1 Timothy 3:2

A bishop R.V. The bishop, as St Mark 4:3, -the sower": so George Herbert, - Thecountry Parson": -A bishop" is however quite idiomatic too.

blameless R.V. without reproach; twice again, ch. 1 Timothy 5:7 and 1 Timothy 6:14, nowhere else in N. T.; -giving no handle" is exact, though rather colloquial, implying in Greek and in R.V. the absence of definite acts or habits to give occasion for reproach. See note on 1 Timothy 3:7.

the husband of one wife A regulation apparently very simple, but one that has much exercised both ancient and modern commentators. We may pass by the view (1) -husband of awife," i.e. -a married man," as ungrammatical; because the definite numeral has not lost its force - one" in N.T.; in all the 36 or 37 passages where it might be thought to approach the sense of the indefinite article there is something in the context which draws attention to the singleness, the individuality of the person or thing named in a way which is lost by simply rendering -an" or -a." This is virtually the view of the Greek Church, which requires all priests to be married, but forbids a second marriage, and requires the priest who has lost his wife to cease from exercising his functions.

We may pass by also view (2), that of the Mormons, though at least grammatical, -husband of one wife if not more."

The weight of authority is divided between (3) -not a digamist" and (4) -not a bigamist."

Alford, Wordsworth and Ellicott adopt (3) and understand a second marriage after the loss of the first wife, however happening, to be forbidden, digamia; relying on (a) the very early interpretation by many Greek and Latin Fathers, the action by many bishops and the enactment of some councils, (b) the supposed propriety of greater strictness for officers of the Church.

But as to (a), the more general interpretation by the prevailing -voice of the Church" in the first and second centuries was for (4), and St Paul has express statements on this point, Romans 7:2; 1 Corinthians 7:39, countenancing second marriages; as to (b), St Paul's usage is notto make lawsof a -higher life" for ministers than for people, but to expect the same laws kept in a way to serve for ensample to the flock. We adopt (4) therefore which is the prima faciemeaning, and was the view of the Antiochene fathers (though Chrysostom seems to have changed his mind when he came to annotate Titus 1:6), and was acted upon by some of the Eastern bishops. Many converts to Christianity would have more than one wife. They are nowhere commanded to put away all but one; but it was not seemly that a man in such a position should be a Christian minister, who ought in all respects to be an ensample to the flock. See further on Titus 1:6. The parallel passage in ch. 1 Timothy 5:10 need cause no difficulty: then as now many a woman would change her partner and with or without a so-called re-marriage feel no scruple so long as she was faithful to the new partner. The elementary principle of Christian relationship needed then to be taught in Christian Asia, and needs teaching now in many still half-heathen circles of Christian England.

vigilant, sober Rather sober, pure; the first word, from which nephalismcomes, occurs only here and in 1 Timothy 3:11 of the -women deacons," and in Titus 2:2 of -the aged men," and is rendered by R.V. -temperate"; while the verb with which it is connected, occurring 1 Thessalonians 5:6; 1 Thessalonians 5:8; 2 Timothy 4:5, and 1Pe 1:13; 1 Peter 4:7, is rendered -be sober." The second word here and usually in the Pastoral Epistles, where it and its connexions occur nine times, is rendered by R.V. -soberminded": in the passage however where both the verbs occur, 1 Peter 4:7, we have -be of sound(not sober) mind and be sober unto prayer."

-Sober," not indulging the desire of -winebibbings, revellings, carousings"; -pure," not indulging in the thought of -lasciviousness and lusts." See 1 Peter 4:3 compared with 7. Cf. also 1 Thessalonians 5:6, and Titus 2:2.

of good behaviour R.V. with Conybeare and Lewin orderly; the same word describes the -modest" dress of the women above 1 Timothy 2:9, and occurs nowhere else in N. T. The root-idea of the word is the -beauty of order," such as made it an appropriate word to describe the world, - kosmos," created out of bare blank chaos. Our word -decent" had originally a somewhat similar force; see Prayer-Book rubrics in Communion Service, directing the alms to be received in a decent, i.e. fair and fitting bason, and the priest so to place the bread and wine that he may with the more readiness and decency, i.e. fair and holy order, break the bread.

Here the word expresses the character of the presbyter in his outward behaviour, -modest" but not -shy," -genial" but not -noisy" that of a Christian gentleman.

given to hospitality The adjective occurs (excepting in the parallel account of the presbyter, Titus 1:8) only in 1 Peter 4:9, the same passage from which we have just drawn two other of the characteristic words of the Pastoral Epistles. The subst. occurs however Romans 12:13 and Hebrews 13:2. -Brethren in their travels could not resort to the houses of the heathen, and would be subject to insult in the public deversoria." Alford.

apt to teach The only specially ministerialqualification, enlarged in Titus 1:9, -able both to exhort in the sound doctrine, and to convict the gainsayers."