Idiotce (IhCiTai, private men}, a term applied by some early writers to laymen in distinction from minis- ters (kXj)poi). Chrj-sostom {Homil. 35) and Theodoret {Comm. in 1 Cor.) employ the word in this signification, and show that the apostle Paul (1 Cor. xiv, 16) thus designates a private person, whether learned or un- learned. So also Origen, Contra Cels. vii, p. 334. See Bingham, Orig. Eccles. bk. i, ch. v, § 6. See Laity.
Idiotes (Gr. Ihomo) is a term sometimes used in the orthodox doctrine of the Trinity of the Godhead to designate the in-operty (La.t.pro2vietas~) of each divine person. This must, however, not be confounded M-ith the divine attributes (eternity, omnipresence, omnipo- tence, etc.), for they are inherent in the divine essence, and are the common possession of all the divine liypos- tases, Avhile the idiotes, on the other hand, is a pecidiar- ity of the hypostasis, and therefore cannot be communi- cated or transferred from one to another. — Schaff. Ch, Hist, iii, 679. See Trinity.
Idle (!^^?'^, slothful, also deceitful; tlE'T', to he weal; in Niph. to he lazy, Exod. v, 8, 17; ^^1?:^", indolence, Prov. xxxi, 27; r^lPETT, remissness, Eccles. x, 18; LJpTlJ, to res^, Ezek. xvi, 49; apyoc, not worMng, liter- ally. Matt. XX, 3, 6 ; 1 Tim. v, 13 ; rinfndtful, 2 Pet. i, 8 ; stupifl, Tit. i, 12 ; morally. Matt, xii, 36 ; Xrjpoc, an " idle tale," Luke xxiv, 11). Of the foregoing instances of the use of this Avord, the only one requiring special con- sideration is Matt, xii, 36, " I say imto you, that every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give an ac- count thereof in the day of judgment," where there has been considerable difference of opinion as to the inter- pretation of piiftn apycii; translated "idle word." To the crdinarj' explanation, which makes the phrase here
IDLENESS
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equivalent to vain, and lience wiclced language, J. A. H. Tittman, in an extended criticism (C« the principal Causes of Forced Interpret, of the N. T., printed in the Amer. Bib. Ee^ws. for 1831, p. 481-484), objects that it violates the native meaning of the word, which rather denotes an empty, inconsiderate, and hence insincere conversation or statement, appealing to the context, which is aimed at the hj'pocrital Pharisees. On the other hand, the usual interpretation is supported by the actual occun-ence of irov^pov, iciclced, in the parallel verse 35, and by the usage of other Greek writers, e. g., Symmachus in Lev. xix, 7, for P^l'iS, where Sept. dovrov ; Xenoph. Mem. i, 2, 57 ; Cicero, de Fat. 12. (See Kuinol, ad loc.) The term is probably intended to be of wide sig- nification, so as to include both these senses, namely, levilji and calummj, as being both species of untruth and heedlessly uttered, yet productive of mischief.
Idleness, aversion from labor. The idle man is, in every view, both foolish and criminal. He lives not to God. Idleness was not made for man, nor man for idleness. A small measure of reflection might convince every one that for some useful purpose he was sent into the world. Man is placed at the head of all things here below. He is furnished with a great preparation of fac- ulties and powers. He is enlightened by reason with many important discoveries; even taught by revelation to consider himself as ransomed hy the death of Christ from misery, and intended to rise to a still higher rank in the universe of God. In such a situation, thus dis- tinguished, thus favored, and assisted by his Creator, does he answer the end of his being if he aim at no im- provement, if he pursue no useful design, if he live for no other purpose than to indulge in sloth, to consume the fruits of the earth, and spend his days in a dream of vanity? Existence is a sacred trust, and he who thus misemploys and squanders it away is treacherous to its author. Look around, and you will behold the whole universe full of active powers. Action is, so to speak, the genius of nature. By motion and exer- tion, the system of being is preserved in vigor. By its different parts always acting in subordination to each other, the perfection of the whole is carried on. The heavenly bodies perpetually revolve. Day and night incessantly repeat their appointed course. Continual operations are performing on the earth and in the wa- ters. Nothing stands still. All is alive and stirring throughout the universe. In the midst of this ani- mated and busy scene, is man alone to remain idle in his place? Belongs it to him to be the sole inactive and slothful being in the creation, when in so many ways he might improve his own nature, might advance the glory of the God who made him, and contribute his part to the general good? The idle live not to the world and their fellow-creatures any more than to God. If any man had a title to stand alone, and to be inde- pendent of his fellows, he might consider himself as at liberty to indulge in solitary ease and sloth, without being responsible to others for the manner in which he chooses to live. But there is no such person in the world. Wc are connected with each other by various relations, which create a chain of mutual dependence that reaches from the highest to the lowest station in society. Without a perpetual circulation of active du- ties and offices, which all are required to perform in their turn, the order and happiness of the world could not l)e maintained. Superiors are no more independent of their inferiors than these inferiors of them. Each have de- mands and claims upon the other ; and he who, in any situation of life, refuses to act his part, and to contribute his share to the general stock of felicity, deserves to be proscribed from society as an unworthy member. " If any man \vill not work," says Paul (2 Thess. iii, 10), "neither shall he eat." If he will do nothing to ad- vance the piu-poses of society, he has no right to enjoy its benefits.