a Luke xiv. 7, Acts iii. 5, xix. 22.
127
"τῶν “ χειρῶν τοῦ v Acts viii. 18, 2 Tim. i. 6, Heb.
vi. 2.
16. "ἔπεχε σεαυτῷ καὶ τῇ διδασ- w Here only
« ἴῃ 115 sense.
x Acts iv. 25 (PS: 11. 1ἡ.
y Phil. i. 12, 25.
z Rom.i. 19, Gal. v. 19,
Ὁ Acts xiii. 43 (T.R.), Rom. vi- 1, xi. 22, 23,
1Ins. ἐν DcKLP.
laying on of hands addressed to the eye. See Acts xiii. 1-3.
Winer-Moulton notes, p. 471, that the instrument, as such, is never expressed by μετά in good prose. Here, with, amid imposition of hands (conjointly with the act of imposition). μετά is here equivalent to διά in the sense given above, i.e, of accompanying circum- “stances,
2 Tim. i. 6 is usually reconciled with this passage by saying that the body of presbyters was associated with St. Paul in the laying on of hands. But there is no reason to suppose that the same trans- action is referred to in both places. Here the charismata refer to preaching and teaching; but in 2 Tim., to the ad- ministrative duties committedto Timothy, as it is reasonable to suppose, by St. Paul alone, when he appointed him his representative. Note that διά is used of St. Paul’s imposition of hands (2 Tim. i. 6), μετά of that of the presbyters, here. This suggests that it was the imposition of hands by St. Paul that was the in- strument used by God in the communica- tion of the charisma to Timothy.
πρεσβυτέριον: elsewhere in N.T. (Luke xxii. 66; Acts xxii. 5) means the Jewish Sanhedrin; but Ignatius uses the term, as here, to indicate the presby- ters in a local Church (Trall. 7, 13; Philadelph. 7, etc.).
Ver. 15. ταῦτα: 1.¢., reading, exhorta- tion, teaching. μελέτα: practise, exercise thyself in, rather than meditari. So R.V., Be diligent in. (Bengel compares γύμναζε ver. 7.) Cf. Psal. i. 2, ἐν τῷ νόμῳ αὐτοῦ μελετήσει, “In his law will he exercise himself,” P.B.V., quoted by Prof. Scholefield.
ἐν τούτοις ἴσθι: To the parallels cited by Wetstein, ἐν τούτοις ὁ Καῖσαρ - +» ἦν (Plut. Pomp. p. 656 6), ‘* Omnis dn hoc sum” (Horace Efzstles, i. 1,11) and Alford: ‘ Totus in 1115 (Horace, Sat. i. -Ώ, 2), we may add ἐν φόβῳ Κυρίου ἴσθι,
Prov. xxiii. 17. Timothy’s progress mani- fest to all would secure his youth from being despised: cf. Matt. v. 16.
φανερὰ ᾖ: This expression is quite Pauline; see reff.; but St. Paul more frequently has φανερὸς γενέσθαι, 1 Cor. Aiko πε LO exe) 255 Unt ο, τα.
Ver. 16. ἔπεχε σεαυτῷ, κ.τ.λ.: The teacher must needs prepare himself be- fore he prepares his lesson. A similar thought is conveyed by the order of the words in Gen. iv. 4, ‘‘The Lord had respect unto Abel and to his offering’’. ἐπέχειν (see reff. and Moulton and Mil- ligan, Expositor, vii., vii. 377) has a quite different signification in Phil. 11. 16. Cf. Acts xx. 28, προσέχετε ἑαυτοῖς.
τῇ διδασκαλίᾳ: Thy teaching (R.V.). The doctrine (A.V.) can take care of itself. See note on i. το. αὐτοῖς is neuter, referring to the same things as ταῦτα; not masc., ‘‘Remain with the Ephesians,” as Grotius supposed, a view tolerated by Bengel.
σεαυτὸν σώσεις: cf. Ezek. xxxiii. 9.
CHAPTER V.—Vv. 1-16. The wise Church ruler must understand how to deal with his people individually. Each age and condition needs separate treat- ment: old men, young men; old women, young women. Widows in particular need discriminating care; since some of them may have to be supported by the Church; and we must not let the Church be imposed on, nor give occasion for scandal. Accordingly Church widows must be at least sixty years old, and be of good character.
Ver. 1. πρεσβυτέρῳ is best taken as a term of age, seniorem (Vulg.). This view is supported by the ὡς πατέρα, πρεσβυτέρας, νεωτέρας. The term νεωτέρους might possibly refer to a sub- ordinate Church officer. In Acts v. 6 it is susceptible of that meaning; but in the subsequent narrative (Acts v. 10) of νεώτεροι who are in attendance on the Apostles are merely νεανίσκοι.