1

10 (Kai OUTO de) But let these also be proved first, then let them exercise the deacon's office, being unaccused.

11 (Γυναίκας ώσαυτως) The women in like manner1 MUST BE grave, not slanderers,2BUT vigilan:,3 ,3 faithful in all things.

10

However let these also be tried first, by publishing their names to the church, that if any one hath ought to lay to their charge, he may shew it and after such a publication of their names, let them exercise the deacon's office, if no person accuses them.

11 The women, in like manner, who are employed in teaching the young, must be stayed in their deportment; not slanderers and talebearers, but vigilant and faithful in all the duties belonging to their office.

age. And it is believed that they are the persons called widows, of whose maintenance by the church the apostle speaks, 1 Tim. v. 2. and whose character and state he there describes, ver. 9, 10. See the note on ver. 15. of that chapter. Farther, Clement of Alexandria reckons widows among ecclesiastical persons, Pædag. Lib. iii. c. 12. There are many precepts in scripture concerning those who are chosen, some for priests, others for bishops, others for deacons, others for widows.-Grotius tells us, these female presbyters or elders, were ordained by the imposition of hands, till the council of Laodi. cea; and for this he quotes the xith canon of that council-From what is said of Euodia and Syntyche, Philip. iv. 3. it is probable they were female presbyters. Perhaps also Priscilla, Tryphana and Tryphosa were of the same order, with some others, whom in his epistle to the Romans the apostle salutes, Rom. xvi. 3. 12. as labouring in the Lord.

For these reasons, and on account of the particulars mentioned, Rom. xvi 1. note 3. I think the apostle in 1 Tim. iii. 11 describes the qualifications not of the deacons wives, but of the women who in the first age were employed by the church, to minister to the sick and afflicted, and to instruct the young of their own sex in the principles of the Christian faith.

2. Not slanderers Ma diaconus. This Greek word comes from dialanav, transfigere verbis aut calumniis, and is very properly translated slanderers. It was necessary that the women who were employed in ministring to the afflicted, and in teaching the younger women, should be free from detraction, because their slanders might provoke the bishops and deacons to administer rebukes rashly.

3. But (vnqanis) vigilant. As it was required of the bishop that he should be parsev, vigilant or attentive to all the duties of his function and to his flock, so the women who were employed in ministring to the sick, and in teaching the young of their own sex, were to be vigilant and faithful in all things; in all the duties of their office.-Estius, who understands this verse of the wives of the bishops and deacons, is of opinion, that the word , translated vigilant, signifies sober, or free from drunkenness. If

12 Let the deacons be

the husbands of one wife, ruling their children and

their own houses well.

13 For they that have used the office of a deacon well purchase to them. selves a good degree, and

great boldness in the faith

which is in Christ Jesus.

14 These things write I unto thee, hoping to come unto thee shortly.

15 But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of

God, which is the church ofthe living God, the pillar

and ground of the truth.

13 Οἱ γαρ καλως διακονησαντες, βαθμον ἑαυτοις και λον περιποιούνται, και πολλην παρρησιαν εν πίζει τη εν Χριςῳ Ιησου.

14 Ταύτα σοι γράφω, ελπίζων ελπειν προς σε ταχιον

15 Εαν δε βραδύνω, ἵνα ειδης πως δει εν οικῳ Θεου αναςρέφεσθαι, ήτις εςιν εκκλησια Θεου ζωντος ςυλος και ἑδραίωμα της αληθείας.

this is the apostle's meaning, the requisition in this verse will be an implied direction to the ministers of the gospel, who ought to rule well all the members of their own families, to attend chiefly to the good qualities of the women they propose to marry See, however, ver. 2. note 2.

Ver. 12. 1. Ruling well their children and their own houses. This qualification, which was required in bishops likewise, shews how anxious the apostle was, that all who bare sacred offices should be unblameable in every respect; knowing that the disorderly behaviour of the members of their family, might give occasion to suspect that they had been careless of their morals.

Ver. 13.1. They who have performed the office of a deacon well περιποι ενται procure to themselves βαθμον καλον, an excellent step, or degree. In the early ages, the bishops or pastors were sometimes taken from among the deacons. Thus Eleutherus, bishop of Rome, before his promotion, was a deacon of that church in the time of Anicetus, as Eusebius informs us, Eccles. Hist. v. 6. Edit. Vales. But whether this was the practice in the apostle's time; or, if it was the practice, whether St. Paul had it in view here, is hard to say. Because βαθμος signifies a step or seat, some imagine the apostle alludes to the custom of the synagogue, where persons of the greatest dignity were set on the most elevated seats.

Ver. 15.—1. In the house of God. The tabernacle first, and afterwards the temple, obtained the name of the house, or habitation of God, because

12 Let the deacons be the husbands of one wife only at a time, having shewed their temperance, by avoiding polygamy and causeless divorce. They must likewise rule with prudence and firmness their children and every one in their families.

13 For they who have performed the office of a deacon with ability and assiduity, secure to themselves an honourable rank in the church, and great courage in teaching the Christian faith. For even the wicked must respect persons who shew so much benevolence and activity, in relieving the poor, the afflicted, and the persecuted.

14 These things (See the illustration.) I write to thee, although I hope to come to thee soon, to give thee more complete instruction concerning thy behaviour.

15 Or, if by any accident I am obliged to tarry long, I have written these things, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is neither the temple at Jerusalem, nor the temple of Diana at Ephesus, but the church of the living God, consisting of all believers, and which is the pillar and support of the truth.

there the symbol of the divine presence resided, 1 Sam. i. 7.—Matth. xxi. 13. My house shall be called the house of prayer.-Matth. xxiii. 38. Behola your house is left to you desolate.-2 Kings v. 18. The house of Rimmon, or his temple.

2. Which is the church of the living God. Under the gospel dispensation, no material building or temple is called the house of God. That appellation is given only to the church of God; or to those societies of men who profess to believe in Christ, and join together in worshipping God according to the gospel form. See 2 Thess. ii. 4. note 3.

3. The pillar, nas id palapa, and support of the truth. The word ispaoua, coming from idan, to establish, is fitly translated firmamentum, a support.

16 And without controversy, great is the mystery of godliness; God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the

16 Και

ὁμολογουμένως

μεγα εςι το της ευσέβειας μυςήριον Θεος εφανερώθη εν σαρκι, εδικαιώθη εν πνευματι, ώφθη αγγελοις, εκηρυχ

-Some commentators think Timothy is called in this passage, The pillar and support of the truth, for the same reason that Peter, James, and John are called pillars, Gal. ii. 9. and that the particles, as, should be supplied before sunos nas igua; and that the clause should be construed and translated thus: That thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself, as the pillar and support of the truth, in the church of the living God. But not to insist on the harshiness and singularity of this construction, I observe, that in regard the interpretation of the passage hath been much contested, a word, which entirely changes the apostle's meaning, should by no means be inserted in the text on mere conjecture; because in that manner, the scriptures may be made to speak any thing which bold critics please.—The two clauses of the sentence, ήτις εςι εκκλησία το θεό ζωντος, σύλος και έδρασα fed Tus ann deras, wanting something to couple them, the substantive verb with the relative pronoun, either in the masculine or in the feminine gender, must be supplied. If the relative masculine, is 1, is supplied, God will be the pillar and support of the truth; or of that scheme of true religion which hath been discovered to mankind by revelation, and which is called in the next verse, the mystery of godliness. Of this scheme of truth, God may justly be denominated the pillar and support, because he hath supported it from the beginning, and will support it to the end.-But if the relative feminine, t15 £51, is adopted, the church of the living God, will be the pillar and support of the truth; which I take to be the apostle's meaning; because, as the Logicians speak, the subject of his proposition, is, not God, but the church of the living God. This I gather from the omission of the verb and the relative. For on supposition that the apostle meant to tell Timothy, that the church of the living God is the pillar and support of the truth, he could not write is 5, as that would have made God the pillar and support of the truth, contrary to his intention. Neither could he write » 151, because being a repetition of the verb and the relative expressed in the clause immediately preceding, it would have been grating to the reader's ear; and besides it is unnecessary, as its 51, relates, both to no IX (MVTOS, and to σύλος και έδραιωμα της αλήθειας.—I have no doubt myself concerning the meaning of the passage: Yet because it is appealed to in proof of a controverted doctrine (See Pref. Sect. 5.) I have in the translation left it as ambiguous as it is in the original, by not supplying the relative, either in the one gender or in the other.

The church of the living God, as the pillar and support of the truth, is here contrasted with the house or temple of the lifeless image of Diana, at Ephesus, which was the pillar and support of falsehood, idolatry, and vice.— In the opinion of some, the church of the living God is termed the pillar and

1

16 (Kal, 207.) For confessedly great is the mystery of godliness; God was manifested 2 in the flesh, was justified (ev, 167.) through the Spirit, 3

16 Thou oughtest to behave properly in the church of God; for confessedly most important is the doctrine of the gospel which is kept therein; namely, that to save sinners by his death, the Son of God was manifested

support of the truth, in allusion to the two pillars which Solomon placed in the porch of the temple, and to which, it is said, the prophets affixed their prophecies in writing, that they might be read by the people who came into the temple to worship. Others think the allusion is to the pillars in the heathen temples, on which tables were hung up, containing laws, and other matters of importance, which were designed to be published. But to settle this is of no importance; because to whichever of the customs the apostle alluded, his meaning is the same.-That the church of the living God which is the pillar and support of the truth, is not the church of Rome, nor any particular church, but the Catholic Christian church, consisting of all the churches of Christ throughout the world, see proved Pref. sect. 5.

Ver. 16-1. Great is the mystery of godliness. See ver. 9. where the incorrupt doctrine of the gospel is called, The mystery of the faith, for the reasons mentioned, 1 Cor. ii. 7. note 1.-Here the mystery of godliness is called Meya, Great, in allusion to the Eleusinian mysteries, which were distinguished into Manga and Mayana, the lesser and the greater. Wherefore, by calling the articles mentioned in this verse, Meya μusngiov, A great mystery, the apostle hath intimated, that they are the most important doctrines of our religion.

2. God was manifested in the flesh. The Clermont MS. with the Vulgate, and some other ancient versions, read here, 'O, which, instead of God. -The Syriac version, as translated by Tremellius, hath, Quod Deus revelatus est in carne; That God was revealed in the flesh.-The Colbertine MS. haths, who. But Mill saith, it is the only Greek MS. which hath that reading. All the others, with one consent, have sos; which is followed by Chrysostom, Theodoret, and Theophylact, as appears by their commentaries. Mill saith is and were substituted in place of the true reading: not however by the Arians, nor by the other heretics, as neither they, nor the orthodox fathers, have cited this text.-See Mill in loc. where he treats as fabulous what Liberatus and Hinemarus tell us concerning Macedonius being expelled by Anastasius for changing ‘O≥ in this text into EΣ: Where also he delivers his opinion concerning the alteration made on this word in the Alexandrian MS.-See also Pearson on the Creed, p. 128. who has very well defended the common reading.-The thing asserted in this verse, according to the common reading, is precisely the same with what John hath told us in his gospel, chap. i. 14. The word (who is called God, ver. 1.) was made flesh, and dwelt among us.-The other reading, not very intelligibly, represents the gospel as manifested in the flesh, and taken up in glory. See note 7.

3. Was justified through the Spirit. Jesus having been publicly put to death as a blasphemer for calling himself the Son of God, he was justified,