En
᾿ σεμνότητος, ---π. εἰ δέ τις τοῦ ἰδίου οἴκου ' προστῆναι οὐκ οἶδεν, πῶς ν See τ
" ἐκκλησίας " Θεοῦ * ἐπιμελήσεται ;—6. μὴ " νεόφυτον, ἵνα μὴ ΄ τυφω- w
x Luke x. 34, 35.
ἘΠῚ ΠῚ σε 1|: 5. ὃ. 1366 1. Π. Μοπίτσπ Grammar, vol.1. p. δ7 sqq.,and Expositor, Vi., iii. 277, and Deissmann, Bible Studies, trans. p. 123 sq. οἶκος also means house- hold, τ Cor. i. 16 and in the Pastorals.
προϊστάμενον: προΐστασθαι is per- haps used, here and in ver. 12, because it would naturally suggest church govern- ment. See reff., and Hermas, Vis. ii. 4; Justin Martyr, Aol. i. 65. A different use is found in Tit. iii. 8, 14, καλῶν ἔργων προΐστασθαι, where see note. The domestic qualification, as we may call it, of the episcopus, also applies to deacons (ver. 12) and to the Cretan episcopus ες 6]:
τέκνα ἔχοντα : Alford cannot be right in supposing that τέκνα is emphatic. it would be absurd to suppose that a man otherwise suited to the office of an epis- copus would be disqualified because of childlessness. The clause is parallel to μιᾶς γυναικὸς ἄνδρα : if the episcopus be a married man, he must not be a diga- mist ; if he have children, they must be ἐν ὑποταγῇῃ.
ἐν ὑποταγῇ- σεµνότητος: with the strictest regard to propriety, see note on chap. ii. 2. Most commentators join these words closely together. The σεμνότης of the children in their extra- family relations being the outward and visible expression of the ὑποταγή to which they are subject in domestic life. This is a more natural reference of σεμνότ. than to the general household arrangements, “ wt absit luxuria”’ (Ben- gel). On the other hand, there is much force in Dean Bernard’s remark that “gepvotns is hardly a grace of child- hood.” Heconnects ἔχοντα μετὰ tac. σεμν. This seems to be supported by ver. 8, διακόνους ὡσαύτως σεμνούς and νετ. Ir. Von Soden takes a similar view.
Ver. 5. The argument is akin to that stated by our Lord, Luke xvi. το. ‘‘ He that is faithful in a very little is faithful also in much, etc.’ It is all the more cogent inasmuch as the Church is the house of God. The point is resumed in ver. 15. Alf. quotes a sentence from Plato in which both προστῆναι and ἐπιμελεῖσθαι are used of the government of a family ; nevertheless it is not fanciful to suppose that we have here a deliberate interchange of terms,
νου αν.
y Here only, N.T.
Tim. ii. 2 Ver. 15, see note here.
zi Tim. vi. 4, 2 Tim. iii. 4, not LXX.
προστῆναι being, as we have seen above, almost a technical term to express Church government ; while ἐπιμελ. ex- presses the personal care and attention of a father for his family. See the use of the verb in Luke x. 34, 35, and of ἐπιμέλεια in Acts xxvii. 3.
ἐκκλησία θεοῦ is also found in ver. 15. ἐκκλησία τοῦ θεοῦ occurs nine times in απ obessuc ο. Messe τι Όσον 2 Cor.; Gal.). The omission of the article before θεοῦ is characteristic of the Pas- torals. The phrase is found also in St. Paul’s apostolic charge to the episcopi of Ephesus in Acts xx. 28.
Ver. 6. Verses 6 and 7 have nothing corresponding to them in Tvius, or in the qualifications for the diaconate in this chapter.
μὴ νεόφυτον κ.τ.λ. : not a recent con- vert. νεόφυτος in O.T. is used literally of a young plant (Job xiv. 9; Ps. cxxvii. (cxxviii.) 3; cxliii. (cxliv.) 12; Isa. v. 7). For its use in secular literature, see Deissmann, Bible Studies, trans. p. 220.
The significance of this qualification is apparent from its absence in the parallel passage in Titus. It is evident that Church organisation in Crete was in a very much less advanced state than in Ephesus. On the first introduction of the Gospel into a country, the apostles naturally ‘‘ appointed their first fruits to be bishops and deacons” (Clem. Rom. i. § 42; Acts xiv. 23), because no others were available; and men appointed in such circumstances would have no temptation to be puffed up any more than would the leaders of a forlorn hope. But as soon as there came to be a Christian community of such a size as to supply a considerable number of men from whom leaders could be selected, and in which office might be a natural object of ambition, the moral risk to νεόφυτοι of early advancement would be areal danger. It is difficult to avoid at least a passing attack of τύφωσις, if you are promoted when young.