Fragments on 1 Timothy

Fragmenta in epistulam i ad Timotheum

Severianus of Gabala · c. 400 AD · PG 65

The Unity of the Incarnate Word§1

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1the matter of command

Not a mixture, and the things from them are neither blended nor naturally arranged, nor are they indeed divided into two persons. So also Emmanuel, being one from two natures, is one hypostasis and one nature of the incarnate Word; neither have the things from which the ineffable union has occurred become a continuous whole, nor does he, remaining one, allow the dyad to intrude, from which division comes. For the one strictly could never become two, and if the one were to be transferred into two, it would certainly cease to be one.

Therefore, Jesus Christ existing as one—even if someone should name him man by part or say he is a man—having become flesh, is understood to be God; and if one should call him God again, he is identified as the Word having become man. For this reason, knowing him to be one and indivisible, we are necessarily compelled to use the prior definition, saying: consubstantial with the Father according to the divinity and consubstantial with us the same according to the humanity, and the same one being passible in the flesh and impassible in the divinity.

And see how the God-inspired Scripture carries this out according to the similar pattern: on the one hand, Christ is said to be handed over by the Father, and on the other hand, it is written that he himself handed himself over. And Paul, writing to the Romans, says concerning the Father: 'who did not spare his own Son, but delivered him up for us all' (Rom 8:32). But to Timothy he writes this: 'one God and mediator of God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all' (1 Tim 2:5). And behold for me the precision and accuracy of the Scripture. For there he said Christ is the proper Son of God and of the Father, and said: 'who did not spare his own Son,' showing that the one existing of the same essence is proper and not an alien.

Greek · §1

Fragmenta in epistulam i ad Timotheum (in catenis) 1 Tim 1,1 Οὐ τέθεικεν ἐν ταῖς ἄλλαις ἐπιστολαῖς τὸ κατ' ἐπιταγήν. διὰ τί νῦν τίθησιν; ἐπειδὴ ἔμελλε νομοθετεῖν τινα καὶ ἐκκλησιαστικοὺς κανόνας ἐκτίθεσθαι. προλαβὼν πείθει, ὅτι κατ' ἐπιταγὴν θεοῦ μέλλει λέγειν. 1 Tim 1,8®9 Καὶ μὴν ἔχει ὁ νόμος τὰ πρακτέα, καὶ ἡ χάρις τὰ ἀπαγορευτέα, ἀλλ' ἀπὸ τοῦ πλεονάζοντος ὠνόμασεν ἕκαστον, καὶ μάλιστα ὅτι ἐν τῇ χάριτί εἰσιν τοῦ σωτῆρος αἱ ἐντολαί–οὐ νόμοι–, ἀλλὰ τῇ προαιρέσει καταλιμπανόμεναι. ἅπερ ἐὰν μὴ γένηται, οὐ πάντως κατακέκριται ὁ μὴ πεποιηκώς, ὡσανεὶ τὸ τῆς παρθενίας κτῆμα καὶ εἴ τι τοιοῦτο ἕτερον. 1 Tim 2,5®6 Ἀλλ' ἴσως ἐρεῖ τις· πῶς θεὸν εἶναι φῂς τὸν ἀποθανόντα τοῦ Παύλου σαφῶς εἰρηκότος ἐν οἷς γέγραφε πρὸς Τιμόθεον· ἄνθρωπος Ἰησοῦς Χριστός, ὁ δοὺς ἑαυτὸν ἀντίλυτρον ὑπὲρ πάντων. τί οὖν; οὐκ ἀκούεις αὐτοῦ λέγοντος ὡς ὁ κύριος τῆς δόξης ἐσταύρωται; καὶ ὅτι ἐξ Ἰούδα ὁ Χριστὸς τὸ κατὰ σάρκα, ὁ ὢν ἐπὶ πάντων θεὸς εὐλογητὸς εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας ἀμήν; καὶ ὅτι Ἰησοῦς Χριστὸς χθὲς καὶ σήμερον, ὁ αὐτὸς καὶ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας; εἷς γὰρ ἦν ἐξ ἀμφοῖν θεότητός τε καὶ ἀνθρωπότητος, τελείως ἐχουσῶν κατὰ τὸν ἴδιον λόγον τῶν φύσεων, ὁμοούσιος ὢν τῷ πατρὶ κατὰ τὴν θεότητα καὶ ὁμοούσιος τοῖς ἀνθρώποις ἡμῖν ὁ αὐτὸς κατὰ τὴν ἀνθρωπότητα. καὶ γὰρ καὶ τὸν καθ' ἡμᾶς ἄνθρωπον ἐκ ψυχῆς ὄντα καὶ σώματος καὶ τελοῦντος εἰς μίαν ὑπόστασιν, ζῶον εἶναί φαμεν θνητὸν λογικόν· ἀλλὰ κατὰ μὲν τὸ σῶμα θνητόν, κατὰ δὲ ψυχὴν λογικόν. πλὴν ὅλον τὸ ζῶον θνητὸν προσηγόρευται καὶ ὅλον κέκληται λογικόν, καὶ οὔτε συγκέχυται τὰ ἐξ ὧν 337 συντέθειται φυσικῶς, οὔτε μὴν εἰς δύο πρόσωπα διῄρηται. οὕτω καὶ ὁ Ἐμμανουὴλ ἐκ δύο φύσεων εἷς ὢν καὶ μία ὑπόστασις καὶ μία φύσις αὐτοῦ τοῦ λόγου σεσαρκωμένη οὔτε συνέχεε τὰ ἐξ ὧν ἡ ἀπόρρητος ἕνωσις γέγονεν, οὔτε μένων εἷς δίδωσι τῇ δυάδι παρείσδυσιν ἐξ ἧς ἡ διαίρεσις· τὸ γὰρ ἓν κυρίως οὐκ ἄν ποτε γένοιτο δύο, μεταστὰν δὲ εἰς δύο τοῦ ἓν εἶναι πάντως πεπαύσεται. εἷς τοίνυν ὑπάρχων Ἰησοῦς Χριστός, κἂν ἐκ μέρους ὀνομάσειέ τις καὶ ἄνθρωπον εἴποι, σεσαρκωμένος νοεῖται θεός, καὶ ἔμπαλιν θεὸν καλέσειε, λόγος ἐνανθρωπήσας κατασημαίνεται. διὰ τοῦτο γὰρ εἰδότες αὐτὸν ἕνα καὶ ἀδιαίρετον, ἀναγκαίως κεχρήμεθα τῷ προδιορισμῷ λέγοντες ὁμοούσιον τῷ πατρὶ κατὰ τὴν θεότητα καὶ ὁμοούσιον ἡμῖν τὸν αὐτὸν κατὰ τὴν ἀνθρωπότητα, καὶ τὸν αὐτὸν παθητὸν τῇ σαρκὶ καὶ ἀπαθῆ τῇ θεότητι. κατὰ τὸ ὅμοιον δὲ σχῆμα κἀκεῖνο τὴν θεόπνευστον γραφὴν διεξϊοῦσαν ἰδεῖν· πῆ μὲν γὰρ παραδεδόσθαι λέγεται Χριστὸς ὑπὸ τοῦ πατρός, πῆ δὲ αὐτὸς ἑαυτὸν παραδεδωκέναι γέγραπται. καὶ Ῥωμαίοις δὲ ἐπιστέλλων ὁ Παῦλός φησι περὶ τοῦ πατρός· ὅς γε τοῦ ἰδίου υἱοῦ οὐκ ἐφείσατο, ἀλλὰ ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν πάντων παρέδωκεν αὐτόν. Τιμοθέῳ δὲ γράφει ταυτί· εἷς θεὸς καὶ μεσίτης θεοῦ καὶ ἀνθρώπων, ἄνθρωπος Ἰησοῦς Χριστός, ὁ δοὺς ἑαυτὸν ἀντίλυτρον ὑπὲρ πάντων. καὶ θέα μοι τῆς γραφῆς τὸ ἀπεξεσμένον καὶ ἀκριβές. ἔνθα μὲν γὰρ ἔφησεν ἴδιον υἱὸν τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ πατρὸς τὸν Χριστόν, καὶ εἶπεν· ὅς γε τοῦ ἰδίου υἱοῦ οὐκ ἐφείσατο, δηλῶν ἴδιον εἶναι τὸν τῆς αὐτῆς οὐσίας ὑπάρχοντα καὶ μὴ ἀλλότριον,

The Economy of Christ and the Salvation of Women§2

2And then, the hidden and economic plan which is for the sake of us all, delivered him. And where the economic plan preceded, it said: Jesus Christ the man. It approached the God-befitting manner and did not say 'the one delivered,' but 'the one who gave himself as a ransom for all.' And he says writing to the Galatians in this way: 'But now I live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me' (Galatians 2:20). Why then are these things so skillfully crafted? And after running through all the harmony of the most God-befitting words spoken, having been added to the Jewish blindness and triviality, the children of Nestorius present the idea of the Christ being delivered or being raised by the Father, and they attempt through these, as it seems to them, not to show him to be a true God after he became truly man.

Regarding 1 Timothy 2:14-15: Because this woman has come into transgression, she will be saved through the children she will have and the descendants who will accomplish piety. What then, if she does not have children, or if she does have them but they are not males? But if indeed some are born, they are born of the common race; through which it is said universally that the transgression belongs to the female race. For if one is the cause for all of evil, how is it not fitting that the many should undo through the generation of the pious the evil that was brought upon them by one woman, since Christ has given the beginning of the undoing through himself? How then will the woman be saved? From the transgression and the disobedience; so that she must also have her own accomplishments, so that when the disobedience is forgiven, she is not condemned for other sins. It is not simply said to her: she will be saved through childbearing, but so that the mothers, having the children, may rear them in all piety and righteousness so as to be saved. To be saved through childbearing—not by means of which the woman transgressed, she is not judged, but she will be saved as a mother of those who obey, that is, according to the logic of obedience, since she has other own accomplishments through which she is saved. And this he says, as we have said, so that the mothers may rear the children in piety. From the reproach of the transgression she will be saved through childbearing. For this the apostle says, not to reproach, but to exhort toward piety and toward rearing the children in faith.

Regarding 1 Timothy 3:1: He did not say of honor, he did not say of wielding a spear, but of a good work, such as a good means, a good labor for the protection of the churches. If anyone aspires to the oversight, he desires a good work. He conceded not that of desire, but that of fitness, so that someone might equip himself for the fitness of oversight; rather, it is an exhortation to a good life, the entrance of desire, and just as a provision becomes for good works and the most beautiful life, so that glories have restrained the desire through...

Greek · §2

ἔπειτά γε τὸ ὑφειμένον καὶ οἰκονομικὸν τὸ ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν πάντων παρέδωκεν αὐτόν. ἔνθα δὲ προηγήσατο τὸ οἰκονομικόν, καὶ εἶπεν· ἄνθρωπος Ἰησοῦς Χριστός. προσεπήνεγκε τὸ θεοπρεπὲς καὶ οὐκ εἶπεν «ὁ παραδοθεὶς» ἀλλ' ὁ δοὺς ἑαυτὸν ἀντίλυτρον ὑπὲρ πάντων. Γαλάταις δὲ γράφων φησὶν οὕτως· ὃ δὲ νῦν ζῶ ἐν σαρκί, ἐν πίστει ζῶ τῇ τοῦ υἱοῦ τοῦ θεοῦ τοῦ ἀγαπήσαντός με καὶ παραδόντος ἑαυτὸν ὑπὲρ ἐμοῦ. τί τοίνυν τὰ οὕτως ἐντεχνέστατα; καὶ μετὰ πάσης ἁρμονίας τῆς θεοπρεπεστάτης εἰρημένα παρατρέχοντες καὶ τῇ Ἰουδαικῇ τυφλώσει καὶ σμικρολογίᾳ προστετηκότες οἱ Νεστορίου παῖδες προσφέρουσι τὸ παραδεδόσθαι τὸν Χριστὸν ἢ ὑπὸ τοῦ πατρὸς ἐγηγέρθαι, καὶ πειρῶνται δι' αὐτῶν, ὡς αὐτοῖς δοκεῖ, μὴ θεὸν αὐτὸν ἀληθῆ δεικνύναι μετὰ τὸ γενέσθαι αὐτὸν ἄνθρωπον ἀληθῶς. 1 Tim 2,14®15 Ἐπειδὴ αὕτη ἡ γυνὴ ἐν παραβάσει γέγονε, σωθήσεται διὰ τῶν ἐσομένων αὐτῇ τέκνων καὶ τῶν ἐκγόνων οἳ κατορθώσουσι τὴν 338 εὐσέβειαν. τί οὖν, ἂν μὴ γένωνται αὐτῇ παῖδες, ἢ γεννῶνται μέν, μὴ ἄρρενες δέ; ἀλλ' εἰ καὶ τισὶ γίνονται, ἀλλὰ τῷ κοινῷ γένει γίνονται· δι' ὧν καθολικῶς λέγεται ἡ παράβασις τῷ τῶν γυναικῶν γένει. εἰ γὰρ ἡ μία ταῖς πάσαις τοῦ κακοῦ αἰτία, πῶς οὐκ εἰκὸς τὰς πολλὰς διὰ τῆς τῶν εὐσεβῶν γενέσεως λῦσαι τὸ διὰ μιᾶς γυναικὸς ἐπαχθὲν αὐταῖς κακόν, δεδωκότος τοῦ Χριστοῦ τὴν ἀρχὴν τῆς λύσεως δι' ἑαυτοῦ; σωθήσεται οὖν ἡ γυνὴ ἐκ τίνος; ἐκ τῆς παραβάσεως καὶ τῆς παρακοῆς· ὥστε δεῖ καὶ ἴδια ἔχειν κατορθώματα, ἵνα μὴ τῆς παρακοῆς συγχωρηθείσης τὰ ἄλλα ἁμαρτήματα καταδικάζῃ αὐτήν. οὐχ ἁπλῶς δὲ εἴρηται αὐτῷ· σωθήσεται διὰ τεκνογονίας, ἀλλ' ἵνα αἱ μητέρες ἐπὶ τοῖς παισὶν ἔχουσαι τὸ σωθῆναι ἐν πάσῃ αὐτοὺς εὐσεβείᾳ καὶ δικαιοσύνῃ ἀνατρέφωσιν. σωθῆναι δὲ διὰ τῆς τεκνογονίας. οὐ δι' ὧν παρέβη ἡ γυνὴ κρίνεται, ἀλλὰ δι' ὧν μήτηρ γίνεται τῶν ὑπακουόντων σωθήσεται, τοῦτ' ἔστι κατὰ τὸν τῆς ὑπακοῆς λόγον, ἐπεὶ ἔχει ἄλλῃ ἴδια κατορθώματα δι' ὧν σώζεται. τοῦτο δὲ λέγει, καθὼς ἔφθημεν εἰπόντες, ἵνα αἱ μητέρες ἀνατρέφωσι τὰ τέκνα ἐν εὐσεβείᾳ. Ἀπὸ τοῦ ὀνείδους τῆς παραβάσεως σωθήσεται διὰ τῆς τεκνογονίας. τοῦτο γάρ φησιν ὁ ἀπόστολος, οὐχ ἵνα ὀνειδίσῃ, ἀλλ' ἵνα προτρέψηται εἰς εὐσέβειαν καὶ εἰς τὸ τὰ τέκνα ἀνατρέφειν ἐν πίστει. 1 τιμ 3,1 Οὐκ εἶπε τιμῆς, οὐκ εἶπε δορυφορίας, ἀλλὰ καλοῦ ἔργου, οἷον καλοῦ πόρου, καλοῦ καμάτου διὰ τὴν τῶν ἐκκλησιῶν προστασίαν. εἴ τις ἐπισκοπῆς ὀρέγεται, καλοῦ ἔργου ἐπιθυμεῖ. ὑπενέδωκεν οὐ τὸ τῆς ὀρέξεως ἀλλὰ τὸ τῆς ἐπιτηδεύσεως, ἵνα τις καταρτίσῃ ἑαυτὸν εἰς ἐπιτηδειότητα ἐπισκοπῆς· μᾶλλον δὲ προτροπὴ βίου καλοῦ ἡ ἔνδοσις τῆς ὀρέξεως, καὶ ὥσπερ ἔφοδος γίνεται εἰς ἀγαθοεργίαν καὶ τὸν κάλλιστον βίον, ὥστε δόξας συγκεχωρηκέναι τὴν ἐπιθυμίαν δι'

Desire, Conduct, and the Manifestation of Christ§3

3He is turned away from more things by being urged toward desire, rather than toward suitability, so that one might equip himself for the suitability of oversight through good works and faith. Rather, the entrance of desire is an exhortation to a good life. And desire is like an entrance into good works and the most beautiful life. So many things are enumerated as must belong to the bishop; it is enough to turn away from bad things so as to have surrendered desire to glories, by which he says what kind of man the bishop must be, and he turns away more.

Regarding 1 Tim 3:2, he most excellently exhorts, addressing in part the kinds of those living an ungraspable life. He does not accuse of striking, but the irrational one is moved; for a just charge rebukes, but an irrational accusation blames.

Regarding 1 Tim 3:16, instead of 'he was manifested in the flesh, but was justified in the spirit' living according to a certain conduct. For if indeed he was in the flesh, but was not conducting himself according to the flesh, but subjected the flesh to the spirit, opening for us the way of righteousness. Or this also he says, that while the Spirit was making signs, Christ was being justified according to our confession and faith. He was manifested to angels. Who? The crucified Christ. But he does not say this, that the angels do not see his divinity; for the Savior himself said that the angels see the face of my Father who is in the heavens. But when he says, 'No one has ever seen God,' it is evident that he has not seen Him as He is, but as far as it is possible to see, both for angel and man. Therefore God is invisible to both angels and men, but he was manifested through the economy. The church on earth was justified in the spirit through confession. This is similar to 'that you might be justified in your words and overcome when you are being judged'; for while the Spirit was making signs, he was being justified according to our confession and the faith of those believing. He who came for the salvation of men was manifested to angels; through this he showed that the divinity of the Only-Begotten is invisible to angels, but he was manifested to them through the flesh. He was taken up in glory; upon the clouds, he says.

Regarding 1 Tim 5:10, instead of 'if she has not refused to be a widow, having had children.' If she has welcomed strangers, making it evident that she is also called faithful even in marriage. If she has washed the feet of the saints, this he added to show that they must also be received with care. And it is evident that he says all these things as requiring them according to ability; for there is no one more perplexed than she who casts in the two obols.

Regarding 1 Tim 5:12, that having promised to remain to Christ, they later married. And regarding the first, he says 'faith' instead of 'first subjection,' and in ancient times 'first' meant the one being first and supreme and highest above all.

Regarding 1 Tim 5:17, teaching is the simple handing down through the words of the Scripture and the explanation of the meanings in the words.

Greek · §3

ὧν ἐπιλέγει πλείονα προτρέπεται. Ὑπενέδωκεν τὸ τῆς ὀρέξεως, οὐ τὸ τῆς ἐπιτηδεύσεως, ἵνα καταρτίσῃ ἑαυτόν τις εἰς ἐπιτηδειότητα ἐπισκοπῆς διὰ τῶν καλῶν ἔργων καὶ τῆς πίστεως. μᾶλλον οὖν προτροπή ἐστι καλοῦ βίου ἡ ἔνδοσις ὀρέξεως. ἡ δὲ ὄρεξις ὥσπερ εἴσοδος εἰς τὴν ἀγαθοεργίαν ἐστὶν καὶ τὸν κάλλιστον βίον. τοσαῦτα ἐξαριθμεῖται ὅσα προσήκειν δεῖ τῷ ἐπισκόπῳ ἃ ἀρκεῖ ἀποτρέψασθαι μᾶλλον ὥστε δόξας συγκεχωρηκέναι τὴν ἐπιθυμίαν, δι' ὧν καταλέγει ποταπὸν δεῖ εἶναι τὸν ἐπίσκοπον, πλέον ἀποτρέπει. 339 1 Tim 3,2®3 ∆ιδασκαλικώτατα παραινεῖ κατὰ μέρος ἐπάγων τῆς ἀνεπιλήπτου πολιτείας τὰ εἴδη. Οὐκ ἐγκαλῶν πλήττειν, ἀλλ' ὁ ἀλόγως κινούμενος· καταιδεῖ γὰρ δίκαιον ἔγκλημα, πλήττει δὲ ἄλογος μέμψις. 1 Tim 3,16 Ἀντὶ τοῦ ὤφθη μὲν ἐν σαρκί, ἐδικαιώθη δὲ ἐν πνεύματι πολιτευσάμενος. εἰ γὰρ καὶ ἐν σαρκὶ ἦν, ἀλλ' οὐ κατὰ σάρκα ἐπολιτεύετο, ἀλλ' ὑπέταξε τῷ πνεύματι τὴν σάρκα, δικαιοσύνης ἡμῖν ὑπανοίγων ὁδόν. ἢ καὶ τοῦτό φησιν ὅτι τοῦ πνεύματος σημεῖα ποιοῦντος, ἐδικαιοῦτο κατὰ τὴν ἡμετέραν ὁμολογίαν καὶ πίστιν ὁ Χριστός. ὤφθη ἀγγέλοις. τίς; ὁ σταυρωθεὶς Χριστός. οὐ τοῦτο δέ φησιν ὅτι τὴν θεότητα αὐτοῦ οὐχ ὁρῶσιν οἱ ἄγγελοι· αὐτὸς γὰρ ὁ σωτὴρ ἔφη ὅτι οἱ ἄγγελοι ὁρῶσι τὸ πρόσωπον τοῦ ἐν οὐρανοῖς πατρός μου. ὅταν δὲ λέγῃ· θεὸν οὐδεὶς ἑώρακε πώποτε, δηλονότι οὐχ ἑώρακε καθώς ἐστιν, ἀλλὰ καθ' ὅσον δύνατον ἰδεῖν ἀγγέλῳ καὶ ἀνθρώπῳ. ἀόρατος οὖν ὁ θεὸς καὶ ἀγγέλοις καὶ ἀνθρώποις, ὤφθη δὲ διὰ τῆς οἰκονομίας. Ἡ ἐκκλησία ἡ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς διὰ τῆς ὁμολογίας ἐδικαιώθη ἐν πνεύματι. ὅμοιόν ἐστι τοῦτο τῷ ὅπως ἂν δικαιωθῇς ἐν τοῖς λόγοις σου καὶ νικήσῃς ἐν τῷ κρίνεσθαί σε· τοῦ γὰρ πνεύματος τὰ σημεῖα ποιοῦντος ἐδικαιοῦτο κατὰ τὴν ἡμετέραν ὁμολογίαν καὶ τὴν πίστιν τῶν πιστευόντων. ὁ ἐπὶ σωτηρίᾳ ἀνθρώπων ἐληλυθὼς ὤφθη ἀγγέλοις· ἔδειξε διὰ τούτου ὅτι ἀόρατός ἐστιν ἡ θεότης τοῦ μονογενοῦς καὶ ἀγγέλοις, ὤφθη δὲ αὐτοῖς διὰ τῆς σαρκός. ἀνελήφθη ἐν δόξῃ· ἐπὶ νεφελῶν, φησίν. 1 Tim 5,10 Ἀντὶ τοῦ εἰ μὴ ἀπώσατο χηρεύουσα ἃ ἔσχε τέκνα. Εἰ ἐξενοδόχησεν· πιστοὺς δηλονότι καὶ ἐν γάμῳ καταλεγομένη. Εἰ ἁγίων πόδας ἔνιψεν. τοῦτο προσέθηκεν εἰς τὸ δεῖξαι ὅτι καὶ μετ' ἐπιμελείας αὐτοὺς ὑποδέχεσθαι χρή. δῆλον δὲ ὅτι καὶ τὰ 340 κατὰ δύναμιν ἀπαιτῶν ταῦτα πάντα φησίν· οὐ γάρ ἐστιν τῆς τοὺς δύο ὀβολοὺς καταβαλούσης ἀπορωτέρα. 1 Tim 5,12 Ὅτι ἐπαγγειλάμεναι τῷ Χριστῷ μένειν οὕτως ὕστερον ἐγαμοῦντο. πρώτην δὲ λέγει πίστιν ἀντὶ τοῦ πρώτην ὑποταγήν, καὶ πάλαι πρώτην τὴν πρωτεύουσαν καὶ ἄκραν καὶ πάντων ἀνωτάτην αὐταῖς. 1 Tim 5,17 ∆ιδασκαλία μέν ἐστιν ἡ διὰ τῶν λόγων τῆς γραφῆς ἁπλῆ παράδοσις καὶ ἡ τῶν ἐν τοῖς λόγοις νοημάτων ἐξήγησις,

The Manifestation of Sins and Good Works§4

4And this is the word presenting the thoughts. Since he said above: do not quickly lay hands on anyone, nor share in the sins of others (1 Tim 5:24-25), now he tells the reason for which he said that. Not all sins are manifest; for many indeed sin while hiding it. He says therefore: judge by time; for what is able to escape notice today is reproved tomorrow, and of the sins, some are manifest, leading to the judgment of men—for all will know that they sin and judge themselves unworthy—but after these things, some that are otherwise behaving seem unable to be hidden. Since therefore things are thus concerning men, do not quickly lay hands on anyone, lest you should ever be found sinning in what was hidden and be brought forward unworthily and share in that fall with him.

Likewise, good works are also manifest. Concerning good works he said this only, that they cannot be hidden—he did not say that they escape notice—but concerning evil works, some are manifest, and some escape notice. Why? Because no one quickly hides the good; for he who does the truth comes toward the light, but he who does evil hides, desiring to escape notice. The godly and faithful master has quickly stood to receive the benefits and goodwill of the slave, and being good, he becomes appreciative toward him. In order that those who receive the benefits do so, instead of those who are sensitive toward rewarding.

Just as fire is produced from the friction of stone and wood, so impiety is generated from the gathering of the wicked (1 Tim 6:5). It is not simply said of the one giving life, but so that he may remind us that the one giving life and giving revival to each, and who will give the reward to each worthily according to the time of the resurrection, since he was about to command the keeping according to the faith (1 Tim 6:13). And he did not simply set down the word; for if everything gives life, it is evident that he will make the godly men worthy also of the resurrection in the common giving of life, and of those denying bodies, giving the revival. Therefore, about to command that which is to keep the unspotted commandment, he reminds us of the one giving life, so that the hope of that life may urge toward godliness. And it is to be noted that he said 'the one giving life to all things,' not so that we should think him gives life even to the soulless. Such is also the case that all things came through him; for not all things in general, but the things about which the word is.

As the creatures remain in immortality and incorruption according to his grace and will, and desiring participation from him, even if they have a little nature of immortality like the angels, since this belongs principally to him alone (1 Tim 6:16), because he is self-life and the constitution and the supply of all good of the existing things.

Greek · §4

λόγος δὲ ὁ τὰ νοήματα παριστῶν. 1 Tim 5,24®25 Ἐπειδὴ εἶπεν ἄνω· χεῖρας ταχέως μηδενὶ ἐπιτίθει, μηδὲ κοινώνει ἁμαρτίαις ἀλλοτρίαις, νῦν τὴν αἰτίαν λέγει δι' ἣν εἶπεν ἐκεῖνο. οὐ πάντων φανερά ἐστι τὰ ἁμαρτήματα· πολλοὶ γὰρ καὶ κρύπτοντες ἁμαρτάνουσιν. λέγει οὖν· δοκίμαζε τῷ χρόνῳ· τὸ γὰρ σήμερον λαθεῖν δυνηθὲν αὔριον ἐλέγχεται καὶ τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων τὰ μὲν φανερά ἐστιν εἰς κρίσιν προάγοντα τὴν τῶν ἀνθρώπων– πάντες γὰρ ἴσασιν ὅτι ἁμαρτάνουσιν καὶ κρίνουσιν αὐτοὺς ἀναξίους–, τινὰ δὲ μετὰ ταῦτα φαίνεται καὶ τὰ ἄλλως ἔχοντα κρυβῆναι οὐ δύναται. ἐπειδὴ τοίνυν οὕτως ἔχει τὰ κατὰ τοὺς ἀνθρώπους, χεῖρας ταχέως μηδενὶ ἐπιτίθει, μή ποτε εὑρεθῇ εἰς τὸ λεληθὸς ἁμαρτάνων καὶ ἀναξίως προαχθῇ καὶ κοινωνήσῃς αὐτῷ τοῦ πταίσματος. Ὡσαύτως καὶ τὰ καλὰ ἔργα πρόδηλά ἐστιν. ἐπὶ τῶν καλῶν ἔργων τοῦτο μόνον εἶπεν, ὅτι κρυβῆναι οὐ δύναται– οὐκ εἶπεν ὅτι λανθάνει–, ἐπὶ δὲ τῶν κακῶν ἔργων τινὰ μὲν πρόδηλά ἐστιν, τινὰ δὲ λανθάνει. διὰ τί; ὅτι τὸ καλὸν ταχέως τις οὐ κρύπτει· ὁ γὰρ ποιῶν τὴν ἀλήθειαν ἔρχεται πρὸς τὸ φῶς, ὁ δὲ κακοποιῶν κρύπτει λανθάνειν βουλόμενος. 1 Tim 6,2 Ὁ εὐλαβὴς καὶ πιστὸς δεσπότης ταχέως ἔστησε λαμβάνειν τῆς τοῦ δούλου εὐεργεσίας καὶ εὐνοίας, καὶ ὢν χρηστός, εὐγνώμων πρὸς αὐτὸν γίνεται. 341 Εἰς τὸ οἱ τῆς εὐεργεσίας ἀντιλαμβανόμενοι, ἀντὶ τοῦ οἱ εὐαισθητοῦντες πρὸς τὸ ἀμείψασθαι. 1 Tim 6,5 Ὥσπερ ἐκ τῶν παρατρίψεων τοῦ τε λίθου καὶ τοῦ ξύλου πῦρ τίκτεται, οὕτως ἐκ τῆς συναγωγῆς τῶν φαύλων ἡ ἀσέβεια γεννᾶται. 1 Tim 6,13 Οὐχ ἁπλῶς εἴρηται τοῦ ζωοποιοῦντος, ἀλλ' ἵνα ὑπομνήσῃ ὅτι ὁ ζωοποιῶν καὶ διδοὺς τὴν ἀναβίωσιν ἑκάστῳ, καὶ τὸν μισθὸν ἀποδώσει ἑκάστῳ ἄξιον κατὰ τὸν καιρὸν τῆς ἀναστάσεως, ἐπειδὴ τηρήσεως ἔμελλε παραγγέλλειν τῆς κατὰ τὴν πίστιν. Οὐχ ἁπλῶς δὲ ἔθηκε τὴν λέξιν· εἰ γὰρ τὰ πάντα ζωογονεῖ, δηλονότι τοὺς ἀνθρώπους τοὺς εὐσεβεῖς ἀξιώσει καὶ τῆς ἀναστάσεως πρὸς τῇ κοινῇ ζωογονήσει, καὶ τῶν ἀποθνησκόντων σωμάτων τὴν ἀναβίωσιν διδούς. μέλλων οὖν παραγγέλλειν ἐφ' ᾧ τε τηρῆσαι τὴν ἐντολὴν ἄσπιλον, μνημονεύει τοῦ ζωογονοῦντος, ἵνα ἡ ἐλπὶς τῆς ζωώσεως ἐκείνης προτρέψηται πρὸς εὐσέβειαν. ἐπισημαντέον δὲ ὅτι ζωογονοῦντος τὰ πάντα εἶπεν, οὐχ ἵνα καὶ τὰ ἄψυχα ζωογονεῖν αὐτὸν οἰηθῶμεν. τοιοῦτόν ἐστι καὶ τὸ πάντα δι' αὐτοῦ ἐγένετο· οὐ γὰρ πάντως τὰ πάντα, ἀλλὰ περὶ ὧν ὁ λόγος. 1 Tim 6,16 Ὡς τῶν κτισμάτων κατὰ τὴν αὐτοῦ χάριν καὶ βούλημα μενόντων ἐν ἀθανασίᾳ καὶ ἀφθαρσίᾳ καὶ τῆς ἐξ αὐτοῦ μεθέξεως δεομένων, κἂν ἀθάνατον ἔλαχον φύσιν ὥσπερ οἱ ἄγγελοι, μόνου δὲ αὐτοῦ τοῦτο κυρίως ὑπάρχοντος, ἐπειδήπερ ἐστὶν αὐτοζωὴ καὶ τῶν ὄντων ἁπάντων σύστασις καὶ χορηγία παντὸς ἀγαθοῦ.

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