Homilies on First Timothy 1

'Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ according to the commandment of God our Saviour, and of the Lord Jesus Christ, who is our hope, to Timothy, my true child in the faith: grace, mercy, peace, from God our Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.'

Great was the dignity of the Apostle, great and marvellous;

and everywhere we see Paul setting forth the grounds of that dignity, not as one who seizes the honour, but as one to whom it was entrusted, and who is under constraint.

For indeed, when he calls himself 'called,' and when he says, 'Through the will of God,' and again elsewhere, 'For necessity is laid upon me,' and when he says that he was set apart for this purpose — all these things are a doing-away of ambition and boastfulness.

For just as one who leaps upon an honour not given him by God is worthy of the utmost blame,

so too the one who shrinks back and leaps away is liable to other charges — of disobedience and refractoriness.

This, then, Paul now also says at the beginning of the Epistle to Timothy, speaking thus: 'Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ according to the commandment of God.'

He did not say here, 'Paul, called,' but, 'According to the commandment.'

For lest Timothy should feel anything merely human, thinking that Paul was addressing him as on an equal footing with the disciples, on this account he thus began.

And where did God give him this command? The Spirit is found saying in the Acts of the Apostles, 'Separate for me Paul and Barnabas.'

And everywhere in writing he adds the title of 'Apostle,' teaching the hearer not to think that the things spoken are of man;

for the Apostle would say nothing of his own;

and having said 'Apostle,' he at once directs the hearer's mind to Him who sent him.

For this reason he sets this at the head of all his Epistles, making his word worthy of credit, and speaking thus:

'Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ according to the commandment of God our Saviour.'

And yet nowhere does the Father appear to have given the command, but everywhere it is Christ who converses with him;

for what does He say? 'Depart, for I will send you far away to the Gentiles;'

and again, 'You must stand before Caesar.'

But whatever the Son commands, these too he says are the commandments of the Father, just as the things of the Spirit are the Son's.

For behold, he was sent forth by the Spirit, he was set apart by the Spirit, and yet he says it is the commandment of God.

What then? Does the fact that His Apostle was sent according to the commandment of the Father diminish the authority of the Son? By no means;

for observe how he made that authority common to both.

For having said, 'According to the commandment of God our Saviour,' he added, 'And of the Lord Christ Jesus, who is our hope.'

Observe how fittingly he has assigned the titles.

And yet the Psalmist says this of the Father, saying, 'The hope of all the ends of the earth;'

and again the blessed Paul, writing elsewhere, says, 'For to this end we labour and suffer reproach, because we have set our hope on the living and true God.'

It is necessary that the teacher endure dangers, and far more than the disciples.

'For I will smite the shepherd,' He says, 'and the sheep shall be scattered.'

Since, then, this is so, the devil breathes more fiercely against the shepherds, inasmuch as, when these are destroyed, the flock too is scattered.

For by killing sheep, he only diminishes the flock;

but by removing the shepherd from their midst, he ravages the whole flock.

Since, then, with less labour he accomplishes the greater harm, and in a single soul destroys the whole, he assails these teachers all the more.

For this reason, straightway from the outset he lifts up Timothy's soul, saying, 'We have God as our Saviour, and Christ as our hope.'

We suffer many things, but we have great hopes;

we are in danger, we are plotted against, but we have One who saves us—not a man, but God.

Therefore neither is He who saves weak;

for He is God, and however great the dangers may be, they shall not prevail over us;

nor is our hope put to shame;

For by these two things we bear our dangers: either by being quickly

delivered from them, or else nourished by good hopes.

But how is it that nowhere does he say he is an apostle of the Father, but of Christ? He makes all things common; indeed, he even calls the Gospel itself God's;

For whatever we may suffer, he says, the things of this present life are nothing.

To Timothy, a true child in the faith.

For if he displayed such great faith as to become Paul's child, and not merely a child but a true one, he will be confident also concerning the things to come.

And it belongs to faith that, even when the things that come to pass are contrary to the promises, one should not fall away nor be thrown into confusion.

But behold, he is both a child and a true child, and yet nowhere is he of the same essence.

But what then? Was he without reason? No; but he was not begotten of Paul's substance, one might say.

So that this term is not indicative of one's being derived from another's substance.

What then? Was he of a different essence? Not even this.

For having said 'child,' for this reason he added, 'in the faith,' so as to show that he was a true child and was of him.

Nothing was changed: according to the faith he bore the likeness.

This too holds among men in regard to essence: a son is like his father, yet not in the same way as it is with God.

For here, even if father and son are the same in essence, yet they differ in many other respects—in color, in shape, in understanding, in age, in disposition, in the things pertaining to the soul, in the things pertaining to the body, in outward circumstances; and they are separated from one another by even more differences than those in which they are joined together.

But there, in God, none of these partitions exist.

The phrase 'according to the commandment' is more forceful than 'called,' as one may also learn from elsewhere.

And similar to the phrase 'to Timothy, a true child,' he says also to the Corinthians, 'In Christ Jesus I begat you'—that is, in the faith.

And he adds 'true,' wishing to show the exact and, beyond all others, close likeness of Timothy to himself.

And not this only, but also his love toward him and his great affection.

Behold again the word 'in' with reference to the faith.

For he says, 'to a true child in the faith.'

And see how great the praise is, seeing that he calls him not only his son but even a true child.

Grace, mercy, and peace from God our Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.

Why is it that in none of his other epistles did he set mercy first, but here he does? This too proceeds from great tenderness of affection.

For he invokes greater blessings upon his child, being fearful and trembling on his behalf.

For he so feared for him that—what he has nowhere else done—he even wrote to him concerning bodily matters, as when he says, 'Use a little wine for your stomach's sake and your frequent infirmities.'

For teachers above all others have need of mercy.

'From God,' he says, 'our Father, and Christ Jesus our Lord.'

For if God is a father, he cares for us as for children.

For hear Christ saying, 'What man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone?' As I besought you to remain at Ephesus, when I was going into Macedonia.

Hear the gentleness—how he uses not the voice of a teacher, but almost that of a servant.

For he did not say, 'I enjoined,' nor 'I commanded,' nor 'I exhorted,' but what? 'I besought you.'

Yet we ought not to be thus disposed toward all disciples, but toward the gentle and virtuous; while toward the others, the corrupt and untrue, we must act otherwise.

As he himself also says, writing elsewhere, 'Rebuke them with all authority.'

And here too, observe what he says.

'That you may charge certain persons'—not 'that you may exhort,' but 'that you may charge them to teach no other doctrine.'

What is this? Was not the epistle of Paul, which he sent to them, sufficient? It was sufficient indeed; but men are more inclined to think slightingly of written letters.

Either, then, this is what he means, or else that these things were in force even before the letters.

And he himself spent a long time in this city, and here was the temple of Artemis, here he suffered those dreadful things.

For after the theater had been dispersed, having called the disciples and exhorted them, he thus sailed away, and again came to them.

It is worth inquiring whether it was now that he settled Timothy there.

'That you may charge certain persons to teach no other doctrine.'

He does not set them down by name, lest by the conspicuousness of the rebuke he make them more shameless.

There were here certain false apostles from among the Jews, wishing to draw the believers back again to the Law—which he everywhere throughout his epistles denounces.

And they did this not so much as drawn by conscience, but rather by vainglory, and by the desire to have disciples, and out of rivalry with the blessed Paul, being jealous toward him.

This is what it means 'to teach another doctrine.'

'Neither to give heed,' he says, 'to fables and endless genealogies.'

By 'fables' he does not mean the Law—far from it!—

but the counterfeits and the false coinages and the spurious doctrines.

For it is likely that those of Jewish origin spent all their discourse on unprofitable things, reckoning up grandfathers and great-grandfathers, so that, forsooth, they might have a reputation for great experience and knowledge of history.

'That you may charge certain persons,' he says, 'to teach no other doctrine, neither to give heed to fables and endless genealogies.'

What is the meaning of 'endless'? Either that they have no end, or that they contain nothing useful, or that they are hard for us to comprehend.

Do you see how he disparages the practice of curious inquiry? For where there is faith, there is no need of inquiry.

Where there is no need to meddle curiously, what need is there of inquiry? Inquiry is destructive of faith.

For he who inquires has not yet found;

he who inquires is unable to believe.

For this reason he says, Let us not busy ourselves with questionings;

since, if we inquire, this is not faith;

for faith gives rest to the reasoning mind.

How then does Christ say, 'Seek, and you shall find; knock, and it shall be opened to you';

and, 'Search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life'? There, by the word 'Seek,' he speaks of asking and of vehement longing;

but here, the word 'Search the Scriptures' is not that of one introducing the labors of inquisitive questioning, but of one casting them out.

For he said, 'Search the Scriptures'—that is, so as to learn thoroughly and to know their exactness—not that we should always be inquiring, but that we should cease from inquiring.

And well did he say, 'Charge certain persons to teach no other doctrine, neither to give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which furnish questionings rather than the dispensation of God which is in faith.'

He rightly said, 'the dispensation of God';

for God willed to give us great things, but the reasoning mind does not receive the greatness of his dispensations.

Therefore this must come to pass through faith, which is the greatest medicine of souls.

Inquiry, then, is contrary to the dispensation of God.

For what is dispensed by faith? To receive his benefits, and to become better, and to dispute and doubt about nothing, but to be at rest.

For the very things which faith has wrought and built up, this inquiry overthrows, furnishing questionings and casting out faith.

'Neither to give heed,' he says, 'to fables and endless genealogies.'

'And the genealogies,' one asks, 'what harm did they do?' Christ said that one must be saved through faith;

but those men were inquiring, and saying that this could not be.

For since the sentence pertained to the present, but the outcome of the sentence lay in the future, faith was needed.

But those men, being preoccupied with the observances of the Law, put obstacles in the way of faith.

And I think that here he is also hinting at the Greeks, when he speaks of 'fables and genealogies,' seeing that they recount the pedigrees of their gods.

Let us therefore give no heed to speculations.

For it is on this account that we have been called believers, that we may believe what is spoken without hesitation, that we may be in no way doubtful.

For if the things spoken were of human origin, it would be right that they should be scrutinized;

but if they are of God, they must only be honored and believed;

and if we do not believe, we shall not even be persuaded that God exists.

For how do you know that God exists, when you demand an accounting from Him? This is the first proof of knowing God: to believe whatever He may say without proofs and demonstrations.

This too the Greeks know;

for they believed their gods, it is said, even though these spoke without proofs.

Why so? Because they are the offspring of the gods.

Do you see that even the Greeks know this? And why do I speak of gods? In the case of

a man—a wizard and magician, I mean Pythagoras—they did this too;

and over the temples silence was inscribed above, and it held a finger to its mouth, and pressing the lips together it exhorted all who passed by to keep silence.

Then are those things so venerable, but ours not so, but ridiculous? And of what madness would not this be the height? For the things of the Greeks are reasonably investigated;

for such is their nature: battles of reasonings, disputes, and conclusions;

but our things are set apart from all these.

For those things human wisdom discovered, but these things spiritual grace has taught;

those are the doctrines of folly and senselessness, but these of true wisdom.

There is no disciple there, nor teacher, but all dispute together;

but here, whether one be teacher or disciple, he must learn from Him from whom he ought to learn, must obey and not dispute, must believe and not reason.

For it was through faith that all the ancients were approved, and without it everything has been corrupted.

And why do I speak of heavenly things? Even if we examine the things upon earth, you will find them dependent on faith;

for neither business dealings, nor arts, nor anything else of the kind will exist without it.

But if here, where false matters are concerned, this is needed, much more is it needed in those matters.

Let us therefore hold fast to it, let us pursue it;

thus shall we cast out of our soul all the destructive doctrines, such as that which I mean of nativity and fate.

If you believe that there is a resurrection and a judgment, you will be able to cast all such things out of your soul;

believe that there is a righteous God, and you will not believe that there is an unrighteous nativity;

believe that there is a God who exercises providence, and you will not believe that there is a nativity that binds all things together;

believe that there will be punishment and a kingdom, and you will not believe that there is a nativity, which does away with what depends on us, and subjects us to necessity and force.

Do not sow, do not plant, do not go to war, do no work at all whatsoever;

for at all events, whether you will or not, the things of nativity will come to pass.

What further need have we of prayers? Why then do you wish to become a Christian, if nativity exists? For you will not be liable to any charge.

Whence come the arts? From nativity? 'Yes,' he says, 'and it is fated for so-and-so to become wise through labors.'

But show me someone who has learned an art without laboring;

thus it is not the result of nativity but of labors.

'Whence then,' he says, 'is such a one rich, though he is vile and wicked, not having received the inheritance from his father;

while another, toiling ten thousand times over, remains poor?' For they continually rehearse all these arguments, moving them upon the ground of wealth and poverty, but nothing upon vice and virtue.

But here do not say this; rather show whether anyone became bad while striving earnestly, or anyone good while living carelessly;

for if fate has power, let it show its power in the greatest matters, in virtue and vice, not in wealth and poverty.

'And whence,' he says, 'is one in sickness, and another in health? Whence is one held in good repute, while another is disgraced? Whence do affairs go forward according to one man's wish, while for another there are ten thousand hindrances upon ten thousand?' Depart from nativity, and you will know these things;

believe firmly that it is God who exercises providence, and you will clearly understand these things.

For the confusion of these matters does not permit one to suspect providence.

'If these are the works of God, how can I believe that God, who is good, gives riches to the fornicator, to the vile, to the covetous, but no longer to the good man? Whence shall I believe? For one must believe from facts.'

Are those things then the works of a righteous nativity, or of an unrighteous one? 'Of an unrighteous one,' you say.

Who then made this nativity? Was it God? 'No,' he says, 'but it is unbegotten.'

And how, being unbegotten, does it work such things? For these things are contrary to each other.

These things, then, are in no way the works of God.

Let us therefore inquire who made the heaven.

Who made the earth, who the sea, who the seasons? Then did He make such great order, such great harmony, in things without soul, but in us, for whose sake all things exist, such great disorder? It would be as if someone should provide that his house should be admirable, but should no longer care for his household servants.

Who keeps the seasons? Who has laid down the well-ordered laws of nature? Who has appointed the courses of day and night? These things are higher than that nativity of yours.

'No,' he says, 'but they came into being of themselves.'

And how could such great order come into being of itself? 'Whence then,' he says, 'come the rich, the healthy, the well-reputed—some from covetousness, some from inheritance, some from violence? For what reason then has God permitted the wicked to prosper?' Because there is not here the recompense according to desert, but in the time to come;

then show me some such thing coming to pass.

'Meanwhile,' he says, 'grant it me here, and I do not seek it there.'

But it is for this very reason that you do not receive it—because you seek it.

For if, being outside of the pleasure, you thus seek these things, so as to prefer them to those, how much more would you do so if you also enjoyed pure pleasure!

For this reason He shows you that they are nothing, that they are things indifferent;

for if they were not indifferent, He would not have given them to those men also;

tell me, is being dark-skinned, or tall, or short, not a matter indifferent?

For tell me, in the case of necessary things, has it not been given equally to all—such as the aptitude for virtue, the distribution of spiritual gifts? If you knew the benefactions of God, you would not, while enjoying those things equally, be indignant in these matters, nor would you have sought this excess.

if you knew that equal share? It would be just as if a household servant, enjoying from his master food and clothing and lodging, and partaking equally with the others of everything else, should—if he had extra hairs on his head, or longer nails—think that he had more than the others;

in the very same way, such a person also vainly prides himself on these things, in which he has only a temporary enjoyment.

For these reasons He withdraws us from them, that He may quench this madness, that He may transfer our longing for them to heaven.

But we are not brought to our senses even so.

For just as, when a child has some plaything and prefers it to necessary things, the father deprives it of the plaything, that even against its will he may lead it on to what is perfect;

so also God does everything, that He may lead us on to heaven.

'How then,' he says, 'does He allow the wicked to be rich?' Because He has little regard for those things.

How then does He also give the righteous over? Not He Himself, but He simply permits it.

And these things have now been said by us only superficially, as to those unacquainted with the Scriptures.

But if you were willing to believe and to give heed to the divine words, we should have had no need of any of these arguments;

for from these we should have known all things.

For that you may learn that wealth is nothing, nor health, nor glory, I point out to you many who, though it is in their power to gain, do not gain; who, though it is in their power to be in health, waste away their own bodies; who, though it is in their power to enjoy glory, do everything so as to be despised.

No one, however, being good, is eager to be wicked.

Let us therefore cease from seeking the good things here, and let us seek those in the heavens.

For thus we shall be able both to obtain them, and to enjoy the everlasting nourishment, by the grace and lovingkindness of our Lord Jesus Christ, with whom to the Father together with the Holy Spirit be glory, might, and honour, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages.