1 Timothy 5:23

Drink no longer water, but use a little wine for thy stomach's sake and thine often infirmities. NO LONGER - as a habit. This injunction to drink wine occasionally modifies "keep thyself pure." The presbyter and deacon were to be "not given to wine" (; ). Timothy perhaps had a tendency to ascetical strictness (cf. note, : cf. the Nazarene vow, Numbers 6:1; John Baptist, ; ). Paul modifies the preceding "keep thyself pure." 'Not that I enjoin that purity which consists in asceticism; nay, no longer...

23_No longer drink water _There are some who conjecture that this sentence, which breaks off the train of thought, was not written by Paul. But we see that Paul was not so anxious about keeping up the close connection of a discourse, and that it was very customary with him to intermingle a variety of statements without any arrangement. Besides, it is possible that what had been formerly written in the margin of the Epistle afterwards found its way into this passage through the mistake of the transcribers. Yet there is no necessity for giving ourselves much trouble on that point, if we consider Paul’s custom, which I have mentioned, of sometimes mingling various subjects. What is said amounts to this, that Timothy should accustom himself to drink a little wine, for the sake of preserving his health; for he does not absolutely forbid him to “drink water,” but to use it as his ordinary beve...

17-25 Care must be taken that ministers are maintained. And those who are laborious in this work are worthy of double honour and esteem. It is their just due, as much as the reward of the labourer. The apostle charges Timothy solemnly to guard against partiality. We have great need to watch at all times, that we do not partake of other men's sins. Keep thyself pure, not only from doing the like thyself, but from countenancing it, or any way helping to it in others. The apostle also charges Timothy to take care of his health. As we are not to make our bodies masters, so neither slaves; but to use them so that they may be most helpful to us in the service of God. There are secret, and there are open sins: some men's sins are open before-hand, and going before unto judgment; some they follow after. God will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and make known the counsels of all he...

Verse 23. _DRINK NO LONGER WATER, BUT USE A LITTLE WINE_] The whole of this verse seems, to several learned critics and divines, strangely inserted in this place; it might have been, according to them, a note which the apostle inserted in the margin of his letter, on recollecting the precarious state of Timothy's health, and his great abstemiousness and self-denial. I believe the verse to be in its proper place; and, for reasons which I shall adduce, not less necessary than the directions which precede and follow it. But it may be necessary to inquire a little into the reasons of the advice itself. The priests under the _Mosaic law_, while performing sacred rites, were forbidden to drink wine: _Do not drink wine nor strong drink_, _thou, nor thy sons with thee, when ye go into the tabernacle of_ _the congregation, lest ye die_: it shall be _a statute for ever_ _through your generations_...

DRINK NO LONGER WATER - There has been much difficulty felt in regard to the connection which this advice has with what precedes and what follows. Many have considered the difficulty to be so great that they have supposed that this verse has been displaced, and that it should be introduced in some other connection. The true connection, and the reason for the introduction of the counsel here, seems to me to be this: Paul appears to have been suddenly impressed with the thought - a thought which is very likely to come over a man who is writing on the duties of the ministry - of the arduous nature of the ministerial office. He was giving counsels in regard to an office which required a great amount of labor, care, and anxiety. The labors enjoined were such as to demand all the time; the care and anxiety incident to such a charge would be very likely to prostrate the frame, and to injure the...

EXPOSITION 1 TIMOTHY 5:1 _Exhort _for _intreat_,_ _A.V.; _and _omitted. REBUKE NOT (μὴ ἐπιπλήξης); only here in the New Testament for the more usual ἐπιτιμάω (2 Timothy 4:2, and frequently in the Gospels) or ἐλέγχω, as Titus 1:13; Titus 2:15; Revelation 3:19, and elsewhere. In classical Greek it expresses a sharp castigation with words. Compare the "patruae verbera linguae" (Hor., 'Od.,' 3.

DRINK NO LONGER WATER,.... Though it was commendable in him to keep under his body, as the apostle did, by abstemious living, and not pamper the flesh and encourage the lusts of it, and so preserve purity and chastity; yet it was proper that he should take care of his health, that it was not impaired by too much severity, and so he be incapable of doing the work of the Lord. And it seems by this, that his long and only use of water for his drink had been prejudicial to his health: wherefore the following advice was judged proper: BUT USE A LITTLE WINE; some, by "a little wine", understand not the quantity, but the quality of the wine; a thin, small, weak wine, or wine mixed with water; and so the Ethiopic version renders the words, "drink no more simple water", (or water only,) "but mix a little wine"; though rather the quantity is intended, and which is mentioned. Not as though there w...

V. INSTRUCTIONS AND EXHORTATIONS CHAPTER 5 _ 1. Concerning widows (1 Timothy 5:1)_ 2. Concerning elders (1 Timothy 5:17) 3. Responsibility and personal instructions (1 Timothy 5:22) 1 Timothy 5:1 It is not necessary to follow all these instructions in detail and explain their meaning. An elder was not to be rebuked sharply, but to be entreated as a father, and younger men as brethren. Then he speaks of widows. Those who are widows indeed are to be held in honor. Piety was to be shown at home, if they had children. “She that is a widow indeed, and desolate (left alone) trusteth in

ELDERS. In 1 Timothy 3:1 * Paul discusses _qualifications_ for eldership, here he gives Timothy rules for its _supervision._ (_a)_ On the principle of Scripture (Deuteronomy 25:4, _cf._ 1 Corinthians 9:9) and of a well-known proverb, successful presidents (_cf._ 1 Thessalonians 5:12) should receive special maintenance, particularly if to the strict functions of eldership they add that of teaching (1 Timothy 5:17 f.). (_b_) Against an elder only legally-attested charges ...

THE DUTY TO REPRIMAND (1 Timothy 5:1-2)...