1 Timothy 5:22

Lay hands suddenly on no man,.... Which is not to be understood of removing censures from off offenders, upon their repentance, which should not be suddenly and hastily done; and which it seems in

Lay hands suddenly on no man, neither be partaker of other men's sins: keep thyself pure. Lay hands - i:e., ordain (1 Timothy 4:14; 2 Timothy 1:6; Titus 1:5). The connection is with 1 Timothy 5:19.

By Lay hands suddenly on no man, is certainly, to be understood: Do thou suddenly set no man apart to any ecclesiastical employment. Laying on of hands was but an external ceremony used in blessing, ,15, and in the conferring of power upon persons. . In the New Testament, we find this rite used: in prayer upon healing the sick, ; in blessing, ; in conferring the gifts of the Holy Ghost, ; in ordination, or setting persons apart to some ecclesiastical employment, ; and being so used, it is sometimes put for the whole action. This the apostle forbids Timothy to do suddenly, that is, without a first proof of the person’ s fitness for his work, , both with respect to his knowledge, and to his holiness of conversation. Neither be partaker of other men’ s sins: this participation of other men’ s sin ought to be taken heed of in the whole course of our conversation, but it seemeth here to be especially forbidden with reference to what was before spoken of, viz. the setting men apart for or putting them into any ecclesiastical employment; he who puts into the ministry any erroneous or ignorant persons, or any persons of a lewd conversation, makes himself guilty of all the harm they do, if he hath not first taken a due and reasonable proof of them, but hath laid hands upon them suddenly. Amongst other ways by which we interest ourselves in others’ guilt, one is, by not hindering it, having power so to do. He, or they, whom it lies upon to admit, or not admit, men into the ministry, have a power to refuse them in case upon proof of them they do not find them apt to teach, or fit for the ministration they are to undertake, or such for holiness of life as God requireth: God by his word declaring what such persons ought to be, and commanding him or them first to prove such persons, and to lay hands on none suddenly, hath invested him or them with such a power, of which man cannot deprive them. Keep thyself pure: the purity here mentioned, is comprehensive of that chastity which some would have the word here signify, but it is most reasonable to understand it here with relation to what went before, viz. partaking of other men’ s sins; If thou canst not keep the church pure, but ignorant or erroneous persons, or sots, will get into the church, yet let them not get in through thy hands, keep thyself pure.

22 Lay hands suddenly on no man, neither be partaker of other men’ s sins: keep thyself pure. Ver. 22. Lay hands suddenly on no man] The best that can come of rashness is repentance. Scipio would not yield that a wise man should ever come in with "had I wist," ουκωμην. (Plutarch.) In ordination of ministers all possible care and caution is to be used. Chrysostom thinks that earnestness used by the apostle in the former verse, belongs chiefly to this. Some also make the two last verses a reason of this. Neither be partaker of other men’ s sins] Whom thou shalt rashly ordain, and so thrust upon the people to their and thine infinite disadvantage. "From mine other men’ s sins (saith one), good Lord, deliver me." The Athenians had their δοκιμασια, which was a solemn examination of the magistrates, whether fit to govern or no; and of the orators, whether not incontinent, prodigal, unkind to parents, &c.; for if so, they were disprivileged, and not suffered to plead or speak publicly. (Rous’ s Archaeol. Attic.) Keep thyself pure] See 1 Timothy 5:2, and know that sin is a filthy thing, and defileth the soul worse than any jakes (outhouses) can do the body, as our Saviour shows, Matthew 7:23.

(22) Lay hands suddenly on no man.—This command refers primarily to the solemn laying on of hands at the ordination of presbyters and deacons. It no doubt also includes the “laying on of hands” customary, apparently, even in the Apostolic age, on the absolution of penitents and their re-admission to church fellowship. Neither be partaker of other men’s sins.—By thus negligently admitting into the ministry unfit persons—by carelessly and without due caution readmitting persons to a church fellowship, which by their evil life they had forfeited—Timothy would incur a grave responsibility, would in fact “be a partaker” in the sins and errors committed by those men, some of whom he had carelessly placed in important positions in the church, others of whom he had restored to communion before they had given sufficient evidence of their repentance. To limit, however, the reference of the command of St. Paul here to the laying on of hands in the ordination of presbyters and deacons, would imply a greater corruption in the church at that early date than is credible. Surely the number of “unfit” persons seeking the high and holy, but difficult and dangerous, posts of officers in a proscribed and hated community, would hardly by themselves have warranted such grave warning words as “Lay hands suddenly on no man, neither be partaker of other men’s sins.” Keep thyself pure.—The word “pure” here has a broad and inclusive signification. It, of course, denotes the urgent necessity of one holding Timothy’s high and responsible office being pure and chaste in word and deed and thought; but here it also presses on the chief presbyter of Ephesus the imperative necessity of keeping himself, by ceaseless watchfulness, pure from all reproach in the matter of selecting candidates for the ministry, or in the restoring of the lapsed sinners to church fellowship.

Verse 22. Lay hands suddenly on no man] Do not hastily appoint any person to the sacred ministry: let the person be well proved before he receives the imposition of hands. Some understand this of laying hands on the sick. Neither be partaker of other men's sins] It is a sin for any improper person to thrust himself into the sacred office; and he partakes of that sin who introduces, helps him forward, or sanctions him in it. O, what an account will rash, undiscerning, and prejudiced bishops, presbyters, and others, have to render to God for their ordinations! Their laying rash or careless hands "on skulls that cannot teach, and will not learn;" while probably they refuse inducting others well qualified for the Christian ministry. Keep thyself pure.] From this and every other evil.

22. Lay hands suddenly on no man] Better perhaps hastily; the adverb has a similar use in the words of the Unjust Steward, Luke 16:6, ‘Take thy bond and sit down quickly and write fifty.’ Compare the clause in the Litany ‘from battle and murder, and from sudden death,’ i.e. a death into which we are hurried unawares. The passage has by a large preponderance of ancient and modern commentators been referred to the ‘imposition of hands’ in ordination; and so the first Ember-Prayer of the English Prayer-Book, ‘Guide and govern the minds of thy servants the bishops and pastors of thy flock, that they may lay hands suddenly on no man, but faithfully, &c.’ Bp Ellicott’s objection that the context only speaks of men ordained is partly met above 1 Timothy 5:17, and is not of so great force as the objections to his own rendering ‘No penitent is hastily to be absolved by imposition of hands and readmitted to Church fellowship.’ For (1) when the phrase is so brief, it is unnatural to interpret it except in accordance with its clear meaning in the other two places where it occurs in these Epistles, 1 Timothy 4:14, and 2 Timothy 1:6; and (2) there is no certain proof of the other use of the imposition of hands, i.e. in absolution, so early, although Eusebius, Hist. ii. 2, calls it ‘an old custom.’neither be partaker of other men’s sins] Nor yet be a partner in. The verb as used in N. T. with a dative implies a fellowship in life and spirit. Compare the simple usage, Luke 5:10, ‘the sons of Zebedee which were partners with Simon,’ and the derived, 1 Peter 4:13, ‘ye are partners in Christ’s sufferings,’ and 2 John 1:11, ‘he that giveth him greeting is partner in his evil works.’ This clause takes up again the dealing truly with the ‘error in religion’ and ‘viciousness in life’ of those already ordained; with this fresh thought perhaps; ‘the solemn laying on of hands connects you inevitably with the character of those whom you will ordain: but neither can you in your position be free from danger to yourself by laxness in regard to those who are already ordained; libera animam tuam; “use the authority given you, not to hurt but to help” your own account before God as well as theirs, by “driving away erroneous doctrine” and evil-living.’keep thyself pure] This thought follows on: ‘there is danger too from your own temptations; see that you “deny all worldly lusts and live soberly” yourself.’ The order in the Greek is thyself keep thou pure.

Lay hands suddenly on no man - Some have understood this of laying on hands to heal the sick (Koppe); others of the laying on of hands to absolve penitents, but the obvious meaning is to refer it to ordination.

22. Of care in ordination. Suddenly—Without full investigation into the fitness of the candidate. Partaker… sins—By introducing unworthy men into the sacred ministry, for whose sins thou wouldst be responsible.