ἐκτὸς εἰ μή: This phrase arises from a
136
k 1 Cor. xiv: δέχου, ἢ ἐκτὸς *
5, XV. 2. 1 Acts xix. 19, XXvii. ὦ 35. εχωσιν. m 2 Tim. ii.» 14, ἵν I. nSee1Tim. ii. 3. o 1 Pet. i. 1, ii. 6, 9, 2 John i. 13.
xii. 47, Acts vii. 53, xvi. 4, xxi. 24, Rom. ii. 26, Gal. vi. 13, 1 Tim. vi. 20, 2 Tim. i. 14.
ii. 14, 1 Tim. ii. 8.
εἰ "μὴ ἐπὶ δύο ἢ τριῶν μαρτύρων.
21. ™ Διαμαρτύρομαι
ΠΡΟΣ ΤΙΜΟΘΕΟΝ A ν.
20. τοὺς”
ἁμαρτάνοντας | ἐνώπιον ᾿ πάντων ἔλεγχε, ἵνα καὶ οἱ λοιποὶ φόβον
3 ἐνώπιον ” τοῦ " Θεοῦ καὶ 5 Χριστοῦ
Ιησοῦ 4 καὶ τῶν " ἐκλεκτῶν ἀγγέλων, ἵνα ταῦτα ἢ φυλάξῃς “ χωρὶς
p Matt. xix. 20(= Mark x. 20 = Luke xviii. 21), Luke xi. 28, John
q Phil.
10m. ἐκτὸς-μαρτύρων Latin MSS. known to Jerome, also apparently ΟΥΡ. and
Ambrst.
2 Ins. δὲ ΑΓ”, d, f, g, autem (not τὴ, go.; ins. δὲ after ἅμαρτ. FG.
δ Ins. Κυρίου DcKLP, go., syrr.
blend of εἰ μή and ἐκτὸς εἰ. Examples of its use are cited from Lucian. Alford notes that similar ‘‘ pleonastic expres- sions such as χωρὶς ei, or εἰ μή, are found in later writers such as Plutarch, Dio Cassius, etc.”. Deissmann cites an instructive example for its use in the Cilician Paul from an inscription of Mops- uestia in Cilicia of the Imperial period (Bible Studies, trans. p. 118). See reff.
ἐπὶ .. . μαρτύρων: This seems an abbreviation for ἐπὶ στόματος μαρτ- So ΕΝ. Cf. 2 Cor. xiii. 1, Hebr.
TY ΓΜ. It is a different use from ἐπὶ in the sense of before (a judge),
Mark xiii. 9, Acts xxv. 9, 1ο. See Blass, Gram. p. 137. Ver. 20. τοὺς ἁμαρτάνοντας: It
cannot be certainly determined whether this refers to offending presbyters only or to sinners in general. In favour of the first alternative, is the consideration that it seems to be a suitable conclusion to ver. 19; and the vehemence of the ad- juration in ver. 21 receives thus a justifica- tion. It demands greater moral courage to deal judicially with subordinate offi- cials than with the rank and file of a society.
On the other hand, the sequence of thought in these concluding verses of the chapter is not formal anddeliberate. Al- though it has been shown above that vv. 17-25 form one section, marked by one prominent topic, the relation of Timothy to presbyters, it cannot be maintained that the connexion is indisputably obvious; and the use of the present participle sug- gests that habitual sinners are under dis- cussion. One is reluctant to suppose that such men would be found amongst the presbyters of the Church.
ἐνώπιον πάντων: At first sight this seems opposed to the directions given by our Lord, Matt. xviii. 15, ‘‘Shew him
4 Ἴησ. Χριστ. DCFKLP, go., syrr., arm.
his fault between thee and him alone’; but the cases are quite different: Christ is there speaking of the mutual relations of one Christian with another, as brothers in the household of God; here St. Paul is giving directions to a father in God, a Christian ruler, as in 2 Tim. iv. 2, Tit. i. 13, ii. 15. Moreover, as ΕἸ]. points out, Christ is speaking of checking the beginning of a sinful state, St. Paul is speaking of persistent sinners.
ἵνα καὶ ot λοιποὶ, κ.τ.λ.: Cf. Deut. ΧΙ. ΤΙ.
Ver. 21. διαμαρτύρομαι: It is easy to see that St. Paul had not perfect confi- dence in the moral courage of Timothy. He interjects similar adjurations, vi. 13, 2 Tim.iv.1. In 1 Thess. iv. 6 we can understand διεμαρτυράμεθα to mean that purity had been the subject of a strong adjuration addressed by the apostle to his converts.
τῶν ἐκλεκτῶν ἀγγέλων: The epithet elect has probably the same force as holy in our common phrase, The holy angels. Compare the remarkable par- allel, cited by Otto and Krebs, from Josephus, B. ¥. ii. 16, 4, μαρτύρομαι δὲ ἐγὼ μὲν ὑμῶν τὰ ἅγια Kal τοὺς ἱεροὺς ἀγγέλους τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ πατρίδα τὴν κοινήν, and Testament of Levi, xix. 3, μάρτυς ἐστι κύριος, K. μάρτυρες οἱ ἄγγελοι αὐτοῦ, κ. μάρτυρες ὑμεῖς. The references to angels in St. Paul’s speeches and letters suggest that he had an unquestioning belief in their benefi- cent ministrations; though he may not have attached any importance to specu- lations as to their various grades. We are safe in saying that the elect angels are identical with ‘the angels which kept their own principality” (Jude 6), ‘‘that did not sin”’ (2 Pet. ii. 4).