Chapter 2

¹ And it’s only fitting that you too should not take advantage of your bishop’s youth, but render him every respect according to the will of God the Father—just as I have learned that the holy presbyters also do, not regarding his apparent youthfulness, but rather his godly wisdom.

² For it is written: It is not the long-lived who are wise, nor do the aged understand understanding, but it is the Spirit that is in mortals.

³ Daniel, though he was only twelve years old, became possessed by the divine Spirit and refuted the elders who bore their grey hair in vain—those slanderers and lustful men who desired another’s beauty.

⁴ Samuel, though he was but a small child, rebuked the ninety-year-old Eli for honouring his own servants above God.

⁵ In the same way, Jeremiah too hears from God.

⁶ Do not say, ‘I am too young.’

⁷ Solomon and Josiah—the one, reigning at twelve years old, rendered that fearful and difficult judgement concerning the women over the children; the other, beginning to rule at eight years old, threw down the altars and shrines and burned the groves (for they were dedicated to demons, not to God), and slaughtered the false priests as corrupters and deceivers of human beings, not worshippers of divinity. So then, youth is not to be despised when it is dedicated to God, but rather what is wicked in disposition, even if it is old in evil days. Timothy the Christ-bearer was young; but listen to what his teacher writes to him:

⁸ Let no one despise your youth, but be a type of the believers in word, in conduct. So it is fitting for you also to obey your bishop and in no way to contradict him; for it is a fearful thing to contradict such a one, since whoever does so is not leading astray this visible one, but is trying to deceive the invisible One who cannot be deceived by anyone. Such a matter has to do not with a human being, but with God. For God says to Samuel:

⁹ They have not rejected you, but Me. And Moses says:

¹⁰ For the grumbling is not against us, but against the Lord God. No one who has risen up against his superiors has remained unpunished; for Dathan and Abiram did not speak against the law, but against Moses; and they went down alive into Hades.

¹¹ And Korah and the two hundred and fifty who conspired with him against Aaron were consumed by fire.

¹² Absalom, having become a parricide, hung suspended in a tree and was struck with darts because of his evil heart.

¹³ Abeddad likewise had his head cut off for a similar reason.

¹⁴ Uzziah was struck with leprosy for daring to usurp the priests and the priesthood.

¹⁵ Saul was dishonored for not waiting for the high priest Samuel. So you too must respect your superiors.