, and love to one another; (see Matthew 22:36-39 Romans 13:8,9 Galatians 5:14), which charity or love, when right, springs out of a pure heart ; which no man has naturally; every man's heart is naturally impure; nor can he make it pure; by the strength of nature, or by anything that he can do: there are some that are pure in their own eyes, and in the esteem of others, and yet are not cleansed from their filthiness, and are inwardly full of all manner of impurity; though there are some that have pure hearts, and they are such, who have clean hearts created in them by the Spirit of God; who are regenerated and sanctified by him; whose hearts are purified by faith; and who have their hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience by the blood of Christ; and who are not double minded, speak with a heart and a heart, but whose hearts are sincere and upright, and without hypocrisy; so that charity or love, from such a heart, is love without dissimulation, which is not in tongue and words only, but in deed and in truth; it is an unfeigned love, or loving with a pure heart fervently. And of a good conscience ; there is a conscience in every man, that accuses or excuses, unless it is cauterized or seared: but this conscience is naturally evil and defiled, and does not perform its office aright; either it takes no notice of, and is not concerned about sin, and has no remorse for it, or it takes notice of little things, and lets pass greater ones, or speaks peace when destruction is at hand: a good conscience is a conscience purified by the grace of God, and purged from dead works by the blood of Christ; under the influence of which a man acts uprightly in the discharge of his duty, and exercises a conscience void of offence towards God and man; and charity, proceeding from such a conscience, is of the right kind: and of faith unfeigned; with which a man really, and from the heart, believes what he professes; so did not Simon Magus, and all other temporary believers, whose faith is a feigned faith, a dead and inactive one; whereas true faith is an operative grace, it is attended with good works, and particularly it works by love: and that charity or love, which springs from faith unfeigned, is unfeigned love also, such as answers the design, and is the substance of the commandment. These words may be considered in a gradation, or as a spiritual genealogy, in opposition to the endless ones before mentioned, thus; that charity which is the end of the commandment comes out of a pure heart, out of which proceeds a good conscience, and from thence faith unfeigned. But the other way of interpreting seems best.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 5-11 - Whatever tends to weaken love to God, or love to the brethren, tends to defeat the end of the commandment. The design of the gospel i answered, when sinners, through repentance towards God and faith i Jesus Christ, are brought to exercise Christian love. And as believer were righteous persons in God's appointed way, the law was not agains them. But unless we are made righteous by faith in Christ, reall repenting and forsaking sin, we are yet under the curse of the law even according to the gospel of the blessed God, and are unfit to shar the holy happiness of heaven.
Greek Textus Receptus
το 3588 T-NSN δε 1161 CONJ τελος 5056 N-NSN της 3588 T-GSF παραγγελιας 3852 N-GSF εστιν 2076 5748 V-PXI-3S αγαπη 26 N-NSF εκ 1537 PREP καθαρας 2513 A-GSF καρδιας 2588 N-GSF και 2532 CONJ συνειδησεως 4893 N-GSF αγαθης 18 A-GSF και 2532 CONJ πιστεως 4102 N-GSF ανυποκριτου 505 A-GSF
Vincent's NT Word Studies
5. The end of the commandment (telov thv paraggeliav). The article with "Commandment" points back to might'st charge, ver. 3. Rend. Therefore, of the charge. Telov end, aim, that which the charge contemplates.Love (agaph). See on Gal. ver. 22. The questionings, on the contrary, engendered strifes (2 Tim. ii. 23). Love to men is meant, as meant as N.T. When the word is used absolutely. See Roman xiii. 10.
Out of a pure heart (ek kaqarav kardiav). Comp. Luke x. 27, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God out of they whole heart (ex olhv kardiav sou), and in or with (en) thy whole soul," etc. For a pure heart, comp. 2 Timothy ii. 22. Kaqarov pure in Paul only Rom. xiv. 20. The phrase a pure heart occurs, outside of the Pastorals only in 2 Pet. i. 22. For kardia heart see on Rom. i. 21.
A good conscience(suneidhsewv agaqhv). Comp 2 Tim. i. 3. Suneidhsiv conscience is common in Paul. See on 1 Pet. iii. 16.
Faith unfeigned (pistewv anupokritou). Anupokritov unfeigned twice in Paul, Rom. xii. 9; 2 Cor. vi. 6, both times as an attribute of love. In Jas. iii. 17, it is an attribute of wisdom, and in 1 Pet. i. 22, of brotherly love. Notice the triad, love, conscience, faith. There is nothing un-Pauline in the association of conscience and faith, although, as a fact, Paul does not formally associate them. In 1 Cor. viii. 7, 10, 12, conscience is associated with knowledge.
Robertson's NT Word Studies
1:5 {The end} (to telos). See #Ro 6:21; 10:4 for telos (the good aimed at, reached, result, end). {Love} (agape). Not "questionings." #Ro 13:9. "Three conditions for the growth of love" (Parry): "Out of a pure heart" (ek kaqaras kardias, O.T. conception), "and a good conscience" (kai suneidesews agaqes, for which see #Ro 2:25), "and faith unfeigned" (kai pistews anupokritou, late compound verbal in #2Co 6:6; Ro 12:9).
