1 Timothy 5 - Introduction
Apostolic Government in regard to Discipline... [ Continue Reading ]
Apostolic Government in regard to Discipline... [ Continue Reading ]
Timothy's demeanour generally towards his flock 1. _Rebuke not an elder_ The Greek for -rebuke" occurring only here in N. T. is a strong word implying roughness and sharpness. Timothy was not to go so far as St Paul went in his rebuke of St Peter, Galatians 2:11, -I resisted him to the face because... [ Continue Reading ]
_with all purity_ Accurately IN; the R.V. shews the connexion of the phrase with -the younger" by a colon instead of comma after -mothers." Jerome's rule is well quoted here -omnes puellas et virgines Christi aut aequaliter ignora aut aequaliter dilige." There is no simpler safeguard against illnatu... [ Continue Reading ]
_Honour widows_ The honour implied is further referred to in 1 Timothy 5:9; as the honour of 1 Timothy 5:17 is defined by 1 Timothy 5:18. So in Acts 28:10 the Melitans -honoured us with many honours, and when we sailed they put on board such things as we needed." Cf. Lewin's note there. -The honours... [ Continue Reading ]
Timothy's duties in regard to widows Counsel on alms and charities for widows. The natural and obvious view of this passage studied in itself is to present _the Church charities_of this period as having reached an intermediate stage between the common purse or daily ministration of Acts 2:45; Acts... [ Continue Reading ]
_children or nephews_ Rather, GRANDCHILDREN, -nephews" no longer having this meaning as in the time of Jeremy Taylor, who says, -If naturalists say true, that nephews are often liker to their grandfathers than to their fathers." _to shew piety_ The deeper meaning given to this word above, 1 Timothy... [ Continue Reading ]
_trusteth in God_ The perfect of a continuing settled state, as in 1 Timothy 2:14 -is found in transgression;" so here -is found with a full hope placed upon God," HATH HER HOPE SET IN GOD. The same perfect is in 1 Timothy 4:10, taking there however the dative after the preposition, -we have our hop... [ Continue Reading ]
_liveth in pleasure_ The word occurs only once besides in N.T., James 5:5; where it is coupled with -living delicately," and is translated by R.V. -have taken your pleasure," consistently with its rendering here -giveth herself to pleasure." But surely all the connexion and derivation of the word po... [ Continue Reading ]
_these things give in charge_ As in 1 Timothy 4:11 and thrice in chap. 1; note on 1 Timothy 1:5. The conjunction is ALSO rather than -and". -Include the setting of the true life before the widows also in thy charge." _blameless_ One of the key-words of this epistle; of a presbyter 1 Timothy 3:2, of... [ Continue Reading ]
_But if any provide not_ The warning is general in form, but taken up 1 Timothy 5:4 and is again taken up 1 Timothy 5:16. The negative must be taken closely with the verb FAIL TO PROVIDE, see note on 1 Timothy 3:5. _for his own_ His own relatives and connexions. According to the best reading there... [ Continue Reading ]
More definite direction is now given as to the honour and the qualification, _Let not a widow be taken into the number_. The position of the word -widow" at the beginning of the sentence makes it probably part of the predicate, as R.V., LET NONE BE ENROLLED AS A WIDOW. A roll or catalogue of widows... [ Continue Reading ]
_well reported of_ So the word is used of _good_testimony, in the appointment of the deacons, Acts 6:3, -seven men of good report;" of Ananias, -a devout man … well reported of by all the Jews," Acts 22:12. _for good works_ Lit. -in the matter of good works;" the preposition expresses -the range in... [ Continue Reading ]
_But the younger widows refuse_ There is no article, -younger" than 60 years; but also more generally, -comparatively young." -Refuse," i.e. decline to put on the roll of maintenance. _when they have_begun to _wax wanton_ Rather, WHEN THEY HAVE COME TO WAX WANTON. The aorist subjunctive which has th... [ Continue Reading ]
Corruptio optimi fit pessima; Christ, trust in Christ, the life of Christ, _were_supreme during the former marriage; into the loneliness of widowhood, not safeguarded by age, the flesh and the devil have penetrated, and have dethroned Christ: a rebel's name only can be hers. Cf. 1 Timothy 5:15. _hav... [ Continue Reading ]
_they learn_to be _idle_ Insert -also"; R.V. THEY LEARN ALSO TO BE IDLE. The position of -idle" and the stress in the next clause -not only idlers but" point to this construction, making -idle" predicate, though no infinitive -to be," -to become," is inserted. The rendering of Bp Wordsworth, Grimm a... [ Continue Reading ]
_I will therefore_ Rather, with R.V. -I desire;" the stronger verb, as in 1 Timothy 2:8; 1 Timothy 6:9; Titus 3:8: and four other passages of St Paul's Epistles: while the weaker verb is used by him more than sixty times, of which four only are in the Pastoral Epistles. _younger_women] The passage i... [ Continue Reading ]
_some are … turned aside_ Some of the younger widows who had been placed upon the roll had thus been led astray; St Paul was not merely theorising in 1 Timothy 5:11. The aorist here is rightly rendered -are turned" according to the account given in 1 Timothy 5:10.... [ Continue Reading ]
_If any man or woman that believeth_ The balance of authority in mss. requires us to read with R.V., IF ANY WOMAN THAT BELIEVETH. _have widows_ Again, HATH WIDOWS, dependent on her. In what precise way we are to understand this verse is not very clear; whether (1) as a general summary of the whole p... [ Continue Reading ]
_the elders that rule well_ The perfect part. with present neuter signification. The verb itself is peculiar to these Epistles, except Romans 12:8, -he that ruleth with diligence," and 1 Thessalonians 5:12, -that labour among you and _are over_you; and is used of the management -of a house," in 1 Ti... [ Continue Reading ]
Timothy's duties in regard to Presbyters Timothy's official treatment of the presbyters follows, and his personal bearing as requisite for this. The same general subject runs throughout, though (as noticed above on 1 Timothy 5:16), the absence of the connecting particles indicates some fresh aspect... [ Continue Reading ]
_the scripture saith_ The quotation is from Deuteronomy 25:4, and goes to the end of the clause only, -thou shalt not muzzle the ox WHEN HE TREADETH OUT the corn;" or, as Dr Farrar renders, -thou shalt not muzzle a threshing ox." The argument from God's care of oxen has been used by St Paul before,... [ Continue Reading ]
_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 mou... [ Continue Reading ]
_Them that sin_ A connecting particle has some authority here but not enough for adoption. The absence need not (see note above) make us think the subject is changed from _offending presbyters_to _sinners generally_. This would require more support from the context than is given, the main thought be... [ Continue Reading ]
The solemnity of the adjuration in this verse points to a very definite exercise of the duty imposed, and to expected difficulty in the doing of it, arising perhaps not only from Timothy's diffidence but from the prominence of the -elders" who are to be -rebuked." Cf. Acts 20:29 as above. Here again... [ Continue Reading ]
_Lay hands suddenly on no_man] Better perhaps HASTILY; the adverb has a similar use in the words of the Unjust Steward, Luke 16:6, -Take thy bond and sit down quickly and write fifty." Compare the clause in the Litany -from battle and murder, and from sudden death," i.e. a death into which we are hu... [ Continue Reading ]
_Drink no longer water_ The form of the verb and its tense require the fuller rendering of R.V., BE NO LONGER A DRINKER OF WATER. The connexion seems to be; -you have, I know, among other means of training and disciplining yourself in "purity," been a water-drinker; but have the courage of a sanctif... [ Continue Reading ]
It is most natural to regard 1 Timothy 5:24-25 as a review under a fresh aspect of the two main duties urged upon Timothy in the paragraph; just as in the former paragraph, 1 Timothy 5:3; 1 Timothy 5:16 is similarly related to its preceding context. The meaning thus will be; -I have bidden you in re... [ Continue Reading ]
_Likewise also the good works_of some] R.V. excellently, drawing out the double article with substantive and adjective which has the best authority of mss., IN LIKE MANNER ALSO THERE ARE GOOD WORKS THAT ARE EVIDENT. See the interpretation on the previous verse, according to which the more obvious de... [ Continue Reading ]