1_Do not harshly rebuke an elder _He now recommends to Timothy gentleness and moderation in correcting faults. Correction is a medicine, which has always some bitterness, and consequently is disagreeable. Besides, Timothy being a young man, his severity would have been less tolerable, if it had not... [ Continue Reading ]
2_The younger as sisters, with all chastity _The phrase, with all chastity, relates to younger women; for at that age they ought always to dread every kind of suspicion. Yet Paul does not forbid Timothy to have any criminal or immodest conduct towards young women, (for there was no need of such a pr... [ Continue Reading ]
3_Honor widows that are really widows. By _the word _honor _he does not mean any expression of respect, but that special care of them which bishops (85) took in the ancient Church; for widows were taken under the protection of the Church, that they might be supported out of the common funds. The mea... [ Continue Reading ]
4_If any widow _There are various ways of explaining this passage; and the ambiguity arises from this circumstance, that the latter clause may refer either to widows or to their children. Nor is this consistent with the verb (_let them learn) _being plural, while Paul spoke of a _widow _in the singu... [ Continue Reading ]
5_She who is really a widow _He expresses his meaning more clearly than before; for he shews that they are really widows who are solitary and have no children. He says that such persons _hope in God _Not that this is done by all, or by them alone; for we may see many widows that are childless, and t... [ Continue Reading ]
6_. She who is in luxury_. After having described the marks by which real widows may be known, he now contrasts them with others that ought not to be received. The Greek participle which he employs , σπαταλῶσα, means one who allows herself every indulgence, and leads an easy and luxurious life. Acco... [ Continue Reading ]
7_And command these things _He means, that not only does he prescribe to Timothy the course which he ought to follow, but the women also must be carefully taught not to be stained with such vices. It is the duty of the pastor not only to oppose the wicked practices or ambition of those who act an un... [ Continue Reading ]
8_And if any person do not provide for his own _Erasmus has translated it, “If any woman do not provide for her own,” making it apply exclusively to females. But I prefer to view it as a general statement; for it is customary with Paul, even when he is treating of some particular subject, to deduce... [ Continue Reading ]
9_Let a widow be chosen. _He again points out what kind of widows should be taken under the care of the Church; (91) and more clearly than he had formerly done. _Not under sixty years of age _First, he describes the age, _sixty years; _for, being supported at the public expense, it was proper that t... [ Continue Reading ]
10_For good works _Those qualifications which are next enumerated relate partly to honor, and partly to labor. There can be no doubt that the assemblies of widows were honorable, and highly respectable; and, therefore, Paul does not wish that any should be admitted into them, but those who had excel... [ Continue Reading ]
11_Refuse younger widows _He does not enjoin that they be excommunicated from the Church, or have any mark of disgrace put upon them; but he only asserts that they must not be rewarded by obtaining that honor which he has already mentioned. And if the Spirit of God, by the mouth of Paul, declares th... [ Continue Reading ]
12_Having condemnation, because they have renounced their first faith. “ _To have condemnation,” is interpreted by some as signifying “to deserve reproof.” But I take it to be a statement of greater severity, that Paul terrifies them by the damnation of eternal death; as if he reproved them by sayin... [ Continue Reading ]
13_And not only so, but they grow idle _Nothing is more becoming in women than keeping the house; and hence, among the ancients, a tortoise (94) was the image of a good and respectable mother of a family. But there are many who are diseased with the opposite vice. Nothing delights them more than the... [ Continue Reading ]
14_I wish the younger _(widows) _to marry_. Censorious men laugh at this injunction of the Apostle. “As if,” say they, “it had been necessary to stimulate their excessively strong desire; for who does not know that almost all widows have naturally a wish to be married?” Superstitious men, on the oth... [ Continue Reading ]
15_For some have already turned aside _It is certain, that there is no ordinance so holy that some evil may not arise out of it through the wickedness of men. Yet those things which are necessary ought to remain unmoved, whatever may happen to them, although the sky should fall. But when we are at l... [ Continue Reading ]
16_If any believer_. It being customary for every one willingly to throw his own burdens on the whole Church, on this account he expressly enjoins that it be guarded against. He speaks of believers who ought to support their widows; for, as to those widows who renounced a wicked relationship, it was... [ Continue Reading ]
17_Elders _(98) For preserving the good order of the Church, it is likewise highly necessary that elders should not be neglected, but that due regard should be paid to them; for what could be more unfeeling than to have no care about those who have the care of the whole Church? Here πρεσβύτερος _(el... [ Continue Reading ]
18_Thou shalt not muzzle the ox _This is a political precept which recommends to us equity and humanity (101) in general; as we have said in expounding the First Epistle to the Corinthians; (102) for, if he forbids us to be unkind to brute animals, how much greater humanity does he demand towards me... [ Continue Reading ]
19_Against an elder receive not an accusation _After having commanded that salaries should be paid to pastors, he likewise instructs Timothy not to allow them to be assailed by calumnies, or loaded with any accusation but what is supported by sufficient proof. But it may be thought strange, that he... [ Continue Reading ]
20_Those that sin rebuke before all _(104) Whenever any measure is taken for the protection of good men, it is immediately seized by bad men to prevent them from being condemned. Accordingly, what Paul had said about repelling unjust accusations he modifies by this statement, so that none may, on th... [ Continue Reading ]
21_I adjure thee before God _Paul introduced this solemn appeal, not only on account of the very great importance of the subject, but likewise on account of its extreme difficulty. Nothing is more difficult than to discharge the office of a public judge with so great impartiality as never to be move... [ Continue Reading ]
22_Lay not hands suddenly on any man _There can be no doubt that he intended to guard Timothy against ill-will, and to obviate many complaints, which are continually arising against the godly servants of Christ, who refuse to comply with the ambitious requests of any. For some accuse them of sternne... [ Continue Reading ]
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 o... [ Continue Reading ]
24_The sins of some men are visible beforehand _As there is nothing that distresses more the faithful ministers of the Church, than to see no way of correcting evils, and to be compelled to endure hypocrites, of whose wickedness they are aware and to be unable to banish from the Church many who are... [ Continue Reading ]
25_In like manner also the good works _He means, that sometimes piety and other virtues obtain early and speedily their applause among men; so that great men are held in estimation; and that, if it happen otherwise, the Lord will not suffer innocence and uprightness to be always oppressed; for it is... [ Continue Reading ]