AS we have seen, Paul is outlining the practical measures by which Timothy is to carry out the "charge" given him to set things in order in Ephesus. The rebuke of the false teachers and the building up of the ecclesia on a basis of sound organisation were complementary parts of this work. Throughout Scriptural history God has worked through the medium of responsible leadership and not by any democratic process for the guidance of His people. Where the leadership has resisted or was not itself submissive to Divine authority, spiritual disaster was the result.
The work of organisation in Ephesus was to centre on Timothy himself, a personal example of all that a believer ought to be in manner of life (4:12-16). But all the ecclesia's members, inÂdividually and collectively, had their special parts to play. Neither Timothy nor anyone else, however, was to be a bishop in the ecclesiastical sense. His authority could direct and his example inspire, but the spiritual tone of the Ephesian church would deÂpend upon the manner in which all its servants carried out their duties (see Essay 9).
3:1-7—The Office of a Bishop
Verse 1: "Faithful is the saying": for a general survey of these characteristic sayings in the Pastoral Epistles see Essay 5, page 49. The rendering of this, the second of the five "faithful words", is that of the Revised Version. Some commentators, thinking that the seeking of office is more a fleshly than a spiritual pursuit, have preferred a different reading. The Authorised Version has "a true saying" and the New English Bible, "It is a human, or popular saying''. Apart from the lack of real textual evidence to support it, this rendering completely misses the point of the Apostle's argument, as does the attempt to link the phrase with the preceding verse about women and their salvation in chapter 2.
Whether the saying we are considering did in fact have its origin in a popular proverb or not is of no great importance. By his use of it Paul has made it one of the "words of the Faith", and has left us in no doubt that ecclesial organisation—or the Constitution, where it is based on sound principles—is as much a cardinal element of life and fellowship as the Statement of Faith itself. (Traditionally, the two have formed part of the same document for many decades.)
"If a man desire the office of a bishop": The word for "desire" occurs twice more in the New Testament. In 1 Timothy 6:10 it refers to the coveting of money, and so signifies the wrong kind of desire. From Hebrews 11:16, however, where it describes the eagerness with which men of faith sought "the better country, that is, an heavenly", we can see the sense with which it is being used here. In fact, in his exhortation to his fellow elders, Peter expresses the precise idea although not with the same word: "Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; neither as being lords over God's heritage, but being ensamples to the flock" (1 Peter 5:2,3).
Why should Paul feel it necessary to emphasise that it is a good work (kalon ergon)? The word ergon refers to the proper duties, not the honour of the service, and of "good works" in general we have already written (see page 72). There is some evidence of unÂwillingness on the part of brethren of the right calibre to underÂtake ecclesial office in the first century; a reluctance which seems to have had its counterpart in the political world of the Greek cities. Kelly, in Pastoral Epistles, page 72, makes the point that it was sometimes difficult to find enough responsible men to underÂtake civic duties.
As far as the early church was concerned it was becoming increasingly dangerous to be known as a prominent Christian, as Paul's own imprisonment and execution testify. The smiting of the shepherd was still a good way of scattering the sheep. Moreover, the kalon ergon of ecclesial administration properly discharged is onerous and should be approached with a sense of responsibility and dedication. The words which follow in 3:2
introduce the list of qualifications for service, which all who nominate or accept nomination for ecclesial service in our own day would do well to study carefully—always remembering that if we ourselves persistently refuse to accept responsibility merely to avoid its burdens, or even because of a general feeling of inadeÂquacy, we should restrain ourselves from the carping criticism of those who prayerfully undertake it from the right motives.
The list of qualifications in 1 Timothy 3 is worth committing to memory, if only as a "check list" of our responsibilities (see Essay 10, page 107). We shall find that Paul has a characteristically Christian view of all the words he uses, wherever he has drawn them from. Indeed, it is as though he is saying to Timothy, and to us, If a town like Philippi, chief city of Macedonia, or even a small provincial town like Pompeii, demands that its officials be "worthy of the state", how much more must they be worthy, in spirit and not only in letter, who are servants "of the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth" (verse 15)? And not only the overseers and ministers, but all who are members of the corporate body, which is compacted together by that which every joint supplieth, must let their "conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ" (Philippians 1:27; "conversaÂtion" is politeuma, or "citizenship", as in 3:20, RV).
Verse 2: "A bishop then must be blameless": The order of words in the Greek text is much more emphatic: "It is therefore essential." Dei oun indicates absolute necessity, arising from what has gone before, in this case the statement that taking oversight is one of those good works of which a purchased people should be zealous in the proper sense (Titus 2:14). The verb dei appears three times in this chapter: again in verse 7, "he must have a good report", and in verse 15, "how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the ecclesia. It also introduces aspects of personal behaviour, both positive and negative, in 1 Timothy 5:13, 2 Timothy 2:6 and Titus 1:7,11, the last passage being parallel to the one under consideration. It is noteworthy that we have no list of duties, only of qualifications, which makes these passages of timeless validity: the twentieth century makes its own detailed demands upon ecclesial organisation; the principles on which it is based must not change.
"Blameless": the list of seven positive qualities to be possessed by overseers is headed by a word which comprehends them all. The Greek word for "blameless", "beyond reproach", is Classical but appears in the Greek Bible only in 1 Timothy. The usage in 5:7 refers to the qualifications which made a widow eligible to come under the ecclesia's care. In 6:14 it applies to "the commandment" which Timothy was to keep unimpaired until the day of the Lord's manifestation; that is, the charge laid on him at his baptism (see 6:12) when he "professed the good profession". By living a spotless, unrebukeable life he would have kept the commandment in its entirety.
The ecclesial servant had not only to be of good report, but deserving of it also, and his reputation had to be sound outside as well as inside the church (verse 7). The standard was high, as high as that of God Himself, as we read out of the law (for example, Deuteronomy 1:16,17; see also Psalm 82): the elders and the judges acted on the Lord's behalf, and therefore they had to be like Him (Matthew 5:48) (see Essay 11, "The Husband of One Wife").
"Vigilant, sober, of good behaviour": some translators prefer "sober" for the first word (nephalios, unique in the Greek Bible to the Pastoral Epistles) as it is so translated in verse 11 and Titus 2:2, and "sober" does not really carry the same sense as that of the word which follows it. It is related to the verb used for "be sober" in 1 Thessalonians 5:6,8; 1 Peter 1:13; 4:7; 5:8, although 2 Timothy 4:5 has "watch thou in all things". Although in contemÂporary society it could carry the sense of abstaining from wine, a wider reference is surely indicated here, since Paul deals with the question of wine-drinking in the next verse. It is, therefore, preferable to take its meaning as indicating moral restraint in general, in which the idea of "vigilance" or "watchfulness" or even "clear-headedness" is not out of place, implying as it does unceasing carefulness over every aspect of behaviour.
So regarded, the word goes well with the two words which follow it, sophron and kosmios, to indicate that "mastery of oneself' which enables an ecclesial servant to carry out his duties with a dignity, reverence and restraint befitting behaviour in "the house of the living God". Such restraint extends beyond deportment to speech ("alway with grace, seasoned with salt", Colossians 4:6), which should be free from the ribaldry and crude colloquialism which marks much of the conversation of the present-day "man in the street".
Of sophrosune, a word related to sophron ('sober', AV) we have already written (page 70) in connection with the whole deportÂment of the ecclesia, amongst members of all ages, sisters and brethren alike. (See also on Titus 2:1-10, pages 385-387.) How much greater is the responsibility of the overseer or elder, or the modern "arranging brother" to display this quality: "Take heed unto thyself (1 Timothy 4:16); "Be thou an example of the believers" (4:12); "In all things showing thyself a pattern of good works" (Titus 2:7)—these were the constant exhortations to the young men entrusted with the delicate and responsible task of guiding and, if necessary, rebuilding, ecclesias under pressure.
For kosmios ("of good behaviour") see the notes on 2:9 in connection with "modest apparel". Here the meaning goes deeper than that of outward adornment, but it still carries the idea of orderly behaviour, reinforcing the former positive qualities which combine to give a due sense of the responsibility of ecclesial office.
"Given to hospitality": the word is literally 'a friend to strangers', a quality which has its roots deep in the Old Testament and God's relationship with His people. Frequently were they reminded of their duty to the stranger because in so acting they were manifesting God's glory:
"For the LORD your God is God of gods, and Lord of lords, a great God, a mighty, and a terrible, which regardeth not persons, nor taketh reward: he doth execute the judgment of the fatherless and widow, and loveth the stranger, in giving him food and raiment. Love ye therefore the stranger: for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt." (Deuteronomy 10:17-19)
This theme is taken up in Hebrews 12:29—13:1,2, where "For our God is a consuming fire" is followed immediately by "Let brotherly love continue. Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares."
There is no doubt, however, that Paul is carrying the principle over to brethren or sisters in need of a meal and bed, whether they were known to the host or not. So much is implied in 1 Timothy 5:10, "If she have lodged strangers" (xenos, 'stranger', is also the Greek word for 'guest') as it appears in the following verses: in Romans 12:13, "distributing to the necessity of saints; given to hospitality"; in 1 Peter 4:9, "use hospitality one to another without grudging"; and in 3 John 5, "Beloved, thou doest faithÂfully whatsoever thou doest to the brethren, and to strangers". Such hospitality was an act of mercy, inspired by the union in the same faith which existed between members of the same family of God, and to which was attached a special blessing.
There was, moreover, another reason for the practice of offerÂing hospitality in the first century. The missionary age saw many brethren on the road with but slender resources, and for the new men in Christ the lodging places they could afford were unthinkable. Not only were some of them dangerous, where a man might well be exposed to robbery and violence, or worse, but the moral atmosphere would have been oppressive to a disciple who was trying earnestly to cleanse himself from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God (2 Corinthians 7:1). The "bishop", therefore, with a responsiÂbility which made him a representative of the local ecclesia, had both a spiritual and practical obligation to lead his flock in this matter also.
"Apt to teach": this quality above all was required, especially in Ephesus and Crete, which needed the firm yet sympathetic guidance of one learned in the knowledge of God, especially of His ways, and skilled in teaching others by his own example. It was one of the functions of the priests of Israel, to whom Moses delivered the Law, that they should cause the people to hear it: "For the priests' lips should keep knowledge, and they should seek the law at his mouth: for he is the messenger of the LORD of hosts" (Malachi 2:7). This function seems to have distinguished the bishop from the deacons, although in Acts 6 one deacon at least in no way came behind in this gift, for no one could resist the wisdom and spirit with which Stephen spake (verse 10).
Such overseers as Timothy and Titus themselves could no doubt pick their way through the wrangling and jangling of the other-teachers with a sureness of touch which grasped the ScripÂtural essentials and exposed all else for what it really was. Their reorganisation of the ecclesias on sound lines called for more men of the right stamp to exercise leadership, like the elders "who labour in the word and in teaching" (1 Timothy 5:17, RV). Nor must the servant of the Lord display the self-opinionated aggressiveness which is the hall-mark of some professing exponents of the Word: he "must not strive, but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient, in meekness instructing those that oppose themselves" (2 Timothy 2:24,25). The required characteristics of the bishop are given in detail in Titus 1:9—"Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and convince the gainsayers." Or, as it might otherwise be put, he must show loyalty to the apostolic teaching, be ready to instruct the ecclesia in it, and be vigilant in confuting those who pervert it.
Verse 3: "Not given to wine": the fact that this negative command is referred to three times in all (see verse 8 and Titus 1:7) shows that it was a necessary injunction. From 5:23, where Paul prescribes "a little wine for thy stomach's sake and thine often infirmities", it is clear that moderation and not total abstinence is envisaged here. But the exhortation to be no paroinos (used in the New Testament again only in Titus 1:7) indicates a tendency on the part of some to "add drunkenness to thirst" (Deuteronomy 29:19).
There is evidence that it was recklessness or befuddling of the wits which so clouded the judgement of Nadab and Abihu that they offered "strange fire before the LORD", and thus failed to sanctify the LORD in their approach to Him. For immediately after their burial,
"The LORD spake unto Aaron, saying, Do not drink wine nor strong drink, thou nor thy sons with thee, when ye go into the tabernacle of the congregation, lest ye die: it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations: and that ye may put difference between holy and unholy, and between unclean and clean; and that ye may teach the children of Israel all the statutes which the LORD hath spoken unto them by the hand of Moses." (Leviticus 10:8-11)
Thus "apt to teach" was coupled with "not given to wine" in the "holiness code" for the priests as well as for ecclesial servants.
The warnings were necessary in an age where it was usual for the dinner-party in ordinary society to merge into the commissatio, or drinking-party, and "rioting and drunkenness, chambering and wantonness" and (let it be carefully noted) "strife and envying" were specifically listed as inconsistent with the behaviour of those who had "put on the Lord Jesus Christ" (Romans 13:13,14); and "such like" are listed as "the works of the flesh" (Galatians 5:19-21). When we remember that some Corinthians showed a tendency to eat and be drunken even at the Lord's supper (1 Corinthians 11:21), we are not surprised that Paul should list moderation amongst the necessary qualifications of a spiritual leader (see 1 Corinthians 10:6,7,14). The spirit of the present age and the temptations that beset young people parÂticularly, though the old are by no means immune, make careful attention to this same point by no means unnecessary today.
"No striker, or brawler": this vice, a common outcome of being paroinos, is no doubt to be taken in its literal meaning. It was certainly not unknown for an unvigilant, faithless servant of a household to "begin to beat the menservants and maidens, and to eat and drink, and to be drunken" (Luke 12:45), or for masters in a position of power over their servants to use unnecessary violence in disciplining them, without being under the influence of anything but anger or frustration. Indeed, amidst the strifes about words and other disorders in the Ephesian ecclesia, the atmosphere could very well have been conducive to coming to blows.
It has not been unknown for an ecclesia in modern times to witness something very close to a brawl, when voices are raised in dispute, and brethren even claim to be defending the Truth against error when they rise in noisy interruption or accusation. This was not then, nor is it now, for the patient, gentle, meek serÂvant of the Lord, apt to teach, who seeks to exercise a genuine spiritual influence in an ecclesia (2 Timothy 2:23 and Essay 33).
"But gentle, not contentious, no lover of money": this Revised Version rendering differs slightly from the Authorised in the order of words and it avoids the repetition of "not greedy of filthy lucre" and "not covetous". "Forbearing" is the idea behind epieike, 'gentle'. It is a characteristic of "the wisdom that is from above" (James 3:17), which should be "known unto all men", a disÂtinguishing mark of the true disciple (Philippians 4:5). Above all, it was to be seen in "the gentleness of Christ", by which Paul exhorted his recalcitrant, critical brethren in Corinth to submit to his apostolic authority (2 Corinthians 10:1). Let this mind be in us ...
Clearly the way to deal with contention and strife in an ecclesia is not to be oneself contentious. This was sound advice in Ephesus and Crete, and it is advice sorely needed today, when it is only too easy to become involved in "questions and strifes of words, whereof cometh envy, strife, railings, evil surmisings" to the point where we can even become "bereft of the truth, supposing that godliness is a way of gain" (6:4,5).
So the bishop must be "not a lover of silver": it is unlikely that financial gain is much sought after in modern ecclesial life (indeed, ecclesial servants tend to minister of their own substance far beyond what could justifiably be recouped by way of "exÂpenses"), but the warning was obviously necessary in Paul's day. The Pharisees were "lovers of silver" (covetous) and mocked the Lord when he declared: "Ye cannot serve God and mammon" (Luke 16:13); and the treachery of Judas began with taking what was put in the bag with which he was entrusted.
A brother with a weakness in financial matters would certainly be unsuited to handle the ecclesial purse, and the temptation would be great if in fact the elders of the first century ecclesia did receive an honorarium, as some have thought. (We shall examine this point further when we come to 1 Timothy 5:17-18.) But covetousness extends to other things beside money; and gain other than financial can be sought, such as status, power, influence or anything that ministers to or satisfies the ego. Such is not godliness in any disciple, least of all in a spiritual leader.
3:4-5—The Ecclesia and the Family
Verse 4: "One that ruleth well his own house": perhaps insufficient attention has been paid to this necessary qualification, which must surely cause much heart-searching in the modern age, when the pressures of the outside world weigh so heavily upon our young people and their parents, and parental authority is frequently challenged by both school and society. Thereby is the parents' task rendered all the more difficult. Before taking up this point of the modern problem, we first consider the Scriptural principle.
The ecclesia is "God's house" (verse 15), and Paul's allusion to Jacob at Bethel (Genesis 28) reminds us that the building of a household was the very basis of God's covenants of promise, from the time that He blessed Abraham to the day when He made "the whole family" of Israel into His own people and covenanted to dwell with them and be their God.
The name of Father, applied to God, brings home the point Paul makes in Ephesians 3:15 that out of Him "the whole family (literally, 'every fatherhood') in heaven and earth is named". The child too young to bear a personal responsibility towards God learns to do so through his duty to his parents; and the parents, under God, the givers of life to their children, have a responsibility to care for and sustain them. "If any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel" (1 Timothy 5:8).
Verse 5: Pastoral care of the flock of God calls for feeding and tending, with the compassion of a father, the gentleness of a mother in Israel, and a command of Scriptural principle: "If a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the house of God?" But "who is sufficient for these things?" (2 Corinthians 2:16). To which the answer must be, Few, if any of us. To know and understand the idea, however, and to work towards it as far as human limitations will allow, trusting in the strength which God supplies to any who in sincerity seek to work for Him and "desire a good work", is essential. There is certainly no room for the routine "annual election of ecclesial officers" to which no prayerful thought is given; nor for the campaigning for office and influence which is more of the citizenship of this world than of that which is in heaven.
"Taking care" has a nuance which appears in Luke 10:34,35 —the only other occurrence of this verb. It was characteristic of the Good Samaritan in his gentle, thoughtful concern for the welfare of him who fell among thieves. If, therefore, in our times it seems more difficult to have "children in subjection"—compare the signs of the last days in 2 Timothy 3:2—one can at least show "gravity", that is, a due sense of that which is honourable and right in the principles which guide the household.
In Philippians 4:8, the Revised Version "honourable" translates the adjective semnos, from which semnotes, 'gravity', is derived. The use of both noun and adjective is otherwise confined to the Pastoral Epistles, and has already been commented upon in the note on 2:2 (page 59). If the children are in no doubt as to the parents' standards and intense conviction of the seriousness of the life in Christ, and the household is so ordered, then it will be a matter for sorrow and regret but not for self-censure on the part of the parents if their children do not ultimately share their faith, hope and ideals (see Jeremiah 31:29,30; Ezekiel 18).
Verse 6: "Not a novice": a convert newly come to the faith (literally 'newly planted', the only known example of the word used figuratively) would be quite unsuited to take charge of an ecclesia, whatever his native skills might appear to be. Of all the possible reasons—his lack of authority, his insufficient knowledge, his loyalty and constancy as yet unproved—Paul cites only one: the novice would be too easily exposed to the weakness of pride.
"Lifted up with pride", a "oncer", found again in 6:4 and 2 Timothy 3:4, is all one word, derived from the word for 'smoke'. Pride goes to the head, like smoke which blinds and confuses, and in a head so filled sureness of judgement and the standards of wise judgement cannot be guaranteed. Particularly in the Ephesian situation such a one could lose his head, teach false doctrine or show himself arrogant towards his brethren. If he is "proud" (6:4) he could be "knowing nothing, but doting about questions and strifes of words", or become "heady, higkminded" (2 Timothy 3:4). Although special circumstances may sometimes demand otherwise—this caution is omitted in the case of elders in Crete, for example—the "two-year rule" in some ecclesial constitutions concerning the appointment of the newly baptized to office is a wise precaution.
"Lest . . . he fall into the condemnation of the devil": the orthodox view naturally sees in this the condemnation passed upon the Devil for his pride; that is, he was cast out from his high office in heaven, as Lucifer, son of the morning (Isaiah 14). The ScripÂtural view of the diabolos as sinful human nature yields good sense here, since the condemnation is that which the novice will bring upon himself for giving way to his human pride. There is a specialised use of the word in these Letters, however, occurring in verse 11 and in 2 Timothy 3:3 and Titus 2:3, where it refers to the gossip or the slanderer. It might be that the accusation laid against the puffed-up novice would be true and not false, but in any case accusation knows few restraints and Paul would not have the overseer talked about by the slanderer within or without the ecclesia—a disaster for the person concerned and for any ecclesia under his management.
Verse 7: The bishop must, therefore, "have a good report of them which are without": such was Ananias who brought Christ's message to Paul (Acts 22:12) and by such reputations Paul set great store, as he counselled the Thessalonians, "that ye may walk honestly toward them that are without" (1 Thessalonians 4:12). The unblemished reputation of the Lord Jesus ("I find no fault in this man"—John 18:38; 19:4,6) did not render him immune from the false witness who laid wait for him that they might have something to accuse him of. Nevertheless it was recogÂnised that it was only by false witness that he could be condemned.
Perhaps "lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil" is best taken as meaning falling into the trap laid by the slanderer who seizes the opportunity to reproach and condemn. If the Lord himself could not escape, how much more would a novice overseer be needlessly exposed to the gossip of the diaboloi? Sadly it must be confessed that attacks upon reputation, justified or not, are often the tactics of those who seek occasion for their own purposes.
3:8-13—The Deacons and their Wives
Verse 8: "Likewise must the deacons be grave": the very emphatic "likewise" sets the same high standard for all ecclesial servants as for those in a more prominent position. Some have seen a significance in the plural, "deacons", as distinct from the singular, "a bishop", as though we are here dealing with the kind of church hierarchy which developed in orthodox circles. From Philippians 1:1, however, we learn that this distinction need not be made and, as we have seen, there was nothing in the Scriptural "overseer" to suggest the monarchical figure who emerged in the second century. Indeed, from 1 Peter 5:12 we learn that the case was exactly the opposite. Nevertheless, the fact that deacons are referred to as a separate class does imply a function different in some measure from that of, say, Timothy himself or Titus.
The word deacon (diakonos) ordinarily means a servant or minister and with the noun diakonia, 'service', and diakoneo, 'to serve', occurs frequently in the New Testament. These words can apply equally to the ministry of the angels to the Lord in the wilderness, the "much serving" of Martha, the ministry of the word (Acts 6:4), to the work of the Apostle Paul himself (Acts 20:24; 21:19; "mine office", Romans 11:13), the service rendered to him by his minister, John Mark (Acts 13:5), and the diverse "administrations" of the one Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:5). It would appear, therefore, that the diaconate covered the whole range of activities of those who, having decided to serve the Lord Jesus, follow him as his disciples. Moreover, the Lord himself was among his disciples "as he that serveth" (Luke 22:27).
In the passage under consideration, however, Paul obviously has in view some particular form of ecclesial service for which the same sense of responsibility is required as that for bishops, but not necessarily the same aptitudes. Acts 6:1-4 supplies the key. In the simple organisation of the church in its earliest days the Apostles gave themselves to "the ministry (diakonia) of the word", while others were appointed to "serve (diakoneo)) tables". The men appointed, however, were not selected simply because of any practical, administrative skill they may have possessed: they were "men of honest report, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom", and one of them at least was also able to speak with wisdom and with Spirit.
The deacons therefore had to be "grave", of high principle, as we have described the word in the note on 2:2 and verse 4.
"Not doubletongued, not given to much wine, not greedy of filthy lucre": "Preserve me from my calling's snare" prayed one hymn writer, conscious of a danger to which we would all do well to take heed. Differing responsibilities may call for different qualities in each one of us: they may equally expose us to different spiritual dangers, and Paul is here alive to that possibility. "Double-tongued" is a New Testament "oncer", and may mean simply "a talebearer", a damaging vice into which it would be too easy for an ecclesial visitor or other servant who needed to go from house to house to fall. The more subtle temptation would be to say one thing to one and something different to another, in the genuine attempt to be "all things to all men", in the spirit of the Apostle Paul himself. It is one thing to adapt one's manner of approach and style of address to the needs and capacity of the one being visited. It is quite another to be doubletongued and shift ground on principles and say only what the other wishes to hear. Perhaps the stronger emphasis upon carefulness over wine-drinking is also necessary, in view of the fact that a deacon might frequently be offered wine in his house-to-house visiting, as a gesture of hospitality. See also verse 3 above. Likewise the warnÂing against love of money is stronger, since the deacon would probably be responsible for the administration and disbursement of ecclesial funds. He must not "greedy of base gains" (see also on Titus 1:7,11, page 364), for "the love of money is the root of all evil", and the one who undertakes this kind of "diakonia to the saints" (2 Corinthians 9:1) must be beyond reproach in this respect. Titus himself was obviously trustworthy, as was the brother chosen to accompany him when they bore the proceeds of the great collection taken up in the ecclesias of Corinth and Macedonia: "(His) praise is in the gospel throughout all the churches; and not that only, but who was also chosen of the churches to travel with us with this grace, which is administered (diakoned) by us ... Avoiding this, that no man should blame us in this abundance which is administered by us: providing for honest things, not only in the sight of the Lord, but also in the sight of men" (2 Corinthians 8:18-21). It is no doubt significant for the distinction between the work of the deacon and that of the overseer that he was not necessarily "apt to teach".
Verse 9: "Holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience": of "the mystery of the faith" we write below when considering verse 16, but it has reference to the firm belief of the deacon in the conÂtent and practice of his faith. "In a pure conscience" may well refer here to the close relations between a sound belief and the kind of life which leaves the conscience free from stain and self-reproach. (For "pure conscience" see 1:5, page 44.) On the other hand, in this particular context the Apostle may well be warning against all reservations in belief. The unsure, the doubleminded ("unstable in all his ways", James 1:8), the unconvinced are all unqualified for ecclesial office, since the ecclesia should be led by men who believe every word they say and also believe wholeÂheartedly in the community they serve. Our brotherhood has suffered more from its internal critics than from any of the direct attacks from those outside.
Verse 10: "And let these first be tested": again we have the imÂpression that the requirements for the deacon were more stringent than for the overseer. In fact this is not so, since the latter had also to have "a good report of them which are without" as well as of the ecclesia itself. Nor are we to understand some kind of formal examination or enquiry prior to the acceptance of men for ecclesial service. The idea is equivalent to that of "not a new convert, or novice" in verse 6: sufficient time must be allowed for the necessary qualities to be manifest in private and ecclesial behaviour. Again Acts 6:3 helps our understanding, for the multitude of the brethren were able to "look ye out among you seven men of honest report", who had already proved themÂselves by their conduct and demeanour and were thus able to ' 'use the office of a deacon, being found blameless''. The rather quaint expression, "use the office ..." again translates the one word diakoned.
Verse 11: "Even so must their wives be grave, not slanderers, sober": the same word "likewise" (as in verse 8) introduces the women's service and links it to that of the bishops and deacons. "Wife" and "woman" are the same word in Greek, so the question as to whether the deacons' wives or women who serve the ecclesia is intended depends upon other considerations (the word "their" does not appear in the text). It is true that the quality and demeanour of a man's wife is of great importance in his ecclesial service and her sense of responsibility provides him with a strength and stay. An onerous task becomes doubly difficult if she be a gossip, intemperate, not faithful in all things.
The sequence of thought in 1 Timothy 3 and the subject under discussion—sound ecclesial organisation and behaviour in the house of God (verse 15)—make it more likely that Paul is discussÂing the role of sisters in the service of the ecclesia. No duties are defined here, nor are they for the brethren, since it is qualificaÂtions with which Paul is concerned. The later word diakonissa, 'deaconess', is not found in the New Testament but there were sisters who served. Phoebe, for example, was a "diakonos of the church which is at Cenchrea'' and had come to Rome to carry out some specific task, relying on the assistance of the brethren and sisters there "in whatsoever business she hath need of you" (Romans 16:1-2).
When we consider the wide range of ecclesial service covered by the word diakoneo as outlined in the note on verse 8, we can see how some of these activities could be performed equally by men or women, and at some of them the sisters would in fact excel. Indeed, as we have already indicated (pages 79-80), they bring to their work a quality of devotion and single-mindedness aptly summed up in Paul's "faithful in all things". It was doubly imÂportant, therefore, to ensure that that service was not marred by gossipping. Diaboloi in the plural always bears the sense of 'false or loose accusation' in the New Testament, although it is not necessarily only a feminine weakness: see 2 Timothy 3:3 and Titus 2:3.
Verse 12: The importance of a solidly based family life has already been discussed in the comments on verses 4-5 (page 93).
Verse 13: "For they that have served well as deacons gain to themselves a good standing": the Revised Version of this verse gives the better sense, at any rate once we have determined what "a good standing" is. Since it is a New Testament "oncer" we have no good Biblical guide, for in the Septuagint it means 'threshold' (1 Samuel 5:5) or 'degree' on a sundial (2 Kings 20:9); in Classical Greek it means 'base', 'pedestal of a statue', or a 'degree', 'step' or even 'throne'. In the moral sense "standing" is as good a translation as any, and may refer to the increased reputation which men of already good repute before they were chosen could win by faithful service. It is even possible that faithful service as a deacon might be regarded as a suitable preparation for assuming the heavier responsibility of the overÂseer, although in view of what has been said about the corporate responsibility of all ecclesial servants in their standing before the Lord this view is not pressed.
There is another consideration, however, which all commenÂtators seem to have overlooked. Service of any kind was considered to be rather degrading in the Ancient World, particularly for the Greek. There is surely intended the linking together of the "good work" {kalon ergon) of verse 1, the kalos diakonesantes, the good service of the deacons of verse 13 and the bathmon kalon, or "good standing" of the same verse. For it was the example of the Master himself, who took upon him the form of a slave, girded himself with the towel, the very badge of humility and menial service, and washed his disciples' feet (see 5:10). And when he "was set down again, he said unto them, Know ye what I have done to you? Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you" (John 13:12-15).
A man or woman taking Christ for an example (note the plural, "they that have served well") will indeed have "great boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus". It is the assurance of the Apostle who could say, "In (him) we have boldness and access in confidence (assurance) through our faith in him" (Ephesians 3:12, RV). Besides this assurance before God there is also confidence in the presence of men, born of a living faith exemplified in irreproachÂable conduct; and, most wonderfully, when the Lord of the watchful servants comes, "Verily I say unto you, that he shall gird himself, and make them to sit down to meat, and will come forth and serve them" (diakoneo, Luke 12:37)!
Verse 14: "These things write I unto thee, hoping to come unto thee shortly": if the sequence of events envisaged in the Introduction and the comment on 1:3-4 (pages 13,17) be correct, Paul could have been at Philippi at the time of writing, on his way to Ephesus. But whether his sojourn there was to be long or short, he wrote 1 Timothy to exhort, encourage and instruct Timothy in the responsibilities of his task.
Verse 15: "But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself": as already remarked, the example of Timothy himself was of the utmost importance. The most perfect organisaÂtion with the clearest of instructions would be ineffective if the character of the leaders was defective. Especially in Ephesus the problems of the ecclesia had arisen from the irresponsibility of its elders, so Timothy was instructed to "take heed unto thyself and unto the doctrine .. . for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself and them that hear thee" (4:16). For the sphere of his service was none other than "the house of God" (see Essay 12).
The right kind of preaching must be combined with the right kind of organisation, and in the Apostle's advice on this matter perhaps the key words are "gravity" and "uncorruptness" as defined above (2:2, AV "honesty"; 3:4; and especially Titus 2:7 in context)—"an intense conviction of the seriousness of life and the difficulty of realising the Christian ideal", a sense of responsiÂbility on the one hand, and on the other "the singlemindedness and sincerity which a teacher of sacred things should exhibit" (J. H. Bernard, The Pastoral Epistles, Cambridge Greek Testament for Schools and Colleges).
3:16—The Doctrinal Pivot of the Epistle
We come now to the doctrinal statement which is the pivot of the whole Epistle, appropriately set about midway through it. Although it is not introduced by the usual "Faithful is the sayÂing", it is nevertheless a foundation statement of the faith. The entire verse provides an excellent example of how the Apostle could speak that which was exactly right for the situation with which he was dealing: it was especially applicable for the ecclesia at Ephesus, both in their problems within and the pressures from without; it is in metrical form, easily remembered, and possibly an early hymn; it links directly with the Old Testament backÂground to the promise that the Gospel would be for Gentile as well as Jew; and it summed up the purpose of God revealed in the living Christ as the very foundation of the ecclesia which was to defend and confirm the faith.
The precise reference of "withoutcontroversy" seems at first sight not easy to determine. Some think that it was a liturgical formula, such as that introducing the recitation of an ode to Diana in Ephesus, and that Paul uses it to emphasise the contrast between the false mystery and the true (see Essay 13, "Great is the Mystery of Godliness", page 116). The rarer, but surely more apposite meaning of homologoumenos, unique in the New TestaÂment, is "consistent with what has just been said", or "and this is what we all profess". Paul has just been reminding Timothy that the concept of the Ecclesia and of his own behaviour in it springs from the fact that God was in Christ, and that He dwells in and with the community who are the custodians of this revealed truth as well as living examples of its principles at work. The verb and noun related to the Greek for "without controversy" confirm this interpretation. Timothy (1 Timothy 6:12,13) "professed {homologeo) a good profession {homologia)" before many witnesses as Christ "witnessed a good confession {homologia) before Pontius Pilate". Christ is also "apostle and high priest of our homologia" (Hebrews 3:1). There are several other uses of the words in the New Testament, which justify our translating the opening of verse 16 as, "And as we all know, this is a fundamental of our common faith: Great is the mystery ..."
We now resume the exposition of the hymn in 3:16, to examine its lines in detail.
' 'He who was manifest in the flesh'': The Word was in the beginning but the Son of God was not, as becomes evident from this passage. The term "flesh" is usually employed by the Apostle to indicate the nature of man wherein sin dwells. So he writes in Romans 8:3: God sent "his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh". Here the term indicates rather the essential humanity of Christ, "flesh" as distinct from "spirit", as in John 1:14— "The Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father), full of grace and truth." When all is said and done, humans, as distinct from those of angelic nature, are subject to weakness and temptaÂtion, and so "he took not on him the nature of angels" but was manifest in the flesh. This accords well with the Apostle's theme of the Ecclesia, since he is giving us the doctrinal foundation for his definition of it in verse 15: see also Hebrews 2:12.
Being made perfect through suffering, "he is not ashamed to call them brethren, saying, I will declare thy name unto my brethren, in the midst of the church will I sing praise unto thee". The word "manifest" exactly counter-balances the word "mystery" throughout Paul's writings. The "purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began ... is now made manifest, by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel" (2 Timothy 1:9,10). "The righteousness of God without the law is manifested . . . even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ" (Romans 3:21,22).
"Justified in the Spirit": Christ never walked after the flesh, but after the Spirit, so the righteousness of God was manifest specifically in him. The reference here, however, is not so much to the blameless life of the Lord but to the resurrection by which his Father declared him to be the holy, harmless and undefiled Son of God: "For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit" (1 Peter 3:18). Or, to put it Paul's way, "Jesus Christ our Lord was ... declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead" (Romans 1:3,4).
"Seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles": here in this strong antithesis is emphasised the distinction in nature between angels and men. The angels had an immediate revelation of the Lord and his life and resurrection. They "desired to look into" the prophetic message of "the sufferings of Christ and the glory that should follow'' (1 Peter 1:11), and when the time came it was they who brought to earth the tidings of great joy. They were present with Christ in his suffering, for example in the temptation in the wilderness and the agony in the Garden (Mark 1:13; Matthew 4:11; Luke 22:43). Also the angels were the first to behold him in the day of his resurrection (Matthew 28:2-6). For all the GenÂtiles, however, and for the majority of the Jews except those few chosen to be eye-witnesses of his resurrection, the witness to the Lord's work was through the medium of preaching, a witness which is as powerful today as it was in the first century, and to proclaim it the church has been constituted "a pillar and stay of the truth".
"Believed on in the world": the "world" has no evil connotation here. It was for the world which God so loved that He gave His only begotten Son, "that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life" (John 3:16); the world was in need of salvation; the world was the scene of Christ's manifestaÂtion of the Father in flesh; and it is in the world, among men, that the saving grace of the Gospel is proclaimed, a message worthy of all acceptation, though, alas, all are not willing to accept it.
"Received up into glory": this is the distinctive word used for the Lord's ascension to heaven in both Mark 16:19 and Acts 1:9. He is now "where he was before", glorified with "the glory which I had with thee before the world was", because he had manifested His Father's name to them which were given to him (John 17:5,6). The prophets from the foundation of the world had spoken of the glory as well as the suffering, and Psalm 110 especially ascribed to Christ a glory "with" or "beside" the Father when "the LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand until I make thy foes thy footstool" (Acts 2:34,35).
So the mystery of godliness is described in a hymn which takes us from the incarnation—which as Dr. Thomas once pointed out, was not an incarnation of the Son but of the Father—to the ascension.
The sequence of thought in the hymn is logical (and poetical) rather than historical, since the Lord ascended before the Gospel was preached unto the Gentiles. The thought is matched in a similar pivotal passage in Titus 2:11-14 (see also Essay 48, page 401), which sees the ecclesia of the living God, redeemed and purified, looking forward to the consummation of their life and hope, when the Lord will come in great glory, to take his ransomed people unto himself:
"For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works."
ESSAY 9
Bishops and Deacons
THE subject of "bishops and deacons" (1 Timothy 3:1-13), or overseers and ministers, in the early community has been admirably discussed The First Century Ecclesia (J. B. Norris) and Letter to the Philippians (T. J. Barling), to which the reader is comÂmended. It is sufficient here to say that their work was the care and oversight of the flock in every department of the community's life. According to the Manual of Discipline of the Essene community at Qumran, the mebaqqer, or 'overseers', had the duty of commanÂding, examining, instructing, receiving alms or accusations, dealing with people's sins and generally shepherding them. No doubt that organisation had followed some of the principles of shepherding the flock established in Israel under God's law, which was the true precedent for the apostolic arrangements.
Though there are parallels with arranging brethren, sick visitors and others charged with ecclesial management and pastoral care in the twentieth century, it must be remembered that the early servants were chosen by . the apostles or their representatives, such as Timothy (Acts 14:23; 2 Timothy 2:2; Titus 1:5), and some at least had a Spirit gift. The principles governing the selection of suitable candidates remain unchanged, however, and we ought to pay much more careful heed than we sometimes do to the question of "ecclesial offices" and the necessary qualities of those who hold them. To neglect this is to confess that we are not, after all, "the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth" (1 Timothy 3:15). If the principle of sound organisation and a due sense of responsibility were basic to ecclesial life in Ephesus, the same prescription can promote spiritual health amongst the ecclesias of today.
ESSAY 10
The Lists of Qualifications for Ecclesial Office
BEFORE examining the list Paul gives us in 1 Timothy 3 it will be worth considering it in general, and relating it to those in Titus 1 and other places. We have already referred to the distinctive vocabulary of these Letters and to the special circumstances which called them forth (Introduction, page 5). Many of the characterÂistic words used once or twice only in the New Testament occur in these lists, but are found frequently in the current Hellenistic Greek or koine.
We have already noted the tendency, which will be further documented as we proceed in our study, for Paul to use tersely expressed statements of doctrine or maxims of Christian conduct (for example, in the "Faithful Sayings", pages 49-51), which may be a fragment of a hymn, or even a popular saying, but which he relates to the purpose he has in hand, thereby imparting to them a thoroughly Christian spirit.
One has the distinct impression that these lists and those of other duties outlined, are taken from catalogues of a familiar, even stereotyped character. It has been said that the lists in the Pastoral Epistles are general and vague, containing nothing specifically Christian, and are related to the paradigms or catalogues of virtues to be cultivated and vices to be avoided frequently found in philosophical writings in the contemporary Hellenistic world. It is also true that then, as now, candidates for public office had to fulfil certain requirements before their nomination could be considered, although the emphasis then seemed to be on moral quality, however colourless the terms describing it might be. For example, the electoral propaganda in first century Pompeii follows a set pattern usually reduced to abbreviations:
LUCRETIVM FRONTONEM IlVIR O.V.F.D.R.P.
which means, "Vote for Lucretius Fronto for duovir (joint mayor); he is well qualified". D.R.P. or dignum re publica means literally 'worthy of the state', that is, qualified for the office. O.V.F., often abbreviated into a neat monogram, is short for oro vos faciatis, "I urge you to elect".
There are, however, other paradigms in Paul's writings which indicate, firstly, that in his later letters he placed increased emphasis on practical morality as the visible evidence of sound understanding of the Truth; and secondly, that in making lists of obligations he followed as much a Jewish practice as a Greek one, even if his vocabulary was contemporary. He had already written in some detail about behaviour to the Ephesians (chapters 5 and 6) and to the Colossians (chapter 3); and it is not only in 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1 that we find precise rules of conduct in the Pastoral Epistles. They appear also in 1 Timothy 5:10 (for widows), 6:18 (for rich men), 1 Timothy 4:12ff and 2 Timothy 2:21ff (for Timothy) and Titus 2:1-9 and 3:1,2,9 (for all in the ecclesia, regardless of age, sex or social status).
In modern times there has been a reaction in the ecclesias against the use of a catechism and the learning of lists or even of verses of Scripture by rote, on the ground that it does not guarantee a true knowledge of God or of the principles of the faith, and that there is a grave danger of believing that the Truth can be reduced to a series of propositions. Far better, it is said, to ensure a sound grasp of esssential principles in the broad sweep of Scripture and leave the pursuit of accurate or precise knowledge of detail till later.
On this point let it be said, in defence of the old practice, that the memorising of Scripture passages has Biblical precedent, for ready access to expensive written copies was by no means so widespread a privilege in the first century or earlier. Further, when the Scriptures were in separate scrolls they were difficult to manipulate to find a reference. Remembering what had been read or heard, therefore, was an important aspect of spiritual educaÂtion. Moreover, Israel in the wilderness, who certainly had no personal copies of Scripture to which they could refer, were given songs to "put in their mouths", with the intention that by this means they should be in their hearts as well (Deuteronomy 31:19; see also Deuteronomy 6:6-9).
Secondly, abuse of a practice is not a condemnation of the practice but of those who pervert it. And thirdly, there is no evidence that there is a deeper understanding or greater literacy in the Scriptures today than in the past century, or a firmer grasp of what the Truth is, in spite of the wider range of education and the abundant attempts to translate the Scriptures themselves into everyday speech more comprehensible to "the man in the street".
The fact is that, now as then, it should be the practice to impart a sound, comprehensive grasp of Scripture teaching, including its practical or moral implications, of which the "proof text", the question and answer of the "catechism", the list of ecclesial rules of behaviour, or the pocket edition of The Commandments of Christ, provide convenient summaries, permitting of accurate recall in time of need. The Lord's own use of the Scriptural quotation provides an excellent example both of the method and the value of the method. The readily remembered "text", such as the three he used in the wilderness of the temptations, or those which clinched the discussions with disciples or Pharisees, facilitated a recall of the whole situation it represented and the principles of which it was the essence, as a careful reading of, say, Deuteronomy 6-8 in the light of Matthew 4 or Luke 4 reveals.
ESSAY 11
"The husband of one wife"
EMPHASIS is laid upon the quality of family life of those who have to do with the quality of ecclesial life (see 1 Timothy 3:1-5). Much discussion has centred around the precise meaning of "the husband of one wife" (verse 2), but it is naturally suggested to Paul's mind as a prime illustration of "blamelessness". We can dismiss the idea that an overseer must be a married man, since it is contrary to Paul's own teaching, and, as far as we know, his own example. There may well be occasions or particular circumÂstances in which it is better to remain unmarried; the celibate condition is certainly no reproach (1 Corinthians 7, especially verses 7 and 26), but this passage alone is sufficient to invalidate the opposite theories, the Roman Catholic that all clergy, and the Greek Orthodox that all bishops, must be celibate.
The addition of the words "at a time", to imply that we have here a prohibition against polygamy is unjustified. Polygamy was never countenanced among the early disciples. Its practice was never sufficiently widespread among the Jews of the first century (though it was not entirely unknown, according to Josephus), nor probably in a pagan society where divorce was a common pracÂtice, for a special prohibition to be made in the case of bishops and deacons alone. In any case, the practice of a woman having more than one husband at a time (polyandry) was rare if not completely unknown in either Jewish or Hellenistic culture, yet the expresÂsion we are considering has its exact counterpart and grammatical equivalent in the injunction that an enrolled widow must have been "the wife of one man" (1 Timothy 5:9).
So the interpretation "having been married only once" must be considered. This has considerable support, especially if we consider the regulations for the support of young widows. It is envisaged there that younger women would remarry—indeed, they were encouraged to do so in 5:14—which is why it was unwise for one under 60 (verse 9) to dedicate herself to the service of the ecclesia and be supported by it, since it seems that to marry again was a disqualification for such service. The question of what that service entailed must be left until we reach that section of the Epistle.
There is a Scriptural precedent, moreover, for the call to a special discipline in marital affairs on the part of those who exerÂcise oversight or carry out special service of any kind. The priests, for example, were forbidden to marry a widow or a divorced woman (Leviticus 21:14), whereas no such prohibition was laid upon the people at large. Moreover, against the background of the times there was point in Paul's emphasising this special act of self-discipline, since in spite of the general moral laxity, within and without the marriage bond, he or she who remained unÂmarried after the death of the spouse or after divorce was conÂsidered worthy of special respect—a fact testified from literature and tombstone inscriptions in both the pagan and the Jewish world. Many a Greek or Roman matron sought to deserve the title monandros or univira (one man's wife) on her funerary inscripÂtion, although the masculine equivalent is rarer.
Principle and Practice
The question naturally arises as to how absolute this qualification is when applied to the modern ecclesial officer. At least one of the second stage breakaway sections of the Brotherhood imposed this condition on its leading brother, and found itself involved in yet further schism as a result. The answer must lie in the seeking of the principle involved and setting it against the background of the circumstance, an approach which would surely be acceptable to the Apostle who could be generous to another man's conscience in matters of detail when things were done "as unto the Lord". The overall requirement is that one be "blameless", and if first century conditions meant that a perfectly sinless second marriage could still, in certain circumstances and for certain people, be regarded as less than ideal, then it was for them to avoid it. We have a similar case, where Paul lays down a principle about sisters in the ecclesia which was honoured then by the wearing of a veil, but now by Christadelphian sisters by the wearing of a hat. When one rebels against the practice, one has then to ask how otherwise the principle is to be upheld.
The answer in the case under consideration would seem to be that the real principle at stake, to honour which was to place oneself beyond reproach both Scripturally and amongst them that are within and without, is to be "one woman's man" or "one man's woman"; always remembering that adultery and fornicaÂtion, the very expression of not keeping covenant with one's partner, actual or prospective, or with the Lord who sanctified himself for his disciples' sake, that they too could become holy, is a matter of eyes and heart and head, as well as of an overt act that can be known and condemned (Matthew 5:27-28; John 17:19; Ephesians 5:25-32).
ESSAY 12
A Pillar and Stay of the Truth
OF the passage in 1 Timothy 3:14-16 one commentator has written: "This section has been well described as the caesura of the letter, i.e. the dividing point which gives it significance. Not only does it form the bridge between the first part, with its instructions about prayer and the ministry, but by highlighting the true functions of a church it provides the theological basis for the rules and regulations, as well as for the onslaught on false teaching, which make up the body of the letter" (Kelly, The Pastoral Epistles). Verse 16 demands a short study all to itself (see Essay 13, page 116), but we are immediately concerned with the characteristics of the true ecclesia as "the pillar and ground of the truth".
In spite of the architectural allusions in verse 15, the words "the house of God" are clearly not a reference to a literal building, but to that "building fitly framed together" of Ephesians 2:19-22, the household or family made into a unity by its upward growth into him who is the head, even Christ. It is from the living God whose dwelling-place is in this household that the whole idea of fatherhood and family is derived (Ephesians 3:14-15; 4:5). Indeed, the Apostle pursues this thought further in 1 Timothy 5, when he uses the family metaphor in his instructions about the right approach to different age-groups in the ecclesia.
The Gate of Heaven
The first mention in Scripture of the house of God is in Genesis 28, from which comes also the first reference to a pillar in it. It was "the place", according to the margin of verse 11 in the Revised Version. It was a place to which Jacob had been guided, although from his own point of view he had "lighted upon" it. It was of great significance in the life of the family, for Abraham had encountered God there previously. Because the LORD God was there beside Jacob (verse 11, RV margin), and the covenant was then made with him, it became for Jacob "none other but the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven" (verse 17).
The stone, anointed with oil, was set up for a pillar to mark this house of the living God, the place where He who dwells in the high and holy place and inhabits eternity dwells also with him who is of a humble and a contrite heart (Isaiah 57:15). Such is the ecdesia, where the anointed stone is the head of the corner, a Son over his Father's house, and men like Timothy who know how to conduct themselves in it, are as Moses, "faithful in all his house" (Hebrews 3:2). To speak especially of the church of the living God was appropriate in Ephesus, for it was the seat of the art and culture centred around the temple of Diana where was housed the meteorite which had fallen down from heaven (Acts 19).
It is the ecclesia, then, which is described as the pillar and stay of the truth. The Authorised Version "ground" gives the wrong sense, since it implies "foundation" and it is not upon the ecclesia but upon Christ that the truth is founded. In any case the word edraipoma is a "oncer", but comparison with a related word in 1 Corinthians 7:37 and 15:58 ("stedfast") and Colossians 1:23 ("settled") suggest "stay" or "buttress" as the best meaning.
A Living Witness
In the days described in the Acts the role of the ecclesia was plain. In its external preaching and its inner life it was a living witness to the truth of the Gospel of Christ—that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto Himself and that He was taking out a people for His Name. The preaching proclaimed the resurrection of Christ and heralded the coming Kingdom; their life of fellowship in unity was, according to the Lord's own words, "that the world may believe that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them as thou hast loved me" (John 17:20-23). Individual men were described as "pillars" of the church (Galatians 2:9; see also Revelation 3:12), and a man like Paul was "set for the defence of the gospel" (Philippians 1:17). He was able to say to the Philip-pian ecclesia as a whole: "I have you in my heart; inasmuch as both in my bonds and in the defence and confirmation of the gospel, ye are all partakers of my grace" (1:7).
The impetus given to the development of the Christian comÂmunities by the apostolic preaching had enabled them to withÂstand both opposition from without and irregularities within. Now the new situation revealed at Ephesus and Crete demanded a recall to an understanding of the nature and function of the ecclesia, which the Pastorals were designed to give. The local conÂgregation could only discharge its function and responsibility to safeguard the true teaching and maintain its continuous witness after the death of the apostles, if men like Timothy and Titus knew how they ought to behave themselves in the ecclesia. It was equally vital that they should commit the things they had heard of Paul among many witnesses to faithful men able to teach others also, that the ecclesia itself might be properly run (2 Timothy 2:2).
Although most versions describe the ecclesia as the pillar and the stay of the truth and Catholic theologians naturally prefer this rendering to enhance the authority of the Church, the definite article does not appear in the Greek. On the other hand, the article is frequently omitted in the Pastoral Letters where the English seems to demand its inclusion, so the question of translaÂtion revolves around a fine point of style and grammar. There is no need, however, for the point to be settled for us to see the value of the passage in its setting for ourselves.
If we feel that, because the problems within threaten our unity and distract our attention from the continuous witness we should present to those without, some of the impetus in our Brotherhood is being lost, then the Pastoral Epistles speak directly to our situation. The remedy is for us to rekindle a lively sense that our own ecclesia and the ecclesias knit together in an active fellowship throughout the world are a pillar and stay of the Truth—and we can use a capital "T" here, because in these Letters "the truth" stands for the full revelation of God in Christ as defined in 1 Timothy 3:16—and that in learning how we ought to behave ourselves in it we are strengthening and safeguarding the comÂmunity as a whole and helping it to maintain its faithful distincÂtive witness.
ESSAY 13
"Great is the mystery of godliness"
AS Paul wrote the words "Great is the mystery of godliness" (1 Timothy 3:16), his mind probably went back to the day when he stood in the wings of the theatre in Ephesus, while the crowd chanted "all with one voice about the space of two hours, Great is Diana of the Ephesians" (Acts 19:23-41). This insistent cry of those who were temple-keepers (verse 35, RV) of the great Diana and of the image which fell down from the sky, repeated by a confused, violent assembly stirred up by men with a vested interest in paganism, is re-echoed in various forms throughout all the world today, and reveals the values, threats and insidious conditioning of attitudes which put pressure upon the Ecclesia of God. Today it must still be opposed by the cry, "Great is the mystery of godliness!", for far more wonderful than the temple of Diana with its magnificent colonnades, copied in miniature for profit by Demetrius and his fellow craftsmen, is the House of God, the Ecclesia of the Living God, the Pillar and Stay of the Truth, a pattern for communities everywhere of men and women whose bodies are "the temple of the living God" (2 Corinthians 6:16) and for whom "godliness with contentment is great gain" (1 Timothy 6:6).
A Triumphant Cry
Appropriate as the apostolic phrase was, and is for us in an age when the cry is heard on every hand that this thing or that person is "Great!", its origins were of olden time: "Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised in the city of our God"; "Great is the LORD ... and his greatness is unsearchable"; "Great is the Holy One of Israel in the midst of thee" (Psalm 48:1; 145:3; Isaiah 12:6). In fact the whole series of lines is plainly part of a hymn of which the rhythmic parallelism of flesh . . . spirit, angels . . . nations, world . . . glory shows its affinity with Hebrew poetry. If the Greek poets could write odes to be chanted at the festival of a goddess represented by a shapeless meteorite fallen from heaven, "whom all Asia and the world worshippeth", yet whose mysteries were dimly perceived only by initiates, then an inspired Christian hymn-writer could rise to greater heights of majesty and beauty in praise of the mystery manifest, seen, preached, believed on, received up into glory. A God not made with hands who manifested His grace and lovingkindness by sending forth His Son, in the likeness of sinful flesh, yet born of the Spirit, could inspire a sense of worship and devotion unknown to the initiates into a mystery surrounding a piece of stone.
There is a twofold testimony (Ephesians 5 and Colossians 3)
to the fact that the early ecclesias instructed and exhorted one
another in "psalms and hymns and spiritual songs", and there
are fragments and quotations from these in the Epistles, including
the Pastorals. We shall consider one later when we come to the
fourth "Faithful Saying" (Essay 32, page 289), and it will interest
us to note the way in which the hymn-writer set into metrical
verse phrases and ideas from one of Paul's own epistles. In the
hymn we are now considering there is a close parallel with the
last chapter in the Gospel record of Mark which, according to
tradition, was the first to be written and so would antedate the
Pastoral Letters by several years. It is worth comparing the
phrases from 1 Timothy 3:16 with the following verses from Mark
16. The details of the Timothy passage are considered below.
Justified in the Spirit — verse 6
Seen of angels — verse 5
Preached unto the Gentiles — verses 15,20
Believed on in the world — verse 16
Received up into glory — verse 19
The Divine Mystery
The word "mystery" was familiar in the Ancient World. It was the term applied to the secret rites of many religions, notably from the Near East, which offered those initiated an inner knowledge, an "experience" of divine things by which they could gain forgiveness, release and some hope, however shadowy, of immorÂtality. With its mysticism and sense of privileged communion the mystery religion attracted many who found no satisfaction in the more conventional aspects of pagan worship. Such religions, particularly Isis worship from Egypt, gained a considerable following in the first century, as many inscriptions and the fully developed system discovered in Pompeii testify. Wall paintings depict the rites of Isis and others in a way that leaves little doubt that the worshippers were either deceived by the cunning craftiÂness and the sleight of men (almost "illusionists", Ephesians 4:14), or degraded by a painful and humiliating ceremony of initiation which revealed that the basis of the cult was a fertility rite.
So although the Gospel was, or contained, a mystery, it was of a vastly different order and with an entirely distinct origin from any of those which rivalled it in Ephesus, Rome or elsewhere. It was something which God had revealed, whereas the others were kept hidden by men. It was a manifestation of the great Creator, in contrast to the obscure ritual centred on things created. It was honour, glory, holiness and life, where all else was shame, degradation, filthiness and death. The knowledge of it was not the special privilege of the few but freely proclaimed to all, hidden only to those who, with eyes that would not see and ears that refused to hear, had no wish to seek out all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge that were in Christ. So Paul uses "mystery" not as a conventional term denoting what is beyond human knowledge, but what being once hidden is now revealed to those with true spiritual discernment.
The Mystery of the Gospel
"The secret things belong unto the LORD our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law" (Deuteronomy 29:29). These words of Moses were spoken at the time of the renewing of the covenant "in the land of Moab, beside the covenant which he made with them in Horeb" (verse 1). This covenant, therefore, looked forward to the new covenant in Christ's blood, and to the time when the Gentiles would glorify God for His mercy (Deuteronomy 32:43; Romans 15:8-10). The future details were hidden, to be unfolded as "dark sayings" in the words of psalmist and prophet (Psalm 78:2) and in the parabolic mysteries of the Kingdom (Matthew 13:11; Mark 4:11; Luke 8:10).
In the Gospel the mystery was made known, as Paul declared to the Romans in 16:25-27:
"Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelaÂtion of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began, but now is made manifest, and by the scriptures of the proÂphets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith: to God only wise, be glory through Jesus Christ for ever. Amen."
It was the Lord's "good will toward men" (Luke 2:14), "the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself (Ephesians 1:9). This purpose was associated with "redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace" (verse 7), the "mystery of Christ" (3:4), "the mystery of the gospel" (6:19). It is "the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest in his saints: to whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory" (Colossians 1:26-27). It is associated with that other great mystery: "We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump" (1 Corinthians 15:51,52).
We have already written in some detail about the word "godliness" (eusebeia), that worship based on a response to a revealed purpose on which men set their faith and hope; that revelation in the person of "the man whom he hath ordained, whereof he hath given assurance unto all men in that he hath raised him from the dead" (Acts 17:31, see page 58). Many texts of the passage now before us read "Who" instead of "God" (the difference in Greek is between hos and theos), as though there was some grammatical antecedent to "who" in the hymn from which Paul is apparently quoting, which those familiar with it would readily have understood. In any case it is plain enough that the "mystery of godliness manifested" is the Lord Jesus Christ himself.
The fragment of the hymn is not so much in praise of the perÂson of Christ as of the purpose of God in the Word made flesh. It is nevertheless interesting to speculate whether this is the hymn referred to by Pliny in his letter to the Emperor Trajan, about the Christians who were wont to "sing a hymn unto Christ as unto a God" (see Eureka, Vol. 1, page 254, original edition). In its Greek form the verses contain at least one example of "poetic licence" being taken with Greek grammar, in the verb for "believed on", in order to make it fit into the rhythmic pattern chosen. (So the problems of hymn writers and Hymn Book compilers are not modern ones!)
The theme is the manifestation of the grace of God in Christ at his first coming, and the sphere of his operation and of belief in him is in this world. If the lines are set out in parallel we can see the balance and progression of ideas:
(He) Who was manifested in Was justified in the Spirit the flesh
Who was seen of angels Was preached unto the nations
Who was believed on in the Was received up into glory world
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