Chapter 6

Theophylact of Ohrid, Exposition of the First Epistle of Paul to Timothy — Chapter Six

¹ Let all who are under the yoke as slaves count their own masters worthy of all honor, that the name of God and the teaching may not be blasphemed. Charge and teach them, he says, that even if their masters are unbelievers, the slaves should yield to them, counting them worthy of all honor—both that which consists in words, and that which consists in deeds. Do not suppose, because you are a believer, that you are free: you are free by nature, yet a slave in the body; and this itself is freedom—to serve, I mean, for the sake of the name of Christ. For if the unbeliever sees you stiff-necked, he will blaspheme against the doctrine as making men rebellious; but if he sees you yielding with good sense, he will rather marvel at it, as correcting even the habits of slaves, which are most difficult to correct.

² And those who have believing masters, let them not despise them because they are brethren; but rather let them serve them, because they are faithful and beloved, those who partake of the benefit. Do not, because you have obtained your master as a brother through baptism, despise him; but rather serve him all the more for this reason, because he is himself also faithful and beloved—that is, a brother in place of a master. But consider also that he is your benefactor, and stoops down and takes thought for you, to feed you, to clothe you, to afford you every other care. So he has many claims upon you, quite apart from the fact that he purchased you. And by calling him “beloved,” Paul casts out the fear which slaves ordinarily feel toward masters—and which often draws them into hatred—and sets love in its place. Rather let them serve, he says, those who partake of the benefit—that is, the slaves. For he speaks in hyperbaton; between, one must understand, because they are faithful and beloved, the masters. Or take the phrase simply as it stands: those who partake of the benefit—that is, the masters who take thought to do good to their slaves.

³ These things teach and exhort. A teacher, then, needs not only authority—as in the word “charge”—but also gentleness, as in the word “exhort.” He is a physician, sometimes softening, sometimes drawing tight.

⁴ If anyone teaches otherwise, and does not draw near to the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the teaching that is according to godliness, he is puffed up with conceit, knowing nothing. Do you see that knowing nothing is what lifts a man up into presumption and makes him conceited? And that the one who does not receive sound words is the one who is puffed up? For conceit is a swelling of a sick soul, just as inflammation is on a wounded body. If then he had received the words of the Lord, he would not have been puffed up. The Lord emptied himself, washed the feet of his disciples, and said, Learn from me, for I am meek and lowly in heart; he pronounced blessed those who are poor in spirit; he introduced the tax collector as justified by his humility. The one who does not receive and does not know these things is necessarily puffed up with conceit.

⁵ But sickening with disputes and quarrels of words. Seeking, then, is itself a form of sickness; for where there is no faith, all is sick, and nothing is born but quarrels of words, with the one seeming more plausible knocking down the other. Faith is an eye: he who has no eyes finds nothing, but only seeks.

⁶ From which come envy, strife, blasphemies, evil suspicions. That is, wicked doctrines arising from the disputes. For we blaspheme, and entertain unworthy thoughts about God, whenever we fall into disputes.

⁷ Wranglings. That is, vain schools of thought. For it is customary to call schools of thought “pursuits.” Or it is that, just as scabby sheep infect even the healthy when they rub against them, so these men, rubbing against others, corrupt them.

⁸ Of men corrupted in mind and deprived of the truth, supposing that godliness is a means of gain. Do you see that quarrels of words also give birth to shameful greed? With reason. For those who quarrel over words draw more disciples to themselves, and from these they make profit, and they practice their wranglings all the more, so as to attract still more.

⁹ From such withdraw yourself. He did not say, Entangle yourself with such men and fight against them; but, withdraw yourself—after a first and second admonition, that is. For when will you ever persuade men who fight for the sake of money? Leave them, then, since they are incorrigible, and turn away.

¹⁰ But godliness with contentment is great gain. Those men, he says, wrongly suppose godliness to be gain. But for godliness there is gain—not in the way those men imagine, but in a far greater sense: not when one possesses money, but when one does not possess it. For contentment is great and enduring wealth. Let not the godly, therefore, fall into despair as men without money.

¹¹ For we brought nothing into the world, and it is clear that we can carry nothing out. He shows that the gain which those men pursue is no gain at all. For it stays here and does not travel with us. What need have we, then, of superfluities, if we are going to take nothing with us there?

¹² But having food and covering, with these we shall be content. He defines here what contentment is, and says that it is to have as much as suffices only for nourishment—not for luxury—and to be clothed in such things as cover the body; and any ordinary garment will serve that purpose.

¹³ But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare. He urges them from what happens here below. I set aside the things to come, he says; look at what happens here. He did not say, those who are rich, but, those who desire to be rich. For it is possible for one who possesses money to manage it well—despising it, that is, and emptying himself of it—which is not a desire to be rich. They fall into temptation and a snare inasmuch as they are led astray from the faith, and are exposed to dangers on account of their wealth, and live in fear of everyone.

¹⁴ And many foolish and harmful desires. For how is it not foolish to keep monkeys and cats, to shut up wild beasts and fish in one’s courtyards, to adorn horses with gold, to bring water up to one’s roof, and to see one’s own reflection in the polished floor of a house? These things are foolish and harmful, diminishing the wealth of the soul and consuming the wealth of sense. Many, moreover, who have desired tyranny, have suffered harm.

¹⁵ Which plunge men down. So that they are unable even to rise up again.

¹⁶ Into ruin and destruction. Both here below, as has been said, and the one to come.

¹⁷ For the love of money is a root of all evils. For it spares neither the living nor the dead, but despoils even these; it sets men against their parents and brothers, and plunders what belongs to God. Remove it, and there will be neither war nor enmity, nor even fornication; for the harlot sells herself for the sake of silver.

¹⁸ Which some, in their eagerness for it, have wandered away from the faith. For the love of money does not permit one to see the way of truth, pulling the eyes toward itself. How shall the one who is bent on gain believe the Gospel that commends poverty? This cannot be.

¹⁹ And pierced themselves through with many sorrows. And in this present life as well. For how greatly do they lament? How greatly do they mourn? Well said is “pierced through.” For the cares of wealth are thorns, as the Lord also said. Wherever one touches them, they draw blood from the hands, working wounds and pains.

²⁰ But you, O man of God. Great is the dignity: for all men are of God, but properly those who are righteous—not merely according to the principle of creation, but also according to that of intimate belonging. If you are a man of God, do not seek the things that lead you away from God; but what?

²¹ Flee these things, and pursue righteousness. Both with intensity. For he did not say, Stand aside and draw near; but, Flee and pursue. Righteousness, so as not to be covetous, as are those who desire to be rich.

²² Godliness. That pertaining to doctrines.

²³ Faith. Which is the very opposite of disputation.

²⁴ Love. That is, upright conduct of life; for the sum of this is love.

²⁵ Endurance, meekness. From love come both endurance and meekness; for love bears all things, and is longsuffering.

²⁶ Fight the good fight of the faith. That is, stand firm and unconquerable for the faith, through both the power of your word and the purity of your life.

²⁷ Lay hold on eternal life. Behold, both the reward and the prize: eternal life.

²⁸ To which you were also called. For you were called in the hope of eternal life.

²⁹ And confessed the good confession before many witnesses. Here he praises his boldness and courage, as one who confessed Christ in the midst of dangers. Or by “confession” he means that made at the catechism, in which we confess to renounce Satan and to join ourselves to Christ. Observe, also, that confession alone is not sufficient, but endurance is also needed—to remain in the confession continually—and a strenuous contest, so as not to be turned aside.

³⁰ I charge you before God. Both increasing the fear and making the disciple more secure, he calls God as witness, showing that these charges are not merely human—and so that, holding the witness in his mind, he may thereby shake his understanding by the memory of him.

³¹ Who gives life to all things. Here is an encouragement in the face of dangers, and a reminder of the resurrection: as if he were saying, Do not fear death; for you are a servant of God, who is able to give life to all things.

³² And before Jesus Christ, who bore witness before Pontius Pilate to the good confession. Again the exhortation comes from the example of the Teacher. He bore witness; we are obliged to imitate him. For when Pilate said, Are you a king? he answered, For this I was born; and, I came to bear witness to the truth; and many other things he bore witness to and confessed.

³³ That you keep the commandment without spot and without reproach. That is, incurring no stain upon yourself, whether in doctrine or in manner of life.

³⁴ Until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ. That is, until your end, until your departure. But he did not say it thus; rather, until the appearing, so as to rouse him the more, by putting him in mind of that dreadful and glorious day.

³⁵ Which in his own times he will show. That is, at the fitting, appointed times. Do not, therefore, grieve that it has not already come.

³⁶ The blessed and only Sovereign. These words too are for encouragement, that he may not look toward those who appear blessed here below, but toward him who is blessedness itself, in whom there is nothing grievous or unpleasant; and that he may not fear those who are sovereigns and kings here below. At the same time, he also establishes that God will show the appearing. For he is the only Sovereign. And all this is meant concerning the Son. The word “only” is spoken in contrast to men or to the falsely-named gods, and not in contrast to the other holy Persons.

³⁷ The King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone has immortality. For he truly has immortality as a property of his very essence; whereas the angels, even if they are immortal, are not immortal by nature but by grace—so that they do not possess it, but participate in it.

³⁸ Who dwells in unapproachable light. Is he then contained in a place? Is the light something other than himself? And yet he is light itself. Do you see that even when we wish to say something great, the tongue fails? “Unapproachable”—to which no one is able to draw near, because of its exceeding brilliance.

³⁹ Whom no man has seen, nor is able to see. With respect to his divinity, manifestly; for with respect to his humanity he was seen. The blessed John, however, received all these things above as spoken primarily of the Father, while they are also appropriately received as spoken of the Son and of the Spirit as well.

⁴⁰ To whom be honor and everlasting power. Amen. If therefore the power is his always, do not be afraid, even if it does not appear to be so now. His is the honor always; do not fall into despair, even if he is now dishonored. This one thing we are all able to do without condemnation: to glorify him, not to pry about him. And fittingly here Paul inserts a word of praise. For since he called God as witness, he rehearses his glory, that the hearer may be moved to reverence all the more.

⁴¹ As for the rich in this present age. There are also others who are rich, but not in the present age—namely, the righteous, who are rich in the age to come.

⁴² Charge them not to be haughty in mind. For money breeds presumption and arrogance.

⁴³ Nor to set their hope on the uncertainty of riches. He brought them down at once. Why, he says, do you exalt yourself over something uncertain, changeable, and unstable?

⁴⁴ But on God, who is living, who gives us richly all things for enjoyment. That is, air, water, light, the annual turnings of the seasons, and hours, and all other things—and in great abundance, even if covetousness lays claim to whatever it receives. This wealth is enduring and living, not corruptible. And you will learn from this that God made every man rich, having bestowed upon all things held in common; therefore the one who grieves as though he were poor is without cause.

⁴⁵ To do good, to be rich in good works. Supply from the common construction: Charge them to do good, and what follows; for if you wish to be rich, be rich in doing good.

⁴⁶ To be liberal. This pertains to their money.

⁴⁷ To be ready to share. This pertains to love. By “ready to share” understand those who are sociable and affable.

⁴⁸ Laying up for themselves a good foundation for the time to come. Where there is a foundation, all things there are firm and immovable; since, then, the things of virtue and of the age to come are steadfast, for this reason he made mention of a foundation.

⁴⁹ That they may lay hold on eternal life. For the practice of many good works—which he also called a foundation—is able to set before them enjoyment there.

⁵⁰ O Timothy, guard the deposit. All these things which have been entrusted to you by me—guard them as the Lord’s own, and diminish nothing of them.

⁵¹ Turning away from the profane empty babblings. The unclean, the defiling. By “empty babblings” he means idle talk. There is, then, also an empty babbling that is not profane. The blessed John, however, referred to newly-coined teachings as kainophoniai—writing it with the diphthong ai, as it seems.[1]

⁵² And the oppositions of what is falsely called knowledge. For when there is no faith, but everything is born of human reasonings, there is no knowledge—the name is false. Observe also that there are oppositions to which one ought not even to reply, but to turn away from them and not become entangled with such people.

⁵³ Which some, professing, have missed the mark concerning the faith. For it is inevitable that the one who follows human reasonings will miss the mark of the faith; for faith does not admit of reasonings. I believe the Apostle is speaking here about those who were then called the Gnostics—men filled with every kind of uncleanness, for which reason he also called their empty babblings “profane.” The head of this heresy was Nicolaus, one of the seven deacons.

⁵⁴ Grace be with you. Amen. He prays over him the seal of all things—the grace of God—from which every good thing is both given and preserved. May we also enjoy it abundantly, not losing the good things we received from it, but guarding them through it, and glorifying Christ the giver of gifts, together with the Father and the Spirit; to whom be glory unto the ages of ages. Amen.