1 Timothy 3

1 Timothy 3:1

Now to proceed to other directions necessary for thee: thou art to consider this great and weighty truth, that the episcopal office, whensoever any man is a candidate or suitor for it, is an honourable (though never so dangerous and burdensome a) function, (see James iii. 1,) and consequently that thou must be very careful in the choice of the person whom thou, as metropolitan of Ephesus, admittest to this dignity.

[a] a good work] Καλὸν ἔργον here signifies honestum opus, a work of some virtue and excellence in itself, as being that which is the consecrating a man’s life, at least the greatest part of it, to the service of God, to which therefore an immarcessible crown of glory is proposed by St. Peter as the reward, 1 Pet. v. 4, where, as the great reward in heaven, Matt. v., is an argument that the virtue to which it is assigned is a very eminent virtue, very acceptable in the sight of God, so is this an evidence that the good work here is looked on as an eminent state of piety, so far from being censurable in him that desires it as he ought to do, in order to the glory of God, or the love of our brethren, or the just provision for their spiritual wants, that it is very commendable in him, and the desire of it is an act of Christian piety in the more perfect degree, as the designing this without putting the flock to any charge is yet more excellent in St. Paul, 1 Cor. ix. 18. And this may be further evident by the fault of those who forsake this or any other ecclesiastical office, and return to the world, ad seculum, again; such was Demas, who had been a fellow-labourer of St. Paul’s, Philem. 24. Col. iv. 14, but after forsook him, 2 Tim. iv. 10, ἀγαπήσας τὸν νῦν αἰῶνα, having loved this present age, or world: not that this crime was that love of the world, which, 1 John ii. 15, is a crime in any Christian, but that he betook himself to his own worldly secular affairs again, forsaking the attendance on the service of God in his church; as he that marries a wife is said to be solicitous for the things of this world, how he may please his wife: which love of the world, though it be not in itself a fault, (for then marriage could not be faultless,) yet if it be the taking one off from ecclesiastical employments which hath devoted himself to them, will be a fault in him; and that was Demas’s crime, not, as it is thought, forsaking of Christianity. And that was charged on some others, though Timothy stuck close to him, Phil. ii. 21, all seek τὰ ἰαντῶν, &c., betake themselves to the care of their own secular affairs, not to the affairs of Christ, in attending on the gospel, ver. 22. And the criminousness of this arising from hence, that he forsakes that which is more excellent for that which is less so, though it be not otherwise unlawful, ecclesiastical for secular employments, is an evidence that the ecclesiastical employment is καλὸν ἔργον, in this notion, a good, that is, excellent work, a state (if lived in as it ought) of some perfection.

1. Adv. Jovin. c. 29. t Ep. 3. c. 6. ■ Apol. 2. post init. HAMMOND ANNOTT. VOL. II. U

1 Timothy 3:2

And therefore these inquiries thou must make of any whom thou meanest to ordain, and receive the testimony of the church concerning him, (see note [b] Acts vi.) And therein let these qualifications be observed: 1. that he be a person not scandalous for any sin since his conversion; 2. that he have not put away

[b] husband of one wife] What is the meaning of μιὰς γυναικὸς ἀνὴρ, the husband of one wife, both here and ver. 12, and Tit. i. 6, and

[c] of good behaviour] Κόσμιος, εθτακτος, well ordered or composed, saith Phavorinus; and so c. 2. 9, καταστολή κόσμιος, such an habit, or attire, as argues gravity of manners and mind.

1 Timothy 3:3

8. A temperate person, in opposition to exces- sive drinking; 9. one that uses no violence; 10. that uses no sordid course for gain; 11. of a mild and peaceable disposition (see note [a] 2 Cor. x.); 12. nei- ther apt to be angry and quarrel, nor, 13, enslaved to the love of wealth;

1 Timothy 3:4

14. That by ruling his own family well, and keeping his children in obedience to discipline and in all probity of manners, shews that he is fit to be a governor;

1 Timothy 3:5

(For sure he that cannot rule so much a less province will be unfit to be made a governor of the church of God.)

1 Timothy 3:6

15. Not one that is but newly planted or in- structed in the faith, lest so great a dignity so sud- denly bestowed on him may tempt him to pride and vanity, and so bring the same ruin upon him that fell upon the devil, who was tempted in like manner by that glorious condition wherein he was created, and for his pride was cast out of heaven into the torments of hell, 2 Peter ii. 4.

[d] novice] Νεόφυτος signifies not in respect of age, for Timothy himself was such: but in respect of receiving the faith, by analogy with the use of the word φυτεύω, to plant, for to instruct in Christianity, to teach the faith, as when St. Paul saith that he hath planted; and so saith Theophylact, it is all one with νεοβάπτιστος, newly baptized, lately received into the church.

1 Timothy 3:7

To these qualifications must be further added, 16. that he be a person of a good reputation, under no reproach for his former life among unbelievers; for if he be, there will be danger that he be contumeli- ously used by them; and this the devil will make use of to insnare others, to give them aversions to the doctrine of such a man who is under so much scandal for his former life: see Theophylact.

1 Timothy 3:8

And as for the choosing of the bishop all this care must be taken, so for the deacons, that must every where be constituted to attend the bishop, they also must be chosen grave, sober persons, not cunning and deceitful, not given to excess of drinking wine or strong drink, those which use not any sordid course for gain;

1 Timothy 3:9

But such as being orthodox in point of faith, live pure and Christian lives according to the doctrine and directions thereof.

1 Timothy 3:10

And before any be thus assumed into holy orders, let them be well known, and by testimony approved for sufficiency, piety, and good behaviour, and then being found blameless, persons of good report among all, let them then be assumed into orders.

1 Timothy 3:11

And of the woman I further command, that she be content to learn, and to exercise obedience and subjection to those who are placed over her, both in the church and at home.

So likewise the women that have any office in the church (see note [b] Tit. ii.) must be of a grave behaviour, not given to slander and calumniate, not given to any excess, trusty in all that is committed to them.

1 Timothy 3:12

And that she neither undertake to teach in the church, nor at home to have any authority over her husband, but to be obedient and meek and still in both those capacities.

And as of the bishops so of the deacons: let them be those that have not put away former wives upon dislikes, and married others (see note [b]), but those which either have not married or lived constantly with their first wives, and duly brought up their children and governed their families.

1 Timothy 3:13

According to the type which God gave in this matter in the first creation, forming Adam the man first, then the woman out of him, to denote her subordination to and dependence on him.

For though the office of a deacon be an inferior degree, yet it is a step to the higher, and they that behave themselves well in it are fit to be assumed to an higher employment, that of rulers or bishops, that greater dignity in the church of God: (see note [a] John vii.)

1 Timothy 3:14

And there is little reason that this course, which was then settled, should since be changed; certainly no reason to be fetched from Adam’s sin and fall, for the guilt of that lay especially upon the woman; for before Adam was deceived, (or, Adam being not deceived,) the woman being first cheated herself by the serpent, was the cause and beginning of sin and ruin on all mankind.

These brief directions I now give thee for the necessity of thy present employment, hoping to come quickly to thee myself, and furnish thee with all further instructions.

1 Timothy 3:15

But by means of the seed of the woman, the Messias which should be born from her posterity, she had a promise of redemption, and so all others of her sex, upon condition of their perseverance in the faith, and love and obedience to Christ, and performance of those great Christian duties of chastity and modest behaviour which I now require of them.

CHAP. III.

But if it shall fall out that I cannot come, that then by these thou mayest for the main be provided and instructed how to discharge the office committed to thee, being an office of stewardship or prefecture in God’s family, the church, not of idol false, but of the one true God, the pillar and basis which holds up the truth, sustains and keeps it from sinking;

[e] house of God] What οἶκος Θεοῦ, the house of God, here signifies, is evident by the context. The whole discourse here is to give Timothy directions for the choosing and constituting bishops and deacons in his province, that is, over all Asia, of which Ephesus, where Timothy was placed by St Paul, was the chief metropolis. This then being the province wherein he was to ordain, must needs be the οἶκος Θεοῦ, house of God, wherein he is here directed how he should behave himself, being by St. Paul set there as the οἰκονόμος, or steward in an house, who having, under the master, chief power in the family, to him it belongs to entertain or remove servants and officers out of it. But this not so to restrain the phrase to that one province, but that both the universal and every other particular church of Christ is capable of that title, as truly and properly as that of Ephesus or Asia at that time.

1 Timothy 3:16

The truth, I mean, of God’s economy at this time, which is most precious and valuable, and tends mightily to the begetting of all piety and virtue in our hearts. And it consists of these so many degrees: 1. that God himself took on him our flesh, and here on earth visibly appeared among us in an human shape, and did thereby make known his will unto us; and that this might be done more convincingly, edly,

⁶ The women in like manner, Γυναίκα ἱσαίτης. ⁷ authority, παρρησίαν. ⁸ confessedly, ὁμολογουμένως. ⁹ manifested by, ἀφανερώθη ἴν. ¹⁰ by, ἴν. ¹¹ among, ἴν.

[ʃ] godliness] The notion of piety in this place is observable for Christian religion, doctrine of Christ, whether as that which is itself the true way of serving and worshipping of God, so as will be acceptable unto him, (and so is εὐσέβεια, piety,) or that which prescribes, and delivers the most exact and perfect way of serving God, and so by a metonymy is called piety. That it signifies so here, appears by the parts of this mystery, as they are here set down; God, that is, Christ incarnate, manifested in the flesh, &c., the several articles of our faith from the birth to the assumption of Christ, which all together are called μυστήριον εὐσεβείαις, the mystery of piety; the parts of our religion, into which all Christians are initiated or entered; the foundation on which all our Christian practice is built, God being so desirous that men should live according to that law of his revealed by Christ, that to preach it to us, and enforce it on our practice, he was