2 Timothy 1:3

“I thank God, etc.] After the inscription and salutation follows the preface to the epistle; which contains a thanksgiving to God upon Timothy's account, and has a tendency to engage his attention to what he was about to write to him in the body of the epistle. God is the object of praise and thanksgiving, both as the God of nature and providence, and as the God of all grace; for every good thing comes from him, and therefore he ought to have the glory of it; nor should any glory, as though they had not received it: and he is here described, as follows, whom I serve from my forefathers with pure conscience; the apostle served God in the precepts of the law, as in the hands of Christ, and as…”

“I thank--Greek, "I feel gratitude to God." whom I serve from my forefathers--whom I serve (Rom 1:9) as did my forefathers. He does not mean to put on the same footing the Jewish and Christian service of God; but simply to assert his own conscientious service of God as he had received it from his progenitors (not Abraham, Isaac, &c., whom he calls "the fathers," not "progenitors" as the Greek is here; Rom 9:5). The memory of those who had gone before to whom he is about to be gathered, is now, on the eve of death, pleasant to him; hence also, he calls to mind the faith of the mother and grandmother of Timothy; as he walks in the faith of his forefathers (Act 23:1; Act 24:14; Act 26:6-7; Act…”

“I thank God, whom I serve from my forefathers - Paul reckoned among his forefathers the patriarchs and the holy men of former times, as being of the same nation with himself, though it may be that he also included his more immediate ancestors, who, for anything known to the contrary, may have been distinguished examples of piety. His own parents, it is certain, took care that he should be trained up in the ways of religion; compare the Philippians 3:4-5 notes; Acts 26:4-5. The phrase “from my forefathers,” probably means, after the example of my ancestors. He worshipped the same God; he held substantially the same truths; he had the same hope of the resurrection and of immortality; he…”

“Whom I serve from my forefathers - That is, whom both I and my ancestors served. With a pure conscience - He always worshipped God according to his conscience, both before and after his conversion One who stands on the verge of life is much refreshed by the remembrance of his predecessors, to whom he is going. 2 Timothy 1:4”

“1:3-4 Thanksgiving and prayer are standard sections of Paul’s letters (e.g., Rom 1:8-12; Col 1:3-14; contrast Gal 1:6-10). 1:3 just as my ancestors did: See Phil 3:5; cp. Deut 6:4-9. • with a clear conscience: This might be in relation to heresy (see 2 Tim 2:17-18; see also 1 Tim 1:5) or to Paul’s previous legal self-defense (see Acts 23:1; 24:14-16).”

“I thank: Rom 1:8; Eph 1:16 whom: Ti2 1:5, Ti2 3:15; Act 22:3, Act 24:14, Act 26:4, Act 27:23; Gal 1:14 with: Act 23:1, Act 24:16; Rom 1:9, Rom 9:1; Co2 1:12; Ti1 1:5, Ti1 1:19; Heb 13:8 that: Rom 1:9; Th1 1:2, Th1 1:3, Th1 3:10 night: Luk 2:37 2 Timothy 1:4”