Against an elder A continuation of Timothy's official duties towards the presbyters, as is indicated by the context. The Mosaic precept here referred to is given in its most general terms, Deuteronomy 19:15, -One witness shall not rise up against a man for any iniquity, or for any sin … at the mouth of two witnesses, or at the mouth of three witnesses, shall the matter be established." So the preposition rendered by A.V. here -before" is more exactly given R.V. at the mouth of, the phrase being given thus in full, Matthew 18:16. Winer's note, § 47, 9th ed. -by, with, on the testimony of … witnesses" is more exact than the phrase in his text -before witnesses." The reason for being particular here is that in our idiom -to hear a thing only before witnesses" implies merely sufficient publicity and evidence of its having been heard, an entirely different thing from what the Greek conveys with the context. The preposition by itself would equally well bear either meaning e.g. (1) in 2 Corinthians 7:14, -our glorying which I made beforeTitus;" (2) in the common phrase -of a truth," Luke 4:25, -of a truth," i.e. with, on the firm basis of truth, -I say unto you." Both meanings come from the proper notion of superposition.

but before Lit. to give an English colloquial pleonasm, -except unless." So with more stress than -but," except it be. The phrase occurs 1 Corinthians 15:2, where R.V. alters -unless" into -except." Cf. the old use of -but" according to its derivation, -touch not a cat butwithout a glove," and Spenser

-But this I read that butits remedy

Thou her afford, full shortly I her dead shall see."

This direction is to be regarded as embodying the senseof what St Paul wished to convey under the form of another quotation from O.T., so that we should paraphrase, -except it be," in the spirit of the old precept, -at the mouth of two or three witnesses," and so Drs Westcott and Hort print the words. This is the simplest answer to De Wette's question whether Timothy is not to observe this judicial rule in all cases as well as merely in the case of an elder. There is no questionof the precise observance of this or any other purely ceremonial precepts any longer. The spirit however lives; -judge, rebuke, but never on ill-supported accusations."

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