Desire, Conduct, and the Manifestation of Christ
He is turned away from more things by being urged toward desire, rather than toward suitability, so that one might equip himself for the suitability of oversight through good works and faith. Rather, the entrance of desire is an exhortation to a good life. And desire is like an entrance into good works and the most beautiful life. So many things are enumerated as must belong to the bishop; it is enough to turn away from bad things so as to have surrendered desire to glories, by which he says what kind of man the bishop must be, and he turns away more.
Regarding 1 Tim 3:2, he most excellently exhorts, addressing in part the kinds of those living an ungraspable life. He does not accuse of striking, but the irrational one is moved; for a just charge rebukes, but an irrational accusation blames.
Regarding 1 Tim 3:16, instead of 'he was manifested in the flesh, but was justified in the spirit' living according to a certain conduct. For if indeed he was in the flesh, but was not conducting himself according to the flesh, but subjected the flesh to the spirit, opening for us the way of righteousness. Or this also he says, that while the Spirit was making signs, Christ was being justified according to our confession and faith. He was manifested to angels. Who? The crucified Christ. But he does not say this, that the angels do not see his divinity; for the Savior himself said that the angels see the face of my Father who is in the heavens. But when he says, 'No one has ever seen God,' it is evident that he has not seen Him as He is, but as far as it is possible to see, both for angel and man. Therefore God is invisible to both angels and men, but he was manifested through the economy. The church on earth was justified in the spirit through confession. This is similar to 'that you might be justified in your words and overcome when you are being judged'; for while the Spirit was making signs, he was being justified according to our confession and the faith of those believing. He who came for the salvation of men was manifested to angels; through this he showed that the divinity of the Only-Begotten is invisible to angels, but he was manifested to them through the flesh. He was taken up in glory; upon the clouds, he says.
Regarding 1 Tim 5:10, instead of 'if she has not refused to be a widow, having had children.' If she has welcomed strangers, making it evident that she is also called faithful even in marriage. If she has washed the feet of the saints, this he added to show that they must also be received with care. And it is evident that he says all these things as requiring them according to ability; for there is no one more perplexed than she who casts in the two obols.
Regarding 1 Tim 5:12, that having promised to remain to Christ, they later married. And regarding the first, he says 'faith' instead of 'first subjection,' and in ancient times 'first' meant the one being first and supreme and highest above all.
Regarding 1 Tim 5:17, teaching is the simple handing down through the words of the Scripture and the explanation of the meanings in the words.
Greek
ὧν ἐπιλέγει πλείονα προτρέπεται. Ὑπενέδωκεν τὸ τῆς ὀρέξεως, οὐ τὸ τῆς ἐπιτηδεύσεως, ἵνα καταρτίσῃ ἑαυτόν τις εἰς ἐπιτηδειότητα ἐπισκοπῆς διὰ τῶν καλῶν ἔργων καὶ τῆς πίστεως. μᾶλλον οὖν προτροπή ἐστι καλοῦ βίου ἡ ἔνδοσις ὀρέξεως. ἡ δὲ ὄρεξις ὥσπερ εἴσοδος εἰς τὴν ἀγαθοεργίαν ἐστὶν καὶ τὸν κάλλιστον βίον. τοσαῦτα ἐξαριθμεῖται ὅσα προσήκειν δεῖ τῷ ἐπισκόπῳ ἃ ἀρκεῖ ἀποτρέψασθαι μᾶλλον ὥστε δόξας συγκεχωρηκέναι τὴν ἐπιθυμίαν, δι' ὧν καταλέγει ποταπὸν δεῖ εἶναι τὸν ἐπίσκοπον, πλέον ἀποτρέπει. 339 1 Tim 3,2®3 ∆ιδασκαλικώτατα παραινεῖ κατὰ μέρος ἐπάγων τῆς ἀνεπιλήπτου πολιτείας τὰ εἴδη. Οὐκ ἐγκαλῶν πλήττειν, ἀλλ' ὁ ἀλόγως κινούμενος· καταιδεῖ γὰρ δίκαιον ἔγκλημα, πλήττει δὲ ἄλογος μέμψις. 1 Tim 3,16 Ἀντὶ τοῦ ὤφθη μὲν ἐν σαρκί, ἐδικαιώθη δὲ ἐν πνεύματι πολιτευσάμενος. εἰ γὰρ καὶ ἐν σαρκὶ ἦν, ἀλλ' οὐ κατὰ σάρκα ἐπολιτεύετο, ἀλλ' ὑπέταξε τῷ πνεύματι τὴν σάρκα, δικαιοσύνης ἡμῖν ὑπανοίγων ὁδόν. ἢ καὶ τοῦτό φησιν ὅτι τοῦ πνεύματος σημεῖα ποιοῦντος, ἐδικαιοῦτο κατὰ τὴν ἡμετέραν ὁμολογίαν καὶ πίστιν ὁ Χριστός. ὤφθη ἀγγέλοις. τίς; ὁ σταυρωθεὶς Χριστός. οὐ τοῦτο δέ φησιν ὅτι τὴν θεότητα αὐτοῦ οὐχ ὁρῶσιν οἱ ἄγγελοι· αὐτὸς γὰρ ὁ σωτὴρ ἔφη ὅτι οἱ ἄγγελοι ὁρῶσι τὸ πρόσωπον τοῦ ἐν οὐρανοῖς πατρός μου. ὅταν δὲ λέγῃ· θεὸν οὐδεὶς ἑώρακε πώποτε, δηλονότι οὐχ ἑώρακε καθώς ἐστιν, ἀλλὰ καθ' ὅσον δύνατον ἰδεῖν ἀγγέλῳ καὶ ἀνθρώπῳ. ἀόρατος οὖν ὁ θεὸς καὶ ἀγγέλοις καὶ ἀνθρώποις, ὤφθη δὲ διὰ τῆς οἰκονομίας. Ἡ ἐκκλησία ἡ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς διὰ τῆς ὁμολογίας ἐδικαιώθη ἐν πνεύματι. ὅμοιόν ἐστι τοῦτο τῷ ὅπως ἂν δικαιωθῇς ἐν τοῖς λόγοις σου καὶ νικήσῃς ἐν τῷ κρίνεσθαί σε· τοῦ γὰρ πνεύματος τὰ σημεῖα ποιοῦντος ἐδικαιοῦτο κατὰ τὴν ἡμετέραν ὁμολογίαν καὶ τὴν πίστιν τῶν πιστευόντων. ὁ ἐπὶ σωτηρίᾳ ἀνθρώπων ἐληλυθὼς ὤφθη ἀγγέλοις· ἔδειξε διὰ τούτου ὅτι ἀόρατός ἐστιν ἡ θεότης τοῦ μονογενοῦς καὶ ἀγγέλοις, ὤφθη δὲ αὐτοῖς διὰ τῆς σαρκός. ἀνελήφθη ἐν δόξῃ· ἐπὶ νεφελῶν, φησίν. 1 Tim 5,10 Ἀντὶ τοῦ εἰ μὴ ἀπώσατο χηρεύουσα ἃ ἔσχε τέκνα. Εἰ ἐξενοδόχησεν· πιστοὺς δηλονότι καὶ ἐν γάμῳ καταλεγομένη. Εἰ ἁγίων πόδας ἔνιψεν. τοῦτο προσέθηκεν εἰς τὸ δεῖξαι ὅτι καὶ μετ' ἐπιμελείας αὐτοὺς ὑποδέχεσθαι χρή. δῆλον δὲ ὅτι καὶ τὰ 340 κατὰ δύναμιν ἀπαιτῶν ταῦτα πάντα φησίν· οὐ γάρ ἐστιν τῆς τοὺς δύο ὀβολοὺς καταβαλούσης ἀπορωτέρα. 1 Tim 5,12 Ὅτι ἐπαγγειλάμεναι τῷ Χριστῷ μένειν οὕτως ὕστερον ἐγαμοῦντο. πρώτην δὲ λέγει πίστιν ἀντὶ τοῦ πρώτην ὑποταγήν, καὶ πάλαι πρώτην τὴν πρωτεύουσαν καὶ ἄκραν καὶ πάντων ἀνωτάτην αὐταῖς. 1 Tim 5,17 ∆ιδασκαλία μέν ἐστιν ἡ διὰ τῶν λόγων τῆς γραφῆς ἁπλῆ παράδοσις καὶ ἡ τῶν ἐν τοῖς λόγοις νοημάτων ἐξήγησις,
About this text
Severian on Paul's first letter to Timothy: sound teaching, church order, and godliness.
Catalogue & scope
Khazarzar scan
Witnesses
- Copy-text PG 65 (Khazarzar) (Greek)
This is an AI-assisted study translation. Source fidelity and completeness have not been independently certified. Open Greek on each section for the source text. This is not a complete critical edition.