VerL 4, 5.-The (Jhristi.an pastor in his 1uYme life. The apostle here turns to the family life of the pastor as an important element affecting the public examination ot his character. I. THE IllPORTANCE OF A WELL-ORDERED HOUSEHOLD. "One that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity." 1. The pastor is no ascetic recluse, but shmres in the everyriay life q/' the world. 2. He must have ftrmne.~8 and authority to rule his family-wife, children, and servants; not slack in his rule i.ike old Eli, but faithful as Abraham, who not only taught but commanded his children and household to keep the way of the Lord. 3. He is to rule gently yet firmly, BO as, while securing subjection in his household, he crea.tes that gravity of deportment which is the accompanying grace of obedience in children reared under wise and loving mastery. II. THE WELL-ORDERED HOUSEHOLD TBE TEST OF FITNESS FOR THE RULE OF TBB BOUSE OF Gon. " For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the Church of God?" 1. The argument is from the ks8 to the greater. The family is the lesser sphere, the Church the larger family. The family needs mnch prudence, care, forethought, affection. But while it is the narrowest sphere, it is governed with peculiar advantages, arising from the feelings of love and dependence on the part of the children. If there is failure here, there is a self-evident unfitness for the wider and more complex administration of the Church. 2. The Church of God is t<, be a 1ubje,d, of anziou, care to the paator. 'fhe Greek word implies this thought. The apostle himself bad the care of all the Churches upon him. But the pastor has a care for 5he individual members of his flock, to seek the conversion of sinners, to instruct the ignorant, to guide the perplexed, to comfort the doubting, to check the 01!. Ill. l-16.] THE FIRST EPISTLE TO TIMOTHY. 6\l
wayward, and to defend the flock against errorists. " Who is sufficient for these things?"-T. C.
Ver. 6.-The pastor must not be a nmna. " Not a novice." I. THE ADVANTAGES OF EXPERIENCE IN A PAB'fOR. The apostle does not refer to youth, but to inexperience. Yet the qualification must be regarded relatively; for a longer or a shorter probation might be required. a.ccording to circumstances. The Church at Ephesus had been long enough established to admit of a Aelection being made out of men of Christian experience and wisdom. It is significant to remark that no definite age is assigned lor candidates for the ministry. In a Church like that of Ephesus, threatened with heresy within and violence without, it was necessary that the elders should be men with a rare understanding of the mysteries of the faith, an<l with a large fund of sanctified experience. II. THE REASON OR GROUND OF THE APOSTLE'S COUNSEL. "Lest, being besotted with pride, he should fall into the condemnation of the devil.'' 1. The risk of the novice is an undue self-elation, arising from the thought of the dignity of his office and of the estimation in which he is held on account of his gifts. His judgment would thus become clouded, and he would fail to see the true relation of things. 2. The wnsequence wO'Uld be his falling wnder the very cmuiemnation pronounced upon the devil. Thus a blinding pride would receive its just retribution. 3. It -is evident that the apostle believed in the ezistence of a personal evil spirit, the adversary of God and man. It is equally evident that he regarded the fall of the devil as due to pride, and that he rega.rded him as the tempter of man.-T. C. Ver. 7.-The pastor m'USt have an huneat rep,, tation before the world. He must stand well both without and within the Church. I. THE IMPOBTA.NCE OF AN UNBLEMISHED REPUTATION. "But he must also have a good testimony from them that are without." 1. It is a mi8take to iqnore w defy the opinion of the world in mattlffsfallir,g fairly within its judgment. What we do ought not only to be "acceptable to God, but approved of men" (Rom. xiv. 18). . " Let not your good be evil spoken of" (Rom. xiv. lo). The world understands the principles of natural justice. 'l'be minister cannot violate these without loss of reputation and influence. 2. .A blameless life i8 calculated to make a deep impression on the world. "Let your light so shine before men, that they, seeing your good works, may glorify your Father which is in heaven" (Matt. v. 16). Your holy walk ought to attract " those that artt -,thout n into the happy communion of the Church. 3. It ia a great evil lo bl.aat the f"1,7>Utation of Christian ministers, for it undermines their infiuence for good. II. THE DANGERS 01' A DO0BTFUL REl'UTATION BEFORE THE W0BLD. "Lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil." It would be a great risk to introduce into the mi11.istry one who bad once followed a loose life, because those who were familiar with his history would be ready to suspect the purity of bis congregation from the blemished reputation of its pastor. The effect in the minister might be diverse. L fie might be excited to an angry resentment of such disagreeable attacks. 2. He might fall into despair, and thus become reckless, and ultimately justify the worst imputations of the world. 3. He might cease to reprove transgressors because be bad not the courage to condemn faults which were only too observable in himself. Thus the devil would set its snares around him for his undoing. When George III. was asked to give a bishopric to a clergyman who bad made a serious lapse from virtue, and was told that the clergyman had long ago repented of it, bis appropriate answer was, "I would rather appoint bishops who had not that particular sin to repent of."-T. C.
Vera. 8, 9.-The qualifications of deacons. The apostle next proceeds to direct Timothy respecting the character and appointment of another class of office-bearers. l. THE ORDEU OJ!' DEACONS. 1. Their origin. We find the first trace of the order about two years after the Ascension (Acts vi. 1-4). It owed its origin to a necessity that arose from the extension of the Church. Seven deacons were appointed as almoners. They 11.re not so cal,led, but their name is traceable in the two terms which indicate the 11ph4ire of their office, .. serving tables " and "ministry n (a .......,,.., g...,.,..,.;., T/ICl1rf,,us ). 60 THE FIRST EPISTLE TO TllrlOTHY.