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Tous les autres exemplaires origineux sont film^s en commenpant par la pramiAre page qui comporte une empreinte d'impression ou d'illustration et en terminant par le derniire pege qui comporte une telle empreinte. Un dee symboles suivants apparaitra sur la darniire image de cheque microfiche, selon le cas: le symbole — ^^ signifie "A SUIVRE' , le symbole V signifie "FIN". Les csrtes, plenches. tableaux, etc.. peuvent etre filmis A des taux da reduction diffirents. Lorsque ie document est trop grand pour etre reproduit en un seul cliche, il est film^ d partir de Tangle sup^rieur gauche, de gauche i droite, et de haut en bes, en prenant le nombre d'imeges n^cessaire. Les diagrammes suivants illustrent la m^thoda. 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 3 30 S w j TIIK EXPOSITOR'S JUIM.K EDITED BY THE REV. W RoilKR rsox Xlfulj. Editor of " The Expositor." M.:\. IHE PASTORAL EPISTLES. BY THE REV. Af. FKI'l) I'l.lJAl AN- K, S] ,\ j, j. TORONTO : Corner of Yonge and Temperance Streets. 1888. IJ I : )' THE PASTORAL EPISTLES. RV TIIK RKV. ALFRED PLUMMER, M.A D D J,/ ^..„., '"'"(y tollcxe, Oxford; "^ Oos/iei and EpUtlcs of at. yohn," etc. TORONTO: WILLARD TRACT DEPOSITORY AND RIBLE DEPOT, Corner or Yongk and Temperance Strelts. 1888. Tt TH THl McMASTIR UNIVERSITY UBAARY CONTENTS. 'AGE INTRODUCTORY. CHAPTER I. - 3 I TIMOTHY. CHAPTER If. TIMOTHY THE BELOVED DlSriPr i- <^,. c CHARACTER /^^.^^'^^'/^'^ OL S. PAUL—HIS LIFE AND - 19 CHAPTER III. THE DOCTRINE CONDEMNED IN THE PASTORAL EPISTLES A .KWISH KORM OE ONOSTICISM.-TIIE ONOSTIc's PROhLm 33 CHAPTER IV. THE MORAL TEACHING OI- THE ONOSTICS.-ITS MODERN COUNTERPART ... MODERN - 42 CHAPTER V. ""aTeI"""'"" " '"^'^"^'^ ^ ™— AND A PERSKCUrOK TO BECOME A S,.;kN-AN ,■ oE CUPI.T Ji^-^US AND A PREACHER OE THE GOSPEL vi CONTENTS. CHAPTER VI. I'Af.E THE PROPHECIES ON TIMOTHY. — THE I'KOI'HKTS (Jl- THE NEW TESTAMENT AN EXCEPTIONAL INSTKUMENT OE EDHTCATION - - - - - - - - -62 CHAPTER VH. THE PUNISHMENT OE HYMEN/El'S AND ALEXANHEP. — EE- EIVEHING TO SATAN AN EXl El'TlONAL INblTUMENT Ol PUKIERATION. — THE PEKSONALITY OE SAIAN 72 CHAPTER VIII. ELEMENTS OE CHRISTIAN WORSHIP: INTERCESSORY EKAYI R AND THANKSGIVING. — THE SOLIUAKITY OE IHKISIINDOM AND OE THE HUMAN RACE - 82 CHAPTER IX. BEHAVIOUR IN CHRISTIAN V.'ORSHIP. — MENS ATTITUDE OE BODY AND MIND. — WOMEN'S ATTIRE AND ORNAMENT - 94 TH THI CHAPTER X. THE ORIGIN OE THE CHRISTIAN MINISTRY. — VARIOUS CERTAINTIES AND PROBABILITIES DISTINGUISHED - - I04 THE CHAPTER XI. THE APOSTLES RULE RESPECTING SECOND MARRIAi:ES. — ITS MEANING AND PRESENT OBLIGATION - - - - II8 THE |ir CHAPTER XII. THE RELATION OE HUMAN CONDUCT TO THE MYSTERY OE GODLINESS 13° CHAPTER XIII. THE COMPARATIVE VALUE OE BODILY EXERCISE AND OF GODLINESS -- 141 CHRIS' THE J US CONTENTS. CHAPTER XIV. THE PASTOR'S BEHAVIOUR TOWARDS WOMPM WIDOW - . . _ WOMEN.—THE CHURCH " " - 151 CHAPTER XV. THE PASTOR'S RESPONSIBILITIES ,m ^ FOLLOW US - . GO BEFORE AND THAT - 164 CHAPTER XVI • "^ MODERN PARALLEL - - 175 CHAPTER XVII. 188 201 NESS OF A LOVE OF GAIN TITUS. CHAPTER XVIII. THE EPISTLE TO TITUS ~h.« r ITUS.^HIS LIFE AND CHARACTER CM- PTER XIX. THE CHURCH m CRETE anh CHAPTER XX CHAPTER XXI. THE MEANING AND VALUE op ''^^ AND ABUSE OF RELICIoL"!!!^"^'^^^'^^^^--"^ 224 --- AND ABUSE OF REUGIOU- r'"'*''' "^ti-ICIOLs EMOTION - 237 vin CONTENTS. CHAPTER XXII. PAG". THE MORAL CONDITION OF THE DOCTRINE OF GOD SLAVES.— THEH< ADORNMENT OF :48 CHAPTER XXllI. HOPE AS A MOTIVE POWER CHRISTIANS - - - —THE PRESENT HOPES OF - 259 CHAPTER XXIV. TO AUTIIORIT WITH ITS LIMITS.— THE DUTY OF OBEDIENCF THE DUTY OF COURTESY WITHOUT LIMITS - 270 CHAPTER XXV. THE CO-OPERATION OF THE DIVINE PERSONS IN EFFECTING THE NEW BIRTH.-THE LAYER OF REGENERATION 282 CHAPTER XXVI. THE MEANING OF HERESY IN THE NEW TESTAMENT AND T^ APOSTLE'S ERECTIONS RESPECTING — -^_^^ PERSONS - - ■ " ' 2 TIMOTHY. CHAPTER XXVII. THE CHARACTER AND CONTENTS OF THE LAST EPISTLE OF S. PAUL.-THE NEMESIS OF NEGLECTED GIFTS - 309 CHAPTER XXVIII. „r.RTLESSNESS OF PHYGELUS AND HERMOGENES.-THE THE HEARTLESSNESS O ^^^ ^^^ ^^^^ ^^^ DEVOTION OF ONESIPHOKUS!. riv-t THE CONTENTS. ix CHAPTER XXIX. I'AI.K THE NEED OE MAfMrvruv r-,^,, ^ ' ^'"^ PKESERVATION AND TRANSMISSION- OF TIIF rAi-r., Oh THE lAITH.— THE MACHINERY OF THE PRIMITIVE CHURCH 331 CHAPTER XXX. THE CHRISTIAN'S LIFE AS MiiiXAt.,, i-iJ-t AS MILITARY SERVICE; AS AN ATHLETIC CONTEST; AS HUSBANDRY - . CHAPTER XXXI. THE POWER OF A BELIEF IN THE RESURRECTION AND THE INCAKNATION.-THE GOSPEL OF S. PAUL - 353 CHAPTER XXXn. THE NEED OF A SOLEMN CHARGE AGAINST A CONTRO- VERSIAL SPIRIT, OF A DILIGENCE FREE FROM SHAME, AND OF A HATRED OF THK PROFANITY WHICH WRAPS UP ERROR IN THE LANGUAGE OF TRUTH - . .36^ CHAPTER XXXHI. THE LAST DAYS.-THF BEARING OF THE MENTION OF JANNES AND JAMERES ON THE QUESTION OF INSPI- RATION AND THE ERRORS CURRENT IN EPHESUS - ' .375 CHAPTER XXXIV. THE PERILS OF RATIONALISM AND THE RESPONSIBILITIES OF A LIFELONG CONTACT WITH TRUTH.-THE PROPERTIES OF INSPIRED WRITINGS - - ■ - 385 CHAPTER XXXV. THE PARADOXICAL EXULTATION OF THE APOSTLE.-HIS APPARENT FAILURE AND THE APPARENT FAILURE OF THE CHURCH.-THE GREAT TEST OF SLN'CERITY - 397 t f CONTENTS. CHAPTER XXXVI. PAGE THE PERSONAL DETAILS A GUARANTEE OF GENUINENESS - 406 CHAPTER XXXVH. THE APOSTLE FORSAKEN BY MEN BUT STRENGTHENED BY THE LORD.-THE ^^SSION TO THE GENTILES COM- PLETED.-THE SURE HOPE, AND THE FINAL HYMN OF - 418 PRAISE - - ■ " ' I! ■f l" f^ INTRODUCTORW I III CHAPTER I. THE CHARACTER AArn titt^ ^ 'ASTo]Jfl ^^^^/A^^A^^^i- OF THE PASTORAL EPISTLES. " I''"il, nn Apostle of Christ lesnc; " , -,■ . .. "''»"'. •-' servant of God 'T , ^'''■'' ^ T"'' >• '• J'TU« i. I. °'' ""'■ "" Apostle of Jesus CLrist."- THE first question which confrontc; „. upon the study of the Pas^o, I^r f " ^"'"'"'"^ tlK "ot occur in these letters 'd 7' '"'' ""°*^^'" ^« Scnpture, yet in no olV^ookf inX B^'r '"" fi'i'l so many directions . ^'^^^' '^o we of Churches' T r Ule TT^ '" ^^^^^^'^^ -- title ,. much less appropriate to SSTtr^^adir INTRODUCTORY. I 2 Timothy than to the other two Epistles. All three are both pastoral and personal ; but while i Timothy and Titus arc mainly the former, 2 Timothy is mainly the latter. The three taken together stand between the other Epistles of St. Paul and the one to Philemon. Like the latter, they are personal ; like the rest, they treat of large questions of Church doctrine, practice, and government, rather than of private and personal matters. Like that to Philemon, they are addressed, not to Churches, but to individuals ; yet they are written to them, not as private friends, but as delegates, though not mere delegates, of the Apostle, and as officers of the Church. Moreover the important Church matters of which they treat are regarded, not, as in the other Epistles, from the point of view of the congregation or of the Church at large, but ratlier from that of the overseer or minister. And, as being official rather than private letters, they are evidently intended to be read by other persons besides Timothy and Titus. Among the Epistles which bear the name of St. Paul none have excited so much' controversy as these, especially as regards their genuineness. But the con- troversy is entirely a modern one. It is little or no exaggeration to say that from the first century to the nineteenth no one ever denied or doubted that they were written by St. Paul. It is true that certain heretics of the second century rejected some or all of them. Marcion, and perhaps Basilides, rejected all three. Tatian, while maintaining the Apostolicity of the Epistle to Titus, repudiated those to Timothy. And Origen tells us that some people doubted about 2 Timothy because it contained the names of Jannes and Jambre.j, which do not occur in the Old Testament. But it is well known that Marcion in framing his his proltss to do so on critical grounds. Me reiectod vcrytlung excepting „„ expurgated edition of St Lulie and certain Epistles of St P-,,,1 „„. 1 , doniitn^ ,, . / ^ "^ ^^- '^'^"'r -not bccausc lie doubled tlie.r authenticity, but because he disliked A .1 tirr'"", '""^ ^'^ "°' fi' '■'"» '- sTst n, E, itcs dwt " "'" "^r'^' °"' °^ ™°- °f 'he- LlM»tlcs did SO ,n a smiilar spirit. They did not profess to find that these docunK.,ts were not p ope |y ut e„,caed, but they were displeased with p'ssags n them. 1 he evidence, therefore, justifies us in as.er! "g that, w,th some very slight exception in the ond century, these three Epistles were, until „ute rece j times, universally accepted as writt™ by S?. plu and:rsdiii:fzrtrtLr"'r-^^^'"" :,; t'i'if :::tr^-'='^'i ^^'- oversi^iirbeea'tiTi:: tnou^riit anything about them (2^ Tl... . -a -P«:.lng the general acceptance ofln" StZ n, ;; do?""? '"' '""'"^ ^■'''' '° "- -* cvicicntL to the contrary. TertuhfTn * wonders what can have induced Marcion, whilTa tl 2' ' "■■■denee on s s,de, baeke Pastoral Ep.stles in the narrative of the Acts is valid ; but it IS no objection to the authenticity of the Epistles " I V?. ",';-°" °^ ''^^ ^""'^ '">P^'^^« t'^^t the eiid of St. lauls life IS not reached in the narrative. "He abode two whole years in his own hired dwellintj " implies that after that time a change tor'c place If that change was his death, how unnatural r ot to mention it! The conclusion is closely parah^l to that of St. Luke's Gospel; and we might almost as reasonably contend that "they were continually in the temple proves that they were never "clothed v ith power from on high," because they were told to " ta rv in the cty " until they were so clothed, as contend that abode two whole years in his own hired dwelling - proves that at the end of the two years came the end of St. Pauls hfe. Let us grant that the conclusion of Jhe Acts IS unexpectedly abrupt, and that this abrupt- ness constitutes a difficulty. Then we have our choice of tvyo alternatives. Either the two years of imprison- ment were followed by a period of renewed labour or they were cut short by the Apostle's martyrdom Is it not more easy to believe that the writer did not consicier that this new period of work, which would have filled many chapters, fell within the scope of his narrative, than that he omitted so obvious a conclusion as St Pauls death, for which a single verse would have sufficed ? But let us admit that to assert that St Paul was released at the end of two years is to maintain a mere hypothesis: yet to assert that he was not released IS equally to maintain a mere hypothesis. If we exclude the Pastoral Epistles, Scripture gives no means of dccidnig the question, and whicl.cver aiternative we 14 INTRODUCTORY. adopt we are making a conjecture. But which hypo- thesis has most evidence on its side ? Certainly the hypothesis of the release, (i) The Pastoral Epistles, even if not by St. Paul, are by some one who believed that the Apostle did a good deal after the close of the Acts. (2) The famous passage in Clement of Rome {Cor. V.) tells that St. Paul " won the noble renown which was the reward of his faith, having taught righteousness unto the whole world, and having reached the furthest hound of the West (to repfia ti)^ Svaeoo^y This probably means Spain;* and if St. Paul ever went to Spain as he hoped to do (Rom. xv. 24, 28), it was after the imprisonment narrated in the Acts. Clement gives us the tradition in Rome (c. a.d. 95). (3) The Muratorian fragment (c. a.d. 170) mentions the " departure of Paul from the city to Spain." .(4) Eusebius (H.E., II. xxii. 2) says that at the end of the two years of inaprisonment, according to tradi- tion, the Apostle went forth again upon the ministry of preaching, and on a second visit to the city ended his career by martyrdom under Nero ; and that during this imprisonment he composed the Second Epistle to >- Timothy. All this does not amount to proof; but it raises the hypothesis of the release to a high degree of probability. Nothing of this kind can be urged in favour of the counter hypothesis. To urge the impro- bability that the labours of these last few years of St. Paul's life would be left unrecorded is no argument. (i) They are partly recorded in the Pastoral Epistles. (2) The entire labours of most of the Twelve are left unrecorded. Even of St. Paul's life, whole years are left a blank. How fragmentary the narrative in the * It cannot possibly mean Rome; least of all in a document written in Rome. Rome was a centre,. not a frontier. ! GENUmENESS OE THE PASTORAL EPISTLES. 15 4 Acts must be is proved by the autobiography in 2 Cor- inthians. That we have very scanty notice of St. Paul's doings between the two imprisonments does not render the existence of such an interval at all doubtful. The result of this preliminary discussion seems to show that the objections which have been urged against these Epistles are not such as to compel us to doubt that in studying them we are studying the last writings of the Apostle of the Gentiles. If any doubts still survive, a closer examination of the details will, it is hoped, tend to remove rather than to strengthen them. When we have completed our survey, we may be able to add our testimony to those who through many centuries have found these writings a source of Divine guidance, warning, and encouragement, especially in ministerial work. The experience of countless numbers of pastors attests the wisdom of the Church, or in other words the good Providence of God, in causing these Epistles to be included among the sacred Scrip- tures. " It is an established fact,"' as Bernhard Weiss rightly points out {In traduction to the New Testament, vol. i., p. 410), " that the essential, fundamental features of the Pauline doctrine of salvation are even in their specific expression reproduced in our Epistles with a clearness such as we do not find in any Pauline disciple,excepting perhaps Luke or the Roman Clement." Whoever composed them had at his command, not only St. Paul's forms of doctrine and expression, but large funds of Apostolic zeal and discretion, such as have proved capable of warming the hearts and guiding the judgments of a long line of successors. Those who are conscious of these effects upon themselves will probably find it easier to believe that they have derived J i6 INTRODUCTORY. these benefits from the great Apostle himself, rather than from one who, with however good intentions, assumed his name and disguised himself in his mantle. Henceforward, until we find serious reason for doubt, it will be assuired that in these Epistles we have the farewell counsels of none other than St. Paul. I'' THE FIRST EPISTLE TO TIMOTHY. CHAPTER II. TIMOTHY THE BELOVED DISCIPLE OF ST PAUL HIS LIFE AND CHARACTER. ^''Timothy, my true child in faith."— i Tim i 2 "Timotiiy, my beloved child."— 2 Tim. i. 2. T N the relation of St. Paul to Timothy we have one 1 of those beautiful friendships between an older and a younger man which are commonly so helpful to both It IS in such cases, rather than where the friends are quals in age, that each can be the real complement of the other. Each by his abundance can supply he others want, whereas men of equal age would have common wants and common supplies. In this respect he fnendslnp between St. Paul and Timothy remTnds us of that between St. Peter and St. John. In each case the fnend who took the lead was much older than experience) in each case it was the older friend who had the impulse and the enthusiasm, the younger who had the reflectiveness and the reserve. These laTter qualities are perhaps less marked in St. Timothy Un " St. John but nevertheless they are there, and thev are among the leading traits of his character. St vZ eans on him while he guides him, and relies upon hi firsts d'r' '"' circumspection in cases requiring hrmness, delicacy, and tact. Of the affection with which he regarded Timothy we have evidence \nZ 20 THE FIRST EPISTLE TO TIMOTHY. I whole tone of the two letters to him. In the sphere of faith Hmothy is his ^^ own true child" (not merely adopted, still less supposititious), and his "beloved child." St. Paul tells the Corinthians that as the best means of making them imitators cf himself he has sent unto them "Timothy, who is my beloved and faithful cnild in the Lord, who shall put you in remembrance of my ways which be in Christ, even as I teach every- where in every Church "(I Cor. iv. 17). And a few years later he tells the Philippians that he hopes to send Timothy shortly unto them, that he may know how they fare. For he has no one like him. who will have a genuine anxiety about their welfare. The rest care only for their own interests. " But the proof of him ye know, that, as a child a father, so he slaved with me for the Gospel " (ii. 22). Of all whom he ever converted to the faith Timothy seems to have been to St. Paul the disciple who was most beloved and most trusted. Following the example of the fourth Evan- gelist, Timothy might have called himself "The disciple whom Paul loved." He shared his spiritual father's outward labours and most intimate thoughts. He was with him when the Apostle could not or would not have the companionship of others. He was sent on the most delicate and confidential missions. He had charge of the most important congregations. When the Apostle was in his last and almost lonely imprison- nicnt it was Timothy whom he summoned to console him^ and receive his last injunctions. There is another point in which the beloved disciple of the Pastoral Epistles resembles the beloved disciple of the Fourth Gospel. We are apt to think of both of them as always young. Christian art nearly invariably represents St. John as a man of youthful and almost 'I i.2^ J^///; BELOVED DISCrPLE OF ST. PAUL. 21 lemmmc appearance. And, although in Tinolhv's case, pa„,.ers and scnip.ors have no. done mTch ,o nnuence our .magination, ye, the pieture whic \ e forn, for ourselves of him i,, very shnilar to that whieh we eommonly receive of St. J„h„. With strange logic th,s has actually been ,„ade an argument agat s le authenhetty of the Pastoral Epistles. Myth wo a e eold has g,ve„ to this Christian Achilles the a tributes Id Ic an^f """''■*' ''™ ^' Ly^'-. in or near A.D. 45 and he was probably not yet thirty-live when St. Paul wrote the First Epistle t„ him. Even 7f he had been much older there would be nothing .„u pr ing ■n the tone of St. Paul's letters to him. It ,^ „ne of hf o rmid'n'^'r?.,'; """ ^'""'-'^ p--'^ =pea „; n >l g ris. This trait, as being so entirely natural ought to count as a touch beyond the reach of a fn I^r rather than as a circumstance that ought to rouse mr suspicions, m the letters of " Paul the aged ". to " ..•lend who was thirty years younger than himself. Once more, the notices of Timothy which have con,,- down to us, like those whieh we have resp t ,g t a erutiar:^' ■'" -'"^ "-^S-n'-y^ I'u. .iK^for a beautiful and consistent sketch of one whose full portrait we long to possess. Tirnothy w.as a native, possibly of Derbe, but more probably of the neighbouring town of I.ystra w ere l" wa- piously brought up in a knowledge of the lewi it Scriptures by his grandmother Lois and his niXr EtMuce. It was probably^during S^aul's fiist ""t to "c true. » "111 iiiL agcci woulu 22 THE FIRST EPISTLE TO TIMOTHY Lystra, on h.s first missionary journey, that he became the boys spiritual father, by converting him to the Christian faith. It was at Lystra that the Apostle was stoned by the mob and dragged outside the city as dead : and there is no improbability in the suggestion that, when he recovered consciousness and re-entered the town, It was in the home of Timothy that he found Shelter In any case Lystra was to the Apostle a place of strangely mixed associations ; the brutality of the pagan multitude side by side with the tender friendship of the young Timothy. When St. Paul on his next missionary journey again visited Lystra he found Timothy already enjoying a good report among the Christians of that place and of Iconium for his zeal and devotion during the six or seven years which had elapsed since his first visit. Perhaps he had been engaged m missionary work in both places The voices of the prophets had singled him out as one worthy of bearing office in the Church; and the Apostle, still grieving over the departure of Barnabas with John Mark, recognized in him one who with Silas could fill tiie double vacancy. The conduct of the Apostle of the Oentiles on this occasion has sometimes excited sur- prise. Previously to the ordination, Paul, the great procla.mer of the abrogation of the Law by the Gospel circumcised the young evangelist. The inconsistency IS more apparent than real. It was an instance of his becoming "all things to all men" for the salvation of souls, and of his sacrificing his own convictions in matters that were not essential, rather than cause others to offend. Timothy's father had been a Gentile and the son, though brought up in his mother's faith' had never been circumcised. To St. Paul circumcision was a worthless rite. The question was, whether it 4 » I I I c / 'i C tl •23__^^^^^^ DIS;CirLE OF ST. PAUL. 23 was a harmless one " TliJc ^»,^^., 1 j stances If .. , depended upon circum- TrJ ' f r°"^ ''^^ Galatians, it caused people to rely upon the Law and neglect the Gospel it vv.s a r:cr"B.u'frt'^ ''''' ^'''' "° --p-isiruid T • 1 »-- M,iuuea, mignt cram access in Jewish congregations, then it was not o^ a harn le s but a useful ceremony. In the synagogue Timov^s an unarcumcised Jew would have bfen an itlbl lo free him from this crippling disadvantage, St. Paul Stf t"1/° ?n'' r'^'^ ''' Himself knew to b obsolete. Then followed the ordination, performed with great solemnity by the lavinp- on nf ,\ P, '°7 r all tl-,^ ^1.1. r , '^>'"gon of the hands of all the elders of the congregation: and the newly ordained EvangcLst forthwith set nnf fn . ^ Paul and Si.as ■„ .hei/H° / J— f Wherever tl.ey wen. they distributed eopies of d deerees of the ApostoMe Council at Jernsale,, wh h declared arcumcision to be unnecessary for Gemite tht-'™ 7' r"r "'"' ''^^'^ '» circumcisio,? uS hu= made abundantly evident. For the sake of oti ers hey had abstan,ed from availing t),en,selves of tl'ever; hberty whicli they proclaimed, ^ In the Troad they met Luke the beloved physician (as ,„d,catcd by the sudden use of the firs^pe son l^lnlipp, Here probably, as certainly afterwards it ISereea Timothy was left behind by Paul and Sihs to ™,solKlate their w-orlc. He rc^ohfed the Apo fc Athens but was thenee sent back on a mission to Corlmh "n' ?" ^' '"' "'""' '■°™d St. Paul . Connth. he two Lp.stles written from Corinth ,o the rhessalontans are in the joint names of Paul and I! 24 THE FIRST ErTSTT.E TO TIMOTHY. ^hilipp , Timothy became prominent for his zeal as an evangehst ; and then for abo, - five years we lose ^igh^ of h m. We may thmk of him as generally at the side he detads of the work we are ignorant. About a.o. Cornth""rh'"' ' ur ''"' ^" ^ ^'^'''^^^^ '-■-"- to Connth This was before i Corinthians was written • for m that letter St. Paul states that he has "ni Toothy to Corinth, but writes as if he expected ^ a he letter would reach Corinth before him. He charges the Connthians no. to aggravate the young evangel st's natural tn.,dity, and not to let his youth pr^ud e from Macedonia later in the year, Timothy was again " tiif::'thT-'"r'^^^"'p^^' '^''^ ^-^'- -''- frori C H ? ''; '" '^' ^P°^''^ '^"'^' "^ the Romans from Corinth, or he joins in sending salutations to the Roman Christians. We find him still at St. Paul's side on Ins way back to Jerusalem through Philipni the rroad, Tyre, and Ca^sarea. And hefe we ^e more lose trace of him for some years. We do not know what he was doing during St. Paul's two years' impnsonn,ent at C.sarea ; but he joined him duri, g Ue first imprisonment at Rome, for the Epistles to the Ph.hppians, the Colossians, and Philemon are written n the names of Paul and Timothy. From -e pas age already quoted from Philippians we may co^c ufe U.at Timothy went to Philippi and returned' aga n before the Apostle was released. At the close of the Epis,,e to the Hebrews we read, -'Know ye tha ou brother Hmothy hath been set at liberty." It is possible that the imprisonment to which this notice refers was contemporaneous with the first imprisonment 1.2.1 THE BELOVED DISCIPI.E OF ST. PAUL. 25 of St. Paul, and that it is again referred to in I Timothy (vi. 12) as " the good confession " which he "confessed in the sight of many witnesse'^." ^ The few additional facts respecting Timothy are given us in the two letters to him. Some time after St. Paul's release the two were together in Ephesus ; and when the Apostle went on into Macedonia he left his companion behind him to w irn and exhort certain holders of erroneous doctrine to desist from teaching it. There were tears, on the younger friend's side at any rate, to which St. Paul alludes at the opening of the Second Epistle ; and they were natural enough. The task imposed upon Timothy was no easy one ; and after the dangers and sufferings to which the Apostle had been exposed, and which his increasing infirmities continually augmented, it was only too possible that the friends would never meet again. So far as we know, these gloomy apprehensions may have been realized. In his first letter, written from Macedonia, St. Paul expresses a hope of returning very soon to Timothy ; but, like some other hopes expressed in St. Paul's Epistles, it was perhaps never fulfilled. The second letter, written from Rome, contains no allusion to any intermediate meeting. In 'his second lett-r he twice implores Timothy to do all he can to come to him without delay, for he is left almost alone in his imprison- ment. But whether Timothy was able to comply with this wish we have no means of knowing. We like to think of the beloved disciple as comforting the last hours of his master; but, although the conjecture may be a right one, we must remember that it is conjecture and no more. With the Second Epistle to him ends all that we really know of Timothy. Tradition and mgenious guesswork add a little more which can be 26 THE FIRST EnSTLE TO TIMOTHY. years after J ,s death, Eusebius tells us tint \^^ i^ Of ?;;:":,:;" '"^ "^^^ °^ °— -^ •'-" iocc : ul e^ , r' 1 """""'' '•••'" Niccphorus tells us, ehal he u-.,s beaten to death by the I" nhesian Zh ^ef"i,«:^,^:r"the^rroV^;iir;r'- party pra,sed and partly blan.ed in theipoe Lie and par^c s a., been drawn between the Zr^.T^:: in nei. „. 4, 5, ,„;, t,,^ uneasiness which seem^ i„ ;mde, ,e one or two passages in the Second EpisUe to rei.etl upon All we can say is, that even if the later date be taken for the Apocalypse, Thnothy n.ay Ive wh nrrT °' ""' .^^"^^'^ °f "^Phesuslt the 1": wnen the book was written. But of all the scattered memorials that have come down to us respecting this beautiful friendsh rbetween the grea Apostle and his chief disciple, the two leners o the older fr.end .0 the y„,n,ger are by far the c "f And there ts so much in then, that fits with e.nt'site "cety .n,„ the known conditions of the case, U at .ard to ,n,ag„,e how any forger of the second enry eould so have throw „ himself into the situation. Wl c e else ,n that age have we evidence of any such hW^ and h.stoncal skill ? The tenderness and affeclio he anx.ety an grandfathers, that they might have the reputation of ^Historical knowledge and research." The "fables" then may be understood to be those numerous legends which the Jews added to the Old Testament, specfme abound in Gnoscic systems, and therefore "fables" may represent both elements of the heterodox teaching. So prctation of the Law as true knowledge of tl.c I aw Sn.-h ^.7^ ' * Expositor, July, iSS8, p. 42. 1 '•2, 3.] THE GNOSTIC'S PROBLEM. 35 -^ also with the " endless genealogies." These cannot well refer to the genealogies in Genesis, for they are not endless, each of them being arranged in tens. But it is quite possible that Jewish speculations about the genealogies of angels may be meant. Such things being purely imaginary, would be endless. Or the Gnostic doctrine of emanations, in its earlier and cruder forms, may be intended. By genealogies in this sense early thnikers, especially in the East, tried to bridge the chasm between the Infinite and the Finite, between God and creation. In various systems it is assumed that matter is inherently evil. The material universe has been from the beginning not " very good " but very bad. How then can it be believed that the Supreme Being, infinite in goodness, would create such a thing ? This is incredible : the world must be the creature of some mferior and perhaps evil being. But when this was conceded, the distance between this inferior power and the supreme God still remained to be biidged This, it was supposed, might be done by an indefinite number of generations, each lower in dignity than the preceding one, until at last a being capable of creating the universe was found. From the Supreme God emanated an inferior deity, and from this lower power a third S..11 more inferior ; and so on, until the Creator ,of the world was reached. These ideas are found in the Jewish philosopher Philo ; and it is to these that St. Paul probably alludes in the "endless genealogies vv-hich minister questionings rather than a dispensation of God." The idea that matter is evil dominates the whole philosophy of Philo. He endeavoured to recon- cile this with the Old Testament, by supposing that matteris eternal ; and that it was out of pre-existing material that God, acting through His creative powers'' !.iil PI ( 36 THE FIRST ErrSTLE TO TIMOTHY. made^^ the world which Me pronounced to be -verv good These powers are sometimes regarded as tlie angels sometimes as existences scarcely personal. But they have no existence apart from their source any more than a ray apart from the sun. Thev are •low the instruments of God's Providence, as formerly of Kis creative power. ^ St^Paul condemns such speculations on fourgrounds. I) They are fables, myths, mere imaginings of the human nitellect in its attempt to account for the origin of he world and the origin of evil. (2) Thev are endless and interminable. From the nature of things there ,s no limit to mere guesswork of this kind Every new speculator may invent a fresh genealogy of emanations in his theory of creation, and may make it any lengtli that he pleases. If hypotheses need never be venfied,-need not even be capable of verification ~ one may go on constructing them adinfinilnm U\ As a natural consequence of this {ahcv,,) they niLtcr questiomngs and nothing better. It is all barren specu- lation and fruitless controversy. Where any one mav assert without proof, any one else may contradict without proof; and nothing comes of this see-saw of afin-mation and negation. (4) Lastly, these vain im- aginings are a different doctrine. They are not only empty but untrue, and are a hindrance to, the truth They occupy the ground which ought to be filled with the dtspcusntion of God zvhich is in faith. Human minds are limited in their capacity, and, even if these empty hypotheses were innocent, minds that were filled with ' them would have little room left for the truth But they are not innocent : and those who are attracted by them become disaffected towards the truth It is im possible to love both, for the two are opposed to one f '• 2, 3.] THE GXOSTtC'S PROBr.EM. 37 i another. These fables are baseless ; they have no foundation either in revelation or in human life. More- over they are vague, shifting, and incoherent. They ramble on without end. But the Gospel is based on a Divine Revelation, tested by human experience. It is an economy, a system, an organic whole, a dispensation of means to ends. Its sphere is not unbridled imagina- tion or audacious curiosity, but faith. The history of the next hundred and fifty years amply justifies the anxiety and severity of St. Paul. The germs of Gnostic error, which were in the air when Christianity was first preached, fructified with amazing rapidity. It would be hard to find a parallel in the history of philosophy to the speed with which Gnostic views spread in and around Christendom between a.d. 70 and 220. Eusebius tells us that, as soon as the Apostles and those who had listened "with their own ears to their inspired wisdom had passed away, then the conspiracy of godless error took its rise through the deceit of false teachers, who (now that none of the Apostles was any longer left) hence- forth endeavoured with brazen face to preach their knowledge falsely so called in opposition to the preach- ing of the truth."* Throughout the Christian world, and especially in intellectual centres such as Ephesus, Alexandria and Rome, there was perhaps not a single educated congregation which did not contain persons who were infected with some form of Gnosticism. Jerome's famous hyperbole respecting Arianism might be transferred to this earlier form of error, perhaps the most perilous that the Church has ever known: "The whole world groaned and was amazed to find itself Gnostic." * H. E., VI, xxxii. 8. Ill lii 38 r///r fVffsr EPISTLE TO TLMOTHV. I However severely we may condemn tli^e specula- tions we cannot but sympathize with the perplexities wh>ch produced them. The on.in of the' univer^ and stm more the origin of evil, still remain unsolved problems. No one in this life is ever likely to reach a complete solution of either. What is the origin of the material universe ? To assume that it is not a creature, but that matter is eternal, is to make two first pnnciples, one spiritual and one material ; and this IS perilously near making two Gods. But the behef that God made the world is by no means free from difficulty. What was His motive in making the world ? Was His perfectio-i increased by it ^ Then God was once not fully perfect. Was Mis perfection diminished by the act of creation ? Then God is now not fully perfect ; and how can we suppose that He would voluntarily surrender anything of His absolute perfection ? Was God neither the better nor the worse for the creation of the universe? Then the original question returns with its full force: What nduced Him to create it? We cannot suppose that creation was an act of caprice. No complete answer to this eiiigma is possible for us. One thing we know ; -that God ;s /,g/ii and that God is love. And we may be sure that in exercising His creative power He was manifesting His perfect wisdom and His exhaustless aiiection. But will the knowledge that God is light and that God tslove help us to even a partial solution of that problem which hasvvrung the souls of countless saints and thinkers with anguish-the problem of the origin of evil? How could a God who is perfectly wise and perfectly good, make it possible for evil to arise, and allow It to continue after it had arisen ? Once more >• 2, 3] THE GNOST C'S J'RoJU.EM. 39 I the suggestion that there are two First Principles pre- sents itself, but in a more terrible form. Before, it was the thought that there arc two co-eternal Existences, God and Matter. Now, it is the suggestion that there are two co-eternal, and perhaps co-equal Powers, Good and Evil. This hypothesis, impossible for a Christian and rejected by John Stuart Mill,* creates more diffi- culties than it solves. But, if this is the wrong answer, what is the right one ? Cardinal Newman, in one of the most striking passages even in his works, has told us how the problem presents itself to him. " Starting th'-n with the being of God (which, as I have said, is as certain to me as the certainty of my own existence, though when I try to put the grounds of that certainty into logical shape, I find difficulty in doing so in mood and figure to my satisfaction), I look out of myself into the world of men, and there I see a sight which fills me with unspeakable distress. The world seems simply to give the lie to that great truth, of which my whole being is so full ; and the effect upon me is, in consequence, as a matter of necessity, as confusing as if it denied that I am in existence myself. If I looked into a mirror, and did not see my face, I should have the sort of feeling which actually comes upon me, lohen I look into this living busy ivorld and see no rejlcction of its Creator. This is, to me, one of the great difficulties of this absolute primary truth, to which 1 referred just now. Were it not for this voice, speaking so clearly in my conscience and my heart, I should be an atheist, or a pantheist, or a polytheist, when I looked into the world. I am speaking for myself only ; and I am far from denying the real force of the arguments in proof of a God, drawn * T/iree Essiiy^s on Religion, pp, 185, i86. 40 .1.1 Wi r j 1 i/Z-E /•M.ST EPISTLE TO TIMOTHY. from the gccral facts of l,u„,an sod^, but these do otwarm mc or enlighten me ; they do no. takeaway reioice '^f-.e^ow withM, me, and n,y moral bdng rejoice. The sight of the world is nothing else thin the prophet's scroll ful, of ■ lamentations, ',d,„™ ■ng, and woe.' . . . What shall be said to this ho r- P.ercing, reason-bewildering fact ? I can only answ^ ".a. either there is no Creator, or this living society of men IS in a true sense discarded from Hi! presence Did sec a boy of good make and mind, with the toke ,s on him of a refined nature, cast upon . e world vvWou pre'rh:"fa'%'° -'"^ "''"- "= --■ '- ^^^ - place oi h,» family connexions, I should conclude that here was some mystery connected with his his ory and that he was one, of whom, from one cause or othZ' h s parents were ashamed. Thus only should I be able to ^/ here be c\ ^'"^ ^ ' "^^ about the world ; '/ there be a God, smce there is a God, the human race is implicated in some terrible aborigi^a lea ImTv It IS on. of joint with the urposesof its Creator Thj: 1^ a fact, a fact as true as the fact of its existence • and >hus the doctrine of what is theologically called c^Linal sn becomes to me almost as certai, as that the worid exists, and as th. existence of God " ■ But this only carries us a short way towards a sol,, ..on. Why did God allow the " aboriginal calamUv'" of sin to be possible ? This was the Gnostic's difflafv and It IS our difficulty still. Can we say more thai .fs ' by way of an answer? God willeH ,t. , , ""' * Apolo>,iapro Vita Sna (Lon.mans, ,864), pp. .^^__^^^^ t »■ 2, 3-] THE GNOSTIC'S rRoni.E.\r. 41 mechanical service. If they obeyed Him, it sliould be of their own free will, and not of necessity. It should be possible to them to refuse service and obedience. In short, God willed to be reverenced and worshipped, and not merely served and obeyed. A machine can' render service; and a person under the influence of mesmerism may he forced to obey. But do we not all feel that the voluntary service of a conscious and willing agent, who prefers to render rather than to withhold his service, is a nobler thing both for him who gives, and him who receives it ? Compulsory labour is apt to turn the servant into a slave and the master into a tyrant. We see, therefore, a reason why the Creator in creating conscious beings made them also moral; made them capable of obeying Him of their own free will, and therefore also capable of disobeying Him. In other words. He made sin, with all its consequences, possible. Then it lu r^me merely a question of his- torical fact wh( any angelic or human being would ever abuse his freedom by choosing to disobey. That " aboriginal calamity," we know, has taken place ; and all the moral and physical evil which now exists in the world, '\< the natural consequence of it. This IS, perhaps, the best solution that the human mind is likely to discover, respecting this primeval and terrible mystery. But it is only a partial solution ; and the knowledge that we have still not attained to a complete answer to the question which perplexed the early Gnostics, ought to banish from our minds any- thing like arrogance or contempt, when we condemn their answer as unchristian and inadequate. " The end of the charge " which has been given to us is not the condemnation of others, but " love out of a pure heart and a good conscience and faith unfeii^ned." I // Ji 7 CHAPTER IV. TJ^£ MORAL TEACHING OF THE GNOSTICS -ITS MODERN COUNTERPART. lawlcss'and uln V,; thcT "1' '°'-,'^ '-'^"'--^ -nan, but for 'the T-HE speculations of the Gnostics in their attempts X to explain the origin of the universe and the origin of eviJ were wild and unprofitable enough ; and in some respects nwolved a fundamental contradiction of the P an. statements of Scripture. But it was not so much heir metaphysical as their moral teaching, which seemed so perilous to St. Paul. Their " endle s gene' a ogies nnght have been left to fall with their^own dead_ we.ght, so dull and unirUeresting were they Specimens of them still survi^•e, in what is known fo us of the systems of Basilides and Valentinus ; and which of us, a ter having laboriously worked tln'ough them,_ever wished to read them a second time ? But It .s impossible to keep one's philosophy in one com- par ment in one's mind, and one's religion and morality qu.te separate from it in another. However unpractical 1 i ,8-11.] I\IORAL TEACHING OF THE GNOSTICS. 43 metaphysical speculations may appear, it is beyond question that the views which we hold respecting such things may have momentiuis influence u]ion our life. It was so with the early Gnostics, whom St. Paul urges Timothy to keep in check. Their doctrine respecting the nature of the n' ;terial world and its relation to God, led to two opposi forms of ethical teaching, each of them radically oppco..d to Christianity. This fact fits in very well with the character of the Pastoral Epistles, all of which deal with this early form of error. They insist upon discipline and morality, more than upon doctrine. These last solemn charges of the great Apostle aim rather at making Christian ministers, and their congregations, lead pure and holy lives, than at constructing any system of theology. Erroneous teaching must be resisted ; the plain truths of the Gospel must be upheld ; but the main thing is holiness of life. By prayer and thanksgiving, by quiet and grave conduct, by modesty and temperance, by self-denial and benevolence, by reverence for the sanc- tity of home life, Christians will furnish the best antidote to the ii'.tellectual and moral poison which the false teachers are propagating. "The sound doctrine" has its fruit in a healthy, moral life, as surely as the "different doctrine" leads to spiritual pride and lawless sensuality. The belief that Matter and everything material is inherently evil, involved necessarily a contempt for the human body. This body was a vile thing ; and it was a dire calamity to the human mind to be joined to such a mass of evil. From this premise various conclusions, some doctrinal and some etiiical, were drawn. On ihv doctrinal side it was urged that the resurrec- tion of the body was incredible. It was disastrous I \ I < 44 7V/E FIRST EP/ST/.E TO TIMOTHY. enough to the soul that it should be burclci^d v^ ^ w oh ,1,^ n • ". "''^ ™' ••• '""■'= "■■•"'' "'■ ""■■ body wind, the Christ assumed was not real. ,t {^ „,/ these errors that St. John deals, some twelve or fif^ years later, in his Gospel and Epistles. "'" f On the ethical side tho f/^n,.f fi,^^ ^i i is utterly evil prodt.oed tl'oT; si r ,- ^s r.-''"''^ and antino„,ian senst.ality. Zi bo ifof^;:: .^ Z' at n, these Epistles. If the enlightenment o he sotd everything, and the body is utterly worth els tS tins v,le elog to the movenK-nt of the so. „, ' t k beaten under and crushed, in orde That L I nature may rise to higher hings The hi * ,"' denied al, indnlgenec^in o^d^Lt^ n ^t't^'ved^ "HO subnnssion (iv. 3). On the other hand, ff enl gh.e , «ery k,„d of e..per,ence, no n,atter how shan.eless is of vahie, n, order to enlarge knowledge. Nothing In! a man can do ean make his body more vile I , i. " ' by nature, and the soul of .he enligh.enec s h^' ,ble pf pollutton. Gold still re„,ains gotj, howeve often i! IS plunged in the mire. " as'i?st™Pan,°' "' •'""' '"'^^^ '"^=" - ■•« '-'. look as n St. Paul was annmg at evil of this kind These Juda.z.ng Gnostics .'desired .0 be teachers of the I aw " rhey wtshed .0 enforce the Mosaic Law, or rath!-, tMr lanu..,t,c tnterpretations of it, upon Christian. it; insisted upon ,.s excellence, and would „„t allow tha^ 't has been ,„ many respects superseded, " wtknow i.S.ii.] MORAL TEACHING OF THE GNOSTICS. 45 quite well/' says the Apostle, " and readiiy admit, that the Mosaic Law is an excellent thing ; provided that those who undertake to expound it make a legitimate use of it. They nuist remember that, jusi as law in general is not made for those whose own good prin- ciples keep them in the right, so also the restrictions of the Mosaic Law are not meant for Christians who obey the Divine will in the free spirit of the Gospel." Legal restrictions are intended to control those who will not control themselves ; in short, for the very men who by their strange doctrines are endeavouring to cr.itnil the liberties of others. Wiiat they preach as '■ 'i' ■ Law" is really a code of their own, " command- aitnts of men who turn away from the trutli. . . . They profess that they know God ; but by their works they deny Him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate " (Tit. i. 14, 16). In re- hearsing the various kinds of sinners for whom law exists, and who are to be found (he hints) among these false teachers, he goes roughly through the Decalogue. The four commandments of the First Table are indi- cated in general and comprehensive terms ; the first five connnandments of the Second Table are taken one by one, flagrant violators being specified in each case. Thus the stealing of a human being in order to make him a slave, is mentioned as the most outrageous breach of the eighth commandment. The tenth command- ment is not distinctly indicated, possibly because the breaches of it are not so easily detected. The overt acts of these men were quite sufficient to convict them of gross immorality, without enquiring as to their secret Wishes and desires. In a word,* the very persons who in their teaching were endeavouring to burden men with the ceremonial ordinances, which had been done away 4 ill. I ! ■I i '^ M/ 46 T//£ FIRST EPISTLE TO TIMOTHY. in Christ, were in their own Hves violating the moral laws, to which Christ had given a new sanction. They tried to keep alive, in \^&^N and strange forms, what had been provisional and was now obsolete, while they trampled under foot what was eternal and Divine. " If there be any other thing contrary to the sound doctnne." In these words St. Paul sums up all the forms of transgression not specified in his catalogue Ihf sound, healthy teaching of the Gospel is opposed to the morbid and corrupt teaching of the Gnostics, who are sickly in their speculations (vi. 4), and whose word IS like an eating sore (2 Tim. ii. 17). Of course healthy teaching is also health-giving, and corrupt teaching is corrupting; but it is the primary and not the derived quahty that is stated here. It is the healthiness of the doctnne in itself, and its freedom from what is diseased or distorted, that is insisted upon. Its wholesome character is a consequence of this. This worJ "sound " or "healthy" {{jr^caivcsiv, vycrj^), as applied to doctrine,* is one of a group of expressions which are peculiar to the Pastoral Epistles, and which have been condemned as not belonging to St. Paul's /style of language. He never uses "healthy" in his other Epistles ; therefore these three Epistles, in which the phrase occurs eight or nine times, are not by him. _ This kind of argument has been discussed already, in the first of these expositions. It assumes the manifest untruth, that as life goes on men make little or no change in the stock of words and phrases which they habitually use. With regard to this particular phrase, the source of it has been conjectured with a fair amount of probability. It may have come from " the beloved I I Tim. vi. J ; 2 Tim, i. i J, iv. 3 ; Tit, i, 9, 13, ii. !, 2, 8. i.S-ii.] MOKAL TEACH/JVG OF THE GNOSTICS. 47 i physician," who, at the time when St. Paul wrote the Second Epistle to Timothy, was the Apostle's sole com- panion. It is worth remarking that the word here used for " sound " (with the exception of one passage in the Third Epistle of St. John) occurs nowhere in the New Testament in the literal sense of being in sound bodily health, except in the Gospel of St. Luke. And it occurs nowhere in a figurative sense, except in the Pastoral Epistles. It is obviously a medical metaphor ; a metaphor which any one who had never had anything to do with medicine might easily use, but which is specially likely to be used by a man who had lived much in the society of a physician. Before we call such a phrase un- Pauline we must ask : (j) Is there any passage in the earlier Epistles of St. Paul where he would certainly have used this word " sound," had he been familiar with it? (2) Is there any word in the earlier Epistles which would have expressed his mean- ing here equally well ? If cither of these questions is answered in the negative, then we are going beyond our knowledge in pronouncing the phrase " sound doctrine " * to be un-Pauline. " Contrary to the sound doctrine." It sums up in a comprehensive phrase the doctrinal and moral teaching of the Gnostics. What they taught was unsound and morbid, and as a consequence poisonous and pestilen- tial. While professing to accept and expound the Gospel, they really disintegrated it and explained it * The Revisers as a rule render MaaKoXla by "doctr'ne," as here, iv. 6, vi. i, 3; 2 Tim. iv, 3 ; Til. i. 9, ii. i, 7, 10 (but not in iv. 13, 16, V. 17; 2 Tin), iii. 10, \6), wliilc Uicy render oiSaxn by "teaching," as 2 Tim. Iv. 2; Tit. i. 9, and frequently in tiie {Gospels. Hut 5i- daoKaXla, as being closer to 5(5a(TKa\os "a teacher," is " leaching ' rather than "doctrine,"' and SiSaxn is "doctrine" rather than "teaching." Hcc p. 238. 48 THE iiKsr F.risriF. lo riMornv. \ ! ; away. They clestroyi'd tlic very l)asis of the (iospcl nifssagc ; for tlicy denied the reality of sin. .\nd tliey equally de.stroyed the contents of the ine.ssage ; for tlu;v denieil the reality of the Inearnalidii. Nor were they le.s.s revolutionary on the moral side than on the doctrinal. 'I'lie fnuiulalions of morality are saj^ped when intellectual enlightenment is accounted as the one thing needful, while conduct is treated as a thing o( no value. Principles of morality are turneil upside down when it is maintainetl that any act which adds to one's knowledge is xwi only allowable, but a duty. It is necessary to remember these fatal characteristics of this early form of error, in onler to ajipieciate the stern language used by St. Paul and St. John respecting it, as also by St.Jude and the author of the Second Epistle of Peter. St. John in his Epistles deals mainly with the doctrinal side of the heresy,— the denial of the reality of sin and of the reality o'i the Incarnation : * although the moral results of iloctrinal error are also indicated and con- demned. f In the Apocalypse, as in St. Paul and in the Catholic Epistles, it is mainly tlu> moral side of the false teaching that is denounced, and that in both its opposite phases. The Epistle to the Colossians deals with the ascetic tendeni ies of eai-|y gnosticism. J The Apocalypse and the Catholic Epistles deal with its licciitioiis tendencies. § The Pastoral ICpistles treat of both asceticism and licentiousness, but chiefly of the latter, as is seen from the passage before us and from * I .lohn i. S-io, ii. 22, 2j, iii. 4, .S, iv. 2, .5, 15, v. i, 5, lO, 17; 3 Joliii 7. t ii. 9, II, iii. 15, 17. X ii. 16, 21. 23. § kcv. ii. 14, 20—22 ; 3 IVtcr ii. 10 -22 : Judo ,S, in, i ;, 16 18. i. 8-11.1 MORAL TEACnrNC, OF mp. GNOSTICS. 49 the first part of chapter iii. in the Second Epistle. As we might expect, St. Paul uses stronger language in the Pastoral IC|>istIes tlian he does in writing to the Colossians ; and in St. John and tlie Catholic Kpistles we find stronger language still. Antinoniiaii licentiousness is a far worse evil than misguided asceticism, and in the interval hetween St. Paul and the other writers the profligacy of the antinomian Gnostics had increased. St. Paul warns the Colossians against delusive " per- suasiveness of speech," against " vain deceit," " the rudiments of the world," "the precepts and doctrines of men." lie cautions Timothy and Titus respecting " seducing spirits and doctrines of devils," " profane and old wives' fables," " profane babblings " and teach- ings that "will eat as doth a gangrene," "vain talkers and deceivers" whose "mind and conscience is deceived," and the like. St. John denounces these false teachers as "liars," "seducers," "false prophets," "deceivers," and "antichrists;" and in Jude and the Second Epistle of Peter we have the profligate lives of these false teachers condemned in equally .severe terms. It should be observed that here again everything falls into its proper place if we assume that the Pastoral Epistles were written some years later than the Epistle to the Colossians and some years earlier than those of St. Jude and St. John. The ascetic tendencies of Gnosticism developed first. And though they still con- tinued in teachers like Tatian and Marcion, yet from the close of the first century the licentious conclusions drawn from the premises that the human body is worth- less and that all knowledge is divine, became more and more prevalent ; as is seen in the teaching of Carpo- crates and Epiphanes, and in the monstrous sect of the Cainites. It was quite natural, therefore, that St Paul so THE FIRST EPISTLE TO TIMOTHY. !ifi li ; Should attack Gnostic asceticism first in writing to the Colossians, and afterwards both it and Gnostic licen- tiousness in writing to Timothy and Titus. It was equally natural that his language should grow stronger as he saw the second evil developing, and that those who saw this second evil at a more advanced stage should use sterner language still. The extravagant theories of the Gnostics to account for the ongm of the universe and the origin of evil are gone and are past recall. It would be impossible to .nduce people to believe them, and only a comparatively small number of students ever even read them the heresy that knowledge is more important than conduct, that brilliant intellectual gifts render a man superior to the moral law, and that much of tlie moral aw Itself is the tyrannical bondage of an obsolete tradi- tion, IS as dangerous as ever it was. It is openly preached and frequently acted upon. The great Florentine artist, Benvenuto Cellini, tells us in his auto- biography that when Pope Paul III. expressed his wilhngness to forgive him an outrageous m.rder com- mitted in the streets of Rome, one of the gentlemen at the Papal Court ventured to remonstrate with the Pope tor condoning so heinous a crime. "You do not understand the matter as well as I do," replied Paul III • 1 would have you to know that m I % II . 56 THE FIRST EPISTLE TO TIMOTHY. I ' y. , ' sin in persecuting Him was overruled for good. The Divine process of bringing good out of evil was strongly exemplified in it. The Gnostic teachers had tried to show how, by a gradual degradation, evil might proceed from the Supreme Good. There is nothing Divine in such a process as that. The fall from good to evil is rather a devilish one, as when an angel of light became the evil one and involved mankind in his own fall. ^ Divinity is shown in the converse process of making what is evil work tovv'ards what is good. Under Divine guidance St. Paul's self-righteous con- hdence and arrogant intolerance were turned into a blessing to himself and others. The recollection of his sin kept him humble, intensified his gratitude, and gave him a strong additional motive to devote himself to the work of bringing others to the Master who had been so gracious to himself. St. Chrysostom in com- menting on this passage in his Homilies on the Pastoral Epistles points out how it illustrates St. Paul's humility, a virtue which is more often praised than practised! " This quality was so cultivated by the blessed Paul, that he is ever looking out for inducements to be humble. They who are conscious to themselves of great merits must struggle much with themselves if they would be humble. And he too was one likely to be under violent temptations, his own good conscience swelling him up like a gathering tumour. . . . Being filled, therefore, with high thoughts, and iiaving used magnificent express-ons, he at once depresses himself, and engages others also to do the like. Having said, then, that //le Gospel was coinmiltcd to his trust, lest this should seem to be said with pride, he checks himself at once, adding by way of correction, / thank Him that enabled we, Christ Jesus our Lord, for that He counted me If k > if 1. 12-14.] THE LORD'S COMPASSION. 57 faithful, appointing me to His service. Tlius every- where, we see, he conceals his own merit and ascribes everything to God, yet so far only as not to take away free will." These concluding words are an important qualifica- tion. The Apostle constantly insists on his conversion as the result of a special revelation of Jes^o Christ to himself, in other words a miracle : he nowhere hints that his conversion in itself was miraculous. No psy- chological miracle was wrought, forcing him to accept Christ against his will. God converts no one by magic. It is a free and reasonable service that he asks for from beings wliom He has created free and reasonable. Men were made moral beings, and He who made them such does not treat them as machines. In his defence at Coesarea St. Paul tells Herod Agrippa that he " was not disobedient to the heavenly vision." He might have been. He might, like Judas, have resisted all the miraculous power displayed before him and have continued to persecute Christ. If he had no choice whatever in the matter, it was an abuse of language to affirm that he "was not disobedient." And in that case we should need some other metaphor than " kicking against the goads." It is impossible to kick against the goads if one has no control over one's own limbs. The limbs and the strength to use them were God's gifts, without which he could have done nothing. But with these gifts it was open to him cither to obey the Divine commands or " even to fight against God " — a senseless and wicked thing, no doubt, but still possible. In this passage the Divine and the human sides arc plainly indicated. On the one hand, Christ enabled him and showed confidence in him : on the other, Paul accepted the service and was laithful. He might have II .; I III 58 ^^^ P^^^ST EP/STLE TO riMOTHV. refused the service ; or, having accepted it, he might have shown himself unfaithful to his trust " Howbeit, I obtained mercy because I did it i^or- favours Al '^^"/'^^^•^-■p-"t of very exceptional avours. Along with only St. Peter and St. James he had been present at the raising of Jairus's daugl ter s n a, e Fro^""'"\'"' ^^ '''' ^^^^^^ ^" ^'- Geth^ semane. From even these chosen three he had been singled out to be told who was the traitor; to have he ifelong charge of providing for the Mother of the Lord ; to be the first to recognize the risen Lord at the sea honouis ? The recipient of them had only one to give He had no merits, no claim to anything of the kind • but Jesus loved him. ^ ^ ' T.w° f ° 7^^^S'• P^"'- There were multitudes of a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge "f There were many who, like himself, had opposed the uth and persecuted the Christ. Why did any of hem obtain mercy ? Why did he receive such maHced favour and honour? Not because of any merit on their part or his : but because they had sinned ignor- antly (/..., without knowing the enormity of their sin^ and because the grace of the Lord abounded ex- eedingly." ] he Apostle is not endeavouring to extenuate his own culpability, but to justify and lll^lg^^l'y^hej^ Of ^whole Jewish * yt. John xiii. 23, xix. 26, xxi. 7. t Rom, X. 2. I • 7 1.12-14] THE LORD'S COMPASSION. 59 nation it was true that " they knew not what they did " in crucifying Jesus of Nazareth ; but it was true in very various degrees. " Even of the rulers many believed on Him ; but because of the Pharisees they did not confess, lest they should be put out of the synagogue : for they loved the glory of men more than the glory of God." It was because St. Paul did not in this way sin against light that he found mercy, not merely in being forgiven the sin of persecuting Christ, but in being enabled to accept and be faithful in the service of Him whom he had persecuted. Two of the changes made by the Revisers in this passage seem to call for notice : they both occur in the same phrase and have a similar tendency. Instead of '* putting me into the ministry" the R.V. gives us " appointing me to His sn-viccr A similar change has been made in v. 7 of the next chapter, where " I was appointed a preacher " takes the place of " I am ordained a preacher," and in John xv. 16 where " I chose you and appointed you " has been substituted for " I have ciiosen you and ordained you."* In these alterations the Revisers are only following the example set by the A.V. itself in other passages. In 2 Tim. i. 11, as in Luke X. r, and i Thess. v. 9, both versions have "ap- pointed." The alterations are manifest improvements. In the passage before us it is possible that the Greek has the special signification of "putting me into the ministry," but it is by no means certain, and perhaps not even probable, that it docs so. Therefore the more comprehensive and general translation, "appointing me to His service," is to be preferred. The wider rendering includes and covers the other; and this is a further * Coinp. Acts xxii. 14 and 2 Cor. Acts xiv. 2J. Sci- on Til. i. 5—7. viii. 19; also Mark iii. 14 and 6o THE FIRST EPTsrr.E TO TnrOTHV. advantage. To translate the Greek words used in these passages {ridevaL, Troieiv, k.t.X.) by such a very definite word as "ordain" leads the reader to suppose these text^ refer to the ecclesiastical act of ordination ; of which ther ; is no evidence. The idea conveyed by the Greek in this passage, as in John xv. i6, is that of placmg a man at a particular post, and would be as applicable to civil as to ministerial duties. We are not therefore, justified in translating it by a phrase which has distinct ecclesiastical associations. The question is not one of mere linguistic accuracy. Ihere are larger issues involved than those of correct translation from Greek to English. If we adopt the wide, rendering, then it is evident that the blessing for which St. Paul expresses heartfelt gratitude, and which he cites as evidence of Divine compassion and forgiveness, is not the call to be an Apostle, in which none ol us can share, nor cxc/iis/vcfy the call o be a minister of the Gospel, in which only a limited -mber of us can share; but also the being appointee, to any service in Christ's kingdom, which is an honour to which all Christians are called. Every earnest Christian knows from personal experience this evidence of the Divine character of the Gospel, it is full of compas- sion for those who have sinned ; not because, like the Gnostic teachers, it glosses over the malignity and culpability of sin, but because, unlike Gnosticism, it recognizes the preciousncss of each human soul, and the difliculties which beset it. Every Christian knows that he has inherited an evil nature :— so far he and the Gnostic are agreed. But he also knows tb-^ ". the sin which he has inherited he has added s .. , i which he is personally responsible, and which h = -, ,- science docs not excuse as if it were somcthrng which I % 1 I 1. 12-14.] THE LORD'S COMPASSION. 61 is a misfortune and not a fault. Yet he is not left without remedy under the burden of these self-accusa- tions. He knows that, if he seeks for it, he can find forgiveness, and forgiveness of a singularly generous kind. He is not only forgiven, but restored to favour and treated with respect. He is at once placed in a position of trust. In spite of the past, it is assumed that he will be a faithful servant, and he is allowed to minister to his Master and his Master's followers. To him also "the grace of our Lord" har, "abounded exceedingly with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus." The generous compassion shown to St. ^\\w\ is not unique or exceptional; it is typical, i^nd it is a type, not to the few, but to many ; not to clergy only, but to all. " For this cause I obtained mercy, that in me as chief might Jesus Christ show forth all His long- suffering, for an ensample oi than which should hcwafter believe on Him unto eternal life." 1M ill HI ^f' CHAPTER VI. THE ff:Ori:lECrES ON TIMOTHY.— THE PROPHETS OF THE NI:iV TESTAMENT, AN EXCETTIONAL IN- STRi:-:"Nr os' edification. "T'lis chiugrc I commit unto thee, my own child Timotliv, according tc ihc prophecies which went lictbre on thee, that b\- them thou mayest war the good warfare; holding faith and a good t'lnsciencc ; which some having thrust from them made shipwreck conc^ rning the faith : of whom is Hymenreus and Alexander ; whom I delivered unto Satan, that they might be taught not to blaspheme." I Tim. i. 18—20. IN this section St. Paul returns from the subject of the false teachers against whom Timothy has to contend (vv. 3— ii), and the contrast to their teaching exhibited by the Gospel in the Apostle's own case (vv. 12 — 17), to the main purpose of the letter, viz., the instructions to be given to Timothy for the due performance of his difficult duties as overseer of the Church of Ephesus. The section contains two subjects of special interest, each of which requires considera- tion ;— the prophecies respecting Timothy and the punishment of Ilymenaeus and Alexander. I. "This charge I commit unto thee, my child Timothy, according to the prophecies which tv -f before on thee" As the margin of the R.V. points this last phrase rpJght also be read " acf'ordi to the prophecies v ->■ h led the way to thee" '•.■■ ■ Greek may mean oiti^ci. The question is, w! 'ler St. Paul i.i8-20.] THE PROPHECIES ON TIMOTHY. 63 is referring to certain prophecies which " led the way to" Timothy, i.e., which designated him as specially suited for the ministry, and led to his ordination by St. Paul and the presbyters ; or whether he is referring to certain prophecies which were uttered over Timothy (eVt o-e) either at the time of his conversion or of his admission to the ministry. Both the.A.V. and the R.V. give the preference to the latter rendering, which (without excluding such a view) does not com- mit us to the opinion that St. Paul was in any sense led to Timothy by these prophecies, a thought which is not clearly intimated in the original. All that we are certain of is, that long before the writing of this letter prophecies of which Timothy was the object were uttered over him, and that they were of such a nature as to be an incentive and support to him in his ministry. But if we look on to the fourteenth verse of the fourth chapter in this Epistle and to the sixth of the first chapter in the Second, we shall not have much doubt when these prophecies were uttered. There we read, " Neglect not the gift that is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy, with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery ! " and " For which cause I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God, which is in thee through the laying on of my hands." Must we not believe that these two passages and the- passage before us all refer to the same occasion — the same crisis in Timothy's life ? In all three of them St. Paul ap- peals to the spiritual gift that was bestowed upon his disciple " by means 0/ prophecy " and " by means of the laying on of hands." The same preposition and case (Sttt with the genitive) is used in each case. Cleariy, then, we are to understand that the prophesying and the li. Sfl 64 THE FIRST EPISTLE TO TIMOTHY. laying on of hands accompanied one another. Here only the prophesying is mentioned. In chapter iv. the prophesying, accompanied by the imposition of the presbyters' hands, is the means by which the grace is conferred. In the Second Epistle only the laying on of the Apostle's hands is mentioned, and it is spoken of as the means by which the grace is conferred. Therefore, although the present passage by itself leaves the question open, yet when we take the other two into consideration along with it, we may safely neglect the possibility of prophecies which led the way to the ordination of Timothy, and understand the Apostle as referring to those sacred utterances which were a marked element in his disciple's ordination and formed a prelude and earnest of his ministry. These sacred utterances indicated a Divine commission and Divine approbation publicl} expressed respecting the choice of Timothy for this special work. They were also a means of grace; for by means of them a spiritual blessing was bestowed upon the young minister. In alluding to them here, therefore, St. Paul reminds Mm Who it was by whom he was really chosen and ordained. It is as if he said, " We laid our hands upon you ; but it was no ordinary election made by human votes. It was God who elected you; God who gave you your commission, and with it the power to fulfil it. Beware therefore, of disgracing His appointment and of neglect- ing or abusing His gift."* The voice of prophecy, therefore, either pointed out Timothy as a chosen vessel for the ministry, or publicly ' ratified the choice which had already been made by St. Paul and others. But by whom was this voice of Chrysostom in loco, Horn. v. sub wit. i. 18-20.] rilE PROPHECIES ON TIMOTHY. 65 prophecy uttered ? By a special order of prophets ? Or by St. Paul and the presbyters specially inspired to act as such ? The answer to this question involves some consideration of the office, or rather >«c//o«, of a prophet, especially in the New Testament. The vyord "prophet" is frequently understood in far too limited a sense. It is commonly restricted to the one function of predicting the future. But, if we may venture to coin words in order to bring out points of differences, there are three main ideas involved in the title " prophet." (i) A /or- teller ; one who speaks for or instead of another, especially one who speaks for or in the name of God ; a Divine messenger, ambassador, interpreter, or spokesman. (2) A forth- teller ; one who has a special message to deliver forth to the world ; a proclaimer, harbinger, or herald. (3) A /on>- teller ; one who tells beforehand what is coming; a predicter of future events. To be the bearer or interpreter of a Divine message is the fundamental conception of the prophet in classical Greek ; and to a large extent this conception prevails in both the Old and the New Testament. To be in immediate inter- course with Jehovah, and to be His spokesman to Israel, was what the Hebrews understood by the gift of prophecy. It was by no means necessary that the Divine communication which the prophet had to make known to the people should relate to the future. It might be a denunciation of past sins, or an exhortation respecting present conduct, quite as naturally as a prediction of what was coming. And in the Acts and Pauline Epistles the idea of a prophet remains much the same. He is one to whom has been granted special insight !:•;> God's counsels, and who communicates these mysteries to others. Both in the Jewish and I 'i !• !! ill 66 THE I-IRST EPISTLE TO TIMOTHY. primitive Christian dispensations, the prophets are the means of communication between God and His Church. Eight persons are menti . . " v ame in the Acts of the Apostles as exercising this gift of prophecy : Agabus, Barnabas, Symeon called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen the foster-brother of Herod the tetrarch, Judas, Silas, and St. Paul himself. On certain occasions the Divine communication made to them by the Spirit included a knowledge of the future ; as when Agabus foretold the great famine (xi. 28) and the imprisonment of St. Paul (xxi. 11), and when St. Paul told that the Holy Spirit testified to him in every city, that bonds and afflictions r waited him at Jerusalem (xx. 23). But this is ^he exception rather than t ^- rule. It is in thei"- character of prophets that Judas and Silas exhort and confirm the brethren. And, what is of special interest in reference to the prophecies uttered over Timothy, we find a group of prophets having special influence in the selection cind ordination of Apostolic evangelists. "And as they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holv Ghost said. Separate Me Barnabas a: -) Saul, for th' work wliereunto I have called them. Then when they had fasted and prayed and laid their hands on them, they sent thein away " (xiii. 2, 3). We see, therefore, that these New Testament prophets were not a regularly constituted order, like apostles, with whom they are joined bou* in the First Epistle to the Corinthians (xii. 28} d m that to the Ephesians (iv. 11). Yet they have is ommon with apostles, that the work of both lit., iathci in founding Churches than in governing them. They have to convert and edify rather than to rule. They might or might not be apostles or presbyters as well as prophets ; but as i. 18.20.] THE PROPHECIES ON TIMOTHY. 67 prophets they were men or women (such as the daughters of PliiHp) on whom a special gift of the Holy Spirit had been conferred : and this gift enabled them to understand and expound Divine mysteries with inspired authority, and at times also to foretell the future. So long as we bear these characteristics in mind, it matters little how we a ..wer the question as to who it was that u.tered the prophecies over Timothy at the time of his oidination. It may have been St. Paul and the presbyters who laid tlieir hands upon him, and who on this occasion at any rate were endowed with the spirit of prophecy. Or it may have been that besides the presbyters there were prophets also present, who, at this solemn ceremony, exercised their gift of inspira- tion. The former seems more probable. It is clear from chap. iv. 14, that prophecy and imposition of hands were two concomitant acts by means of which spi lal grace was bestowed upon Timothy; and it is moie -easonable to suppose that these two instrumental acts were performed by the same group of persons, than that one group prophesied, while another laid their hands on the young minister's head. This gift of prophecy, St. Paul tells the Cor' thians (i Cor. xi\.), was one specially to be desired; and evidently it was by no means a rare one in the priniiav.; Church. As we might expect, it was m.ost frequently exercised in the public services of the congregation. "When ye come together, each one hath a psalm, hath a teaching, hath a revelation, hath a tongue, hath an interpretation. ... Let the prophets speak by two or three, and let the others discern. But if a revelation be made to another sitting by, let the fir^t keep silence. Yox yeallcan prophesy one by one, that all may learn n 68 7V/£ FIRST EPISTLE TO TIMOTHY. n and all may be comforted ; and the spirits of the pro- phets are subject to the prophets." The chief object of the gift, therefore, was instruction and consolation, for the conversion of unbelievers (24, 25), and for the building up of the faithful. But we shall probably be right in making a distinc- tion between the prophesying which frequently took place in the first Christian congregations, and those special interventions of the Holy Spirit of vvhich we read occasionally. In these latter cases it is not so much spiritual instruction in an inspired form that is communicated, as a revelation of God's will with regard to some particular course of action. Such was the case when Paul and Silas were "forbidden of the Holy Ghost to speak the word in Asia," and when "they assayed to go into Bithynia, and the Spirit of Jesus suffered them not : " or when on his voyage to Rome Paul was assured that he would stand before Ctesar and that God had given him the lives of all those who sailed with him.* Some have supposed that the Revelation of St. John was intended to mark the close of New Testament prophecy and to protect the Church against unwarrant- able attempts at prophecy until the return of Christ to judge the world. This view would be more probable if the later date for the Apocalypse could be established. But if, as is far more probable, the Revelation was written c. a. d. 68, it is hardly likely that St.. John, during the lifetime of Apostles, would think of taking any such decisive step. In his First Epistle, written probably fifteen or twenty years after the Revelation, he gives a test for distinguishing true from false * Acts xvi. 6, 7, xxvii. 24; comp. xviii. 9, xx, 23, xxi. 4, 11, xxii 17—21. 1. I8-20.] THE rROrHECIES ON TIMOTHY. 69 prophets (iv. 1—4) ; and this he would not have done, if he had believed that all true prophecy had ceased. In the newly discovered " Doctrine of the Twelve Apostles" we find prophets among the ministers of the Church, just as in the Epistles to the Corinthians, Ephesians, and Philippians. The date of this interest- ing treatise has yet to be ascertained ; but it seems to belong to the period between the Epistles of St. Paul and those of Ignatius. We may safely place it between the writings of St. Paul and those of Justin Martyr. In the Epistle to the Corinthians (1 Cor. xii. 28) we have " First apostles, secondly prophets, thirdly teachers, then " those who had special gifts, such as healing or speaking with tongues. In Ephes. iv. 1 1 we are told that Christ " gave some to be apostles ; and some evangelists ; and some, pastors and teachers." The Epistle to the Philippians is addressed " to all the saints in Christ Jesus which are at Philippi, with the bishops and deacons," where the plural shows that "bishop" cannot be used in the later diocesan sense ; otherwise there would be only one bishop at Philippi' Prophets, therefore, in St. Paul's time are a common and important branch of the ministry. They rank next to apostles, and a single congregation may possess several of them. In Ignatius and later writers the ministers who are so conspicuous in the Acts and in St. Paul's Epistles disappear, and their place is taken by other ministers whose offices, at any rate in their later forms, are scarcely found in the New Trstament at all. These are the bishops, presbyters, and deacons ; to whom were soon added a number of subordinate officials, such as readers, exorcists, and the like. The ministry, as we find it in the " Doctrine of the Twelve Apostles," is in a state of transition from the Apostolic to the latter stage. As in I % ■il 1:11 THE FIRST Er/STLE TO TTMOTtiY. the time of St. Paul we have both itinerant and local ministers ; the itinerant ministers being chiefly apostles and prophets, whose functions do not seem to be marked off from one another very distinctly ; and the local ministry consisting of two orders only, bishops and deacons, as in the address to the Church of Philippi. When we reach the Epistles of Ignatius and other documents of a date later than a.d. no, we lose distinct traces of these itinerant apostles and prophets. The title "Apostle" is becoming confined to St. Paul and the Twelve, and the title of " Prophet " to the Old Testament prophets. The gradual cessation or discredit of the function of the Christian prophet is thoroughly intelligible. Possibly the spiritual gift which rendered it possible was withdrawn from the Church. In any case the extravagances of enthusiasts who deluded themselves into the belief that they possessed the gift, or of impostors who deliberately assumed it, would bring the office into suspicion and disrepute. Such things were possible even in Apostolic '.imes, for both St. Paul and St. John give cautions about it, and directions for dealing with the abuse and the false assumption of prophecy. In the next century the fccen' "c delusions of Montanus and his followers, and their vehement attempts to force their supposed revelations upon the whole Church, completed the discredit of all profession to prophetical power. This discredit has been intensi- fied from time to time whenever such professions have been renewed ; as, for example, by the extravagances of the Zwickau Prophets or Abecedarians in Luther's time, or of the Irvingites in our own day. Since the denth of St. John and the close of the Canon, Christians have sought for illumination in the written word of 1. iS-20.] THE PROPHECIES ON TIMOTHY. 7t Scripture rather than in the utterances of prophets. It is there that each one of us may find " the prophecies that went before on " us, exhorting us and enabling us to "war the good warfare, holding faith and a good conscience." There will always be those who crave for something more definite and personal ; who long for, and perhaps create for themselves and believe in, some living authority to whom they can perpetually appeal. Scripture seems to them unsatisfying, and they erect for themselves an infallible pope, or a spiritual director, whose word is to be to them as the inspired utterances of a prophet. But we have to fall back, on our own consciences at last : and whether we take Scripture or some other authority as our infallible guide, the responsibility of the choice still rests with ourselves. If a man will not hear Christ and His Apostles, neither will he be persuaded though a prophet was granted to him. If we believe not their writings, how shall we believe his words ? .iii %-\ ill ! i CHAPTER VII. THE rUNISHMENT OF HVAIEN.EUS AND ALEX- ANDER.^DELIVERING TO SATAN AN EXCEP. TIONAL INSTRUMENT OF PURIFICATION -THE PERSONA UTY OF SATAN. frnl^f'""^ 'f' ' f'-^ "" ^°°^ conscience; which some having thrust ftom them .nacie slnpwreck : of whom is Hymena^us and Alexander; wLlL " 7 T "'■ '° ^^^'"^' "'■'^' "^"^y '"'^"' b= -S'^t not to Diaspnemc. — i Tim. i, ig, 20. T N the preceding discourse one of the special charis- X mata which distinguish the Church of the Apostolic age was considered,~the gift of prophecy. It seems to have been an exceptional boon to enable the first Christians to perform very exceptional work. On the present occasion we have to consider a very different subject-the heavy penalty inflicted on two grievous offenders. This again would seem to be something exceptional. And the special gift and the special punishment have this much in common, that both of tiiem were extraordinary means for promoting and preserving the holiness of tiie Church. The one existed for the edification, the other for the purification, of the members of the Christian community. The necessity of strict discipline both for the indivi- dual and for the community had been declared by Christ from the outset. The eye that caused offence was to be plucked out, tlie hand and the foot that \ 1 Fil PUNISHMENT OF HYMEN.EUS AND ALEXANDER. 73 4 caused oflfence were to be cut off, and the hardened offender who refused to Hsten to the solemn remon- strances of the congregation was to be treated as a heathen and an outcast. The experience of the primitive Church had proved the wisdom of this. The fall of Judas had shown that the Apostoh'c band itself was not secure from evil of the very worst kind. The parent Church of Jerusalem was no sooner founded than a dark stain vvas brought upon it by the conduct of two of its members. In the very first glow of its youthful enthusiasm Ananias and Sapphira con- spired together to pervert the general unselfishness to their own selfish end, by attempting to gain the credit for equal generosity with the rest, while keeping back something for themselves. The Church of Corinth was scarcely five years old, and the Apostle had been absent from it only about three years, when he learnt that in this Christian connnunity, the first- fruits of the heathen world, a sin which even the hcatiien regarded as a monstrous pollution had been committed, and that the congregation were glorying in it. Christians were boasting that the incestuous union of a man with his father's wife during his fatiier's lifetime was a splendid illustration of Christian liberty. No stronger proof of the clangers of lax discipline could have been given. In the verses before us wc have instances of similar peril on the doctrinal side. And in the insolent opposition which Diotrephes offered to St. John we have an illustration of the dangers of insubordination. If the Christian Church was to be saved from speedy collapse, strict discipline in morals, in doctrine, and in government, was plainly necessary. i'llc punibluuent uf the incestuous person at Corinth -\ \ i 74 THE FIRST EPISTLE TO TIMOrHV. should be placed side by side with the punishment of Hymenaeus and Alexander, as recorded here. The two cases mutually explain one another. In each of them there occurs the remarkable formula of dcUvcrins; or handing over to Satan. The meaning of it is not indisputable, and in the main two views are held respecting it. Some interpret it as being merely a synonym for excommunication. Others maintain that It indicates a much more exceptional penalty, which might or might not accompany excommunication! I. On the one hand it is argued that the expression ''deliver unto Satan " is a very intelligible periphrasis for "excommunicate." Excommunication involved "exclusion from all Christian fellowship, and conse- quently banishment to the society of those among whom Satan dwelt, and from which the offender had publicly severed himself." * It is admitted that " hand- ing over to Satan " is strong language to use in order to express ejection from the congregation and exclusion from all acts of worship, but it is thought that the acuteness of the crisis makes the strength of language intelligible. ^ ^ 2. But the strength of language needs no apology, if the " delivering unto Satan " means something ex- traordinary, over and above excommunication. This, therefore, is an advantage which the second mode of interpreting the expression has at the outset. Ex- communication was a punishment which the congre- gation itself could inflict; but this handing over to Satan was an Apostolic act, to accomplish which the community without the Apostle had no power. It was a supernatural inniction of bodily infirmity, or li ♦ Dr. Davi,! Brown in ScliiiFs Populm- CoHmmlmy, iii, p. i8o. PUNISHMENT OF IIVMEN.EVS AND AlEXANDER. 75 1 disease, or death, as a penalty for grievous sin. We know tliis in tlie cases of Ananias and Sapphira and of Elymas. The incestuous person at Corinth is pro- bably another instance : for " the destruction of the flesh " seems to mean some painful malady inflicted on that part of his nature which had been the instrument of his fall, in order that by its chastisement the higher part of his nature might be saved. And, if this be correct, then we seem to be justified in assuming the same respecting Hymenoeus and Alexander. For although nothing is said in their case respecting " the destruction of the flesh," yet the expression " that they may be taught not to blaspheme," implies some- thing of a similar kind. The word for " taught " (iraiBevdcicn) implies discipline and chastisement, sometimes in Classical Greek, frequently in the New Testament, a meaning which the word " teach " also not unfrequently has in English (Judges viii. 1 6). In illustration of this it is sufficient to point to the passage in Heb. xii., in which the writer insists that "whom the Lord loveth He c/iastcncti'i." Throughout the section this very word (TracBeveiv) and its cognate (TraiBela) are used,* It is, therefore, scarcely doubtful that St. Paul delivered Hymcnseus and Alexander to Satan, in order that Satan might have power to afflict their bodies (just as he was allowed power over the body of Job), with a view to their spiritual amelioration. This personal suffering, following close upon their sin and declared by the Apostle to be a punishment for it, would teach them to abandon it. St. Paul himself, as he has just told us, had been a blasphemer and by a supernatural visitation had been converted : why should * Heb. xii. 5, ii ; comp. I Cor. xi. 32 ; 2 Cor. vi. 9 ; 2 Tim. ii. 25 ; Luke xxiii. 16, 22 : Soph., Aj'a.v S95 ; Xcn., Mem. I. iii. 5. 76 THE FIRST EPISTLE TO TniOTIIV. » \ no these two follow in both respects in his steps ^ featan s w.llingness to co-operate in such measures need not surprise us. He is always ready to inflict suffernig ; and the fact that suffering sometimes draws the sufferer away from him and nearer to God does not deter him from inflicting it. He kno'., well that suttenng not unfrequently has the very opposite effect it hardens and exasperates some men, while it humbles and pur.fies others. It makes one man say " I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes." It makes another will to •" renounce God and die." Satan hoped 111 Job .s case to be able to provoke him to "renounce God to His face." In the case of these two blasphemers he would hope to induce them to blaspheme all the more. We may pass by the question, "In what way did Hymenaeus and Alexander blaspheme?" We can only coi^-ecturc that it was by publicly opposing some a.t.cle of the Christian faith. But conjectures without evidence are not very prohtable. If we were certain that the Hymenaeus here mentioned with Aleyandcr is Identical with the one who is condemned with Philetus in 2 1. m II. ,8 for virtually denying the resurrection, we should have some evidence. But this identification although probable, is not certain. Still less certain is the Identification of the Alexander condemned here with Alexander the copper-smith," who in 2 Tim iv u IS said to have done the Apostle much evil. But none ■ of these questions is of great moment. What i^ of importance to notice is the Apostolic sentence upon the two blasphemers. And in it wo have to notice four points, (i) it is almost certainly not identical with excommunication by the congregation, although it very probably was accompaincd by this oihcr penalty THE rEKSONALirV OF SATAN. 77 (2) It is of a very extraordinary character, being a handing over into the power of tlie evil one. (3) Its object is the reformation of the offenders, while at the same time (4) it serves as a warning to others, lest they by similar offences should suffer so awful a punishment. To all alike it brought home the serious nature of such sins. Even at the cost of cutting off the right hand, or plucking out the right eye, the Christian community must be kept pure in doctrine as in life. These two passages, — the one before us, and the one respecting the case of incest at Corinth, — are conclusive as to St. Paul's teaching respecting the existence and personality of the devil. They are supported and illustrated by a number of other passages in his writings ; as when he tells the Thes- salonians that "Satan hindered" his work, or warns the Corinthians that "even Satan fashioneth himself into an angel of light," and tells them that his own sore trouble in the flesh was, like Job's, '•' a messenger of Satan to buffet" him. Not less clear is the teaching of St. Peter and St. John in Epistles which, with those of St. Paul to the Corinthians, are among the best authenticated works in ancient literature. " Your adversary the devil as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour," says the one : " He that doeth sin is of the devil ; for the devil sinneth from the beginning," says the other. And, if we need higher authority, there is the declaration of Christ to the malignant and unbelieving Jews. " Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father it is your will to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and stood not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his 'I 78 THE FIRST EPISTLE TO TIMOTHY. own : for he is a liar, and the father thereof."* With regard to this last passage, those who deny the personal existence of Satan must maintain either (i) that the Evangelist here attributes to Christ words which He never used ; or (2) that Christ was willing to make use of a monstrous superstition in order to denounce his opponents with emphasis; or (3) that He Himself erroneously believed in the existence of a being who was a mere figment of an unenlightened imagination : in other words, that " the Son of God was manifested that He might destroy the works of the devil," when all the while there was no devil and no works of his to be destroyed. The first of these views cuts at the root of all trust in the Gospels as historical documents. Words which imply that Satan is a person are attributed to Christ by the Synoptists no less than by St. John ; and if the Evangelists are not to be believed in their report of Christ's sayings on this topic, what security have we that they are to be believed as to their reports of the rest of His teaching ; or indeed as to anything which they narrate ? Again, how are we to account for the very strong statements made by the Apostles them- selves respecting the evil one, if they had never heard anything of the kind from Christ. The second view has been adopted by Schleiermacher, who thinks that Christ accommodated His teaching to the ideas then prevalent among the Jews respecting Satan without sharing them Himself. He knew that Satan was a mere personification of the moral evil which every man finds in his own nature and in that of his fellow-men : but the Jews believed in the per- * I Thcss. ii. 18; 2 Cor. xi. 14, xii. 7 ; i Pet. v. 8 ; i John iii. 8; John viii. 44. I THE PERSONALITY OF SATAN. 79 sonality of this evil principle, and He acquiesced in the belief, not as being true, but as offering no fundamental opposition to His teaching. But is this consistent with the truthfulness of Christ ? If a personal devil is an empty superstition. Me went out of his way to confirm men in their belief in it. Why teach that the enemy who sowed the tares is the devil ? Why interpret the birds that snatch away the freshly sown seed as Satan ? It would have been so easy in each case to have spoken of impersonal temptations. Again, what motive can Christ have had for telling His Apostles (not the ignorant and superstitious multitude), that He Him- self had endured the repeated solicitations of a personal tempter, who had conversed and argued with Him ? Those who, like Strauss and Renan, believe Jesus of Nazareth to have been a mere man, would naturally adopt the third view. In believing in the personality of Satan Jesus merely shared the superstitions of His age. To all those who wish to discuss with him whether we are still Christians, Strauss declares that " the belief in a devil is one of the most hideous sides of the ancient Christian faith," and that " the extent to which this dangerous delusion still controls men's ideas or has been banished from them is the very thing to regard as a measure of culture." But at the same time he admits that " to remove so fundamental a stone is dangerous for the whole edifice of the Christian faith. It was the young Goethe who remarked against Bahrdt that if ever an idea was biblical, this one [of the existence of a personal Satan] was such."* And elsewhere Strauss declares that the conception of the Messiah and His kingdom without the antithesis of an * Strauss. Dcr o.ltc iv.id dw arm- Clnube, p. 22. I:, ■■ i. f -! i 8o THE FIRST EPISTLE TO TIMOTHY. \- I infernal kingdom vvitli a personal cliiei is as impossible as that of North pole without a South pole. * To refuse to believe in an evil power external to ourselves is to believe that human nature itself is diabolical. Whence come the devilish thoughts thai vex us even at the most sacred and solemn moments ? If they do not come from the evil one and his myrmi- dons, they come from ourselves :— they are our" own oftsprmg. Such a belief might well drive us to despair So far from being a " hideous " element in the Christian faith, the belief in a power, " not ourselves, that makes for" wickedness, is a most consoling one. It has been said that, if there were no God, we should have to invent one : and with almost equal truth we might say that, if th^^e were no devil, we should have to invent one. V;,H.-o;!t a belief in God bad men would have imle tc ndrice them to conquer their evil passions. With'.. :t. n; belief in a devil good men would have Httle hope of evtT being able to do so. The passage before us supphes us with another consoling thought with regard to this terrible adver- sary, who is always invisibly plotting against us. It is oii^tn for our own good that God ahows him to have an advantage over us. He is permitted to inflict loss upon us through our persons and our property, as in the case of Job, and the woman whom he bowed down for eighteen years, in order to chasten us and teach us that "we have not here an abiding city." And he is permitted even to lead us into sin, in order to save us from spiritual pride, and to convince us that apart from Christ and in our own strength we can do nothing. These are not Satan's motives, but they are * Herzog und Plitt, XV. p. 361. i ^^-^^ PERSONALITY OF SATAN. Si God's motives in allowing him to be " the ruler of affairs Satan mn.cts suffering from love of innicting It, and leads nito sin from love of sin : ' God knows how to bnng good out of evil by ma. .he evil one frustrate h,s own wiles. The devil malignantly afO; ts souls that CO.: . within his power; but the affliction leads o those ,,ouls being "saved in the day of the Lord. It had that blessed effect in the case of the incestuous person at Corinth. Whether the same is true of Hymenaeus and Alexander, there is nothing m Scnpture to tell us. It is for us to take care th2 in our case the chastisements which inevitably follow upon sm do not drl.-e us further and further'^^nto i^ but teach us to sin no more. if;' ! i|j (' IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) f*% , because He died for all men, so it is good to pray everywhere " * worshio"e"'T"" '''""^" J"^-^^^ ^-' Christian worship even if ,t were true, would not be in place lew ■ andTh ^T " n^^'^^ '' ^^^^"^^ P^^>^- ^° 'oth Jew and Christian alike : but not every place is a place of public prayer to the Christian any more than othejew.t Moreover, the Greek shows 'plainly ta" he emphasis is not on " in every place," but on " prav '• ^Wherever there may be a customary ' 'house of praver'" Tes's'that '^'^^"\°^ ^"^^^-' else,^:'^A7o:Ue desires that prayers should be offered publicly bv the ta^l^oi^jhe^e^publk player is^to be made, and it jewiS,ss;r" '""''' '"' ^^'^^^^^^^^^^ t See Clement of Rome, Cor. xli. ?» Win 'Is, 96 THE FIRST EPISTLE TO TIMOTHY. \' I is to be conducted by the men and not by the women in the congregation. *^ It is evident from this passage, as from i Cor. xiv., that in this primitive Christian worship great freedom was allowed. There is no Bishop, President, or Elder, to whom the right of leading the service or uttering the prayers and thanksgivings is reserved. This duty and privilege is shared by all the males alike. In the recently discovered Doctrine of the Tiuelve Apostles nothing is said as to who is to offer the prayers, of which certain forms are given. It is merely stated that in addition to these forms extempore prayer may be offered by " the prophets." And J.ustin Martyr men- tions that a similar privilege was allowed to " the president " of the congregation according to his ability.* Thus we seem to trace a gradual increase of strictness, a development of ecclesiastical order, very natural under , the circumstances. First, all the men in the congrega- tion are allowed to conduct public worship, as here and in I Corinthians. Tlien, the right of adding to the prescribed forms is restricted to the prophets, as in the Didachc. Next, this right is reserved to the presiding minister, as in Justin Martyr. And lastly, free prayer is abolished altogether. We need not assume that pre- cisely this development took place in all the Churches ; but that something analogous took place in nearly all. Nor need we assume that the development was simul- taneous : while one Church was at one stage of the process, another was more advanced, and a third less so. Again, we may conjecture that forms of prayer gradually increased in number, and in extent, and in * Didache, x. 7; Just. Mart., Apol., I. Ixvii, Justin probably uses the term "president" (6 Trpoeo-riis) in order to be intelligible to heathen readers. .stringency. But in the directions here given to Timothy we are at the beginning of the development. " Lifting up holy hands." Here again we need not suspect any polemical purpose. St. Paul is not in- sinuating that, when Gnostics or heathen lift up their hands in prayer, their hands are not holy. Just as every Christian is ideally a saint, so every hand that is lifted up in prayer is holy. In thus stating the ideal, the Apostle inculcates the realization of it. There is a monstrous incongruity in one who comes red-handed from the commission of a sin, lifting up the very members which witness against him, in order to im- plore a blessing from the God whom he has outraged. The same idea is expressed in more general terms by St. Peter: "Like as He which called you is holy, be ye yourselves also holy in all manner of living '; because it is written, ye shall be holy ; for I am holy " (l Pet. 1. IS, 1 6). In a passage more closely parallel to this, Clement of Rome says, "Let us therefore approach Him in holiness of soul, lifting up pure and undefiled hands unto Him, with love towards our gentle and compassionate Father who made us an elect portion unto Himself" {Cor. xxix). And Tertullian urges that "a defiled spirit cannot be recognized by the Holy Spirit" {De Orat., xiii). Nowhere else in the New Testament do we read of this attitude of lifting up the hands during prayer. But to this day it is common in the East. Solomon at the dedication of the temple " stood before the altar of the Lord in the presence of all the congregation of Israel, and spread forth his hands toward heaven" (i Kings viii. 22); and the Psalmist repeatedly speaks of " lifting up the hands " in worship (xxviii. 2 ; Ixiii. 4; cxxxiv. 2). Clement of Alexandria seems to have regarded it as the ideal attitude in prayer, 7 If*, i 1 ;; ii I IN 98 rflE FIRST EPISTLE TO TIMOTHY. as symbolizing the desire of the body to abstract itself from the earth, following the eagerness of the spirit in yearning for heavenly things.* Tertullian, on the other hand, suggests that the arms are spread out in prayer in memory of the crucifixion, and directs that they should be extended, but only slightly raised, an attitude which is more in harmony with a humble spirit : and in another place he says that the Christian by his very posture in prayer is ready for every inflic- tion. He asserts that the Jews in his day did not raise the hands in prayer, and characteristically gives as a reason that they were stained with the blood of the Prophets and of Christ. With evident reference to this passage, he says that Christian hands must be lifted up pure from falsehood, murder, and all other sins of which the hands can be the instruments.! Ancient Christian monuments uf the earliest age frequently represent the faithful as standing with raised hands to pray. Eusebius tells us that Constantine had himself represented in this attitude on his coins, " looking upwards, stretching up toward God, like one praying." | Of course this does not mean that kneeling was unusual or irregular ; there is plenty of evidence to the contrary. But the attitude here commended by St. Paul was very ancient when he wrote, and has continued in some parts of the world ever since. Like so many other things in natural religion and in Judaism, it received a new and intensified meaning when it was adopted among the usages of the Christian Church. " Without v/rath and disputing : " that is, in the spirit of Christian peace and trust. Ill-will and mis- * Strom., VII. vii. t De Omt., xiii., xiv., xvii. : Apol. xxx, ; Comp. Adv. hid., x. X Vit. Const., IV. XV. i. ii.8-i2.] BEHAVIOUR IN CHRISTIAN WORSHIP. 99 V giving respecting one another are incompatible with . united prayer to our common Father. The atmosphere of controversy is not congenial to devotion. Christ Himself has told us to be reconciled to our brother before presuming to offer our gift on the altar. In a similar spirit St. Paul directs that those who are to conduct public service in the sanctuary must do so without angry feelings or mutual distrust. In the Pastoral Epistles warnings against quarrelsome conduct are frequent ; and the experience of every one of us tells us how necessary they are. The bishop is charged to be " no brawler, no striker ; but gentle, not contentious." The deacons must not be " double-tongued." Women must not be " slanderers." Young widows have to be on their guard against being " tattlers and busybodies." Timothy is charged to " follow after . . . love, patience, meekness," and is reminded that " the Lord's servant must not strive, but be gentle towards all, apt to teach, forbearing, in meekness correcting them that oppose themselves." Titus again is told that a bishop must be "not self-willed, not soon angry,"' "no brawler, no striker," that the aged women must not be " slanderers," that all men are to be put in mind " to speak evil of no man, not to be contentious, to be gentle, showing all meekness toward all men."* There is no need to assume that that age, or that those Churches, had any special need of warnings of this kind. All ages and all Churches need them. To keep one's tongue and one's temper in due order is to all of us one of the most constant and necessary duties of the Christian life; and the neglect cannot fail to be disastrous to the reality and efficacy o f our devotions. Those who have * I Tim. iii. 3, 8, II ; V. 13; vi. ii ; 2 Tim. ii. 24 ; Tit. i. 7 ; ii. 3 ; iii, 2, isir I I m 100 y/fJi /■'j'A'ST EPISTLE TO TIMOTHY. ill-will and strile in their hearts cannot unite to much purpose in common thanksgiving and prayer. ^ And just as the men have to take care that their attitude of body and mind is such as befits the dignity of public worship, in like manner the women also have to take care that their presence in the congregation does not appear incongruous. They must come in seemly attire and with seemly behaviour. Everything which might divert attention from the service to themselves must be avoided. Modesty and simplicity must at all times be the characteristics of a Christian woman's dress and bearing ; but at no time is this more necessary than in the public services of the Church. Excessive adornment, out of place at all times, is grievously offensive there. It gives a flat contradiction to the profession of humility which is involved in taking part in common worship, and to that natural sobriety which is a woman's fairest ornament and best protection. Both reverence and self-reverence are injured by it. Moreover, it may easily be a cause of offence to others, by provoking jealousy or admiration of the creature, where all ought to be absorbed in the worship of the Creator. ^ Here again St. Paul is putting his finger upon dangers and evils which are not peculiar to any. age or any Church. He had spoken of the same thing years befoie, to the women of Corinth, and St. Peter utters similar warnings to Christian women throu.^hout all time. * Clement of Alexandria abounds in protests against the extravagance in dress so common in his own day. In one place he says; "Apelles the painter seeing one of his pupils painting a figure thickly with I Cor. xi. 2-i6; i Pet. iii. 3, 4. «V^^^ ..■^t--^ ^"^W ii.8-i2.] fiEIIAVlOUR IN CHRISTIAN WORSHTP. lOI gold colour to represent Helen, said to him ; ' My lad, you were unable to paint her beautiful, and so you have made her rich.' Such Helens are the ladies of the present day; not really beautiful, but richly got up. To these the Spirit prophesies by Zephaniah : And their gold shall not be able to deliver them in the day of the Lord's anger."* Tertullian is not less emphatic. He says that most Christian women dress like heathen, as if modesty required nothing more than stopping short of actual impurity. " What is the use," he asks, " of showing a decent and Christian simplicity in your face, while you load the rest of your body with the dangling absurdities of pomps and vanities ?"t Chrysostom also, in commenting on this very passage, asks the congregation at Antioch : "And what then is modest apparel? Such as covers them completely and decently, and not with superfluous ornaments; for the one is decent and the other is not. What ? Do you approach God to pray with broidered hair and ornaments of gold ? Are you come to a ball ? to a marriage-feast ? to a carnival ? There such costly things might have been seasonable : here not one of them is wanted. You are come to pray, to ask pardon for your sins, to plead for your offences, beseeching the Lord, and hoping to render Him propitious to you. Away with such hypocrisy ! God is not mocked. This is the attire of actors and dancers, who live upon the stage. Nothing of this kind becomes a modest woman, who should be adorned with shamefastness and sobriety. . . . And if .St. Paul" (he continues) "would remove those things which are merely the marks of wealth, as gold, pearls, and costly array ; ho\7 much more those PmL, II. xiii. t De Cult Fern., II. i. ix. lo: rilE FIRST EPISTLE TO TIMOTHY. I s tilings which imply studied adornment, as painting, colouring the eyes, a mincing walk, an affected voice, a languishing look ? For he glances at all these things in speaking of modest apparel and shamcfastness." But there is no need to go to Corinth in the first century, or Alexandria and Carthage in the second and third, or Antioch in the fourth, in order to show that the Apostle was giving no unnecessary warning in admonishing Timothy respecting the dress and be- haviour of Christian women, especially in the public services of the congregation. In our own age and our own Church we can find abundant illustration. Might not any preacher in any /ashionable congregation echo with a good deal of point the questions of Chrysostom ? " Have you come to dance or a levee ? Have you mistaken this building for a theatre?" And what would be the language of a Chrysostom or a Paul if he were to enter a theatre nowadays and see the attire, I will not say of the actresses, but of the audience? There are some rough epithets, not often heard in polite society, which express in plain language the condition of those women who by their manner of life and conversation have forfeited their characters. Preachers in earlier ages were accustomed to speak very plainly about such things : and what the Apostle and Chrysostom have written in their epistles and homilies does not leave us in much doubt as to what would have been their manner of speaking of them. But what is urged here is sufficient. " You are Christian women," says St. Paul, " and the profession which you have adopted is reverence towards God ideodk^Hav). This profession you have made known to the world. It is necessary, therefore, that those externals of which the world takes cognisance should ^1 ii. 8-12.] REHAVIOUR IN CHRISTIAN WORSHIP. 103 not give the lie to your profession. And how is unseemly attire, paraded at the very time of public worship, compatible with the reverence which you have v^professed ? Reverence God by reverencing yourselves ; by guarding with jealous care the dignity of those bodies with which He has endowed you. Reverence God by coming before Him clothed both in body and soul in fitting attire. Let your bodies be freed from meretricious decoration. Let your souls be adorned with abundance of good works." '1 \ :% 'II , ; ; 1 ' jl ■ 1 5 i . CHAPTER X. ORIGIN OF THE CHRISTIAN MINISTRY ; VARIOUS CER- TAINTIES AND PROBABILITIES DISTINGUISHED. " If a mnn secketh the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work. Tlie bishop therefore must be without reproach, the husband of one wife, temperate, sober-minded, ordcrlj', given to hospitality, apt to teach ; no brawler, no striker ; but gentle, not contentious, no lover of money ; one that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity ; (but if a man knowcth not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the house of God ?) not a novice, lest being puffed up he fall into the condemnation of the devil. Moreover he must have good testimony from them that are without ; lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil. Deacons in like manner must be grave, not double-tongued, not given to much wine, not greedy of filthy lucre ; holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience. And let these also first be proved ; then let them serve as deacons, if they be blameless,"' — i Tim. iii. i— lo. THIS passage is one of the mo!.t important in the New Testament respecting the Christian ministry ; and in the Pastoral Epistles it does not stand alone. Cf the two classes of ministers mentioned here, one is again touched upon in the Epistle to Titus (i. 5—9), and the qualifications for this office, which is evidently the superior of the two, are stated in terms not very different from those which are used in the passage before us. Therefore a series of expositions upon the Pastoral Epistles would be culpably incomplete which did not attempt to arrive at some conclusions respecting the question of the primitive Christian ministry ; a . V v< ^4 • lo.] ORIGIN OF THE CHRISTIAN MINISTRY. 105 question which at the present time is being investigated with immense industry and interest, and with some clear and substantial results. The time is probably far distant when the last word will have been said upon the subject ; for it is one on which considerable difference of opinion is not only possible but reason- able : and those persons would seem to be least worthy of consideration, who are most confident that they are in possession of the whole truth on the subject. One of the first requisites in the examination of questions of fact is a power of accurately distinguishing what is certain from what is not certain : and the person who is confident that he has attained to certainty, when the evidence in his possession docs not at all warrant certainty, is not a trustworthy guide. It would be impossible in a discussion of moderate length to touch upon all the points which have been raised in connexion with this problem ; but some service will have been rendered if a few of the more important features of the question are pointed out and classified under the two heads just indicated, as certain or not certain. In any scientific enquiry, whether historical or experimental, this classification is a useful one, and very often leads to the enlargement of the class of certainties. When the group of certainties has been properly investigated, and when the various items have been placed in their proper relations to one another and to the whole of which they are only constituent parts, the result is likely to be a transfer of other items from the domain of what is only probable or possible to the domain of what is certain. At the outset it is necessary to place a word of caution as to what is meant, in a question of this kind, by certainty. There are no limits to scepticism, as the 111 II I ^ r/fF f7A\Sr EPJSJ IE 70 T/.^mT/fV. t ! history of i.j)6'^ulative philosophy has abundantly shown. It is possible CO question one's own existence, and still more possible to question the irresistible evidence of one's senses or the irresistible conclusions of one's reason. A Jortion it is possible to throw doubt upon any historical fact. We can, if we like, classify the assassinations of Julius Ctesar and of Cicero, and the genuineness of the iEneid and of the Epistles to the Corinthians, among things that are not certain. They cannot be demonstrated like a proposition in Euclid or an experiment in chemistry or physics. But a sceptical criticism of this kind makes history impossible ; for it demands as a condition of certainty a kind of evidence, and an amount of evidence, which from the nature of the case is unattainable. Juries are directed by the courts to treat evidence as adequate, which they would be willing to recognize as such in matters of very serious moment to themselves. There is a certain amount of evidence which to a person of trained and well-balanced mind makes a thing " practically certain : " i.e., with this amount of evidence before him he would confidently act on the assumption that the thing was true. In the question before us there are four or five things which may with great reason be treated as practically certain. I. The solution of the question as to the origin of tlie Ch'-istian ministry, has no practical bearing upon the lives 0/ Christians. For us the problem is one of his- torical interest without moral import. As students of Church His/ory we are bound to investigate the origines of the minis, v -vhich has been one of the chief factors in that hi;.,t; i . •. it cur loyalty as members of the Church will Jt>i .. - ' :Tr>.ted by the result of our investi- 'h • \ ** iii. l-io.] ORICIN or Tiff. CllKISTlAN MINISTRY. 107 gatioiis. Our duty towards the constitution consisting of l)ishops, priests, and deacons, which existed un- challenged from the close of the second century to the close of tiic Mil Idle Ages, and which has existed down to the ptesent day in all the three great branches of the Catliolic Church, Roman, Oriental, and Anglican, is no way aftected by the question whether the constitu- tion of the Church during the century which separates the writings of St. John from the writings of his disciple's disciple, Irenceus, was as a rule episcopal, collegiate, or presbyterian. For a churchman who accepts the episcopal form of government as essential to the well-being of a Church, the enormous prescription which that form has acquired during at least seventeen centuries, is such ample justification, that he can afford to be serene as to the outcome of enquiries respecting the constitution of the various infant Churches from A.D. 85 to A.D. 185. It makes no practical difference either to add, or not to add, to an authority which is already ample. To prove that the episcopal form of government was founded by the Apostles may have been a matter of great practical importance in the middle of the second century. But, before that century had closed, the practical question, if there ever was one, had settled itself. God's providence ordained that the imiversal form of Church government should be the episcopal form and should continue to be such; and for us it adds little to its authority to know that the way in which it became universal was through the instrumentality and influence of Apostles. On the other hand, to prove that episcopacy was established independently of Apostolic influence would detract very little from its accumulated authority. 2. A second point, which may be regarded as certain I M ; j n i 1 \ !■ i 1 I r 1 r 1 U : i; loS T//E fJRS'J' EPISTLE TO TIMOTHY. with regard to this question, is, that for the period which joins the age oj Irencens to the age of St. John, we have not sufficient evidence to arrive at anything like proof. The evidence has received important additions during the present century, and still more important additions are by no means impossible ; but at present our materials are still inadequate. And the evidence is insufficient in two ways. First, although surprisingly large as compared with what might have been reason- ably expected, yet in itself, the hterature of this period is fragmentary and scanty. Secondly, the dates of some of the most important witnesses cannot as yet be accurately determined. In many cases to be able to fix the date of a document within twenty or thirty years is quite sufficient : but this is a case in which the difference of twenty years is a really serious difterence ; and there is fully that amount of uncertainty as to the date of some of the writings which are our principal sources of information ; e.g., th^ Doctrine of the Twelve Apostles, the Epistles of Ignatius, the Shepherd of Hennas and the Clementines. Here also our posi- tion may improve. Further research may enable us to date some of these documents accurately. But, for the present, uncertainty about precise dates and general scantiness of evidence compel us to admit that with regard to many of the points connected with this question nothing that can fairly be called proof is possible respecting the interval which separates the last quarter of the first century from the last quarter of the second. This feature of the problem is sometimes represented by the useful metaphor that the history of the Church just at this period " passes through a tunnel " or " runs underground." We are in the light of day during iii. i-io.] ORIG/JV or THE CHRIST/AN MINISTRY. log most of the time covered by the New Testament ; and we are again in the light of day directly we reach the time covered by the abundant writings of Irenaeus, Clement of Alexandria, Tertullian, and others. But during the intervening period we are, not indeed in total darkness, but in a passage the obscurity of which is only slightly relieved by an occasional lamp or light- hole. Leaving this tantalizing interval, about which the one thing that is certain is that many certainties are not likely to be found in it, we pass on to look for our two next certainties in the periods which precede and follow it. 3. In the period covered by the New Testament it •^ is certain that the Church had officers who discharged spiritual functions which were not discharged by ordinary Christians; in other words a distinction was made from the first between clergv and laity. Of this fact the Pastoral Epistles contain abundant evidence ; and further evidence is scattered up and down the New Testament, from the earliest document in the ^ volume to the last. In the First Epistle to the Thes- salonians, which is certainly the earliest Christian writing that has come down to us, we find St. Paul beseeching the Church of the Thessalonians " to know them that labour among yon, and are over you in the Lord, and admonish 3'ou ; and to esteem them exceed- ing highly in love for their work's sake" (v. 12, 13). The three functions here enumerated are evidently functions to be exercised by a few with regard to the many : they are not duties which every one is to dis- charge towards every one. In the Third Epistle of St. John, which is certainly one of the latest, and perhaps the very latest, of the writings contained in the New Testament, the incident about Diotrephes 'I'' -i| v< no THE FIRST EPISTLE TO TIMOTHY. j seems to show that not only ecclesiastical government, but ecclesiastical government by a single official, was already in existence in the Church in which Diotrephes "loved to have the pre-eminenr-" (9, 10). In between these two we have the exhortation in the Epistle to the Hebrews : " Obey them that have the rule over you and submit to them : for they watch in behalf of your souls, as they that shall give account" (xiii. 17). And directly we go outside the New Testament and look at the Epistle of the Church of Rome to the Church of Corinth, commonly called the First Epistle of Clement, we find the same distinction between clergy and laity observed. In this letter, which almost certainly was written during the lifetime of St. John, we read that the Apostles, "preaching everywhere in country and town, appointed their firstfruits, when they had proved them by the Spirit, to be bishops and deacons unto them that should believe. And this they did in no new fashion ; for indeed it had been written concerning bishops and deacons from very ancient times ; for thus saith the scripture in a certain place, I will appoint their bishops in righteousness, and their deacons in faith" — the last words being an inaccurate quotation of the LXX. of Isa. Ix. 17. And a little further on Clement writes : " Our Apostles knew through our Lord Jesus Christ that there would be strife over the name of the bishop's office. For this cause, therefore, having received complete fore-knowledge, they appointed the aforesaid persons, and afterwards they provided a continuance, that if these should fall asleep, other approved men should succeed to their ministration. Those therefore who were appointed by them, or after- ward by other men of repute with the consent of the whole Church, and have ministered unblamablv to 1 I f ^t s t: ri ij a, Hi. r-ic] ORIGIN OF THE CHRISTIAN MINISTRY. x,. with all modesty, and for long time have borne a Jd epor wuh all-these men we consider to be unjust y hrust out from their ministration. For it will be no hght sm for us. if we thrust out those who have offered the g.fts of the bishop's office unblamably and iX Blessed are those presbyters who have gone before' seeu.g that their departure was fruitful and ripe 1; tl 'h " "° '"^ ^^^' ^"^ ^- ^h-'^d remove t'hen on their appointed place. For we see that ye have displaced certain persons, though they were livL honourably, from the ministration which thly had klof blamelessly " (xlii., xliv.). ^ ^^ ^ Three things come out very clearly from this passage confirm Hat has been found i^ the nTjlT^. ment. (i) There is a clear distinction made between clergy and laity. (2) This distinction is not a temporarv the raiS o1^ th"? " '"' '^^" ^"^^ P^-'^ed to lie ranks of the clergy as a presbyter or bishon Tthe T.tus) holds that position for life. Unless he is g, Itv of^some serious offence, to depose him is "o'hght None of these passages, either in the New Test, ment or n. Clement, tell us very clearly the pLse" nature of the functions which the c\..Jr f ^fj.. the laity, were to discta;^!; ^^^ -% Si hat these functions were of a spiritual rather than of a Z^V'uT '"^ ^h^^— -cl men's souIsTattr than their bodies, and that they were connerL f. religious service (W.,,/a). B^ut the oi^'h ;t lie IS quite clear is this,-that the Church had Ind u. always intended to have a h.H., r - ' ^"^ ^'^^ - "•^^^' ^ ^ody of oilicers distinct M n mr til tI2 THE FIRST EPISTLE TO TIMOTHY. from the congregations to which they ministered and over which they ruled. 4. For our fourth certainty we resort to the time when the history of the Church returns once more to the full light of day, in the last quarter of the second century. Then we find two things quite clearly esta- blished, which have continued in Christendom from that day to this. We find a regularly organized clergy, not only distinctly marked off from the laity, but distinctly marked off among themselves by well defined gradations of rank. And, secondly, we find that each local Church is constitutionally governed by one chief officer, whose powers are large and seldom resisted, and who univer- sally receives the title of bishop. To these two points we may add a third. There is no trace of any belief, or even suspicion, that the constitution of these local Churches had ever been anything else. On the con- trary, the evidence (and it is considerable) points to the conclusion that Christians in the latter part of the second century — say a.d. 180 to 200— were fully persuaded that the episcopal form of government had prevailed in the different Churches from the Apostles' time to their own. Just as in the case of the Gospels, Ireneeus and his contemporaries not only do not know of either more or less than the four which have come down to us, but cannot conceive of there ever being either more or less than these four : so in the case of Church Government, they not only represent episcopacy as everywhere prevalent in their time, but they have no idea that at any previous time any other form of government prevailed. And although Irenaeus, like St. Paul and Clement of Rome, sometimes speaks of bishops under the title of presbyter, yet it is quite clear that there were at that time presbyters who were "i-i-io.] O RIGIN OF THE CHRTSTFAN MimsTR Y. , ,3 not bishops and who did not possess episcopal authority Irenaeus himself was such a presbyter, until the martyr " dom of Pothmus in the persecution of a.d. 177 created a vacancy in the see of Lyons, which Iren^us was then called upon to fill ; and he held the see for up- wards of twenty years, from about a.d. 180 to "o^ From iren^us and from his contemporary Dionys^iu;; Bishop of Connth, we learn not only the fact that episcopacy prevailed everywhere, but, in not a few cases, the name of the existing bishop ; and in some casesthe names of their predecessors are given up to the times of the Apostles Thus, in the case of the Church of Rome, Linus the first bishop is connected with the two most glorious Apostles Peter and Paul " • and, in the case of Athens, Dionysius the Areopagite is said to have been appointed first bishop of that Church by the Apostle Paul. This may or may not be correct : but at least it shows that in the time of Irenaeus and Dionysius of Corinth episcopacy was not only recognized as the universal form of Church government, but was also believed to have prevailed in the principal Churches from the very earliest times * S. If we narrow our field and look, not at the whole Church, but at the Churches of Asia Minor and Syria we may obtain yet another certainty from the obscure period which lies between the age of the Apostles and ha of Dionysius and Irenaeus. The investigations of Lightfoot, Zahn, and Harnack have placed the genuine- ness of the short Greek form of the Epistles of Ignatius beyond reasonable dispute. Their exact date cannot * See an admirable article on the Christian ministry by Dr Salmon in the Expositor for July, ,887; also the present writer's CwT, tUe Early Fn,,rr., pp. 58.fi-. ; 9. ff. ; ,„, J Longmant 188^ ^ m 114 THE FIRST EPISTLE TO TIMOTHY. i ! I! I as yet be deterniined. The evidence is strong that Ignatius was martyred in the reign of Trajan : and, if that is accepted, the letters cannot be later than A.D. 1 17. Bi't even if this evidence be rejected as not conclusive, and the letters be dated ten or twelve years later, their testimony will still be of the utmost import- ance. They prove that long before a.d. 150 episcopacy was the recor^nizcd form of government throughout the Churches of Asia Minor and Syria ; and, as Ignatius speaks of "the bishops that are settled /// flic farthest parts of the earth {Kara to, irepara 6picr0€VT€<;) " they prove that, according to his belief, episcopacy was the recognized form everywhere (Ephes. iii.). This evidence is not a little strengthened by the fact that, as all sound critics on both sides are now agreed, the Epistles of Ignatius were evidently not written in order to magnify the episcopal office, or to preach up the episcopal system. The writer's main object is to deprecate schism and all that might tend to schism. And in his opinion the best way to avoid schism is to keep closely united to the bishop. Thus, the magnifying of the episcopal office comes about incidentally ; because Ignatius takes for granted that everywhere there is a bishop in each Church, who is the duly appointed ruler of it, loyalty to whom will be a security against all schismatlcal tendencies. These four or five points being regarded as esta- blished to an extent which may reasonably be called certainty, there remain certain other points about which certainty is not yet possible, some of which admit of a probable solution, while for others there is so little evidence that we have to fall back upon mere conjecture. Among these would be the distinctions of office, or gradations of rank, among the clergy in the first century W » ' i ■» 'U_-Ji ' JW" 1 iii. i-io.] ORIGIN OF THE CHRFSTIAN MINISTRY. 115 or century and a half after the Ascension, the precise functions assigned to each office, and the manner of appointment. With regard to these questions three positions may be assumed with a considerable amount of probabihty. I. There was a distinction made between itinerant or missionary clergy and stationary or localized clergy. Among the former we find apostles (who are a much larger body than the Twelve), prophets, and evangelists. Among the latter we have two orders, spoken of as bishops and deacons, as here and in the Epistle to the Philippians (i. i) as well as in the Doctrine of the Twelve Apostles, presbyter or elder being sometimes used as synonymous with bishop. This distinction between an itinerant and a stationary ministry appears in the First Epistle to the Corinthians (xii. 28), in the Epistle to the Ephesians (iv. 1 1), and perhaps also in the Acts of the Apostles and in the Epistles of St. John. In the Doctrine of the Twelve Apostles it is clearly marked. 2. There seems to have been a further distinction between those who did, and those who did not, possess supernatural prophetical gifts. The title of prophet was commonly, but perhaps not exclusively, given to those who possessed this gift : and the Doctrine of the Twelve Apostles shows a great respect for prophets. But the distinction naturally died out when these supernatural gifts ceased to be manifested. During the process of extinction serious difficulty arose as to thfc test of a genuine prophet. Some fanatical persons believed themselves to be prophets, and some dishonest persons pretended to be prophets, when they were not such. The office appears to have been extinct when Ignatius wrote : by prophets he always means the prophets of the Old lestament. Montanism was A 'III Hi, n6 THE FIRST EPISTLE TO TIMOTHY. probably a forlorn attempt to revive this much desired office after the Church as a whole had decided against it. Further discussion of the gift of prophecy in the New Testament will be found in a previous chapter (vi.). 3. The clergy were not elected by the congregation as its delegates or representatives, deputed to perform functions which originally could be discharged by any Christian. They were appointed by the Apostles and their successors or substitutes. Where the congrega- tion selected or recommended candidates, as in the case of the Seven Deacons (Acts vi. 4 — 6), they did not themselves lay hands on them. The typical act of laying on of hands was always performed by those who were already ministers, whether apostles, prophets, or elders. Whatever else was still open to the laity, this act of ordaining was not. And there is good reason for believing that the celebration of the Eucharist also was from the first reserved to the clergy, and that all ministers, excepting prophets, were expected to use a prescribed form of words in celebrating it. But, although much still remains untouched, this discussion must draw to a close. In the ideal Church there is no Lord's Day or holy seasons, for all days are the Lord's, and all seasons are holy ; there are no places especially dedicated to God's worship, for the whole universe is His temple ; there are no persons especially ordained to be His ministers, for all His people are priests and prophets. But in the Church as it exists in a sinful world, the attempt to make all times and all places holy ends in the desecration of all alike ; and the theory that all Christians are priests becomes indistinguishable from the theory that none are such. In this matter let us not try to be wiser than God, Whose v.ill may be discerned in His providential :i 11 ii. i-io.] ORIGIN OF THE CHRISTIAN MINISTRY. 117 •;il guiding of His Church throughout so many centuries. The attempt to reproduce Paradise or to anticipate heaven in a state of society which does not possess the conditions of Paradise or heaven, can end in nothing but disastrous confusion. In conclusion the following weighty words are grate- fully quoted. They come with special force from one who does not himself belong to an Episcopalian Church. "By our reception or denial of priesthood in the Church, our entire view of what the Church is must be affected and moulded. We shall either accept the idea of a visible and organized body, within which Christ rules by means of a ministry, sacraments, and ordinances to which He has attached a blessing, Ihe fulness of ivhich we have tio right to look for except through the channels He has ordained (and it ought to be needless to say that this is tne Presbyterian idea), or we shall rest satisfied with the thought of the Church as consisting of multitudes of individual souls known to God alone, as 'invisible, unorganized, with ordinances blessed because of the memories which they awaken, but to which no promise of present grace is tied, with, in short, no thought of a Body of Christ in the world, but only of a spiritual and heavenly principle ruling in the hearts and regulating the lives of men. Conceptions of the Church so widely different from each other cannot fail to affect in the most vital manner the Church's life and relation to those around her. Yet both conceptions are the logical and necessary result of the acceptance or denial of the idea of a divinely appointed and still living priest- hood among men." * * Professor W. -Milligan, D.D., on "The Idea of the Priesthood," in the Exposikn- for July, 1888, p. 7. 1 CHAPTER XI. THE APOSTLE'S RULE RESPECTING SECOND MAK- RIA GES ; ITS MEANING AND PRESENT OBL IGA TION. "The husband of one wife." — I Tim. iii. 2. THE Apostle here states, as one of the first qualifications to be looked for in a person who is to be ordained a bishop, that he must be " husband of one wife." The precise meaning of this phrase will probably never cease to be discussed. But, although it must be admitted that the phrase is capable of bearing several meanings, yet it cannot be fairly contended that the meaning is seriously doubtful. The balance of probability is so largely in favour of one of the meanings, that the remainder may be reasonably set aside as having no valid ground for being supported in competition with it. Three passages in which the phrase occurs have to be considered together, and these have to be compared with a fourth, (i) There is the passage before us about a bishop, (2) another in ver. 12 about deacons, and (3) another in Tit. i. 6 about elders or presbyters, whom St. Paul afterwards mentions under the title of bishop. In these three passages we have it plainly set forth that Timothy and Titus are to regard it as a necessary qualification in a bishop or elder or presbyter, and also in a deacon, that he should be a iv, I !ili iii. 2.] REsrECTING SECOMD MAR R FACES. 119 "man of one woman" or "husband of one wife" ijliia'^ ^^ its establish- ; To take the "pillar and ground o^f the tni^i " as meaniW Timothy n,akes sense, but not nearly such good sense : moreoveTu .s almost certain that if St. Paul had meant this, he would have expressed h.mself differently. There is no intole.able mixture of 7^Z " '':f' "*-: °' ^'■■"'""^ ""''' - ^ h°"- -d then as a bai' r ""'" T '" 'P'""^'"^ ""' ^"^ °"^ ^^ I^^'h a pillar and a baas. In VI. 9 we have the covetous falling into a snare and hurtful lusts such as drown men. ""ruut U?' I II I t 132 THE FIRST EPISTLE TO TIMOTHY. ment is proportionately deep and \/eiglity. Other things may be matter of dispute, but this not. " With- out controversy great is the mystery of godliness." Why does St. Paul speak of the Truth as "the mystery of godliness " ? In order to express both the Divine and the human aspects of the Christian faith. On the Divine side the Gospel is a mystery, a disclosed secret. It is a body of truth originally hidden from man's knowledge, to which man by his own unaided rcastm and abilities would never be able to find the way. In one word it is a revelation : a communication by God to men of Truth which they could hot have discovered for themselves. " Mystery " is one of those words which Christianity has borrowed from paganism, but has consecrated to new uses by gloriously transfiguring its meaning. The heathen mystery was something always kept hidden from the bulk of mankind ; a secret to which only a privileged few were admitted. It encouraged, in the very centre of religion itself, b Ifish- ness and exclusiveness. The Christian mystery, on the other hand, is something once hidden, but now made known, n jt to a select few, but to all. The term, therefore, involves a splendid paradox : it is a secret revealed to every one. In St. Paul's own words to the Romans (xvi. 25), "the revelation of the mystery which hath been kept in silence through times eternal, but now is manifested, and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the eternal God, is made known unto all the nations." He rarely uses the word mystery without combining with it some other word signifying to reveal, manifest, or make known.* I Cor. ii. I, 7, XV. 51 ; Eph, i. 9, iii. 3, 9, vi. 19 ; Col. i, 26, 27, ii. V, 3, comp, Rom, xi, 25, and sec I.ightfoot on Col. i. 26. iii. I4-I6.] THE MYSTERY OF GODLINESS. 133 \\\\ t But the Christian faith is not only a mystery but a " mystery of godliness." It not only tells of the bounty of Almighty God in revealing His eternal counsels to man, but it also tells of man's obligations in con- sequence of being initiated. It is a mystery, not "of lawlessness " (2 Thcss. ii. 7), but " of godliness." Those who accept it "profess godliness"; profess reverence to the God who has made it known to them. It teaches plainly on what principle we are to regulate "how men ought to behave themselves in the household 01 God." The Gospel is a mystery of piety, a mystery of reverence and of religious life. Holy itself, and proceeding from the Holy One, it bids its recipients be holy, even as He is Holy Who gives it. " Who was manifested in the flesh> justified in the spirit, seen of angels, preached among the nations, believed on in the world, received up in glory." After the text about the three Heavenly Witnesses in the First Epistle of St. John, no disputed reading in the New Testament has given rise to more con- troversy than the passage before us. Let us hope that the day is not far distant when there will be no more disputing about either text. The truth, though still doubted, especially in reference to the passage before us, is not really doubtful. In both cases the reading of the A.V. is indefensible. It is certain that St. John never wrote the words about the "three that bear witness in heaven": and it is certain that St. Paul did not write, " God was manifest in the flesh," but ''Who was manifested in the flesh." The reading ''God was manifested in the flesh" appears in no Christian writer until late in the fourth century, and in no translation of the Scriptures, earlier than the seventh or eighth century. And it is not found in .ii»l Ml !. iji 1 1 I 1 i^Hfl I T" i !l V s i }} i I ! 134 THE FIRST EPISTLE TO TIMOTHY. any of the five great primary MSS., except as a cor- rection made by a later scribe, who knew of the reading " God was manifested," and either preferred it to the other, or at least wished to preserve it as an alter- native reading, or as an interpretation. Even so cautious and conservative a commentator as the late Bishop Wordsworth of Lincoln declares that " the preponde- rance of testimony is overwhelming " against the reading " God was manifested in the flesh." In an old Greek MS., it would require only two small strokes to turn "Who" into "God"; and this alteration would be a tempting one, seeing that the masculine "Who" after the neuter "mystery," looks harsh and un- natural. =■■ But here we come upon a highly interesting con- sideration. The words that follow look like a quotation from some primitive Christian hymn or confession. The rhythmical movement and the parallelism of the six balanced clauses, of which each triplet forms a climfix, points to some such fact as this. It is possible that we have here a fragment of one of the very hymns which, as Pliny the Younger tells the Emperor Trajan, the Christians were accustomed to sing antiphonally at daybreak to Christ as a God.f Such a passage as this might well be sung from side to side, line by line or triplet by triplet, as choirs still chant the Psalms in our churches. " Who was manifested in the flesh, " Justified in the spirit, " Seen of angels, * Cf. Col. i. 27, which throws much light on this passage ; and also Col. ii. 2. In some MSS. and Versions the " Who " has been changed into "which," in nider to make the construction le- . harsh. T Carmen Christo quasi deo dicere sccum inviceui (Plin., Ep. x.97). r ' f* •.* : r iii. 14-16.] THE MYSTERY OF GODLINESS. '35 " Preached among the nations, " BeHeved on in the world, " Received up in glory." Let us assume that this very reasonable and attrac- tive conjecture is correct, and that St. Paul is here quoting from some well-known form of words. Then the "Who" with which the quotation begins will refer to something in the preceding lines which are not quoted. How natural, then, that St. Paul should leave the "Who" unchanged, although it does not fit on grammatically to his own sentence. But in any case there is no doubt as to the antecedent of the "Who." "The mystery of godliness" has for its centre and basis the life of a Divine Person : and the great crisis in the long process by which the mystery was revealed was reached when this Divine Person "was manifested in the flesh." That in making this statement or quotation the Apostle has in his mind the Gnostics who "teach a rent doctrine" (i. 3), is quite possible, but is 'y no means certain. The " manifestation " of Christ in the flesh is a favourite topic with him, as with St. John, and is one of the points in which the two Apostles not only teach the same doctrine, bat teach it in the same language. The fact that he had used the word " mystery " would be quite enough to make him speak of "manifestation," even if there had been no false teachers who denied or explained away the fact of the Incarnation of the Divine Son. The two words fit into one another exactly. " Mystery," in Christian theology, implies something which once was concealed but has now been made known ; " manifest " implies making known what had once been concealed. An historical appearance of One Who had prcviuitsly existed, but had been kept from ' * I ^11 i 1::. 136 THE FIRST EPISTLE TO TIMOTHY. the knowledge of the ivorld, is what is meant by, " Who was manifested in the flesh." "Justified in the spirit." Spirit here cannot mean the Holy Spirit, as the A.V. would lead us to suppose. "In spirit" in this clause is in obvious contrast to "in flesh" in the previous clause. And if "flesh'' means the material part of Christ's nature, "spirit" means the immaterial part of His nature, and the higher portion of it. His flesh was the sphere of His mani- festation : His spirit was the sphere of His justification. Thus much seems to be clear. But what are we to understand by His justification ? And how did it take place in His spirit ? These are questions to which a great variety of answers have been given ; and it would be rash to assert of any one of them that it is so satisfactory as to be conclusive. Christ's human nature consisted, as ours does, of three elements, body, soul, and spirit. The body is the flesh spoken of in the first clause. The soul (yjrvxj]), as distinct from the spirit (Trvevfia), is tlie seat of the natural aft'ections and desires. It was Christ's soul that was troubled at the thought of impending suffering. " My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death" (MatL. xxvi. 38 ; Mark xiv. 34). "Now is My soul troubled ; and what shall I say ? Father, save Me from this hour " (John xii. 27). The spirit is the seat of the religious emotions : it is the highest, innermost part of man's nature ; the sanctuary of the temple. It was in His spirit that Christ was affected when the presence of moral evil distressed Him. He was moved with indignation in His spirit when He saw the hypo- critical Jews mingling their sentimental lamentations with the heartfelt lamentations of Martha and Mary at the grave of Lazarus (John xi. 33). It was in His «i r-'i] ,^ » lii. 14-16.] TJI£ MYSTERY OF GODLINESS. 137 spirit also that He was troubled when, as Judas sat at table with Him and possibly next to Him, * He said, " Verily, verily, I say unto you, that one of you shall betray Me" (John xiii. 21). This spiritual part of His nature, which was the sphere of His most intense suffering, was also the sphere of His most intense joy and satisfaction. As moral evil -"^stressed His spirit, so moral innocence delighted it. \ a way that none of us can measure, Jesus Christ kne ,/ the joy of a good conscience. The challenge which He made to the Jews, " Which of you convicteth Me of sin ? " was one which He could make to His own conscience. It had nothing against Him and could never accuse Him. He was justified when it spake, and clear when it judged (Rom. iii. 4 ; Ps. li. 4). Perfect Man though He was, and manifested in weak and suflfering flesh, He was never- theless "justified in the spirit," t "Seen of angels." It is impossible to determine the precise occasion to which this refers. Ever since the Incarnation Christ has been visible to the angels ; but something more special than the fact of the Incarnation seems to be alluded to here. The wording in the Greek is exactly the ^ame as in ^^ He appeared to Cephas ; then to the twelve ; then He appeared to above five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain until now, but some are fallen asleep ; then He appeared to James ; then to all the Apostles ; last of all, as to one born out of due time. He appeared to * St. John reclined on our Lord's right ; Judas seems to have been on His left. He must have been very close to be able to hear vithout the others hearing. t Cf. the partly parallel passage i Pet. iii. 18: "Put to death in the flesh, but quickened in the spirit." But " flesh " and " spirit " have no preposition in the original Greek in i Pet. iii. 18; here each has the iv. \A 1^,8 THE FIRST EPISTLE TO TIMOTHY. me also" (i Cor, xv. 5 — 8). Here, therefore, we might translate ^^ appeared to angels." What appearance, or appearances, of the incarnate Word to the angelic host can be intended ? The question cannot be answered with any certainty ; but with some confidence we can venture to say what can not be intended. " Appeared to angels " can scarcely refer co the angelic appearances which are recorded in connexion with the Nativity, Temptation, Agony, Resurrection, and Ascension of Christ. On those occasions angels appeared to Christ and to others, not He to angels. With still greater confidence we may reject the suggestion that "angels" here means either the Apostles, as the angels or messengers of Christ, or evil spirits, as the angels of Satan. It may be doubted whether anything at all parallel to either explanation can be found in Scripture. More- over, ** appeared to evil spirits " is an interpretation which makes the passage more difficult than it was before. The manifestation of Christ to the angelic host either at the Incarnation or at the return to glory is a far more reasonable meaning to assign to the words. The first three clauses of this primitive hymn may thus be summed up. The mystery of godliness has been revealed to mankind, and revealed in a historical Person, Who, while manifested in human flesh, was in His inmost spirit declared free from all sin. And this manifestation of a perfectly righteous Man was not confined to the human race. The angels also witnessed it and can bear testimony to its reality. The remaining triplet is more simple : the meaning of each one of its clauses is clear. The same Christ, WJiO was seen uf angels, was also preached among the <•< ^^ »L iii. 14-1^).] THE I\!YSTERY OF GODLINESS. n ^f^ 139 nations of the earth and believed on in the world : yet He Himself was taken up from the earth and received once more in glory. The propagation of the faith in an ascended Christ is here plainly and even enthu- siastically stated. To all the nations, to the whole world, this glorified Saviour belongs. All this adds emphasis to the question "how men ought to behave themselves in the house of God " in which such truths are taught and upheld. It is remarkable how many arrangements of these six clauses are possible, all making excellent sense. We may make them into two triplets of independent lines : or we niriv couple the two first lines of each triplet togethf , ■ then make the third lines corre- spond to one 1.1. juier. In either case each group begins with earth and ends with heaven. Or again, we may make the six lines into three couplets. In the first couplet flesh and spirit are contrasted and combined ; in the second, angels and men ; in the third, earth and heaven. Yes, beyond dispute the mystery of godliness is a great one. The revelation of the Eternal Son, which imposes upon those who accept it a holiness of which His sinlessness must be the model, is something awful and profound. But He, Who along with every temp- tation which He allows " makes also the way of escape," does not impose a pattern for imitation without at the same time granting the grace necessary for struggling towards it. To reach it is impossible — at any rate in this life. But the consciousness that we cannot reach perfection is no excuse for aiming at imperfection. The sinlessness of Christ is immeasurably beyond us here ; and it may be that even in eternity the loss caused by our sins in this life will never be entirely 11 !ii?l H \i kill il i Hll 140 THE FIRST EPISTLE TO TIMOTHY. cancelled. But to t- ose who have taken up their cross daily and followed their Master, and who have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb, will be granted hereafter to stand sinless "before the throne of God and serve Him day and night in His temple.". Having followed Christ on earth, they will follow Him still more in heaven. Having shared His sufferings here, tliey will share His reward there. They too will be " seen of angels " and " received up in glory." ft I " -^k « k CHAPTER XIII. THE COMPARATIVE VALUE OF BODILY EXERCISE AND OF GODLINESS. " Exercise thyself unto godliness : for bodily exercise is profitable for a little ; but godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the life which now is, and of that which is to come "— : Tim. i\'. 7, 8. IT is almost impossible to decide what St. Paul here means by "bodily exercise." Not that either the phrase or the passage in which it occurs is either difficult or obscure. But the phrase may mean either of two things, both of which make excellent sense in themselves, and both of which fit the context. At the beginning of this chapter the Apostle warns Timothy against apostates who shall "give heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils . . . for- bidding to marry and commanding to abstain from meats." St. Paul has in his mind those moral teachers who made bodily mortifications the road, not to self- discipline, but to self-effacement; and who taught that such things were necessary, not because our bodies are prone to evil, but because fhey exist at all. To have a body, they held, was a degradation: and such a possession was a curse, a burden, and a shame. Instead of believing, as every Christian must, that a human body is a very sacred thing, to be jealously guarded from all that may harm or pollute it, these phiiosophers held that it was worse than worthless, fit f:!l -•fc 1 1 1 1 1 ' 142 TI/£ FIRST EPISTLE TO TIMOTHY. for nothing but to be trampled upon and abused. That it may be sanctified here and be glorified hereafter,— that it may be the temple of God's Holy Spirit now and be admitted to share the blessedness of Christ's ascended humanity in the world to come, — they could not and would not believe. It must be made to feel its own vileness. It must be checked, and thwarted, and tormented into subjection, until the blessed time should come when death should release the unhappy soul that was linked to it from its loath- some and intolerable companion. It cannot, of course, for a moment be supposed that St. Paul would admit that " bodily exercise " of this suicidal kind was " profitable " even " for a little." On the contrary, as we have seen already, he condemns the whole system in the very strongest terms. It is a blasphemy against God's goodness and a libel on human nature. But some persons have thought that the Apostle may be alluding to practices which, externally at any rate, had much resemblance to the practices which he so emphatically condemns. He may have in his mind those fasts, and vigils, and other forms of bodily mortification, which within prudent limits and when sanctified by humility and prayer, are a useful, if not a necessary discipline foi most of us. And it has been thought that Timothy himself may have been going to unwise lengths in such ascetic practices : for in this very letter we find his affectionate master charging him, " Be no longer a drinker of water, but use a little wine for thy stomach's sake and thine often infirmities." This then is one possible meaning of the Apostle's words in the passage before us. Discipline of the body by means of a severe rule of life is profitable for iv.7,8.] VALUE OF EXERCISE AND GODLINESS. '43 something : but it is not everything. It is not even the chief thing, or anything approaching to the chief thing. The chief thing is godHness. To the value of bodily exercise of this kind there are limits, and rather narrow limits : it " is profitable for a little:' To the value of godUness there are no limits : it is " profitable for all things." Mortifications of the body may preserve us from sins of the flesh : but they are no certain protection even against these. They are no protection at all — sometimes they are the very reverse of protec- tion — against sins of self-complacency and spiritual pride. Asceticism may exist without godliness; and godliness may exist without asceticism. Bodily morti- fications may be useful ; but they may also be harmful to both soul and body. Godliness must always be useful to both ; can never be harmful to eitlier. But it is quite possible to understand the expression " bodily exercise," in the sense in which the phrase is most commonly used in ordinary conversation among ourselves. In the text which we are considering it may mean that exercise of tlie body which we are accustomed to take, some of us of necessity, because the work by which we earn our daily bread involves a great deal of physical exertion ; some of us for health's sake, because our work involves a great deal of sitting still ; some of us for pleasure, because bodily exercise of various kinds is delightful to us. This interpreta- tion of the Apostle's statement, like the other interpre- tation, makes good sense of itself and fits the context. And whereas that was in harmony with the opening words of the chapter, this fits the immediate context. St. Paul has just said " Exercise thyself unto godli- ness." In using the expression "Exercise thyself" {'yvixva^e aeavTov) he was of course borrowing, as he li ! f J I I i:i!;i 144 THE FIRST EPI61LE TO TIMOTHY. SO constantly does borrow, from the language which was used respecting gymnastic contests in the public games. The Christian is an athlete, who must train himself and exercise himself for a lifelong contest. He has to wrestle and fight with the powers of evil, that he may win a crown of glory that fadeth not away. How natural, then, that the Apostle, having just spoken of spiritual exercise for the attainment of god- liness, should go 01. to glance at bodily exercise, in order to point out the superiority of the one over the other. The figurative would easily suggest the literal sense ; and it is therefore quite lawful to take the words " bodily exercise " in their most literal sense. Perhaps we may go further and say, that this is just one of those cases in which, because the literal meaning makes excellent sense, the literal meaning is to be preferred. Let us then take St. Paul's words quite literally and see what meaning they will yield. " Bodily exercise is profitable for a little." It is by no means a useless thing. In its proper place it has a real value. Taken in moderation it tends to preserve health and increase strength. It may sometimes be the means of gaining for ourselves and for the circle to which we belong praise and distinction. It makes us more capable of aiding ourselves and others in times of physical danger. It may even be the means of enabling us to save life. By taking us out of ourselves and turning our thoughts into new channels, it is an instru- ment of mental refreshment, and enables us to return to the main business of our lives with increased in- tellectual vigour. And beyond all this, if kept within bounds, it has a real moral value. It sometimes keeps us out of mischief by giving us innocent instead of harmful recreation^ And bodily training and practice ( ( c c £ t a t( iv.7,8.] VALUE OF EXERCISE AND GODLINESS. 145 if loyally carried out, involve moral gains of another kind. Dangerous appetites have to be kept in check, personal wishes have to be sacrificed, good temper has to be cultivated, if success is to be secured fcr ourselves or the side to which we belong. All this is "profitable" in a very real degree. But the limits to all these good results are evident; and they are somewhat narrow. They are confined to this life, and for the most part to the lower side of it ; and they are by no means certain. Only indirectly does bodily exercise yield help to the intellectual and spiritual parts of our nature ; and as regards both of them it may easily do more harm than good. Like excessive meat and drink, it may brutalize instead of invigorating. Have we not all of us seen men whose extravagant devotion to bodily exercise has extinguished almost all intellectual interests, and appar- ently all spiritual interests also ? But there are no such drawbacks to the exercise of godliness. "Godliness is profitable for all things, having promise " not only " of the life which now is| but of that which is to come." Its value is not confined to the things of this world, although it enriches and glorifies them all. And, unlike bodily exercise, its good results are certain. There is no possibility of excess. We may be unwise in our pursuit of godliness, as in our pursuit of bodily strength and activity ; but we cannot have too much exercise in godliness, as we easily can in athletics. Indeed, we cannot with any safety lay aside the one, as we not only can, but must, frequently lay aside the other. And we -eed to bear this simple truth in mind. Most of us are willing to admit that godliness is an excellent thing for attaining to a peaceful death ; but we show little evidence that we are convinced of its being necessary for spending a 10 m 1 146 THE FIRST EPISTLE TO TIMOTHY. \\ i ! happy life. We look upon it as a very suitable thing for the weak, the poor, the sickly, the sorrowful, and perhaps also for sentimental persons who have plenty of leisure time at their disposal. We fail to see that there is much need for it, or ijidccd much room for it, in the lives of busy, capable, energeti'^ and practical men of the world. In other words, we are not at all convinced of the truth of the Apostle's words, that " Godliness is profitable for all things," and we do not act as if they had very much interest for us. They express a truth which is only too likely to be crowded out of sight and out of mind in this bustling age. Let us be as practical as our dispositions lead us and our surroundings require us to be ; but let us not forget that godliness is really the most practical of all things. It lays hold on a man's whole nature. It purifies his body , it illumines and sanctifies his intellect ; it braces his will. It penetrates into every department of life, whether business or amusement, social intercourse or private meditation. Ask the physicians, ask employers of labour, ask teachers in schools and universities, ask statesmen and philosophers, what their experience teaches them respecting the average merits of the virtuous and the vicious. They will tell you that the godly person has the healthiest bod}', is the most faithful servant, the most painstaking student, the best citizen, the happiest man. A man who is formed, reformed, and informed by religion will do far more effectual work in the world than the same man without religion. He works with less friction, because his care is cast upon his heavenly Father ; and with more confi- dence, because his trust is placed on One much more sure than himself. Moreover, in the long run he is trusted and respected. Even those who not only abjure iv.7,S.] VALUE OF EXERCISE AND GOrr/NESS. '47 religion in themselves, but ridicule it in others, cannot get rid of their own experience. They find that the godly man can be depended upon, where the merely clever man cannot; and they act in accordance with this experience. Nor does the profitableness of godli- ness end with the possession of blessings so inestimable as these. It holds out rich promises respecting future happiness, and it gives an earnest and guarantee for it. It gives a man the blessing of a good conscience, which is one of our chief foretastes of the blessedness which awaits us in the world to come. Let us once for all get rid ol the common, but false notion that there is anything unpractical, anything weak or unmanly, in the life of holiness to which Christ has called us, and of which He has given us an example : and by the lives which we lead let us prove to others that this vulgar notion is a false one. Nothing has done more harm to the cause of Christianity than the misconceptions which the world has formed as to what Christianity is and what it involves. And these miscon- ceptions are largely caused by the unworthy lives which professing Christians lead. And this unworthiness is of two kinds. There is first the utter worldliness, and often the downright wickedness, of many who are not only baptized Christians, but who habitually keep up some of the external marks of an ordinary Christian life, such as going to church, having family prayers, attending religious meetings, and the like. And perhaps the worst form of this is that in which religion is made a trade, and an appearance of godliness is assumed in order to make money out of a reputation for sanctity. Secondly, there is the seriously mistaken way in which many earnest persons set to work in order to attain to true godliness. By heir own course of life they lead -I iii 1. I 1^!' i^ ii I 'I 148 THE FIRST EPISTLE TO TIMOTHY. I I people to suppose that a religious life, the life of an earnest '"hristian, is a dismal thing and an unpractical thing, rhe^- wear a depressed and joyless look ; they not only abstain from, but k-av it to be supposed that they coiidemn, many things which give zest and bright- ness to life, and which the Gospel does not condemn. In their eagerness to show their conviction as to the transcendent importance of spiritual matters, they exhibit a carelessness and slovenliness in reference to the affairs of this life, which is exceedingly trying to all those who have to work with them. Thus they stand forward before the world as conspicuous evidence that godliness is not " profitable for all things." The world is only too ready to take note of evidence which points to a conclusion so in harmony with its own predilections. It is, and has been from the beginning, prejudiced against religion ; and its adherents are quick to seize upon, and make the most of, anything which appears to justify these prejudices. " In a world such as this," they say, " so full of care and suffering, we cannot afford to part with anything which gives bright- ness and refreshment to life. A religion which tells us to abjure all these things, and live perpetually as if we were at the point of death or face to face with the Day of Judgment, may be all very well for monks and nuns, but is no religion for che mass of mankind. Moreover, this is a busy age. Most of us have much to do ; and, if we are to live at all, what we have to do must be done quickly and thoroughly. That means that we must give our minds to it ; and a religion which tells us that we must not give our minds to our business, but to other things which it says are of far greater importance, is no religion for people who have to make their way in the world and keep them- "■( iv.7,8.] VALUE OF EXERCISE AND GODLINESS. m 149 selves and their children from penury. We flnti} refuse to accept a gospel which is so manifestly out of harmony with the conditions of average human life." This charge against Christianity is a very old one : we find it taken up and answered in some of the earliest defences of the gospel which have come down to us. The unhappy thing is, not that such chr;,, es should be made, but that the lives of Christia^ men . .d women should prove that there is at least z^inrndfaa case for bringing such accusations. The eai'y Christi ms had to confront the charge that they were .3-;, :,:,, useless members of society and unpatriotic c.tizens. They maintained that, on the contrary, they were the happiest and most contented of men, devoted to the well-being of others, and ready to die for their country. They kept aloof from many things in which the heathen indulged, not because they were pleasures, but because they were sinful. And there were certain services which they could not, without grievous sin, render to the State. In all lawful matters no men were more ready than they were to be loyal and law-abiding citizens. In this, as in any other matter of moral conduct, they were quite willing to be compared with their accusers or any other class of men. On which side were to be found those who were bright and peaceful in their lives, who cherished their kindred, who took care of the stranger, who succoured their enemies, wJio shrank not from death ? A practical appeal of this kind is found to be in the long run far more telling than exposition and argument. It may be impossible to get men to listen to, or take interest in, statements as to the principles and require- ments of the Christian religion. You may fail to con- vince them that its precepts and demands are neither 11 ': (I '•! < il! »So THE FIRST EPISTLE TO TIMOTHY. superstitious nor unreasonable. But you can always show them what a life of godliness really is ;— that it is full of joyousness, and that its joys are neither fitful nor uncertain ; that it is no foe to what is bright and beautiful, and is neither morose in itself nor apt to frown at lightheartedness in others; that it does not interfere with the most strenuous attention to business and the most capable despatch of it. Men refuse to listen to or to be moved by words; but they cannot help noticing and being influenced by facts which are all round them in their daily lives. So far as man can jndge, the number of vicious, mean, and unworthy lives is far in excess of those which are pure and lofty. Each one of us can do something towards throwing the balance the other way. We can prove to all the world that godliness is not an unreality, and does not make those who strive after it unreal; that it is hostile neither to joyousness nor to capable activity ; that, on the contrary, it enhances the brightness of all that is really beautiful in life, while it raises to a higher power all natural gifts and abilities ; that the Apostle was saying no more than the simple truth when he declared that it is " profitable for all things." 6 CHAPTER XIV. THE PASTOR'S BEHAVIOUR TOWARDS WOMEN.— THE CHURCH WIDOW. "Honour widows that arc widows indeed. But if any widow hath children or grandcliildren, let them learn first to shew piety towards their own family, and to requite their parents : for this is 2' ceptable in the sight of God. ... Let none, be enrolled as a Widow under threescore years old, having been the wife of one man, well reported of for good works "—I Tim. v. 3, 4, 9. THE subject of this fifth chapter is " The Behaviour of the Pastor towards the older and younger men and women in the congregation." Some have thought that it forms the main portion of the letter, to which all the rest is more or less introductory or supplementary. But the structure of the letter cannot easily be brought into harmony with this view. It seems to be much nearer the truth to say that the unpremeditated way in which this subject is introduced, cannot well be explained unless we assume that we are reading a genuine letter, and not a forged treatise. The connexion of the different subjects touched upon is loose and not always very obvious. Points are mentioned in the order in which they occur to the writer's mind without careful arrangement. After the personal exhortations given at the close of Chapter iv., which have a solemnity that might lead one to suppose that the Apostle was about to bring his words to a li . ?l it m: ill' - -«.T^ .■*•»*•«£;«" W-. ^*«•^ JS2 THE FIRST EPISTLE TO TIMOTHY. close, he makes a fresh start and treats of an entirely new subject which has occurred to him. It is not difficult to guess what has suggested the new subject. The personal exhortations with which the previous section ends contain these words, " Let no man despise thy youth ; but be thou an ensample to them that believe, in word, in manner of life, in love, in faith, in purity." Timothy is not to allow the fact that he is younger than many of those over whom he is set to interfere with tlie proper discharge of his duties. He is to give no one a handle for charging him with want of gravity or propriety. Sobriety of conduct is to counterbalance any apparent lack of experience. But St. Paul remembers that there is another side to that. Although Timothy is to behave in such a way as never to remind his flock of his comparative youthfulness, yet he himself is always to bear in mind that he is still a young man. This is specially to be remembered in dealing with persons of either sex who are older than himself, and in his bearing towards young women. St. Paul begins with the treatment of older men and returns to this point again later on. Between these two passages about men he gives directions for Timothy's guidance re- specting the women in his flock, and specially respecting widows. This subject occupies more than half the chapter and is of very great interest, as being our chief source of information respecting the treatment of widows in the ea^ly Chui 'i. Commentators are by no means unanimous in their interpretation of the details of the passage, but it is believed that the ex- planation which is now offered is in harmony with the original Greek, consistent with itself, and not contra- dicted by anything which is known from other sources. i V.3.4.9.] PASTOR'S BEHAVIOUR TOWARDS WOMEN. IS3 It is quite evident that more than one kind of v^idow is spoken of: and one of the questions which the passage raises is— How many classes of widows are indicated ? We can distinguish four kinds ; and it seems probable that the Apostle means to give us four kinds, 1. There is "the widow indeed [j] ovtco<; xnpa)'' Her characteristic is that she is " desolate," i.e., quite alone in the world. She has not only lost her husband, but she has neither children nor any other near relation to minister to her necessities. Her hope is set on God, to Whom her prayers ascend night and day. She is contrasted with two other classes of widow, both of whom are in worldly position, better off than she is, for they are not desolate or destitute ; yet one of these is far more miserable than the widow indeed, because the manner of life which she adopts is so unworthy of her. 2. There is the widow who " hath children or grand- children." Natural affection will cause these to take care that their widowed parent does not come to want. If it does not, then they must learn that " to show piety towards their own family and to requite their parents " is a paramount duty, and that the congrega- tion must not be burdened with the maintenance of their mother until they have first done all they can for her. To ignore this plain duty is to deny the first principles of Christianity, which is the Gospel of love and duty, and to fall below the level of the unbelievers, most of whom recognized the duty of providing for helpless parents. Nothing is said of the character of the widow who has children or grandchildren to support her ; but, like the widow indeed, she is contrasted Vv'ith the third class of widow, and therefore we infer that her character is free from reproach. ^'i ill Ji I i ' »S4 THE FIRST EPISTLE TO TIMOTHY. 3- There is the widow who "giveth herself to pleasure." Instead of continuing in prayers and sup- plications night and day, she continues in frivolity and luxury, or worse. Of her, as of the Church of Sardis, It may be said, " Thou hast a name that thou livest, and thou art dead'' (Rev. iii. i\ 4. There is the "enrolled" widow; /.^., one whose name has been entered on the Church rolls as such. She is a " widow indeed " and something more. She is not only a person who needs and deserves the support of the congregation, but has special rights and duties. She holds an office, and has a function to discharge. She is a widow, not merely as having lost her husband, but as having been admitted to the company of those bereaved women whom the Church has entrusted with a definite portion of Church work. This being so, something more must be looked to than the mere fact of her being alone in the world. She n.ust be sixty years of age, must have had only one husband, have had experience in the bringing up of children, and be well known as devoted to good works. If she has these qualifications, she may be enrolled as a Church widow; but it does not follow that because she has them she will be appointed. The work to which these elderly women had to devote themselves was twofold : (i) Prayer, especially interces:=,on for those in trouble ; (2) Works of mercy, especially ministering to the sick, guiding younger Christian women in lives of holiness, and winning over heathen women to the faitli. These facts we learn from the frequent regulations respecting widows during the second, third, and fourth, centuries. It was ap- parently during the second century that the order of widows flourished most. 1 *iil I ^ 'f v.3.4.9] PASTOR'S BEHAVIOUR TOWARDS WO MEM. 155 This primitive order of Church widows must be distinguished from the equally primitive order of deaconesses, and from a later order of widows, which grew up side by side with the eariier order, and con- tinued long after the earlier order had ceased to exist. But it would be contrary to all probability, and to all that we know about Church offices in the Apostolic and sub-Apostolic age, to suppose that the distinctions between different orders of women were as marked in the earliest periods as they afterwards became, or that they were precisely the same in all branches of the Church. It has been sometimes maintained that the Church widow treated of in the passage before us is identical with the deaconess. The evidence that the two orders were distinct is so strong as almost to amount to de- monstration. I. It is quite possible that this very Epistle supplies enough evidence to make the identification very im- probable. If the " women " mentioned in the section about deacons (iii. 11) are deaconesses, then the qualifications for this office are quite different from the qualifications for that of a widow, and are treated of in quite different sections of the letter. But even if deaconesses are not treated of at all in that passage, the limit of age seems quite out of place, if they are identical with the widows.* In the case of the widows it was important to enrol for this special Church work none who were likely to wish to marry again. And as their duties consisted in a large measure in prayer, advanced age was no impediment, but rather the * The Council in Trullo (a.d. 691), tlie great authority for dis- cipline in the Greek Church, fixed the age of forty for admission to the office of a deaconess and sixty for that of a widow. I. f ii ^\ I vM JS6 i; TH& FiksT ep:stI& to timothy. % I i ! contrary. But the work of the deaconess was for the most part acfve work, and if. would be unreasonable to admit no one to the office until the best part of her working life was quite over. 2. The difference in the work assigned to them points in the same direction. As already stated, the special work of the widow was intercessory prayrr and ministering to the sick. The special work of the deaconess v-as guarding the women's door in the churches, seating the v onsen in the congregation, and attending women at bapiiv.ns.^' Baptis)). being usually administered by immersion, and adult baptism being very frequent, there was r.ivci) n.ed of female at- tendants. 3. At her appoiiitment the deaconess received the imposition of hands, the widow did not. The form of prayer for the ordination of a deaconess is given 111 the Apostolical Constitutions (viii. 19, 20), and is worthy of quotation,, "Concerning a deaconess, I Bartb.Iomew make this constitution: O Bishop, thou Shalt lay thy hands upon her in the presence of the presbytery and of the deacons and deaconesses, and Shalt say ; O Eternal God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Creator of man and of woman ; Who didst replenish with the Spirit Miriam, Deborah, Anna, and Huldah; Who didst not disdain that Thy Only begotten Son should be born of a woman ; Who also in the tabernacle of the testimony and in the temple In the middle recension of the Ignatian Epistles we read " I salute the keepers of the holy doors, the deaconesses in Christ " {A,tt. xii.). " Let the deaconesses stand at the entries of the women " {Apost. Const, ii. 57, 58). " For we stand in need of a woman, a deaconess," for many necessities, and first in the baptism of women," cic—ilb ill, 15,) ^ • I 1? •f ^•3, 4- 9-] PASTOR'S BEHAVIOUR TOWARDS WOMEN. 157 1? didst ordain women to be keepers of Thy holy gates ;— look down now also upon this Thy servant, who is to be ordained to the office of a deaconess. Grant her Thy Holy Spirit and cleanse her from all defilement of flesh and spirit, * that she may worthily discharge the work which is committed to her, to Thy glory and the praise of Thy Christ, with Whom be glory and adoration io Thee and to the Holy Spirit for ever and ever. Amen." Nothing of the kind is found for the appoint- ment of a Church widow. 4. It is quite in harmony with the fact that the deaconesses were ordained, while the widows were not, that the widows are placed under the deaconesses. "The widows ought to be grave, obedient to their bishops, their presbyters, and their deacons ; and besides these to the deaconesses, with piety, reverence, and fear."t 5. The deaconess might be either an unmarried woman or a widow, and apparently the former was preferred. " Let the deaconess be a pure virgin ; or at least a widow who has been but once married."| But, although such things did occur, Tertullian protests that it is a monstrous irregularity to admit an un- married woman to the order of widows. § Now, if widows and deaconesses were identical, unmarried " widows " would have been quite common, for un- married deaconesses were quite common. Yet he speaks of the one case of a " virgin widow " which had come under his notice as a marvel, and a monstrosity, and a contradiction in terms. It is true that Ignatius in his letter to the Church of Smyrna uses language which has been thought to support the identification : * I Cor. vii. I. f Apost. Const., iii. 7. X Apost. Const., vi. 17. g De Viyg. Vel., ix. fi \' i i 158 THE FIRST EPISTLE TO TIMOTHY. fe -^! i 'I I I " I salute the households of my brethren with their wives and children, and the virgins who are called ividoivs."* But it is incredible that at Smyrna all the Church widows were unmarried; and it is equally improbable that Ignatius should send a salutation Uj the unmarried " widows " (if such there were), and ignore the rest. His language, however, may be quite easily explained without any such strange hypothesis. He may mean " I salute those who are called widows, but whom one might really regard as virgins." And in support of this interpretation Bishop Lightfoot quotes Clement of Alexandria, who says that the continent man, like the continent widow, becomes again a virgin • and Tertullian, who speaks of continent widows as being in God's sight maidens {Deo sunt puellce), and as for a second time virgins.t But, whatever Ignatius may have meant by "the virgins who are called widows," we may safely conclude that neither in his time, any mo-e than that of St. Paul, were the widows identical with the deaconesses. The later order of widows, which grew up side by side with the Apostolic order, and in the end sup- planted, or at any rate survived, the older order, came into existence about the third century. It consisted of persons who had lost their husbands and made a vow never to marry again. From the middle of the second century or a little later we find a strong feeling against second marriages springing up, and this feeling was very possibly intensified when the Gospel came in con- tact with the German tribes, among whom the feeling already existed independently of Christianity. In this new order of widows who had taken the vow of * Sntyrti. xiii. t Strom., vii. 12; Ad Uxor., I. iv. ; De E.vh. Cast, i.- I 'I v.3.4,9.] PASTOR'S BEHAVIOUR TOWARDS WOMEN. 159 continence there was no restnction of age, nor was it necessary that they should be persons in need of the ahiis of the congregation. In the Apostolic order the fundamental idea seems to have been that destitute widows ought to be supported by the Church, and that in return for this, those of them who were qualified should do some special Church work. In the later order the fundamental idea was that it was a good thing for a widow to remain unmarried, and that a vow to do so would help Iter to persevere. In commanding Timothy to " honour widows that are widows indeed " the Apostle states a principle which has had a wide and permanent influence not only on ecclesiastical discipline but upon European legislation. Speaking of the growth of the modern idea of a will, by which a man can regulate the descent of his property inside and outside his family, Sir Henry Maine remarks, that " the exercise of the Testamentary power was seldom allowed to interfere with the right of the widow to a definite share, and of the children to certain fixed proportions, of the devolving inheritance. The shares of the children, as their amount shows, were determined by the authority of Roman law. The provision for the nndow was attribut- able to the exertions of the Church, which never relaxed its solicitude for the interest of wives surviving their husbands — winning, perhaps, one of the most arduous of its triumphs when, after exacting for two or three centuries an express promise from the husband at marriage to endow his wife, it at length succeeded in engrafting the principle of Dower on the Customary Law of all Western Europe."* This is one of the I U i6o THE FIRST EPISTLE TO TIMOTIIY, numerous instances in whi.. uie Gospel, by insisting upon the importance of Fume humane principle, has contributed to the progrc-,-, and security of the best elements in civilization. Not only tlie humanity, but the tact and commf^- sense of the Apostle is conspicuous throu^aout tiie whole passage, whcJier we regard the general directions respecting the bearing of the young pastor towards the different sections ci his flock, old and young, male and female, or the special rules respecting widows. The sum and substance of it appears to be that the pastor is to have abi usance of zeal and to encourage it in others, but he is to take great care that, neither in himself nor in those whom he has to guide, zeal out- runs discretion. Well-deserved rebukes may do far more harm than good, if they are administered -A-ithout respect to the position of those who need them. And in all his ministrations the spiritual overseer must beware of giving a handle to damaging criticism. He must not let his good be evil spoken of So also with regard to the widows. No hard and fast rule can be safely laid down. Almost everything depends upon circumstances. On the whole, tlie case of widows is analogous to that of unmarried women. For tho o who have strength to forego the married slate, in v, dcr to devote more time and energy to the direct service of God, it is better to remain unmarried, if single, and if widows' not to marry agiiin. But there is no peculiar blessed- ness in the unmarried state, if the motive for avoiding matrimony is a selfish one, e.g., to avoid domestic c -es and duties and have leisure for personal r oyme-it. Amorg younger women the higher motive is ^ 1' ely to be present, or at any rate to be perman. -y are so likely sooner or later to desire to many, that it V- 3, 4, 9.3 PAS TOl^S BEHAVIOUR TOWARDS WOMEN. .6i Will be wisest not to discourage them to do so. On th.^ contrary, let it be regarded as the normal thing that a young woman should marry, and that a young widow should marry again. It is not the best thing lor them, but it is the safest. Although the highe^it work for Christ can best be done by those who by rcmammg single have kept their domestic ties at a minmium, yet young women arc more likely to do use- ful work in society, and an less likely to come to harm If they marry and have children. Of oldor women this IS not true. Age itself is a considera .c guarantee- and a woman of sixty, who is willing to give such a pledge, may be encouraged to enter upon a life of per- petual widowhood. But there must be other qualifica- tions as well, if she wishes to be enrolled among those who not only are entitled by their destitute condition to receive Maintenance from the Church, but by reason of their • less are commissioned to undertake Church work. A.iJ these qualifications must be carefully investigated. It would be far better to reject some who might .iter all have been useful, than to run the risk of admitting a who would exhibit the scandal of having been suppo. d by the Church and specially devoted to Christian works of mercy, and of having after all returned to society as married women with ordinary pleasures and cares. One object throughout these directions is the economy of Clmstian resources. The Church accepts the duty which it inculcates of "providing for its own." But It ought not to be burdened with the support of any but those who are really destitute. The near relations of necessitous persons must be taught to leave the Church free to relieve those who have no near relations to support them. Secondly, m far as is possible, those II :i I 1 62 THE FIRST EPISTLE TO TIMOTHY. l-\ ' who aie relieved by the alms of the congregation must be encouraged to make some return in undertaking Church work that is suitable t. thcni. St. Paul has no idea of pauperizing people. So long as they can, they must maintain themselves. When they have ceased to be able to do this, they must be supported by their children or grandchildren. If they have no one to help them, the Church must undertake their support ; but both for their sake as well as for the interests of the comnumity, it must, if possible, make the support granted to be a return for work done rather than mere alms. Widowhood must not be made a plea for being maintained in harmful idleness. But the point which the Apostle insists on most emphatically, stating it in different ways no less than three times in this short section (vv. 4, 8, 16) is this, — that widows as a rule ought to be supported by their own relations ; only in exceptional cases, where there are no relations who can help, ought the Church to have to undertake this duty. We have here a warning against the mistake so often made at the present day of freeing people from their responsibilities by undertaking for tl^em in mistaken charity the duties which they ought to discharge, and are capable of discharging, themselves. We may, therefore, sum up the principles laid down thus : — Discretion and tact are needed in dealing with the different sections of the congregation, and especially in relieving the widows. Care must be taken not to en- courage either a rigour not likely to be maintained, or opportunities of idleness certain to lead to mischief. Help is to be generously afforded to the destitute ; but the resources of the Church must be jealously guarded. They must not be wasted on the unworthy, or on those v.3.4,9] PASTOR'S BEHAVIOUR TOWARDS WOMEN. 163 who have other means of help. And, so far as possible, the independence of those who are relieved must be protected by employing them in the service of the Church. In conclusion it may be worth while to point out that this mention of an ordt r of widows is no argument against the Pauline authorship of these Epistles, as if no such thing existed in his time. In Acts vi. i the widows appear as a distinct body in the Church at Jerusalem. In Acts ix. 39, 41, they appear almost as an order in the Church at Joppa. They "show the coats and gar- ments which Dorcas made" in a way which seems to imply that it was their business to distribute such things among the needy. Even if it means no more than that Dorcas made them for the relief of the widows themselves, still the step from a body of widows set apart for the reception of alms to an order of widows set apart for the duty of intercessory prayer and ministering to the sick is not a long one, and may easily have been made in St. Paul's lifetime. 11 t '■'4 I CHAt'TER XV. 77/E 7\IST0R'S RESPONSIBILiriES IN ORDAINING AND JUDGING PRESBYTERS. -THE WORKS THAT GO BEFORE AND THAT EOLI.OW US. " Lay hands hastily on no man, neither be partaker of other men's sins : keep thyself pure. Be no longer a di inker of water, but use a little wine for thy stomach's sake and thine often infirmities. Some men's sins arc evident, going before unto judgment ; and some men also they follow after. In like manner also there are good works that arc evident ; and such as are otherwise cannot be hid " — I Tim, v. 22 — 25. THE section of which these verses form the conclu- sion, hke the preceding section about behaviour towards the different classes of persons in the con- gregation, supplies us with evidence that we are dealing with a real letter, written to give necessary advice to a real person, and not a theological or controversial treatise, dressed up in the form of a letter, in order to obtain the authority of St. Paul's name for its contento. Here, as before, the thoughts follow one another in an order which is quite natural, but which has little plan or arrangement. An earnest and affectionate friend, witii certain points in his mind on which he was anxious to say something, might easily treat of them in this informal way just as they occurred to him, one thing suggesting another. But a forger, bent on getting his own views represented in the document, would not string them together in this loosely connected way : he would disclose more arrangement than we can find here. V. 22-25.] THE PASTOR'S RESPONSIBILITIES. I6S What forger again, would think of inserting that advice about ceasing to be a water-drinker into a most solemn charge respecting the election and ordination of presby- ters ? And yet how thoroughly natural it is found to be in this very context when considered as coming from St. Paul to Timothy ! We shall go seriously astray if we start with the conviction that the word "elder" has the same meaning throughout this chapter. When in the first part of it St. Paul says "Rebuke not an elder, but exhort him as a father," it is quite clear that he is speaking simply of elderly men, and not of persons holding the office of an elder : for he goes on at once to speak of the treat- ment of younger men, and also of older and younger women. But when in the second half of the chapter he says "Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honour," and " Against an elder receive not an accusation, except at the mouth of two or three witnesses," it is equally clear that he is speaking of official persons, and not merely of persons who are advanced in years. The way in which the thoughts suggested one another througliout this portion of the letter is not difficult to trace. " Let no man despise thy yui.di" suggested advice as to how the young over- seer was to behave towards young and old of both sexes. This led to the treatment of widows, and this again to the manner of appointing official widows. Women holding an official position suggests the subject of men holding an official position in the Church. If the treatment of the one class needs wisdom and circumspection, not less does the treatment of the other. And therefore, with even more solemnity than in the previous section about the widows, the Apostle gives his directions on this important subject also. i'j III iji \ % HI! i66 ( ! THE FIRST EPISTLE TO TIMOTHY. I charge thee in the sight of God, and Christ Jesus, and the elect angels, that thou observe these things without prejudice, doing nothing by partiality." And then he passes on to the words which form our text. It has been serio usly doubted whether the words '; Lay hands hastily on no man " do refer to the ordina- tion of the official elders or presbyters. It is urged that the preceding warnings about the treatment of charges made against presbyters, and of persons who are guilty of habitual sin, point to disciplinary functions of some kind rather than to ordination. Accordingly some few commentators in modern times have treated the passage as referring to llie laying on of hands at the rcadnnssion of penitents to coinnmuion. But of any such custom in the Apostolic age there is no trace There is nothing improbable in the hypothesis, imposi- tion of hands being a common symbolical act. But it IS a mere hypothesis unsupported by evidence. Eusebius in speaking of the controversy between Stephen of Home and Cyprian of Carthage about the re-baptizing of heretics, tells us that the admission of heretics to the Church by imposition of hands with prayer, but without second baptism, was the "old custom." But the admission of heretics is not quite the same as the re- admission of penitents: and a custom might be "eld" inaXaihv 1)00^) in the time of Eusebius, or even of Cyprian, without being Apostolic or coeval with the Apostles. Therefore this statement of Eusebius gives little support to the proposed interpretation of the passage ; and we may confidently prefer the explanation of it which has prevailed at any rate since Chrysostom's time, that it refers to ordination.* Of the laying on of Tcrtullian {De Bapi., xviii.) seems to unde.stand yt, Paul to be f I ; V.22-2S.J THE PASTOR'S RESPONSIBILITIES. 167 ^ hands at the appointment of ministers we have sufficient " evidence in the New Testament, not only in these Epistles (I Tim. iv. 14; 2 Tim. i. 6), but in the Acts (xni. 3). Moreover this explanation fits the context at least as well as the supposed improvement. - I. The Apostle is speaking of the treatment of pres- byters, not of the whole congregation. Imposition of hands at the admission of a heretic or re-admission of a penitent would apply to any person, and not to presbyters in particular. Therefore it is more reason- able to assume that the laying on of hands which accompanied ordination is meant. 2. He has just been warning Timothy against pre- judice or partiality in dealing with the elders. While prejudice might lead him to be hasty in condemning an accused presbyter, before lie had satisfied himself that the evidence was adequate, partiality might lead him to be hasty in acquitting him. Rut there is a more serious partiality than tliis, and it is one of the main causes of such scandals as unworthy presbyters. There is the partiality which leads to a hasty ordination, before sufficient care has been taken to ensure that the qualifications so carefully laid down in chapter iii. are present in the person selected. Prevention is better than cure. Proper iM-,jcautions taken beforehand will reduce the risk of true charges against an elder to a mmimum. Here again the traditional explanation fits the context admirably. " Neither be partaker of other men's sins." It is usual to understand this warning as referring to the responsibility of those who ordain. If, through haste speaking of the imposition of hands after i?rt/^/s/;, (Acts viii, 17, .xix 6) which can hardly be correct. !'« '#« ii I6S THE FIRST EPISTLE TO TIMOTHY. or carelessness you ordain an unfit person, you must share the guilt of the sins which he afterwards commits as an elder. The principle is a just one, but it may be doubted whether this is St. Paul's meaning. The particular form of negative used seems to be against It. He says "Nor yet (^r^Be) be partaker of other men's sins," implying that this is something different from hastiness in ordinary. He seems to be returning to the warnings about partiality to elders who are hving m sin. The meaning, therefore, is—" Beware of a haste in ordaining which may lead to the admission ot unworthy men to the ministry. And if, in spite of all your care, unworthy ministers come under your notice, beware of an indifference or partiality towards them which will make you a partaker in their sins." This interpretation fits on well to what follows. " Keep %s^^pure"— with a strong emphasis en the pronoun. Strictness in enquiring into the antecedents of can- didates for ordination and in dealing with ministerial depravity will have a very poor effect, unless your own life IS free from reproach." And, if vve omit the paren- thetical advice about taking wine, the thought is con- tmued thus: "As a rule it is not difficult to arrive at a wise decision respecting the fitness of candidates, or the guilt of accused presbyters. Men's characters both for evil and good are commonly notorious. The vices of the wicked and the virtues of the good outrun any formal judgment about them, and are quite manifest before an enquiry is held. No doubt there are excep- tions, and then the consequences of men's lives must be looked to before a just opinion can be formed. But, sooner or later (and generally sooner rather than later) men, and especially ministers, will be known for what they are." 4 1.4 •1 V. 22-25-] THE PASTOR'S RESPONSIBILITIES. 169 ■4 f: 1 It remains to ascertain the meaning of the curious parenthesis " Be no longer a drinker of water," and its connexion with the rest of the passage. It was probably suggested to St. Paul by the pre- ceding words, " Beware of making yourself responsible for the sins of others. Keep your own life above suspicion." 7'his charge reminds the Apostle that his beloved disciple has been using ill-advised means to do this very thing. Either in order to mark his abhorrence of the drunkenness, which was one of the most conspicuous vices of; the age, or in order to bring his own body more easily into subjection, Timothy had abandoned the use of wine altogether, in spite of his weak health. St. Paul, therefore, with characteristic affection, takes care that his charge is not misunder- stood. In urging his representative to be strictly careful of his own conduct, he does not wish to be understood as encouraging him to give up whatever might be abused or made the basis of a slander, nor yet as approving his rigour in giving up the use of wine. On the contrary, he thinks it a mistake ; and he takes this opportunity of telling him so, while it is in his mind. Christ's ministers have important duties to perform, and have no right to play tricks with their health. We may here repeat, with renewed confidence, that a touch of this kind would never have occurred to a forger. Hence, in order to account for such natural touches as these, those who maintain that these Epistles are a fabrication now resort to the hypothesis that the forger had some genuine letters of St. Paul and worked parts of them into his own productions. It seems to be far more reasonable to believe that St. Paul wrote the whole of them. (See above, pp. 8 and 9, and below, pp. 407, ff.). I ;< 11 I70 THE FIRST EPISTLE TO TIMOTHY, Let us return to the statement with which the Apostle closes this section of his letter. "Some men's sins are evident, going before unto judgment; and some men also they follow after. In like manner also there are good works that are evident; and such as arc otherwise cannot be hid." We have seen already what relation these words have t. tlie context. They refer to the discernment between good and bad candidates for the ministry and between good and bad ministers, pointing out that III most cases such discernment is not difficult, because men's own conduct acts as a herald to their character proclamimg it to all the world. The statement, though made with special reference to Timothy's responsibilities towards elders and those who wish to become such IS a general one, and is equally true of all mankind! Conduct m most cases is quite a clear index of character, and there is no need to have a formal investigation in order to ascertain whether a man is leading a wicked life or not. But the words have a still deeper significance— one which is quite foreign to the context, and therefore can hardly have been in St. Paul's mind when he wrote them, but which as being true and of importance, ought not to be passed over. For a formal investigation into men's conduct before an ecclesiastical or other official, let us substitute the judgment-seat of Christ. Let the question be, not the worthiness of certain persons to be admitted to some office, but their worthiness to be admitted to eternal life. The general statement made by the Apostle remains as true as ever. There are some men who stand, as before God, so also before the world, as open self-proclaimed sinners. Wherever they go, their sins ^^ ^■t' ^#» 4 V. 22-25.] THE PASTOR'S RESrONSlBlLITIES. 171 go before them, flagrant, crying, notorious. And when they arc summoned hence, their sins again precede them, waiting for them as accusers and witnesses before the Judge. The whole career of an open and deliberate sinner is the procession of a criminal to his doom.* His sins go before, and their consequences follow after, and he moves on in the midst, careless of the one and ignorant of the other. He has laughed at his sins and chased remorse for them away. He has by turns cherished and driven out the remembrance of them ; dwelt on them, when to think of them was a pleasant repetition of them ; stifled the thought of them, when to think of them might have brought thoughts of penitence ; and has behaved towards them as if he could not only bring them into being without guilt, but control them or annihilate them without difficulty. He has not controlled, he has not destroyed, he has not even evaded, one of them. Each of them^ when brought into existence, became his master, going on before him to herald his guiltiness, and saddling him with consequences from which he could not escape. And when he went to his own place, it was his sins that had gone before him and prepared the place for him. "And some men also they follow after." There are cases in which men's sins, though of course not less manifest to the Almighty, are much less manifest to the world, and even to themselves, than in the case of flagrant, open sinners. The consequences oi their sins are less conspicuous, less easily disentangled from the mass of unexplained misery of which the world is so full. Cause and effect cannot be put together with any * Manni.ig's St-nimns, vol. iii., p. ^.j, Burns, 1847. ' !i " . I' •* i 4' •I i i iU M^ ,i ri i 1m' f uma Mi ^ W s 1 r 1 m t' i 1 If ■ 1 1 1? : i 1) I 172 T//£ /'VA'Sr EPISTLE TO TIMOTHY. precision ; for sometimes the one, sometimes the other sometmies even both, are out of sight. There is no anticipation of the final award to be given at the judg- ment-seat of Christ. Not until the guilty one is placed before the throne for trial, is it at all known whether the sentence will be unfavourable or not. Even the man himself has lived and died without being at all fully aware what the state of the case is. He lias not habitually examined himself, to see whether he has been living in sin or not. He has taken no pains to remember, and repent of, and connuer, those sins of which he has been conscious. The consequences of his sins have seldom come so swiftly as to startle him and convince him of their enormity. When they have at last overtaken him, it has been possible to doubt or to forget that it was his sins which caused them And consequently he has doubted, and he has forgotten But for all that, " they follow after." They are never eluded, never shaken off. A cause must have its effect • and a sin must have its punishment, if not in this worid, then certainly in the next. '< Be sure your sin will find you out "-probably in this life, but at any rate at the day of judgment. As surely as death follows on a pierced heart or on a severed neck so surely does punishment follow upon sin. ' How is it that in the material woHd we never dream that cause and eftect can be separated, and yet easily believe that in the moral world sin may remain for ever unpunished ? Our relation to the material universe has been compared to a game of chess. " The chess-board IS the worid, the pieces are the phenomena of the universe, the rules of the game are what we call the laws of nature. The player on the other side is hidden from us. We know that his play is always fair, just, ••. » '(• V. 22-25.] THE PASTOR'S RESPONS^r^TLITIES. >73 and patient. But also we know, to our cost, that he never overlooks a mistake, or makes the smallest allow- ance for ignorance. To the man who plays well, the highest stakes are paid, with that sort of over-flowing generosity with whirli the strong shows delight in strength. And one who plays ill is checkmated— without haste, but without remorse."* We believe this implicitly of the material laws of the universe ; that they cannot be evaded, cannot be transgressed' with impunity, cannot be obeyed without profit. Moral laws are not one whit less sure. Whether we believe it or not (and it will but be the worse for us if we refuse to believe it), sin, both repented and unrepented, must have its penalty. We might as well fling a stone, or shoot a cannon-ball, or send a balloon into the air, and say " You shall not come down again," as sin, and say " I shall never suffer for it." Repentance does not deprive sin of its natural effect. We greatly err in supposing that, if we repent in time, we escape the penalty. To refuse to repent is a second and a worse sin, which, added to the first sin, increases the penalty incalculably. To repent is to escape this terrible augmentation of the original punishment ; but it is no escape from the punishment itself. But there is a bright side to this inexorable law. If sin must have its own punishment, virtue must have its own reward. The one is as sure as the other ; and in the long run the fact of virtue and the reward of virtue will be made clear to all the world, and especially to the virtuous man himself. "The works that are good are evident ; and such as are not evident cannot be hid." No saint knows his own holiness ; and many Huxley's Lay Sermons, Essay I, Macmillan. ■ \ w ^ i? ' A :\ >74 THE FIRST EPISTLE TO TIATOTIIY. a humble seeker after holiness does good deeds without knowing how good they are. Still less are all saints known as such to the world, or all good deeds recog- nized as good by those who witness them. But never- theless, good works as a rule are evident, and,'if they arc not so, they will become so hereafter, 'f not in this world, at any rate before Christ's judgment-seat, Ihey will be appraised at their true value. It is as true of the righteous as of the wicked, that " their works do follow them." And, if there is no more terrible fate than to be confronted at the last day by a multitude of unknown and forgotten sins, so there can hardly be any lot more blessed than to be welcomed hen by a multitude of unknown and forgotten deeds of ove and piety. "Inasmuch as ye did it unto one of these My brethren, even these least, ye did it unto Me." Come, ye blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from th.' i undation of the world " I! I •J I» I CHAPTER XVI. THE NATURE OF ROMAN SLAVERY AND Tr not dcspise'thc, because ^ ^^Z^u:^:T'''' '^' ? '" nPHERE are four passages in vv' =ch St. Paul deals 1 directly with the relations between slaves and their masters :-in the Epistles to tlv Ephesians VI. 5-9), to the Colossians (iii. 22-iv. i), to Philemon (S-21), and the passage before us. Here he looks at the qiiestion from the slave's point of view ; in the letter to Philemon from that of the master: in the Epistles to he Colossians and to the Ephesians he addresses both. In all four places his attitude towards this monster abomination is one and the same ; and it is a very remarkable one. He nowhere denounces slavery He does not state that such an intolerable iniquity as man possessnig his fellow-man must be done Lay as speedily as may be. He gives no encouragement to slaves to rebe or to run away. He gives no hint to masters that they ought to let their slaves go free Nothing of the kind. He not only accepts slavery as a fact; he seems to treat it as a necessary fact, a fact A ..>^, -'^■ %r^^ - .0. o^, \'^^ IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) fe A A & ^ 1.0 I.I 11.25 i 1.4 IM 1.8 1.6 Photographic Sciences Corporation 23 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, NY. 14580 (716) 872-4503 W A" U%7^ -^ •WP^^iiwa*- i'jj;j"i,Vfi»i.i.>j'Mi"i* 176 THE FIRST EPISTLE TO TIMOTHY. f.^ !^ I ■■! ill ! I likely to be as permanent as marriage and parentage, poverty and wealth. This attitude becomes all the more marvellous, when we remember, not only what slavery necessarily is wherever it exists, but what slavery was both by custom and by law among the great slave-owners throughout the Roman Empire, Slavery is at all times degrading to both the parties in that unnatural relation- ship, however excellent may be the regulations by which it is protected, and however noble may be the characters of both master and slave. It is impossible for one human being to be abr>olute owner of another's person without both possessor and possessed being morally the worse for it. Violations of nature's laws are never perpetrated with impunity ; and when the laws violated are those which are concerned, not with unconscious forces and atoms, but with human souls and characters, the penalties of the violation are none the less sure or severe. But these evils, which are the inevitable consequences of the existence . ike ,i,nity of labour. Labo 7 ^ 't ^^^ and therefore assigned to the slave, and coL que 2 came to be regarded as degrading. Thus the fj eman ostthe ennobling disciphr.. of toil; and to th sh" toil was not ennobling, because ever^ one treated t .' a degradation. (2) It has h^^n a- '' „„^, ° 1 1 ^^ "^^" disastrous to thr personal character of the master Ti.« absolve p„„e. is ^^^Z^^^t^''^^:: Greek .vnters are never lired of i„»i„i„g „„„„'''• co„„e.x,o„ w„i, .he rule of despot, M-er i ' Strangely enough they did not see tint Z n , remained the sa.ne whether ...e autoc,'! sT^- a state or of a household. In dther case he "ll" 12 \ 1 Hf 1 1 A iiiiiH 1 jl . 1 il 178 THE FIRST EPISTLE TO TIMOTHY. incvitabiy became a tyrant, incapable of self-control, and the constant victim of flattery. And in some ways the domestic tyrant was the worse of the two. There was no public opinion to keep him in check, and his tyranny could excicise itself in every detail of daily life. (3) It has been disastrous to the personal character of the slave. Accustomed to be looked u]->on as an inferior and scarcely human being, always at the beck and call of another, and that for the most menial services, the slave lost all self-respect. His natural weapon was deceit ; and his chief, if not his only pleasure, was the gratification of his lowest appetites. The household slave not unfrequently divided his time between pandering to his master's passions and gratifying his own. (4) It has been ruinous to family life. If it did not trouble the relation between husband and wife, it poisoned the atmosphere in which they lived and in which their children were reared. The younger generation inevitably suffered. Even if they did not leavn cruelty from their parents, and deceit and sensuality from the slaves, they lost delic. f feeling by seeing human beings treated like bruu^ jasts, and by being constantly in the society of those whom they were taught to despise. Even Plato, in recommending that slaves should be treated justly and with a view to their moral improvement, says that they must always be punished for their faults, and not reproved like freemen, wliich only makes them conceited ; and one should use no language to them but that of command.* These evils, which are inherent in the very nature of slavery, were intensified a hundredfold by Roman legislation, and by the condition of Roman society in * Ldivs, 777 L il r.i vi. 1,2.] THE NATURE OF RO.VAN SLAVERY. no the first century of the Christian era. Slavery, which began by being a mitigation of tlie barbarities of warfare, ended in becoming an augmentation of them Although a single campaign would sometimes bring in many thousands of captives who were sold into slavery, yet war did not procure slaves fast enough for the' demand, and was supplemented by systematic man- hunts. It has been estimated that in the Roman world of St. Paul's day the proportion of slaves to freemen was ni the ratio of two, or even three, to one. It was the mimense number of the slaves which led to some of the cruel customs and laws respecting them In the country they often worked, and sometimes slept, in chams. Even in Rome under Augustus the house- porter was sometimes chained. And by a decree of the Senate, if the master was murdered by a slave, all the slaves of the household were put to death. The four hundred slaves of Pedanius Secundus were executed under this enactment in A.n. 6r, in which year St. Paul was probably in Rome. Public protest was made ; but the Senate decided that the law must take its course I he rabble of slaves could only be kept in check by fear. Again, if the master was accused of a crime, he could surrender his slaves to be tortured in order to prove his innocence.* But it would be a vile task to rehearse all the horrors and abominations to which the cruelty and lust of wealthy Roman men and women subjected their slaves. The bloody sports of the gladiatorial shows and the mdecent i)roducts of the Roman stage were partly the effect and partly the cause of the frightful character of Roman slavery. The gladiators and the actors were > I So III I ! THE riKSr EPISTLE TO TIMOTHY. slaves especially trained for tliese debasing exhibi- tions; and Roman nobles and Reman ladies, brutalized and polluted by witnessing them, went home lo give vent among the slaves of their own households to the passions which the circus and the theatre had roused. And this was the system winch St. Paul left un- attacked and undenounced. lie never in so many words expresses any authoritative condemnation or personal abhorrence of it. This is all the more re- markable when we remember St. Paul's enthusiastic and sympathetic temperament ; and the fact is one niore proof of the Divine inspiration of Scripture. Ihat slavery, as he saw it, must often have excited the most intense indignation and distress in his heart we cannot doubt ; and yet he was guided not to give his sanction to renu-dics which would certainly have been Violent and .,ussibly ineffectual. To have preached that the Christian master must let his slaves go free would have been to preach tliat slaves had a right to ireedom ; and tlie slave would understand that to mean that, if freedom was not granted, he might take this r.ght of his by force. Of all wars, a servile war is perhaps the most frightful ; and we may be thankful that none of those who first preached the Gospel gave their sanction to any such movement. The sudden abolition of slavery in the first century would have meant the shipwreck of society. Neither master nor slave was fit for any such change. A long course of education was needed before so radical a reform could be successfully accomplished. It has been pointed out as one of the chief marks of the Divine character of the Oospel, that It never appeals to the spirit of political revolution. It does not denounce abuses ; but it insists i Hi vi. ^2.] T//£ NATURE OF ROMAN SLAFT-AT. iSi w.eh the g gantic cancer which was draining the force. tendered the permanence „f the unrighteons relation between them ttnpossihie. To tnanya Roman it would ;:>; mtt roe^:,rtr. ''t V 7" T'' "^'^^""^ ' thn r;..i.f- f ^- ^''^"'' without attacking nob ^ ' ? f°^'"''^ ^^ "-''^'''"S laws and custom.^ spoke a far h.ghor worci, and one which sooner or L.te mus carry the frecdon. with it, when he said, " Yo" Xh r.'T' ''T"" ^" ^'^^ "^°-' abominations uh.ch had dustered round slavery, -idleness, deceit cruelty, and lust,-he denounced unsparingly / b.tJo; hc.r_own sake, not because of their conne'icion vU th s iniquitous institution. The social arrangements which allowed and encouraged slavery, he did nl; denounce. Pie left it to the principles whfch he preached graclua ly to reform them. Slavery cannot conti e when the brotherhood of all mankind, and the equality of all men in Chnst, have been realized. And long before slavery is abolished, it is made more humane wherever Christian principles are brought to bear u;"; I no '" /r. Chnstianity in the person of Cons/an- tne ascended the imperial throne, it had inOuenced public opmion m the right direction. Seneca and Plutarch arc much more humane in their views of slavery than earlier writers arc; and under the Anto- n * ■'(! iiU I I '; 182 THE FIRST EPISTLE TO TIMOTHY. nines the power of life and death over slaves was transferred from their masters to the magistrates. Constantino went much further, and Justinian further still, in ameliorating the condition of slaves and en- couraging emancipation. Tiuis slowly, but surely, this monstrous evil is being eradicated from society ; and it is one of the many beauties of the Gospel in 'com- parison with Islam, that whereas Mahometanism has consecrated slavery and given it a permanent religious sanction, Christianity has steadfastly abolished it. It is among the chief glories of the present century' I hat It has seen the abolition of slavery in the British empire, the emancipation of the serfs in Russia, and the emancipation of the negroes in the United States And we may safely assert that these tardy removals of a great social evil would never have been accomplished but for the principles which St. Paul preached, at the very time that he was allowing Cliristian masters to retam their slaves, and bidding Christian slaves to honour and obey their heathen masters. ^ The Apostle's injunctions to slaves who have Chris- tian masters is worthy of special attention : it indicates one of the evils which would certainly have become serious, had the Apostles set to work to preach emanci- pation. The slaves being in almost all cases quite unfitted for a life of freedom, wholesale emancipation would have fiooded society with crowds of persons quite unable to make a decent use of their newly acquired liberty. The sudden change in their condition would have been too great for their self-control In- deed we gather from what St. Paul says here, that the acceptance of the principles of Christianity in some cases threw them off their balance. He charges Chris- tian slaves who have Christian masters not to despise vi. 1,2.] THE NATURE OF ROMAN SLAVERY. 183 them. Evidently this was a temptation which he fore- saw, even if it was not a fault which he had sometimes observed. To be told tliat he and his master were brethren, and to find tliat his mashr accepted this view of their relationship, was more than the poor sla\e in some instances could hear. He had been educated to believe that he was an inferior order of being, having scarcely anything in common, excepting a human form and passions, with his master. And, whether he accepted this belief or not, he had found himself syste- matically treated as if it were indisputable. When, therefore, he was assured, as one of the first principles of his new faith, that he was not only human, like his master, but in God's family was his master's equal and brother; ahove all, when he had a Christian master who not only shared tiiis new faith, but acted upon it and treated him as a br.)thcr, then his head was in danger of being turned. The rebound from grovelling fear to terms of equality and affection was too much for him ; and the old attitude of cringing terror was exchanged not for respectful loyalty, but for contempt. He began to despise the master who had ceased > make himself terrible. AH this shows how dangerous sudden changes of social relationships arc ; and how warily we need to go to work in order to bring about a reform of those which most plainly need readjustment ; and it adds greatly to our admiration of the wisdom of the Apostle and our gn^titude to Ilim Who inspired him with such wisdom, to see that in dealing with this difficult problem he does not allow his sympathies to outrun his judgment, and docs not attempt to cure a long-standing evil, whicli had entwined its roots round the very foundations of society, by any rapid or violent process. All men are by natural right free. Granted. !. W 1 * 'It I I It I ull 184 THE FIRST EPISTLE TO TIMOTHY. All men are by creation children of God, and by re- demption brethren in Clirist. Granted. But it is worse than useless to give freedom suddenly to those who from their birth have been deprived of it, and do not yet know what use to make of it ; and to give the position of children and brethren all at once to outcasts who cannot understand what such privileges mean. St. Paul tells the slave that freedom is a thing to be desired ; but still more that it is a thing to be deserved. " While you are still under the yoke prove yourselves worthy of it and capable of bearing it In becoming Christians you have become Christ's freeman. Show that you can enjoy that liberty with- out abusing it. If it leads you to treat a heathen master with disdain, because he has it not, then you give him an opportunity of blaspheming God and your holy relioion ; for he can say, ' What a vile creed tins must be, which makes servants haughty and dis- respectful ! ' If it leads you to treat a Christian master with contemptuous familiarity, because he recognizes you as a brother whom he must love, then you are turning upside down the obligation which a common faith imposes on you. That he is a fellow- Christian is a reason why you should treat him with more reverence, not less." This is ever the burden of his exhortation to slaves. He bids Timothy to insist upon it. He tells Titus to do the same (ii- 9, 10). Slaves were in special danger of mis- understanding what the liberty of the Gospel meant. It is not for a moment to be supposed that it cancels any existing obligations of a slave to his master. No hint is to be given them that they have a right to demand emancipation, or would be justified in running away. Let them learn to behave as the Lord's free- \ u vi. 1,2.] THE NATURE OF ROMAN SLAVERY. '85 man. Let their masters learn to behave as the Lord's bond-servants. When these principles have worked themselves out, slavery will have ceased to be. That day has not yet come, but the progress already made, especially during the present century, leads us to hope that it may be near. But the extinction of slavery will not deprive St. Paul's treatment of it of its practical interest and value. His inspired wisdom in dealing with this problem ought to be our guide in dealing with the scarcely less momentous problems which confront us at the present day. We have social difficulties to deal with, whose magnitude and character make them not unlike that of slavery in the first ages of Christianity. There are the re- lations between capital and labour, the prodigious inequalities in the distribution of wealth, the degrada- tion which is involved in the crowding of population in the great centres of industry. In attempting to remedy such things, let us, while we catch enthusiasm from St. Paul's sympathetic zeal, not forget his patience and discretion. Monstrous evils are not, like giants in the old romances, to be slain at a blow! They are deeply rooted ; and if we attempt to tear them up, we may pull up the foundations of society along with them. VV-: .nust be content to work slowly and without violence. We have no right to preach revolution and plunder to those who are suffering from undeserved poverty, any more . than St. Paul had to preach revolt to the slaves. Drastic remedies of that kind will cause much enmity, and perhaps bloodshed, in the carrying out, and will work no permanent cure in the end. It is incredible that the well-being of mankind can be promoted by stirring up ill-will and hatred between a suffering class and •1 '^'^ i\ .i •'. J iS6 II ! ii. I I f? THE FIRST EPISTLE TO TIMOTHY. those who seem to have it in their powe- to relieve them. Chanty, we know, never faileth ; but neither bcnpture nor experience lias taught us that violence IS a sure road to success. We need more faith in the principles of Christianity and in their power to promote happiness as well as godliness. What is required, is not a sudden redistribution of wealth or laws to prevent its accumulation, but a proper appre- ciation of its value. Rich and poor alike have yet to learn what is really worth having in this world It IS not wealth, but happiness. And happiness is to be found neither in gaining,, nor ir possessing, nor in spending money, but in being useful. To serve others, to spend and be spent for them,— that is the Ideal to place before mankind ; and just in proportion as It ,s reached, will the frightful inequalities between class and class, and between man and man, cease to he. It IS a lesso:i that takes much teaching and much learning. Meanwhile it seems a terrible thing to leave whole generations suffering from destitution just as it was a terrible thing to leave whole gener- ations groaning in slavery. But a general manu- mission would not have helped matters then ; and a general distribution to the indigent would not help matters now. The remedy adopted then was a slow one but it has been efficacious. The master was not to d to emancipate his slave, and the slave was not told to run away from his master; but each was charged to behave to the other, the master in com- manding and the slave in obeying, as Christian to Christian in the sight of God. Let us not doubt that the same remedy now, if faithfully applied, will be not less effectual. Do not tell the rich man that he must share his wealth with those who have nothing i i ■i vi. 1,3.] T//E NATURE OF ROMAN- sr.AVERY. 187 f I Do not tell the poor man that he has a right to a share, and may seize it, if it is not given. But by precept and example show to both alike that the one thing worth living for is to promote the well- being of others. And let the experience of the past convince us that any remedy wliich involves a violent reconstruction of society \y. sure to he dangerous and may easily prove futile. I i ' if ji II \ m ' t f ' v t' 1 ,» I I CHAPTER XVII. 77/7: Cim or A LOVE OF G0D7JNESS, AND T77E CNGOnUNESS OF A 7.0 VE OF GA7N. " Wranglings of men corrupted in mind and bereft of the truth s.:ppos,ng that godliness is a way of gain. But godliness with con- tentment IS great gain : for we brought nothing into the world, for neither can we carr^' anything out. . . . '-Charge them that are rich in this present world, that they be not high minded, nor have their hope set on the uncertainty of riches but on God, Who gives us ri.hly all things to enjoy; that thcv do good, that they tc rich in good work., tint they be ready to distribute, wil.ins- toeommunicate; laying up in store for themselves a good n.uuhtion against the time to come, tliat thev may lay hold on the life which IS life indeed."— i Tim. vi. 5 7, 17—19. T T is evident that the subject of avarice is much in 1 the Apostle's mind during the writing of the last portion of this Epistle. He comes upon it here in connexion with the teachers of false doctrine, and speaks strongly on the subject. Then he writes what appears to be a solemn conclusion to the letter (vv. 1 1 16). And then, as if he was oppressed by the danger of large possessions as promoting an avaricious spirit, he charges Timothy to warn the wealthy against the folly and wickedness of selfish hoarding. He, as it were, re-opens his letter in order to add this charge, and then writes a second conclusion. He cannot feel happy until he has driven home this lesson about the right way of making gain, and the right way of laying up treasure. It is such a common heresy, and such a ' \ i vi.S-7, 17-I9.] GAjW of A LOVE OF GODLINESS. 1S9 fatal one, to believe that gold is wealth, and that wealth is tlie chief good. ■' Wranglings of men corrupted in mind and bereft of the truth." That is how St. Paul describes the "dissi- dence of dissent," as it was known to him by grievous experience. There were men who had once been in possession of a sound mind, whereby to" recognize and grasp the truth ; and they had grasped the truth, and for a time retained it. But they had "given heed to seducing spirits," and had allowed themselves to be robbed of both these treasr--s,— not only the truth, but the mental power of appre. .ting the truth. And what had they in the place of what they had lost ? Incessant contentions among themselves. Having lost the truth, they had no longer any centre of agreement. Error is manifold and its paths arc labyrinthine. When two minds desert the truth, there is no reason why they should remain in harmony any more ; and each has a right to believe that his own substitute for the truth is the only one worth considering. As proof that their soundness of mind is gone, and that they are far away from the truth, St. Paul states the fact that they "sup- pose that godliness is a way of gain." It is well known that the scholars whose labours during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries produced at las" the Authorized Version, were not masters of the force of the Greek article. Its uses had not yet been analysed hi the thorough way in which they have been analysed in the present century. Perhaps the text before us is the most remarkable among the numerous errors which are the result of this imperfect knowledge. It seems so strange that those who perpetrated it were not puzzled by their own mistake, and that their perplexity did not put them right. What kind of people could II iii Jx igo THE FIRST EPISTLE TO TIMOTHY. they have been who " supposed tliat gain was godh- ness " ? Did such an idea ever before enter into the head of any person ? And if it did, could he have retained it? People have devoted their whole souls to gain, and have worshipped it as if it were Divine. But no man ever yet believed, or acted as if he believed, that gain was godliness. To make money-getting a substitute for religion, in allowing it to become the one absorbing occupation of mind and body, is one thing : to believe it to be religion is quite another. But wliat St. Paul says of the opinions of these perverted men is e.xactly the converse of this : not that they supposed "gain to be godlines.s," but that they supposed "godliness to be a means of gain." They considered godliness, or rather the "form of godliness " which was all that they really possessed, to be a profit- able investment. Christianity to them was a "pro- fession " in the mercantile sense, and a profession that paid : and they embarked upon it, just as they would upon any other speculation which offered equally good hopes of being remunerative. The Apostle takes up this perverted and mean view of religion, and shows that in a higher sense it is per- fectly true. Just as Caiaphas, while meaning to express a base and cold-blooded policy of expediency, had given utterance to a profound truth about Christ, so these false teachers had got hold of principles which could be formulated so as to express a profound truth about C'n-ist's religion. There is a very real sense in which godliness (genuine godliness and not the mere externals of it) is even in this world a fruitful source of gain. Honesty, so long as it be not practised merely as a policy, is the best policy. " Righteousness exaltcth a nation "' : it invariably pays in the long run. And vi. 5-7,17-19] GAIN OF A I.OVE OF GODLINESS. 191 SO "Godliness with contentment is great gain." They suppose that godliness is a good investment :— in quite a different sense from that which tliey have in their mijids, it really is so. And the reason of this is manifest. It has already been shown that " godliness is profit- able for all things." It makes a man a better master a better servant, a better citizen, and both in mind and body a healthier and therefore a stronger man. Above all it makes him a happier man ; for it gives him that which IS the foundation of all happiness in this lifo, and the foretaste of happiness in the world to come,— a good conscience. A possession of such value 'as this cannot be otherwise than great gain : especially if It be united, as it probably will be united, with con- lentmcnt. It is in the nature of the J^y manTo be content with what God has given him. But godliness and contentment are not identical ; and therefore, in order to make his meaning quite clear, the Apostle says not merely "godliness," but "godliness with contentment." Either of these qualities far exceeds in value the profitable investment which the false teachers saw in the profession of godliness. They found that it paid- that it had a tendency to advance their worldly interests. But after all even mere worldly wealth does not consist in the abundance of the things which a man possesses. That man is well off, who lias as much as he wants ; and that man is rich, who has more than he wants. Wealth cannot be measured by any absolute standard. We cannot name an income to rise above wliich is riches, and to fall below which is poverty. Nor is it enough to take into account the unavoidable calls which are made upon the man's purse, in order to know whether he is well off or not : Hv\ m I I! I 192 THE FIRST EPISTLE TO TIMOTHY. we must also know something of his desires. When all legitimate claims have been discharged, is he satisfied with what remains for his own use ? Isjie contented-? If he is, then he is indeed well-to-do. If he is not, then the chief element of wealth is still lack- ing to him. The Apostle goes on to enforce the truth of the statement that even in this world godliness 'vith contentment is a most valuable possession, far superior to a large income : and to urge that, even from the point of view of earthly prosperity and happiness, those people make a fatal mistake who devote them- selves to the accumulation of wealth, without placing ar.y check upon their growing and tormenting desires, and without knowing how to make a good use of the wealth which they arc accumulating. With a view to enforce all this he repeats two well-known and indisputable propositions: "We brought nothing into the world " and " We can carry nothing out." As to the words which connect these two propositions in the original Greek, there seems to be some primitive error which we cannot now correct with any certainty. We arc not sure whether one proposition is given as a reason for accepting the other, and, if so, which is premise and which is conclusion. But this is of no moment. Each statement singly has been abundantly proved by the experience of mankind, and no one would be likely to dispute either. One of the earliest books in human literature lias them as its opening moral. " Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither," are Job's words in the day of his utter ruin; and they have been assented to by milliuns of hearts ever since. "We brought nothing into the world." What right ■5-7,17-19] GAIN OF A LOVE OF GODLTNESS. 193 then have we to be disc^i^i^i^^^T^J^i^tl^^ been g.von to us? '< We can take nothing out' Wha folly, therefore, to spend all our time in amassing weal h winch at the t.me of our departure we shall be obliged to leave behind us ! There is the case against avarice in a nutshell. Never contented. Never knowing what it is to rest and be thankful. Always nervously anxious about the preservation of what has been gained, and laboriously toiling in order to augment t. What a contrast to the godly man, who has found true mdependence in 'a trustful dependence upon the God Whom he serves I Godliness with contentment IS indeed great gain. There is perhaps no more striking example of the incorrigible perversity of human nature than the fact that, ,n spite of all experience to the contrary, genera- tion after generation continues to look upon mere wealth as the thing best worth striving after. Century after century we find men telling us, often with much emphasis and bitterness, that great possessions are an imposture, that they promise happiness and never give It. And yet those very men continue to devote their whole energie. to the retention and increase of their possessions : or, if they do not, they hardly ever succeed in convincing others that happiness is not to be found in such things. If they could succeed, there would be far more contented, and therefore fai^ more happy people in the world than can be found at present. It is chiefly the desire for greater temporal advantages than we have at present that makes us discontented. We should be a long way on the road to contentment, if we could thoroughly convince ourselves that what are commonly called temporal advantages-such as large possessions, rank, power, 13 IK i i[ k t«i> '^R -t aii^ai^^^iAl Mmwb '91 /7//r /7A'.S/' El'IsriH TO riMOTHV. honmirs, and tlio like— arc on tlie whole not advan- tages ; that they more often detraet from this world's joys than augment them, while they arc always a scMious dangef, and sometimes a grievous impediment, in refert-nce to the joys of the woiKl to eome. / What man of wealth and position do(-s not feel day / by day llu' woriies anil anxieties and obligations, which his riches and rank impose upon him. Does he not often wish that he coulil retire to some cottage and there live quietly on a few hundreds a year, and some- times even seriously think of doing it ? But at other limes he fancies thai; his unrest and disquiet is owing to his not having enough. If he could only have some thousands a year addeil to his present income, then he would cease to be anxious about the future ; he could afford to lose some and still have sufficent. if he could only attain to a higlun- position in societ}', then he would feel secure from detraction or serious downfall ; he would be able to treat with unconcerned neglect the criticisms wliich are now such a source of annoyance to him. And in most cases this latter vievv prevails. What determines his conduct is not the well-grounded suspicion that he already has more than is good for him ; that it is his abundance which is destroying his peace of mind ; but the baseless conviction that an increase of the gifts of this world will win for him the happiness that he has failed to secure. The experience of tile past rarely destroys this fallacy. He knows that his enjoyment of life has not increased with his fortune. Perhaps he can see clearly that he was a happier man when he possessed much less. Buc, nevertheless, he still cherishes the belief that with a few things more he would be contented, and for those few things more he continues to slave. There is no man in this world that vi.5-7,>7->'M CAIN OF A LOVE OF GODUX/CSS. i^^ has not foun I •\i i (M i ! I I 198 27/£ FIRST EPISTLE TO TIMOTHY. its shrine. Certainly the lust for gold is one of those "foolish and hurtful lusts, such as drown men in destruction and perdition." In wealthy Ephesus, with its abundant commerce, the desire to be rich was a common passion ; and St. Paul feared— perhaps he knew— that in the Church in Ephesus the mischief was present and increasing. Hence this earnest reiteration of strong warnings against it. Hence the reopening of tlie letter in order to tell Timothy to charge the rich not to be self- confident and arrogant, not to trust in the wealth which may fail them, but in the God Who cannot do so; and to remind them that tiie only way to make riches secure is to give them to God and to His work. The wealthy heathen in Ephesus were accustomed to deposit their treasures with "the great goddess Diana," whose temple was both a sanctuary and a bank. Let Christian merchants deposit theirs with God by being " rich in good works ; " so that, when He called them to Himself, they might receive their own with usury, and " lay hold on the life which is life indeed." THE EPISTLE TO TITUS. « 1 ^i* I ' 1 1,11' i I ■ :t,l m i 1 v I'l ■H '4 '* '^t:a'*». 1 k '4 CHAPTER XVIII. ri/E EPISTLE TO TITUS.-HIS l./FE AND CHARACTER. " Paul, a servant of Gud, aiul an apostle of Icsus Christ . to Titus, my true child after a coinmon faith : Grace'and peace from (..d the Father, and Clirist Jesus our Savioui "-Tnus i. I, 4. T^HE title "Pastoral Epistle" is as appropriate u i the Epistle tf) Titus as to the First Epistle to Timothy. Althougji there is a good deal in the letter that is personal rather than pastoral, yet the pastoral element is the main ©ne. The bulk of the letter is taken up with questions of Church doctrine and govern- ment, the treatment of the faithful members of the con- gregation and of the unruly and erring. The letter is addressed to Titus, not as a private individual, but as the delegate of the Apostle holding office in Crete. Hence, as in the First Epistle to Timothy, St. Paul styles himself an Apostle: and the official character of this letter is still further marked by the long and solemn superscription. It is evidently intended to be read by other persons besides the minister to whom it is addressed. The question of the authenticity of the Epistle to Titus, has already been in a great measure discussed m the first of these expositions. It was pointed out there that the external evidence for the genuineness in :. « ; , -it ■;;'l *i li 202 2W£ EriSTLE\\ro TITUS. all three cases is very strong, beginning almost certainly with Clement of Rome, Ignatius, and Polycarp, becom- ing clear and certain in Irenaeus, and being abundant in Clement of Alexandria and Tertullian. Of the very few people who rejected them, Tatian seems to have oeen almost alone in making a distinction between them. He accepted the Epistle to Titus, while reject- ing the two to 'nmothy. We may rejoice that Tatian Marcion, and others raised the question. It cannot be said that the Churches accepted this Epistle without consideration. Those who possessed evidence now no longer extant were convinced,^ in spite of the objections urged, that in this letter and its two companions we have genuine writings of St. Paul. With regard to modern objections, it may be Ireely admitted that there is no room in St. Paul's life, as given in thf Acts, for the journey to Crete, and the winter at Nicopohs required by the Epistle to Titus. But there is plenty of room for both of these outside the Acts, viz., between the first and second imprisonment of the Apostle. And, as we have already seen good reason for believing in the case of i Timothy, the condition of the Church indicated in this letter is such as was already in existence in St. Paul's time; and the language used in treating of it resembles that of the Apostle in a way which helps us to believe that we arc reading his own words and not those of a skilful imitator. For this imitator must have been a strange person ; very skilful in some things, very eccentric in others. Why does he give St. Paul and Titus a work in Crete of which there is no mention in the Acts "^ Why does he make the Apostle ask Titus to meet him in Nicopolis, a place never named in connexion with St. Paul? Why bracket a well-known person, like »> i. 1,4] »> ^\ HIS LIFE AND CHARACTER. 203 Apollos, with an utterly unknown person, such as Zenas ? It is not easy to believe in this imitator. Yet another point of resemblance should be noted. Here, as in i Timothy, there is no careful arrangement of the material. The subjects are not put together in a studied order, as in a treatise with a distinct theo- logical or controversial purpose. They follow one another in a natural manner, just as they occur to the writer. Persons with their hearts and heads full of things which they wish to say to a friend, do not sit down with an analysis before them to secure an orderly arrangement of what they wish to write. They start with one of the main topics, and then the treatment of this suggests something else : and they are not dis- tressed if they repeat themselves, or if they have to return to a subject which has been touched upon before and then dropped. This is just the kind of writing which meets us once more in the letter to Titus. It is thoroughly natural. It is not easy to believe that a forger in the second century could have thrown himself with such simplicity into the attitude which the letter pre-supposes. . It is not possible to determine whether this letter was written before or after the First to Timothy. But it was certainly written before the Second to Timothy. Therefore, while one has no sufficient reason for taking it before the one, one has excellent reason for taking It before the other. The precise year and the precise place in which it was written, we must be content to leave unsettled. It may be doubted whether either the one or the other would throw much light on the contents of the letter. These are determined by what the Apostle remembers and expects concerning affairs in Crete, and not by his own surroundings. IL is the 41 j 1 I y V 'h ^^^^^H ^^^^^H ^^^^^> 1 H 204 T//£ EPISTLE TO TITUS. official position of Titus in Crete which is chiefly before his mind. Titus, as we learn from the opening words of the letter, was, like Timothy, converted to Christianity by St. Paul. The Apostle calls him " his true child after a common faith." As regards his antecedents he was a marked contrast to Timothy. Whereas Timothy had been brought up as a Jew under the care of his Jewish mother Eunice, and had been circumcised by St. Paul's desire, Titus was wholly a Gentile, and "was not com-' pelled to be circumcised," as St. Paul states in the passage in which he tells the Galatians (ii. 1—3) that he took Titus with him to Jerusalem on the occasion when he and Barnabas went thither seventeen years after St. Paul's conversion. Paul and Barnabas went up to Jerusalem on that occasion to protect Gentile converts from the Judaizers, who wanted to make all such converts submit to circumcision. Titus and others went with them as representatives of the Gentile con- verts, and in their persons a formal protest was made against this imposition. It is quite possible that Titus was with St. Paul when he wrote to the Galatians; and if so this mention of him becomes all the more natural. We may fancy the Apostle saying to Titus, as he wrote the letter, " I sliall remind them of your case,' which is very much to the point." Whether Titus was personally known to the Galatian Church is not certain ; but he is spoken of as one of whom they have at any rate heard. I'itus was almost certainly one of those who carried the First Epistle to the Corinthian Church, i.e., the first of the two that have come down to us ; and St. Paul awaited his report of the reception which the letter had met with at Corinth with the utmost anxiety. I, 4-1 ins LIFE AND CHARACI'ER. 305 And he was quite certainly one of those who were entrusted with the Second Epistle to the Corinthians. vSt. Paul wrote the first letter at Ephesus about Easter, probably in the year 57. He left Ephesus about Pentecost, and went to Troas, wliere he hoped to meet Titus with lu'ws from Corinth. After waiting in vain he went on to Macedonia in grievous anxiety ; and there Titus met him. He at once began the second letter, which apparently was written piece-meal during the journey ; and when it was completed he sent Titus back to Corinth with it. That Titus should twice have been sent as the messenger and representative of St Paul to a Church in which difficulties of the gravest kind had arisen, gives us a clear indication of the Apostle's estimate of his character. He must have been a person of firmness, discretion, and tact. There was the monstrous case of incest, the disputes between the rival factions, conten- tions in public worship and even at the Eucharist, litigation before the heathen, and wild ideas about the resurrection, not to mention other matters which were difficult enough, although of a less burning character. And in all these questions it was the vain, fitful, vivacious, and sensitive Corinthians who had to be managed and induced to take the Apostle's words (which sometimes were very sharp and severe) patiently. Nor was this all. Besides the difficulties in the Church of Corinth there was the collection for the poor Christians in Judaea, about which St. Paul was deeply interested, and which had not been progressing in Corinth as he wished. St. Paul was doubly anxious that it should be a success; first, because it proved to the Jewish converts that his interest in them was substantial, in spite of his opposition to som.e of their views ■ secondly il iHi :i I I M 206 T//^ EPISTLE TO TFTUS. 1 I. M because u served to counteract the tendency to part asunder, wh.ch was manifesting itself betvveen the Jew,sh and Gentile Christians. And in car ^ g St Pau s „,structions about these matters Thus ev • c the Apostle wntes a strong connuendation of In ., c. phng hn„ ,s.^s. hin.self in his mission and .eal WhctI e a.,y nKpnrc about Titus, he is my partner and no- ie low-worker to you-ward. ri^anl. X^L God wh.ch putte^h the same earnest care for you into he heart of fatus. For indeed he accepted our exl o t' -on ; ut ben,g himself very earnest, he went ^or 1 uo Apostle takes care that, in making it clear to the Connth^ans that Titus has his full Authority or w he does no slight is cast upon Titus's own .eal a d interest m the Corinthians. " He is my representative but he comes of his own free will out'of fo. ^ y ' H,s vis.t to you is his own doing; but he Ins mv entn-e sanction. He is neither a nfeihan cd d eg 7 nor an unauthorized volunteer." <-'eiegate, A curtain falls on the career" of this valued help-mate of the great Apostle, from the tin.e when he carried the second letter to Corinth to the time when the le ter to hn.self was written. The interval was probably .o„ L e.ght or ten years, about which we know on'y on thmg that dunng it, and probably in the second S of t, Uie Apostle and Titus had been together in Cre e and ntus had been left behind to fonsoli 1 te U^ rm s .s no men loned in the book at all. The reading Titus Justus" in xviii. 7, is possibly correct, but it if far from certain : and even if it were certain, ^e should still remain in doubt whether Titus and Titus Jus s i-l,4] HIS LIFE AND CHARACTER. 207 are the same person. And the attem^ptT^J^l^wTw been made to identify Titus with other persons in the Acts, such as Silvanus or Timothy, are scarcely worth considenng Nor has the conjecture that Titus is the author of the Acts (as Krenkel, Jacobsen, and recently Hooykaas ni the lUlc for Yonu^^ Pcoplr have sug- gested) very mucl, to recom.nend it. The hypothesis has two facts to support it : (i) the silence of the Acts respecting Titus, and (2) the fact that the writer must have been a companion of St. Paul. But these two fac s are equally favourable to the tradition that St Luke was the author, a tradition for which the evidence .s both very early and xcry abundant. Why should such a tradition yield to a mere conjecture ? One thing, however, we may accept as certain :-that the tmie when St. Paul was being carried a prisoner to Kome in an Alexandrian corn-ship which touched at Crete was not the time when the Church in Crete was founded. What opportunity would a prisoner have of doing any such work during so short a stay ^ Cretans were among those who heard the AposMes at Pentecost preaching in their own tongue the wonderful works of God. Some of these may have returned home and formed the first beginnings of a Christian congregation • and among imperfect converts of this kind we might" expect to find the errors of which St. Paul treats in this Kpistle But we can hardly suppose that there was much of Christian organization until St. Paul and Titus came to the island after the Apostle's first Roman imprisonment. And the necessity of having some one with a calm head and a firm hand on the spot, forced the Apostle to leave his companion behind him The man who had been so successful in aiding him respect- ing the dimculties at Corinth was just the man to be 1^ li. 208 THE EPISTLE TO TITUS. i 1. entrusted with a somewhat similar but rather more permanent post in Crete. The Cretans were less civiiizecl, but in their own way scarcely less immoral, than the Corinthians ; and in both cases the national failings caused serious trouble in the Church. In both cases ecclesiastical authority has to be firmly upheld against those who question and oppose it. In both cases social turbulence has to be kept in check. In both cases there is a tendency to wild theological and philo- sophical speculations, and (on the part of some) to a bigoted maintenance of Jewish ordinances and super- stitions. Against all these Titus will have to contend with decision, and if need be with severity. The letter, in which directions are given for the carrying out of all this, is evidence of the great confi- dence which the Apostle reposed in him. One of those who had worked also in Corinth, is either already with him in Crete, or may soon be expected, — Apollos, and with him Zenas. So that the Corinthian experi- ence is doubly represented. Other helpers are coming, viz., Artemas and Tychicus ; and, when they arrive, Titus will be free to rejoin the Apostle, and is to lose no time in doing so at Nicopolis. One commission Titus has in Crete which very naturally was not given to him at Corinth. He is to perfect the organization of the Christian Church in the island by appointing elders in every city. And it is this charge among others which connects this letter so closely with the first to Timothy, which very likely was written about the same time. Whether Titus was set free from his heavy charge in Crete in- time to join St. Paul at Nicopolis, we have no means of knowing. At the time when the second letter to Timothy was written, Titus had gone to Dalmatia ; ■•1,4.] ins LIFE AND CHARACTER. 209 but wc are left in doubt as to whether he had gone thither by St. Paul's desire, or (Hke Demas in going to Thessalonica) against it. Nor does it appear whether Titus' had gone to Dalmatia from NicopoHs, which IS not far distant, or had followed the Apostle from Nicopolis to Rome, and thence gone to Illyria. With the journey to Dalmatia our knowledge of him ends. Tradition takes him back to Crete as permanent bishop ; and m the Middle Ages the Cretans seem to have regarded him as their patron saint. The impression left upon our mind by the Acts is that St. Luke knew Timothy and did not know Titus : and hence frequently mentions the one and says nothing about the other. The impression left upon our mind by the mention of both in Paul's Epistles, ai:d by the letters addressed to each, is that Titus, though less tenderly beloved by the Apostle, was the stronger man of the two. St. Paul seems to be less anxious about the conduct of Titus and about the way in which others will treat him. The directions as to his personal behaviour are much slighter than in the case of Timothy. He seems to credit him with less sensitive- ness and more decision and tact ; perhaps also with less liability to be carried away by fanatical views and practices than the other. Titus shares with Timothy the glory of having given up everything in order to throw in his lot with St. Paul, and of being one of his most trusted and efficient helpers. What that meant the Epistles of St. Paul tell us :— ceaseless toil and anxiety, much shame and reproach, and not a little peril to life itself. He also shares with Timothy the glory of being willing, when the cause required such sacrifice, to separate from the master to whom he had surrendered himself, and to 14 i i III ^1 : i It 210 rilR EPISTI.E TO TITUS. work on by himself in isolation and difficulty. The latter was possibly the more trying sacrifice of the two. To give up all his earthly prospects and all the sweet- ness of home life, in order to work for the spread of the Gospel side by side with St. Paul, was no doubt a sacrifice that must have cost those who made it a great deal. But it had its attractive side. Quite inde- pendently of the beauty and majesty of the cause itself, there was the delight of being associated with a leader so able, so sagacious, so invigorating, and so affectionate as the Apostle who " became all things to all men that he might by all means save some." Hard work became light, and difficulties became smooth, under the inspiriting sympathy of such a colleague. But it was quite another thing to have given up everything for the sake of such companionship and support, or at least in the full expectation of enjoying it, and then to have to undergo the hard work and confront the difficulties without it. The new dispensation in this respect repeats the old. Elisha leaves his home and his in- heritance to follow Elijah, and then Elijah is taken from him. Timothy and Titus leave their homes and posses- sions to follow St. Paul, and then St. Paul sends them away from him. And to this arrangement they con- sented, Timothy (as we know) with tears, Titus (we may be sure) with much regret. And what it cost the loving Apostle thus to part with them and to pain them we see from the tune of affectionate longing which pervades these letters. The example set by both master and disciples is one which Christians, and especially Christian ministers, must from time to time need. Christ sent forth both the Twelve and the Seventy " two and two " ; and what is true of mankind generally is true also of the ministry !f i. 1,4.] ///.V LIFE AND CHARACTER. 21 1 — " It is not good for man to be alone" But cases often arise in which not more than one man can be spared for each post ; and then those who have been all in all to one another, in sympathy and counsel and co-operation, have to part. And it is one of thp greatest sacrifices that can be required of them. Paul and Timothy and Titus were willing to make this sacrifice ; and it is one which Christ's servants through- out all ages are called upon at times to make. Many men are willing to face, especially in a good cause what IS repulsive to them, if they have the company of others m the trial, especially if they have the presence and support of those whose presence is in itself a refreshment, and their support a redoubling of strength. But to enter upon a long and trying task with the full" expectation of such advantages, and then to be called upon to surrender them,— this is, indeed, a trial which might well make the weak-hearted turn back. But their devotion to their Lord's work, and their confidence in His sustaining power, enabled the Apostle and his two chief disciples to make the venture; and the marvellous success of the Church in the age which immediately succeeded them, shows how their sacrifice was blessed. And we may be sure that even in this world they had their reward. " Verily I say unto you. There is no man that hath left house, or brethren, or sisters, or mother, or father, or children, or lands, 'for My sake, and for the Gospel's sake, but he shall receive a hundredfold now in this time, iiouses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, imlh persecutions; and in the world to come eternal life.''' 1^! \ Hi , i^ i !| CHAPTER XIX. Till' CHURCH IN CRETE AND ITS ORGANIZATION.- IHE APOSTLE'S DIRECriONS FOR APPOIN'I 'NG ELDERS. " For this cause left I thcc in Crete, that thou sliouldest ecc in order tlic tilings that were wanting, tind appoint cldery in every city, as I gave thee charge ; it" any man is blameless, the husband of one wile, having children that believe, who arc not accused of riot or unruly. For the bishop must be blameless, as God's steward." -Trrusi. 5—7. THIS passage tells us a great deil about the cir- cumstances which led to the writing of tlie letter. They have been touched upon in the previous chapter, but may be treated more comprehensively here. It is quite evident: (i) that the Gospel had been established in Crete for a considerable time when St, Paul wrote this to his delegate, Titus ; (2) that during the Apostle's stay in the island he had been unable to complete the work which he had in view with regard to the full establishment of the Church there ; and (5) that one of the chief things which remained undone, and which St. Paul had been compelled lO leave to Titus to accomplish, was a properly organized ministry. Tlierc was a large and scattered flock ; but for the most part it was without shepherds. It is quite possible that the Gospel of Christ was at least known, if not by any one believed, in Crete before St. Paul visited the islands. Cretans were MHi '.5-71 TflR CHURCri IN CkETF. 2>3 among those who heard tlic niiraculoiis preacliing of the Apostles on the day of Pentecost; and some of these may have returned to their ronntry, if not converts to Christianity, at any rate full of what they had seen and heanl of "the mighty works of God," as shown forth in the woids sp«.i II 1 \ ijj a point to be decided by Titus according to the principles laid down for nim by St. Paul. For we must not bmit the " as I gave th(-e cliarge " to tlie mere fact of appoint- ing ililcrs. ihe Apostle liad told iiim, not merely that elders must !)(> appointed, hut that they must be appointed in a particular way, and accoidiiig to a Iirescribed .system. The passage, therefore, tells us that there were a good many cities in which there were Christian congregations, and leaves us quite free to believe that some of these congregations were large enough to require several elders to minister to them and govern them. Secondly, the kind of person to be selected as overseer secMns to imply that Christianity has been established for a considerable time among the Cretans. The "elder" or " bishop " (for in this passage, at any rate, the two names indicate one and the same oflicer) is to be the father of a family, with children who are believers and orderly persons. The injunction implies that there are cases in which the father is a good Christian, but he has not succeeded in making his children good Christians. Either they have not become believers at all ; or, although nominal Christians, they do not conduct themselves as such. They are profligate, riotous, and disobedient. This implies that the children are old enough to think for themselves and reject the Gospel in spite of their parent's conversion ; or that they are old enough to rebel against its authority. And one does not use such strong words as " profligacy " or " riotous living " of quite young children. The prodigal son, of whom the same expression is used, was no mere child. Cases of this kind, therefore, in which the father had been converted to Christianity, but liad been unable to make the induencesof Christianity tell upon his own children, (JII t of he es :;n ke \ 5-7- /■///? ciirKcir rN ckf.tf.. 21? were rominon enough to make it worth St. Paul's wliile to give injunctions about tliem. And this implies a condition of things in which Christianity was no newly planted religion. The injiuictions arc intelligihl.' enough. Such fathers are not to he selected by Titus as ciders. A man who has so conspicuously failed in bringing his own household into harmony with the Gospel, is not the man to be promoted to rule the household of the Church. Kvcn if his failure is his misfortune rather than his fault, the condition of his own family cannot fail to be a grave impediment to his usefulness as an overseer of the congregation.* Thirdly, there is the fact that heresies already exist among the Cretan Christians. Titus, like Timothy, has to contend with teaching of a seriously erroneous kind. From this also we infer that the faith has long since been introduced into th(> island. The misbeliefs of the newly converted would be spoken of in far gentler terms. Thiy are errors of ignorance, which will disappear as fuller instruction in the truth is received. They arc not erroneous doctrines held and propagated in opposition to the truth. These latter require time for their development. From all these considerations, therefore, wc conokuie that St. Paul is writing to Titus as his delegate in a country in which the Gospel is no new thing. We arc not to suppose that the Apostle left Titus in charge of Christians who had been con- verted a very short time before to the faith. The incompleteness of the Apostle's own work in the * It is wortli while; Iicrc to repeat the caution that the Apostle's langu.iffe by no means implies that the <• elder'" or "bishop" musl be a married man with chiKIren. But it implies that lie will penerally be such ; and in njipoiiitini; him, the character of his family mufet be cnrofiilly considi red. \': 2l6 THE EPJSTLE TO TITUS. \ i.Ji ^ i! i, Is island IS spoken of in plain terms. Even in Churches in which he was able to remain for two or three years he was ol)ligc.d to leave very much unfinished ; and we need not be surprised that such was the case in Crete where he can ha.clly have stayed so lung. It was thi.s incompleteness in all his work, a defect quite unavoid- able ni work of such magnitude, that weighed so heavily upon the Apostle's mind. It was " that which pressed upon him daily,--anxiety for all the Churches " There was so much that had never been done at all • so much that required to be secured and established • so much that already needed correction. And while he was attending to the wants of one Church, another not less important, not less dear to him, was equally in need of his help and guidance. And here was the comfort of having such disciples as Timothy and Titus who, like true friends, could be indeed a "second self" to him. They could be carrying on his work in places where he himself could not be. And thus there was no small consolation for the sorrow of parting from them and the loss of their helpful presence. They could be still more helpful elsewhere. " For this cause left I thee in Crete, that thou shouldest set in order the things that were wanting." There were many things that were wanting in Crete • but one of the chief things which pressed upon the Apostle's mind was the lack of a properly organized ministry, without which everything must soon fall into confusion and decay. Hence, as soon as he has concluded his salutation, the fulness and solemnity of which IS one of the many evidences of the genuineness of the letter, he at once repeats to Titus the charge which he had previously given to him by word of mouth respecting this pressing need. A due ^npply ^ fl •v '*/ ■•5-7.1 THE CHURCH IN CRETE. 217 of elders or overseers is of the first importance for " setting in order " those things which at present are in so unsatisfactory a state. There are several points of inteit st in connexion with St. Paul's directions to 'I'itus respecting this need and the best way of meeting it. First. It is Titus himself who is to appoint these elders throughout the cities in which congregations exist. It is not the congregations that are to elect the overseers, subject to the approval of the -Apostle's delegate ; still less that he is to ordain any one whom they may elect. The full responsibility of each appoint- ment rests with him. Anything like popular election of the ministers is not only not suggested, it is by implication entirely excluded. But, secondly, in making each appointment Titus is to consider the congregation. He is to look carefully to the reputation which the man of his choice bears among his fellow-Christians :— " if any man is blameless . . . having children who are not accused oi noi .... For the bishop must be /;/aw^/^ss." A man in whom the congregation have no confidence, because of the bad repute which attaches to himself or his family, is not to be appointed. In this way the congregation have an indirect veto; for the man to whom they cannot give a good character may not be taken to be set over them. Thirdly, the appointment of Church officers is regarded as imperative : it is on no account to be omitted. And it is not merely an arrangement that is as a rule desirable: it is to be universal. Titus is to " appoint elders in every city." He is to go through the congregations "city by city," and take care that each has its elder or body of elders. Fourthly, as the name itself indicate?, these ciders are to be taken fiom the older men among the belie v(ts. ' iill ! '1 i VI 2l8 T//7i EPISTLE TO TITUS. As a rule they are to be heads of families, who have had experience of life in its manifold relations, and especially who have had experience of ruling a Christian household. That will be some guarantee for their capacity for ruling a Christian congregation. Lastly, it must be remembered that they are not merely delegates, either of Titus, or of the congregation. The essence of their authority is not that they are the representatives of the body of Christian men and women over whom they are placed. It has a far higher origin. They are " God's stewards." It is His household that they direct and administer, and it is from Him that their powers are derived. They are His ministers, solemnly appointed to act in His Name. It is on His behalf that they have to speak, as His agents and ambassadors, labouring to advance the interests oS. His kingdom. They are " stewards of His mysteries," bringing out of what is committed to them "things new and old." As God's agents they have a work to do among their fellow-men, through them- selves, for Him. As God's ambassadors they have a message to deliver, good tidings to proclaim, ever the same, and yet ever new. As "God's stewards" they have treasures to guard with reverent care, treasures to augment by diligent cultivation, treasures to distribute with prudent liberality. There is the flock, sorely needing, but it may be not greatly craving, God's spiritual gifts. The longing has to be awakened : the longing, when awakened, has to be cherished and directed : the gifts which will satisfy it have to be dispensed. There is a demand ; and there is a supply; a human demand and a Divine supply. It is the business of God's stewards to see that the one meets the other. V \ > '•5-7-] THE CHURCH. IN CRETE. 219 1:11 <1 "God's steward" is the key to all that follows respecting the qualities to be looked for in an elder or overseer of the Church : and, as the order of the words in the Greek shows, the emphasis is on " God's " rather than on "steward." The point accentuated is, not that in the Church as in his own home he has a household to administer, but that tiie household to which he has to minister is God's. That being so, he " as God's steward " must prove himself worthy of the commission which he holds : " not self-willed, not soon angry, no brawler, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre ; but given to hospitality, a lover of good, sober-minded, just, holy, temperate; holding to the faithful word which is according to the teaching, that he may be able both to exhort in the sound doctrine, and to convict the gainsayers." Such men, wherever he can find them, — and "//any man is blameless" is not meant to hint that among Cretans it may be impossible to find such,— Titus is to '^appoint " as ciders in every city. In the A.V. the phrase runs ''ordain elders in every city." As we have seen already (Chap. V.), there are several passages in which the Revisers have changed " ordain " into "appoint." Thus in Mark iii. 14, "He ordained twelve" becomes "He appointed twelve." In John XV. 16, " I have chosen you and ordained you " becomes, "I chose you and appointed you." In i Tim. ii. 7, " Whereunto I am ordained a preacher, and an apostle " becomes " whereunto I was appointed a preacher and an apostle." In Heb. v. i, and vin. 3, "Every high priest is ordained" becomes "every high priest is appointed." In these passages three different Greek words (TTote'w, Tidr)ixi, mdia-Trjfii) are used in the original ; but not one of them has the special ecclcsi- ii! 1^' i!! \ I 220 THE EPISTr.E TO T/TUS. :M. ' i< -i. as ca meaning wh.ch we so frequently associate with the ^v^rd " ordain " ; not one of them imphes as ordain m such context almost of necessity implies' a r,/c of ordination, a special ceremonial, such as the laynig on of hands. VVlun in Knglish we .ay ""Me ordained twelve," " I am ordained an a|,ostle," ''Vy.rv high pnest is ordained," the mind almost inevitably thinks of ordination in the common sense of the word- and this IS foisting upon the language of the New J estament a meaning which the words there used do not rightly bear. They all three of them refer to the appointment to the office, and not to rite or ceremony by which the person appointed is admitted to the office rhe Revisers, therefore, have done wisely in banishing from all such texts a word which to English readers cannot fail to suggest ideas which are not contained at all ,n the original Greek. If we ask in what way Titus admitted the men whom he selected to serve as presbyters to their office, the answer is scarcely a doubtful one. Almost certainly he would admit them as Timothy himself was admitted, and as he is in- structed to admit others, by the laying on of hands. But this IS neither expressed nor implied in the injunc- tion to -appoint elders in every city." The appoint- ment is one thing, the ordination another ; and even .n cases in which we are sure that the appointment involved ordination, we are not justified in sayinr^ ordain where the Greek says "appoint." The Greek words used in the passages quoted might equally well be used of the appointment of a magistrate or a steward. And as we should avoid speaking of ordainin^ a magistrate or a steward, we ought to avoid using ordain to translate words which would be thoroughly >n place in such a connexion. The Greek words for t' ■ i- 5-7.] THE CHURCH IN CRETE. 221 Mc " ordain " and " ordination," in the sense of imposition of hands in order to admit to an ecclesiastical office (Xeipoderel, x^f^poOecrla), do not occur in the New Testa- me.nt at all. It is worthy of note that there is not a trace here, any more than there is in the similar passage in I Timothy, of the parallel between the threefold minis- try in the Old Testament and a threefold ministry in the Christian Church, high-priest, priests, and Levites being compared with bishop, presbyters, and deacons. This parallel Avas a favourite one and it was made early. The fact therefore that we do not find it in any of these Epistles, nor even any material out of wliich it could be constructed, confirms us in the belief that these letters belong to the first century and not to the second. In giving this injunction to Titus, St. Paul assumes that his disciple and delegate is as free as he himself is from all feelings of jealousy, or envy. "Art thou jealous for my sake ? would God that all the Lord's people were prophets," is the spirit in which these instructions are given, and no doubt were accepted. There is no grasping after power in the great Apostl.,- of the Gentiles; no desire to keep everything in his own hands, that he might have the credit of all that was done. So long as Christ is rightly preached, so long as the Lord's work is faithfully done, he cares not who wins the glory. He is more than willing that Timothy and Titus should share in his work and its reward ; and he without hesitation applies to them to admit others in like manner to share with them in their work and its reward. This generous willingness to admit others to co-operate is not always found, especially in men of strong character and great energy k ' III (s % , 222 THE EPISTl.E TO TITUS. \ f and decision. They will admit subordinates as a necessary evil to work out details, because they can- not themselves afford time for all these. But they object to anything like colleagues. Whatever of any serious importance is done must be in their own hands and must be recognized as their work. There is nothing of this spirit in St. Paul. He could rejoice when some " preached Christ even of envy and strife," '' not sincerely, thinking to raise up affliction for him m his bonds." He rejoiced, not because of their evil temper, but because that at any rate Christ was preached. How much more, therefore, did he rejoice when Christ was preached " of good wiU " by disciples devoted to himself and his Master. They all had the same end in view ; not their own glory, but the glory of God. And this is the end which all Christian ministers have to keep in view, and which they too often exchange for ends that are far lower, and far removed (it may be) from the cause with which we choose to identify them. And as time goes on, and we look less and less with a single eye at the will of God, and have less and less of the single purpose of seeking His glory, our aims become narrower and our ends more selfish. At first it is the triumph of a system, then It IS the advancement of a party. Then it becomes the propagation of our own views, and the extension of our own influence. Until at last wc find ourselves working, no longer for God's glory, but simply for our own. While professing to work in His Name and for His honour, wc have steadily substituted our own wills for His. But it is only by forgetting ourselves that we find ourselves; only by losing our life that we find it "God's steward" must be ready to sink every per- ' • 5-7.] THE CHURCH IN CRETE. 223 sonal interest in the interests of the great Employer. He has nothing of his own. He deals with his Master's goods, and must deal with them in his Master's way. He who labours in this spirit will one day be rewarded by the Divine voice of welcome : " Vv^'ell done, good and faithful servant : thou hast been faithful over a few things ; I will set thee over many things ; enter thou into the joy of thy Lord." i li i% i I IV • If ■ I' ■' Hi CHAPTER XX, CHRISTIANITY AND UNCHRISTIAN LITERATURE. "One of themselves, a prophet of their own, said, Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, idle gluttons. This testimony is true. For which cause reprove them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith." — Titus i. 12, 13. THE hexameter verse which St. Paul here cites from the Cretan poet Epimenides is one of three quotations from profane literature which are made by St. Paul. Of the other two, one occurs in i Cor. xv. II, " Evil communications corrupt good manners " ; and the other in the Apostle's speech on the Areopagus at Athens, as recorded in the Acts (xvii. 28) : "For we are also his offspring." They cannot be relied upon as sufficient to prove that St. Paul was well read in classical literature, any more than the quoting of a hackneyed line from Shakespeare, from Byron, and from Tennyson, would prove that an English writer was well acquainted with English literature. It may have been the case that St. Paul knew a great deal of Greek classical literature, but these three quotations, from Epimenides, from some Greek tragedian, and from Cleanthes or Aratus, do not at all prove the point. In all three cases the source of the quotation is not certain. In the one before us the Apostle no doubt tells us that he is quoting a Cretan " prophet," and therefore quotes the line as coming from Epimenides. But a man may \ i. 12, 13.] UNCIIAjS TIAN I. ITER A TURE. 225 know that ^^" Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend nTe your cars " is Shakespeare, without having read a suigle play. And we are quite uncertain v.hether St. Paul had even seen the poem of Epimenides on Oracles in which the line which he here quotes occurs. The iambic which he quotes in the letter to the Corinthians, although originally in some Greek play (perhaps of Eu- ripides or Menander), had passed into a proverb, and proves even less than the line from Epimenides that St. Paul knew the work in which it occurred. The hali-line which is given in his speech at Athens, stating the Divine parentage of mankind, may have come from a variety of sources : but it is not improbable tiiat the Apostle had read it in the Pha'nomcna of Aratus, in which it occurs in the form in which it is reproduced in the Acts. This astronomical poem was popular in St. Paul's day, and he was the more likely to have come across it, as Aratus is said to have been a native of Tarsus, or at any rate of Cilicia. But even when we have admitted that tlie Apostle had read the Phwno- mma of Aratus or Cleanthes' Hymn to Zeus, we have not made much way towards proving that he was well read in Greek literature. Indeed the contrary has been argued from the fact that, according to the read- ing of the best authorities, the iambic line in the Corinthians is quoted in such a way as to spoil the scanning; which would seem to show that St. Paul was not familiar with the iambic metre.* If that was the case, he can scarcely have read even a single Greek play. But the question is not one of great importance, although doubtless of some interest. We do not need * XP'/ffTd o^iXiai instead of xp'n'rO' miXlai. 1 I m IS \ 226 THE EPISTLE TO TITUS. \ I this evidence to prove tiiat tlic Apostle was a person, not only of great energy and ability, but ^i{ culture. There arc passages in his writings, such as chapters xiii. and xv. in I Corinthians, which are equal for beauty and eloquence to anything in literature. Even among inspired writers few have known better than St. Paul how to clothe lofty thoughts in noble language. And of his general acquaintance with the moral philo- sophy of his age, especially of the Stoic school, which was very influential in the neighbourhood of Tarsus, there can be no doubt. Just as St. John laid the thoughts and language of Alexandrian philosophy under contribution, and gave them fuller force and meaning to express the dogmatic truths of the Gospel, so St. I'aul laid the thoughts and language of Stoicism under contribution, and transfigured them to express the moral teaching of the Gospel. Clea.'^hes or Aratus, from one or both of whom one of the three quotations comes (and St. Paul seems to know both sources, for he says "as certain even of your own poets have said"), were both of them Stoics : and , le speech in which the quotation occurs, short as it is in the Acts, abounds in parallels to the teaching of St. Paul's Stoic contem- porary Seneca. If St. Paul tells us that " the God that made the world and all things therein . . . dwelleth not in temples made with hands," Seneca teaches that "temples must not be built to God of stones piled on high : He must be consecrated in the heart of man." While St. Paul reminds us that God "is not far from each one of us," Seneca says " God is near thee : He is with thee ; He is within." Again, St. Paul warns his hearers that " we ought not to think that the God- head is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and device of man " ; and Seneca declares " Thou «• « 2, 1 3- ] UNCHRISTIAN LITER A TURE. 327 Shalt not form Ilini of silver and gold : a true likeness of God cannot be mouIJed of this material."* But the quotations are of other interest than their bearing upon tlie question as to the Greek elements in the education and teaching of St. Paul. They have a bearing also on the question of Christian use of profane authors, and on the duty of self-culture in general. The leading teachers of the early Church dilfered widely in their estimate of the value of heathen litera- ture, and especially of heathen philosophy. On the whole, with some considerable exceptions, the Greek Tathers valued it highly, as containing precious elements of truth, which were partly the result of dn-ect inspiration, partly echoes of the Old Testament I he Latin Fathers, on the other hand, for the most part treated all pagan teaching with suspicion and contempt. It was in no sense useful. It was utterly false, and simply stood in the way of the truth It was rubbish, which must be swept on one side in order to make room for the Gospel. Tertullian thinks that heathen philosophers are " blockheads wiien they knock at the doors of truth," and that " they have con- tributed nothing whatever that a Christian can accept " Arnobius and Lactantius write in a similar strain of contemptuous disapproval. Tertullian thinks it out of the question that a right-minded Christian should teach in pagan schools. But even he shrinks from telling Christian parents that they must allow their children to remain uneducated rather than send them to such schools. The policy of permitting Christian children to attend heathen schools, while forbidding Christian adults from teaching in them, appears singularly un- W I * Lightfoot on "Seneca and St. Paul,' in PlUUppians. pp. 2SS, 300. 11 228 THE EPISri.E TO TITUS. \ \ !'■ !l ( ■; M reasonable. Every Christian tcaclicr in a school rcntlcrcd tiiat school less objectionable for Christian children. But Tertullian urges that one who teaches pagan literature seems to give his sanction to it : one who merely learns it does nothing of the kind. The young must be educated : adults need not become school-masters. One can plead necessity in the one case ; not in the other {Dc Idol., x). But the necessity of sending a child to a pagan school, because otherwise it could not be properly educated, did not settle the question whether it was prudent, or even right, for a Christian in afterlife to study pagan literature ; and it required the thought and experience of several centuries to arrive at anything like a: consensus of opinion and practice on the subject. But during the first four or five centuries the more liberal view, even in the West on the whole prevailed. From Irenoeus, Tatian, and Hermias, among Greek writers, and from various Latin Fathers, disapproving opinions proceeded. But the influence of Clement of Alexandria and Origen in the East, and of Augustine and Jerome in the West, was too strong for such opinions. Clement puts it on the broad ground that all wisdom is a Divine gift; and maintains that the philosophy of the Greeks, limited and particular as it is, contains the rudiments of that really perfect knowledge, which is beyond this wcnid." Origen, in rebutting the reproa( .i of Celsus, thai the Gospel repelled the educated anu gave a welcome only to the ignorant, quotes the Epistle to Titus, pointing out that " Paul, in describing what kind of man the bishop ought to be, lays down as a qualification that he must be a teacher, saying that he ought to be able to convince tht; gainsayers, that by the wisdom which is in him he may stop the mouths of foolish talkers and «• la, 13.1 UNCHRISTIAN LITERATURE. 229 deceivers." The Gospt.-l gives a welcome to the learned and unlearned alike : to the learned, that they may become teachers; to the unlearned, not because it preftTS such, but because it wishes to instruct them. And he points out tiiat in enumerating the gifts of the Spirit St. Paul places wisdom and knowledge before faith, gifts of healing, and miracles (i Cur. xii. 8 — 10). Rut Origen does not point out that St. Paul himself makes use of heathen literature ; although immediately before dealing with the accusation of Celsus, that Christians hate culture and promote ignorance, he quotes from Callimachus half of the saying of Epi- menides, " Cretans are alway liars" {Con. Cels., III. xliii). What Origcn's own practice was we learn from the PcDicgyric of his enthusiastic pupil, Gregory Thauma- turgus (xiii.). With the exception of atheistic philosophy, which was not worth the risk, Origen encouraged his scholars to study everything; and he gave them a regular course of dinloriics, physics, and moral philosophy, as a preparation for theology. Augustine, who ascribes his first conversion from a vicious life to the Hortensiits of Cicero {Con/., III. iv. i), was not likely to take an extreme line in condemning classical literature, from which he himself frequently quotes. Of Cicero's Hortcnsius he says, " This book in truth changed my aflfections, and turned my prayers to Thyself, O Lord, and made me have other hopes and desires." He quotes, among other classical authors, not only Virgil, Livy, Lucan, Sallust, Horace, Pliny and Quintillian, but Terence, Persius, and Juvenal, and of the last from those Satires which are sometimes omitted by editors on account of their grossness. In his treatise On Christian Doctrine {II. xl.), he contends that wc % ' Iff I 2X0 I I f'l Iv ^ ' u THE EPISTLE TO TITUS. must not shrink from making use of all that is good and true m heathen writings and institutions. We must "spoil the Egyptians." The writings of his instructor Ambrose show that he also was well acquanned with the best Latin classies. In Jerome we have what may be called an essay on the subject. Kuffinus hadsuggestcd to Magnus, a Roman rhetorician, tha he should ask Jerome why he filled his writings with so many allusions and quotations taken from pagan literature, and Jerome in reply, after quoting the opening verses of the Book of Proverbs, refers him to he example of St. Paul in the Epistles to Titus and he Corinthians, and in the speech in the Acts. Then he points to Cyprian, Origen, Eusebius, and Apol- hnaris: "read them, and you will find that in com- pnnson vvith them we have little skill (in quotation)." Besides these he appeals to the examples, among Greek writers of Quadratus, Justin Martyr, Dionysius, Clement of Alexandria, Basil, Gregory Nazianzen etc.; and among Latins, Tertullian, Minucius Felix Arnobius, Hilary, and Juvencus. And he points oul that quotations from profane authors occur in neariy all the works of these writers, and not merely in those which are addressed to heathen. But while Jerome defends the study of classical authors as a necessary part of education, he severely condemns those clergy who amused themselves with such writers as Plautus (of whom he himself had been very fond), Terence, and Catullus, when they ought to have been studying the Scriptures. Later in life his views appear to have become more rigid ; and we find him -ejoicing that the works of Plato and Aristotle are becoming neglected It was the short reign of Julian, commonly called the Apostate" (a.d. l6i~i6z\ which had brought I ■■- 12, 13.1 UNCHRISTIAN IITERATURE. 2^1 the question very much to the front. His policy and legislation probably innuenced Augustine and Jerome in taking a more liberal line in the matter, in spite of Latm dislike of Greek philosophy and their own ascetic tendencies. Julian, jealous of the growing innuence of Christian teachers, tried to prevent them from lecturin"- on classical authors. From this he hoped to gain two advantages. ,) Secular education would to a large extent_ be tal -. out of Christian hands. (2) The Christian teachers themselves would become less well educated, and less able to contend with heathen controversialists. He sarcastically pointed out the inconvenience of a teacher expounding Homer and denouncing Homer's gods: Christians had better confine themselves to " expounding Matthew and Luke in the Churches of the Galileans," and leave the interpretation of the masterpieces of antiquity to others. And he seems not to have contented himself with cynical advice, but to have passed a law that no Christian was to teach in the public schools. This law was at once cancelled by his successor Valentinian ; but it provoked a strong feeling of resentment, and stirred up Christians to recognize and hold fast the advar.tages of a classical education. But while the innuence of the first three of the four great Latin Fathers was in favour of a wise use of the products of pagan genius, the innuence of the last of the four was disastrously in the opposite direction. In the period between Jerome and Gregory the Great two facts had had a calamitous efi'ect upon the cause of liberal education, (i) The inroads of the barbarians almost destroyed the imperial schools in Gaul and Italy. (2) The miserable controversies about Origen produced an uneasy suspicion that secular 2.^2 THE HPISTLE TO TITUS. ' ' f II 1' ' .lU , I ! I m\ ''■m,% study was prejudical to orthodoxy. It is perhans fn t js atter inHuence that we .ay l.^^ ^Zl a t,cal canons of unknown date and origin. In the a1n ; ''rT''''"' ^'- ^^-^ ^^'^ '■-^' "Abstain from all heathen books. For what hast thou to do with s^^ch subve t tlie fa.th of the unstable? For wliat defect dost thou find in the law of God, that thou sou d have recourse to those heathenish fables?" etc etc canoTt the' T '' ^"''^^^ "'^- 398, the i6th canon m the collection runs thus: "A bishon shall read no heathen books, and heretical books c^^y' whe" iiecessary." The Carthaginian synod of 39S Ts " 'action, and some of the canons in the collection deal with controversies of a much later date : but we need no doubt that all the canons were enacted in some C u. " or other n. the course of the first six centuries Th pn-.t o tlKs one is very much in harmony with e known tendencies of the sixth century; and we fi^d Gregory the Great(A.n. 544-604) making precieytle same regulation Me forbad bishops to'sLy hea'then literature, and in one of his letters (F/,/> iv J 1 rebukes Desiderius, Bishop of Vienn^;:; li g\ -^ clergy instruction in grammar, which involved the reading oi the heathen poets. " The praises of Chris do not admit of being Joined in the same mouth wh e praises of Jupiter; and it is a grave and exe rib e tlnng for bishops to sing what even for a religious hv man is unbecoming." The story that he p " o 1" bur. the Palatine library is not traced earlier't an t le tu-elfth century, and is probably untrue ; but it indi .te e tra itional belief respecting his ^titud o.a J classical literature. And it is certainly true that he w ;! i i. 12, 13.] UNCHRISTIAN LITERATURE. m 233 twice in Constantinople, and on the second occasion remained there three years (a.d. 579—582), and yet never learnt Greek. In his time, as we learn botii from himself and his contemporary, Gregory of Tours, the belief was very prevalent that the end of the \xox\k was at hand; and it was aigued that mankind had more serious things to attend to than the study of pagan literature— or indeed any literature that was not connected with the Scriptures or the Church. Hence- forward, in the words of Gregory of Tours, " the study of literature perished " : and, although chere were some bright spots at Jarrow and elsewhere, yet on the whole the chief services which Christianity rendered to Hassical learning during the next few centuries, were Me preservation of classical authors in the libraries of monasteries and the preservation of the classical lan- guages in the liturgies of the Church. The question will perhaps never cease to be argued although it is hardly probable that so extreme a view as that of Gregory the Great will ever again become prevalent. Let us take a statement of the question from the utterances of one who will not be suspected of want of capacity or of experience in the matter, or of want of sympathy with stern and serious views respect- ing education and life. "Some one will say to me perhaps," wrote John Henry Newnan in 1859, "our youth shall not be corrupted. We will dispense with all general or national literature whatever, if it be so exceptional ; we will have a Christian Literature of our own, as pure, as true as the Jewish." "You cannot have it. . . From the nature of the case, if Literature is to be made a study of human nature, you cannot have a Christian Literature. It is a contradiction in terms to attempt a Mi Hi>| nil ui 234 THE EPISTLE TO TITUS. If I / Sinless Literature of sinful man. You may gather together something very great and high, something higher than any literature ever was ; and when you have done so, you will find that it is not Literature at all. You will simply have left the delineation of man as such, and have substituted for it, as far as you' nave had anything to substitute, that of man, as he is or might be, under certain special advantages. Give up the study of man, as such, if so it must be; but say you do so. Do not say you are studying him, his history, his mind and his heart, when you are studying something else. Man is a being of genius, passion, intellect, conscience, power. He exercises his great gifts in various ways, in great deeds, in great thoughts, m heroic acts, in hateful crimes. . . . Literature records them all to the life. "We should be shrinking from a plain duty, did we leave out Literature from Education. For why do we educate except to prepare for the world ? Why do we cultivate the intellect of the many beyond the first elem.nt.- of knowledge, except ... to fit men of the world for the world ? We cannot possibly keep them from plunging into the world, with all its ways and principles and maxims, when their time comes ; but we can prepare them against what is inevitable; and it is not the way to learn to swim in troubled waters, never to have gone into them. Proscribe (I do not say particular authors, particular works, particular passages) but Secular Literature as sucli : cut out from your class books ail broad manifestations of the natural man; and those manifestations are waiting, for your pupil's benefit, at the very doors of your lecture room in living and breathing substance. They will meet him there in all the charm of novelty, and all the fascination of J ' d)\ I ■ i. 12, 13.] UNCHRISTIAN LITERATURE. 23s genius or of amiableness. To-day a pupil, to-morrow a member of the great world : to-day confined to the Lives of the Saints, to-morrow thrown upon Babel ;— thrown on Babel, without the honest indulgence of wit and humour and imagination ever permitted to him, without any fastidiousness of taste wrought into him| without any rule given him for discriminating ' the precious from the vile,' beauty fi'om sin, the truth from the sophistry of nature, what is innocent from what is poison." * Many Christians are apt to forget that all truth is of God; and that every one wlio in an earnest spirit endeavours to ascertain and to teach what is true in any department of human knowledge, is doing God's work. The Spirit, we are promised by Christ Himself, "shall lead ^oxxinto all the Truth.;' and "the Truth shall make you free." Our business is to see that nothing claims the name of truth unlawfully. It is not our business to prohibit anything that can make good its claim to be accounted true. Those who enjoy large opportunities of study, and especially those who have the responsibility not only of learning but of teaching, must beware of setting their own narrow limits to the domain of what is useful and true. It has a far wider range than the wants which we feel in ourselves or which we can trace in others. Even the whole experience of mankind would not suffice to give the measure of it. We dishonour rather than reverence the Bible, when we attempt to confine ourselves and others to the study of it. Much of its secret and inexhaustible store of treasure will remain J. H. Newman. Tl,c Scope mid Nntitrc of University E(tuaUion,x>\x 'V ~^.4'- '^'"^ ^^'"'o'c 'liscomsc, "The Cluucli and Liberal Educa- tion," is ail cioqucnt and iiublo vindication of tiic claims ollJtcrature. », I 236 THE EPISTLE TO TITUS. imd.scovered by us, until our hearts are warmed, our ■ntellects quickened, and our experience enlarged, by he masterpieces of human genius. " To the pure all things are pure." In the first century, in which the penis of heathenism to Christianity were tenfold what they are at present, St. Paul in plain terms told his converts that if they liked to accept the invitations of their heathen fnends and acquaintances, they need not scruple to do so (i Cor. x. 2;) ; and by his own example, he shows them that they may enjoy and use what is beautiful and true in heaU.en "iiterat^ire Lei us beware of narrowing the liberty wisely allowed by h.m. Each one of us can readily find out what is dangerous for khnsclf. There is plenty that is Z dangerous .Met him freely enjoy that. But the limits tliat are wise for ourselves are not to bind others Their liberty is not to be circumscribed by our con" rr^eof." ''"^'^ ^^^'^ ^^ ^'^ ^^^^'--^ ^- ^"^-s . I 11 : m mil . CHAPTER XXI. THE MEANING AND VALUE OF SOBERMINDEDNESS.- THE USE AND ABUSE OF RELIGIOUS EMOTION. "But speak thou tl.c things which befit the sound doctrine: that aged n>en be temperate, grave, sobermindcd, sound in faith, in love .n pafencc, that aged women likewise be reverent in demeanour' not slanderers nor enslaved to much wine, teachers of that which IS good ; that they may train the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, to be sobermindcd, chaste, workers at home VmA being in subjection to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed : the younger men likewise exhort to be sobcrmnided."— Titus ii. i— 6. T N marked contrast to the seducing teachers who 1 are described in the concluding verses of the first chapter, Titus is charged to teach that which is right "But speak thou the things which befit the sound doctrine." What they taught was to the last degree unwholesome, full of senseless frivolities and baseless distinctions respecting meats and drinks, times and seasons. Such things were fatal alike to sound and robust^ faith and to all moral earnestness. Belief was frittered away in a credulous attention to "Jewish fables," and character was depraved by a weak punctiliousness about fanciful details. As in the Pharisees, whom Jesus Christ denounced, scrupulosity about trifies led to neglect of " the weightier matters of the law." But in these " vain talkers and deceivers " I % m ♦ 238 THE EPISTLE TO TITUS. { k whom Titus had to oppose, the trifles by which they distracted their hearers from matters of the highest im- portance were not even the minor duties enjoined by the Law or the Gospel : they were mere "command- ments of men." In opposition to calamitous teaching of this kind, Titus is to insist upon what is healthy and sound, "^ Ml classes are to be att.nded to, and the exhortations especially needed are to be given to each : to the older men and older women, the younger women and the younger men, to whom Titus is to show himself an example : and finally to slaves, for salvation is c to all men, and is for no privileged class. It will be observed that the sound teaching which litus IS charged to give to the different sections of ills flock relates almost exclusively to conduct There IS scarcely a hint in the whole of this chapter that can be supposed to have reference to errors of doctrine In quite a general way the old men are to be exhorted to be " sound m faith " as well as in love and patience • but otherwise all the instruction to be given to old and young, male and female, bond and free, relates to conduct in thought, word, and deed.* Nor is there any hint that the "vain talkers and deceivers ' contradicted (otherwise than by an unholy hie) the mora l precepts whicli the Apostle here tells * This makes one again inclined to regret that tlie Revisers here and elsewhere have left "doetrine" as the translation of dwa^KaXla, while they have in most cases substituted "teachine" ior doctnne as the translation of 5.5axi It would hardly be possible to confine cither English word to either Greek vvord as Its uuanable rendering: but where both English words are adm.ss.ble ,t see..,s better to keep "tcachi.,g" (which is close to eacher iovS^3aa,aXU (which is close to t^SdaKuXo,) and reserve " doctrine " for didaxv (sec p. 47), i M \ ''. 1-6.] VALUE OF SOBERMINDEDNESS. Mil 239 his delegate to communicate abundantly to his flock. Wc are not to suppose that these mischievous teachers taught people that there was no harm in intemperance or slander, or unchast ty, or theft. The mischief which they did consisted in their telling people to devote their attention to things that were morally unprofitable, while no care was taken to secure attention to those things, the observance of which was vital. On the contrary, the emphasis laid upon silly superstitions led people to suppose that, when these had been attended to, all duties had been fulfilled ; and a careless, godless life was the result. Thus whole households were subverted by men who made religion a trade. This disastrous state of things is to be remedied by pointing out and insisting upon the observances which are of real importance for the spiritual life. The fatal lowering of moral tone which the morbid and fanciful teaching of these seducers produced, is to be counteracted by the bracing effects of wholesome moral teaching. No one can read through the indications which the Apostle gives of what he means by "wholesome teach- ing," without perceiving the key-note which rings through it ^W;— sobriety or sobennindedncss. The aged men are to be taught to be "temperate, grave sobcrmindcd." The aged women to be "reverent in demeanour," "that they may school the young women ... to be sobcrmindedr The younger men are to be " exhorted to be sobcrmindedr And in giving the reason for all this he points out God's purpose in His revela- tion to mankind; "to the intent that, denying ungodli- ness and woridly lusts, we should live soberly r Now, what is the precise meaning of this sobriety or sobermindedness, on which St. Paul insists so strongly m 240 THE EPISTLE TO TITUS, \\ < fn' iVl as a duty to be impressed upon men a.id women both old and young ? 'I'he vvords used in the original Greek (adycfjpoju, afO(f)povi^eiu, aw^povelv) signify, according, to their derivation,* " o^ sound mmd," " to make of soi'ud mind," and "to be of sunn! mind;" and the quality which they indicate is that mens sana or healthiness of mental constitution which shows itself in discreet and prudent conduct, and especially in sclf-conttul. This latter meaning is specially predominant in Attic writers. Thus Plato defines it as "a kind of order and a controlling of certain plefisures and desires, as is siiown by the saying that a man is 'master of himself ... an expression which seems to mean that in the man's soul there are two elements, a better and a worse, and when the better controls the worse, then he is said to be master of himself" {Rep., IV. p. 431). Similarly, Aristotle tells us that the lowest bodily pleasures are the sphere in which this vii cue of sell- control is specially displayed; that is, those bodily pleasures which the other animals share with man, and which are consequently shown to be slavish and bestial, viz., the pleasures of touch and taste {Eth. N., III. x. 4, 9 ; Rhet., I. ix. 9). And throughout the best Attic writers the vices to which self-control is opposed are those which imply immoderate indulgence in sensual pleasures. It is a virtue which has a very prominent place in heathen moral philosophy. It is one of the most obvious of virtues. It is manifest that in order to be a virtuous man at all one must at least have control * From (7WJ, "safe and sound," and , "mind." The associa- tions of the word arc seen in Aristotle's erroneous derivation {Etii. N., VI. V. 5) ; "Ei/e^ev Kai t^v auippoavvrjv toiit(^ irpojayoptvofjLev rcjj ovifi^t, uij awt^ovaav ttjv (ppivrjcriv. ii. 1-6.] VALUE 'F SOBEKMINDEDNESS. 241 over one's lowest appetites. And to a heathen it is one of tiie most impressive of virtues. All of us have experience of the difficulty of regulating our passions; and to those who know nothing of Christian teaching or of the grace of God the difficulty is increased tenfold. Hence to the savage the ascetic ..eems to be almost superhuman ; and even in the cultivated pagan absti- nence from bodily pleasure and steadfast resistance of sensual temptation excite wonder and admiration. The beautiful panegyric of Socrates put into the mouth of Alcibiades in the Symposium of Plato illustrates this feeling: and Euripides styles such virtue as the " noblest gift of the gods." But when this virtue becomes illuminated by the Gospel its meaning is intensified. The "soberminded- ness" or "sobriety" of the New Testament is some- thing more than the " self- control" or "temperance" of Plato and Aristotle. Its sphere is not confined to the lowest sensual enjoyments. Self-mastery with regard to such things is still included; but other things are included also. It is that power over ourselves which keeps under control, not only bodily impulses but spiritual impulses also. There is a spiritual frenzy analogous to physical madness, and there are spiritual self-indulgences analogous to bodily intemperance. For these things also self-mastery is needed. St. Paul in writing to the Corinthians sums up his own life under the two conditions of being out of his mind and in his right mind. His opponents at Corinth like Festus (Acts xxvi. 24), accused him of being mad' He IS quite ready to admit that at times he has been m a condition which, if they like, they may call mad- ness. But that is no affair of theirs. Of his sanity and sobriety at other times there can be no question ; 16 {,. 242 THE EPISTLE TO TITUS. V\ I'i and his rnnduct during these times of sobriety is of importance to them. " For whether wc went out of our mind " (e^earTtjfiei'), " it was for God, or are in our right mind ' (a-M(f)pnvovfi€U, " are of sober mind," R.V.), " it is for you " (2 Cor. v. 13). The Apostle "went out of his mind," as his enemies chose to say, at his con- version on the road to Damascus, when a special revelation of Jesus Christ was granted to him : and to this phase of his existence belonged his visions (Acts xvi. 9; xxvii. 23), ecstasies and revela ions (2 Cor. xii. I — 7), and his " speaking with tongues" (i Cor. xiv. 18). And he was " in his right mind " in all tlie great tact, and sagacity, and self-denial, which he exhibited for the well-being of his converts. It was absolutely necessary that the latter condition of mind should be the predominant one, and should control the other ; that the ecstasy should be excep- tional and the sobermindedness habitual, and that the sobermindedness should not be turned into self-exalta- tion by the remembrance of the ecstasy. There was so much danger of this evil in St. Paul's case, owing to " the exceeding greatness of the revelations " granted to him, that the special discipline of the " stake for the flesh " was given to him to counteract the temptation ; for it was in the flesh, that is the sinful principle of his nature, that the tendency to pride himself on his extraordinary spiritual experiences was found. St. Paul's case was, no doubt, highly exceptional ; but in degree, rather than in kind. Very many of his converts had similar, although less sublime, and per- haps less frequent, experiences. Spiritual gifts of a supernatural kind had been bestowed in great abun- dance upon many of the members of the Church of Corinth (i Cor. xii. 7 — 10), and were the occasion ii. 1-6.] VALUE OF SOBE/^MINPEDNESS. 243 of some of the grievous disorders which were found there, because they were not always accompanied by sobriety, but were allowed to become incitements to licence and spiritual pride. Few things show more plainly the necessity for self-control and soberminded- ncss, when men are under the influence of strong religious emotio-, t^ian the state of things existing among the C/rinthic... converts, as indicated in St. Paul's two le ter-, to t.om. They had been guilty of two errors. Tirsl, thex had formed an exaggerated estimate of son, wf chc gifts bestowed upon them, especially of the mysterious power of speaking with tongues. And, secondly, they had supposed that persons so highly gifted as themselves were above, not only ordinary precautions, but ordinary principles! Instead of seeing that such special privileges required them to be specially on their guard, they considered that they stood in no need of vigilance, and might safely disregard custom, and common decency, and even principles of morality. Previous to their conver- sion they had been idolaters, and therefore had had no experience of spiritual gifts and manifestations. Con- sequently, when the experience came, they were thrown off" their balance, and knew neither how to estimate these gifts, nor how to prevent "what should have been to their wealth, becoming to them an occasion of falling." It might be thought that the conditions of the Christian life of St. Paul and of his converts were too unlike our own to yield any clear lesson in this respect. We have not beeji converted to Christianity from either Judaism or paganism ; and we have received no special revelations or extraordinary spiritual gifts. But this is not so. Our religious life, like theirs, has its two ii< U I., I ^ I i: II 'il i 244 7'ir£ EPISTLE TO TITUS. \\\ different phases ; its times of excitement, and its times ot trecdom from excitement. We no longer work '".races, or speak with tongues; but we have our cxcepfonal monu-nts of impassioned feeh-ngs, and hi-h- srnng aspirations and suWime thoughts; and we tare .ni t as hable as the Corinthians were to plume our- selves upon them, to rest in them, and to tiiink that T^^ 'T..^'^'^ ^^"^"'' '"^^ '""^t necessarily be well with us. We cannot too often remind ourselves that such things are not religion, and are not even the material out of which religion is made. They are the scaffolding and appliances, rather than the formed edifice or the unformed stones and timber. They supply helps and motive power. They are intended to can-y us over difficulties and drudgery; and hence are more common in the earlier stages of a Christian's career than in the time of maturity, and at crises when the career has been interrupted, than when it is progressing with steadfast regularity. Conversion to Chr?stian;ty m the case of a pagan, and the realisation of what Christianity really means in the case of a nominal Christian, involve pain and depression: and the attempt to turn again and repent after grievous sin mvoh-es pain and depression. Strong religious emotion helps us to get the better of these, and may If we use It aright, give us an impetus in the righ; direction. But, from the very nature of things, it cannot continue, ad it is not desirable that it should. It will soon run its course, and we shall be left to go on our way u.th our ordinary resources. And our duty then IS twofold ;-first, not to repine at its with- drawa ; "the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken aw-y blessed be the Name of the Lord " : and, secondly, to take care that it does not evaporate in empty self- I -I "• 1-6.] VALUE OF SOBERMINDEDNESS. \i: complacency but is translated into action. Ti^s"^ Jeel.ng, that leads on to conduct, strengthens character • impassioned feeling, that ends with itself, weakens it' If religious excitement is not to do us more harm than good, by leaving us more insensible to spiritual influences than we were before, it mn.t be accompanied by the sobriety which refuses to be exalted by such an experience, and which, in making use of it, controls It. And, moreover, these warm feelings and enthu- siastic aspirations after what is good must lead on io calm and steadfast performai.c of what is good One act of real seif-denial. one genuine sacrifice of pleasure to duty, is worth hours of religious emotion and thousands of pious thoughts. But sobermindedness will no't only keep us from being pleased with ourselves for our impassioned feel- ings about spiritual things, and help us to turn them to good account ; it will also preserve us from what is even worse than allowing them to pass away without result VIZ talking about them. To feel warmly and to do nothing is to zmste motive power : it leads to hardening of the heart against good innuences in the future To fee warmly and talk about it is to abuse motive power • 1 leads to puffing up of the heart in spiritual pride" and to blinding the inward eye with self-complacency And this IS the fatal mistake which is made by soiue religious teachers at the present day. Strong feelings are excited in those whom they wish to lead from a life of sin to a life of holiness. Sorrow for the past and a desire for better things are aroused, and the sinner is hrown into a condition of violent distress and expecta- tion _ And then, instead of being gently led on to work out his salvation in fear and trembling, the penitent is encouraged to seek excitement again and again, and to III ^1 v'.W ■r^ * —.%.! > f 246 T//£ EPISTLE TO TITUS. \'\ l> 'U :, attempt to produce it in others, by constant rehearsing of his own religious experiences. What should have been a secret between himself and his Saviour, or at most shared only with some wise adviser, is thrown out publicly to the whole world, to the degradation both of what is told and of the character of him who tells it. The error of mistaking religious feeling for holiness, and good thoughts for good conduct, is a very common one ; and it is confined to neither sex, and to no period of life. Men as well as women, and the old as well as the young, need to be on their guard against it. And therefore the Apostle urges Titus to exhort all alike to be soberminded. There are times when to be agitated about religion, and have warm feelings either of sorrow or joy, is natural and right. When one is first roused to desire a life of holiness ; when one is conscience- stricken at having fallen into some grievous sin ; when one is bowed down under the weight of some great private or public calamity, or elated by the vivid appre- ciation of some great private or public blessing. At all such seasons it is reasonable and proper that we should experience strong religious emotion. Not to do so would be a sign of insensibility and deadness of heart. But do not let us suppose that the presence of such feelings mark us out as specially religious or spiritually gifted people. They do nothing of the kind. They merely prove that we are not utterly dead to spiritual influci, ls. Whether we are the better or the worse for such feelings, depends upon the use that we make of them. And do not let us expect that these emotions will be permanent, which will certainly not be the case, or that they will frequently return, which will probably not be the case. Above all, let us not be discouraged ii. 1-6.] P'ALUE OF SOBERMINDEDNESS. 247 or at if they become more and more rare, as time goes on. They ought to become more rare ; for they are sure to become less frequent as we advance in holiness. In the steady growth and natural development of the spiritual life there is not much need of them or room for them. They have done tlieir work when they have carried us over the breaicers, which troubled our early efforts, into the les.s excited waters of consistent obedience. And to be able to progress without them is a surer token of God's grace than to have them. To continue steadfast in our obedience, without the luxury of warm feelings and impassioned devotion, is more pleasing in His sight than all the intense longings to be freed from sin, and all the passionate supplications for increased holiness that we have ever felt and offered. The test of fellowship with God is not warmth of devotion but holiness of life. "Hereby know we that we know Him, if we keep His coinina/uiiiienis." ill m\ 11 m CHAPTER XXII. I'k ' i s'i 1 THE MORAL CONDITION OF SLAVES.-TIIEIR ADORN MENT OF THE DOCTRINE OF GOD. "Exliort servants to be in subjection to their own masters, ami to be weli-pleas.ng to tliem in all .things; not gainsaying; not ,.ur- loin.ng, but showing all- good fulelity; that tl>ey may acloru the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things."— Titus ii. 9, 10. OOMETHING has already been said in a prcviot.s ^:> discourse (on i Tim. vi. i, 2) respecting the in- stitution of slavery in the Roman Empire in the first age of Christianity. It was not only nchristian but inhuman ; and it was so widespread . at the slaves outnumbered the freemen. Neverthelc-.s the Apostles and their successors taught neither to the slaves that they ought to resist a dominion which was :mmoral both in effect and in origin, nor to the masters that as Christians they were bound to set their servants free.* Christianity did indeed labour for the abolition of slavery, but by quite other methods. It taught masters and slaves alike that all men have a common Divine parentage and a common Divine redemption, and con- sequently are equally bound to show brotherly love and The stories told in ]5ollnndus of K„„ian converts under Trajan and Diocletian, who at their baptism manumitted ' not very credible. Sueh things, if they happened ■ exceptional. Jvcs, are e 'J very k ii. 9, lo.] THE MORAL CONDITION OF SLA VES. 249 equally endowed with spiritual freedom. It showed that the slave and his master are alike children of God, and as such free; and alike servants of Jesus Christ, and as such bondmen,- -bondmen in that service which is the only true freedom. And thus very slowly, but surely, Chpstianity disintegrated and dis- persed those unwholesome conditions and false ideas which made slavery to be everywhere possible, and to seem to most men to be necessary. And wherever these conditions and ideas were swept away, slavery gradually died out or was formally abolished.* As the number of slaves in the first century was so enormous, it was only in accordance with human pro- bability that many of the first converts to Christianity belonged to this class ; all the more so, as Christianity, like most great movements, began with the lower orders and thence spread upwards. Among the better class of slaves, that is those who were not so degraded as to be insensible of their own degradation, the Gospel spread freely. It offered them just what they needed and the lack of which had turned their life into one great despair. It gave them something to hope for and something to live for. Their condition in the world was, both socially and morally deplorable. Socially they had no rights beyond what their lord chose to allow them. They were ranked with the brnies, and were in a worse condition than any brutes, for 'they were capable of wrongs and sufferings of which the brutes are incapable or insensible. And St. Chrysos- tom in commenting on this passage points out how * Pagan inscriptions carefully distinguish betuccn ft^cmen and Mavcs ; Limstian inscriptions seldom or never. There seems to be no well-ascertained instance in the Roman catacombs. Diet, of Chnst Ant., Vol, ij, p. 1904. • II' d ii 250 THE EPISTLE TO TITUS. II I I, I fO 1 1 ' vn% '^m inevitable it was that the moral character of slaves should as a rule be bad. They have uo motive for trying to be good, and very little opportunity of learn- ing what is right. Every one, slaves included, admits that as a race tl,cy are piiss-.-nate, intractable, and in- disposed to virtue, not because God has made ther; so, but from bad education and tl/., negiect of t'leir masters! The masters care nothing about theii- i,laves' mo. .-Is, except so far as their vices are likely to interfere with their masters' pleasujes or interests. Hence the slaves, haviiji; no one to care for them, naturally sink into an abyss of wickedness. Their chief aim is to avoid, not erirp.c, but being found out. For if free men, able to select their own society, and with maisy other advan- tages of education and home life, fnvi it difficult to avoid the contact and contaminating inHuence of the vicious, what can one expect from those who have none of these advantages, and have no possibility of escape from degrading surroundings ? They are never taught to respect themselves; they have no experience of persons who do respect themselves ; and they never receive any respect from either their superiors or their fellows. How can virtue or self-respect be learnt in such a school ? " For all these reasons it is a difficult and surprising thing that there should ever be a good slave." And yet this is the class which St. Paul singles out as being able in a peculiar way to adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things." " To adoni the doctrine of God." How is the doctrine of God to be adorned ? And how are slaves capable of adorning it ? ''The doctrine of God" is that whic? ^le teaches, which He has revealed for our instruct! It is His revelation of Himself. He is the au - of it, the ii. 9, 10.] THE MORAL CONDITION OF SLA VES. 251 giver of it, and the subject of it. He is also its end or purpose. It is granted in order that men may know Ilim, and love Him, and be brought home to Him. All these facts are a guarantee to us of its importance and its security. It comes from One Who is infinitely great and infinitely true. And yet it is capable of beuig adorned by those to whom it is given. There is nothing paradoxical in this. It is precisely those things which in themselves are good and beauti- ful that we consider capable of adornment and worthy of it. To add ornament to an object that is intrinsi- cally vile or hideous, does but augment the existing bad qualities by adding to them a glaring incongruity. Baseness, which might otherwise have escaped notice, becomes conspicuous and grotesque. No person of good taste and good sense would waste and degrade ornament by bestowing it upon an unworthy object. The very fact, therefore, that adornment is attempted proves that those who make the attempt consider the object to be adorned an object worthy of honour and capable of receiving it. Thus adornment is a form of homage : it is the tribute which the discerning pay to beauty. But adornment has its relations not only to those who bestow, but to those also who receive it. It is a re- flexion of the mind of the giver; but it has also an influ- ence on the recipient. And, first, it makes that which is adorned more conspicuous and better known. A picture in a frame is more likely to be looked at than one that is unframed. An ornamented building attracts more attention than a plain one. A king in his royal robes is more easily recognized as such than one in ordinary clothing. Adornment, therefore, is an advertisement of merit : it makes the adorned object more readily per- \\ m 1 m { H fy'Xl 5 \ r f ^ t' 5:1 :i' i| '> ■ n ill L :i 252 77/£- EPISTLE TO TITUS. ceived and more widely appreciated. And, secondly, if it IS well chosen and well bestowed, it augments the merit of that which it adorns. That which was fair before is made still fairer by suitable orname;it. The beautiful painting is still more beautiful in a worthy frame Noble ornament increases the dignity of a noble structure. And a person of royal presence becomes still more regal when royally arrayed. Adornment, therefore, is not only an advertisement of beauty, it is also a real enhancement of it. All these particulars hold good with regard to the adornment of the doctrine of God. By trying to adorn I and make it more beautiful and more attractive, we show our respect for it; we pay our tribute of homage and admiration. We show to all the world that we think It estimable, and worthy of attention and honour. And by so doing we make the doctrine of God better known : we bring it under the notice of others who nnght otherwise have overlooked it: we force it upon their attention. Thus, without consciously intending to be anything of the kind, we become evangelists : we proclaim to those among whom ^ve live that we have received a Gospel that satisfies us. Moreover, the doctrine which we thus adorn becomes really more beautiful in consequence. Teaching which nobodv admires, which nobody accepts-teaching which teachers nobody, IS a poor thing. It may be true, it may have great capabilities; but for the present it is as useless as a book in the hands of an illiterate savage, and as valueless as treasures lying at the bottom of the sea Our acceptance of the doctrine of God, and our efforts to adorn it, bring out its inherent life and develop its natural value, and every additional person who joins us in doing this is an augmentation of its powers. It is i ii.9,io.] THE MORAL CONDITION OF SLAVES. Within our power not only to honour and make betta- knmvn, but also to enhance, the beauty of the doctrine of God. But slaves,-and such slaves as were found through- out the Roman Empire in St. Paul's day,-what h^ve hey to do witli the adornment of the doctrine cf God ^ Wliy IS this duty of making tlic Gospel more beautiful specially mentioned in connexion with them ^ That the aristocracy of the Empire, its magistrates, its senators, Us commanders,-supposing that any of them cou d be induced to embrace the faith of Jesus Christ, -should be charged to adorn the doctrines which they had accepted, would be intelligible. Their acceptance of I would be a tribute to its dignity. Their loyalty to ,t would be a proclamation of its merits. Their accession to its ranks would be a real augmentation of Its powers of attraction. But almost the reverse of all this would seem to be the truth in the case of slaves Their tastes were so low, their moral judgment so debased that for a religion to have found a welcome among slaves would hardly be a recommendation of it to respectable people. And what opportunities had slaves regarded as they were as the very outcasts of society' of making the Gospel bettor known or more attractive ^ bo many a person, and especially many a slave might have argued in St. Paul's hearing; and noj altogether without reason and support from experience The fact that Christianity was a religion acceptable to slaves and the associates of slaves was from very early times one of the objections made against it by the heathen, and one of the circumstances which prejudiced men of culture and refinement against it It was one of the many bitter reproaches that Celsus brougr.v against Christianity, that it laid itself out to 254 THE EPISTLE TO TITUS. \ 4 carrli slavep, wunen, and children, in short tlie immoral, thc> <:nintellectual, and the ignorant classes. And we ne( tl not suppose that this was merely a spiteful taunt : it represented a deep-seated and not altogether un- reasonable prejudice. Seeing how many religions there were at that time which owcvi much of their success to the fact that they pandered to the vices, while they presumed upon the folly and ignorance of mankind, it was not an unjustifiable presumption that a new faith which won many adherents in the most degraded and vicious class of society, was itself a degrading and corrupting superstition. Yet St. Paul knew what he was about when he urged Titus to commit the " adorning of the doctrine of God " in a special manner to slaves : and experience has proved the soundless of his judgment. If the mere fact that ma: y slaves accepted the faith .. nld not do a great deal to recommend the power and beauty of the Gospel, the Christian lives, which they thence- forward led, could. It was a strong argument a fortiori. The worse the unconverted sinner, the more marvellous his thorough conversion. There must be sometiung in a religion which out of such unpromising material as slaves could make bedient, gentle, honest, sober, and cli.ste men and v .men. As Chrysostom puts it', when it v/as seen that Christianity, by giving a settled principle of sufficient power to coLmterbalance the pleasure- j. dn, was abl.^ to in-pos. a restraint upon a class so self-willed, and render them singularly well- behaved, then their masters, however unreasonable they might be, werr likely to form a high opinion of the doctrines whi- iccomplished this. So that it is neither by chance, r w lout reason, that the Apostle singles out this class of men : since, the more wicked m ii.9,io.] T//E MORAL CONDITION OF SLAVES. ^l^ they arc, the more admirable is the power of th-it preaching which reforms them. And St. Chrysostom goes on to point out that the way in which slaves are to endeavour to adorn the doctrine of God is by culti- vatmg precisely those virtues which contributr most to their masters' comfort and interest-submissivencss gentleness, meekness, honesty, truthfulness, and a faithful discharge of all duties. What a testimony conchict of this kind would be to the power and beauty of the Gospel ; and a testimony all the more powerful in the eyes of tho,^ iuasters who became conscious that these uespised Christian slaves were living better lives than their owners! The passionate man, who found his slave always gentle and submissive; the inhuman and ferocious man, who found his slave always meek and respectful ; the fraudulent man of business who noticed that his slave never pilfered or told lies • the sensualist, who observed that his slave was never intemperate and always shocked at immodesty ;-a]l these, even if they were not induced to become converts to the new faith, or even to take much trouble to understand it, would at least at times feel something of •espect, if not of awe and reverence, for a creed which produced such results. Where did their slaves learn these lofty principles ? Whence did they derive the power to live up to them ? The cases in which masters and mi-^ressc^ were converted through the conduct of their own slave^^ • -ere probably by no means rare. It was by the gradual innuence of numerous Christian lives, rather than by organized missionary effort, that the Gospel spread during the first ages of the Church; and nowhere would this gradual influence make itself more strongly and permanently felt than in the family and household W I m ; If 256 THE EPISTLE TO TITUS. % I ; l! i ' tl I if if ^ I fi Some slaves then, like some domestic servants now, stood in very close relations with their masters and niistress> s ; and the opportunities of " adorning the doctrine of God " would in such cases be frequent and great. Origen implies that it was no uncommon thing for families to be converted through the instrumentality of the slaves (Migne, Scries Grcvca, xi. 476, 483). One of tlie grievous moral defects of that most immoral age was the low view taken of the position of women in society. Iwen married women were treated with but scant respect. And as the marriage-tie was very commonly regarded as an irksome restraint, the con- dition of most women, even among the free-born, was degraded in the extreme. They were scarcely 'ever looked upon as the social equals and the necessary complement of the other sex ; and, when not required to minister to the comforts and pleasures of the men, were often left to the society of slaves. Untold evil was the natural result ; but, as Christianity spread, much good came out of the evil. Christian slaves sometimes made use of this state of things to interest their mistresses in the teaching of the Gospel ; and when the mistress was converted, other conversions in the household became much more probable. Another grievous blot on the domestic life of the time was the want of parental affection. Fathers had scarcely any sense of responsibility towards their children, especially as regards theii moral training. Their education generally was left almost entirely to slaves, from whom they learnt some accomplishments and many vices. They too often became adepts in wickedness before they had ceased to be children. But here again through the instrumentality of the Gospel good was brought out of this evil also. When the slaves, who had the care '■•a.o.J THE :^joi^^^j^ CONDITION OF SLAVED. i ■^bl mo'rals'o/''tf 'Tm' ^^^^^^^^^^^^^ morals of the children were carefully guarded ■ and in many cases the children, when the/came to year o discretion, embraced Christianity ^ Ho^°!i T^^^hese the only ways in which the most degraded and dc.pised class in the society of that age were able to "adorn the doctrine of God " sLtS were not only an ornament to the faith by their lives • they adorned it also by their deaths. Not a few llv 1' won the n,artyr's crown. Those who have read t n Churchl if \ t" '^ ^^'"" '-^"^ ^>-^- '- the Churches of Asia Minor and Phrygia, will not need to with her mistress m the terrible persecution in Gaul under Marcus Aurelius in the year 177. Eusebk has preserved the greater portion' of tl J letter te beginning of the fifth book of his Ecclesiastical History rll T " '"" ''" '° """"^ ''' '^ "^t i" '^^ original G ek, at least in a translation. It is an authentic and priceless account of Christian fortitude What slaves could do then we all of us can do now We can prove to all for whom and with whom we work hat we really do believe and endeavour to live up to how to an' T '?''''■ ^' ^^^ "^- - ^-^d - -" loyal to Chnst. By avoiding offence in word or in deed and by welcoming opportunities of doing good to others we can make His principles better knLn. And by doing all this brightly and cheerfully, without OS en ation or affectation or moroseness, we'can mak His principles attractive. Thus we also can "adorn the doctrine of God in all things " "In all things." That all-embracing addition to the 17 ll 'I ti-' I fi^'i 1:1 THE EPISTLE TO TITUS. Apostolic injunction must not be lost sight of. There is no duty so humble, no occupation so trifling, that it cannot be made into an opportunity for adorning our religion. " Whether ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God " (i Cor. x. 31). f. There ag, that it rning our aisoever yc CHAPTER XXIII. HOPE AS A MOTIVE POIVER.-THE PRESENT HOPES OF CHRISTIANS. worldly lusts, wc sl'.ould 1 e o i; '; ;, '.'Z"^ ""^°^»-- -'^ this preseat world; looking for t c W^ st f 'T" H """^ '" tl- glory of our great God and Saviou Jcs ck ,/ '"' ,''f'P"''"'^ ""' self for us, that He mip-ht r,.,!,. ^' ' ^^''° S^^^ Him- Himself a' Xle^rfl 3 t ",;;: Slion ' 1^^ ^ P"'"'^ -- These things speak and exhort and rep ^ .^ ,"^1 T"' ""'^• no man despise thee."-TiTus ii. xl'l^i authority. Let T^F^nf^H ''"'."°,' "''"^ P"'""^'^'^ *" ''^^ Pastoral A Epistles which treat so plainly as this does of T- r- ^' ^'"'' ^' P^"^ ^^^^"^^« that his delegates Timothy and Titus, are well instructed (as he W they were) in the details of the Christian faith, and he does not stay even to remind them of what he had frequently taught to them and to others in their ore sence. The purpose of the Epistles is to give practical rather than doctrinal instruction ; to teach Timothy and Titus how to shape their own conduct, and wha^ kind of conduct they are chiefly to insist upon in the different classes of Christians committed to their charge Here however, and in the next chapter, we have marked exceptions to this method. Yet even here the exception is more apparent than real ; for the doctrinal statements are introduced, not as truths to be recoc^nr-ed ll m II ■' i n i i rfw wwwfc. 260 THE EPISTLE TO TITUS. 'M I if and believed (it is taken for granted that they are recognized and believed), but as the basis of the practical exhortations which have just been given. It is because these great truths have been revealed, because life is so real and so important, and because eternity is so certain, that Titus is to exert all his influence to produce the4>est kind of conduct in his flock, whether men or women, old or young, bond or free. The passage before us might • almost serve as a summary of St. Paul's teaching. In it he once more insists upon the inseparable connexion between creed and character, doctrine and life, and intimates the close relations between the past, the present, and the future, in the Christian scheme of salvation. There are certain facts in the past, which must be believed ; and there is a kind of life in the present, which must be lived ; and there are things in store for us in the future, which must be looked for. Thus the three great virtues of faith, charity, and hope are inculcated. Two Epiphanies or appearances of Jesus Christ in this world are stated as the two great limits of the Christian dispensation. There is the Epiphany of grace, when the Christ appeared in humility, bringing salvation and instruction to all men ; and there is the Epiphany of glory, when He will appear again in power, that He may claim as His own possession the people whom He has redeemed. And between these two there is the Christian life with its "blessed hope," the hope of the Lord's return in glory to complete the kingdom which His first Advent began. Most of us make far too little of this " blessed hope." It is of incalculable value ; first, as a test of our own sincerity and reality ; and secondly, as a source of they are is of the given. It revealed, d because irt all his uct in his I, bond or erve as a once more veen creed :s the close the future, are certain nd there is lived ; and aire, which ; virtues of Epiphanies I are stated ispensation. the Christ instruction glory, when ay claim as s redeemed, an life with s return in first Advent ^ssed hope." of our own 1 source of "■ "-'Si "O/'^ ^' -^ MOTIVE I'OU'EK. ,,, Strength tf, carry us over the difficulties an7di^nn)„r ments which beset our daily course. ^'^"PP"'"'- There ,s perhaps no more certain test of a Christian's earnestness than the question whether he does d se ve thafr '"\ '"""'"'^ P'^^^"'^"^" "»„,. dread O, c " r ° "'"^ '""« "'""'' '° ""P-^ '"^ o^- 'o ,hT H ?! T '^"^"' '"" '° *'nk about it ; they l;„ow tllat doubts have been entertained on the kbiect Z as the .op,e is not a pleasant one to .hem, they dismiss t as much as possible from their minds, ivitl/tl'e wish that the doubts about there being any return of CiTri, e'sucT:h'tT''V""-'°""'^^^ ''' *- "--'^^ th'rrm ;S , jlidgmlt'^^Sh""™ •'" ''''"^ "«' J c uu juagment. Others again, who on fhp o trXr7r r r"^" '•'^'■^"■'^" lives, 'neverth:. thcth, trri, .. '^' "^ the godless, in that the ev , f „^''"'' * '■'^""■" (°f the certainty of which who a Ld. in H ^''''^"'''y "^^ <^-e with those wno are kept )n the right way much more by the fear of hell than bv the love nF r„j , ■' heaven Th i, , ■ ''' °'' "^^en the hope of hea en They beheve and tremble. Tl,ey believe in irrceXir\tirro^ri^^^ Tity ' ;:' :r *^t -t °' '^= ^°^= °f ** •' ••'.n tvr.or at the tliought of inevitable punish- iff ( Ml i I 262 77//^ EPISTLE TO TITUS. ment ; and to have done what is right fills them with no joy, because they have so little love and so little hope. Those who find from experience that the thought of Christ's return in glory is one on which they seldom dwell, even if it bo not positively unwelcome, may be sure that there is something defective in their life. Either they are conscious of shortcomings which they make little or no attempt to correct, the recollection of which becomes intolerable when confronted with the thought of the day of judgment (and this shows that there is a great lack of earnestness in thi ir religious life) ; or they are being content with low motives for avoiding iniquity and striving after right- eousness, and thus are losing a real source of strength to help them in their efforts. No doubt there are persons over whom high motives have little influence, and can have but little influence, because they are as yet unable to appreciate them. But no one in watching over either his own soul or the souls of others can afford to be content with such a state of things. Childish things must be put away, when they cease to be appropriate. As the character develops under the influence of loWer motives, higher motives begin at times to make themselves felt; and these must gradually be substituted for the others. And when they do make themselves felt, high motives are much more powerful than low ones ; which is a further reason for appealing to them rather than to the others. Not only is a man, who is capable of btnng moved both by the fear of hell and by the love of God, more influenced by the love than by the fear ; but love has more power over his will than fear has over the will of one who cannot be influenced by love. I hem with so little thought ly seldom 2, may be their life, hich they collection ited with lis shows in their with low ter right- strength there are influence, ley are as watching thers can if things. hey cease )ps under ves begin ese must md when arc much ler reason ers. Not 3ved both lod, more : love has ;r the will "■ "''-^-'L__^^'^ ''■^' ^ -'^^^^'^''''^ POWER, 263 All this tends to show how mucli is lost by those ^^'ho make no effort to cultivate in their minds a feeling of joy at the thought of " the appearing of the glory of our great God and Saviour Jesus Christ " They lose a great source of strength by neglecting to cultivate what would be a powerful motive to help them on the right way. Nor does the loss end here. With it they lose much of the interest which they would otherwise take in all that helps to "accomplish the number of God s e ect and to hasten His kingdom." Christians pray daily^ and perhaps many times daily, "Thy kingdom come. But how few realize what they are praying for! How few really long that their prayer may be speedily granted ! How few take a keen and untiring interest in all that promotes the coming of the kingdom I And thus again motive power is lost ; for if we had but the eyes to see, and the heart to appreciate, all that IS going on round about us, we should feel that we live, as compared with our forefathers, in very encouraging times. • We are often enough told that Christianity in general and the Church of England in particular, is at the present time passing through a great crisis ; that this IS an age of peculiar dangers and difficulties ; that we hve in times of unblushing vice and uncompromising scepticism; and that the immensity of our social commercial, and political corruption is only the natural outcome of the immensity of our irreligion and unbelief lhese_ things may be true; and there is no earnest Christian who has not at times been perplexed and saddened by them. But, thank God, there are other thuigs which are equally true, and which ought to be equally recognized and remembered. If the present is ail age of peculiar dangers and boundless Irreligion m 264 THE EPISTLE TO TITUS. \"' \ it is also an age of peculiar encouragements and boundless hope. There are Christians who love to look back to some period in the history of the Church, which they have come to regard as a sort of golden age ; an age in which conmiunities of saintly men and women were ministered to by a still more saintly clergy, and in which the Church went beautifully on its way, not altogether free from persecutions, which were perhaps necessary for its perfection, but uivjroublcd by doubts, or dissensions, or heresies, and unstained by worldli- ncss, apostasy, or sloth. So far as the experience of the present writer has carrieil him, no such golden age can be found in the actual history of the Church. It is not to be found in the New Testament, either before or after Pentecost. We do not find it, where we might have expected to find it, in the period when Christ was still present in the flesh as the Ruler and Instructor of His Church. That period is marked by the ignorance and unbelief of the Apostles, by their quarrels, their ambition for the first places in an earthly kingdom, their intolerant spirit, by the flight of all of them in the hour of Christ's danger, by the denials of St. Peter, by the treachery and suicide of Judas. Nor do we find it, where again we might have expected to find it, in the age immediately succeeding the completion of Christ's work, when the Apostles, newly anointed with the Spirit, were still alive to direct and foster the Church which He had founded. That period also is marred by many dis- figuring marks. Apostles can still be timeserving, can still quarrel among themselves ; and they also experience what it is to be forsaken and opposed by their own disciples. Their converts, as soon as the Apostle who ;ments and ick to some 1 the}' have ; an age in omen were •gy, and in s way, not 2re perhaps by doubts, by worldli- periencc of golden age Lirch. lent, either expected to present in [is Church. unbelief of ion for the srant spirit, of Christ's i treachery Inhere again ni mediately , when the were still :h He had many dis- erving, can experience their own .postlc who iin-is.] HOPE AS A MOTIVE POWER. 265 established them in the faith is withdrawn, and sometimes even winle he is still with them, become guilty of the gravest errors in conduct and belief Witness the mon- strous disorders in the Churcli of Corinth, the fickleness of he Galatian converts, the unchristian asceticism of the Co ossian heretics, the studied immorality of those of Ephesus. Tlie Church which was presided over by St rimothy was tlie Church of Alexander, 1 lymen^us, and I h.letus, who removed the very corner-stone of the faith by denying the Resurrection ; and the Churches which were presided over by St. John contained the Nico- aitans, condemned as hateful by Jesus Christ, and Diotrephes, who repudiated the Apostle and excom- municated those who received the Apostle's messengers And there is much more of the same sort, as the l^s.toral Epistles show us, proving that what comes to us at hrst as a sad surprise is of still sadder frequency and that the Apostolic age had defects and stains al at least a,c, serious as those which deface our own. The failure to find any golden age in either of these two divisions of the period covered by the New Testa- n.cnt ought to put us on our guard against expecting to d rn/ /'; 'r^ ^"bsequent period. And it would nof be d fhcu t to ta e each of tne epochs in the history of the Church which have been selected as specially bright n ss'thr ;"!' f"^'"^ ^" ^^'^^^--' ^'--tly we pass through the hazy glow, which the imagination of later writers has thrown around such periods, and ge down o solid facts, then, either the briglui ess rfnd ■LT^ hT" '""' ^° '^^ '""^°^^' - ''-'/-- - '" er- oal need by many dark spots and disorders. The age of he martyrs is the age of the lapsed; the ages of au are the ages of fraud ; and the a^. o/great Ju^ ess are the ages of great corruption.. In the first centuries ■ii' If, % \x Tin sasmmm fumm 266 '/■//£ EPISTLE TO TITUS. increase of numbers was marked by increase of heresies and schisms; in the middle ages, increase of power by increase of pride. A fair comparison of the period in which our own lot has been cast with any previous period in the history of the Church will never lead to any just feeling of discouragement. Indeed it may reasonably be contended that at no era since Christianity was first founded have its prospects been so bright as at the present time. Let us look at the contest between the Gospel and heathenism, — that great contest which has been going on since '• the grace of God appeared bringing salvation to all men," and which is to continue until " the appearing of the glory of our great God and Saviour." Was there ever a time when missions were more numerous or better organized, and when missionaries were as a rule better instructed, better equipped, or more devoted ? And although it is impossible to form a correct estimate on such a subject, because some of the most important data are beyond our reach, yet it may be doubted whether there ever was a time when missions achieved more solid success. The enormous growth of the colonial and missionary episcopate during the last hundred years is at any rate one great fact which represents and guarantees a great deal. Until 1787 there was not a single episcopal see of the Anglican communion in any of the colonies or settlements of the British Empire ; still less was there a single missionary bishop. And now, as the Lambeth Conferences remind us, these colonial and missionary bishops are not far short of a hundred, and are always increasing.* * Including the English and American bishops, invitations to two hundred and nine prelates were issued for the Lambeth Conference in 1888. ^S) ;i; •i-n-i5.] HOPE AS A AIOTJV£ POWER 267 Or let us \:m at the relations between the great Churches into which Christendom is unhappily divideci Was there ever a period at whicli there was less bitterness, or more earnest 'and wide-spread desire for the restoration of unity ? And the increased desire for reunion comes hand in hand with an increase of the conditions which would render reunion possible. Two things are absolutely indispensable for a successful attempt in this direction. First, a large measure of culture and learning, especially among the clergy of the divided Churches; and secondly, intelligent religious zeal. Ignorant controversialists cannot distinguish between important and unimportant differences and thus aggravate rather than smooth difficulties. And without religious earnestness the attempt to heal differences ends in indifferentism. Both these indis- pensable elements are increasing, at any rate in the Anglican and in the Eastern Churches: and thus reunion, which "must be possible, because it is a duty," is becoming not only a desire but a hope. Let us look again at our own Church; at its abundant machinery for every kind of beneficent object- at the beautiful work which is being done in a quiet and simple way by numbers of Christian men and women in thousands of parishes ; at the increase in services, in confirmations, in communions; at the princely offerings of many of the wealthy laity ; at the humble offerings— equally princely in God's sight— ot many of the poor. Can we point to a time when party feeling (bad as it still is) was less rancorous, when parishes were better worked, when the clergy were better educated or more self-sacrificing, when the people were more responsive to what is being done for them ? I '*! 268 THE EPISTLE TO TITUS. I i ! . The very possibility of seriously raising such questions as these is in itsi If a reason for taking courage, even if we cannot answer all of them in the way that would please us most. There are at any rate good grounds for hoping that much is being done for the advancement of Christ's dominion, and that the prayer " Thy kingdom come " is being answered day by day. If we could but convince ourselves more thoroughly of the truth of all this, we should work more hopefully and more earnestly. More hopefully, because we should be working with a consciousness of being successful and making progress, with a conviction that we are on the winning side. And more earnestly, not merely because hope makes work more earnest and thorough, but also because we should have an increased sense of responsibility : we should fear lest through nny sloth or negligence on our part such bright ',jvo;-pects should be marred. The expectation of defeat jDakes some men strive all the more heroically ; but most men it paralyses. In our Christian warfare we certainly need hope to carry us onward to victory. "The appearing of the glory of our great God and Saviour Jesus Christ." Among the foolish charges which have been brought against the Revisers is that of favouring Arian tendencies by blurring those texts which teach the Divinity of Jesus Christ. The present passage would be a sufficient answer to such a charge. In the A.V. we have " the glorious appearing of the great God, and our Saviour Jesus Christ," where both the wording and the comma make it clear that " the great God" means the Father and not our Saviour. The Revisers, by omitting the comma, for which there is no authority in the original, and by placing the "our" before both substantives, have given their aising svich 1 for taking them in the e at any rate ;ing done for md tliat the nswered day •selves more should work re hopefully, sciousness of I a conviction )re earnestly, ! earnest and an increased lest through such bright tion of defeat -oically ; but I warfare we victory, eat God and lish charges 'isers is that J those texts The present uch a charge. ;aring of the ' where both ar that "the our Saviour. ■ which there placing the given their ^]-2^-^^^^_^0PE^A MOTIVE POIVER. ,f^ ^ot .n r ^^'^"^ ' ^" «PPly to Jesus Christ. It is bu r < 7'r °' ''^ ^''""'^ ^^h'^h is in his mind but the Epiphany of tn. glory of our great God and Saviour Jesus Christ cerlaimv^lf "^ ,"' "' ?"'' '^ ^" '^^ -b^'^'e certainty ,s „ot attainable; but context the col ocat,on of the words, the .,sc of the word "E ^ 'a. *^ and the o„„.«,on of the article before "Saviour" And, ,f ,t be adopted, we have here one of the plaines and n,ostd,rect statements of the Divinity of Chri .o be ound ,„ Scripture. As such it was en,ployed in the Ar«n controversy, although Ambrose seems to have understood the pa,.age as referring to the Father a,S Chnst, and not to Christ aione. The force of whit oliows ts enhanced, if the Revisers' rendering, which L as , ^ ^/™"""'"'"" ''"""""«• i^ niaintaitd. It s, that He might "redeem us from all iniquity" and It It m ""'""■ "'"'^'^'f He «„„<,< save." turn baTr? '' '"""f""' "'^' ""= '^-'"^ Son should turn back from making us " a people for His own possessioi^" Let us strengthen ourselves in ""hop 'h:r„"a™;" " ""■" *'^ ^™'°- P-P- -e ner \-4\ if, i IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-S) 1^ ,#A ^<^*?* *■"« ^ 1.0 I.I I^i2.8 ■ 30 ^^^ Hf 1;° 12.5 2.0 L8 1-25 1.4 1.6 1 -4 ... '" ' u ■n V] <^ /a / ^s. Mf S^ ^ Photographic Sciences Corporation 23 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. 14580 (716) 872-4503 \ ^^ :\ \ % .V ^1} <5> ;\ :™ CHAPTER XXIV. THE DUTY OF OBEDIENCE TO AUTHORITY, WITH ITS LIMITS; THE DUTY OF COURTESY WITHOUT LIMITS. "Put them in mind to be in. subjection to rulers, to authorities, to be obedient, to be ready unto every good work, to speak evil of no man, not to be contentious, to be gentle, showing all meekness toward all men for we also were aforetime foolish, disobedient, deceived, servmg divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, hatingoneanother"— Titus iii. 1—3. OT. PAUL, having in the previous chapter sketched ^ the special duties which Titus is to inculcate upon different classes of Christians, -aged men and aged women, young women, young men, and slaves,-now passes on to point out what must be impressed upon all Christians alike, especially as regards their conduct towards those who are in authority and who are not Christians. Here he is on delicate ground. The Cretans are said to have been a turbulent race, or rather a group of turbulent races; neither peaceable among themselves nor very patient of foreign dominion : and the Roman rule had been established there for less than a century and a half. Previous ',o their conquest by Metellus in B.C. 67,- they had been accustomed to democratic forms of government, and therefore would be likely to feel the change to the Roman yoke all the more acutc.y. As t^J^'ghU^s, p^^^^^^^^ island have themselves,, and to fishtLnl^'"^^ ^° misgovern generations, do not refd irgve'a'tT"'"^' '°^ "^^"^ which deprives them of L , l """^ '° ^ Po^er offers in exchange for them r rT'^^' ^^"^^ ^^^n it tages of peace f d secu "tv P '.'"' ^^^^^^^ ^^^- - Crete a strong n^^f ,, ^^f ^^^^s, there was propensities seemed to be „ ' . °'^ rebellious this all. Within the Church its" irtr'"''" ^°^ ^^^ had displayed itself' par Iv hf ^'^' '^'''^' of anarchy of Corinth and Galatf f.:'"''' '' '" '^^ ^•^^''•^^- people still continued to hT'""^'^ ^^"^'^ of the acceptance of Chns .'n ty tTtW b""^"^ ''''' '''^ where in the Churchr. Ji' f ^ ^''''^"''' ^^ ^very- Jewish and Gem^'eon rw^'^'r^"^^^'^^^''--" f order. This appears nth first cr^ '"'"^'"^ Epistle, in which the Ano M.. ^""P^"' °^ our "'any unruly men ^T K T '^'' " '^^re are 3ion/' and if. wh^h he' finTitV'^' °' ^'^ ^•^^--■ quahfication for the office of h T""""'^ '° "^'^^ '^ a the persons appointed s1oLk°^ °' °'^'"^^^'-' that accused of riot'or ar un rulv ' 'l ""'^ '' "^^ "ot learn from numerous source^" • ^''t' ''^'''^' ^' ^- there was in variour^rt^r: ."Ud' "^"^ ^^^'^^^^ conceptions respecting Chlf- 1?'^ ^° ^"^^^ "^i«- Gnostic and oth.r '"1, " ^'^'"'y- 'through disposition in man;"r:r;v"t "r ''''' -^ ^ hcense, and to supposf ht h r?'^''" "^^"^^^^ ^'^^to the distinctions of the ^or Jl. ^-'f ''" '''' ^^ove '"waning. Lastlv th '^' "^^''^ ^"'^ him had no Christia'ns, ^^^ :ZT'''' '^^^ --- trous extremes, ^r symnathi ?^ ?^ °^ ^^^^^ ^i^^^" ----p-ofth-sr-:::;^-^^^^ ^i iji THE EPISTLE TO TITVS. I i: ' < had serious doubts as to whether 'Christians were under any obligation to obey a pagan magistrate, and perhaps were inclined to believe that it was their duty to dis- obey him. For all these reasons St. Paul must have known that he was charging Titus to give instructions, which would be very unwelcome to a large number of Cretan converts, when he told him to " put them in mind to be in subjection to rulers and authorities, and to be obedient." But it was the very fact that the instruc- tions would be unwelcome to many, that made it so necessary that they should be given. Both for the internal well-being of the Church, and for the mainten- ance of right relations with the State, it was imperative that the principle of obedience to authority, whether ecclesiastical or civil, should be upheld. There must be peace, and there must be liberty : but there could be neither the one nor the other without a respect for law and for those who have to administer it. The Apostle does not here argue the case. He lays down certain positions ' idisputable. The loyal Christian must' submit I . _lf to those who are placed over him ; he must render obedience to existing authorities. There is one obvious limit to this which he indicates by a single word to be noticed hereafter, but with that one qualification the duty of obedience is imperative and absolute. Jew and Gentile Christian alike must obey the laws, not only of the Church, as administered by its overseers, but also of the State, as administered by the magistrates, even though the State be a heathen power and the magistrate an idolater. The reason why St. Paul does not argue the matter is obvious. He is not writing to those who a e likely to dispute or disobey these injunctions VuTT^ "' — ' '^^ - °^e,ec. H,^ X : ZT. "^^ '° - .„« .„e, of the rules which L '° P'ove (he ,,-(r,.\\ -- to What n„es e "o r '°"'"' ■"" 'o --.Sw' e .';"' Cretans needed „,ost „ t ' "'""^ "'' "'"V'. 1 he was a burn„,g one, „„,, ./'".'° «'st."g authorities "•= present ,0 say as itL ' " ""'"'' ^ bet.e, L object, therefore, [hat ho . "' " "» Possible Z ^-a^'se the Apos.ie wrSf °;; °' ""•' advcrsa t "^"""g opponents, but t "° "««>"o': of ,^' But although the Anostle w ---^rirhSj^;-'^"::::^^'::-- emphaticallv tu ^''^ '""'^'s here hn ^ ^'^'"^ f° '-'e 'kt^nsT ;',:rr'" '''"^--' " e'T"sti: '-^ "o power but W^^" °" "'«' Point. •• 'f "- ordained of God TiL"/ "" P°-- '" e' ^- power, withstandeth he Th-'^ "'"' '■"■steth ^'- '^ '^e .ernel of the'th„r::;S %, "^^ "•"-'• ihe /act 18 I! i if 274 THE EPISTLE TO TITUS. that a few rule over the many is not to be traced to a world-wide usurpation of the rights of the simple and the weak by the selfishness of the crafty and the strong. That theory may explain the terrorism of a bully, or of a band of brigands, or of a secret society ; it is no explanation of the universal relations between governors and the governed. Nor is it the result of a primeval " social compact," in which the weak voluntarily surrendered some of their rights in order to have the advantage of the protection of the strong : that theory is pure fiction, and finds no support either in tht facts of man's nature, or in the relics of primitive society, or in the records of the past. The one explanation which is at once both adequate and true, is, that all authority is of Divine origin. This was the declaration of the Fore- runner, when his disciples complained to him of the influence which Jesus exercised over those who came in contact with His teaching : " A man can receive nothing, except it have been given him from heaven " (John iii. 27). This was the declaration of the Christ, when the Roman Procurator pointed out to Him that he had power of life and death over Him: "Thou wouldest have no power against Me, except it were given thee from above" (John xix. 11). The power of the Redeemer over the minds of men and the power of a heathen governor over the bodies of men have one and the same source, — Almighty God. Christ declared His innocence and asserted His claims ; but He made no protest against being tried by a pagan official, who represented the power that had deprived the Jewish nation of its liberties, because he also represented the principle of law and order, and as such was the representative of God Himself. ^t Paul, therefore ;= i^^ "" ' -1 --^•;;'"Ple. Christians Sj'"^'' '°^'^ '^^ ^^^^'-^ and -d constituted autho" t Z'::/"^---- to ruler obedience to maffistnt..^ """^t yieJd ,.eidv "'■■'Sist.atcs ,|,ey /,,J ^ " -; ""'••"■e of tl.c lace. B,„ ' pos,(,o„. Therefore it s Z f ""^ '" "''"' '^"d. a '.ans .0 eb,^ hin, ; 4"^ °"'^ ""o-able for ChrL! conscenco ,o do so : and 7'\,"'f"' '' '' "-'"c'r of l"o«gho.,. .|,e eras of pers e.t.io' 7 °' ""= ^hnrcl, = "ch teaching „as needed Wh!" "''""^ ''"-' greatly w ease „!„„ St Pa„| , ""'«<^^0'- may have been o™.^, >vc n,ay safei^tairtrth"' ^P'^* '" '" *eady taken piaee whenT "^^ 't. '":'''"""°" ^'d T'f's. Not that he seems to I» ° '"^'™c(io„s to '"."'.' mind, when l,ec„To,„f P'^''^="'""S Power '^•''■'^'■ng authority . b„t h' ■■ '""P'" obedience to °f "K extreme "^^Ise'tMt ""'?"'■"' <■"" ''"''wiedl " » could insist upo, th d„ ;'*?' r'"- ^ "-•••S: •"»" a Nero had been on thefhrl ' r""'"°" '° ™'"^. '7" years, was certainly no, o,^^ !' "' '""''■' °' f""'- ' what his p,,,.„„. ^^^ ^" one who eould be ignorant Ihat the evils of Nern^ , ""^ ™"W '' be said founteracted by the e^ i,,:^*'"' ^^-Po&m we e n.e ,„fa„,o„3 Tigellinus was Prl'" ^"''"■■dinates. 'he Emperor's chief advislr h1 " ^"'^''' and governor of Italy during '^ "'''"'■ r''° ""'^d as C-ce, was in character fs:td'^Nr '%t^''^^ ■■" !?H 276 THE F.riSTI.E TO TITUS. M- % H\\ IM Florus, one of Pilate's successors as Procurator of Judoea, was so shameless in his enormities, that the Jews regretted the departure of his predecessor Albinus, although he also had mercilessly oppressed them. But all these facts, together with many more of the same kind, and some also of an opposite character, were beside the question. Christians were not to concern themselves with discussing whether rulers governed well or ill, or whether their private lives were good or bad. The one fact which concerned them was that the rulers were therp to administer the law, and as such must be respected and obeyed. The conscience of Christians and the experiences of politicians, whether rulers or ruled, throughout all the subsequent ages have ratified the wisdom of St. Paul's injunctions ; and not only their wisdom but their profound morality. Renan says with truth, but with a great deal less than the whole truth, that " Paul had too much tact to be a preacher of sedition : he wished that the name of Christian should stand well, and that a Christian should be a man of order, on good terms with the police, and of good repute in the eyes of the pagans " {St. Paul, p. 477). The criticism which resolves a profound moral principle into a mere question of tact is worthy of the critic who makes it. Certainly St. Paul was far-sighted enough to see that frequent collisions between Christians and the recognized administrators of the law would be no good thing for Christianity : but it was not because he believed obedience to be the best policy that he charged Titus to insist upon it. It is of the very essence of a ruler that he is " not a terror to the good work, but to the evil : ... for he is a minister of God to thee for good, ... an avenger for wrath to him that doeth evil." It is quite possible i! 1 "^:^U!!2i^:!:^ff!:^ffc^ .„.„,,„„,,,, 77 that the law which hn o i~ — — - Justice, so that good deeds •^. ,"''■"'" " "■•°'>' "'- are rewarded. But , owl, '"'""''"' ••""' "'I 'Imi* or evil rewarded r '"{^,r 8°«',P'">-'-d ". good nuirdered to e^.tityhLc^t'" ''"''°"' "'•'s jud/eia,,; or Nazareth was cind" , c" o d' ,^ i "'"' "''"' •»-'- »nd by the Procurator wa' "' "" S'"'""'"" I"' was guilty of sfnular er ,ue, o »^'«"'>Ption that monstrous and iniquitous law, , ? " '"' "'"' ••■" 'l><' ■•.gainst Christianity an ci^"!,"''"^'' ''•»- ''oon ,n,-,dc ^■'ijc' '■ cast out thcfr Tl.'j, '^^^IT' "^ I--cu.i„g Citizens, that they broS T ,?''"'' ""^ ^langerous And the same ho'^^ds good ,?T '^''p" ^'^ "-g-^-tes. 2;; Which Christianst e b t/^r" '"•""'■^"•^ Chr.stians. Nouhere can we poinf ^ '^''"^' «'^^^- a person has been condeninld for h \'''' '" ''^'''^' or for having failed to commh J ^^ ^''" "^'■^'"^^'«' ^cen condemned for what Ta \e.nr" •''^"^ '''- for refusing to do what was real v!? ,"^?'°'-'°^'^' or such cases the meritorio, s rf/ '''' ' '^"^ '" '-»" conduct were held to bTf^^r^^r "^' . ^^^ -^'ked hy the representatives of th' ^. '''" °PJ^°^'^^ character '-authority, therefore, is alwnvc: k ''^''"^ constituted ^-a"y in fact also, a eV ^rT h ^ P'^'^'^"' --i genc- «^ the good. It s chaZ, v^ T'' ""^ '^^ ^"PPorter o^ upholding n-ght rnl";:;l-:^^''--^Porta,^t'duty conduct, a ,nay r.kick it u!ZT^ '''"^"S: in Jiunian through blindness or plrl. > '"'' ^^'^ ^^^^^ ^hen wrong or punishes wha^ r^^/ • "^^^^'^^^ ^^^^ - ^o^n. the opposite. 'V^:^:^ :^^ ^ ^^ 'cue{ against it is ii j(^ 378 THE KPlSTlAi TO TITUS. m< \l I :) 01 I nil: to rebel against the principir of moral government ; it is a revolt against tliat print"i|)le which reflects and represents, and that by I lis oiilinance, the moral govern- ment of Almighty God, St. Paul assumes that rulers aim at what is just and right. The Christian is •' to be ready unto every good work" : and, although the wni'ds are no doubt intended to have a general njenning as well, yet the context suggests that their primary meaning in tliis place is that Christians are alwayM, nut only to be obedient to rulers and magistrates, but to be ready to support and assist them in any j^ood work : the presumption being that what the authorities direct is good. But, without perhaps having this object in view, the Apostle here indirectly intimates Ihg limits to a Christian's obedience and support. They are to be given to further " every ^^ood work " : they cannot of course be given to further what is evil. What then must a Christian do when lawful authority retiuires him to do what he knows to be wrong? Is he to rebel? to stir up a revolt against those who ninke this demand ? No, he is still " to be in subjection to rulers" : that is, he must disobey and quietly tahr Ihc consequences. He owes it to his conscience to refusu to do what it condemns : but he also owes it to the representative of Divine law and order to abstain from shaking its authority. It has the power to give commands and the right to punish disobedience, and he has no right to refuse both obedience and punishment. To disobey and submis- sively take the consequences of disobedience is his plain duty in so painful a case, in this way, and in this way only, will loyalty to consclunco and loyalty to authority both alike be preserved. In this way, and in this way best (as history has again and again shown), is the reformation of unjust laws cirecled TJ, of soccty is far „,orc i„,presl„; , ' ', "'°"' ^™^'-- 'Lsobeys for conscience' sake an! ' "'"" "''° prison or mounts tl,e scaffold " V'"!?'"""*'^ ^""^ '° by him who violenti; resS ,n «," *=°^^-<"-«e, than ■•.nd stirs up reLelh-™^:;;t ,t r; ' '° "■'"'^" '""' cannot conscientiously ofe rI;"'""^ """"' '"-' ■n redressing injustice h,?^ . "'■'"■"'"" "'"Y succeed be .nore grievouf ,hl„',. "' ' ™'' "'"^b ^ "kely to Conscien'ous XotdlncVT'""' ^"''^ " ^"''--- :^-i:x-Sp"^'t::t bc■' ''"^ '" his >" speaking of condZ L' *".' 'trV'''.'^"'^"^' ^° ■ng of a state of society in ?,'{ ""Gently is think- arc unbelieyers. Wha, ".^"■K'^'V °< ^ n,eml,ers "aye to insist upc s be fit t' T''"'^' *'" ^itus speak eyil of no',: ,n „„"''"«, ••" ^''"^''^ ? "To ™ore habitually ,tld„!'o' ■'?■" '"•"'^'" '>''-'' - day, and therfiore m e 1^. ™ '?": "' '''' ''^'^^■"' brought to the front an,1 ,„. I '"-"'6 ""nstantly There are plenty "of^tS "P?" "-■> consideration^ the New Testanien, '^ f" "" ''°"' "f the Old and of •be godless .;*:-; '1 '"""""^ ^■■°'«'->l ^y 'he name of Ch s i 'n c' ^*°'' "'■"■ »'''"<= bearing --~gri;^e^s:ts--Btrhrw: it 28o THE EPISTLE TO T/TUS. I !. mm hi have a group of precepts, which a large number, not only of those who profess to live soberly and righteously but of those who do indeed in other respects live as Christians should, consent to forget or ignore. " To speak evil of no man ; not to be contentious ; to be gentle, showing all meekness towards all men " Let us consider calmly what such words as these really mean ; and then let us consider what we constantly meet with in the controversial writing, and still more in the controversial speaking, of the present day. Consider the tone of our party newspapers, and especially of our religious newspapers, on the burning questions of the hour and on the men who take a leading part in them. Read what a High Church paper says of a Low Church Bishop, or what a Low Church paper says of a High Church Bishop, and measure it by the injunction "to speak evil of no man." Or again read what some of the organs of Dissent allow them- selves to say respecting the clergy of the Established Church, or what some Church Defence orators have allowed themselves to say rcsnecting Liberationists, and measure it by the injunctions " not to be conten- tious,^ to be gentle, showing all meekness towards all men." Jt is sometimes necessary to speak out and call attention to real or suspected evils ; although not nearly so frequently as we like to think. Hut it is never necessary to throw mud and deal in personal abuse. Moreover, it is very unbecoming to do so. It is doubly unbecoming, as St. Paul reminds us. First such conduct is utterly un-Christian. Secondly, it is very much out of place in those who before now have been guilty of quite as grave faults as those for which we now abuse others. We are just the persons who ought to remember, because we know from personal umber, not ighteously, ;cts live as lore. " To 3US ; to be nen." Let lese really constantly still more ^sent day. ipers, and le burning ho take a urch paper DW Church measure it Or again, low them- ^stablished itors have irationists, be conten- ts wards all Lit and call not nearly ; is never abuse, so. It is IS. First, ndiy, it is now have for which "sons who 1 personal iii.l-3.] DUTY OF OBEDIENCE TO AUTHORITY 28, experience how much the grace of Go'd^n^^^J^^f we have by II.s mercy been brought out of the sins wh.ch we now condemn in other people, what may wc not hope for m thcr case, provided we do not disgust hem w. h virtue by our acrimonious and uncharit^b e ault-nnd,ng? Abuse is the wrong weapon to use agamst unr.ghteous conduct, just as rebellion is the wrong weapon to use against unrighteous laws ■'lii in j| ilLl ,J J '-« ;l 'a m CHAPTER XXV. EFFEtlING THE NEW BIKTH.-THE 1 AVER OF I^EGENERATION. ^^W/'/.A 01> being justified by His grace vve mi^h/h 1 T- ''''°"'"' "'^'' the hope of eternal l.fe/'- n;us iii T-; "'"^ """ ^""'"'""^ '° POR the second time in this short letter we have A one of those statements of doctrine which are not common among the practical instructions which form the mam portion of the Pastoral Epistles. The other doctnnal statement was noticed in a previous discourse on chap n. 11-14 It is worth while to compare the two. Though snn.iar, they are not identical in import and tiiey are introduced for quite different purpLes.' In the earher passage, in order to show why different classes of Chnst.ans should be tauglu to exhibit the virtues which specially befit them, the Apostle states which all Christians are bound to help in realising stimulated by what has been done for them in the' past and by the hope which lies before them in the future In the passage which we have now to consider, bt. Paul contrasts with the manifold wicked- n =;ii iii. 4-7.] THE LAVER OF REGENERATION. ness of unbelievers the y^n^^^^^^^^^~~rc~x towards them h-. ^^ i , "i<-icics ol God those who have been h" ? "'™ "'"■•" P-titude ought to fed for Z * ' ,°"' "'' ""''■ "'""-li'l- wil-h they o gM .0 evhibft"" "r"'"-' = 6™"""= unbelief as well as to others ' ■"'''"''" °' sec^o'7u;r, fef ;i": '°™^ *; '^■-"" '-•' °f "« both the old ad r ew I .""^ '^'"''"''^ "'•'y '" "OSS h, setting foL so ^'T-TT "^ ='PP™Priatc- ehe work o a^ ^ratio, " r ' T '"™" ""'"'^ '" have been eq.nUv ,„ ""^'"- '^"' " "«'W Sunday, for^Cr renl a::^'"°r f ti"""^ Trinity takes in fh,> ? 1 T ™ "'^ "^"^ blessed indicated. Tl, , ssal T""''"™ '^ Pl=""y parallel to what S Pet? h to do this he neecl.s Divine n^s s^n .' • . '"'''""" i-ivuK assistance; which, however It I'; 1 1 284 THE EPISTLE TO TITUS. I 'I I J «s abundantly granted to him. By means of the out- ward laver of baptism the inward regeneration and r nevval by the Spirit is granted to him through the on ?h n "'•; "• ' '"" ^'" ^^^^^ °^ '^'^ -' ation on the Divme side ,s complete. Tlu-ough the infinite mcrey o the Blessed Trinity, and not thfough lis wn nients the baptized Christian is in a state of salvatij" and ,s become an heir of eternal life. It remains to be seen whe her the Christian, thus richly endowed, wil contmue m this blessed state, and go on, by the daily -ru^wal of the Holy Spirit, from |race' to'graceT^ aw V Bu? ; °-\--k-- and wilfulness, 'fall away. But so far as God's share in the transaction is concerned his salvation is secured; so that, as he Church of England affirms in the note added to the service for the Public Baptism of Infant.: " It is certam by God's Word, that children which are baptized, dying before they commit actual sin a e Z doubtedly saved." And the several parts which the Persons of the Blessed Trinity take in the work of salva! •on are clearly indicated in one of the prayers before tl baptismal act, as in the present passage by St Paul Prayer ,s offered to the "heavenly Father^' that He wdl J'give His Holy Spirit to this l' fant that he m"y be born again, and be made an heir o^ everlasZ salvation ; through our Lord Jesus Christ." T us "^ at he baptism of the Christ, so also at that of every U nstian, the presence and co-operation of Father, Son and Holy Spirit is indicated ' statement to emphasize the fact that it was "not bv works in righteousness which e.. ourselves did," bu^ by the work of the Blessed Trinity, that we were placed in a state of salvation. He does not stop to '"•4-7] _ _ "^^kc the qualifications, Zhid^ThZ^'truo , necessary, do not alter this fact. I„ the c4e o H u who are converfrr) t^ r-i • .• ■ '^^ adults, tl^at he is t In fnt '° f ^^^^'^^''^^—d it is of such' be duly prep red fn'rh "T''"'^ "^''^' ^'^^^^ ^''^^'Id Andi/tir^tf^^l^Ee^E^^-^^-'^'^''^- iive to becon. respoLb.'lr ^ ^tl^^'^^'^^ tion is indispens b'-fo, God '"' ""'^ '^°-°'^^- His will-ye^ withlut Goers asltL.:: "''^" *'^'"^"^^ either repent or believe before blntin "'" """"' continue in holiness after baptism 'rr" ''" ^' expressly denies that we effec our ; ,' ^^'''''^^^^ tliatGod effected it in n . r " salvation, or cuceita It in return for our merit<; n.,f •. gives no encouragement to the belief tha. noth ng to do with " » i • "^^' ^^"^ 'lavc but ha!, m elTto s-rslmlr: ^^^-7 -'vation," done for us. ""^ ^"'"P^ ^^^^ 'i'-^^ been That "the washing of reeenentin.-. " -.- / ., of .he K.V. „,„re exac.l/,o "'.he it! r "'•■"'«'■" eration, ^- signifies the Chri=;Mnn ^.-f^ ri ■ "fe^" to be regarded as ^^0^11^^°^^^"'°"^':' one of .hose eases to which Hooi-er^f '""'""'' Of ,,«.„„ .OS. .horo^h"^^^!:^::::: a literal construction w II qtanH «-i-,.. r -.1 . vvucrc k«e.. is eo„.o„„.he 1^" (t/^S:'/"" ^T This Hooker holds .o be "a mos. infa J,'. i *' exposi.ions of sacred Scrip,„re " a J ! h^ l' ' '" !!:!!:i:::^y^^Ha^_^^ * ^o^^^i" ^iXiyyti'eala,, Comp. Eph..v. 26. Iff J r: 286 THE EPISTLE TO TITUS. ii .'fiii Of the soundness of the rule no reasonable student ot Scnpture can doubt. And it is worth our while to notice that it is in connexion with this very subject of baptismal regeneration that Hooker lays down this rule He ,s answenng tiiose who perversely inter- preted our Lord's words to Nicodcmus, " Except a nnn be born of water and the Spirit " (John' iii. 5), Ts .e n- Snlri " """ ^':?'\':^-^'P^ - -an be born of the Spnt warer ' bang (as they imagined) only a metaphor, o wh.ch "the Spirit" is the interpretatL On wh.ch Hooker remarks: "When the letter of the W hath two things plainly and expressly specified ol SrtTV ;^^'^'^ ^'''' '' ' duty requLd 1' our parts the Spint as a gift which God bestoweth • there ,s danger in presuming so to interpret it, as if the clause which concerneth ourselves were more ?ha needeth. We may by such rare expositions atta advice. All vv^.ch may be fitly applied to the passage before us, m which it is quite arbitrary and agist f 11 probability to contend that " the bath of regenerat on '' IS a mere metaphor for regeneration without any bath or for the Holy Spirit, or for the unmeasured bounty with^which the Holy Spirit is poured upon th^ This might be tenable, if there had been no such rite as baptism by water enjoined by Christ and practised by the Apostles as the necessary and universal method of admission to the Christian Church. In Eph. v 26 (the only other passage in the New Testament in which he word for " laver " or " bath " or " washing " occurs) he reference to baptism by water is indisputable, for he water is expressly mentioned. " Christ also bved the Church, and gave Himself up for it; that He might ''■'• 4-7-] THE LAVE J, OF REGENEKATION. it Epistle .0 .„e Cortait :, L'^'^'" "'\"''-' us, contrasts the aDDallf„„ I ? , """^ '"='»'■<-• ;vi.l. .he sp,Vitt,a, S^oTS', r„s1,r'r'''^^^- "- Spirit of ot,;™:;^ Co?' .r";,?'T'' ■^"'' "• passage, as here, tlu. tl.rcc Vcr^^'^'J^. T ■ •"'"''' -ame ,„ connexion with the bapt^s^r.^'r """^ ""■ of the san,e word a he Is! s to *e c" ''l """' ''''™'^ admission. The exhort'S, of Ana:hf t:"?,^ °'' "?'^ 'ay at Damascus, was "A„h „„ T ""' "= '» Arise, and he b„pl^^ and , / '"' '""''' "'°" ? (Acts xxii. IC): words which '"'« °" '"^ Name" exhortation of 37 Pe.oT „ T^ P"™"'' '° ""^ -jS^-mp^H^ these pa'ssag^le^itt both passages the principal verbs at „ m" 7°'"' """^'"^ '''=>' '" commonlyi„dicatcsso„,eo„cDa,tlMl """^ "^'""^''^ '"" Greek were sanctified, were ^rtS ' :;; T"°"' " ^'^ --<= -ashed, ''ere: '' He saved us/' anT" iTLureH *"' "'^" "°"^'- «« ^^^o aorist. And in both cases th" natural T "'°" '" " "''= ''°"' •" "'^ occasion of baptism in wh h we «L" """"'-^ " '° ""^ '-'•'-"'''"• J-tified," because God "raved Tbv tr? "'^^'f ' "'^"^■'"'"'' ■''"d renewing of the Holy Spirit which h^ "'' ^T" "^ '•'^^^-^^'-^ti"" and y pint Which He poured out upon us rid,!y." If 111 m m^: 288 T//£ EPISTLE TO TITUS. I> 1' i|i|, a sacred rite described in which the human and the D.vme elements are clearly' marked. On man's side here ,s the washing with water; and on God's side here is the washing away of sin and pouring out of the Sp,nt. I he body is purified, the soul is purified and the soul is hallowed. The man is was'.ed, i justified, ,s sanctified. He is regenerated : he is " a new creature." "The old things," his old principles motives, and anns, then and there " passed aw^ay '' lew''' .? r ""''^^"^ '■ " '^'^°^^' '^'^^ -'- become new (2 Cor. v. 17). Can any one, with these passages before him, reasonably doubt, that, when the Apostle speaks of " the washing of regeneration " he means the Christian rite of baptism, in which, and by means of which, the regeneration takes place ? We are f\,lly justified by his language here in assert- ing that It ,s by means of the baptismal washing that the regeneration takes place; for he asserts that God saved us through the washing of regeneration " The laver or bath of regeneration is the instrument or means by which God saved us. Such is the natural and almost the necessary meaning of the Greek con- struction (S«i with the genitive). Nor is this an audacious erection of a comprehensive and momentous doctrine upon the narrow basis of a single preposition. Even If this passage stood alone, it would still be our duty to find a reasonable meaning for the Apostle's Oreek : and it may be seriously doubted whether any more reasonable meaning than that which is here put forward can be found. But the passage does not sta^id alone, as has just been shown. And there are numerous analogies which throw light upon the question, proving to us that there is nothing exceptional in God (Who of course does not need any means or instruments) in. 4.7.J jy^y..,,^ Oy. ATu;ENEA,,rfON. 2S9 ^n Illustration of the GrepL- ^ompare tJiat used by St P^ ^"ftrucfion we may '-kes (and the Ciu.rch of £^1 i """' "'^''^'^ '- --!- has followed hin):f; " '"'^ ^'^P'^-' baptism. " When the Jon^ s,?^ ^''^ °^ ^'^^'■^^''''" ''^.^ days of Noah, iZtT'^? '' ^^^ --tc.i in ^^■'^^■'•^■^■" itMv, that is cVht . ''"' " P'--P'''''""g, -«^--- which also aftc^-f ',,:t; ^^'^'^ ---1 ^I'ro.'n yo^h even baptism " St Pef ''"''' ^''"^'^ "°^ ^^ate .^^'"'iiy "uere saved t ,r.t^'" 'T '''' ''''''' '^'^^ ^^^ J^'^^ as St. Paul says ha Col / '"''''''" ^^^' ^'^«-«^), ^/'^/«.cv-of regene^ion -r^ . "''' ^'^ 4.w.m../^ ^" each case L w ^is h" "^°' ^^^me^ea^ And the analogy doe ,ot end' "T''"' ""' '^''''^-tio -trument; th'^t i t^ m^" '"' '^'^^'^^ ^^he between the Hood and baptn Th"'"^. ^^''^-'^'-ee likeness lies in this, that in both J "^''" ^''' °^ ^'^^ ;^"strument both dest^^y ^'d °"' °' ''"' ^-'^e destroyed the disobedieuhv H '"''''• ^^^^' ^^ood N«-h and his fan ny bv n r""f ''^'"^' '-^"^ -^'-^ved ^-e. Baptism d s.oyt the 2 '"" '''^ ^ -- "^an's nature by washL it '"""'P' ^^'^"'^"^ ■" regenerated soul' by b "L it ''r' '"' "''^'^'^ ^'- the other event which "n the r " ""'''' '^''- ^"d taken as a figure of bapti^V ! Tu'' ""''' '''' ^^-n the crossing of the Red q . '^"^ ''"^^" '^^kI. At God was not tied to use JtT "'" "^^'^ ^^ses ^-^e could have sav d Nolh ' ".'"r^'"'" ^""■^^'-'-"t. destroyed the disob^d en^ nd 'the T ''■'''''^'' ^^^ He could have healed Na u :'/ ".5„^^P^"\-' i-t as without -mploying any means wh 'an and the man bo ate\ 'HI blind, er. Hut i 19 or uLF ! i ll f 290 THE EPISTLE TO TITUS. i ! edification He condescends to employ means, such as we can perceive and understand a hl"to\T '\ '^" ^"P'"^'"-"^ of perceptible means a help to us? In two at least. It serves the double pu pose of beuig both a /../ of faith and an «/^ to faitlT I. The acceptance of Divinely appointed means is nccessanly a test of faith. Ih„„an intellect is an to assume t at Omnipotence is above using instruments is ,t hkely, we ask, "that the Almighty would employ these means ? Are they not altogether beneath the d,gn.ty of the Divine Nature? mL needs too and materials: but God needs neither. It is no ore .ble that He has ordained these things as condi- tions of His own operation." All which is the old cry of the captain of the host of Syria. " Behold I oug , ,,H1 surely come out to n'le. and stand a'n call on the name of the Lord his God, and wave his hand over the place, and recover the leper." That il why need he enjoin any instrument at all ? But if he must, he might have enjoined something more suitable '' Are not Abanah and Pharpar, the. rivers of Damascus better than all the waters of Israel ? may I not wash we ask still, ' How can water wash away sin ? How can bread and wine be Christ's body and blood ? How can the laying on of a man's hand confer the gift of the Holy Spirit ? Do not all such assumptions favour of magic rather than of Divine Providence ? " Therefore humbly to accept the means which God has revealed as he appon.ted channels of His spiritual blessings is a real test of the recipient's faith. He is thus enabled to perceive for himself whether he does sincerely be leve or not .whether he has the indispensable quahficat o" for receiving the promised blessing. iii. 4.7.] -■ans, such as T«E LA^ER OF RECENEKATWN. duced, when one can nt^- ' "" ''^"' >"" be pro- when one sees means thnn „?i '-'^"'''' '° ''^l'<=>-^^ » - ^.ill easier .0 b ,ie4Mt" r™ """ "^'""= ^ ^"'l appropriate. The man H ""■'■■"' ^<^™' '" I* readily believe . .tClHsf ?,"?,. "' "'■'"' '^°'"<' "X^- he perceived tha CI ■ 'wa ' ?'"' '""' ^«'". ""«„ for the purpose ; h\ Z ,""'"' ,'''''"'' """ '^'^-^ apposed .o'be gLodfor.i ",;::'= 2? '^™«^ '^^- in nature is more freouentlv ,1, "'"" ''^'^ene -d of death .han^ir ' Whlferr '°''°^''^'-- ^'gn.fy purification from defilenKm ^ un ' •'''">' ■"ore si„,p|y express a death to si, and!" ■'" "'"'' o nghteousness than a phmg, ^ e ea"h d,^'"^- '^''" in the Epistle to the Romans • " W^ , "' ^'J'^ fore with Him throtigh bTn tsm " ^ " ""^,''"*'' "'-e- '""° death; that ifke as Chrk/ '"' ^'"'"''''"'"') dead through the glor; o^ ,Te F«h" "' '""" ''^ might wallc in newness of life ?.?"■' "° '^'= also the Colossians : "HavnVt * li '•.^^ ^nd again to baptism, wherein ye werl f Iso ? T"". """ "'"' '" faith in the working rf God w7" .'"!'' "™ "''""Sh dead" (ii. ,2). Faith in h' '""^'^ "'"> f™"' the God to^ those^ wh'i'eiirLrr b"!- 'T'^' "y more easy, when the outwLd me f "'' '""'""=' gift, not only are readirpel" "U, ''"'"""^ *' as suitable. In this way our S '':^'-^"«"i^ed employment of means. ' ^"''='^ ''>' God's Is the " renewing of the Holv Ghnst " ,u as the "washing of regeneration-. ' .^t' """"' """« 'WO expressions refer to the same f^ .' burL'^^ "" I ,fti fl 292 THE Rrisn.K TO TITUS. P I . i^ ' respective meanings tl.ry nre not co-extensivo. The Greek construction is a.Mhignnus like the English ; and we cannot be sun- wh-lh.. St. Paul mean, that God saved us by n,e-ans ..f tl,.. washing and- by nutans of rr'T^;"""^"^ «••«! -.v.d us by means of a laver wh.ch IS both a laver of regeneration and a laver of renewal. The latter i. „,orc probable : but in either case the reference ,h to one and the same event in the Chnstian's he. The laver and the renewing refer to bapt.sn, ; and the regenc-rntion and the renewing refe^ to baptism ; V.Z., to the nc-w birth which is then effected. But, nevertheless, the two .-xpressions are not co-exten- sive in meaning The laver and the regeneration refer ^ one fact and to one fact only; a fact which takes place once for all and can never be repeated. A man Iv h ,''"/^'^°''" « «^^'"»d time : and hence no one may be baptized twice. Hut the renewing of the Holy ea^ f"! h 'r" •' '^' '' ^'^^^'^^ ^'P^-^ - the ,? L I ; r c !' ""'y ^'"■""^'^ ^ --^"^^^'-l which ts the work of the Spirit that they can prepare them- selves by repentance and faith for baptism' It tak's place at baptism, as the Ap..«tle clearly indicates here. And It continues after ba.Uia,., ; for it is by repeated Spirt that the Christian grows in grace day by day In the case of the adult, who unworthily receives baptism without repentance and faith, there is no spiritual renewal. Not that the sacred rite ren ains without effect: but the .enewingof the S," suspended until the baptised person repen s and believes. Meanwhile the mysterious gift bestowed in baptism- becomes a curne rather than a blessing; or at least a curse as well an a bleasing. It may p;rhaps li isivc. The iglish ; and s that God y means of > of a laver, a laver of It ill either vent in the ig refer to --wing refer L'n effected. t co-exten- ation refer hich takes 1. A man any more ice no one r the Holy ism in the wal which ire them- It takes ates here. repeated ion of the ' by day. receives I'e is no remains Spirit is nts and towed in g ; or at perhaps -• 4-7.] Tf}E f.A VER OF NECENER., TUKV. ,,, increase the possibilities of repentance :7r"^;i"„,^ crs;:;?-^''^'^"''^^'"^- s-h a per:;;:;:i^ nt^mber in^ f ''"''^ "?°"' ^^'"^ ^1--^''^^'^ ^or membcrsh p. He has incurred the responsibilities of niembership : if he desires tlie privileges hTZnl obtain the qualifications.* ^ ' "'"'^ It is God's gracious purpose that all should have the sirr"'""- ^'^ '^'^P'-" He washed us fr^m Mns lie gave us a new birth, He poured out His Holv Spin upon us richly, through Jesus Christ ; •' '^^ 'at, being justified by His grace, vve might be made beirs according to hope of eternal life." JL1L£: "'"'^ '"'^' "'^^' '^'^ ----^^eJ for c'ea'rnes. nt ^u !li i^i'i) :■ .n CHAPTER XXVI. r//E MEANING OF HERESY IN THE NEIV TF^T^ ^F^TiNrr^ir' """"^"'-^ /W^"".^^^: PE.sUnS ™ ^^'■^^--'^^^^- OF IlER.riCAI scif-co;c,c.„.rr-. tI:".": .; .t " ''"■^■^^'"'' """ ^^""-"■' ^-"^ J T is in connexion with this instruction respecting some of he earhest testimonies to the genuineness of a /m Jabh s (ypawSeac fivdoi,, I Tim. i v. 7), " are trul v f ! ^^^^'- ^7--' I- ^vi. 3). It will be observed that U.e F rst Ep,.Me to Timothy, and th,>. ,■ otes the .cry wo ds of our text, attributing ,' ,- . .,,,ess,y to St i nul. And about ten or twelve years later, Tertullian th,a„s For there nn.st be also heresies among you, a Ifvo " ; ^'" '^p^^™^^' "^^ ^^ "-^- -- fcs amongyou (i Cor. xi. 19), continues as follows • "But no more about that, seeing that it is the same Pau Lh !■!( '"■ 'o. '!.] riiF. Mr.ANING OF J/ENESV. 295 '' TESTA. ONS HE- RETICAL admonition iictii, being sspecting we have leness of A.D. 1 80 (Travrai, hese old Fire truly " whom nition to ved that isior to he .-or} ' to St. rtullian, Corin- ^g you, lanifest : "But le Paul who elsewhere also in writing to the Galatians reckons heresies among sins of the flesh (Gal. v. 20). and who intimates to Titus that a man ivlio is heretical must after a first* admonition be refused, hecausc he that is such i, perverted ami sinneth as being self-condemned. But in almost every Epistle, when insisting on the duty of avoiding false doctrines, he censures heresies of which the practical results are false doctrines, called in Greek heresies, with reference to the clu.ice which a man exercises, whether in instituting or .1 adopting them. For this reason he says that ti, heretical person is also self-condenuied, because he has chosen for himself that in which he is condemned. Ve, how- ever, may not allow ourselves anything after ,ur own will ; nor yet choose what any one has introduced of • his own will. The Apostles of the Lord are our authorities : and even they did not choose to introduce anything of their own will, but faithfully consig cd to the nations the instruction which they received from Christ. And so, even if an angel from heaven were to preach any other gospel, he would be called acctirsed by us" {De Frees. Hwr., vi). In this passage, ^^ lich contains a valuable comment on the meaning of the word " heresy," it will be noticed that Tertullian lot only quotes the text before us as coming from he Epistle to Titus, but, like Irenaeus, his earlier contc 1- porary, says expressly that the words are those of ^t Paul. Thus, from both sides of the Mediterranean' men who had very large opportunities of knowing what booksjvere accepted as Apostolic and what not, attri- • It is worth noting that Tertnllian, with several other latin writers, omits the second admonition: homiuem hcrretiann post prnnam correptionem recusandnru. Similarly Cyprian : hceretLu iwminciii post iiiiaiii correptionein devita {Tisl-, 111. 78). H ! "■^■'; p\ i % .. ^1 I >, ijf). Oxford, 1823. i Ir THE SECOND EPISTLE TO TIMOTliY. M CHAPTER XXVII. THE CHARACTER AND CONTENTS OF THE LIST EPISTLE OF ST. PAUL.-THE NEMESIS ' OF NEGLECTED GIFTS. "For the which cause I put thee in remembrance tliat th-.u bti,- „,, the gift of God, which is in thee through the layinR on ol' my luu.rjs. For God gave us not a spirit of fearfuh.ess; but of power and love and disciphnc. '— 2 Tim. i. 6, 7. IN the Second Epistle to Timothy we have the last known words of St. Paul. It is his last will and testament; his last instructions to his favourite disciple and through him to the Church. It is written with full consciousness that the end is at hand. His course in this world is all but over; and it will be closed by a violent, it may be by a cruel death. The letter is, therefore, a striking but thoroughly natural mixture of gloom and brightness. On the one hand, death throws its dark shadow across the page. On the- other, there I.- the joyous thought that the realization of his brightest hopes is close at hand. Death will come with its pain and ignominy, to cut short the Apostle's still unfinished work, to take him away from the Churches which he has founded and which still sorely need his guidance, and from the friends whom he loves, and who still need his counsel and support. But death, while it takes him away from much to which he clings and which clings to him, will free him no THE SECOND EPISTLE TO TIMOTHY. w I I ) from toil, and anxiety, and neglect, and will take him to be witli Christ until that day when he shall receive the crown of righteousness which is laid up for him. If the shadow of impending death were the only source of gloom, the letter would be far more joyous than it is. It would be far more continuously a strain of thanksgiving and triumph. But the prospect of ending his life under the hand of the public executioner is not the thought which dominates the more sorrowful portion of the Epistle. There is the fact that he is almost alone ; not because his friends are prevented from coming to him, but because they have forsaken him ; some, it may be, for pressing work elsewhere ; others because the attractions of the world were too strong for them ; but the majority of them, because they were afraid to stand by him when he was placed at the bar before Nero. The Apostle is heavy-hearted about this desertion of him, not merely because of the wound which it inflicts on his own aflFectionate spirit, but because of the responsibility which those who are guilty of it have thereby incurred. He prays that it "may not be laid to their account." Yet the thought which specially oppresses him is "anxiety about all the Churches" — and about Timothy himself. Dark days are coming. False doctrine will be openly preached and will not lack hearers ; and utterly un-Christian conduct and conversa- tion will become grievously prevalent. And, while the godly are persecuted, evil men will wax worse and worse. This sad state of things has already begun ; and the Apostle seems to fear that his beloved disciple is not altogether unaffected by it. Separation from St. Paul and the difficulties of his position may have told on his over-sensitive temperament, and have caused (\ 6,7.] THE NEMESIS OF NEGLECTED GIFTS. 311 him to be remiss in -hir work, tlirough indulgence in futile despondency. TJie words of the text strike the dominant chord of the Epistle and reveal to us the motive that prompts it. The Apostle puts Timothy in remembrance " that he stir up the gift of God which is in him." Again and again he insists on this and similar counsels. " Be not ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me His prisoner; but suffer hard- ships." " That good thing which was committed to thee guard through the Holy Ghost " (vv. 8,13). "Suffer hardship with me, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ." "Give diligence to present thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed" (ii. 3, 15)'. " But abide thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them" (iii. 14). And then, as the letter draws to a close, he speaks in still more solemn tones of warning : " I charge thee in the sight of God, and of Christ Jesus, Who shall judge the quick and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom : be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching." " Be thou sober in all things, suffer hardships, do the work of an evangelist, fulfil thy ministry" (iv, i, 2, 5). Evidently the Apostle is anxious lest even the rich gifts with which Timothy is endowed should be allowed to rust through want of use. Timidity and weakness may prove fatal to him and his work, in spite of the spiritual advantages which he has enjoyed. The Apostle's anxiety about the future of the Churches is interwoven with anxiety about the present and future conduct of his beloved delegate and successor. The Second Epistle to Timothy is more personal than either of the other Pastoral Epistles. It is less i' ■ i\'l\ I 'fi'ii 312 ?'//£ SECOND EPISTLE TO TIMOTHY. Official ,n tone and contents, and is addressed more directly to the recipient himself, than through him to others. Three main subjects are treated in the letter • aiid first and foremost of these is the conduct of Timothy himself. This subject occupies about a third of the Epistle. The next and longest section treats of the present and future prospects of the Church (11. 14-IV. 5). And lastly the Apostle speaks of himself. It is not difficult to understand how even those who condemn the Pastoral Epistles as the product of a later writer, feel almost obliged to admit that at least some of this touching letter must be genuine. Whoever wrote it must have had some genuine letters of St Paul to use as material. It may be doubted whether any of the writings of that age which have come down to us are more thoroughly characteristic of the person whose name they bear, or are more full of touches which a fabricator would never have thought of introducing. The person who forged the Second Epistle to iimothy in the name of St. Paul must indeed have been a genius. Nothing that has come down to us of the literature of the second century leads us to suppose that any such literary power existed. Whether we regard the writer, or the circumstances in which he IS placed, or the person to whom he writes, all is thoroughly characteristic, harmonious, and in keeping. We have St. Paul with his exquisite sympathy, sensitiveness, and affection, his intense anxiety, his unflinching courage. We have the solemnity and im- portunity of one who knows that his days are numbered. And we have the urgency and tenderness of one who writes to a friend who has his faults and weaknesses, but who IS trusted and loved in spite of them. \ ^ i.6, 7.] T//£ NEMES/S OF NEGLECTED GIFTS. 313 In encouraging Timothy to stir up the gift that is in him, and not suffer himself to be ashamed of the ignominy, or afraid of the hardships, which the service of Christ entails, the Apostle puts before him five considerations. There are the beautiful traditions of his family, which are now in his keeping. There is the sublime character of the Gospel which has been entrusted to him. There is the teaching of St. Paul himself, who has so often given him a "pattern of sound words " and a pattern of steadfast endurance. There is the example of Onesiphorus with his courageous devotion. And there is the sure hope of " the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory." Any one of these things might suffice to in- fluence him : Timothy cannot be proof against them all, St. Paul is persuaded that he is preserving the heritage of undissembled faith which his mother and his grandmother possessed before him. When he considers the character of the Gospel, of which he has become a minister, and the gifts of which he has thereby become a recipient, he cannot now become ashamed of bearing testimony for it. And has the teaching of his old master, separation from whom used once to make him weep, lost its hold upon him ? Of the other disciples and friends of the master, some have turned away from him, showing coldness or dislike instead of sympathy and self-sacrifice; while others, at great personal inconvenience, and (it may be also) great personal danger, sought him out all the more diligently on account of his imprisonment, and ministered to him. Will Timothy take his stand with Phygelus and Hermogenes, or with Onesiphorus? And over and above all these considerations, which are connected with this world, there are the thoughts of I) 314 rilE SECOND EPISTLE TO TIMOTHY. ' CHAPTER XXVIII. THE HEAKTLESSNESS OF PHVGELUS AND HER MO- GENES. -THE DEVOTION OF ONESIPHORUS- PRAYERS FOR THE DEAD. " Tiiis thou knowest, that all that arc in Asia turned away from me • of whom arc Phygclus and Hcrmogcnes. The Lord grant Lrcy ."uo the house of Oncs,phorus: for he oft refreshed me, and was not ashamed of my chain; but, when he wa, in Romc,'i,e so Iht ne l.gen ly and found me (the Lord grant unto him to Hnd mtrcy of i.phcsus, thou knowest very well."— 2 Tim. i. 15—18. \1/E have here one of the arguments which St. V V Paul makes use of in urging his beloved disciple to stir up the gift of God that is in him through the laying on of hands, and not allow himself to be afraid of the ignominy and the sufferings, which the service of Jesus Christ involves. After reminding him of the holy traditions of his family, of the glorious character of the Gospel which has been committed to him, and of the character of the Apostle's own teaching, St. Paul now goes on to point out, as a warning, the conduct of those in Asia who had deserted him in his hour of need ; and, as an example, in marked contrast to them, the affectionate courage and persistent devotion of Onesiphorus. Timothy is not likely to follow those in Asia in their cowardly desertion of the Apostle. He will surely bestir himself to follow an example, the 330 THE SlU'ONh KI'ISTLF. TO TIMOTHY. ck'tails of whirl, arc ho well known to him and so very nuirh to the point. Timothy's special knowledge of both cases, so far as th.- . nndii.t irferred to lav not in Rome but \n Asia, ih emphatically insisted upon by St Paul He begins by sayiuR, "This thou knowcst, that all that arc ui Asia tuni.d away from me: "and he concludes with the remark, <• In how many things he ministered at Kphosus, th.,„ hiutwsl very well;" or, as the Greek comparative probably means, "thou knowest bcthr than I do." And it iH worth noticing that St. Paul uses a ehfUeient wor.l for •• know " in the two cases. Of his desertion by ih.me in Asia he uses a word of general meaning {olhx^X which impli<>s knowledge about the things or per.son« in (piestioii, but need not imply more than hearsay knowledge of what is notorious Of the devoted service of Oncsiphonis at Ephesus he uses a word {^iv,mKm\ win h implies progressive personal experience. I niK.thy had of course heard all about the refusal of Phygeliin ni.d Ilermogenes and others to recognize the clnini which St. Paul had upon their services ; what h. waw and experienced continually gave him intimate fic(|uaintance with the conduct of Onesiphorus in the Chinch of which Timothy had the chief care. There has been « great deal of discussion about the meaning of St. Pauj-H .statements respecting these two contrasted cases, Pliygelus and those like him on the one side, and OnuHJphorus on the other: and with regard to both of tlietii n variety of suggestions have been made, which are scarcely compatible with the language used, and which do not after all make the situation more intelligible. It must be admitted that the brevity of the stntcments does leave room for a certain amount of conjecture ; but, nevertheless, they i. iS-iS.J PK A YEA'S FOK THE DEAD. arc clear enough to enable us to conjecture with a fair amount of certainty. And first with regard to the case of those in Asia. They are in Asia at the time when this letter is biing written. It is quite inadmissible to twist this plain language and force it to mean " those /;w;/ Asia who are now in Rome." 01 h rfiArria cannot be equivalent to o( iK Ti)s-A^rds ,n question constitute a prayer. It is difficult I « find a term which better describes them than the wo.d "prayer:" and in discussing them one would have to be specially careful in order to avoid the words pray and "prayer" in connexion with them It does not much matter what meaning we give to " the Lord m each case; whether both refer to Christ, or both to the Father, or one to Christ and the other to the Father. In any case we have a prayer that the Judge at the last day will remember those good deeds of Onesiphorus, which the Apostle has been unable to repay, and will place them to his account. Paul cannot requite them, but he prays that God will do so by showing mercy upon him at the last day * Having thus concluded that, according to the more probable and reasonable view, the passage before us contains a prayer offered up by the Apostle on behalf of one who is dead, we seem to have obtained his sanction, and therefore the sanction of Scripture for using similar prayers ourselves. But what is a similar prayer ? There are many kinds of intercessions which may be made on behalf of those who have gone before us into the other worid : and it does not follow that becaus^onekind^t^ix^^ Scriptural authority,' * With the double „se of Lord hcre7^^^i^^^^;;;7i;;;7i;~~ m S\ iP 326 THE SECOND EPTSTLE TO TIMOTHY. I I therefore any kind of intercession is allowable This passage „,ay be quoted as reasonable evidence that d e death of a person does not extinguish our right or our duty to pray for him : but it ought not to be nuo'd as authority for such prayers on behalf of the' dead as are very different in kind from the one of wh h we have an example here. Many other kinds of 2S M 'r.H-^'^ '''' "^'^ '' reasonabL and allowable ; but this passage proves no more than that some kmds of intercession for the dead are all ab^ V z those m which we pray that God will have mercy at the day of judgment on those who have done good to us ana others during their life upon earth for .h '','^' "'^^'' ""^''^ '' ^'^° ^he duty, 'of praying for the departed limited by the amount of sanc^ on which It IS possible to obtain from this solita y pTss "" of Scripture? Assuredly not. Two other autSs have to be consulted,-reason and tradition. 1. rhis pious practice, so full of comfort to affec- lonate souls, ,s reasonad/e in itself. Scripture whlh - mercifully reticent respecting a subjec' olbl to provoke unhealthy curiosity and excitement, n eve h - less does tell us plainly some facts respecting the unseen world, (i) Those whom we call he dead are -still alive God is still the God of Abrlm of Isaac, and of Jacob : and He is not the God of the dead, but of the living (Matt. xxii. 32). Those who believe that death is annihilation, and that there ca"': no resurrection, " do greatly err " (Mark xii. 27). A„d 2) the living souls of the departed are still consciou the.r bodies are asleep in this worid, but their spi i s" are awake ,n the other. For this truth we are no depen em upon the disputable meaning of the parabt of Dives and Lazarus; although we can hardly i. IS- 18.] r/^ A YENS FOR THE DEAD. 327 suppose that that parable would ever have been spoken, unless the continued consciousness of the dead and their interest in the living were a fact. Christ's parables are never mere fables, in which nature is distorted in order to point a moral : His lessons are ever drawn from God's universe as it is. But besides the parable (Luke xvi. 19-31), there is His declaration that Abraham not only "exulted" in anticipation of the coming of the Messiah, but " he saw" that coming and was glad" thereat (John viii. 56). And there IS His promise to the penitent thief: "Verily I say unto thee, To-day shalt thou be with me in Paradise" (Luke xxiii. 43). Can we believe that this promise, given at so awful a moment with such solemn assur- ance ("Verily I say unto thee"), would have been made, if the robber's soul, when in Paradise, would be unconscious of Christ's companionship ? Could Christ then have "preached unto the spirits in prison" Pet. iii. 19), if the spirits of those who had died m the Flood were deprived of consciousness ? And what can be the meaning of " the souls of them that had been slain for the word of God " crying " How long, O Master the holy and true, dost Thou not judge and avenge our blood ?" (Rev. vi. 10), .^f the souls of the slain slumber in the unseen world ? It is not necessary to quote Scripture to prove that the departed are not yet perfect. Their final con- summation will not be reached until the coming of Christ at the last great day (Heb. xi. 40). If, then, the dead are conscious, and are not yet perfected, they are capable of progress. They may increase in happiness, and possibly in holiness. May we not go farther and say, that they must be growing, must be progressing towards a better state; lor, so \i 'lili 328 T//Ji SECOND EPISTLE TO TIMOTHY. 'A I I' |i i, I tie \ til far as we have experience, there is no such thing as conscious hfe in a state of stagnation ? Conscious hTe IS always either growing or decaying : and decay is incipient death. For conscious creatures, who are incapable of decay and death, growth seems to be a ne- cessary attribute. We conclude, therefore, on grounds partly of Scripture and partly of reason, that the faithful departed are consciously progressing towards a condition of higher perfection. But this conclusion must necessarily carry us still farther. These consciously developing souls are God's children and our brethren; -they are, like ourselves members of Christ and joint-heirs with us of His kingdom ; they are inseparably united with us in " the Communion of Saints." May we not pray for them to aid them in their progress ? And if, with St. Paul's prayer for Onesiphorus before us, we are convinced that we may pray for them, does it not become our bounden duty to do so ? On what grounds can we accept the obligation of praying for the spiritual advancement of those who are with us in the flesh, and yet refuse to help by our prayers the spiritual advancement of those who have joined that "great cloud of witnesses" in the iinseen world, by which we are perpetually encompassed (Heb. xii. I) ? The very fact that they witness our prayers for them may be to them an increase of strength and joy. II. Tradition amply confirms us in the belief that this pious practice is lawful, and binding upon all who recognize its lawfulness. The remarkable narrative in 2 Maccabees xii. shows that this belief in a very extreme form was common among the Jews, and publicly acted upon, before the coming of Christ. It is highly improbable that prayers for the dead were omitted •I . i. IS-18.] PRAYERS FOR THE HEAD. 329 V from tlic public worship of the synagogue, in which Jesus Christ so frequently took part. It is quite certain that such prayers are found in every early Christian liturgy, and to this day form part of the liturgies in use throughout the greater portion of Christendom. And, although the medieval abuses connected with such prayers induced the reformers of our own liturgy almost, if not quite, entirely to omit them, yet the Church of England has never set any bounds to the Hberty of its members in this respect. Each one of us is free in this matter, and therefore has the responsi- bility of using or neglecting what the whole of the primitive Church, and the large majority of Christians throughout all these centuries, have believed to be a means of advancing the peace and glory of Christ's kingdom. About the practice of tlie primitive Church there can be no question. Doubt has been thrown upon the liturgies, because it has been said that some portions are certainly of much later origin than the rest, and therefore these prayers may be later inser- tions and corruptions. But that cannot be so; for liturgies do not stand alone. In this matter they have the support of a chain of Christian writers beginning with Tertullian in the second century, and also of early inscriptions in the catacombs. About the meagre allu- sions to the departed in our own liturgy there is more room for doubt: but perhaps the most that can safely be asserted is this ;— that here and there sentences have been worded in such a way that it is possible for those, who wish to do so, to include the faithful departed in the prayer as well as the living. Bishop Cosin has given his authority to this interpretation of the prayer that "we and all Thy whole Church may obtain remission of our sins an.d all other benefits of His f ! 330 Tff£ SECOND EPISTLE TO TIMOTHY. \\ passion." By this, he says, " is to be understood as shall be hereafter as those that are now members of It and as one of the revisers his authority is great And the prayer in the Burial Service, "thaf^ve,^^th all those that are departed in the true faith o^ Thy holy name may have our perfect consummation and bhss, both ,n body and soul," is equally patient o" th"s meaning, even if it does not fairly deman'd it F^r we bliss wifhl ".' "' T '^^^ °"'* consummation and bhss w th the departed ; which might imply that they are enjoy „.g these things now, and that we des re !o JO. them ; but we pray that we with the departed may themin h ""'"^''r '"^ ^^'''' ^hich includes hem .„ the prayer. And the petition in the Litany remember not. Lord, our offences, nor the offences o our forefathers," may, or may not, be a prayer Jor our forefathers, according to the way in which L ZZ All this seems to show that neither Scripture nor the Enghsh Church forbids prayer for the departed hat arnount of sanction to ,t : and that what they allow strongly. It IS for each one of us to decide for himself tht: r Z Tr'' ""' ^^'^ P^^^ '" ^he charitable work thus placed before him.* EusUrn and Wcsteru isU n. r ^' ^^^^onA, Liturgies ^«//,«//L/.87S TsSo ^' ■ ''''"^'""""^ ^'•'"^'^^'" *hcZ)./. of Christ. >lli CHAPTER XXIX. THE NEED OF MACHINERY FOR THE PRESERVA- TION AND TRANSMISSION OF THE FAITH. — THE MACHINERY OF THE PRIMITIVE CHURCH. "Thou therefore, „,y child, be .strengthened in the grace that is in Chnst Jesus. And the things which thou hast heard from me amon^ many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also "—2 Tim. ii. i, 2. T N this tenderly affectionate address we have a very i early indication of the beginnings of Christian tradition and Christian schools, two subjects intimately connected with one another. St. Paul having pointed out as a warning to his " child " Timothy the cold or cowardly behaviour of those in Asia who had turned away from him, and as an example the affectionate courage of Onesiphorus, returns to the charge of which this letter is so full, that Timothy is "not to be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord," but be willing to "suffer hardship with the gospel according to the power of God " (i. 8). " Thou therefore, my child," with these instances in mind on the one hand and on the other, "be inwardly strengthened in the grace that is in Christ Jesus." In his own strength he will be able to do nothing; but in the grace which Christ freely bestows on all believers who ask it of Ilim Timothy will be able to find all that he needs for the strengthening of his own character and for the instruc- I" ^1 v,\ m '*! 332 THE SECOXn EPISTLE 70 TIMOTHY. t,on o others. And here St. Pat.I, in a way thoroughly rather than official, diverges for a moment to give u terance to the idea which passes through his mind of secunng permanence in the instruction of the faith- fe 'red tj; ^" TV" ''^''''''' '' '^^' ^'^'y that he tTZh '^"^ ''.'''''' f despondency and sensitiveness of w^I nrV ^!"^°;'?^^°"'^ be likely to shrink from such wo.k or to do It in a half-hearted way. Or again the nought th-t this letter is to summon Timothyfo com xirtUi" " r' ^'^- '' ^^^'^"^ ^^'-thwith so nd 1 T "'^'^•^^P'-^P^^ Provision for continuity of sou d teaclnng uyhe Church committed to his care. m.^ V w> ^' "'f^ '^"' ^''' ^' ^"^ n^e among vX si I T"'J; ' ''"' ^°"^"^'^ ^'^^^ t° f^^thful men! vvoids, before leavmg his flock in order to visit his TcT: ''rr' 'T'' '^ '^ ^° ^--^ ^^e estabh-st Tto el?r ? ''^^"""- ^"^ "^ ^■'^^'- t° d^ this he intelligent enough to appreciate, and trustworthy enough to preserve, all that has been handed down rom Christ and His Apostles respecting the essentill of the Christian faith. There is only one Gospel - ^.at which the Apostles have preached ever since t^ Ascension. It is so well known, so well authenticated both by intrinsic sublimity and external testimony Tat no one would Se justified in accepting a di'fferen heaven. A second Gospel is an impossibility. That which IS not Identical with the Gospel which St. Pau and the other Apostles have preached would be no Gospel at all (Gal. i. 6-9). And this Divine and Apostolic Gospel is the Gospel which has bee„ ii. I, 2.] THE NEED OF MACHINERY. 333 committed to Timothy's charge. Let him take all reasonable care for its preservation. For in the first place, such care was commanded from the outset. Christ has promised that His truth shall continue and shall prevail. But He has not ex- empted Ch-.stians from the duty of preserving and propagating it. He, Who is the Truth, has declared that He is ever with His Church, even unto the end of the world (Matt, xxviii. 20); and in fulfilment of this promise He has bestowed the Spirit of truth upon it. But He has nowhere hinted that His Church is to leave the cause of His Gospel to take care of itself. On the contrary, at the very time that He promised to be alway with His disciples. He prefaced this promise with the command, " Go ye therefore, and make dis- ciples of all the nations, . . . teaching them to observe all thing? whatsoever I commanded you;" as if His promise were contingent upon their fulfilment of this charge. At the very moment when the Church received the truth, it was told that it had the responsi- bility of safeguarding it and making it known. And, secondly, experience has proved how entirely necessary such care is. The Gospel cannot be super- seded by any announcement possessing a larger measure of truth and authority. So far as the present dispen- sation goes, its claims are absolute and final. But it may be seriously misunderstood ; it may be corrupted by large admixture of error ; it may be partially or even totally forgotten ; it may be supplanted by some meretricious counterfeit. There were Thessalonians who had supposed that the Gospel exempted them from the obligation of working to earn their bread. There were Cnristians at Corinth and Ephesus who had confounded the liberty of the. Gospel with antinomian in I I'. ^^* ^'^-^ .V^-t'tW/; EPISTLE TO TIMOTHY. V Pi; rn^ 1 ; , r """' "'^ ^'^"'■^'^ "^Sardis which had so workb of ,ta dumg wci.- fo„nd fulfilled before God, and he remnant ol tnuh and life which survived was ready to pen3h And the Church., of Galatia had been in danger of ca«tn,g on one sid. the glories of the Gospel and .eturn.MK U. the bondage of the Law. Through gno.ance, timn.gh neglect, through wilful misrepre- sentafon or n.ln.^tod opposition, the truth might be obscured, or depraved or defeated; and there' were few p ac.s whtMe HUch disastrous results were more possible than at Kphesus. Its restless activity"' commerce and Hpcrnintion ; its worldliness ; the seduct- iveness of it« f«,,n« of paganism ;-all these constituted an atmosphere ,,1 which Christian truth, unless carefullv protected, would be likely to becom^ tainted or be Ignored. Lven without taking into account the proposal t at nmothy Hhould leave Ephesus for awhile a'nd'visU the Apostle ,„ hi. imprisonment at Rome, it was no more han nece««ary precaution that he should endea- vour to secure the establishment of a permanent centre for preservmg m.\ handing on in its integrity the faith once for all committed to the saints " The things whidi thou hast heard from me among man, w, ,,,, .,,^ '^^ ^^ree words are remarkabl ^ Greek 'stP.1 "^"''' '^"^^'^^'^^^ ^" ^^e original Greek. St. Paul do... not say simply -in the presence of many wune«,e«" (eW,o, or lapo.r.v \oxZ /.a,r.,H but " ^ ;,,,,, ,f ,,,^ witnesses" (STI nroXX^v ^aprupa>p). I„ the First Epistle (vi. 12) he had appealed to the good confession which Timothy had made "m the .ight of many witnesses." As regards Tm.othy'. confession these were witnesses and no more. They were able for ever afterward, io testify ii.I,2.] THE NEED OF MACHINERY, 335 that he had made it ; but they did not help him to make it. The confession was his, not theirs, although no doubt they assented to it and approved it; and their presence in no way affected its goodness. But here those who were present were something more than mere witnesses of what the Apostle said to nmothy : they were an integral part of the proceeding, rheir presence was an element without which the Apostle's teaching would have assumed a dilTerent character. Th.y were not a mere audience, able to testify as to what was said; they were guarantees of the instruction which was given. The sentiments and opinions which St. Paul might express in private to his disciple, nnd the authoritative teaching which he delivered to him in public under the sanction of many witnesses, were two dilferent things and stood on different grounds. Timothy had often heard from his friend his personal views on a variety of subjects; and he had often heard from the Apostle his official testi- mony, delivered solemnly in the congregation as to the truths of the Gospel. It is thi=; latter body of instruction, thus amply guaranteed, of which Timothy IS to take such care. He is to treat it as a treasure committed to his charge, a precious legacy which he holds in trust. And in his turn he is to commit it to the keeping of trustworthy persons, who will know its value, and be capable of preserving it intact and of handing it on to others as trustworthy as themselves. Some expositors interpret the passage as referring not to the Apostle's public teaching as a whole but to the instructions which he gave to Timothy at his ordination respecting the proper discharge of his office • and the aorist tense {^mvcrai) favours the view that some definite occasion is intended (comp. i Tim. iv 14 • ill if III 336 THE SECOND EPISTLE TO TIMOTHY. ■ m 2 r.m. .6). In that case the Apostle is here showinR anxiety for the establishment of a sound tradition respecting the duties of ministers,-a very important portion, but by no means the main portion of the teaching which he had imparted. But the aorist does not compel us to confine the allusion to some one event, such as Timotliy's ordination or baptism ; and It seems more reasonable to understand the charge here given as a continuation of that which occurs tovvards the close of the first chapter. There he says, Hcd the pattern of sound words which thou hast heard (r^Kovaa,) " fn n me;" and here he charges runothy not merely to hold this pattern of sound words fast himself, but to take care that it does not perish with him. This then, may be considered as the earliest trace of the formation of a theological school,-^ school which has for its object not merely the instruction of the Ignorant but the protection and maintenance of a defimte body of doctrine. That which the Apostle, when he was in Ephesus, publicly taught, under the sanction of a multitude of witnesses, is to be preserved and handed on without compromise or corruption as a pattern of wholesome doctrine. There are unhealthy and even deadly distortions of the truth in the air, and unless care is taken to preserve the truth, it may easily become possible to confuse weak and ignorant minds as to what are the essentials of the Christian faith. Ihe question as to the earliest methods of Christian instruction and the precautions taken for the preserva- tion of Apostolic tradition is one of the many particulars in which our knowledge of the primitive Church is so tantalizingly meagre. A small amount of information IS given us in the New Testament, for the most part fV. ■ e showing I tradition iniportaiit >n of the orist does sonic one tisni ; and 10 charge ch occurs e he says, thou hast L" charges of sound does not iest trace 3ol which n of the ice of a Apostle, nder the )reserved ption as nhealthy air, and ay easily It minds lith. Christian •reserva- rticulars "ch is so )rniation ost part ii. I, 2.] rifE NEED OF MACHmERV. _____ _ 337 quit.' incidentally, as here • iiul n, . *u~^ "n i I.! X ' I i 342 r//£ SECOND EPISTLE TO TIMOTHY. against the hypothesis, that between the Crucifixion and the middle of the second century, a complete revolution in the creed was effected ; and that the traditional belief of Christians is not that which Jesus of Nazareth taught, but a perversion of it which owes its origin mainly to the overwhelming influence of His professed follower, but virtual supplanter, Saul of Tarsus. fj ucifixion complete that the :h Jesus ch owes : of His Saul of CIIAPTKR XXX. THE CHRISTIANS LIFE AS MII.ITA RY SERl'lCE ; -IS AN ATHLETIC CONTEST; AS HUSBANDRY. ' " SufTcr harcislups with nic, as a Rood .soklicr of Christ Jesus. No soldier on service entanglctli himself in the alfairs of this life • that he may please him who enrolled him as a soldier. And if also a nuu, contend .n the games, he is not crowned, excej.t he have contended awfully 1 he husbandman that labou.ah must be the first to par- take of the fruits. Consider what I say ; for the Lord shal -e thee understanding in all things."— 2 Tim. ii. 3—7. CT. Paul represents the Christian life and the O Christian ministry under a variety of figures. Sometimes as Imsbanchy ; as when he tells the Galatians that " whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap ; " and that " in due season we shall reap If we faint not" (Gal. vi. 7, 9); or when he reminds the Corinthians that " he that ploweth ought to plow in hope, and he that thresheth, to thresh in hope of partaknig"(r Cor. ix. 10). Sometimes as an athletic contest; as when he tells the Corinthians that " every man who striveth in the gauios is temperate in all things" (I Cor ix. 25); or the Ephesians that "our wrestling is not against fiesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world- rulers of this darkness, against the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heav.,n!y placei> " (Eph. vi 12) Sometimes, and most frcciuently, as niilitayv ..rvice- as when he charges the Thcssalonians to "put on the m 344 THE SECOND EP7ST/ E TO TIMOTHY. II ['>'( B( if fi,,'!"" TTT ''""■''= "" "^' "^1"=^ «se of A\ three S, fond • ' ?r^ "' 1^ "= — '" h-^' been fight of faith" (i. 18- vi 12^ F, rl' ^"""^ p^npr.-^iK, >^ ' ''■ Every Christian, and especially every Christiai: minister, may be regarded is a soldier as an athlete, a. a husbandman; bu of the three^simihtudes the one which fits him b^st is that of Even if this were not so, St. Paul's fondness for the metaphor would be very intelligible I. Military service was very familiar to him especially in his imprisonments. He had been arres S by soldiers at Jerusalem, escorted by troops loC^Zt sTllr^t R^" ^-^-^^^f — •- ri7a'b^^r:f so d ers to Rome, and had been kept there under military surveillance for many months in the firs Roman imprisonment, and for we know not how Ion. cert 'i^ r th • ,^"' 11 "^'^ ^^^-- '' - ^'-3^ ceitain .hat the place of his imprisonment was near the picetonan camp. This would probably be so orde ed Sm irr^r l^'^^ -l^^-- who had chargeo' observing! T "l^' '''' '''^"^ opportunitiS of observing very closely aK he details of ordinary ':^m •3-7.] THE CHRISTIAN AS A SOLDIER. 345 and military life. He must frequently have seen soldiers under drill, on parade, on guard, on the march ; must have watched them cleaning, mending, and sharpening their weapons; putting their armour on, putting it ofT. Often during hours of enforced inactivity he must have compared these details with the details of the Christian life, and noticed how admirably they corresponded with one another. 2. Military service was not only very familiar to himself; it was also quite sufficiently familiar to those whom he addressed. Roman troops were everywhere to be seen throughout the length and breadth of the Empire, and nearly every member of society knew something of the kind of life which a soldier of the Empire had to lead. 3. The Roman army was the one great organization of which it was still possible, in that age of boundless social corruption, to think and speak with right-minded admiration and respect. No doubt it was often the instrument of wholesale cruelties as it pushed forward Its conquests, or strengthened its hold, over resisting or rebelling nations. But it promoted discipline and esprit de corps. Even during active warfare it checked individual license ; and when the conquest was over It was the representative and mainstay of order and justice against high-handed anarchy and wrong. Its officers several times appear in the narrative portions .of the New Testament, and they make a favourable impression upon us. If they are fair specimens of the military men in the Roman Empire at that period, then the Roman army must have been indeed a fine service. There is the centurion whose faith excited even Christ's admiration ; the centurion who confessed Christ's righteousness and Divine origin at the crucifixion; H 346 THE SECOND EPISTLE TO TIMOTHY. I*r !i t \ i I Cornelius, of the Italian cohort, to w?- on. St. Peter was rescued St. Paul, first from the mob, and then from the conspu-acy to assassinate him ; and JuHus, who out of cons.deration for St. Paul prevented the loldiers from killing the prisoners in the shipwreck But the reasons for the Apostle's preference for this similitude go deeper than all this. 4. Military service involves self-sacrifice, endurance d aphne, vigilance, obedience, ready co-operation with his Address Jo Martyrs draws with characteristic ncisiveness the stern parallel beween the severity of the soldier's life and that of the Christian. - Be it so that even to Christians a prison is distasteful. We were called to active service under the Living God from the very moment of our response to the baptismal formula. No soldier comes to the war surrounded by luxuries nor goes into action from a comfortable bed-room, but' from the make-shift and narrow tent, where every kind of hardness and severity and unpleasantness is to be found. Even in peace soldiers learn betimes to suffer warfare by toil and discomforts, by marching in arms running over the drill-ground, working at tren^h^ making, constructing the torto.e, till the sweat runs again In the sweat of the brow all things are done, lest body and mind should shrink at changes froS shade to sunshine, and from sunshine to frost, from the dress of ease to the coat of mail, from stillness to shouting from quiet to the din of war. In like manner do ye, O blessed ones, account whatever is hard in this your lot as discipline of the powers of your mind and body. Ye are about to enter for the good fight in which the Living God gives the prizes, and the Holy ii.3-7.] THE CHRISTIAN AS A SOl.niER. 347 Spirit prepares the combatants, and the crown is the eternal prize of an angel's nature, citizenship in heaven, glory for ever and ever. Therefore your trainer,' Jesus Christ, Who has anointed you with the Spirit and led you forth to this arena, has seen good to separate you from a state of freedom for rouglier treatment, that power may be made strong in you. For the athletes also are set apart for stricter discipline, that they may have time to build up their strength. Ihey are kept from luxury, from daintier meats, from too pleasant drink ; they are driven, tormented, distressed. The harder their labours in training, the greater their hopes of victory. And they do it, says the Apostle, that they may obtain a corruptible crown. We, with an eternal crown to obtain, look upon the prison as our training-ground, that we may be led to the arena of the judgment-seat well disciplined by every kind of dis- comfort : because virtue is built up by t ardness, but by softness is overthrown " {Ad Mart, iii). It wi'll be observed that Tertullian passes by an easy i !,:-ition from training for military service to training for athletic contests. The whole passage is little more than a graphic amplification of what St. Paul writes to Timothy. 5. But military service implies, what athletic contests do not, vigilant, unwearying, and organized opposition to a vigilant, unwearying, and organized foe. In many athletic contests one's opponent is a rival rather than an enemy. He may defeat us; but !u inflicts no injury. He may win the prizes ; but he lakes nothing of ours. And even in the more deadly conflicts of the amphitheatre the enemy is very different from an enemy in war. The combat is between individuals, not armies ; It is the exception and not the rule; it is strictly .1 is m lirii .«*ir',' 34« nm s/uu>/vn EPISTLE to timothy. I I 1 I 1 ' ll'f £il*^'i!l I l-aces, ,t ,.s a .li,rl and not a canipaign,-still less a prolonged wur. Military service is either n roe ual warfare or p-rpetiml preparation for it. And st h thp c. « '^"''^' ^° '°"& ''^s he remains in and r^lT, T"^ ^^^' " ' ^^^ '^y aside n.y arn,s and my drill : n|| enemies are conquered • there will never be another war " Anrl fh« n • . , ho . • /'"' ^ar. And the Christian, so one as he renmum „, Ihi. world, can never think hat he 5^av cease to watch ,.nd to pray, because the victo ^ fs w*; n" re on tha l""'"'" '" '""T^^ ^"^ ^''^' '' '' ^^ ^hi !? V '""""' -'^""^ himself to be "entaneiod in the alfar« (,(' thj. lif. .. Tho j^ entangud • 1 . , ''''-• J^ ne soldier on serviVo avo,ds th. .„,«.. h. knows that i. wouirin e east as crcfu ly ; f,,, |„ j, ,|„„„^ „„ loss ufpromat,«„i,tl,Hos.s 01 eternal life tians sZw ":' ^'' ':■■"'] ''"^^ ""' '■««-' 'hat Cl„. tians should kf<-|, nloof from the afTai,:, „f this life d :wh::"";^h rf"' ■""'"'"■^"™ or what'L'tcht: Uscwlicrt rilc Chri lian is to "do his own business and to work with l,i» hands, that he u,ay walk hones S nX.' ■"■,•;"■■" •'"■ "'"'°"'' ••"'" ™y"-- -""of f.m „ j,e „()„,,. „r ,1,(3 lif -, 1^ . y I nd's ::,'"•■ '■",";"*''■'' '" "'™- They aremefns no " ee "h; ;"t k '"t Ih ""[' "'"' °"' ■"" ^"^^^^"' instead ■•. ... ^^'"^ ^'"'^''"'^ entanglements ontt'nt or°''"' • ''"'^^^^ ^^"'^' ^°^'^ '«- ^hat state of pensd, condition of success. meln ^K ?''"^''' ^*' ^'""Sht out in the second metap. r by th« word " lawfully." The athlete who f es and all still less a perpetual 1 just such a prcpara- 'cmains in : niy arms there will >o long as It he may ^y is won, is for this entangiod n service interfere /oid it at t, anr' the at Chr. this life, e teachcF business, honestly need of Y to pcr- ig it he ;ans, not suffered elements state of le indis- second ite who ii.3-7] THE CllR/STIAN AS AN ATHLETE. 310 competes in the games does not receive a crown, un- less he has .ontended Irnvfidly, i.e., according to 'rule {vofiifiu^^^ voiio^). Even if he seems to be vict. ions, he nevertheless is not crowned, because he has violated the well-known conditions. And what is the rule, what are the conditions of the Christian's contest ? "If any man would come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me." If vve wish to share Christ's victory, we must be ready to share His sufTering. No cross, no crown. To try to withdi oneself from all hardship and annoyance, to attempt to avoid all that is painful or disapreeable, is a violation of the rules of the arena. This, it woiil- preceding, I vJW^:^'l:^^l very ,ar from be.ng mere hardship and siifferinK ' it L, ..s bnght .de and its compensa.ions, even in fhk fife' 23 ■ n 3')4 rilE SECOND EPISTLE TO TIMOTHY. ' ii 'i !' I*' I (■ ! Throughout this section it is well worth while to notice the very considerable improvements which the Revisers have made in it. One or two of these have been already noticed ; but for convenience some of the principal instances are here collected together. "Suffer hardship with me," or "Take thy part in suffering hardsliip," is better than " Thou therefore endure hardship," which wliile inserting a spurious therefore, omits the important intimation that the hardship to which Timothy is invited is one which others are enduring, and which he is called upon, not to bear alone, but to share. "No soldier on service" IS better than " No man that warreth," and "if also a man contend in the games " is more definite than the vague "if a man also strive for masteries." The ambi- guity of "must be first partaker of the fruits" is avoided in "must be the first to partake of the fruits " But perhaps none of these corrections are so important as those in the passage now before us. " Remember that Jesus Chris, of the seed of David, was raised from the dead, according to my gospel," gives quite a wrong turn to St. Paul's language. It puts the clauses in the wrong order, and gives an erroneous impression as to what is to be remembered. Timothy is charged to remember Jesus Christ ; " and in remembering Him he IS to think of Him as one Who is "risen from the dead, and Who ,s also "of the seed of David " These are central facts of the Gospel which St. Paul has always preaclied ; they have been his support in all his sufferings ; and they will be the same support to the disciple as they have been to the master ''Remember Jesus Christ." Every Christian, who has to endure what seem to him to be hardships, will sooner or later fall back upon this remembrance He h while to which the these have ome of the r. hy part in therefore I spurious 1 that the Dne which upon, not n service" "if also a i than the rhe ambi- fruits " is he fruits." important Remember lised from 2 a wrong ses in the 'ion as to larged to ring Him from the These Paul has in all his rt to the ian, who hips, will ice. He ^^^o^U^OJVEI^Or BELIEF IN 7IIE RESURRECTION. 355 tCIs^^v;;;::^/"' ^^ chiei^su«bn^- i„ the wond. ineie s One Who has undergone hardships comnarprl wuh w ,c those of other men sink into Lu^g ' and Who has expressly told those Wim wish to be H s' d.saples, that they must follow Him along th patl of suftenng. It is specially in this respect th.t he servant is not above his Lord An.i • 7 ^ Pa"l says to his perplexed and desponding dSlt Keniember lesi-s ThrJcf -,c • . ° oeiegate, Jesus Christ hn? . ? ""' '''"' ■^''"" '^^' ^^''^'f" jesus Lhnst has not only endured every kind or of Him sh.ll endurance in imitation ot Him shall be crowned with victory. Had Chri^f•= mission ended on Calvary, H. would' but avegin to the world a purilled form of Stoicism, a refineS philosophy of sufirprlned Him- all doubt int which onnexion n as " of God, but i yet He '''■^■'^i^^VER Of BEI.IEF /.V 7V/E RESiTRRECV/OX. 359 was born of flesh and blood, and born of that royal hne of which Timothy, who " from a babe h:id known the sacred writings," had many times heard and read. The Resurrection and the Incarnation ;— those are the two facts on which a faltering minister of the Gospel IS to hold fast, in order to comfort his heart and strengthen his steps. It is worth noting that St. Paul places the Resurrec- tion before the Incarnation, a fact whicli is quite lost in the transposed order of the A.V. St. Paul's order which at first sight seems to be illogical, was the usual order of the Apostles' preaching. They began, not with the mu-aculous birth of Christ, but with His resurrection. They proved by abundant testimony that Jesus had risen from the dead, and thence argued that He must have been more than man. They did not preach His birth of a virgin, and thence argue that He was Divine. How was His miraculous birth to be proved, f ; those who were unwilling to accept His mother's word for it ? But thousands of people had seen Him dead upon the Cross, and hundreds had seen Him alive again afterwards. No matter of fact was more securely established for all those who caied to investigate the evidence. With the Resurrection proved, the foundations of the faith were laid. The Incarnation followed easily after this, especially when combined with the descent from David, a fact which helped to prove His Messiahship. Let Timothy boldly and patiently preach these great truths in all their grand simplicity, and they will bring comfort and strength to him in his distress and difficulty, as they have done to the Apostle. This is the meaning of " according to my gospel." These are the truths which St. Paul has habitually i 36o ( t i I THE SECOND EPISTLE TO TIMOTHY. preached, and of the vai.e of which he Z^^^Z^^, insisted, because m the wear and tear of life he has found out their worth. There is no emphasis on the " niv " ac, m,. r i SLOWS Ancncnticcnnoe bo cnplS. " T, "^p ™^ wh.:. :; pie so bJ: t"^'„"°"'r ""^ "-■'■ GosonI" A J , ' "" '^ ""= substance of „„ ^ospo . And Jerome is eertainly mistaken if vvlnt s 't": ^g'^to'^^rcos, ;■;' ir--- ^'•.'■-' -^' Gospe, of\is eon^an," ' St. ICZl bad ""T much f ,i3 ,, ,„, 3o„,etbi,:-;!j',r'°a xn would be mucb nearer the trutl, to sav tbaT qf P ne>er refers to a written Gospel. In eXrv one of ,1 passages in whieh the phrase oeeurs" J eo, text t quue aga,„st any such interpretation (Ro^ .^ 6 which fc'll '■ '• "^- '" "^'^ l''"" 'he words whKh follow are conclusive: "Wherein I suffer hard slup unto bonds, as a malefactor." How could he k: '^'Z:f" '"''''' ■'"'° '-""^ '" *e°Gosp:i 'of Tel ZTT "^^^y *^' ">= 'hird Gospel and the Ac s of the Apostles were written by St. Paul himseTf the 7h" r """^ "^'"' - -"=■" wifhlgrd ■ e sTh t^h 'a". "' ''""'^ "^ '"= ^"^ Testment Paul F^^ ^ f "■•■" """"' '■y •■" companion of St Paul. Even destructive critics who spare little el« speak from king about, rcmcmbcr- cction and ceaselessly ife he has the Greek le Apostle of other lay tcacJj cc of my if what is to him by 'aul says i written d caught LI age. It St. Paul le of the ntext is ii. l6; e words er hard- J he be ospel of strange md the himself, ^ird . to tament, of St. e else, Dt aiccptcd or rejected as a whole. Moreover it ,, aJm,.ted , both defenders and assailant '..: wr te of tiK Aets did not know the ICpistle to he wS'Tl' T " '' '"'"'"^ P™'"^'^'^ "-' -h n e totheCb nth" r,;'" KP-'l-'o'he Romans and Paul. A r, ' °" ""=" '''" h*-' ''■•'^■- 1*^" St. Pau ? And why sh.,,,1,1 the A,,„stle write ,,„,„eti,„es '" ".<-• tinrd person of ui.at /'„„/ said „„d did nnd sometnnes ,„ the firs, person of what a. did ? I tl .s qtute natural, if the writer is a eompanion I Apos tie, who was so.ne.intes with hin, and son.etinte he w i,'!""!' 7"l™'l".-y if the Apostle himself is the w ter And of course if the Acts is „ot by St Pan .the t ,rcl Gospel cannot he ; for it is i„,p,2,ible to a s,g„ then, to dilTerent writers. Moreover not to mention other diflicnlties, it „,ay be dot.bted v^^l, t Lt of St. Pa d, there would have been time for " „„„„." ,„ l'a^•e taken ,„ hand to draw up a narrative concexni, « hose matters which have been fulfilled a.nong ' or le'thi d'r "? '■"'■,"''■' '° '^"^■^ ™"-''^ "-'-'■^1 lor the th rd Gospel and to have written it, and then al^ter an .nterval, for him to have written the At' Al the arguments in favour of the Pauline anthorshTp of the th.rd Gospel and of the Acts are satisfied by he almost un.versally accepted view, that these two v™rks 1 5, 11-14; Rom. XV. 19, 28; xvi i_- ,,. , r I' I; xi. 30; xvi. 15; 2 Cor ii I • • '■ "-'6; v. make no mention of thcm"or "rcfe'rcncc to th'em'^ '' T.!; \ ^' '^' '''°"''' II 'fi u If : II ." I :! J62 /^^ ^'(W/; £rjsn.^ TO TIMOTHY. cxprestio,^ ' ^'"^ ^'' '"^^'^-'^ «f thought and thJ^^lc^nli;' I 1' ''" ''^^P^' °^ ^^^' Resurrection and even to thr .xti.,it of 1 "^ ''""^ "'^"^'^ e^''^' , in oKkT to mdicate why it i^ tlnf .ui i the nrcnchcr .'u .• • ^ '"'^^' althoiitrh got;: • so ;;,,,;"," T": """> ">= p-^-ss or z as."'™ r'T ) '■■-'f'-"' 8'-d, and e„ an .he those whon, I. 't I^T ," "" '■"" '° '"""™== never have ,n I "npnsonn.cn., he would sold rs a d':i;:!:;'r;'':;-''^°'"^^'''"^'-'*°™- » "u waifictB, and officials, and all who have to ine woid of God is not bound." While he i<, in gdisT,' , .Tt'' r" '"'"'■ ^"' —of other elU" ', who was 3uglit and ection and ; here tells nuch evil, It. He is 5t bound," s changes word of although s free ; — his own, Vpostle is ion's pen e to him ; le faithful it Roman lim may of the n Christ o all the nfluence i would -Roman have to tribunal, he is in sr evan- is not : loss of effect on pes will ii.«-.o.] roiVEROF lu^UEF IN THE RESURRECTION. 3.,, not be so. Those who are left at large ought to labour all the more energetically and enthusiastically, in order to supplv whatever is lost by the Apostle's want of Ireedom, and in order to convince the world that tliH IS n,. contest with a human organization or with human opinion, but ^'^ a Divine word and a Divine rerson. "The word of G. is not bound," because His word IS the truth, and it is the truth that makes men free Mow can that of which the very essence is freedom, and of which the attribute is that it confers freedom, be itself kept in bondage ? Truth is freer than air and more incompressible than water And just as men must have air and must have water, and you cannot keep them long from either ; so you cannot long keep them from the truth or the truth f.-om them You may dilute it, or obscure it, or retard it, but you cannot bury it or shut it up. Laws which are of Divnie ongm will surely and irresistibly assert them- selves, and truth and the mind of man will meet *ii UN IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) h [/ 5r mL/- ^- 1.0 I.I 11.25 ■a lii u lU £ US u 2.5 1.4 1.6 op. Hiotographic Sciences Corporation 23 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. 14580 (716) 872-4503 "% V Vi,'^o^ '^^ «^ ■ ? .,'! '! I :iH i CHAPTER XXXIJ. 'niEJVJrjrn OF A SOLEMN CHARGE AGAWST A GOV ^^^oiERsu, srnuT, oe oruoENGE iZeer^e SHAML, AND OF A HATRED OF THE TROFimTV rVH^ ^VRATS UT ERROR EV THE lJJ^^Z sigI?of'rS;7tC\t!: ;— ^^--chargmg the. i,. t..e approved unto Corl n v i , 'J'''g°»'--c to present thyself tiicy will proceed furtl.rr in n '''"'' ^'''bblings : for doth a ga ,g°e, . of vho.n ' R "''' '"" '''"'" ^"""' ^'" -' ■''- concern^,r;;:|:tr ^^^T^^ZZ. T'''' ' ■"^" ^^'- passed already, and overthrow thj S^IJ^ ^.}^, ^T^ .^ YyE here enter upon a new section of the Epistle Z \ ^u '''."''""'' ^'''^'" ^° tlie end of the chapter. It consists in the main of directions as to rimothy's own behaviour in the responsible pos n which he has been placed. And these are both posi ive and negative; he is told what to aim at, and S lo is t H^l'^'r'T^- °^ "'^''' "^^"S^'" °^ ^h>'ch he IS to put his flock ,n remembrance, it seems most naural to refer the expression to the '' faithful sly r^ with which the previous section closes. He is to remind others (and thereby strengthen his own co .ral' and faith), that to die for Christ is to live with m i II ii. i4-iS.] THE SOLEMN CHARGE. 365 NST A CON- '■'A'EE FROM J'ROFAN/TV VGLTAGE OF g them ill the no profit, to )rcsent thyself ' be ashamed, labblings : for rd will eat as IS ; men who :surrcction is iM. ii. 14—18. he Epistle, id of the ions as to Ic post in th positive id what to which he -ms most 1 saying" He is to n courage ^ith I/im, and to sufl-er for Christ is to reign with Him, while to deny Him is to involve His denying us ; for, how- ever faithless we may be. He must abide by what He has promised both of rewards and punishments. The fact that the Apostle uses the expression "put them in remembrance," implying that they already know it IS some confirmation of the view that the "faithful saymg" is a formula that was often recited in the congregation ; a view which the rhythmical character of the passage renders somewhat probable Having reminded them of what they already know well, Tmiothy is to "charge them in the sight of the Lord, that they strive not about words." This phrase "charge them in the sight of the Lord " is worthy of notice The Apostle twice uses it in addressing Timothy hmiself " I charge thee in the sight of God and Christ Jesus, and the elect angels, that thou' observe these things without prejudice" (i Tim v 21)- and " I charge thee in the sight of God, and of Christ Jesus, Who shall judge the quick and dead, and by His appearmg and His kingdom ; preach the word " (2 Tim IV I). The word for "charge" {hianaprvdecrdac) indicates the interposition {htd) of two parties, and hence comes to mean to "call heaven and earth to witness;" in other words, to "testify solemnly" or "adjure;" and from this latter meaning it easily becomes employed for a solenm charge or exhortation- In translating, it would be quite legitimate to insert an abverb to express this : " solemnly charging them in the sight of God." In dealing with these pestilent disputes and perilous opinions Timothy, both for his own sake and for that of his hearers, is to remember and to remind them, in Whose presence he is speaking! God's eye is upon both preacher and congregation; I i' 1 1 I f| m «■ 366 TIIE^SECOND EPISTLE TO TIMOTHY. v^ s^ \- \ Ji!.::i i an; nat a question of much moment. One ll^ ',•;:' " VIZ., tliat the wiiole section 1^ , ""= """g is clear ; t>.ro„6hot,t the Ch^uS :"„! t^'^t J^"""": .."dor consideration seem to be wcC'or'hv of «"? at the nrespnf- n.,.-. u *'*-" ^^"^""y ol attention to say, and other ways of sax ,W M °"' .V'-'SS Slibiy enough of anotiL ma,S Z " "'. '^^ '"'^ when Ik- is not present, w" „nv >, "'/P'"'™'^' from the smallest wish to misrep "em or T ^" ^ '"■" but at the same time vve speak with "ea /''^"f """' almost without restraint. Wha" a ch n ' "' '"" "s, if, in the „,idst of our glib recit on °""' °''" sayings, the man Itself enter't^l VT "' we begin to n,easure our words and" Lpet w^h' more caution. Our tone hprnmo i • '^" we have less confidence at jl^LPri""'' ,'"' sweeping statements on the subi "' o I, ' r"'"'^ .l.in, of this circumspection a,^d diftidr ^t^^, by those who take the responsibility of telling o hlrs '>THY. sobriety the ''ine tribunal. words, and 1 a spirit of lin provokes ,, when i. „„g,H easily have bee oi w But a fondness for strife about words is one of l,e lowes forn,swl,iel, the ,nal„dy can take. Pri.t^ip are thmgs worth striving about, when oppositioT o what we know to be rigl,, ,nd true is m,a™ d ble But d,sputat,ousness about words is sou.e.h ," I e truth 1 he word-sphtter wrangles, not for the sake o vietory. He cares httle as to what is right or wron- iience the Apostle said in the first Enistle thnt fi -.terity in w.Me\ t,t4/o';irdi:;t: L"":^^^^^ ^eyt=^Jo".^n"'"-""» mey tend to the subverting of those xvhn u., / them " TU;- . u • "-iiuse wiio listen to mem. i his subversion or oven hm^r / .he e.act opposite of what :: htT rTeTt'f '? Chnsuan dtseusslon, viz., edification or buildrj „° (".f-'M- The audience, instead of being b hup Z fatth and pnneiple, fi.„d themselves bewild ed 1" ,' i\ I ■ 1 If 368 THE SECOND EPISTLE TO TmOT/IY. 'i ! JiiL.J.: owe ed 1 hey have a less firm grasp of truth and a less oya affection for it. It is as if some beautiful object, which they were learning to understand and admire had been scored all over with marks by those u^o had been disputing as to the meaning and relation of the details. It has been a favourite device of the heretics and sceptics of all ages to endeavour to provoke a discussion on points about which they hope to place an opponent in a difficulty. Their object is not to settle, but to unsettle ; not to clear up doubts but to ci-eate them : and hence we find Bishop Butler in his Durham Charge recommending his clergy to avoid religious discussions in general conversation, because the clever propounder of difficulties will find ready hearers, while the patient answerer of them will not do so. To dispute is to place truth at an unnecessary disadvantage. -^ " Gi^•e diligence to present thyself approved unto Cod, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed " In the previous section St. Paul exhorted Timothy to be ready to suffer for Christ : here he charges him to work for Him ; and in the language which he uses he indicates that such work is a serious matter -—"Give diligence." The word which he uses (cr7ro.gJr«v) is onewhicn scarcely occurs in the New Testament except in the writings of St. Paul. And the corresponding substantive {^a-rrovh'^) is also much more common in his Epistles than it is elsewhere. It indicates that ceaseless, serious, earnest zeal, which was one of his chief characteristics. And certainly if the proposed standard is to be reached, or even seriously aimed at abundance of this zeal will be required. For the end proposed is not the admiration or affection of the congregation, or of one's superiors, nor yet success i„ THY, ' truth and a me beautiful erstand and 'ks by those and relation evice of the r to provoke ipe to place t is not to ubts but to 'Utler in his y to avoid m, because find ready will not do innecessary Toved unto amed." In lothy to be es him to he uses he r;— "Give wSd^eiv) is lent except lesponding ommon in icates that one of his proposed ' aimed at )r the end 3n of the success in i'- 14-18.] DILIGENCE FREE FROM SHAME. 369 acted upon, it secures diligence without fussin s nd enthusiasm without fanaticism. The being '>p. ;. ' W.J.O.) .niphes being tried and provecl as T dous metals are proved before tlicv an> accehtr^ (^' ^ "^ °"^ ffenuino Tf ;. fi , "^ accepted {bexofiat) as genuine, it is the word used of the " burr ^%A'> -.u wh.ch So,o™„ overlaid „is ,V„r, ZS^^:t by no one hn^ Qf d i Tt VJ^'"^s 1. 12; it is used The single word which represents " fh.. ^ u not to be ashamed " (^ve.ala^^,, . ra eX -, which occurs nowhere els? in thi Ne vTst ZV Its precise meaning is not quite certain V, " ' * simple and frequent fornW 4uitc certain. The more °^"_.-^- ^- ^"d R- v., who need net feel shame I.n cause his work will bear examination, or (2) who 'j; not feel shame, although his work is of a kinH i , the world holds in contempt. The lat er s th ' . "^ tation which Chrysostom ' dopts anft re ^X has'th V 'r°"^- ^'^-^ ^--^ already nhT'tt has he Apostle spoken of not being ashamed o he t^ospel He says " Be not ashamed of the testimonv of our Lord, nor of me His prisoner " A^.in < r l^ these th'np-5 • -.^f r sy'itr. Again, I suffer tiicbt in.ngs, yet I am not Ashamed" An! 24 m u J I UmllV.u H I ,; UM r'^ 9 ij 1 1: 1 t.. 1 k Jil 1 • fji' ' ? 370 T//£ SECOND EPISTLE TO TIMOTHY. Onesiphorus, "He oft refreshed me, and was not ashamed of my chain" (i. 8, I2, i6). Does he not. therefore, mean here also, "Present thyself to God as a vvorkman who is not ashamed of being in His service and of domg whatever work may be assigned to him" ^ i his brmgs us very close to what would be tho natural mcamng of the word, according to the analogy of the simpler form. "If you are to work for God/' says Paul, you must be in a certain sense shameless, I here are some men who set public opinion at defiance m order that they may follow their own depraved' desires. The Christian minister must be prepared sometimes to set Public opinion at defiance, in order tJiat he may follow the commands of God " The vox Popuh, even when taken in its most comprehensive sense, is anything but an infallible guide. Public opinion IS nearly always against the worst forms of selfishness, dishonesty, and sensuality ; and to set it at defiance m such matters is to be " shameless " in the worst sense. But sometimes public opinion is very decidedly against some of the noblest types of holiness ; and to be "shameless" under such circumstances is a necessary qualification for doing one's duty. It is by no means certain that this is not St. Paul's meaning Ifwe t^ranslate, "A workman that feeleth no shame/' we shall have a phrase that would cover either inter- pretation. "Handling aright the word of truth," or "Rightly dividing the word of truth." There is some doubt here a so as to the explanation of the word rendered handling aright" or "rightly dividing" {6peorot.elv\ Once_ more we have a word which occurs nowhere else m New Testament. Its radical meaning is to cut aright or " cut straight/' especially of driving a rOTHY. and was not Does he not, self to God as in His service jned to him" ? be the natural malogy of the )r God," says ise shameless. :>n at defiance, )wn depraved be prepared mcc, in order 'd." The vox omprehensive Liide. Public orst forms of and to set it hameless " in pinion is very s of holiness ; mstances is a ty. It is by ul's meaning, h no shame," either inter- or " Rightly some doubt ord rendered (6p6oTo/iieiv). urs nowhere eaning is to of driving a \ ii. 14-18.] HANDLING THE WORD ARIGHT. Straight road through a distrkT^Tr^^i^ZiTTl across a field. In the I YY if • J straight furrow straight or Hir..!" ^^ ^'^'"^ "'^^ ^'^ '"a'<'"g ^traignt or directmg a person's path " In all ,!„, ways acknowledge Mim, and He snll H ^^ mfhc • " o J ,i • r 1, . J' ' ^" tnat the Kevisers are nuitp justihed Ml following the evamnl,. ^r fi x^ , ' cl.rcc.ion and progresses in the co "r ' „„ , *'" leg.tin,atc development. Ilie lord ,1. r ^' ^ eludes al, fancifn, Ld pcri.ourdeSn ' ^dtii^:" such as those in «l,ich the false teachers inch, ged a d !r:„d's--'r--s;!r-.t be preached according to the capacity of the hearers ru? Tu '' ''" ^''"°"^' '-^nd milk to those "o;;; still but babes in the faith. We may feel sure ■ . tl e expression has nothing to do witl/the c L u - f victims in sacrifices, or with cutting strain t to M heart of a thing, as if the word of tfuth £l t^ n. . . h explanations have been suggested Clement of Alexandria and Eusebius use the sut tan! tive derived from St Paul's vrrK r a '" , ;"^^^''"- sense of nrUnn^ u {opdoTofila) in the sense of orthodoxy ; which seems to imply that thev understood the verb in the sense of handling arig^^ {Strom., VII. xvi. ; H. E., IV iii ) ^ Once more (i Tim. vi. 20) the Apostle warn, liis iii 37* THE SECOND EPISTLE TO TLMOTHV. d.sapic against profane babblings." He is (arconling to S Paul s graphic word) to make a circuit i„ uu\^ o avo.d such things, to "give them a wide b.-rth '' (Tr^puaTacro ; comp. Tit. iii. 9). These en.pty pro- famt,os, w.th their philosophic prctentiousn:J, "d done much harn, already, and would do still „,ore • fo tho men who propagate then, would certainly go „ti,l g.eater lengths in impiety; and they must rec4. n cncouragen,ent. Their teaching is of a kind that wil spread rap.dly, and it is deadly in its effects. It " w eat as doth a gangrene." The substitution of " gangrene " for " cancer " Ih in improvement as giving the exact word used In tl " than cancer. Cancer ,s sometimes very slow in lt« avages and may go on for years without cau«i L senous harm. Gangrene poisons the whole frame ad quickly becomes fatal. The Apostle foresc^ thlt doctnnes which really ate out 'the very heart o Chnst,an.ty were likely to become very popula ,n Ephesus and would do incalculable mischief. Tic nature of these doctrines we gather from what follow« They are preached by the kind of people {oh^v,,) who n:iss then- a,m as regards the truth. They profc«r o be aiming at the truth, but they go very wide of tlu mark. For instance, some of them say that it is mute a mistake to look forward to a resurrection of the body or indeed to any resurrection at all. The onlv rtal resurrection has taken place already and cannot be repeated. It is that intellectual and spiritual proccM which IS involved in rising from degrading ignorance !o a recognition and acceptance of the truth Wh-it k commonly called death, viz., the separation of soul'and body, IS not really death at all. Death in the true ■ yiiiv. is (according ''uit ill onlir wide brrth " empty pro- ^iisnr-'ss, had ill mort* ; for linly go Htill t rifcivtr no nd that will Is. It " will nicer " \¥. an used ill the •ore fonibly ' slow ill ItH out causing e frame and •resees that ■y heart of popular in :hief. 'j-hc hat follows, •mt-fy) who profess to vide of the t it is quite f the body, - only real cannot be iai proccis ;norance to Wliat is 'fsoul and 1 the true ii- M-iS.] rilF. ClAGKENh: OF ERROR. 373 sense of the word means ignorance of God and of Divine things ; to be buried is to be buried in error Consequently the true resurrection is to be reanimated by the truth and to escape from the sepulchre of spiritual darkness ; and this process is accomplished once for all in every enlightened soul. We learn from the writings of Irenaeus {Ihvr., II. xxxi. 2) and of lertullian {Dc Res. Cam., xix.) that this form of error was in existence in their day : and Augustine in a letter to Januarius (Iv. iii. 4) shows jiow such false notions might have grown out of St. Paul's own teaching. The Apostle insisted so frequently upon the fa<-t of our being dead with Christ and raised together with Him that some persons jumped to the conclusion that this was the whole of the Christian doctrine of the resur- rection. The resurrection of the body was a great stumbling-block to Greeks and Orientals, with their low notions of the dignity of the human body ; and there- fore any interpretation of the resurrection which got nd of the difficulty of supposing that in the world to come also men would have bodies, was welcome It was calamity enough to be burdened with a body in this life : it was appalling to think of such a condition being continued in eternity. Hence the obnoxious doctrine was explained away and resolved into allegory and metaphor. Of Hymenaeus and Philetus nothing further is known. Hymenaeus is probably the same person as is mentioned in the first Epistle with Alexander as having made shipwreck of the faith, and been delivered unto Satan by the Apostle, to cure him of his blas- phemies. We are told here that much mischief had been done by such teaching : for a number of persons !;"J ili had been seduced from the faith, "Some in the i-| ."!,' 374 r^IE SECOND EPISTLE TO TIMOTHY, i I tngl.sh plirnsc "overthrow the f.ith of 5«;;,.." conveys an .mpress.on, which is not contained in the Greek (n^c.), that the number of those who were led astrav was sn.a„ The Greek indicates neither a large ^a small nt,mber; In.t what is told us leads to the con- dus-on that the number was not small. It is probabW to h.s k,nd of teaching that St. John alludes, when he IZuT: '''''^V "°"^"^^^ 'ater than' this, and C John n. i8). Teachnig of this kind was only too likely to be popular in Ephesus. ^ It is by no means unknown among ourselves. At the prosen tune also there .s a tendency to retain the Tc.n-TZ'rT ^"1 ^^ ^^1--- them of all Christla,: ^c't olt " ?" ^ "'''^ ^°''^' •'^^ " ""••^'^'^'" " Church," cathohc, and "sacrament" are evaporated and ethe- eahzed, until they lose all definite meaning; but eve, such fi,ndamental terms as "atonement," "redemption " and "immortality." Nay it is quite possiWe to find even he word "God" used to express a Being which ^neither personal nor conscious. And thus langLg which has been consecrated to the service of religfon or a ong series of centuries, is degraded to he agnosticism. This perversion of well established phraseology is to be condemned on purely literary a dishonest. If Hymenaeus and Phile.us wish to du y the resurrection, let them also surrender the wo d .vhich expresses it. They have abundance of ment. Let them not so handle a word of truth as to mike it suggest a lie. ° 1 H f i i O'my. ^nic,'' conveys in the Greek ?re led astray a large nor a J to the con- ft is probably des, when he lan this, and ' antichrists " vas only too rselves. At ■o retain the all Christian ""Church," -d and ethe- i; but even edemption," ble to find Jeing which s language, of religion led to the leism "nd established ■ly literary stigmatized s wish to ender the ndance of enlighten- "uth as to CHAPTER XXXIII. 77fE LAST DAYS. -THE BEARfNG OF THE MENTION OF /ANNES AND J A MB RES ON THE QUESTION OF INSPIRATION AN/) THE ERRORS CURRENT IN E/VIESUS. "But know this, that in the last clays p;ricvons times shall come. For men shall be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, haughty, railers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy. . . , And like as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do tiieac also with- stand the truth; men corrupted in mind, reprobate concerning the faith."— 2 Tim. iii. I, 2, 8. IN the first chapter the Apostle looks back over the past ; in the second he gives directions about the present; in the third he looks forward into the future. These divisions are not observed with rigidity throughout, but they hold good to a very considerable extent. Thus in the first division he remctuhcrs Timothy's affectionate grief at parting, his faith and that of his family, and the spiritual gift conferred on him at his ordination. And respecting himself he remembers his teaching Timoth}', his being deserted by those in Asia, his being ministered to by Onesiphorus. In the second chapter he charges Timothy to be willing to suffer hardships with him, and instructs him how to conduct himself in the manifold difficulties of his present position. And now he goes on to forewarn and forearm him against dangers and troubles which he foresees in the future. 376 THE SECOND EnsTlK VO TmOTHY. f^ .1 T- , "-.'"" "J^'oie US. i Iiere IS t hat of St Pnni viiK ,s sompwhnt parallel to the one before us with the one before ,,, . " ™"'P^>-ed present anrlL-r' ™"'»"">"g a mixture of Msis of ""?• ^'"=' ""■•'""« '•=« been made the 'r„Lt'r:::n:rBt,fat"'r^^-''- influence of facts is too st Jg fo 'him H "T "" .s ass.™ed part as a proph'e. "ancl'vrit'j IX. present tense of his own exoerienrpc: q li •77/K ' w Testament It of St. Paul before, just nd afflictions 'vv that after -r in among r own selves ?s, to draw , 30). The diction was e's lifetime, g the great lan of sin, before us similar pre- —3). And those con- ie of false St. John ist. Those compared mixture of I made the has been esent and ■r who is retends to prophecy times the Je forgets 3s in the Such an 'cry small ) suppose iii. 1,2,8.] T//E LAST DA VS. zn that any one would be so stupid as to be unable to sustain his part for half a dozen verses, or less with- out betraying himself? But, in fact, the change of tense mdicates nothing of the kind. It is to be ex- plained in some cases by the fact that the germs of the evils predicted were already in existence, in others by the practice (especially common in prophecy) of speaking of what is certain to happen as if it were already a fact. The prophet is often a seer, who sees as present what is distant or future ; and hence he naturally uses the present tense, even when he predicts. The meaning of the " last days " is uncertain. The two most important erprctations are: (i) the whole tmie between Christ's first and second coming, and (2) the portion immediately before Christ's second coming. Probability is greatly in favour of the latter; for the other makes the expression rather meaningless. If these evils were to come at all, they must come between the two Advents ; for there is no other time : and in that case why speak of this period as the "last days" ? It might be reasonable to call them ''these last days," but not "last days" without such specification. At the present time it would not be natural to speak of an event as likely to happen in the last days, when we meant that it would happen between our own time and the end of the world. The expression used in i Tim IV. I very probably does mean no more than "in future times ; hereafter" {jv harkpoi^ Katpol,). But here and in 2 Pet. 111. 3 the meaning rather is " in the last days • when the Lord is at hand." It is then that the enemy will be allowed to put forth all his power, in order to be more completely overthrown. Then indeed there will be perilous, critical, grievous times (Kacpoi xa\€7rol) The Apostle treats it as possible, ui- even probable, ir I; . ! ll 378 THE SECOND EPLSTLE TO TIMOTHY. vw i.i tl.at -runothy will live to see the troubles which will mark the exe of Christ's return. The Apostles shared :^.ldT "'' " P"'"^^' '""^ belief 'that th Lord uould come again soon, within the lifetime of some who were then alive. Even at the close of a longTfe we find U.e last surviving Apostle pointing out tf the Church that "it is the last hour" (i John ii i8) obviously meaning by that expression, hat it is the tune immediately preceding the returi^ of CI r Lt to judge the world. And some twenty years later we find Iguatius writingto the Ephesians ' These a the 1st nues {.a^aro, .acpo.y Henceforth let us be reverent et us fear the longsuflfering of God, lest it tun "tJ a judgment against us. For either let us fear the now s (£>/,. XI.). Only by the force of experience was the mind of the Church cleared so as to 'see the Kuigdom of Christ in its true perspective. The vva n |ng which Jesus had given, that "of that day o , J hour knoweth no one, not even the angels in h neUher the Son, but the Father," seemfl a rbTen' understood as meaning no more than the declarat" ui an hour that ye think not the Son of man c^e " That IS, It was understood as a warning against beL ound unprepared, and not as a wlJng aga sf was I herefore we need not be at all surprised at St Paul writing to Timothy in a way which implies thai Timothy will probably live to see the evils wWd, w" nnmediately precede Christ's return, and m: t be o" hs guard against being amazed or overwhelmed b" them. He is to " turn away from " the intense wicked- ness which will then be manifested, and go onTnd t niayed with his own work. ')THY. es which will 3stles shared, hat the Lord ime of some 3f a long life g out to the ohn ii. 1 8), hat it is the )f Christ to later we find are the last be reverent ; it turn into LIS fear the ?race which experience to see the The warn- lay or that ■ in heaven, have been declaration n Cometh.' inst being g against it's return sed at St. plies that vhich will 1st be on elmed by e wicked- )n undis- "'• I- 2, 8.] JANNES AND JAMBRES. 379 " Like as Jannes and Jambrcs withstood Moses, so do these also withstand the truth." The Apostle is obviously referring to the Egyptian magicians mentioned in Exodus. But in the Pentateuch neither their number nor the.r names are given ; so that we must suppose tnat bt. Paul is referring to some Jewish tradition on the subject. The number two was very possibly suggested by the number of their opponents :- -Moses and Aaron on one side, and two magicians on the other And on each side it is a pair of brothers ; for the 1 argum of Jonathan represents the magicians as sons ot Balaam, formerly instructors of Moses, but after- wards his enemies. The names vary in Jewish tradition. Jannes is sometimes Johannes, and Jambres IS sometimes either Mambres or Ambrosius. The tradition respecting them was apparently widely spread. It was known to Numenius, a Platonic philosopher of Apameia in Syria, who is mentioned by Clement of Alexandria {Strom., I. xxii.), and quoted by Origen and Eusebius as giving an account of Jannes and Jambres {Con. Cels., IV. li. ; Prcep. Evang., IX vni.). In Africa we find some knowledge of the tradition exhibited by Appuleius, the famous author of the Golden Ass, who like Numenius flourished in the second century. And in the previous century another Latin writer, Pliny the Elder, shows a similar know- ledge. Both of them mention Jannes as a magician in connexion with Moses, who is also in their eyes a magician ; but Pliny appears to think that both Moses and Jannes were Jews.* It is highly im- * Est et alia Magices faetio a Moyse, et Janne, et Jotapc Tudteis pendens (Plin. Hist. Nat., XXX. ii.). ^ ^ Si v,uamlibct emo],„„entum prnhavcntis, ego illc sim Carinondas, vel Dani.gcron, vcl is Moses, vcl Jannes [«/. /. Johannes], vcl Apol- I ti 3«o THE SECOND EPISTLE TO TJMOTHY !i ^:ii ill I I .•H po able hat nny of these writers derived their know- ns^ /T^^' "?" """ '"' '^'^^^'^^^ before us; in . ca^cf Phny th,s would scarcely have been possible. Mr'" '''''' ''''' P^b'^^*^^^ '-^bout A.D 77, and a that tuue the Second Epistle to Timothy must have been known to but few, even among Christians, t" no n'", r?', ^''P°^''>'Phal Gospel of Nicodemus very St P d ' IT^' '? '^-'""'^^'S^ -' ^he names from iWo m •' ^ V^^ ''"''" '^"^ independent sources of nforma ,on. He represents Nicodemus as pleading before 1 ha aoh ; '< but because they were not from t^ocl, what they did was destroyed." Whereas " Tesus raised up Lazarus, and he is alL " (chap v ) Fnfstl'f '''" t'''' "' ^"^'"'^ commentators on these I be Apostle denved these names from a current cl^y n '^ ^^'"^ '"' ^^^^^^'- «f the Jewish Uiiich. And m a smiilar spirit a writer in the st "'Zh-^.f ^ T '■''''' '''' ^' -"^^ '- " •- - baseless or nicorrect current tradition to be cited " ^vl^^therM"^ "' u" P'^^"^"^-^''^ -' the case and see ^hcthe. the number and the names appear to be .ustvvorthy or otherwise, and then consider the ques- t.on of n.spiration. To drag in the latter question L order to determine the former, is to begin at'the wrong That there should be a pair of brothers to oppose a pair of brothers, has been pointed out already as a susp^,^„-eumstance. The jingling pairing of the Oiulcndorp). * '^l '''' ^/^"%'^. 544, p. sSo cd. WHY. \ their know- before us ; in )een possible. A.D. J J, and ly must liave stians. The Dclenuis very names from lit sources of as pleading ked miracles "e not from Teas "Jesus v.). 3rs on these is probable 11 a current ' the Jewish ■iter in the be " incon- ecord for a cited." ise and see pear to be r the ques- question in : the wrong to oppose ready as a ing of the 1 ct Hostanen , p. 5S0 cd. iii. I. 2,8.] JANNES AND JAMRRES. 381 names is also more like fiction than fact. Thirdly, the names appear to be in formation, not Egyptian,' but Hebrew ; which would naturally be the case if Jews invented them, but would be extraordinary if "they were genuine names of Egyptiaas. Lastly, Jannes might come from a Hebrew root which means " to seduce," and Jambres from one which means "to rebel." If Jews were to invent names for the Egyptian magicians, what names would they be more likely to fasten on them than such as would suggest seductive error and rebellious opposition ? And is it probable that a really trustworthy tradition, on such an unim- portant fact as the names of the enchanters who opposed Moses, would have survived through so many centuries? Sober and unbiassed critics will for the most part admit that the probabilities are very decidedly against the supposition that these names are true names, preserved from oblivion by some written or unwritten tradition outside Scripture. But is it consistent with the character of an in- spired writer to quote an incorrect tradition ? Only those who hold somewhat narrow and rigid theories of inspiration will hesitate to answer this question in the affirmative. No one believes that inspired persons are in possession of all knowledge on all subjects. And if these names were commonly accepted as authentic by the Jews of St. Paul's day, would his inspiration necessarily keep him from sharing that belief? Even if he were well aware that the tradition respecting the names was untrustworthy, there would be nothing surprising in his speaking of the magicians under their commonly accepted names, when addressing one to whom the tradition would be well known. And if (as is more probable) he believed the names to be genuine, HlnlM' i '' j j ■ ||fPI'-'|| |ii|l|l| ^ li) i 1 \ H 1 i 1 ^: 1 1 i 1 iij! Ir, '1 ""* fN*'i );■ Wii \ i'iiil •ll . ^Wl ;| 'l||j 1 i' ', ( j 1 1 \ 1 t : if 1 ■ '4' I L.lil, 1 1 there is still less tT^^ii^ri^TiisTrh?^ 7- ^ them to add vivacity to fh. ^^'"^ ""^ °^ r^i- J ,. '^^'^'^y to the comparison, Nothincr Jr, Gods deahngs with mankind warrants us in h r ^- them ■ and th. n ' '"'" ""PP"""'' '° '"'"■= borne believing, as Cl^rysos „™ s^'" , tl^atltTTi:''''" r„n, r u ' *'' "''""''' "ere known even to from Wn, 7"T T" "^"^ ''^"-d *«^ knowledge from him ; and why should he have received a revel! ^o„ about a trifle which in no way helps his argumlm ?" Such views of inspiration, although the prZcrof , *„::". Ih^' ''^^^^^"-■'- *- e.altTur"clcep! the two '" P°'"' "'^ ""> comparison between he two cases appears to be opposition to the truth tut here ,s perhaps more in it than "hit The ^ll^derrLl^-an^^rr-^ "- '^^^ Timothy by p.oresstro'prcf :h Tar ;^r Heal t H " ™' '■"'"^""^ '"^ "- t^ken by'hte t.ea teachers; to disclaim all intention of teacW anything new, and to profess substantkl ,f ? complete agreement with'^those whom t 'y 'opLed truth lo'nl^Tl ;'" *"^ '"^'"'"8 -- onfy tlfeoti ruth looked at from another point of view They used the same phraseology as Apostles had used .■ thejmere^ OTHY. naking use of Nothing in 3 in believing :o an Apostle, a proceeding the incorrect storical facts. scd upon the ration. And les that have o have borne h the names warranted in Paul by in- the names, wn even to r knowledge ed a revela- i argument ? 'roduct of a our concep- ion between ) the truth, that. The to do the s withstood - gospel as n by here- )f teaching al, if not y opposed, ly the old They used hey merely iii. I, 2, S.] HERESY AN/) MACIC. 383 gave ,t a more comprehensive (or, as would now b- said, a more catholic) meaning. In this way the unwary were more easily seduced, and the suspicions of the simple vvere less easily aroused. But such persons betray themselves before long. Their mind is found to be tamted ; and when they arc put to the proof respecting the faith, they cannot stand the test yatoKijxoC). There is nothing improbable in the supposition that bt. Haul mentions the magicians who withstood Moses as typical opponents of the truth, because the false teachers at Ephesus used magic arts ; and the word which he uses for impostors {r^6,^re^) i„ ver. 13 fits in very well with such a supposition, although it by no means makes it certain. Epliesus was famous for its charms and incantations ('£c/.e'a.a ^pdy.y.ara\ and around the statue of its goddess Artemis were unin- telhgible inscriptions, to which a strange efficacy was ascribed. The first body of Christians in Ephesus had been tainted by senseless wickedness of this kind After accepting Christianity they had secretly retained their magic. The sons of the Jew Sceva had tried to use the sacred name of Jesus as a magical form of exorcism ; and this brought about the crisis in which numbers of costly books of incantations were publicly burned (Acts xix. 13-20). The evil would be pretty sure to break out again, especially among new converts just as it does among negro converts at the present day' Moreover we know that in some cases there was a very close connexion between some forms of heresy and magic : so that the suggestion that St. Paul has pre- tensions to mir.-culous power in his mind, \vhen he compares the false teachers to the Egyptian magicians, IS by no means improbable. r'l ! X m ■ i I ^1' i 1 t 384 T//£ SECOND EPISTLE TO TIMOTHY. vcr? re",?"''?" ^''^''" '^"'■^^^^ ^"^ superstUion is a very real and a very close one. The rejection or surrender of religious truth is frequently arCnied by the acceptance of irrational beliefs. People denv miracles a..d believe in spiritualism ; they cavH at he emcacy of sacraments and accept as "^credible he amazmg properties of an 'astral body.' There i such a th.ng as the nemesis of unbelief The arroga ce T. T? '' "^P"^"^"^ ^° ----on and moS tv ruths vvh,ch have throughout long centuries Tat fid he h.ghest .ntellects and the noblest hearts, is on e- .mcs puHKshcd by being seduced into delusii s whkh safsfy nothing higher than a grovelling curiosity 14 "^THY. ^erstition is a rejection or accompanied People deny cavil at the credible the 'here is such e arrogance nd morality 'ics satisfied rts, is some- isions which iosity. CHAPTER XXXIV. f;V ■' ^^^/''^^^^^V(; CONTACT WITH TRUTH -J HE PROPERTIES OF INSPrKED WRITINGS. "But abide thou in the tilings which thou hast learned and hast reproof, for eorrect.on, for instruction which is in rigiUeou nel POR the second time in this paragraph the Apostle A puts his faithful disciple in marked contrast to the heretical teachers. A few lines before, after comparing " R TT '^ ?' ^^^P^'^" rn^^^^^^n., he continues! But thou { previous knowledge, with a view of niakin, h™ p ° of a wl,„le; nor to bring the,,, i„,„ dep-ndenc ■ on e"c other, to trace their mutual relations i„d ,„ ehem to their legitimate issues. I, ^ ,"1^1^:";"'^ aiisn, Bu, it is Rationalism to aecep^ , ie , vda io:," and then to ..^^ i, away : to speak of it as Te Word of God, and to treat it as the word of mm ■ .„ Zr to let it speak for itself; to claim to b toTd he Z "d the /,.. of God's dealings with us, as therein deSbed and to assign to Him a motive and a scope of o r "' , ^ to stimbe at the partial knowledge which He may ^^e' us of them ; to put aside what is obscure, as if it hid :te::;:;ie:iirairt';rort:? '"' '^^ gratuitous hypothesis about t^Im^r ll nXX gloss, and colour them, to trim rlin n^r. o I twist them, in order to bring the",; h IS cr:f:r::;^:;;h' tjie_idea to which we have subjected them.'"' "Rationalism in Religion."' \n TracN fn,- ,u. t i " in Essays Critical uuH H^Lcal, vol. i. p 3^ ' ^"""' '■^P"''"^hed r -A 't J'JI 5 I i , 1 1 1 i i'i ( ' '• !, ' i i 1 ■' . ■ 1 111 '1; : 1 1 1 ■;[ f ' . ; ' ^ Hi 1 , I 1 ' i 1 : lliii 1 I ' fi ' 1 h ri 1 1 li Mr r n i 1 i J b ^11 i '» 38S 7V^ SHcr.VD EPISrr.E TO TrMOTHY, Timothy fs to abide in those things whi.-h he has 'learned anr:l been assured of" If, hr« ! the result u/l, c. , , "^ has experienced int result whi., bt. Luke wished to produce in Theo philus when he wrote his Go«n,.i • 1, 1 "full knowIoH^P .r .u ^ ^"^ '"''^ attained to whe eh. hJ S h '''"'""'^ concerning the things wneiein Me had been instructed " CLuko \ i\ a ^ u wild conduct, to shake his security Nnf ' ' «r *u . , ^^ '° ^ question of the authoritv I here is a little doubt about the word "of whom thou hast learned them " Thr- << , u v • Dlural r,r«oA . " ""• ^^'^ whom " IS probably sWuarTl— '^\ "' ' "^''"^ "'^''^h makes U s ngular (Trapa Tti/09) is strongly snnnortpH 'n P ura, ..3. include a„ n.o.hA'cwlT^, i. Jf (". ^r..- ;sv:^sir^rer:r j::sf;;:;Mr ■• .nnoenced the reading i,, .He passa^: Ce^c ,W 'or/fy. which he has Js experienced iuce in Theo- as attained to ing the things ■ 4)- And he is opponents, be by equally >t everythirq -ry thing that the two kinds the necessity V the sugges- n- those from Gospel,— his I the Apostle the authority ? I'hose who ^re trying to ! "of whom is probably h makes it rted. The structors in ir from the ws. If the ^t. Paul, in ha',t heard t^iiul men" noted have considera- hc singular iii.'4-.7.] rA'OPEA/7RS OF INsPIRRP WRinNGS. 389 But there is a further r -nsidcration. riun ; , not only thecWrof the doctrine on .nch si.Ie, and the ym/s of the doctrine on each side, and the teacher, of whom nmothy has had personal experience, and about vvhose knowledge and trustworthiness he can judge- I'ere .s also the fact that from his tenderest infancy hj has had the hlessing of being in contact with the truth first as ,t is revealed in the Old Testament, and then as It is still further revealed in the Gospel The re sponsibilities of those who from their earliesf days have been allowed to grow in the knowledge of God and of II,s government of th<' world, are far gr ater than the responsibilities of those who have haal ayiat). Here both substantive and adjective are unusual. The adjective occurs in only one other passage in the New Testament, a passage which throws hght upon this one. - Know ye not that they who perform the sacred rites, from the snored place get 390 Kfi' i!-: Tif ninjECOND Erm-rn to rmoTm: i.:UI their food ? ■■ (Speaker's Commentary, on .^0^^7:7, ^ JcwLr '" f' "'^^'^^ ""."'sacr.d rte" ■••?; Jewish" ■pe'^'iSe'^,";' "''^ f"?" P''^" "- writhii;.,/' or to incind; ,1, , "' "" sacred •i-- ow' Tcs;:„; ric p™ :r''':n::"^''"^'°" "■'" Chriseian Writings are incU or a „ Str d'^ seems to be made unfh fN • / mainly intended, .^s ,e„er ca^^v::': ^n'tr'^^hrr iif f : by some one of a later ;)p-^ n . , V Apostle, but Withtlieuseofthesubstantive "writing" ( ' in this passaee shr,„u h writings (ypa/ifiaTo.) same word nCI,r?«H- "°'"'"'"'^ ""= "'"^ °' '^e miracle a. e poo of M«T"h °' {""^"'™ ^"^^ *e Jews how hopelLs tlie r unM?'. ^''"f''^ =""« 'h- appea, ,0 MoLs, TL ™ ^ JrTc 1^7 ^iB^i^f nities of l '"' r:^'"- <^^ They ha;:7;;;;;;;ed tne ,s (which must be supplied somewhere in the sentence after instead of before "inspired by God " thus making " i„,pi,ed by Gosp,red by God is a/.o, profitable," instlad of "!i ."spired of God „,„ profitable:" but they alw the latter rendering a place in the margin rhis treatment of the passage appears to be very . tisfactory, so far as the second ol these two potes aie concerne , Certainty is not attainable in eiZ YU as legards the second, the probabilities are greatly '" /7°"'". °f "'= Apostle's meaning that ■■iifsnireri cnpture is also profitable," rather tlfan "scri; r T np red and profitable." But, with regard to f ,- point, t may be doubted whether the balance is so decidedly against the translation "all scripture" Is o warrant its exclusion. No doubt the absence of the c..sH.e, as other ^^^^i^^i^]^::^^::;:^ and m classical Greek prove. • Nevertheless, the" L the further fact that in the New Testament " he serin r„tXr7^'™---'"^-"«^^-- meant, the word is commonly used in the pluril " fh! scnptures " (Matt. xxi. 42 ; Mark xii. .4 J n v .gT attected by the change. It matters little whether we * Sec tlic quotations given in Alfords note on -ra.n • s ■ • Epl..n. 2, which „ng,,t be iiurea.sod, if nee™ J" "'"'^^ '" '" An.., A.. En,., I. .iii, 7, ,„,,,. ,„,j, ^ '•:i:2.^:t:;; ''''"• ¥ voTi/y. ' V have inserted newhere in the red by God ; " let of Scripture " Every scrip- instead of " is hey allow the I's to be very se two points ible in either, ies are greatly lat "inspired "scripture is I'd to the first 3alance is so ipture" as to sence of the acra rj ypacprj) o means con- w Testament ess, there is ; " the scrip- of Scripture 2S, 36, 37 ; a whole is plural, " the John V. 39), ot seriously whether we ly bad of Mark vi 7 o a\ ""' '"''''''' '' '^' Greek t-ol- iii. 16; Rev. vii. 9; etc e'c \nH ^ '''• V cioubtecl whether inspiralio . pretves the inf • ^ and the h"kp ra.wi, . ^*^'^^'^'^" 01 Zechanah, St. Matt L: hS'^adTa :,r^ "'""^"^ '""'" "■^' the facts mentioned ' Mn ^ Testament respecting all is .r-or on o^'jide :^7::zr'!r::':: '"t TOTin . serve. Of the e words which ispired writers ■ds them from niorah'ty, we lore than this and it can be m mistakes in 5tionably bad at the Greek Eph. iv. 2 ; J it may be the inspired ards matters -n healed or )ok place as 3 to whether 1" 2echariah, e doubt that " Zechariah 'iah the son : method of te harmony specting all e that there IS is quite grammatical , ought we s historian gli a series er to save that it has e. Those saving truths about God and ourrelltionrt^H^ which we could never have discovered without a reve-' errin'thr'' "T '" ^"' '^' ^^""^'^ ^^''^'^^'^ ^-'^t of error ,n the sacred wntmgs. But facts of geology or history, or physiology, which our own intelligence Ind ndustry can d.scover, we ought not to expert to find accurately set forth for us in the Bible: and we ought to require very full evidence before deciding that in svf matters u.spjred write., may be regarded'as in^^hblt bt Luke tells us ,n the Preface to his Gospel that he 00k great pains to obtain the best information. Need he have done so, if inspiration protected him from all possibility of mistake ? _ 3. Ir.opiration does not override and overwhelm the inspired writer's personal characteristics, 'n.ere appears to be no such thing as an inspired style. The style of bt. John IS as different from that of St. Paul as the style of Bishop Butler is from that of Jeremy TLor Each inspired writer uses the language, and [he illus^ rations, and the arguments that are natural and iamihar to him. If he has an argumentative mind, he argues his pc.ints ; if he has not, he .tates them without argument. I" he has literary skill, he exhibits it ; if he has none, inspiration does not give it to him " No inspiration theory can stand for a moment which does not leave room for the personal agency and individual peculiarities of the sacred authors and the exerci'e of their natural faculties in writing" (Schalf, Apostolic Uinstianity, p. 608). What inspiration has not done in these various particulars is manifest to every one who studies the sacred writings. What it has done is scarcely less manifest and is certainly much more generally ;ecog. nized. It ha-:; nrnri, „.,,,! „„„•,.• , . , y & produced writings whicl 1 are absolutely 396 THE SECOND EPISTLE TO TIMOTHY. without a parallel in the literature of the world. Even as regards literary merits they have few rivals. But It IS not in their literary beauty that their unique character consists. It lies rather in their loftv spiritu- ality ; their inexhaustible capacities for instruction and consolation ; their boundless adaptability to all ages and circumstances ; above all, in their ceaseless power of satisfying the noblest cravings and aspirations of the human heart. Other writings are profitable for know- ledge, for advancement, for amusement, for delight for wealth. But these "make wise unto salvation." They produce that discipline which has its sphere in right- eousness. They have power to instruct the ignorant to convict the guilty, to reclaim the fallen, to school all in holiness ; that all may be complete as men of God " furnished completely unto every good work." ' TrUY. world. Even rivals. But their unique lofty spiritu- struction and / to all ages iseless power rations of the )le for know- r delight, for tion." They ere in right- he ignorant, to school all men of God, rk." CHAPTER XXXV. THE rARADOXICAf. EXULTATION OF THE ATOST/.E.- HIS APPARENT FAILURE AND THE APPARENT FAILURE Or^ THE CHURCH.-THE GREAT PEST OF SINCERITY. " But be thou sober in all things, suffer hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfil thy ministry. For I am already being oflcrcd and the tunc of my departure is come. I have fought the good fight! I have finished the course, I have kept the faith : hen':eforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord the righteous judge, shall give to me at that day: and not only to me, but also to all them that have loved His appearing."— 2 Tim. iv. 5—8. OT. CHRYSOSTOM tells us that this passage was O for a long time a source of perplexity to him. " Often," he says, " when I have taken the Apostle mto my hands and have considered this passage, I have been at a loss to understand why Paul here speaks so loftily : / /lave fought the good fight. But now by the grace of God I seem to have found it out. For what purpose then does he speak thus ? He writes to console the despondency of his disciple ; and he there- fore bids him be of good cheer, since he was going to his crown, having finished all his work and obtained a glorious end. Thou oughtest to rejoice, he says; not to grieve. And why ? Because / have fought the good fight. Just as a son, who was sitting bewailing his orphan state, might be consoled by his father saying to him, Weep not, my son. We have lived a good life ; 1; 398 THE SECOND EPISTLE TO TIMOTHY. \ \ '!( i !i fi !' we hax^ reached old age ; and now we are leaving thee. Our hfe has been free from reproach; we are departing with glory; and thou mayest be held in honour or what we have done. ... And this he says not boastaniy ;-God forbid ;-but in order to raise l^ h,s dejected son and to encourage him by his praises to bear firmly what had come to pass, to entertain good hopes, ^ and not to think it a matte, grievous to be Chrysostom's explanation is no doubt part of the reason why the Apostle here speaks in so exalted a key. i his unusual strain /5 partly the result of a wish to cheer his beloved disciple and assure him that there IS no need to grieve for the death which now cannot be very far off. When it comes, it will be a glols death and a happy one. A glorious death, for it will crown with the crown of victory struggles in aweary contest which is now ending triumphantly. And a happy death ; for Paul has for years had the longing " to departand be with Christ, which is far better" The crown IS one which will not wither ; for it is not made of oive, bay, or laurel. And it is not one of which the gbry IS doubtful, or dependent upon the fickle opinions of a prejudiced crowd; for it is not awarded by a human umpire, nor amid the applauses of huraan spectators. The Giver is Christ, and the theatrfis hlled with angels. In the contests of this world men labour many days and suffer hardships; and for one hour they receive the crown. And forthwith all the pleasure of it passes away. In the good fight which bt. Paul fought a crown of righteousness is won, which continues for ever in brightness and glory. But besides wishing to console Timothy for the be- reavement which was impending, St. Paul also wished OTHY. e are leaving oach ; we are it be held in this he says er to raise up )y his praises ntertain good icvous to be part of the so exalted a ult of a wish m that there )vv cannot be - a glorious h, for it will in a weary -ly. And a longing " to ;tter." The not made of f which the ^le opinions irded by a of human theatre is world men nd for one ■ith all the fight which von, which or the be- Iso wished iv. S-8.J THE GREAT TEST OF SlNCERfTV. 399 to encourage him, to stimulate him to greater ev"^" and to a larger measu.-e of courage " M. // u " do you run more perseverinelv Tho r vi '^'^'"'^^ .o n,e ,, ,ee„ p.eLn-ed .^fj^^ Z^. '^^^ JbiiLeuubness wms is wait no- r,^,^,J r„ me: so strive .hat such a crewn „,ay aw t /ou .Isr lis :E£SSi?-^ greater usefulness, uot merely in 1/" k "V °" '° of, that loss. There is also hn ! .' ™""'' great Apostle, as with the e . t!^t ZW't over the work which he has been en bled tl „ f and balances the cost of it agains" . fgreat r" w T"™' As has been already pointed ouf in 17 v passage, there is nothing' i„' this toucl'le ter ^Mc" IS more convincingly like St Pani m. T ct:\oT"-f"°''°- --- - -hZ;^ SoretL ,^ ^tietrthlf""' "'""' ^^P--- it is confidence 1^:1 s v rn''"""';'"""™^^ *u 1 • ^ °^^"'OWnip: with aflfprf-inn . 'here he ,s stern and indignant. One vW,fT"s' \ 400 THE SECOND EPISTLE TO TIMOTHY. lU -ill- iill i| deeply depressed ; and then again becomes triumphant and exulting. Like the second Epistle to the Corinth- ians this last letter to the beloved disciple is full of intense personal feelinji., of a different and appan-ntlv discordant character. The passage before t.s ischarK.d with such emotions, beginning with solemn warninK and ending in lofty exultation. But it is the warninK, not of fear, but of affection ; and it is the exultation, not of sight, but of faith. ;"Jioi Looked at with human eyes the Apostle's hii- at tint moment was a failure,-a tragic and dismal failure n his own simple but most pregnant language, he had been "the slave of Jesus Christ." No Roman Hiavc driven by whip and goad, could have been made- to work as Paul had worked. He had taxed his fraKile body and sensitive spirit to the utmost, and had encountered lifelong opposition, derision, and per,*(ru- tion, at the hands of those who ought to have bet n hi» friends, and had been his friends until he entercrl the service of Jesus Christ. He had preached and argued had entreated and rebuked, and in doing so had runu the changes on all the chief forms of human suffcrinir And what had been the outcome of it all ? The Cs^ Churches which he had founded were but as handfuls in the cities in which he had established then. ; and there were countless cities in which he had established nothing. Even the few Churches which he had succeeded in founding had in most . .ses soon fallen away from their first faith and enthusiasm. The ThP«''«'onians had become tainted with idleness and disorder, the «^u. "..^'^ians with contentiousness and sensuality, the Galatians, Coiossic*ns, and Ephesians with various forms of heresy ; while the Roman Church in the midst of which he was suffering an imprisonment ;rS(S lOTHY. nes triumphant to the Connth- ciple JH full of ind apparently e us iHchar^'cd in warning and L* warning, not Liltation, not of le's li/i; at that lisnj&l failure, giiagf, h<- had Roman Mlave, )r.f Ir no one took his part, but all'orsook 1 m .'-f hi: extremity he was almost deserted. As uie ul s a hfe oi n,te;ise energy and self-devotion, all 1 csc things had the appearance of total failure And certainly if the work of his life seemed to have people of passionate hatreds. Wl.ilo l,is , ir^ , behalf of the Gentiles had ended fo 'Vt i, ,^ I™ ™line,ne„. .„ a Gentile prison, fon, which, a k saw clearly, no.hn,g but death was likely to release hi„, And yet, m spite of all this St Pt.] ;= o ..• , .nu^phant Not at a„ hecausi t d^I «" S " or cannot feel, the difficulties and sorrows ^ I S pos,t,on. Still less because he wishes to dissen,b le to endure. He ,s no Stoic, and makes no profession of betng above huntan infirmities and hun,'n „ ^ns He ,s keenly sensitive to all that affects his on aspirations and affections and the well-being o those whom he loves. He is well aware of the da'ngl ^ " of body and soul which beset those who -are far dearer o h„n than hfe. And he gives strong expression to H.s trouble and anxiety. But he measures the Zl ^ faith he looks across .all this apparent failure and neglect to the crown of righteousness vvh h i n Judge has HI store fur iiim, and for thousands 26 403 TIJF. SECOND EPISTLE TO TIMOTHY. I 11! Sii' I ^'' Wl, i' upon thousaids of others aIso,-even for a// those who have I-^arned to look forward with longing to the time when their Lord shall appear again. In all this we see in miniature the history of Christendom since the Apostle's death. His career was a fore-shadowing of the career of the Christian Church In both cases there appears to be only a and fickle followers, to set against the stolid, unmoved mass of the unconverted world. In both cases, even among the disciples themselves, there is the cowardice of many and the desertions of some. In both cases |ose who remain true to the faith dispute among themselves which of them shall be accounted the greatest. St Paul was among the first to labour that Christ s Ideal of one holy catholic Church might be realized. Eighteen centuries have passed away and he hfe o the Church, like that of St. Paul, looks'iike a failure. With more than half the human race stiil not even nominally Christian ; with long series of crimes committed not only in defiance, but in the name, of religion ; with each decade of years producing it3 unwholesome crop of heresies and schisms ;~what has become of the Church's profession of being catholic holy, and united ? *= ^^^nvnc, The failure, as in St. Paul's case, is more apparent than real And it must be noted at the outset that our means of gauging success in spiritual things are altogether uncertain and inadequate. Anything at all Ike scientific accuracy is quite out of our reach, because the data for a trustworthy conclusion cannot be obtained. But the case is far stronger than this. It IS inipossible to determine even roughly where the benefits conferred by the Gospel end; what the average holiness among professing Cliristians reallyTTnd o what extent Christendom, in spite of its ma^iLld .vs.ons, .s really one. It is more than possib c thlt he savage .n central Africa is spiritually the better fo his whole life seems to contradict; for at least he is one o those for whom Christ was born and d ^ ,t is P.obable that among quite ordinary Christians the e are many whom the world knows as sinners, but whl •n a xZe r T^l. • ^"' ' '^ '^^'^^^^ ^'^^ ^ belief ma rnune God and m a common Redeemer unites m.lhons far more closely than their differences abou n.n.sters and sacran.ents keeps them apart. 'l"e St it; Br d " Tc:' "^' ^--'-'--^; but she is much^they may quarrel among themselves, are still one And where the foilure of St. Paul and of those who have o lowed hnn can be shown to be unquestionably real it can generally be shown to be thoroughly intelli- g.ble. Although Divine in its origin, the Gospe, has from the first used human instruments with all the weaknesses,-physical, intellectual, and moral,^-which charactenze humanity. When we remember ;hat this imphes, and also remember the forces against which Chns .arnty has had to contend, the marvel rather is hat tic Gospel has had so large a measure of success, than that Its success is not yet complete. It has had to fight against the passions and prejudices of indwduals and nations, debased by long centuries of immorahty and ignorance, and strengthened in their opposition to the truth by all the powers of darkness. It has had to fight, moreover, with other religions many of which arc attractive by their concessions to I* 404 THE SECOND EPISTLE TO TIMOTHY. Sw m \-:^ \ ^ ail human frailty, and others by the comparative purity of their rites and doctrines. And against them all it has won, and continues to win, man's approbation and attection by its power of satisfying his highest aspira- tions and his deepest needs. No other religion or philosophy has had success so various or so far reaching. The Jew and the Mahometan, after centuries of inter- course, remain almost without influence upon European minds ; vvhile to Western civilisation the creed of the Buddhist remains not only without influence, but without meaning. But the nation has not yet been found to which Christianity has been proved to be unintelligible or unsuitable. To whatever quarter of the globe we look, or to whatever period of history M^rf . ;"'"'"" '''' ^'^^ ""'''^^^ ''^ ^ti" the same. Multitudes of men, throughout eighteen centuries, under the utmost variety of conditions, whethe; of personal equipment or of external circumstance ave niade trial of Christianity, and have found t satisfying. They have testified as the result of their countless experiences that it can stand the wear and ear of life; that it can not only fortify bu cons^e; and that it can rob even death of its'sth .g and the grave of its victory by a sure and certain hop? of the crown of righteousness, which the righteous Judge ,,es for all those who love, and have long loved. His appearing. * "Who have loved and do love His appearing"* Ihat is the full force of the Greek perfect Ll. !!!!:!!!!!!:>:J!^^ and perma- * The somewhat unusual word here used" for Ph-ief '. nil r nwi i iii, . m .— i. TMOTHY. nparative purity ainst them all it approbation and s highest aspira- ither religion or r so far reaching, ituries of inter- upon European 1 tlie creed of t influence, but 3 not yet been proved to be 2ver quarter of riod of history . still the same, een centuries, ions, whether circumstance, d have found the result of stand the wear ly fortify but th of its sting d certain hope the righteous md have long '"jj;^ ^y^f7A"ir./> TEST OF SINCERITY. 405 nent result of past actio7^T,^7i~~~^^^^ whereby to try the temper of our Christianity. St 1 au|, who had long yearned to depart and be with Christ, coiUd not easily have given a more simple or sure n.eU.od of finding out who those are who have a nght to bcheve that the Lord has a crown of righteous- ness m store for them. Are we among the number? In order to answer this question we must ask ourselves another. Are our lives such that we are longing for Chnst s return ? Or are we dreading it, becfuse we know that we are not fit to meet Him, and are n,aking no attempt to become so. Supposing that physician^ were to tell us, that we are smitten with a deadly disease, which must end fatally, and that very soon,- what would be our feeling? When the first shock was over, and we were able to take a calm view of the whole case could we welcome the news as the unex- pected fulfilment of a long cherished wish that Christ would deliver us out of the miseries of this sinful world and take us to Himself? The Bible sets before us the crown of righteousness which fadeth not away, and the worm which never dieth. Leaning upon God's unfailing love let us learn to long for the coming of the one ; and then we shall have no need to dread, or even to ask the meaning of, the other. appearing."* perfect (rot? It and perma- Christ's second nc ; but it occurs found Col. iii. 4. CHAPTER XXXVI. THE PERSONAL DETAILS A GUAA'A^FE OF GENUINENESS. at Troas with ^rp^s: ,//::: T'^'"''- '^'^ ^'"-^^ "-' ' left especially the P^r^^ll^^ZLT^irr' "'' ■ ^"^ '°^'^^' murhevil: the Lord will rend er^ohh^ coppersmith did mc who. be thou ware al for L g e l^"t7 h° '" ""'" °' 2 Tm. iv. 9—15. greatly withstood our words."— Do thy diligence' I'Zt b oriT itl"^ Eub", " T'^'t '''- and Pudens, and Linus ancl ri ^ . "' ^'''"'^"^ '''<=«, vv. 19-21. ' ^ ^'^"'^''''' ^"'l '^'1 the brethren." TT would scarcely be exceeding the limits nf 1 legmmate hyperbole to say that^ these wo pas- S'raTT-'.^' '"^I,""'^''^ ^"^' genuineness of'the fh/rTh T""' '^^' '^'y ^'"^ ^"ffi^ient to show that these letters are an authentic account of th! matters of which they treat, and that they are genu ne letters of the Apostle Paul. genuine In the first of these expositions it was pointed out LW ILE OF "or Demas forsook '■ to Thcssalonica; Luke is with nie. useful to me for le cloke that I left , and the books, pcrsinith did mc to his works : of od our words." of Onesiphorur., at Miletus sick. us saluteth thee, the brethren." le limits of 2se two pas- leness of the cnt to show ount of the are genuine i pointed out >ne of these "emainder of line, and not PERSONAL DETAILS GUARANTEE GENUINENESS 407 the other two ; and a fortiori, that two of the three should be genuine, and not the remaining one. The passages before us are among those of which it has been truly said that they "cling so closely to Paul that it is only by tearing the letter to pieces that any part can be dissociated from that Apostle."* The internal evidence is here too strong even for those critics who deny the Pauline authorship of the Pastoral Epistles as a whole. Thus Renan and Weisse are disposed to admit that we have here embedded in the work of a later writer portions of a genuine letter of the Apostle ; while Ewald, Ilausrath, anil Pfleiderer accept not only these verses, but the earlier passage about Phygelus, Plermogenes, and Onesiphorus as genuine also. Similar views are advocated by Hitzig, Krcnkel, and Immer, of whom the two first admit that the Epistle to Titus also con- tains genuine fragments. And quite recently (1882) we have Lemme contending that only the central portion of 2 Timothy (ii. 1 1 to iv. 5) is an interpolation. These concessions amount to a concession of the whole case. It is impossible to stop there. Either much more must be conceded or much less. For, (i) we cannot without very strong evidence indeed accept so improbable a supposition as that a Christian long after the Apostle's death was in possession of letters written by him, of which no one else knew anything, that he worked bits of these into writings of his own, which he wished to pass oft' as Apostolic, and that he then destroyed the genuine letters, or * Salmon's lliatoiical Introduction to the Nen) Testament, p. 426, 3rd cd., to which the writer of tiii.i exposition is under great obligations. Tlic book should be in the hands of every student of the N, T. Hi 408 3 I' 111 !l i u", .,. H ! Ill -nJE SECOND EPISTLE TO TIMOTHY. I li impossible b,rt' ' ,f f"""^ '" '"" ^''^°l""-''y ••■'ose in which Crwoud f""'"' -= P-*ely caught tripping. Th™ arlrn, r"""'"^ "'"''^ '° •"= son,e of whfoh!d„,i.':f b: g*^^ Jd "^Itfl''; can be criticized a« t„ 1 Vi. °' "'"^1 and consistcn or not w Ti "/'''^ *"■<= """"l risk detection by ventunnJ! '" ^ :^"'«'" ■"= '"'<^'y "> Ho would nut intoTh! ,? ,"""' ''^"gcrous ground ? i'c wisi.cd";': ":;':'= rt: i 'rr^ ^ "'"■^- and, if he added Lvf.- , ,^^- P^^Is authority; to go beyond vlguTgra^^:;^f-"W'a',e care n'ot' caught i„ the meshes^^f cr i3 ' '°° ''/".f ""' '" "^ this letter has don^ ,L '""™' ^ut the writer of given an abundance of ^errn^d! f '^f "= •>- f"un,o • naraship and anger ol a Roman prison ; and therefore went to Ihessalonica. Why he ^plorf^^ri fi, . . ° told, but there b fng a ChSi '" ^-^ '•"' "°^ would be one reason '" ^on™unity there Titn?rn°, ^"!'"^^'^'' Why should a forger send iitus to Dalmata? The Pac ...i it • ., a .-orger, or not, are'^^;^;:rL?;,t^' ^ ^f- Would no. a forger have sent Titus ei.her to Crete (lit. 1. 5), or to Nicopolis (Tit. iii. 12)9 But if Tl, tT"his'°hf """'r' ^"' ''^' '° «"" f"""' ''- owl g to his havmg been meanwhile arrested whp , Strger if V^ ""l f "'" ^ ^^^^^ called ,,f; ''"' "'°"S'" <"■ 'I'i''. would have Tot ovetord" '° ■'■ '° ^"^"^^ "»' '- ■"««>"^'^":s "But Tychicus I sent to Enhesu^ " Tho of the "hn^'' ,-. . ■ ^l^"^'^"s. ihe nieanuig --XosrLriti:^j--at:: MO THY. (iv. 14) and to vaiting on the t how natural Id rouse Mark Vpostle should I letter ? And ) that Demas by St. Paul nd yet should >d ! That the IS more than crated it into isy. We are rred comfort lardship and ore went to n we are not lunity there forger send es, whether nd seem to me another, sr to Crete 5ut if Titus 'lere, owing ivhat more Dalmatia ? ould have enuity was - meaning the most ^ason why PERSONAl^DETAILS GUARANTEE GENUINENESS. 4,, the Apostle needs a useful person like Mark. "J had such a person in Tychicus ; but he is gone on a n,ission for me to Ephesus." How natural all this is ! And what could mduce a forger to put it in ? We are told in the Acts that Tychicus belonged to the Roman provmce of Asia (xx. 4), and tliat he was with St. Paul at the close of his third missionary journey about nine years before the writing of this letter to Timothy Three or four years later we find Tychicus once more wuh St. Paul durmg the first Roman imprisonment- and he is sent with Onesimus as the bearer of the fvf. A '" 1 . ""'^r ""' ^'- ^^ ^"^ ^° ^he Ephesians (V, 21) And we learn from the sentence before us, as well as from Titus iii. 12, that he still enjoys the confi- dence of the Apostle, for he is sent on nussions for him to Crete and to Ephesus. All these separate notices of ^1 r^ !.T u' ^°"^^^'^"tJy representing him as the beloved brother," and also as a " faithful minister and fellow-servant in the Lord," whom St. Paul was accustomed to entrust with special commissions. If the mission to Ephesus mentioned here is a mere copy of the other missions, would not a forger have taken some pains to ensure that the similarity between his tiction and previous facts should be observed "? "The "loke that I left at Troas with Carpus, bring when thou comest, and the books, especially the parchments." Here the arguments against the pro- bability of forgery reach a climax; and this verse should be remembered side by side with " Be no longer a drinker of water, but use a little wine for thy stomach's sake" in the First Epistle (v. 2^) What writer of a fictitious letter would ever have dreamed of inserting either passage ? To an unbiassed mind they go a long way towards producing the impression that 412 ■ : < '2[;i^f^oNnjr^nE to tuwthy. meaning Jf "JfJ ° ,1^°°' '■"1"^">' "<-■"- whatever rendered "cloke" h^l T"' *'^''"') '^'''^h is a Greek fo,™ '.he .', "'f ^"^^^ '-• ^'°^^. and is been a cirenlar lam^n '^ I ' " "P'*'''^ '" ''"ve a '>o,e in .„e ST^Tl^"^ '"' """ persons have marlp H.« . ,. ^^""^^ some was a eucI,arisTc ve fmen °r ;"^ "*«'^"''" "'^' " and l,avc supposedrhat h A T"' '° '"' •■'''^="'''«^' dress for ritualistic purposes a„ ^? =aeerdotal day tliere has been a n.orn: J^, """' Chrysoslom's word means a bag or Tse foT, L' ""f"'''"" "'" "><= A,»st,e l,ave nJni n^d b: h rh^boo T' ""'"' "" boolts, and woidd he 1,= took-bag and the books ? He „S na, M° ,""' ""-■ ''^S '=<='b'-e the book-bag,»-!oT trs tah «,e rokT'" •?' " '™^ ""= the books and the bag also ' a,f V" ' '"'' " '^""^ way of putting the reque ,o say Tb -TT k' ''""«^ left at Troas with Carn, s I, T ''"""ag that I ll-e books also esneei.T.1' "^ "^"^^ "'°" ™n'est ; were the chtef Mn7 LI" P-'^bmen.s," as if the bag better to abide bv^helH '^"i'^*" '"'°"'- " =^«"« if this is corect^he' ■ '""""'"' " ''°'' '" '"''' diligence to come llT '" '"=" "''"' " Do thy b^u^c lo come 6^r^ zmnter " V^i- <-u • . "^ way draws our attention tnT "" "^''^^^ '" "° "eed of the thick dokT . u '°"""-"^°" ^^^'^^^^ ^he and the write of at Tr '^' 'PP''^^^^ ^' -"^^er : to do so. B::7:u,da^tr^i;-^,^r "° "^^^ to chance ? * ^ ^ ^^^^ ^^^^ connexion I i. H The striking- Darallnl tr. n,; ^ ' ~- Tyndale is poinfed o:"-,; 1?,; '.VS'";' f^^-' '^V 'hat of Wilha.n from Ins prison in the Castle ofN^r' I'' "^ "'' '^^"^1^1'^ vvrites ^ of V.lvordcn to asl<, "idque per !iit 'fM07HY. with inventions. ^ well, whatever Xovif) which is a cloke, and is appears to have •eves, but with Hence some ?gestion that it to a chasuble, iere asking, not for a sacerdotal e Chrysostoni's rcstion that tlie ' so, would the ^-bag and the ag before the n, "Bring the it; or, "Bring ems a strange ook-bag tliat I thou coniest; " as if the bag ut. It seems cloke;" and, ith "Do thy - writer in no I between the h of winter: ive no need le connexion tliat of William Tyndale writes K "idque per Whether Alexander the coppersrai;i;""i; ;;;;~~ of that name who was put forward bv fh„ T • ? riot raised by Demetrius (Acrxh , ^"'"^ '" ""= *a„ a possibiHty. The nf.e' A^anS :;rA::eT *: :;:;^h"was'^a^;e"r™,r j;:;':; -^r "'^'-"'- "showed mueh il.-.r^at,!:; '''iTi ^ W^'T^'"'* not told. As St Pnni r. Apostle, we are » .,..1 ." I; 'e:'. ■;""'""'' ■»■■""■ jecture; and the ill-treatme'nt may ^fe " to'"" '^''] persecution of St Paul ind nn. 7 general On the whole the att r hvn H " '" ''''''■"^• safer. hypothesis appears to be Tlie reading, "The Lord ,./// render to him" convictionLt th: L^ Im r derS ' ^T^"^ '"'^ of righteousness to all those vIlotHr'-^ " "°~'" so here he expresses a convictio^ Z hI.T"""/' ajust reeompense to all those who p ofe .^l' „l:;!tf His kingdom. What follows in the next 'j'° .t not be laid to their aecount " seems to llu "'"^ Apostle is in no cursing mood H "''■" "^'^ rather than in anger ft Ts„; """ "' =°'-™«' on his guard ag!h«t i' 'i:^::^:^!^:^:^ leaves the requital of the evil deeds to God " ' "" '' Salu.e_Pnsca and Aqdl£^ A forger with the II if ; I IV lil' -Ji "i'Hi i 414 TffE SECOND EPISTLE TO TWOTJIV. Apostle's indisputable writings hefnZ \- was a Jew of PonHic »ri,^ u j . ^ ^' ^ciiila Claudius e^pellad .he Jews fio™ . t fy^^niiT .T He and hs wife Pricsra ^^ v> ■ -i, -^.v^' '« ^viii, 2). Corinth, whorrst pluT, °t u'-"" "'" "'"'••'' '" because .I,ey4re Jews r„d"''."r''°'''= «""' ""^"•' to Ephesus, where they helped for' Td .t """ ''."" of the eloquent Alexaniian'jew "1, 's A'ft""'"'''C service to the Chiir,-] tl, "^ '^Po'los- After much Ron,e, and were'^heTe ^ JstTT T. "'"" "■ to the Roman. Either ,h ""^ ""= '-I"'""'-- or possibly "ssiona y IttX^hlL^rh" '''''" more to leave Ron,e and ret^n to aI ' T ^T °"f naturally puts such faithful friends "who or t,!:T' laid down their necks" (Rom xvi 7^ T.V '^ place in sending his peiona ' gTeet „i 117" '"" equally naturally coupled with^the houihold /n'"'' s.phorus, who had done siu.ilar service"!, col ," v.s,.,ngS.. Paul in his imp, isonmem :e "orT, ^ do,,ble mention of " the /,o:,sc„oM of On siphoruB " /„ ^ f re:i:p::ittt^> 'z ^rv5°rr"'^-^ -- ■•" T "ht sTiTS' ^Lr Lt^tr^r '^ • ^"' said than to point out how Ufel ite and nl^u^ h""' arc in a real letter from one frienH ?„ u ""■'' knows the persons ^entionedVhru^-CrXt \fOTlIV. e him, would liave concluded •knovv/i iK-lpcra time. Aquila d from I'ontus al agaiu vvhen (Acts xvill, 2). en 8«.*ttled in de with them, i, hke himsdf. f the Corinth- "ify hecame I'ent with him le conver«ion After much nee n)orc to e tlie iCpifjtle under Nero, J them once The Apostle 3 for his r/e he very first '"'J they are old of One- ouiageously • i<5). 'J'hc ''orus " (not ed u])on in orinth; but re w^ii^ be atural they lother who ly they are PERSONAL DETAILS GUARANTEE GENJ/NENESS. 4,5 to have occurred to a writer who was inventing a letter in order to advocate his own doctrinal views. That Trophimus is the same person as the Ephesian, who with lychicus accompanied St. Paul on his third missionary journey (Acts xx. 4; xxi. 29), may be safely assumed. Whether Erastus is identical with the treasurer of Corinth (Rom. xvi. 23), or with the Erastus who was sent by Paul with Timothy to Macedonia (Acts xix. 22), must remain uncertain. " Eubulus salutetli thee, and Pudens, and Linus, and Claudia." With this group of names our accumulation of arguments for the genuineness of this portion of the letter, and therefore of the whole letter, and there- fore of all three Pastoral Epistles, comes to an end. The argument is a cumulative one, and this last item of the internal evidence is by no means the least important or least convincing. About Eubulus, Pudens, and Claudia we know nothing beyond what this! passage implies, viz., that they were members of the Christian Church in Rome; for the very bare possi- bility that Pudens and Claudia may be the persons of that name who are mentioned by Martial, is not worth more than a passing reference. But Linus is a person about whom something is ki.ovvn. It is unlikely that in the Apostolic age there were two Christians of this name in the Roman Church ; and therefore we may safely conclude that the Linus who here sends greeting is identical with the Linus, who, according to very early testimony preserved by Irenteus {Hcvr., III. iii. 3), was first among the earliest bishops of the Church of Rome. Irenteus himself expressly identifies the first Bishop of Rome with the Linus mentioned in the Epistles to Timothy, and that in a passage in which (thanks to Eusebius) we have the original Greek of 4i6 TIIE^JECOND EPISTLE TO TIMOTHY, \\'\ If -•■••: Ml or Att;,s o?SJ:sT;,^;h;''';■''"''^^"^■"*'- n.uch ,„o.e ,i,e„ .o^.u. ^l^'. ^ l'^^ '1:"":^ „ ; two. I he obvious nference i'^ th^f wu • ''^"'-' this .e..er was .^^^Z:: It'' of; H ^tv" namea, He was a leading member of ti.e CImrch i„ Rome „.he™,se ho would hardl, l.ave been m n t pi:;.r.:Ltrrar^srr '° "^^"'=' firse, and probably .,,, t^^t^, T.^TT' being ov,, looked and unapp;! i^dT '° •""""" ""='■• a closer acquainlance ,vieh them h, — ? ? """ t^acmen.. Doub. „,a, be ra.'sTd "Zlt:!^. but reasonable doubts have their limits, lo'^^^, ' m MOTIIV, )ii. From his us, Anenclctus s of the name iincmoratcd as -y must all of Apostle. Of ement; and a ■ beginning of ^ul, Would be t than Linus, inus, after the •sbyter of the -fore Eubulus fter the other he time when yt-'t in any persons here e Church in Ml mentioned to the chief n mentioned title. Once would have writer who us skilfully, revent their to increase letter and by treating postle, and stilled this everything ; fo dispute ' the authenti^city of the Epistles to '^X^TZ^Z^^ Romans, and Galatians is now considered to be a s re proof that the doubter cannot estimate evidence • and Eni.r^ T ^T"""^ '" ''^'^ ''"'^ ''^"^^ '^'^ Second Epist e to rnnothy will be ranked with those four great ofThf '1 n ''fTT''- ''^■•'^""'^''^ '^' - student wo H. ■; r',' "^'' '" '' ''' '' ^^^^'"g 'he touching vo ds m wh,ch the Apostle of the Gentiles gave hit las charge to his beloved disciple, and through him to the Christian Church. 2; CHAPTER XXXVII. FINAL HvJofrfAZ ^ ''^''^' '^^^^ ''''^ strengthened n,e ; that thro ^r'.ett n '"' ^^'°°' '^■"-'-''^ proclaimed, and that all the Gentilermilr. '■'"'^^Se might be fully out of the ,nouth of the Ion ^0 T ^ u '' '"' ^ '"'' '^'^''^'-^d work, and will .ave ,„e unto Hi. \^^y ^'V''''''' '"^ '^'"" -'> glory for ever and ever. Amen/ -"xiluv .e-'i's"' '" ''''"'" ''^ ''^^■ THERE is a general agreement ^t th^ ^ that Eusebius is in eLrrwhe. in a wellT '"' passage in his Ecclesiastical History II \""t"!" he refers this "first defence" and the "Hr ^^^* out of the Hon's mouth " to the first Rn ^?^'^'"'"^"^e nient and the release whirh l . "'''" imprison- -n. 6s. Thedehtan 1^\ prison following upon acquTtta, k . . ''^"'''^ ^'■°"'' from imminent danger Enf'K '''^^'^''^y '^^cuo mistake in this chaX'whic'h f l^e r^uVthT' error; but an avoidance of the secrnd ' / I. , '' preserved him from the first. He savs TiIT, ^ ''^' shows in the Second Epistle tn T Tu ! '^'^ ^P°'^'^ was with him when he 'we bu^^rS^ f^^ °"^.' "^"'^ not even he. Now duringlhe fir! R ' ^'^'"'^^ -t St. Paul was not £:^::Ti::^7ir^::::: ^T STRENGTH. ' TO THE GEN- PE, AND THE t all forsook me : stood by m J and • might be fully d I was delivered \ci- me from evil to whom be thc ' present time a well-known xxii. 2~7). " deliverance an imprison- » it, probably release from orary rescue s a second t of the first would have the Apostle t only Luke mer defence 1 imprison- he persons very likelv h ^ vn n , '^""^ °"' ^^ich is not plaTe bo h , u "°^ !^"'^' ^'^^ '^^^^d ^'^-t ^ook nt'obviou^that • rL'"' '^°" ''' Apostle himself uviuus tnat n^ the present passage St Pa„i ie The value of the witness of Eusebius i« n„, t ever, seriously diminished bv thi^ ZJu '■ *" It is clear that he was fult eo„vi:ed"^hf;th ""''''" two Roman imprisonments ; one earJv i , Ne ''''* '""' -pendenl-rdsll-r-^^^^^^^ tnat the genuineness of the Pastoral Fn.-cfi ^ , V^ un.nab,e without the hypotherrV^:? ^pt^! fou^dtThe's^S^etrestlttV^ '"T"' '^ had left hir„ sick at MiletJs t'is mtS '";" ''r' the Apostle at Miletus with Troph mtrpr or to th/ft impnsonment. Consequently some who Zl the ectd letter resort to the desperate method of making ,h! verb to be third person plural instead of T, singular («Wo. or dX.ZT i P"'™" "Trophimus ,;.y left at Mto's sick ■ " '""'^""« it my first defence no man took ,„y part, but all (< 420 THE SECOND EPISTLE TO TIMOTHY. \ I forsook me " He had no paironus, no advocatns, no chen(e/a. Among all the Christians in Rome there was not one who would stand at his side in court either to speak on his behalf, or to advise him in the conduct of his case, or to support him by a demonstration of sympathy. The expression for " no one took my part " {ovbec, f^oc jrapeyeuero) literally means "no one came to my side, or "became present on my behalf " The verb is specially frequent in the writings of St Luke And the word which is rendered "forsook " (eyKureXc-^ov) IS still more graphic. It signifies "leaving a person^ a position," and especially in a bad position; leaving him in straits. ^ It is almost the exact counterpart of our colloquial phrase " to leave in the lurch " St Piul uses it elsewhere of those who with him are "pu;sued but not forsaken (. Cor. iv. 9). And both It. Mark and S . Luke, following the LXX., use it in translating Christ s cry upon the cross : "Why hast thou forsaken Me . Hence it signifies not merely desertion (kutu- a^Teded "" '' ' '"" "'^" ^^'^ ^"^ ^'PP-^ What is the meaning of the " all " ? "^//forsook me " Does It include Luke, whom he has just mentioned as being the only person with him ? And. if so is it meant as an indirect reproach? Some would have it of the t? tT "/"''"" °' ^'^ ^P""°- character of the letter. The forger is unable consistently to mamtain the part which he has assumed. In writing 'all forsook me" he has already forgotten what h! has just written about Luke : and he forgets both statements when a few lines further on he represents greetgl "' ^"'' ^''"'"' ^"' ^^^ers as sending But, like so many of these objections, this criticism MOTHY. ~i advocafiis, no iome there was in court either in the conduct monstration of took my part " " no one came behalf." The s of St. Luke. ' (eyKareXiTrov) ng a person m iition ; leaving :ounterpart of -h." St. Paul ire "pursued, both St. Mark in translating thou forsaken ertion (kutu- > and support ('forsook me." mentioned as f, if so, is it t^ould have it ous character isistently to In writing en what he 'orgets both e represents "s as sending his criticism iv. 16-18.] srA'£ HOPE AND FINAf. HYMN OF PRAISE. 421 turns out, when reasonably examined, to be an argu- ment for the genuineness of the letter. These apparent inconsistencies are just the things which a forger could and would have avoided. Even a very blundering forger would have avoided three glaring contradictions in about thirty lines : and they are glaring contradic- tions, if they are interpreted as they must be interpreted for the purposes of this criticism. "Only Luke is with me." "Every one has forsaken me." "All the brethren salute thee." Any one of these statements, if forced to apply to the same set of circumstances,' contradicts the other two. But then this meaning is ft. reed upon them, and is not their natural meaning : md these are just the apparent inconsistencies which the writer of a real letter takes no pains to avoid, because there is not the smallest danger of his being misunderstood. " All forsook me " is exactly a parallel to " all that are in Asia turned away from me" (see pp. 321, 322.) The "all" in both cases means "all who might have been expected to help." It refers to those v/ho could have been of service, who in many cases had been asked to render service, by being witnesses in Paul's favour and the like, and who abstained from doing anything for him. The Apostle's "first defence" probably took place some weeks, or even months, before the writing of this letter. From our knowledge of the delays which often took place in Roman legal proceedings, there would be nothing surprising if a whole year had elapsed since the first opening of the case. It is quite possible, therefore, that at the time when it began St. Luke was not yet in Rome, and consequently had no opportunity of aiding his friend. And it is also possible that he was not in a position to 422 r^JECCWf^^.STAE TO TIMOTHY. I ^ I '-I ■ I! render any assistance, however an,in„= h. i^ b^en to do so Ther,. i. ^ "'"y '"'^'^ S'lpposinK that Hi/a ., • "° '"'''■""" "'"tever for ^-tionorHi:,,eC::,f;,irsf^-:;.'r'^* ""^, ctnu tne salutations senf hv P,,k. i ot/iers. There wpr^. „. • -^ i-ubulus and imprisonment, or at least kpnf '' '" ^'^" of con.nu.nica'tion w th ht It" F \ "''"'" ^""'"^ «///W.v who was wifh I u ^"''^ ^^^ the only .o i.im rro„: 11;:^: ":d' rt™::"" '-;'' --' •o m^A with hin. Others both in if ""^ "'"'"« "'I'er Churehes had paid v its to I '"" ''""' ;IY"-I '-" "nablc'or u^ li^g rst^a^Uh'?"' I^ukc was the only nerson wh-. u /j ^ ^" ^'^- Tore the fact that varL. R:':,^c,rtr '"' '''^"■ to send greetings to Tfm ''°"'.^">'^'^'st''ins were ready with the%e af ommenda ^ V" "' "^^ -insistent Tor h.ipr his hLZvTlf '''°^'^^ "P"" St. Luke ' "'^ mends sole companion in prison .'.'c:=rr^t™r:tdr"f ""■--' "'"--'yit not be lafdVnM ° """"^'''""^^'""than better than h mi If ho ' w' r^""'" ""^ °"^ '^-^ disciples were;;i'Vrgr::f; IT r"^ °' ^^^^^ own position and oflZh T ^^^ ^^"^^^^ °f his thcnselves w th h n T "'' ^"^""^ ^° ^^--^e in.prisonmen Tltn N. '""" "'^''''''' '" ^'^ ^^-^t that he i..d tine? con.? Tttrt?"'^ f "^°-^- of Rome had not yet tTL t a e *? '>' '"'""'"^ outcry against the rJr r ' "°' ''^^ ^he cruel J i,ainst tne Christians, of which thp ^or.n 'on was made the occasion, a yet be n r td "f ^'■'■ quite otherwise now T,. i , ^' ^^ was nou. To be known as a Christian OTITY. he may have whatever for among those e them their es it. " Only Luke Eubulus and ■ the Church Paul in his tain amount ■as the only 10 had come and willing e and from soner; but • with him. It. There- were ready iiconsistent 'n St. Luke n. >f the rest lation than one knew "f of these ers of his ' associate his first e monster - burning the cruel onflagra- It was Christian iv. 16.18.] SURE HOPE AND FINAL HYMN OF PRAISE. 423 might be dangerous ; and to avow oneself as the associate of so notorious a leader as Paul could not fail to be so. Therefore, " May it not be laid to their account " (/x^ ahroh Xoyto-^et?/). This is the very spirit which the Apostle himself years before had declared to be a characteristic of Christian charity; "it taketh not account of evil " {ov Xoyl^erat to KaKov) : and of God Himself, Who in dealing with mankind, " lays not to their account their trespasses" (/j,r) \oyi^6fievo 'j '' I, 'i . Ij i '■ * 111 424 ^^^^OA^/. ^,.^^^^^^ ^^ ^^^,^^^^^^ ^lere has the arhVlo /" ' n ~ • Cor. IV. 5 ; vi. ,3 . „ii '■ :■ -. '4, vi. 3, ,4 ; 'he word does noV occur"' W t/ 'l!':; „ '" '"'"^ article n the Greet r,' ^IZ '"'"■'' has no God and no. Ch ," SoC^ ^'i,'''"" "^"'"'J' -eans ■■ng where he <,uots frZ .ir'oM^T "'""'' ^^'^P'" I Cor. X 26) fh.-o ^'^ Testament C^ ^ ■; no reason fo'r lolin^ ' "n e"!""**-. '^-e Lord" „eans Jesus Chrf,t "w^ ^ /""'" " '"^ pwn usage, according to which " ""'^, ^^Pa^ our ■"variably means arist" whereas "I. "-7" ", »'™°^' commonly means God the rJthT ^°"' '"°'' Ihe word for " strengthen 'W • s l.teraliy •■ to infuse power kto" n ^"'*™''°"'') ™=ans which the Apostle is r^^. r j P"'""' " '^ »"<: of it occurs in'the New tstle • .'"" r'"l''' -'«"=- in Hebrews, once in each ?Ro" " '" ""^ '^'^'^'•"'i Pi'ii- iv. 13 ; . Tim. i. ,3 .1 S"i n '?/. ^P''- "■ '°; to compare the passage i„ „,i^\V'' '"^ "orth while of Chris, having'gref h ", „„" ^" """"" '° timothy become His serva^I a ^ ^T" '° '"" '° "™ ""^ which, during hi« fi';. R„,„ ■ """■" *>= P»=^«ge in the Philippia1,s "I c „ do a"!,'!'*"""""'' ''= '^"^ strengtheneth me." The sam. V "*' '" """ that second imprison".<.nl ^^ """ '™e in the Aplstitd't^/rjf " °'.^'^' ^'-^ "^ His "That through me life ' P™" ""° hin, is stated. clain,ed,a„d?hatal theSeS "''f',"^ ''""^ P'"" who follow Eusebius in the m '.a *f """"■" ^'"°='= "-■«- defence" refers :o";h:1;;f;,X.;r^^^^ when that is the (comp. ii. 7, 14^ -' H; vi. 3, 14; ••. etc. In Titus Lord" has no I usually means ert that, except- "estament {e.g.^ but that is pro- ■ertheless, there passage "the / compare our Lord" almost e Lord " more ufMovv) means • It is one of de his writings the Acts -and Eph. vi. 10; is worth while cs to Timothy 1 to Him and e passage in 'ent, he tells " Him that true in the tood by His ini is stated. e fully pro- ar." Those 'Posing that h ended in iv^i6-r8.] SUA'E HOPE AND FINAL HYMN OF PRAISE. 425 St. Paul's release after the first imprisonment, under- stand this proclamation of the message to the Gentiles as referring to the missionary work which St Paul was enabled to do during the few years of interval (c. A.D. 6i~ (S6) before he was again arrested. But if the proclamation of the message took place in consequence of the Apostle's release, then it would have been placed after, and not before, the mention of deliverance out of the mouth of the lion. It is not said that he was delivered in order that through him the message might be proclaimed, but that he was strengthened in order that it might be proclaimed. And the special strengthen- uig by Christ took place in reference to the first hearing of the case in court, when all human friends forsook him, while Christ stood by him. It was in court therefore, that the proclamation of the message was made, and that through the instrumentality of the Apostle the preaching of the Gospel reached its culmina- tion (to K'npv-iixa 7r\vpoen he prayed Save me from the lion's mouth " ? ( Ps xxii , ,\ is What wer::tT„der:dT;r" Airs f ^ '^=' ous conjectures have he™ !' u V " °' 8"'""- ■•nsisted^on .'dent f; ng^ LTot .^/''l' '^'°/^"= or, as he was possibly i„ Greece at this time iS fiM! >1'! HMOTHY. which he uses, anted "in order fully proclaimed, n that represen- :ivL audience he ho were present known through- iperial city and of Christ had "delivered I second const- d strengthening iuch effect, that d been feared, -'ither acquitted ble to arrive at insion of time In technical verdict of non 3sary; and as lit, the amount Jndless. itile question, ion, when he (I^s. xxii. 21.) lion's mouth ;i". And that ds ofgratuit- se who have lion of the it have been iperor Nero, lis time, his iv. 16-18.] .S7//>/.-// (^/.^ J^rn p;^_,f j^y^^^ ^^ PRAISE. 427 prefect and representative Helius ; or, the chief accuser • or agam, Satan, whom St. Peter describes as " a roar- ing lion." All these are -nswers to a question which does not arise out of the text. The question is not, 'Who IS the lion?" but, "What is the meaning of the lion's mouth?" And the answer to that is, "a terrible danger," and especially " peril of death." The goodness of the Lord does not end with this welcome, but temporary deliverance. " The Lord will deliver me from every evil work, and will save me unto His heavenly kingdom." Paul's enemies are not likely to be idle during the extension of time granted by the court. They will do their utmost to secure a sentence of condemnation at the second hearing of the case, and thus get the man whom they detest removed from the earth. Whether they will succeed in this or not the Apostle does not know. But one thing he knows •— that whatever is really evil in their works against him will be powerless to harm him. The Lord will turn their evil into good. They may succeed in compassing his death. But, even if they do so, the Lord will make their work of death a work of salvation ; and by the severing of the thread which still binds Paul to this life " will save him unto," that is, will translate him safe into, " His heavenly kingdom." It is utterly improbable tiiat by " every evil work," St. Paul means any weakness or sin into which he himself might be betrayed through want of courage and steadfastness. Even if the lion's mouth could mean Satan, this would no; be probable; for it would be Satan's attacks from without, by means of opposition and persecution, and not his attempts from within by means of grievous temptations, that would be meant What is said above about Alexander the coppersmith 42S 'i fl I *f rm^sEcojvn Ensrr.E to rmoTuy. shows wliat kind of vn" and what kind of "works" is intended in "ever^^;^^"'^!;^,^'-'"^ "works" dent.y refers to tho^n.achra ts of oX^'^^^'- It ,s also highly improbable tlnt^ wifl ''"'''"""'' His heavenly kingdom " mn^n < -m '"""* '"*'' ""'o ""til He returns in gory "r: '" '""'' '"" ''•^'^^ the Apostle expected like most ofr rr." ''"''-* "^^'^ day, to live to b. hold tL ' 7 ^'''"''^'""^ "'' '^^t But what we have a e.dv ' "^ ,'°"""«^ «'' C:h"'«t. that in St. Paul's ^indTht^ ex" T. ''• ^'^'"^'^ «^^^« no longer thinks that he w ,lTe " '^ ''^'"^'' "« -re alive, that are iJt ZtlL °"' '^ '''^«'-* "'^at (I Thess. iv. 15, 17) that he w-.T'"^ °'' ^''^* ^'^•"^ " who "shall be Chan id "rT, \^' ""'"^' ^'"' ''ving, who "shall be as^d' " hV" .'""'^ ^^'^' ''^^^ tn.nip (I Cor. xv. 53) h, 1 '°""^"'^ '^^ ^'«-- ^««t seems almost to have been .fLir "°' /•^'P"'''t. what the Christians of that i; ^.f^a ^^7 ^^ ""^"« Lord ,s at hand"(i Cor. xvi 22 Phu[ " '^' the contrary, it is his own hour th'.^ ": ^^' ^" am already being offered and f hi I 'I "' '''''"^' ' "^ ,- come." He i! ful^pe^s^lded T' f."^ '^'''^^^""^ hve to see Christ's return in .1 """' '"^ ^'" "ot expect that return to ^me pSi^J.^^ '^ <^-« "ot seen, one of his chief anxieties. .'. J' "*" '^'' '''''^'^ a permanently organised S,;,-^?;'^- ^J'-i'l i- that provision should be madp f/ . .• ^''"'''^hcM, and 1- 2;. There can be little douhf ,h V ^' ^ ^'"i, the Apostle expresses a conviction ^^^^^^^^^^^ '^ "^'^^" save hm. uiUo His heavenly k n dl f ^^''''^ ^'" ^ng to reach that kingdom with" «' '^ '' ""^ *-*^P'-'''t- the gate of death. %Zt7ei\' T'''' ^'"•^^"^>' the evil works of his^dvej "ie, n "' " ""'^'^ ^'^'''t adversaries w.JJ never be allowed r/Arorz/y, ln"ng of Christ. 3 KpistK; shows 's extinct. |Je oftlio8e "that f o'' the Lord " "ong tli<- h'ving, "long tlie dead, "Sr of the last t 't-'P'-at, what tcliword among atha"; "the ''• 'V' 5). On ' at /land ; " I my departure 'at lie will not I 'le does not ', as we have ere should be 'lurches, and ? on the faith '' 5 ; 2 Tim, C; that when ^e Lord will 5 not expect- ^ing through ' this,- that r be allowed ^''■'(>-^^-] ^i^J>:£ HOJ'E AND J^nVAL HVA/N OF PJ^AISE. A2<) to prevent him from reaching that blessed resting place Christ s kingdom is twofold; He has a kingdom on earth and a kingdom in heaven. The saints who are in the kingdom on earth are still exposed to many kinds of evil works; and the Apostle is persuaded that in his case such works will be overruled by the Lord to further his progress from the earthly to the heavenly kingdom. "^ " To whom be the glory for ever and ever. Amen." If what was said above about " the Lord " is correct then here we have a doxology which manifestly is addressed to Christ. It is possible that in Rom. ix s and XVI. 27 we have other examples, as also in Heb xiu. 21 ■ but in all these three cases the construction is open to question. Here, however, there can be no doubt that "the glory for ever and ever" is ascribed to the Lord Who stood by Paul at his trial and will deliver him from all evil works hereafter; and the Lord is Jesus Christ. As Chrysostom pointedly remarks with- out f:urther comment : " Lo, here is a doxology to the Son." And it is word for word the same as that which m Gal. i. 5 is addressed to the Father. With these words of praise on his lips we take our leave of the Apostle. He is a wearied worker, a forlorn and all but deserted teacher, a despised and all but condemned prisoner; but he knows that he has made no mistake. The Master, Who seems to have requited His servant so ill, is a royal Master, Who has royal gifts in store. He has never failed His servant in this life, in which His presence, though but dimly reflected has always brightened suffering; and He will not fail in His promises respecting the life which is to come - he Apostle has had to sustain him, not merely Divine truth wherewith to enlighten his boul, and Divine M 430 THE SECOND EPf^rr v ^^ - '^'' ^f^STLE TO TIMOTHY. rules, wherewith to dir,>'<^^"'"S which ;s .his Which giL a ifvar Z^T'L"" " fc^en kept is fait,, ;„ ,-,;„, 'w,,„ "'°/'" f "^ch has course which has been (;„r 1 " '^ '^'"""'- The Who is ,i,e Way An .h" 'f" f- ^""'"8 '° Him has been united ww" lit, W. '•''"'"' ""^^ ^''"'"ed union wii. never ZT 'LT°, '^ '"^ "<■- That continued throughout nf^ 5 '''^' ' ^"^ '' ^^•'" be life indeed." In^l th'^ ^^ ^" " ^'^*^ ^^^' ^^hich is fulness to thelSllt^h:' ^f/^ ^--^"1, of thank! and will share his bliss h7l '^'^ ^'^ sufferings to Christ, " To iin be H ^''7' "^ '-^^ ^is last addrefs Amen." "' ^" ^^^^ g^^'-y ^r ever and ever .; TJ MOT fly. t ; iie has had also his hTe. He has e has finished his ; yet these things th, but \x\ Christ indvvelhng which possible; and it faith which has the Truth. The ^cording to Hin, Jias been shared the Life. That ; and it will be le life which is rt full of thank- 1 his sufferings his last address ever and ever. J i^n * E X . Abecedarians, 70. Actsof the Apostle.., not written by litiis, 207, nor by St. Paul, 360- 362. Adornment, Tlic nature of, 25 1 25^ Alexander, 75, 76, 373, 4,3. Ambrohc, 230. Anacletus, 416. Ananias and Sapphira, 73, 75. Anarchy in the Church, 73, 271. Angels, 138. Antinomian doctrine, 44, 49, 298, Apocalypse, 48, 68. Apollos, 203, 5o8, 414. Apostles, 69, 70. Apostolic Constitutions, 126. is6 232. ^ ' Appuleius, 379. Aquila, 413, 414. Aratus, 225. Aristotle, 240. Army, Roman, 345, 346. Artemis, Temple of, 84, 198 Article, The Greek, 89, 189, 392. Asceticism, 44, 142, 143. Athenagoras, 125. Athleticism, 144. Aurelius, M., 89, 257. Augiistir-" 229, '' o/j- Authenticity of the I'astoralKi.istlcs 4-'6, II, 52, 55, 163, 169, 294,' -'JS- 312, 322, 404, 406-417, 421 Authority, Divine origin of, 27?- 275. '^ Avarice, Danger^ of, 196-198. Baptism, 284-293. Kasilidcs, 8, 42. Bauer, 8, 10, 12, i^. Blaiuiina, 257, Bodily exercise proiitable, I43.,4C Bretschneider, 125. "' Butler's Durham Charge, 368. Carpus, ii, 411. Cathari, 126. Celsus, 229, 253. Cellini, 50. Certainty, Nature of historical, 105. Children, Care of, 256. Chrysostom, 34, 56, 95, ,0, .349. 369, 382, 397, 429. Circumcision of Timothy, 22, Claudia, 415. Claudius, 414, 425. Cleanthe.-!., 225. Clement of Akxandria, 6, 97, ,00, 228, 11^, 373. p ' 432 INDEX. V it I w Clcmont of Rome, 5, 14, 97, no, 416. Clergy and laity from the first distinct, 109. Cloke, 412. Collection for Jewish Christians, 205. Conscientious disobedience, 278. Contentment, 192-196. Continuity of doctrine, 336-340. Controversial spirit, 367. Controversial violence, 280. Corinth, Case of incest at, 73, 265. Corinth, Timothy at, 23, 24, 29, Corinth, Titus at, 204-206. Cosin, Bishop, 328. Credner, 8, Crete, The Church in, 212-215, 271. Cynicism, Evils of, 29-31. Cyril of Jerusalem, 341. Davies, T. LI., 301. Deaconesses, 155, 158. Dead, Prayers for the, 325-330. Delivering to Satan, 74. Demas, 409, 410. Devil, Personality of the, 77-80. Diogenes Laertius, 396. Discipline necessary to the Church, 72, 73- Divinity of Clnist, 268, 269, 283, 429. Divorce, 120. Doctrinal statements in the Pas- toral EpistlcJ 259, 282. Doctrine, Continuity of, 336-340. Doctrine of the Twelve Apostles, 69, 96, io8, 115. DoUinger, 8, 129. Joxology addressed to Christ, 249. Dress of women, lOi. Ecstasy, 241. Elders or presbyters, 67, 112, 115, 118, 165, 213, 217. Elymas, 75, Emotion in rcl'"'ion, 244-247. Ephesus, Timothy at, 25, 84, 198, 265, 320, 323. Epimenidcs, 224, 225. Epiphanies of Christ, 260, 269. Episcopacy, 107, 112, 114, 221. Erastus, 414, 415. Evans, T. .S., 287. Eunice, 21, 388. Eubulus, 415. Eusebius, 6, 14, 26, 37, 257, 371, 379.415. 418, 419. Ewald, 9, 407. Excommunication, 74, 303. Extempore prayer, 96. Failure, Apparent, of the Gospel, 402. Faith, Test of, 290. Farrar, F. W., 412. Flood, The, a type of baptism, 289. Free will, 40, 41, 57. Freedom of the Gospel, 362, 363. Friendship of Paul and Timothy, 26-30. Genealogies, 34, 35. Genuineness of the Pastoral Epis- tles, 4.16, IT,, 52, 55, 163, 169, 294. 29s, 312, 322, 404, 406-417, 421. Gessius Florus, 276. Gladiatorial shows, 179, 347. Gnosticism, it.^ rapid progress, 37 ; its problem, 38 ; its moral teach- ing. 44. S3. 151- Godet, 34. Gcethe, 79. Golden ages of the Church, 264. sbyters, 67, 112, 115, 3. 217. I'-'ion, 244-247, othy at, 25, 84, 198, 3- 24, 225. Christ, 260, 269. 57, 112, 114, 221. MS- 1S7. S. 14. 26, 37, 257, 371, i, 419. ion, 74, 303. lycr, 96. irent, of the Gospel, 290. 412. ;ype of baptism, 289, M. 57- - Gospel, 362, 363. Paul and Timothy, 54. 35- f the Pastoral Epis- 3- 52, 55, 163, 169, 2, 322, 404, 406-417, ,276. ows, 179, 347. rapid progress, 37 ; 38; its moral teach- 51- the Church, 264, INDEX. 433 Grammatical errors in Scripture, 394' Gregory the Great, 231, 232. Gregory of Tours, 233. Hadrian, 89. Handling aright, 370. Hands, Imposition of, 63, 64, 67, 166, 167, 315, Hands lifted in prayer, 97, 98, Hausrath, 9, 407. Hegesippus, 6, 337, Helius, 275, 427. Heresy, Meaning of in New Testa- ment, 296-299. Heresy and magic, 383. Heretical teachers, 53, 382, Hcrmas, 108, 125. Hcrmogencs, 319-323, Hippolytus, 128. Hitzig, 9, 407. Hooker, 285, 286. Husband of one wife, 118. Huxley, 173, Hymenacus, The punishment of, 74-76, 373' Hymns, Ancient Christian, 134, Ideal Church, 116. Ignatius, 5, 10, 33, 69, 1 13, 1 14, 378. Immcr, 9, 407, Imposition of hands, 63, 64, 67, 166, 167, 315- Imprisonments of St. Paul, 13, 24, 28, 362, 401. Imprisonment of Timothy, 24, Incarnation, The, 44, 358, 359. Inspiration of Scripture, 381, 393- 396- Intercession, 83, 86, 326. Irenaeus, 6, 112, 113, 294, 33S, 373, 4>5- .Tannics and Jambrcs, 379-383. Jerome, 230, 360. Jewish Gnosticism, I},, 34. Job, 76, 77, 192. Julian the Apostate, 230, 231. Justin Martyr, 6, 96, 119. KoLLING, 8, Krcnkel, g, 207, 407. Lamdetu Conferences, 266. Last days, 377. Latin Ffil'- rs and Pagan culture, 227, 230, 232. Laver of regeneration, 285-292. Lcmme, 9, 407. Lightfoot, Bishop, 113, 227, 361. Linus, 113, 338, 415, 416. Lion's mouth, 426. Liturgical forms in New Testament, 83, 134- Lois, 21, 388, Lord, when used of Christ, 424, Luke, 23, 27, 207, 209, 421-423. Lystra, 21, 22, 24, Magic, 383. Mahomctanism and slavery, 182. Maine, 159. Manumission of slaves, 181, 184, 248. Marcion's rejection of the Pastoral Epistles, 4, 5, 8, 10. Mark, 409, 410, Marriages, Second, 122, 125. Mill, J. S., 39. Milligan, 117. Missions, 206, Money, Lose of, 193-198. Montanus, 70, 1 15. Mouth of tile lion, 426. Muiatoriuii Canon, 6, 14. 28 1) I t t ! ,. i''i i 434 INDEX. I! 'Ill Mystery, Meaning of in New Testa- ment, 132, 135. Nero, 14, 89, 275, 414, 419, 4.2, 426. Newman, J. H, 39, 40, 233-235, 387. Nicodemus, Gospel of, 380. Numenius, 379. Obedience, Duty of, 272, 275. Onesimus, 411. Onesiphorus, 313, 319, 320, 323, 414. Ordination, 60, 63, 220, 314. Origen, 125, 228, 229, 379. Origin of the Christia'n ministry, 104-U7, Pastoral Epistles, Character of, 3, 4. 15. 16, 201, 309, 312. Paul III., Pope, 50. Pedanius Secundus, 179. Persecution, 54, 275, Pcshitto, 6. Plleiderer, 8, 10, 1 1, 407. Philetus, 373. Phraseology of the Pastoral Epistles, 7. 26, 47, 52, 404, 424. Phygelus, 319, 323. Plato, 1 78, 240, 241. Pliny the Elder, 379, 380. Pliny the Younger, ^i, 134. Polycarp, 5, 338. Polygamy, 119. Prayer, Forms of, 96. Prayers for the dead, 325—330, Presbytei., or elders, 67, U2, 115, 118, 166, 214, 217, 221. Priesthood, The idea of, 117. Prisca, 413, 414. Prophecies on Timothy, 62-64. Prophet, Meanings of the term, 65- Prophets in New Te..tament, 66, 69; in the Primitive Church, 70, 96, 115. Public worship, 95-102. Pudens, 415. Punishment of Hymenaus and Alexander, 74-76. Ratio.valis.m, 387. Red Sea, Passage of the, a type of baptism, 289. Regeneration, Laver of, 285-292. Religious emotion, the use of, 244- 247. R-nan,8, 11,79,276,355,407. Resurrection, Belief in the, 355-359 372. Reunion of Christendom, 267. Reuss, II, Revisers, Changes made by the, 32, 47- 59, 219, 268, 269, 285, 354' 371, 19^. Roman Church, Its neglect of St. Paul, 28, 400, 420, 421. Salmon, 8, 113, 407. Satan, Delivering unto, 74. Satan, Personality of, 77-80. Schaff, 395. Schlciermacher, 78. Second Advent, Nearness ,of the. 378, 428. Second Roman imprisonment of St, Paul, 13, 28, 362, 401. Second marriages, 122, 125, Shamelessness in serving God, 370. Slavery, 175-184, 248-250, 253'-2S7.' Sobriety in religion, 241, 245. Socialism, 185-1S7. Solidarity of Christendom, 86, Strauss, 79. Superstition and heresy, 384. New Testament, 66, :^riniitive Cliiirch, 70, >, 95-102. 5l' Hyinenaus and ^4-76. 587. igc of the, a type of Laver of, 285-292. ion, the use of, 244- 9> 276, 355, 407. elief in the, 355-359, istendom, 267. fes made by the, 32, 268, 269, 285, 354, , Its neglect of St. 420, 421. INDEX. 435 Tatian's rejection of i and 2 Tim., 8, 202. Tertullian, 6, 10, cSo, 90, 98, loi, 128, 166, 227, 294, 295, 300, 339, 346. Thanksgivings for all men, 92. Theophilus of Antioch, 6. Threefold ministry, 221. Tiberius, 425. Tigcllinus, 275. Timothy compared with St. John, 19-21. Timothy at Corinth, 23, 24, 29. Titus compared with Timothy, 209. Titus at Corinth, 204-206. Titus in Dalmatia ^10. Trinitarian doctrine, 2S3, 284. Trophimus, 414, 415, 419. Trullo, Council in, 155. Tychicus, 410, 411. Tyndale, 412, 413. VEKii.M, inspiration, 393. Visible means an aid to faith, 291. WAsiriNG of regeneration, 285-292. Watcrland, 293, 306. Weiss, 7, 15. Wcisse, 9, 407. Widow.-, 153-155, 158, 163. Will, Freedom of the, 40, 41, 57. Women, Social position oi", 256. Women's dress, loi, 102. Worship, Public, 95, 100. Wordsworth, Bishop C, 134. Zen.\s, 203, 208. Zwickau prophets, 70. 407. g unto, 74. ty of. 77-80. 78. Nearness .of the, imprisonment of 8, 362, 401. s, 122, 125. 1 serving God, 370. , 248-250, 253-257. ion, 241, 245. istendom, 86. heresy, 384.